Three-dimensional visualized technology-guided surgical resection for giant hepatic hemangioma with hemorrhagic necrosis: A case report and literature review.

Background: Hepatic hemangioma is the most common type of benign mesenchymal liver tumor and often has a good prognosis. However, giant hepatic hemangioma larger than 10 cm is an unusual event, and accompanying symptoms of internal hemorrhagic necrosis are extremely rare. There are only a few cases reported. Case summary: Herein, we report the case of a 52-year-old man with hemorrhagic necrosis of a giant hepatic hemangioma. The patient presented to the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery with a complaint of distending pain on the right abdomen. The patient underwent hepatic artery embolization for giant hepatic hemangioma 2 weeks before presentation. During hospitalization, abdominal computed tomography revealed a mass (15.8 × 14.2 × 14.7 cm) with high density below the right lobe of the liver. The patient subsequently underwent irregular right hepatectomy with the guidance of three-dimensional visualization technology. The surgical anatomy confirmed the diagnosis of internal hemorrhagic necrosis. There was no recurrence or complications in a 4-month follow-up. Previous cases were reviewed to characterize the clinical features of giant hepatic hemangioma with internal hemorrhage necrosis. Conclusion: Cases of giant hepatic hemangioma with internal hemorrhagic necrosis are rare and usually only exhibit fever or epigastric pain. All patients in reviewed cases finally underwent surgical resection. Under these circumstances, the healing effect of transhepatic arterial treatment is not very satisfactory. Patients are deemed poor laparoscopic surgical candidates due to limited abdominal cavity. In order to standardize the diagnosis of these rare cares, the aggregation of existing and future case data is certainly warranted. If diagnosed, consideration should be given to implementing surgical resection according to patients' condition by three-dimensional visualized technology.

Light People: Professor Manijeh Razeghi.

EDITORIAL: The sense of light is the first sensation the human body develops. The importance of light is self-evident. However, we all know that the light we can see and perceive covers only a small section of the spectrum. Today, for Light People, we feature a researcher who is committed to exploring different spectral bands of light ranging from deep ultraviolet to terahertz waves and working on quantum semiconductor technology, Prof. Manijeh Razeghi of the Northwestern University in the United States. Known for her quick thinking and witty remarks, Prof. Razeghi is passionate about life and always kind to others. As a scientist, she does not limit her research to a single focus, instead, she works on the entire process from material selection, device design, processing, and manufacturing, all the way to product application. She has a strong passion for education, a commitment unwavered by fame or fortune. For her students, she is both a reliable source of knowledge and a motherly figure with a caring heart. She firmly believes that all things in nature can give her energy and inspiration. In science, she is a true "pioneer" in research and a "miner" of scientific discoveries. She advises young scientists to enjoy and love what they do, and turn their research into their hobby. As a female scientist, she calls on all women to realize their true value and potential. Next, let's hear from Professor Manijeh Razeghi, a true star who radiates energy and light.

First Report of Root Rot of Cathaya argyrophylla caused by Fusarium oxysporum in China.

