Capsule endoscopy has revoluzionized the study of the small bowel by providing a reliable method to evaluate, endoscopically, the entire small bowel. In the last six years several papers have been published exploring ...Capsule endoscopy has revoluzionized the study of the small bowel by providing a reliable method to evaluate, endoscopically, the entire small bowel. In the last six years several papers have been published exploring the possible role of this examination in different clinical conditions. At the present time capsule endoscopy is generally recommended as a third examination, after negative bidirectional endoscopy, in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. A growing body of evidence suggests also an important role for this examination in other clinical conditions such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, small bowel polyposis syndromes or small bowel tumors. The main complication of this examination is the retention of the device at the site of a previously unknown small bowel stricture. However there are also some other open issues mainly due to technical limitations of this tool (which is not driven from remote control, is unable to take biopsies, to insufflate air, to suck fluids or debris and sometimes to correctly size and locate lesions).The recently developed double balloon enteroscope, owing to its capability to explore a large part of the small bowel and to take targeted biopsies, although being invasive and time consuming, can overcome some limitations of capsule endoscopy. At the present time, in the majority of clinical conditions (i.e. obscure GI bleeding), the winning strategy seems to be to couple these two techniques to explore the small bowel in a painless, safe and complete way (with capsule endoscopy) and to define and treat the lesions identified (with double balloon enteroscopy).展开更多
The Materials Genome Initiative(MGI)advanced a new paradigm for materials discovery and design,namely that the pace of new materials deployment could be accelerated through complementary efforts in theory,computation,...The Materials Genome Initiative(MGI)advanced a new paradigm for materials discovery and design,namely that the pace of new materials deployment could be accelerated through complementary efforts in theory,computation,and experiment.Along with numerous successes,new challenges are inviting researchers to refocus the efforts and approaches that were originally inspired by the MGI.In May 2017,the National Science Foundation sponsored the workshop“Advancing and Accelerating Materials Innovation Through the Synergistic Interaction among Computation,Experiment,and Theory:Opening New Frontiers”to review accomplishments that emerged from investments in science and infrastructure under the MGI,identify scientific opportunities in this new environment,examine how to effectively utilize new materials innovation infrastructure,and discuss challenges in achieving accelerated materials research through the seamless integration of experiment,computation,and theory.This article summarizes key findings from the workshop and provides perspectives that aim to guide the direction of future materials research and its translation into societal impacts.展开更多
Background:The Compendium of Physical Activities was published in 1993 to improve the comparability of energy expenditure values assigned to self-reported physical activity(PA)across studies.The original version was u...Background:The Compendium of Physical Activities was published in 1993 to improve the comparability of energy expenditure values assigned to self-reported physical activity(PA)across studies.The original version was updated in 2000,and again in 2011,and has been widely used to support PA research,practice,and public health guidelines.Methods:This 2024 update was tailored for adults 19-59 years of age by removing data from those≥60 years.Using a systematic review and supplementary searches,we identified new activities and their associated measured metabolic equivalent(MET)values(using indirect calorimetry)published since 2011.We replaced estimated METs with measured values when possible.Results:We screened 32,173 abstracts and 1507 full-text papers and extracted 2356 PA energy expenditure values from 701 papers.We added303 new PAs and adjusted 176 existing MET values and descriptions to reflect the addition of new data and removal of METs for older adults.We added a Major Heading(Video Games).The 2024 Adult Compendium includes 1114 PAs(912 with measured and 202 with estimated values)across 22 Major Headings.Conclusion:This comprehensive update and refinement led to the creation of The 2024 Adult Compendium,which has utility across research,public health,education,and healthcare domains,as well as in the development of consumer health technologies.The new website with the complete lists of PAs and supporting resources is available at https://pacompendium.com.展开更多
