The Study on the Lasing Modes Modulated by the Dislocation Distribution in the GaN-Based Microrod Cavities.

Low-threshold lasing under pulsed optical pumping is demonstrated in GaN-based microrod cavities at room temperature, which are fabricated on the patterned sapphire substrates (PSS). Because the distribution of threading dislocations (TDs) is different at different locations, a confocal micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy (µ-PL) was performed to analyze the lasing properties of the different diameter microrods at the top of the triangle islands and between the triangle islands of the PSS substrates, respectively. The µ-PL results show that the 2 µm-diameter microrod cavity has a minimum threshold of about 0.3 kW/cm2. Whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in the microrod cavities are investigated by finite-difference time-domain simulation. Combined with the dislocation distribution in the GaN on the PSS substrates, it is found that the distribution of the strongest lasing WGMs always moves to the region with fewer TDs. This work reveals the connection between the lasing modes and the dislocation distribution, and can contribute to the development of low-threshold and high-efficiency GaN-based micro-lasers.

Identifying fetal status with fetal heart rate: Deep learning approach based on long convolution.

CTG (Cardiotocography) is an effective tool for fetal status assessment. Clinically, doctors mainly evaluate the health of fetus by observing FHR (fetal heart rate). The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence has led realization of computer-aided CTG technology, Intelligent CTG classification based on FHR is a fundamental component of these technologies. Its implementation can provide doctors with auxiliary decisions. Most of existing FHR classification methods are based on combing different deep learning models, such as CNN (Convolutional Neural Network), LSTM (Long short-term memory) and Transformer. However, these studies ignore the balance of positive and negative samples in dataset and the matching degree between model and FHR classification task, which reduces the classification accuracy. In this paper, we mainly discuss two major problems in previous FHR classification studies: reduce class imbalance and select appropriate convolution kernel. To address above two problems, we propose a data augmentation method based on ECMN (Edge Clipping and Multiscale Noise) to resolve class imbalance. Subsequently, we introduce a one-dimensional long convolutional layer, which use trend area to calculate the appropriate convolution kernel. Based on appropriate convolution kernel, an improved residual structure with attention mechanism named TGLCN (Trend-Guided Long Convolution Network) is proposed to improve FHR classification accuracy. Finally, horizontal and longitudinal experiments show that the TGLCN obtains high classification accuracy and speed of parameter adjustment.

A feasible technique for distinguishing the intersegmental plane by transbronchial injection of iron sucrose.

Objectives: Pulmonary segmentectomy should be the standard surgical procedure for patients in certain clinical scenarios. However, detecting the intersegmental planes both on the pleural surface and within the lung parenchyma remains a challenge. We developed an intraoperative novel method for distinguishing intersegmental planes of the lung via transbronchial injection of iron sucrose (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03516500). Methods: We first performed a bronchial injection of iron sucrose to identify the intersegmental plane of the porcine lung. Then, we conducted a prospective study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the technique in 20 patients who underwent anatomic segmentectomy. Iron sucrose was injected into the bronchus of target pulmonary segments, and the intersegmental planes were divided with electrocautery or stapler. Results: The median injection of iron sucrose was 90 mL (range, 70-120 mL), and the median time from injection of iron sucrose to demarcation of intersegmental plane was 8 minutes (range, 3-25 minutes). Qualified identification of the intersegmental plane was observed in 17 cases (85%). The intersegmental plane could not be recognized in 3 cases. All patients experienced no complications related to iron sucrose injection or complications of Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or more. Conclusions: Transbronchial injection of iron sucrose is a simple, safe, and feasible approach to identify the intersegmental plane (NCT03516500).

A lightweight fetal distress-assisted diagnosis model based on a cross-channel interactive attention mechanism.

