A meta-analysis comparing phenol treatment with surgical excision for pilonidal sinus.

Pilonidal sinus is a chronic condition characterized by inflammation, swelling, and pain in the sacrococcygeal region. In recent years, the rate of recurrence and wound complications in PSD remains high, and no treatment is universally accepted. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of phenol treatment with surgical excision treatment for PSD through a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. We searched three electronic databases, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library, to comprehensively search the literature comparing phenol treatment and surgical treatment of pilonidal sinus. Fourteen publications were included, including five RCTs and nine non-RCTs. The phenol group had a slightly higher rate of disease recurrence than the surgical group (RR = 1.12, 95% CI [0.77,1.63]), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.55 > 0.05). As compared to the surgical group, wound complications were considerably less common (RR = 0.40, 95% CI [0.27,0.59]). Phenol treatment resulted in a significantly shorter operating time than surgery treatment (weighted mean difference -22.76, 95% CI [-31.13,-14.39]). The time to return to daily work was considerably shorter than in the surgical group (weighted mean difference -10.11, 95% CI [-14.58,-5.65]). Postoperative complete healing time was significantly shorter than surgical healing time (weighted mean difference -17.11, 95% CI [-32.18,-2.03]). Phenol treatment is effective for pilonidal sinus disease, and its recurrence rate is not significantly different from surgical treatment. The greatest advantage of phenol treatment is the low incidence of wound complications. Moreover, the time required for treatment and recovery are significantly lower than for surgical treatment.

Dual wavelength laser Doppler anemometer for simultaneous velocity and particulate size distribution measurements in submarine environments.

An in-situ laser Doppler current probe (LDCP) for the simultaneous measurements of the micro-scale subsurface current speed and the characterizations of micron particles is dedicated in this paper. The LDCP performs as an extension sensor for the state-of-the-art laser Doppler anemometry (LDA). The all-fiber LDCP utilized a compact dual wavelength (491 nm and 532 nm) diode pumped solid state laser as the light source to achieve the simultaneous measurements of the two components of the current speed. Besides its ability for the measurements of the current speed, the LDCP is also capable of obtaining the equivalent spherical size distribution of the suspended particles within small size range. The micro-scale measurement volume formed by two intersecting coherent laser beams makes it possible to accurately estimate the size distribution of the micron suspended particles with high temporal and spatial resolution. With its deployment during the field campaign at Yellow Sea, the LDCP has been experimentally demonstrated as an effective instrument to capture the micro-scale subsurface ocean current speed. The algorithm for retrieving the size distribution of the small suspended particles (2∼7.5µm) has been developed and validated. The combined LDCP system could be applied to the continuous long-term observations of plankton community structure, ocean water optical parameter over a wide range, and useful to elucidate the processes and interactions of the carbon cycles in the upper ocean.

Comparative analysis on the effect of the endoscopic versus conventional treatment for pilonidal sinus: A meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Pilonidal sinus is a common disease in the sacrococcygeal region. Although many treatments have been described in recent years, the recurrence of each method remains high. Surgeons did not reach a consensus on the preferred approach for pilonidal sinus. We carried out a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials comparing the outcomes of endoscopic treatment versus conventional treatment for pilonidal sinus disease in this study. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search, and we used electronic databases such as PubMed/Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane library to search for the relevant literature comparing endoscopic management to other conventional treatments for pilonidal sinus disease. The primary outcome parameters were operative time, recurrence, postoperative complications and pain, and total healing time. RESULTS: Six studies were included in the review. Endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment had a lower overall complication rate than the conventional surgery group (risk ratio = 0.33 [0.19-0.58], P = .0001) and lower pain score with a weighted mean difference of -2.44 (95% confidence interval: (-3.96) to (-0.92), I2 = 99%, P = .002). There was no significant difference in recurrence (risk ratio = 0.75, 95% confidence interval [0.30-1.90],P = .55). Compared to the excision followed by the primary closure technique, the operation time, time to complete wound healing, and satisfaction were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment is a unique and potential method of sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease treatment. The foremost benefits of this technique are mild postoperative pain, lower complications rate, and return to routine for a shorter time. However, due to the limited number of articles, we need to conduct more rigorous large-sample prospective randomized controlled trials to clarify the efficiency of endoscopic treatment for pilonidal cysts.