Along with the development of new materials, advanced medical imaging and surgical techniques, osseointegrated dental implants are considered a successful and constantly evolving treatment modality for the replacement...Along with the development of new materials, advanced medical imaging and surgical techniques, osseointegrated dental implants are considered a successful and constantly evolving treatment modality for the replacement of missing teeth in patients with complete or partial edentulism. The importance of restoring the peripheral neural feedback pathway and thus repairing the lack of periodontal rnechanoreceptors after tooth extraction has been highlighted in the literature. Nevertheless, regenerating the nerve fibers and reconstructing the neural feedback pathways around osseointegrated implants remain a challenge. Recent studies have provided evidence that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a promising treatment for musculoskeletal injuries. Because of its high biological safety, convenience and usability, PRP therapy has gradually gained popularity in the clinical field Although much remains to be learned, the growth factors from PRP might play key roles in peripheral nerve repair mechanisms. This review presents known growth factors contributing to the biological efficacy of PRP and illustrates basic and (pre-)clinical evidence regarding the use of PRP and its relevant products in peripheral nerve regeneration. In addition, the potential of local application of PRP for structural and functional recovery of iniured peripheral nerves around dental implants is discussed.展开更多
We report the case of a female patient with severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis associated with hypercalcemia as first manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism caused by a benign parathyroid adenoma.Initially th...We report the case of a female patient with severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis associated with hypercalcemia as first manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism caused by a benign parathyroid adenoma.Initially the acute pancreatitis was treated conservatively.The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection of the parathyroid adenoma and surgical clearance of a large infected pancreatic pseudocyst.Although the association of parathyroid adenoma-induced hypercalcemia and acute pancreatitis is a known medical entity,it is very uncommon.The pathophysiology of hypercalcemia-induced acute pancreatitis is therefore not well known,although some mechanisms have been proposed.It is important to treat the provoking factor.Therefore,the cause of hypercalcemia should be identif ied early.Surgical resection of the parathyroid adenoma is the ultimate therapy.展开更多
AIM:To perform a single-center analysis of all double balloon endoscopy (DBE) related cases of pancreatitis identified prospectively from a recorded DBE-complication database. METHODS:From November 2003 until January ...AIM:To perform a single-center analysis of all double balloon endoscopy (DBE) related cases of pancreatitis identified prospectively from a recorded DBE-complication database. METHODS:From November 2003 until January 2007, 603 DBE procedures were performed on 412 patients, with data on complications recorded in a database. The setting was a tertiary care center offering DBE. DBE was performed from the antegrade or retrograde route. Out-come measurements included age, gender, medication, indication, DBE-endoscope type, insertion depth, proce-dure duration, findings, interventions, post-procedural abdominal pain, and post-procedural hospitalization. RESULTS:This is the largest single-center study report-ing on post-DBE pancreatitis prospectively. Six patients (1.0%) developed post-DBE pancreatitis, all after antegrade DBE. There was no association with gender, duration of the procedure or type of endoscope. The mean age was 51.9 years (range 25-78). Four patients had severe pancreatitis. Of these, two had inflammatory signs in the body-tail region, one had pancreatitis in the tail region, and the total pancreas was involved in one. CONCLUSION:The incidence of post-DBE pancreatitis in our series is higher than previously reported. We found no relation with DBE-endoscope type. The inflammatory changes occurred in the body-tail region of the pancreas, suggesting that post-DBE pancreatitis is caused by repetitive mechanical strain on the pancreas.展开更多
Although neurophysiological and psychophysical proof of osseoperception is accumulating, histomorphometric evidence for the neural mechanisms of functional compensation following immediate and delayed implant loading ...Although neurophysiological and psychophysical proof of osseoperception is accumulating, histomorphometric evidence for the neural mechanisms of functional compensation following immediate and delayed implant loading is still lacking. For this randomized split-mouth study, six mongrel dogs randomly received one of four treatment protocols at 36 implant-recipient sites over 16 weeks (third maxillary incisor, third and fourth mandibular premolar): immediate implant placement and immediate loading (liP+ IL); delayed implant placement and delayed loading (DIP+DL); delayed implant placement and immediate loading (DIP+IL); and natural extraction socket healing (control). Histomorphometry was performed in the peri-implant bone and soft tissues within 300 pm around the implants. Immunocytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy were used to confirm the presence of neural structures and to reveal their ultrastructural characteristics, respectively. Myelinated nerve fibres densely populated the peri-implant crestal gingival and apical regions, although they were also identified in the woven bone and in the osteons near the implant