Fetal distress is a symptom of fetal intrauterine hypoxia, which is seriously harmful to both the fetus and the pregnant woman. The current primary clinical tool for the assessment of fetal distress is Cardiotocography (CTG). Due to subjective variability, physicians often interpret CTG results inconsistently, hence the need to develop an auxiliary diagnostic system for fetal distress. Although the deep learning-based fetal distress-assisted diagnosis model has a high classification accuracy, the model not only has a large number of parameters but also requires a large number of computational resources, which is difficult to deploy to practical end-use scenarios. Therefore, this paper proposes a lightweight fetal distress-assisted diagnosis network, LW-FHRNet, based on a cross-channel interactive attention mechanism. The wavelet packet decomposition technique is used to convert the one-dimensional fetal heart rate (FHR) signal into a two-dimensional wavelet packet coefficient matrix map as the network input layer to fully obtain the feature information of the FHR signal. With ShuffleNet-v2 as the core, a local cross-channel interactive attention mechanism is introduced to enhance the model's ability to extract features and achieve effective fusion of multichannel features without dimensionality reduction. In this paper, the publicly available database CTU-UHB is used for the network performance evaluation. LW-FHRNet achieves 95.24% accuracy, which meets or exceeds the classification results of deep learning-based models. Additionally, the number of model parameters is reduced many times compared with the deep learning model, and the size of the model parameters is only 0.33 M. The results show that the lightweight model proposed in this paper can effectively aid in fetal distress diagnosis.

Fungicidal activity of novel quinazolin-6-ylcarboxylates and mode of action on Botrytis cinerea.

BACKGROUND: Fungal diseases remain important causes of crop failure and economic losses. As the resistance toward current selective fungicides becomes increasingly problematic, it is necessary to develop efficient fungicides with novel chemotypes. RESULTS: A series of novel quinazolin-6-ylcarboxylates which combined the structures of pyridine or heterocyclic motif and the N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)quinazolin-4-amine moiety, a binding group of ATP-binding site of gefitinib, were evaluated for their fungicidal activity on different phytopathogenic fungi. Most of these compounds showed excellent fungicidal activities against Botrytis cinerea and Exserohilum rostratum, especially compound F17 displayed the highest activity with EC50 values as 3.79 µg mL-1 against B. cinerea and 2.90 µg mL-1 against E. rostratum, which was similar to or even better than those of the commercial fungicides, such as pyraclostrobin (EC50 , 3.68, 17.38 µg mL-1 ) and hymexazol (EC50 , 4.56, 2.13 µg mL-1 ). Moreover, compound F17 significantly arrested the lesion expansion of B. cinerea infection on tomato detached leaves and strongly suppressed grey mold disease on tomato seedlings in greenhouse. The abilities of compound F17 to induce cell apoptosis of the non-germinated spores, to limit oxalic acid production, to reduce malate dehydrogenase (MDH) expression, and to block the active pocket of MDH protein were demonstrated in B. cinerea. CONCLUSION: The novel quinazolin-6-ylcarboxylates containing ATP-binding site-directed moiety, especially compound F17, could be developed as a potential fungicidal candidate for further study. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Multimodal learning for fetal distress diagnosis using a multimodal medical information fusion framework.

Cardiotocography (CTG) monitoring is an important medical diagnostic tool for fetal well-being evaluation in late pregnancy. In this regard, intelligent CTG classification based on Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) signals is a challenging research area that can assist obstetricians in making clinical decisions, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of pregnancy management. Most existing methods focus on one specific modality, that is, they only detect one type of modality and inevitably have limitations such as incomplete or redundant source domain feature extraction, and poor repeatability. This study focuses on modeling multimodal learning for Fetal Distress Diagnosis (FDD); however, exists three major challenges: unaligned multimodalities; failure to learn and fuse the causality and inclusion between multimodal biomedical data; modality sensitivity, that is, difficulty in implementing a task in the absence of modalities. To address these three issues, we propose a Multimodal Medical Information Fusion framework named MMIF, where the Category Constrained-Parallel ViT model (CCPViT) was first proposed to explore multimodal learning tasks and address the misalignment between multimodalities. Based on CCPViT, a cross-attention-based image-text joint component is introduced to establish a Multimodal Representation Alignment Network model (MRAN), explore the deep-level interactive representation between cross-modal data, and assist multimodal learning. Furthermore, we designed a simple-structured FDD test model based on the highly modal alignment MMIF, realizing task delegation from multimodal model training (image and text) to unimodal pathological diagnosis (image). Extensive experiments, including model parameter sensitivity analysis, cross-modal alignment assessment, and pathological diagnostic accuracy evaluation, were conducted to show our models' superior performance and effectiveness.