Coherent high-spectral-resolution lidar for the measurement of the atmospheric Mie-Rayleigh-Brillouin backscatter spectrum.

In this study, a 1550 nm coherent high-spectral-resolution lidar (CHSRL) is developed to measure the optical properties of aerosols and atmospheric wind profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer. To determine the optical properties, a coherent frequency discriminator based on the fast Fourier transform is designed in the CHSRL to separate the Mie and the Rayleigh-Brillouin backscatter spectra to fulfill the needs of high-spectral measurements. The atmospheric wind velocity is retrieved using the simultaneously measured Doppler shift. This non-optical frequency discriminator is a feasible and low-cost solution compared to a narrow-bandwidth optical filter, such as a Fabry-Perot interferometer or an atomic filter. However, shot, amplifier spontaneous emission, and detector noise interfere with the Rayleigh-Brillouin spectrum. Therefore, a spectrum correction algorithm is proposed to recover the interfered Rayleigh-Brillouin spectrum, and the measurement results of the spectral line agree well with those modeled with Tenti S6 at different central frequencies. Finally, field observations for comparison are conducted with the co-located CHSRL, Raman lidar, and coherent Doppler wind lidar. The comparison results indicate that the correlation coefficient of the aerosol backscatter coefficient is 0.84. The correlation coefficient and standard deviation of wind velocity are 0.98 and 0.13 m · s-1, respectively.

Shipborne variable-FOV, dual-wavelength, polarized ocean lidar: design and measurements in the Western Pacific.

For the requirement of high-precision vertical profile of the polarization and optical properties of natural seawater, a ship-borne variable-FOV, dual-wavelength, polarized ocean lidar system is designed to obtain the volume linear depolarization ratio (VDR), color ratio and optical parameter profiles of seawater. With the high signal-to-noise ratio, which benefits from the high power (355 nm with 120 mJ, 532 nm with 200 mJ) solid-state laser and a photon counting recorder with a sampling rate of 1 GHz, the attenuated backscattered signal of seawater in the western Pacific campaign reaches to the depth of 50 m, where a plankton layer presents. The receiver of lidar is capable of switching to wide and narrow field of view (FOV), respectively, to obtain the lidar attenuation coefficient Klidar, which is in good agreement with the beam attenuation coefficient of seawater c with a narrow FOV and diffuse attenuation coefficient Kd with a wide FOV. Besides, the Klidar, and the VDR, at two wavelengths of 355 nm and 532 nm are compared to explore the possibility of multi-wavelength of laser application in the ocean lidar. The VDR and the color ratio profiles have a desirable correlation with the in-situ measurement of chlorophyll a (Chla) and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) profiles, respectively. With the combination of the Klidar, the VDR and the color ratio profiles, measured in different regions and time periods during the campaign, the multi-wavelength and polarization lidar shows its potential to explore various ocean compositions, such as the ocean particles size shape, the species and vertical migration characteristics of planktons, and the profile distribution of the ocean compositions.