threads. Compared with the control group in the mandible, the group that received IIP+IL showed a higher innervation (in N.mm^-2, 5.94±1.12 vs. 3.15±0.63, P〈0.001) and smaller fibre diameter (in pm, 1.37±0.05 vs. 1.64±0.13, P=0.016), smaller axon diameter (in pm, 0.89±0.05 vs. 1.24±0,10, P=0.009) and g-ratio (0.64±0.04 vs. 0.76±0.05, P〈0.001) in the middle region around the implants. Compared with DIP+IL in the mandible, IIP+IL had a higher nerve density (in N.mm^-2, 13.23±2.54 vs. 9.64±1.86, P=0.027), greater fibre diameter (in pm, 1.32±0.02 vs. 1.20±0.04, P=0.021), greater axon diameter (in μm, 0.92±0.01 vs. 0.89±0.03, P=-0.035) and lower g-ratio (0.69±0.01 vs. 0.74±0.01, P=-0.033) in the apical region around the implants. It may be assumed that the treatment protocol with liP+ IL is the preferred me展开更多
The authors document the interaction of the atmosphere and ocean during the formation and passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone, which is a Nor-Easter, winter storm that formed in the southern apex of the Middle Atlant...The authors document the interaction of the atmosphere and ocean during the formation and passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone, which is a Nor-Easter, winter storm that formed in the southern apex of the Middle Atlantic Bight near Cape Hatteras North Carolina, between February 15 and 18, 1996. While Nor-Easters per se, which have formed along the Atlantic Eastern Seaboard of the United States have been studied for decades, the actual atmospheric-oceanic mechanics and thermodynamics in the formation of a Nor-Easter has never been documented. We report on having done so with in-situ observations and data-based calculations and a numerical model. The in-situ observations were made via a Control Volume consisting of an array of Eulerian Oceanic-Atmospheric Moorings with current meters, temperature and salinity sensors and meteorological towers. We find that Gulf Stream waters were located surrounding the mooring array, and that with the invasion of cold dry atmospheric air, there was a rapid loss of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere via latent and sensible surface heat flux during the cyclogenesis onset of the storm. A unique feature of this storm was that neither satellite nor buoy data showed significant sea surface cooling in the control volume. The findings indicate that storm winds drove warm saline waters from the Gulf Stream across the continental shelf into the control volume, accounting for a 51 cm rise in water level along the coast. This lateral heat advection provided heat to the control volume of 3.4e+18 Joules. On average, the heat loss at the surface of the control volume, via sensible and latent heat fluxes and radiation, was 0.7e+18 Joules, corresponding to a surface heat flux of -600 Watts per Meter2 (W/m<sup>2</sup>). However, the heat lost by the control volume as latent and sensible heat fluxes was less than the heat it received via lateral heat advection, resulting in the lack of an often-observed sea surface cooling during other winter storms. The serendipitous and detailed observations and展开更多
This study introduces a method to predict the remaining useful life(RUL)of plain bearings operating under stationary,wear-critical conditions.In this method,the transient wear data of a coupled elastohydrodynamic lubr...This study introduces a method to predict the remaining useful life(RUL)of plain bearings operating under stationary,wear-critical conditions.In this method,the transient wear data of a coupled elastohydrodynamic lubrication(mixed-EHL)and wear simulation approach is used to parametrize a statistical,linear degradation model.The method incorporates Bayesian inference to update the linear degradation model throughout the runtime and thereby consider the transient,system-dependent wear progression within the RUL prediction.A case study is used to show the suitability of the proposed method.The results show that the method can be applied to three distinct types of post-wearing-in behavior:wearing-in with subsequent hydrodynamic,stationary wear,and progressive wear operation.While hydrodynamic operation leads to an infinite lifetime,the method is successfully applied to predict RUL in cases with stationary and progressive wear.展开更多
BACKGROUND Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD),characterised by hepatic lipid accumulation,causes inflammation and oxidative stress accompanied by cell damage and fibrosis.Liver injury(LI)i...BACKGROUND Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD),characterised by hepatic lipid accumulation,causes inflammation and oxidative stress accompanied by cell damage and fibrosis.Liver injury(LI)is also frequently reported in patients hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),while preexisting MASLD increases the risk of LI and the development of COVID-19-associated cholangiopathy.Mechanisms of injury at the cellular level remain unclear,but it may be significant that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)which causes COVID-19,uses angiotensin-converting expression enzyme 2(ACE2),a key regulator of the‘anti-inflammatory’arm of the renin-angiotensin system,for viral attachment and host cell invasion.AIM To determine if hepatic ACE2 levels are altered during progression of MASLD and in patients who died with severe COVID-19.METHODS ACE2 