Intraoperative Identification of the Intersegmental Plane: From the Beginning to the Future.

Segmentectomy has played a crucial role in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer after the publication of JCOG0802, which indicated that patients with small-sized peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer could receive better survival from segmentectomy than lobectomy despite a higher local recurrence. The intraoperative identification of the intersegmental plane ensures complete resection of the lesion with sufficient margin so that it is deemed as the critical part of segmentectomy. Diverse methods have been developed to acquire distinguishable and lasting borderline between segments, but none of them is proved perfect. In this review, we searched and classified these techniques that emerged from the beginning when segmentectomy was used for bronchiectasis until now. Comparisons between different ways in mechanisms, facility, and safety were made to depict a comprehensive landscape for surgeons to select fit one. Furthermore, we presented our vision for the future of intersegmental plane identification.

Single-port combined subsegment resection (RS3b + S1bi) with a rare branching segment pattern of the bronchi and vessels: case report and literature review.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery segmentectomy is increasingly being used to resect peripheral small lung cancer. However, to manage some lesions which locate between segment deep inside the parenchyma is still challenging. Generally, wedge resection and segmentectomy are optional for peripheral small lung cancer. However, it is hard to achieve safe surgical margins if the lesion is located in the segment plane deep inside the parenchyma, especially close to the segment hilum. In that situation, lobectomy and bi-segmentectomy are usually performed for the sake of safe margins with the price of excessive normal lung tissue lost. To ensure safe surgical margins and preserve normal lung tissue as far as possible, combined subsegmentectomy is feasible and it is required precise preoperative plan including surgical margin delineation, bronchi and vessels variation and surgical procedure. The variation of bronchi and segment vein in our current case are rare and the branching pattern of pulmonary artery-inferior trunk (Tr.inf) is firstly reported in our case. Case Description: In 2019, a 41-year-old female presented to the Thoracic Clinic with a history of a 7-mm sized, mixed-density ground-glass opacity (GGO) in the right upper lobe. The lesion located in the segmental plane between S3b and S1b deep inside the parenchyma. We performed precise preoperative planning with 3-dimension pulmonary bronchi and vessels reconstruction and resected RS3b + S1bi via single-port approach. The patient was discharged from hospital on the 5th postoperative day without any complications. Chest computed tomography (CT) scans in the 12th and 24th months after surgery showed good lung recovery, and no atelectasis or pulmonary congestion was observed. Notably, we observed a new branching pattern of A1b, which came from the inferior trunk, combined with A3a. Additionally, we performed a literature review to analyze the variation patterns of segmental structures in the right upper lobe, and the indications, effects, and safety of combined subsegmentectomy. Conclusions: Our case and review of literature showed that combined subsegmentectomy was feasible for lesion deep inside parenchyma if a detailed preoperative plan and delicate procedures during surgery were implemented.

Liquid metal derived MOF functionalized nanoarrays with ultra-wideband electromagnetic absorption.