Cathaya argyrophylla [Chun & Kuang.] is an ancient relict plant and its embryonic development is similar to that of Pinus species. This has important scientific value for studying the phylogeny of Pinaceae (Wu et al. 2023). In July 2022, root rot was detected in the seedling cultivation base of C. argyrophylla in Daozhen County, Guizhou Province, China (28.89 °N, 107.6 °E). The incidence of the disease was 30% (n = 100); the susceptible plants wilted, leaves withered, and roots showed brown-to-black lesions and rot. Ten root tissues were randomly collected from the edges of the lesions of six symptomatic susceptible plants. The tissues were sterilized with 75% alcohol for 30 seconds, followed by 2-minute immersion in 3% sodium hypochlorite. After washing with sterile water, the tissues were incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA; BoWei, Shanghai) at 28 ℃ for five days. Four single-spore cultures were obtained using a single-spore isolation method (Gong et al., 2010). Single-spore cultures grew rapidly on PDA. After five days of incubation, the colonies were white and pink, indicating a large amount of aerial mycelia. Microconidia were ovate or ellipsoid, measuring 5.0-10.0 × 1.5-3.0 µm (n = 50); Macroconidia were falcate, slightly curved or straight, measuring 19.5-28.5 × 2.0-6.0 µm (n = 50). Based on morphological features, the pathogen was considered to be Fusarium spp. (Leslie and Summerell 2006). Three representative strains, GF5, GF6, and GF7, were selected for molecular identification, and genomic DNA was extracted to confirm morphological diagnosis. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (White et al. 1990) was amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4, and the ß-tubulin gene (Varga et al. 2011) was amplified using primers Bt2a/Bt2b. The ITS and ß-tubulin sequences were aligned with GenBank, and amplification of the genes from the three isolates was consistent. The ITS (OP482273) and ß-tubulin (OR825353) sequences of GF5 were stored in GenBank, and their homology with Fusarium oxysporum HC131(accession numbers MW600442 and MW670451) was 99 to 100%. Maximum likelihood analysis using MEGA 11.0 showed that isolate GF5 belongs to F. oxysporum. The reconstructed phylogenetic tree confirmed the phylogenetic position of the isolate GF5. The pathogenicity test was carried out using GF5 and GF6 isolates. The taproots of ten 3-year-old C. argyrophylla plants were washed, and then the roots were immersed in a 2 × 106/mL conidial suspension for one hour. Ten plants with sterile water were used as controls. After planting in pots (30 × 25 cm) with sterilized forest soil, the plants were cultured in a greenhouse (25 ℃ and 12-hour photoperiod). Thirty days after inoculation, all plants inoculated with the isolated pathogen showed wilting symptoms, and the roots showed typical root rot symptoms, whereas the control group showed no symptoms. The pathogens re-isolated from all inoculated plants were morphologically identical and had ITS sequences identical to F. oxysporum, validating Koch's hypothesis. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice and similar results were obtained. Although this fungus has been previously reported to cause root diseases in hosts, such as Musa nana Lour. and Pinus massoniana Lamb. (He et al. 2010; Luo et al. 2020), to our knowledge, this is the first report of F. oxysporum causing root rot in C. argyrophylla. These findings provide a basis for the development of management strategies for C. argyrophylla infection.

Measurement method of hot forging dimension based on green laser depth information.

The application field of large forgings is extensive. Accurate dimensional measurement is an important factor to ensure the quality of the finished forging product when it is forged at high temperature. Therefore, this paper proposes a green laser scanning measurement method based on depth information. First, a geometric measurement model based on depth information is established by studying the relationship between green laser depth information and forging dimension. Then, based on the heat transfer theory, distribution of the temperature field around hot forgings is studied, and an error function caused by light refraction is established using a ray tracing algorithm. After that, the error function is used to modify the measurement model to obtain the accurate distance between the forging and background plane and then obtain the dimensional information of the forging. Finally, this measurement method was experimentally verified in the laboratory, and the experimental results show that the measurement error of this method meets the dimensional measurement requirements of large hot forgings.

Light People: Professor Laura Na Liu.

EDITORIAL: The DNA nanotechnology outlines a new chapter in biological sciences, opening a new era of scientific and technological advancements. A pioneer of DNA nanotechnology, Professor Liu from the University of Stuttgart in Germany, our latest Light People, has been working at the interface, where nanophotonics meets biology and chemistry. On the path of scientific explorations, she believes in hard working and persistency, as indicated by a line of Chinese poetry she likes, "Don't stop chasing the wind and the moon, the spring mountain is at the end of the plain." She is an outstanding female researcher, radiating wisdom. She is a pioneer in exploring the power of DNA nanotechnology and applying it to other disciplines. Meanwhile, she struggles with work-life balance. Apart from being determined and persistent, Prof. Liu is also introspective. One sees the brilliance of a scientist and the struggles of a mother, as Prof. Laura Na Liu explains to us her very personal "philosophy of life".

Light People: Professor Lan Fu.