protein levels and localisation,and histological fibrosis and lipid droplet accumulation as markers of MASLD were determined in formalin-fixed liver tissue sections across the MASLD pathological spectrum(isolated hepatocellular steatosis,metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis(MASH)+/-fibrosis,end-stage cirrhosis)and in post-mortem tissues from patients who had died with severe COVID-19,using ACE2 immunohistochemistry and haematoxylin and eosin and picrosirius red staining of total collagen and lipid droplet areas,followed by quantification using machine learning-based image pixel classifiers.RESULTS ACE2 staining is primarily intracellular and concentrated in the cytoplasm of centrilobular hepatocytes and apical membranes of bile duct cholangiocytes.Strikingly,ACE2 protein levels are elevated in non-fibrotic MASH compared to healthy controls but not in the progression to MASH with fibrosis and in cirrhosis.ACE2 protein levels and histological fibrosis are not associated,but ACE2 and liver lipid droplet content are significantly correlated across the MASLD spectrum.Hepatic ACE2 levels are also increased in COVID-19 pa展开更多
CD4^(+)T cells can"help"or"license" conventional type 1 dendritic cells(cDC1s)to induce CD8^(+)cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL)anticancer responses,as proven in mouse models.We recently identified cDC1s...CD4^(+)T cells can"help"or"license" conventional type 1 dendritic cells(cDC1s)to induce CD8^(+)cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL)anticancer responses,as proven in mouse models.We recently identified cDC1s with a transcriptomic imprint of CD4^(+)T-cell help,specifically in T-cell-infiltrated human cancers,and these cells were associated with a good prognosis and response to PD-1-targeting immunotherapy.Here,we delineate the mechanism of cDC1 licensing by CD4^(+)T cells in humans.Activated CD4^(+)T cells produce IFNβvia the STING pathway,which promotes MHC-I antigen(cross-)presentation by cDC1s and thereby improves their ability to induce CTL anticancer responses.In cooperation with CD40 ligand(L),IFNβalso optimizes the costimulatory and other functions of cDC1s required for CTL response induction.IFN-I-producing CD4^(+)T cells are present in diverse T-cell-infiltrated cancers and likely deliver“help”signals to CTLs locally,according to their transcriptomic profile and colocalization with“helped/licensed”cDCs and tumor-reactive CD8^(+)T cells.In agreement with this scenario,the presence of IFN-I-producing CD4^(+)T cells in the TME is associated with overall survival and the response to PD-1 checkpoint blockade in cancer patients.展开更多
AIM: To study the intrahepatic expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) in chronic hepatitis B patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.METHODS: A total of 33 ch...AIM: To study the intrahepatic expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) in chronic hepatitis B patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.METHODS: A total of 33 chronic hepatitis B patients (mean age of 40.3 ± 2.5 years), comprising of 14 HBeAg positive and 19 HBeAg negative patients; and 13 patients with hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinoma (mean age of 49.6 ± 4.7 years), were included in our study. Immunohistochemical staining for HBcAg and HBsAg was done using standard streptavidin-biotin-immunoperoxidase technique on paraffin-embedded liver biopsies. The HBcAg and HBsAg staining distributions and patterns were described according to a modified classification system.RESULTS: Compared to the HBeAg negative patients, the HBeAg positive patients were younger, had higher mean HBV DNA and alanine transaminases levels. All the HBeAg positive patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining; predominantly with “diffuse” distribution (79%) and “mixed cytoplasmic/nuclear” pattern (79%). In comparison, only 5% of the HBeAg-negative patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining. However, the intrahepatic HBsAg staining has wider distribution among the HBeAg negative patients, namely; majority of the HBeAg negative cases had “patchy” HBsAg distribution compared to “rare” distribution among the HBeAg positive cases. All but one patient with HCC were HBeAg negative with either undetectable HBV DNA or very low level of viremia. Intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg were seen in 13 (100%) and 10 (77%) of the HCC patients respectively. Interestingly, among the 9 HCC patients on anti-viral therapy with suppressed HBV DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg were detected in tumor tissues but not the adjacent liver in 4 (44%) and 1 (11%) patient respectively.CONCLUSION: Isolated intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg can be present in tumors of patients with suppressed HBV DNA on antiviral therapy; that may predispose them to cancer d展开更多