Low melting point liquid metal alloys are progressively utilized in different research fields due to their unique physicochemical properties. Among them, EGaIn is liquid at room temperature with an excellent solubility for reactive metal atoms such as Al. Combined with their characteristic flexible surface, large area and atomically flat interfaces, a library of two-dimensional materials can be generated. Liquid metal synthesis routes provide a highly reproducible thickness of nanosheets with fast, simple, scalable, inexpensive, high yield and non-toxic methods, especially for Al oxides and hydroxides. At the same time, Al-based heterojunction structure also shows a good application prospect in the field of electromagnetic wave absorption, therefore, the use of liquid metal synthesis methods to find the synthesis methods of Al-based layered double hydroxide (LDH) and its derivatives remains to be explored. In this work, EGaIn was used as an aluminum reservoir to prepare LDH and metal organic framework (MOFs) nano-arrays. The prepared CoAl-LDH@ZIF 67 can be transformed into CoAl-LDO@Co-C in the subsequent annealing process performed under nitrogen environments. Interestingly, a series of samples with different morphologies can be obtained by changing the synthesis parameters. The excellent electromagnetic wave interactions are fully characterized. It has an effective absorption bandwidth of 8.48 GHz at 2.6 mm. The findings demonstrated in this work pave the way for the application of lightwave and ductile complex nanoarrays obtained from liquid metals.

Management of middle lobe veins during single-portal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy via the fifth intercostal approach (case series): why the subcarinal triangular right base angle is helpful.

Background: The fifth intercostal space is the preferred approach during uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy. However, managing the right middle lobe pulmonary vein (RML PV) through this approach is technically challenging for inexperienced surgeons. To facilitate the surgical procedure, we describe our surgical strategy for managing the middle lobe vein via the fifth intercostal space and define the approach [subcarinal triangular right base angle (SCT-RBA)] utilized to manage the middle lobe vein. Case Description: Based on the characteristics of uniportal surgery, we designed a new method of managing middle lobar veins via the fifth intercostal approach, which also facilitates the dissection of the subcarinal lymph nodes. We described the short-term surgical outcomes of 7 patients who underwent single-port middle lobe resection from January 2021 to January 2022 in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ruijin Hospital North Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. No conversion and mortality were observed in 7 patients who underwent single-port VATS middle lobe resection. One patient had bronchial asthma and air leakage, which led to delayed drainage and hospitalization. There were no complications or delayed discharge reported among the other patients. Conclusions: Our initial results indicate that this new technique is a feasible strategy to manage the middle lobe veins and facilitate the dissection of subcarinal lymph nodes.

Low dimensional materials for glucose sensing.

Biosensors are essential components for effective healthcare management. Since biological processes occur on molecular scales, nanomaterials and nanosensors intrinsically provide the most appropriate landscapes for developing biosensors. Low-dimensional materials have the advantage of offering high surface areas, increased reactivity and unique physicochemical properties for efficient and selective biosensing. So far, nanomaterials and nanodevices have offered significant prospects for glucose sensing. Targeted glucose biosensing using such low-dimensional materials enables much more effective monitoring of blood glucose levels, thus providing significantly better predictive diabetes diagnostics and management. In this review, recent advances in using low dimensional materials for sensing glucose are summarized. Sensing fundamentals are discussed, as well as invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive sensing methods. The effects of morphological characteristics and size-dependent properties of low dimensional materials are explored for glucose sensing, and the key performance parameters such as selectivity, stability and sensitivity are also discussed. Finally, the challenges and future opportunities that low dimensional materials can offer for glucose sensing are outlined.

Accurate Analysis of Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Metabolites and Anion Components in Hemocytes by IC-CD/ESI-MS for Quantifying Insecticide Impairment on Cellular Immunity in Mythimna separata.

Insecticides are more broadly known to affect insect cellular immunity, but the components in hemocytes and their response to insecticide stress are still unknown. In this paper, a method based on trifluoroacetic acid extraction, followed by IC-CD/ESI-MS analysis, was developed to simultaneously determine tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites and anion components in hemocytes from Mythimna separata larvae. Validation gave excellent selectivity, recovery (88.7-107.6%), linear correlation (r2 > 0.9961), precision (<3.89%), LOD (0.002-0.006 mg/L), LOQ (0.006-0.020 mg/L), and a short chromatographic run. The method was verified by administration of 4-((3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)amino)-7-methoxyquinazolin-6-yl 3-(1,3-dioxoiso-indolin-2-yl) propanoate (QDP) or emamectin benzoate (EMB) to hemocytes in vitro and larvae in vivo. TCA metabolites including citrate, α-ketoglutarate, fumarate, malate, and oxaloacetate, and anions including acetate, oxalate, chloride, carbonate, and sulfate were identified and clearly separated. QDP and EMB showed a biphasic dose effect on TCA metabolites, and the contrary hormesis paralleled the different actions of QDP and EMB. The inhibition or improvement of cellular immunity depended on the QDP concentration. In conclusion, a highly sensitive, reliable, and robust method was developed, enabling the monitoring of hemocyte immunity by the quantification of TCA metabolites and anion components in minute hemocyte samples.