EDITORIAL: III-V semiconductors are compound semiconductor materials formed by combining group-III and group-V elements. With properties such as direct bandgap, high electron mobility, good homogeneity of large-size crystals and good lattice matching, they are widely used in micro- and opto-electronics, integrated circuits, laser communications, etc., and promise great potentials. Our Light People is someone who has long been engaged in the research of III-V semiconductor materials, structures and devices. She is Prof. Lan Fu from the Australian National University (ANU).As an outstanding student of Prof. Chennupati Jagadish, President of the Australian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Fu is not only a leading researcher in her field, but also a scientist with an independent spirit. She is currently the Head of the Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, where she leads a team in the research of III-V semiconductors.A sincere and humble person, Prof. Fu focuses on nurturing professional attitude, critical thinking and problem solving skills in her students. In addition, she is actively involved in various professional activities, which allows her to integrate research and practice. She believes that integrity, passion, curiosity and perseverance are the key characters of a good scientific researcher and encourages her students to avoid being arrogant or rush but concentrate on good rigorous work.For this issue of Light People, we will learn about Professor Lan Fu's unique charisma as an academic and her fascinating life philosophy.

First Report of Leaf Spot Blight of Camellia oleifera Caused by Diaporthe mahothocarpus in China.

Camellia oleifera Abel. is one of the native and important natural edible oil species in China. The cultivation of C. oleifera has vigorously increased in Guizhou Province in recent years. From June to August 2022, a severe leaf spot blight was observed on C. oleifera in Longli Plantation, with an incidence of 53.5% (n=200), which caused severe defoliation, negatively affected plant growth, and led to significant economic losses. Pale yellow and sub-circular leaf spots of 2-5 mm in diameter first appeared in the margin. The center of the spots then turned grey, and the edges turned brown. The symptomatic leaves gradually developed symptoms of blight with some brown acervular conidiomata, died, and fell off, with many deep black spots on the leaves (Fig. 1A-B). The fungal isolates GZU-Y2 and GZU-Y3 were obtained from the infected leaves of five-year-old symptomatic C. oleifera trees using the tissue isolation method, and a voucher specimen was deposited in the Forest Protection Laboratory, Guizhou University. Cultures grown on potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) were incubated at 28℃, 16L/8D. A round cream-like colony was formed on PDA, with a white surface, while the back gradually turned brown (Fig. 1C-E). The aerial hypha grew vigorously with an initial milky white color before turning grayish white. At 10 days after incubation, the pycnidia were dark brown to black and spherical, with a diameter of 563.3 µm (500 to 700) (n=20). The alpha conidia were unicellular, hyaline, aseptate, oval or fusiform and measured 6.1 µm (4.1 to 8.0) × 2.6 µm (1.9 to 3.6) (n=50). However, no beta conidia were observed (Fig. 1I). For further identification, total DNA from the pure culture was extracted using a DNA extraction kit (Sangon, Shanghai, China), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF-1α), and beta-tubulin (TUB2) were amplified by PCR using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990), EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn, 1999) and Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson, 1995), respectively, and sequenced for a BLASTn analysis and phylogenetic tree construction. The sequences of ITS, TEF-1α and TUB2 were deposited in GenBank as accession numbers OQ168242 (99.25%), OQ689451 (99.71%) and OQ689453 (100.00%) for GZU-Y2 and OQ674554 (99.25%), OQ689452 (99.71%) and OQ689454 (100.00%) for GZU-Y3, respectively. A phylogenetic tree (Fig. 2) was constructed with the software MEGA X using the Neighbor-Joining algorithm (Felsenstein, 1985). Based on its morphological and molecular characteristics, the pathogen was identified as Diaporthe mahothocarpus, one of the synonyms of D. eres and the teleomorph of Phomopsis mahothocarpi (Gao et al., 2014 and 2015; Chaisiri et al., 2021). A pathogenicity test was conducted by spraying spore suspensions (2 × 107 spores/mL) of isolate GZU-Y2 on the leaves of 20 pots of annual C. oleifera seedlings in vivo. The same number of control seedings were sprayed with sterile water. The seedlings were placed at a constant room temperature of 28°C, with the inoculation points wrapped in Parafilm for 5 d to retain moisture. After 10 d, typical symptoms appeared on the inoculated leaves (Fig. 1F-H), and the re-isolated fungal culture was identical in morphology and ITS sequence to that originally obtained, fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. mahothocarpus causing leaf spot blight of C. oleifera in China. In our future work, we tend to study the green prevention and control of this disease.