The need for reforestation in cork oak (Quercus suber L.) areas is challenged by difficulties. Principal among these is herbivory of young plants, vegetative competition, and slow growth rates of cork oak seedlings....The need for reforestation in cork oak (Quercus suber L.) areas is challenged by difficulties. Principal among these is herbivory of young plants, vegetative competition, and slow growth rates of cork oak seedlings. We evaluated the early development of cork oak seedlings treated using tree shelters and mulching in northwestern Tunisia. We tested three tree shelter treatments (non-vented, vented, and control) to shield seedlings from animal damage and five mulch types to control competing vegetation (Italian Stone Pine, Lentisk, combination of Italian Stone Pine and Lentisk (organic mulches), gravel (inorganic mulch) and no mulch). At the end of the two-year experiment, sheltered seedlings were 89-99% taller than unshelteredseedlings and had higher numbers and lengths of shoot growth flushes. In contrast, both stem diameter growth and dry weight biomass (from samples extracted after two years) were significantly reduced inside tree shelters. Root-to-shoot ratio was not significantly different in sheltered vs. unsheltered seedlings, suggesting that tree shelters do not adversely affect this parameter. Mulching alone did not favour growth, but could be beneficial when combined with tree shelters. The combination of vented tree shelters and gravel mulch was the most effective treatment for promoting diameter, height and stem volume growth.展开更多
文摘Capsule endoscopy has revoluzionized the study of the small bowel by providing a reliable method to evaluate, endoscopically, the entire small bowel. In the last six years several papers have been published exploring the possible role of this examination in different clinical conditions. At the present time capsule endoscopy is generally recommended as a third examination, after negative bidirectional endoscopy, in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. A growing body of evidence suggests also an important role for this examination in other clinical conditions such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, small bowel polyposis syndromes or small bowel tumors. The main complication of this examination is the retention of the device at the site of a previously unknown small bowel stricture. However there are also some other open issues mainly due to technical limitations of this tool (which is not driven from remote control, is unable to take biopsies, to insufflate air, to suck fluids or debris and sometimes to correctly size and locate lesions).The recently developed double balloon enteroscope, owing to its capability to explore a large part of the small bowel and to take targeted biopsies, although being invasive and time consuming, can overcome some limitations of capsule endoscopy. At the present time, in the majority of clinical conditions (i.e. obscure GI bleeding), the winning strategy seems to be to couple these two techniques to explore the small bowel in a painless, safe and complete way (with capsule endoscopy) and to define and treat the lesions identified (with double balloon enteroscopy).
文摘The Materials Genome Initiative(MGI)advanced a new paradigm for materials discovery and design,namely that the pace of new materials deployment could be accelerated through complementary efforts in theory,computation,and experiment.Along with numerous successes,new challenges are inviting researchers to refocus the efforts and approaches that were originally inspired by the MGI.In May 2017,the National Science Foundation sponsored the workshop“Advancing and Accelerating Materials Innovation Through the Synergistic Interaction among Computation,Experiment,and Theory:Opening New Frontiers”to review accomplishments that emerged from investments in science and infrastructure under the MGI,identify scientific opportunities in this new environment,examine how to effectively utilize new materials innovation infrastructure,and discuss challenges in achieving accelerated materials research through the seamless integration of experiment,computation,and theory.This article summarizes key findings from the workshop and provides perspectives that aim to guide the direction of future materials research and its translation into societal impacts.
文摘Background:The Compendium of Physical Activities was published in 1993 to improve the comparability of energy expenditure values assigned to self-reported physical activity(PA)across studies.The original version was updated in 2000,and again in 2011,and has been widely used to support PA research,practice,and public health guidelines.Methods:This 2024 update was tailored for adults 19-59 years of age by removing data from those≥60 years.Using a systematic review and supplementary searches,we identified new activities and their associated measured metabolic equivalent(MET)values(using indirect calorimetry)published since 2011.We replaced estimated METs with measured values when possible.Results:We screened 32,173 abstracts and 1507 full-text papers and extracted 2356 PA energy expenditure values from 701 papers.We added303 new PAs and adjusted 176 existing MET values and descriptions to reflect the addition of new data and removal of METs for older adults.We added a Major Heading(Video Games).The 2024 Adult Compendium includes 1114 PAs(912 with measured and 202 with estimated values)across 22 Major Headings.Conclusion:This comprehensive update and refinement led to the creation of The 2024 Adult Compendium,which has utility across research,public health,education,and healthcare domains,as well as in the development of consumer health technologies.The new website with the complete lists of PAs and supporting resources is available at https://pacompendium.com.