Interactions between the enhanced recovery after surgery pathway and risk factors for lung infections after pulmonary malignancy operation.

BACKGROUND: Lung infection is a common complication after thoracic surgery and can lead to severe consequences. Our study was designed to explore the risk factors for postoperative lung infections (POLI) following pulmonary malignancy operation and assess the protective effect of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and their potential interactive relationships. METHODS: A retrospective study included 1,768 patients who underwent surgery between 2013 and 2017 in Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine was performed. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors. Andersson's model was applied to evaluate the additive interaction between these factors. RESULTS: Smoking [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.178-2.198], preoperative heart disease (95% CI: 1.448-4.091), and massive intraoperative blood loss (95% CI: 1.568-3.674) were independent risk factors for postoperative lung infections (POLI), whereas ERAS implementation was protective (95% CI: 0.249-0.441). Interaction analyses indicated that non-ERAS was reciprocally independent with smoking and surgical procedure. It had a synergistic interaction with heart disease [attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) =0.540 (95% CI: 0.179-0.901), synergy index (S) =2.580 (95% CI: 1.016-6.551)], and poor lung function [AP =0.395 (95% CI: 0.016-0.775)], as well as a tendency of antagonistic interaction with blood loss. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative blood loss, heart disease, and smoking are independent risk factors of POLI. ERAS implementation is a protective factor and is firstly verified to be more effective on reducing POLI in patients with heart diseases, poor lung function, and less intraoperative blood loss. We provide evidences to implement ERAS and a clue of the most optimal indications for ERAS.

COVID-19 and early-stage lung cancer both featuring ground-glass opacities: a propensity score-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Radiological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) featured ground-glass opacities (GGOs), especially in the early stage, which might create confusion in differential diagnosis with early lung cancer. We aimed to specify the radiological characteristics of COVID-19 and early lung cancer and to unveil the discrepancy between them. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-seven COVID-19 patients and 374 early lung cancer patients from four hospitals in China were retrospectively enrolled. Epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics were compared between the two groups using propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis. RESULTS: COVID-19 patients had more distinct symptoms, tended to be younger (P<0.0001), male (P<0.0001), and had a higher body mass index (P=0.014). After 1:1 PSM, 121 matched pairs were identified. Regarding radiological characteristics, patients with a single lesion accounted for 17% in COVID-19 and 89% in lung cancer (P<0.0001). Most lesions were peripherally found in both groups. Lesions in COVID-19 involved more lobes (median 3.5 vs. 1; P<0.0001) and segments (median 6 vs. 1; P<0.0001) and tended to have multiple types (67%) with patchy form (54%). Early lung cancer was more likely to have a single type (92%) with oval form (66%). Also, COVID-19 and early lung cancer either had some distinctive features on computed tomography (CT) images. CONCLUSIONS: Both COVID-19 and early lung cancers showed GGOs, with similar but independent features. The imaging characteristics should be fully understood and combined with epidemiological history, pathogen detection, laboratory tests, short-term CT reexamination, and pathological results to aid differential diagnosis.

Fungicidal Effect of Pyraclostrobin against Botrytis cinerea in Relation to Its Crystal Structure.