First report of Root rot in Cerasus subhirtella Caused by Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum in China.

Cerasus subhirtella (Miq.) Sok. is a widely used ornamental tree in urban areas around China and has a high ornamental value. From 2018 to 2020, a root rot disease was observed in C. subhirtella in Meitan County, Weng'an County, and Guiyang city of Guizhou, China (106.71 E, 26.57 N). Diseased C. subhirtella trees exhibited wilting with leaf chlorosis accompanied by brown to black root discoloration. In an area of 100 ha in total, with disease incidence ranging from 60 to 80%. Six symptomatic plants with root rot were randomly collected from three locations where disease symptoms were observed for pathogen isolation. Fifty fragments of diseased roots (5×5mm) were disinfected in 3% sodium hypochlorite for 30 s and 75% alcohol for 60 s, rinsed three times in sterile distilled water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA; BoWei, Shanghai), and incubated at 28 °C in the dark for 7 days. Eighteen isolates were purified by single spore culturing. Typical Fusarium spp. colonies were obtained from all root samples. On PDA, the colonies showed white and the hyphae were dense, while the colony of isolate YH15 showed pale yellow on the back, radial growth and produced chlamydospores. The macrospores (YH15) were straight to subarcuate, measured 15.3 to 25.1 × 2.5 to 6.2 µm (n=50). The microconidia (YH26) were ellipsoid to ovoid, measured 8.6 to 12.7 × 1.6 to 5.1 µm (n=50). These morphological characteristics were consistent with Fusarium spp., as described recently in Vitullo et al. (2014). To confirm the morphological diagnosis, genomic DNA from the isolates was extracted. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (White et al, 1990) region of rDNA and a ß-tubulin (Varga et al, 2011) gene fragment were amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4 and Bt2a/Bt2b, respectively, and were subsequently sequenced. Maximum likelihood analysis was carried out using MEGA 11.0. BLAST analysis revealed that the ITS and ß-tubulin sequences of isolate YH15 were 100% homologous with F. oxysporum, and the isolate YH26 had a 99.69~100% homology with F. solani. Sequences of isolate YH15 and YH26 were deposited in GenBank (ITS: OQ363005 and OQ363049; ß-tubulin: OQ398187 and OQ398180). The isolate YH15 was thus identified as F. oxysporum by the morphological characteristics and sequences analysis, and the isolate YH26 was identified as F. solani. A reconstructed phylogenetic tree also confirmed their phylogenetic position. The healthy 2-year-old C. subhirtella plants grown in autoclaved acid yellow soil were used for the pathogenicity tests. Then, 50 mL of conidial suspension (2.0×105 conidia/mL, in medium) of 7-day-old isolates YH15 and YH26 were gently applied to the soil in each of the 10 pots as the treatment. A sterilized fungal culture matrix (PDB; BoWei, Shanghai) was applied to each of 10 pots as a control. All pots (30 cm high, 25 cm upper diameter, 15 cm base diameter) were placed in a greenhouse (25 °C, 12 h photoperiod). After 30 days of inoculation, all plants inoculated with the isolates showed wilting symptoms, and the roots showed light-brown to dark-brown lesions. No symptoms were observed in the controls. The pathogen was reisolated from all symptomatic roots and identified as F. oxysporum and F. solani as described above. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice with similar results. Although this fungus was previously reported to cause root disease in many hosts (Li et al., 2020; Gibert et al., 2022), this is the first report of F. oxysporum and F. solani causing root rot in C. subhirtella in China.