基金support was received from Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) from the Belgian governmentthe Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program (2016SZ0010)
文摘Along with the development of new materials, advanced medical imaging and surgical techniques, osseointegrated dental implants are considered a successful and constantly evolving treatment modality for the replacement of missing teeth in patients with complete or partial edentulism. The importance of restoring the peripheral neural feedback pathway and thus repairing the lack of periodontal rnechanoreceptors after tooth extraction has been highlighted in the literature. Nevertheless, regenerating the nerve fibers and reconstructing the neural feedback pathways around osseointegrated implants remain a challenge. Recent studies have provided evidence that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a promising treatment for musculoskeletal injuries. Because of its high biological safety, convenience and usability, PRP therapy has gradually gained popularity in the clinical field Although much remains to be learned, the growth factors from PRP might play key roles in peripheral nerve repair mechanisms. This review presents known growth factors contributing to the biological efficacy of PRP and illustrates basic and (pre-)clinical evidence regarding the use of PRP and its relevant products in peripheral nerve regeneration. In addition, the potential of local application of PRP for structural and functional recovery of iniured peripheral nerves around dental implants is discussed.
文摘We report the case of a female patient with severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis associated with hypercalcemia as first manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism caused by a benign parathyroid adenoma.Initially the acute pancreatitis was treated conservatively.The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection of the parathyroid adenoma and surgical clearance of a large infected pancreatic pseudocyst.Although the association of parathyroid adenoma-induced hypercalcemia and acute pancreatitis is a known medical entity,it is very uncommon.The pathophysiology of hypercalcemia-induced acute pancreatitis is therefore not well known,although some mechanisms have been proposed.It is important to treat the provoking factor.Therefore,the cause of hypercalcemia should be identif ied early.Surgical resection of the parathyroid adenoma is the ultimate therapy.
文摘AIM:To perform a single-center analysis of all double balloon endoscopy (DBE) related cases of pancreatitis identified prospectively from a recorded DBE-complication database. METHODS:From November 2003 until January 2007, 603 DBE procedures were performed on 412 patients, with data on complications recorded in a database. The setting was a tertiary care center offering DBE. DBE was performed from the antegrade or retrograde route. Out-come measurements included age, gender, medication, indication, DBE-endoscope type, insertion depth, proce-dure duration, findings, interventions, post-procedural abdominal pain, and post-procedural hospitalization. RESULTS:This is the largest single-center study report-ing on post-DBE pancreatitis prospectively. Six patients (1.0%) developed post-DBE pancreatitis, all after antegrade DBE. There was no association with gender, duration of the procedure or type of endoscope. The mean age was 51.9 years (range 25-78). Four patients had severe pancreatitis. Of these, two had inflammatory signs in the body-tail region, one had pancreatitis in the tail region, and the total pancreas was involved in one. CONCLUSION:The incidence of post-DBE pancreatitis in our series is higher than previously reported. We found no relation with DBE-endoscope type. The inflammatory changes occurred in the body-tail region of the pancreas, suggesting that post-DBE pancreatitis is caused by repetitive mechanical strain on the pancreas.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (81000459)the Chinese Scholarship Council
文摘Although neurophysiological and psychophysical proof of osseoperception is accumulating, histomorphometric evidence for the neural mechanisms of functional compensation following immediate and delayed implant loading is still lacking. For this randomized split-mouth study, six mongrel dogs randomly received one of four treatment protocols at 36 implant-recipient sites over 16 weeks (third maxillary incisor, third and fourth mandibular premolar): immediate implant placement and immediate loading (liP+ IL); delayed implant placement and delayed loading (DIP+DL); delayed implant placement and immediate loading (DIP+IL); and natural extraction socket healing (control). Histomorphometry was performed in the peri-implant bone and soft tissues within 300 pm around the implants. Immunocytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy were used to confirm the presence of neural structures and to reveal their ultrastructural characteristics, respectively. Myelinated nerve fibres densely populated the peri-implant crestal gingival and apical regions, although they were also identified in the woven bone and in the osteons near the implant threads. Compared with the control group in the mandible, the group that received IIP+IL showed a higher innervation (in N.mm^-2, 5.94±1.12 vs. 3.15±0.63, P〈0.001) and smaller fibre diameter (in pm, 1.37±0.05 vs. 1.64±0.13, P=0.016), smaller axon diameter (in pm, 0.89±0.05 vs. 1.24±0,10, P=0.009) and g-ratio (0.64±0.04 vs. 0.76±0.05, P〈0.001) in the middle region around the implants. Compared with DIP+IL in the mandible, IIP+IL had a higher nerve density (in N.mm^-2, 13.23±2.54 vs. 9.64±1.86, P=0.027), greater fibre diameter (in pm, 1.32±0.02 vs. 1.20±0.04, P=0.021), greater axon diameter (in μm, 0.92±0.01 vs. 0.89±0.03, P=-0.035) and lower g-ratio (0.69±0.01 vs. 0.74±0.01, P=-0.033) in the apical region around the implants. It may be assumed that the treatment protocol with liP+ IL is the preferred me