Pyraclostrobin (PYR) is a commonly used strobilurin fungicide, which inhibits mitochondrial respiration at the ubiquinol oxidation center site of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Little information is available regarding the crystal structure of PYR on its fungicidal effect. In this study, the crystal structures of eight PYRs (PYR-A to H) from different sources are determined by using high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and model construction with the Pawley refinement module. The effects of PYRs on mycelium growth, the kinetics of mycelial growth, conidial germination, and tube elongation of conidia of Botrytis cinerea from tomato are compared. The level of organic acids in the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle of PYR-treated B. cinerea is analyzed. The results show that PYR-A to PYR-H have their own unique character of XRPD patterns, but the crystal morphology of eight PYRs presents in the triclinic crystal system and space group P1̅. PYR-D with the eclipsed conformation and rational edge angles α (72.599°) and ß (98.612°) in the crystal cell shows the highest inhibitory effect against mycelium growth with EC50 as 3.383 µg mL-1, the best time-dependent effects on the mycelium growth kinetics, and the strongest inhibition on tube elongation of conidia, whereas PYR-E with anticonformation is the worst. Moreover, a significant accumulation of fumarate, malate, and oxalate in the PYR-D-treated mycelium is observed. These findings reinforce the need for a definite crystal structure of PYR to limit usage and mitigate future selection pressure for gray mold management.

Safety assessment of a new benzoylphenylurea TXH09 and its efficacy against two borers Ostrinia furnacalis and Grapholitha molesta in field.

Benzoylphenylureas as an important type of insect growth regulators, acting on the moulting stage in immature insects, are highly effective and low toxic. The new benzoylphenylurea TXH09 [N-((2,6-dimethyl-4-(heptafluoropropyl-2-yl)phenyl)carbamoyl)-2,6-difluorobenzamide] has high efficacy against chewing insect pests harming vegetables and rice. In this paper, the efficacy of TXH09 against two intractable borers Ostrinia furnacalis and Grapholitha molesta were evaluated in field, and safety assessment by exploring the characteristics of photodegradation, cytotoxicity, micronucleus generation and chromosome aberration was performed. The results showed that TXH09 had good capability in preventing infested corn and reducing the population of O. furnacalis larvae, and maintained high efficacy on shoot protection and peach conservation against G. molesta larvae. There were no significant differences between the control effects of TXH09 and that of hexaflumuron or diflubenzuron at the same active dose. TXH09 photolysis in solvents N,N-dimethylformamide, toluene and methanol yielded two major products, and the photodegradation of TXH09 was more prone to occur in N,N-dimethylformamide. TXH09 and the mixture of its photoproducts showed higher cytotoxicity on insect Sf-9 cells than on human Hek293 cells. Moreover, TXH09 didn't show significant effects in inducing micronucleated cells in both male and female mice and chromosomal aberrations in mouse spermatocytes by its own. In conclusion, TXH09, as an effective insecticide, has good environmental safety performance against O. furnacalis and G. molesta in field.

Antifungal effects of 3-(2-pyridyl)methyl-2-(4-chlorphenyl) iminothiazolidine against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

BACKGROUND: Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum threatens oilseed rape cultivation, and the emergence of fungicide-resistant strains has led to control failures worldwide. Identifying novel chemical alternatives with different modes of action and high antifungal activities is thus crucial. Herein we evaluated the antifungal effects of 3-(2-pyridyl)methyl-2-(4-chlorphenyl)imino- thiazolidine (PMAS) on S. sclerotiorum to determine its efficacy for SSR management. RESULTS: PMAS had an inhibitory effect on mycelial growth; the EC50 values were 17.83 and 21.15 µg mL-1 for the carbendazim-susceptible strain Ss01 and carbendazim-resistant strain Hm25, respectively. PMAS treatment changed the color of inhibited mycelia to green, and the hyphae were sustained in the undifferentiated stage. Cysteine supplementation made this green color disappear, whereas methionine enhanced the color. Moreover, PMAS treatment markedly inhibited oxalic acid biogenesis, increased free thiol content in mycelia, and weakened the activities of oxaloacetase and malate dehydrogenase, but had little effect on the activity of glyoxylate dehydrogenase. Cysteine could reverse the inhibitory effects of PMAS on mycelial morphogenesis and biochemical constituents, except thiol production. In the pot-culture experiment, PMAS showed a good protective effect, with the control efficacy being >91% on SSR. CONCLUSION: PMAS appears to be an effective fungicide for SSR management. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparative cytotoxic effects of five commonly used triazole alcohol fungicides on human cells of different tissue types.