Palliative Gastrectomy Improves the Survival of Patients with Metastatic Early-Onset Gastric Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Recent studies have found that patients with incurable gastric cancer might benefit from palliative gastrectomy, but the impact of palliative gastrectomy on metastatic early-onset gastric cancer (mEOGC) patients remains unclear. Methods: We analyzed mEOGC patients enrolled in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry from January 2004 to December 2018. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis with 1:1 matching and the nearest-neighbor matching method were used to ensure well-balanced characteristics between the groups of patients with palliative gastrectomy and those without surgery. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) risk with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Of 3641 mEOGC patients, 442 (12.1%) received palliative gastrectomy. After PSM, 596 patients were included in the analysis, with 298 in each group. For the matched cohort, the median survival was 8 months, and the 5-year survival was 4.0%. The median OS of mEOGC patients undergoing palliative gastrectomy was significantly longer than that of patients without surgery (13 months vs. 6 months, p < 0.001), and palliative gastrectomy remained an independent protective factor after adjusting for confounders (HR 0.459, 95% CI 0.382-0.552, p < 0.001), and the protective effect was robust in the subgroup analysis. Similar results were indicated in CSS. Stratified analyses by treatment modality also warranted the superiority of palliative-gastrectomy-based treatment in improving OS and CSS. Conclusions: mEOGC patients with palliative gastrectomy had a significantly longer survival time than patients without surgery. Exploratory analysis confirmed that surgery-based therapy modality was superior in improving survival time.

Light people: Nobel Laureate Prof. Eric Betzig.

EDITORIAL: Super-resolution microscopy illuminated the hazy molecular world like a beacon, bringing significant changes to the fields of biology, optics and chemistry. Eric Betzig, who shared the 2014 Nobel Prize of Chemistry with Stefan Hell and William Moerner, is one of the inventors of this fantastic scientific tool. Working originally on near field optics, Dr. Betzig made a series of stunning achievements at Bell Labs before turning 35. Yet he quit, seemingly at the top of his game, to become a hands-on dad and joined the machinery business. Eventually, he missed science so much that he made a comeback and wowed everyone instantly with his work. He defies the conventional definition of "persistence" by demonstrating an alternative route to success. Plain-speaking and earnest, Dr. Betzig is sometimes honest to almost a fault, and always believes in doing practical things. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does, because he says he wants to truly live rather than simply pass through life. In science work, he is meticulous, yet he embraces risks and believes they can bring the best out of oneself. In life, he is a loving father who is always ready to take time from his busy research work to take his children to school or tennis lessons, and a caring teacher who never forgets to command the hard work of his postdocs. Please join us for a glimpse of the Nobel laureate Eric Betzig and his extraordinary life.

Influence of antipsychotic medications on hyperlipidemia risk in patients with schizophrenia: evidence from a population-based cohort study and in vitro hepatic lipid homeostasis gene expression.

Introduction: Schizophrenia increases the risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, the correlation between antipsychotics (APs) and CVD remains controversial. Hyperlipidemia is a significant risk factor for CVD. Methods: We conducted a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study to investigate the effects of APs on the risk of hyperlipidemia and lipid homeostasis gene expression. We used data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database of Taiwan on new-onset schizophrenia patients and a comparison cohort without schizophrenia. We used a Cox proportional hazards regression model to analyze the differences in hyperlipidemia development between the two cohorts. Furthermore, we examined the effects of APs on the hepatic expression of lipid homeostasis-related genes. Results: After adjusting for potential interrelated confounding factors, the case group (N = 4,533) was found to have a higher hyperlipidemia risk than the control cohort (N = 4,533) [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 1.30, p < 0.001]. Patients with schizophrenia without APs had a significantly higher risk of hyperlipidemia (aHR, 2.16; p < 0.001). However, patients receiving APs had a significantly lower risk of hyperlipidemia than patients not receiving APs (all aHR ≤ 0.42, p < 0.001). First-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) induce the expression of hepatic lipid catabolism genes in an in vitro model. Discussion: Patients with schizophrenia had a higher risk of hyperlipidemia than controls; however, compared with non-treated patients, AP users had a lower risk of hyperlipidemia. Early diagnosis and management of hyperlipidemia may help prevent CVD.

Trichoderma longibrachiatum Inoculation Improves Drought Resistance and Growth of Pinus massoniana Seedlings through Regulating Physiological Responses and Soil Microbial Community.