文摘The authors document the interaction of the atmosphere and ocean during the formation and passage of an Extra-Tropical Cyclone, which is a Nor-Easter, winter storm that formed in the southern apex of the Middle Atlantic Bight near Cape Hatteras North Carolina, between February 15 and 18, 1996. While Nor-Easters per se, which have formed along the Atlantic Eastern Seaboard of the United States have been studied for decades, the actual atmospheric-oceanic mechanics and thermodynamics in the formation of a Nor-Easter has never been documented. We report on having done so with in-situ observations and data-based calculations and a numerical model. The in-situ observations were made via a Control Volume consisting of an array of Eulerian Oceanic-Atmospheric Moorings with current meters, temperature and salinity sensors and meteorological towers. We find that Gulf Stream waters were located surrounding the mooring array, and that with the invasion of cold dry atmospheric air, there was a rapid loss of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere via latent and sensible surface heat flux during the cyclogenesis onset of the storm. A unique feature of this storm was that neither satellite nor buoy data showed significant sea surface cooling in the control volume. The findings indicate that storm winds drove warm saline waters from the Gulf Stream across the continental shelf into the control volume, accounting for a 51 cm rise in water level along the coast. This lateral heat advection provided heat to the control volume of 3.4e+18 Joules. On average, the heat loss at the surface of the control volume, via sensible and latent heat fluxes and radiation, was 0.7e+18 Joules, corresponding to a surface heat flux of -600 Watts per Meter2 (W/m<sup>2</sup>). However, the heat lost by the control volume as latent and sensible heat fluxes was less than the heat it received via lateral heat advection, resulting in the lack of an often-observed sea surface cooling during other winter storms. The serendipitous and detailed observations and
文摘This study introduces a method to predict the remaining useful life(RUL)of plain bearings operating under stationary,wear-critical conditions.In this method,the transient wear data of a coupled elastohydrodynamic lubrication(mixed-EHL)and wear simulation approach is used to parametrize a statistical,linear degradation model.The method incorporates Bayesian inference to update the linear degradation model throughout the runtime and thereby consider the transient,system-dependent wear progression within the RUL prediction.A case study is used to show the suitability of the proposed method.The results show that the method can be applied to three distinct types of post-wearing-in behavior:wearing-in with subsequent hydrodynamic,stationary wear,and progressive wear operation.While hydrodynamic operation leads to an infinite lifetime,the method is successfully applied to predict RUL in cases with stationary and progressive wear.
基金Supported by University of Edinburgh Hepatology Laboratory Internal Fundingthe Liver Endowment Funds of the Edinburgh&Lothian Health Foundation.
文摘BACKGROUND Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD),characterised by hepatic lipid accumulation,causes inflammation and oxidative stress accompanied by cell damage and fibrosis.Liver injury(LI)is also frequently reported in patients hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),while preexisting MASLD increases the risk of LI and the development of COVID-19-associated cholangiopathy.Mechanisms of injury at the cellular level remain unclear,but it may be significant that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)which causes COVID-19,uses angiotensin-converting expression enzyme 2(ACE2),a key regulator of the‘anti-inflammatory’arm of the renin-angiotensin system,for viral attachment and host cell invasion.AIM To determine if hepatic ACE2 levels are altered during progression of MASLD and in patients who died with severe COVID-19.METHODS ACE2 protein levels and localisation,and histological fibrosis and lipid droplet accumulation as markers of MASLD were determined in formalin-fixed liver tissue sections across the MASLD pathological spectrum(isolated hepatocellular steatosis,metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis(MASH)+/-fibrosis,end-stage cirrhosis)and in post-mortem tissues from patients who had died with severe COVID-19,using ACE2 immunohistochemistry and haematoxylin and eosin and picrosirius red staining of total collagen and lipid droplet areas,followed by quantification using machine learning-based image pixel classifiers.RESULTS ACE2 staining is primarily intracellular and concentrated in the cytoplasm of centrilobular hepatocytes and apical membranes of bile duct cholangiocytes.Strikingly,ACE2 protein levels are elevated in non-fibrotic MASH compared to healthy controls but not in the progression to MASH with fibrosis and in cirrhosis.ACE2 protein levels and histological fibrosis are not associated,but ACE2 and liver lipid droplet content are significantly correlated across the MASLD spectrum.Hepatic ACE2 levels are also increased in COVID-19 pa