The widespread application of triazole fungicides makes people attach great concern over its adverse effects in mammalian. In this paper, cytotoxic effects of triazole alcohol fungicides (TAFs) were assessed on human HeLa, A549, HCT116 and K562 cells, and the potential mechanism of TAFs cytotoxicity was studied preliminarily. Results showed that TAFs had cytotoxicity on human cells with different level and cytotoxic selectivity. TAFs cytotoxicity was resonated with a typical hormetic biphasic dose action that produced a complex pattern of stimulatory or inhibitory effects on cell viability. Among the five TAFs, diniconazole revealed a widest range of cytotoxicity to inhibit the viability of the adherent and the suspension cells, causing HeLa cells shrinkage, A549 cells shrunken, and K562 cells collapse, and showed stronger cytotoxicity than hexaconazole. Moreover, the involvement of ROS generation in the cytotoxicity of TAFs on human cells was observed, and the apoptosis of HeLa cells and the formation of apoptotic body in K562 cells induced by diniconazole were characterized. The results indicated the cytotoxicity of TAFs with different structures on human cells was depended on their own property and cell specificity, K562 cells were the most susceptible to TAFs and diniconazole was the strongest toxic.

Robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal masses: a single-institution experience.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the feasibility and safety of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) using the da Vinci robotic system for mediastinal mass resection and to describe the surgical approach for masses in different mediastinal regions. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from 84 patients who underwent RATS for resection of a mediastinal mass from June 2015 to April 2019. The results were analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The mediastinal mass was resected successfully in all patients, with one patient requiring conversion to conventional open surgery. There were no intraoperative complications. The most common diagnoses were thymoma (n=17), bronchogenic cyst (n=16), and schwannoma (n=12). The surgical approach was determined by the location of the lesion and the planned extent of surgical resection. Resection was performed in the lateral decubitus position in 29 patients with posterior mediastinal tumor, semi-lateral decubitus position in 42 patients who only need resection of anterior mediastinal mass, and reverse Trendelenburg position in 13 patients undergoing thymectomy. The mean (± standard deviation) operation time was 91.86±56.42 min, duration of chest tube use was 1.83±0.93 days, and postoperative hospital stay was 3.62±7.52 days. Three patients (3.5%) developed postoperative complications: one chylous fistula, which required reoperation, and one case each of atrial fibrillation and pulmonary infection, which were treated conservatively. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience demonstrated that different surgical approaches of RATS are safe and feasible for mediastinal mass resection. An appropriate approach can be selected based on the mediastinal region in which the tumor is located.

Next-generation sequencing in thymic epithelial tumors uncovered novel genomic aberration sites and strong correlation between TMB and MSH6 single nucleotide variations.

Thymic epithelial tumors (TET) including thymomas and thymic carcinomas are rare, but they are common primary tumors in the anterior mediastinum. The etiology and tumorigenesis of TET remain unclear. To better understand the novel aberrations of this rare tumor and provide more significant mutation sites for targeted therapy, we performed next-generation sequencing detection on 55 patients with TET. Our results showed that most genes in 12 core pathways harbored aberrations of indeterminate potential. In 4 genes (ARID1A, KMT2C, TGFBR2 and MAP3K1), the indel frequency was above 90%. Dozens of genes, including TGFBR2, KMT2C, PRKDC, ATR, CHD2, SDHA, KDM5A, CHEK1, MSH6 and POLE, possessed frameshift indel with different frequencies in different hotspot sites, which could be the new targets of therapy for TET. For the first time, we revealed a strong correlation between the tumor mutational burden and single nucleotide variations, but not frameshift, on DNA mismatch repair gene MSH6 in TET.