Drought stress poses a serious threat to Pinus massoniana seedling growth in southern China. Trichoderma species, as beneficial microorganisms, have been widely used in agriculture to enhance plant growth and drought tolerance, but the interaction mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate the effect of drought-resistant Trichoderma longibrachiatum inoculation on P. massoniana growth under drought stress, the plant physiological indicators and rhizosphere microbiome diversity were measured to identify Trichoderma-activated mechanisms. Trichoderma longibrachiatum inoculation significantly promoted P. massoniana growth under drought treatment, and enhanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium absorption compared with those of non-inoculated seedlings. Trichoderma longibrachiatum treatment alleviated the damage to cell membranes and needle tissue structure, and significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities, osmotic substance contents, and photosynthesis in P. massoniana in response to drought stress. Soil nutrient contents, activities of sucrase, phosphatase, and urease as well as the relative abundances of the dominant genera Burkholderia, Rhodanobacter, and Trichoderma were elevated in the rhizosphere soil of P. massoniana inoculated with T. longibrachiatum under drought stress. A network analysis showed that certain crucial dominant taxa driven by T. longibrachiatum inoculation, including Penicillium, Trichoderma, Simplicillium, Saitozyma, Burkholderia, Bradyrhizobium, Sinomonas, and Mycobacterium, had more correlations with other microorganisms in the soil. Trichoderma longibrachiatum enhanced P. massoniana seedling growth under drought stress by regulating physiological responses and soil microbial community.

Light People: Academician Junhao Chu.

EDITORIAL: The industrial revolutions of steam power, electric power and digital power have been three key steps in the development of science and technology. Now, the fourth industrial revolution has quietly begun, a revolution which will combine the powers of modern technologies such as the Internet, industrial digitalization and virtual reality to trigger a major change of science and technology, and sensor technology is of vital importance to this process.A famous physicist specialized in infrared and semiconductors, our featured guest not only discovered the intrinsic absorption spectra of the optical transition between narrow gap semiconductor mercury cadmium telluride bands, but also developed the theory of the band structure of mercury cadmium telluride and the theory of optical transition, put forward a series of expressions such as the gap width of mercury cadmium telluride bands, making outstanding contributions.Born into a scholarly family, he inherited a love for knowledge, especially physics and enjoyed all the challenges it presented. In research, he believes that technological development should be guided by the laws of physics. As a teacher, he asks his students to focus on the depth and breadth of learning. In life, he is famed for being easygoing, modest, well-mannered and meticulous.He is Academician Junhao Chu of the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics (SITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Please follow Light People and discover what challenges Prof. Chu had to overcome in the study of mercury cadmium telluride.

Gastroparesis after video-assisted thoracic surgery: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is a common treatment for patients with early-stage lung cancer. Some patients can experience slight gastrointestinal discomfort after lobectomy for a moment. Gastroparesis is a gastrointestinal disorder that can be severe; it is associated with an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia and impaired postoperative recovery. Here, we report a rare case of gastroparesis after VATS lobectomy. CASE SUMMARY: A 61-year-old man underwent VATS right lower lobectomy uneventfully but had an obstruction of the upper digestive tract 2 d after surgery. Acute gastroparesis was diagnosed after emergency computed tomography and oral iohexol X-ray imaging. After gastrointestinal decompression and administration of prokinetic drugs, the patient's gastrointestinal symptoms improved. Since perioperative medication was applied according to the recommended dose and there was no evidence of electrolyte imbalance, intraoperative periesophageal vagal nerve injury was the most likely underlying cause of gastroparesis. CONCLUSION: Although gastroparesis is a rare perioperative complication following VATS, clinicians should be on the alert when patients complain about gastrointestinal discomfort. When surgeons resect paraesophageal lymph nodes with electrocautery, excessive ambient heat and compression of paraesophageal hematoma might induce vagal nerve dysfunction.

Survival comparison of stage IIA rectal cancer with or without neoadjuvant therapy: a SEER database analysis with propensity score matching.