文摘CD4^(+)T cells can"help"or"license" conventional type 1 dendritic cells(cDC1s)to induce CD8^(+)cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL)anticancer responses,as proven in mouse models.We recently identified cDC1s with a transcriptomic imprint of CD4^(+)T-cell help,specifically in T-cell-infiltrated human cancers,and these cells were associated with a good prognosis and response to PD-1-targeting immunotherapy.Here,we delineate the mechanism of cDC1 licensing by CD4^(+)T cells in humans.Activated CD4^(+)T cells produce IFNβvia the STING pathway,which promotes MHC-I antigen(cross-)presentation by cDC1s and thereby improves their ability to induce CTL anticancer responses.In cooperation with CD40 ligand(L),IFNβalso optimizes the costimulatory and other functions of cDC1s required for CTL response induction.IFN-I-producing CD4^(+)T cells are present in diverse T-cell-infiltrated cancers and likely deliver“help”signals to CTLs locally,according to their transcriptomic profile and colocalization with“helped/licensed”cDCs and tumor-reactive CD8^(+)T cells.In agreement with this scenario,the presence of IFN-I-producing CD4^(+)T cells in the TME is associated with overall survival and the response to PD-1 checkpoint blockade in cancer patients.
文摘AIM: To study the intrahepatic expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) in chronic hepatitis B patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.METHODS: A total of 33 chronic hepatitis B patients (mean age of 40.3 ± 2.5 years), comprising of 14 HBeAg positive and 19 HBeAg negative patients; and 13 patients with hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinoma (mean age of 49.6 ± 4.7 years), were included in our study. Immunohistochemical staining for HBcAg and HBsAg was done using standard streptavidin-biotin-immunoperoxidase technique on paraffin-embedded liver biopsies. The HBcAg and HBsAg staining distributions and patterns were described according to a modified classification system.RESULTS: Compared to the HBeAg negative patients, the HBeAg positive patients were younger, had higher mean HBV DNA and alanine transaminases levels. All the HBeAg positive patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining; predominantly with “diffuse” distribution (79%) and “mixed cytoplasmic/nuclear” pattern (79%). In comparison, only 5% of the HBeAg-negative patients had intrahepatic HBcAg staining. However, the intrahepatic HBsAg staining has wider distribution among the HBeAg negative patients, namely; majority of the HBeAg negative cases had “patchy” HBsAg distribution compared to “rare” distribution among the HBeAg positive cases. All but one patient with HCC were HBeAg negative with either undetectable HBV DNA or very low level of viremia. Intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg were seen in 13 (100%) and 10 (77%) of the HCC patients respectively. Interestingly, among the 9 HCC patients on anti-viral therapy with suppressed HBV DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg were detected in tumor tissues but not the adjacent liver in 4 (44%) and 1 (11%) patient respectively.CONCLUSION: Isolated intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg can be present in tumors of patients with suppressed HBV DNA on antiviral therapy; that may predispose them to cancer d
基金supported by the laboratory of silvopastoral resources (Silvopastoral Institute-Tabarka)
文摘The need for reforestation in cork oak (Quercus suber L.) areas is challenged by difficulties. Principal among these is herbivory of young plants, vegetative competition, and slow growth rates of cork oak seedlings. We evaluated the early development of cork oak seedlings treated using tree shelters and mulching in northwestern Tunisia. We tested three tree shelter treatments (non-vented, vented, and control) to shield seedlings from animal damage and five mulch types to control competing vegetation (Italian Stone Pine, Lentisk, combination of Italian Stone Pine and Lentisk (organic mulches), gravel (inorganic mulch) and no mulch). At the end of the two-year experiment, sheltered seedlings were 89-99% taller than unshelteredseedlings and had higher numbers and lengths of shoot growth flushes. In contrast, both stem diameter growth and dry weight biomass (from samples extracted after two years) were significantly reduced inside tree shelters. Root-to-shoot ratio was not significantly different in sheltered vs. unsheltered seedlings, suggesting that tree shelters do not adversely affect this parameter. Mulching alone did not favour growth, but could be beneficial when combined with tree shelters. The combination of vented tree shelters and gravel mulch was the most effective treatment for promoting diameter, height and stem volume growth.