Colorectal cancer cell-derived exosomes containing miR-10b regulate fibroblast cells via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) contribute to the proliferation of colorectal cancer(CRC) cells. However, the mechanism by which CAFs develop in the tumor microenvironment remains unknown. Exosomes may be involved in activating CAFs. METHODS: Using a miRNA expression profiling array, we determined the miRNA expression profile of secretory exosomes in CRC cells and then identified potential miRNAs with significant differential expression compared to normal cells via enrichment analysis. Predicted targets of candidate miRNAs were then assessed via bioinformatics analysis. Realtime qPCR, western blot, and cell cycle analyses were performed to evaluate the role of candidate exosomal miRNAs. Luciferase reporter assays were applied to confirm whether candidate exosomal miRNAs control target pathway expression. A CRC xenograft mouse model was constructed to evaluate tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: Exosomes from CRC cells contained significantly higher levels of miR-10b than did exosomes from normal colorectal epithelial cells. Moreover, exosomes containing miR-10b were transferred to fibroblasts. Bioinformatics analysis identified PIK3CA, as a potential target of miR-10b. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-10b directly inhibited PIK3CA expression. Co-culturing fibroblasts with exosomes containing miR-10b significantly suppressed PIK3CA expression and decreased PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway activity. Finally, exosomes containing miR-10b reduced fibroblast proliferation but promoted expression of TGF-ß and SM α-actin, suggesting that exosomal miR-10b may activate fibroblasts to become CAFs that express myofibroblast markers. These activated fibroblasts were able to promote CRC growth in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: CRC-derived exosomes actively promote disease progression by modulating surrounding stromal cells, which subsequently acquire features of CAFs.

c-MET inhibition enhances the response of the colorectal cancer cells to irradiation in vitro and in vivo.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-MET) inhibition on the viability of colon cancer cells and xenografts exposed to irradiation using short hairpin (sh)RNA or the c-MET inhibitor PHA665752. The underlying mechanisms were also investigated. Human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells were infected with a lentivirus expressing shRNAs against c-MET and were irradiated at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy. The viability of the cells was assessed by alamarBlue® assays. Mice bearing human colon carcinoma SW620 xenografts were randomly selected to receive 2.5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 25 mg/kg PHA665752 intraperitoneally once every 2 days for 3 weeks, irradiation at 10 Gy, or 25 mg/kg PHA665752 intraperitoneally once every 2 days for 3 weeks followed 24 h later by irradiation at 10 Gy. The mean tumor volume (MTV) was measured. The apoptotic rate of cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays, and double stranded break marker antibody γ-H2AX and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α expression was examined by immunohistochemistry. alamarBlue assays revealed that c-MET downregulation by shRNA markedly accentuated the irradiation-induced reduction in the viability of HT-29 cells compared with HT-29 cells irradiated at the same doses (P<0.05). A combination of irradiation and PHA665752 caused an additional reduction in the MTV (382.8±42.4 mm3; P<0.01 vs. irradiation and PHA665752, 998.0±180.6 and 844.8±190.0 mm3, respectively). TUNEL assays revealed that irradiation and PHA665752 alone caused significant apoptosis of the SW620 cells in the tumor xenografts (P<0.01 vs. DMSO). The apoptotic index in the tumor xenografts of mice treated with a combination of irradiation and PHA665752 was significantly increased compared with mice treated with either agent alone (P<0.01). The combination of irradiation and PHA665752 was also associated with a marked increase in γ-H2AX levels and a significant decrease in HIF-1α expression in the xenografts (P<0.01). In conclusion, c-MET inhibition sensitizes colorectal cancer cells to irradiation by enhancing the formation of DNA double strand breaks and possibly alleviating tumor hypoxia.

Mobile multi-wavelength polarization Raman lidar for water vapor, cloud and aerosol measurement.

Aiming at the detection of atmospheric water vapor mixing ratio, depolarization ratio, backscatter coefficient, extinction coefficient and cloud information, the Water vapor, Cloud and Aerosol Lidar (WACAL) is developed by the lidar group at Ocean University of China. The lidar consists of transmitter, receiver, data acquisition and auxiliary system. For the measurement of various atmospheric physical properties, three channels including Raman channel, polarization channel and infrared channel are integrated in WACAL. The integration and working principle of these channels are introduced in details. The optical setup, the housekeeping of the system and the data retrieval routines are also presented. After the completion of the construction of the lidar, the WACAL system was installed in Ocean University of China (36.165°N, 120.5°E), Qingdao for the measurement of atmosphere during 2013 and 2014. The measurement principles and some case studies corresponding to various atmospheric physical properties are provided. Finally, the result of one continuous measurement example operated on 13 June 2014 is presented. The WACAL can measure the aerosol and cloud optical properties as well as the water vapor mixing ratio. It is useful for studying the direct and indirect effects of the aerosol on the climate change.