Background: Patients with stage IIA rectal cancer have a higher survival rate but side effects from chemoradiotherapy; thus, whether neoadjuvant therapy should be performed for stage IIA rectal cancer is controversial. This study aimed to compare the survival outcomes of patients with stage IIA rectal cancer with or without neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods: Patients with stage IIA rectal cancer between 2010 and 2015 were included through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Propensity score matching was used to reduce the impact of confounding factors. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival differences were assessed using the log-rank test. Results: There were no significant differences in overall survival and cancer-specific survival between the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery groups (P=0.973 and 0.983). Compared with the surgery group, the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy + surgery + chemotherapy group had a better overall survival (P=0.007). Subgroup analysis showed that the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy + surgery + chemotherapy group had better overall survival compared to the surgery group in the subgroup containing preoperative high-risk factors (P=0.003) but not in the low-risk subgroup (P=0.685). Conclusions: There is no evidence that neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy + surgery can improve overall survival and cancer-specific survival compared to surgery alone in patients with stage IIA rectal cancer. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy + surgery + chemotherapy can improve overall survival compared to surgery alone, but only in patients with preoperative high-risk factors. We suggest that patients with no preoperative high-risk factors may be considered for surgery alone, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy + surgery + chemotherapy is recommended for patients with preoperative risk factors.

Bio-photoelectrochemical degradation, and photocatalysis process by the fabrication of copper oxide/zinc cadmium sulfide heterojunction nanocomposites: Mechanism, microbial community and antifungal analysis.

In this work, the fabrication of the CuO on ZnCdS as a heterojunction nanocomposites were conducted by hydrothermal method and the synthesis method was confirmed by the XRD, XPS, EDS, UV-vis spectrum analysis. The CuO/ZnCdS was used as a photocathode in the bio-photoelectrochemical system (BPES) for tetracycline (TC) degradation under solar irradiation. The CuO/ZnCdS photocathode indicated substantial photocatalytic efficiency for TC degradation, due to the fast separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. The ESR test evaluates the mechanism of degradation, and shows that ·OH, and ·O2- were contributed to TC degradation. The TC degradation was 1.59 times higher than the unilluminated process (98.72% vs 61.71). The photocatalysis test shows that the TC was degraded about 90.5% in 1.5 h. Then, the synthesized CuO/ZnCdS nanocomposites were studied for the biological application such as antifungal activities. CuO/ZnCdS nanocomposites depicted substantial antimicrobial activity versus Candida-albicans by in vitro process. Therefore, this study suggests the novel system for the antibiotics degradation, and as antifungal application.

Appendico-vesicocolonic fistula: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Appendico-vesicocolonic fistulas and appendiceal-colonic fistulas are two kinds of intestinal and bladder diseases that are rarely seen in the clinic. To our knowledge, no more than 4 cases of appendico-vesicocolonic fistulas have been publicly reported throughout the world, and no more than 100 cases of appendiceal-colonic fistulas have been reported. Although the overall incidence is low, an early diagnosis is difficult due to their atypical initial symptoms, but these diseases still require our attention. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report a case of a 77-year-old male patient diagnosed with an appendico-vesicocolonic fistula combined with an appendiceal-colonic fistula. The main manifestations were diarrhea and urine that contained fecal material. The diagnosis was confirmed by multiple laboratory and imaging examinations. A routine urinalysis showed red blood cells and white blood cells. Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scans showed close adhesions between the bowels and the bladder, and fistulas could be seen. Colonoscopy and cystoscopy and some other imaging examinations clearly showed fistulas. The preoperative diagnoses were a colovesical fistula and an appendiceal-colonic fistula. The fistulas were repaired by laparoscopic surgical treatment. The diseased bowel and part of the bladder wall were removed, followed by a protective ileostomy. The postoperative diagnosis was an appendico-vesicocolonic fistula combined with an appendiceal-colonic fistula, and the pathology suggested inflammatory changes. The patient recovered well after surgery, and all his symptoms resolved. CONCLUSION: The final diagnosis in this case was a double fistula consisting of an appendico-vesicocolonic fistula combined with an appendiceal-colonic fistula.

Is a Distal Resection Margin of ≤ 1 cm Safe in Patients with Intermediate- to Low-Lying Rectal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is generally accepted that the distal resection margin of intermediate- to low-lying rectal cancer should be greater than 2 cm and at least 1 cm in special cases. This study intends to investigate whether a distal resection margin ≤ 1 cm affects tumor outcomes for patients with intermediate- to low-lying rectal cancer. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Sixteen studies included data for distal resection margins ≤ 1 cm (1684 cases) and > 1 cm (5877 cases), and 5 studies included survival data. Meta-analysis was used to compare the local recurrence rate and long-term survival of patients with distal resection margins > or ≤ 1 cm. RESULTS: The local recurrence rate in the ≤ 1-cm margin group (9.5%) was 2.3% higher than that in the > 1-cm margin group (7.2%) according to a fixed-effects model (RR [95% CI] 1.42 [1.18, 1.70], P < 0.001). The overall survival results of the five 1-cm margin studies showed an HR (95% CI) of 0.96 (0.75, 1.24) (P = 0.78). Subgroup analysis showed that the local recurrence rate in the subgroup with perioperative treatment was 1.2% lower in the ≤ 1-cm margin group (8.3%) than in the > 1-cm margin group (9.5%) (RR [95% CI] 0.97 [0.63, 1.49], P = 0.90). In the surgery alone subgroup, the local recurrence rate was 4.7% higher in the ≤ 1-cm margin group (12.4%) than in the > 1-cm group (7.7%) (RR [95% CI] 1.76 [1.09, 2.83], P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with intermediate- to low-lying rectal cancer undergoing surgery alone, a distal resection margin ≤ 1 cm may be not safe.

Light People: Academician Songlin Zhuang.

EDITORIAL: Can you imagine that one single small capsule can achieve navigation and positioning, and do gastroscopy of the digestive system? Can you imagine that a machine can automatically complete the task of analyzing more than 4800 new coronavirus samples within 24 h? Don't be surprised, this has become a reality, thanks to Academician Songlin Zhuang and his team, who applied terahertz technology to various fields such as medicine, food safety, ecological environment monitoring, and social security. Dedicating his entire life to optics and terahertz, Academician Zhuang personifies courage, determination and persistence. He believes in science and hard work. He also takes it as his responsibility to pass on the optical spirit and cultivate optical young scientists.Today, Light Special Correspondents will take you to the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology to see the beginning and experience of Academician Songlin Zhuang's optical road. I believe it will open a window to a different optical world, and allow our readers to appreciate its unique beauty.

Light People: Professor Byoungho Lee.

EDITORIAL: Major developments were made recently in both VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) technologies, which became the focus of attention. In recent years, MR (mixed reality) technology has also emerged, and optical components play an irreplaceable role in these technologies.Professor Byoungho Lee, who graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and currently works at Seoul National University in South Korea, has been committed to the development of optical components used in VR and AR technologies. As a pioneer of optical electronics in Korea, he is involved in various well-known academic organizations in the optical field, such as the Optica, SPIE, and IEEE, as well as serving as the president of the Optical Society of Korea, leading the direction of the development of optical industry in Korea. As the ambassador of China-Korea Optoelectronics Exchange, Prof. Lee has also played an active role in Chinese optical events and activities. Over the years, he and the Journal Light: Science & Applications (LIGHT) have made progress together and have both made their names in the vast field of optoelectronics.So where did the story between Prof. Lee and the LIGHT journal begin? And what kind of link does the professor have with Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP)? How did he become a pioneer in optoelectronics technology? These are the questions we are eager to ask Prof. Byoungho Lee.The future cannot be predicted, but it can be invented, said Dennis Gabor who had invented holography. The pace of human technological advancements has never stopped. Who is to say that we cannot take a virtual tour of the Palace Museum or explore the north and south poles in the future? Scientists like Prof. Lee are working hard to use technology to provide mankind with an intelligent lifestyle, and lead a new technological trend. I am sure we are all looking forward to it.