Current Trends and Research Topics Regarding Intestinal Organoids: An Overview Based on Bibliometrics.

Currently, research on intestinal diseases is mainly based on animal models and cell lines in monolayers. However, these models have drawbacks that limit scientific advances in this field. Three-dimensional (3D) culture systems named organoids are emerging as a reliable research tool for recapitulating the human intestinal epithelium and represent a unique platform for patient-specific drug testing. Intestinal organoids (IOs) are crypt-villus structures that can be derived from adult intestinal stem cells (ISCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and have the potential to serve as a platform for individualized medicine and research. However, this emerging field has not been bibliometric summarized to date. Here, we performed a bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database to evaluate 5,379 publications concerning the use of organoids; the studies were divided into four clusters associated with the current situation and future directions for the application of IOs. Based on the results of our bibliometric analysis of IO applications, we systematically summarized the latest advances and analyzed the limitations and prospects.

Gastric cancer complicated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: case report and a brief review.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) comprises a group of severe immune function disorders that can lead to immune-mediated organ damage. There are two subtypes of HLH: primary and secondary. Secondary HLH is associated with infectious, oncologic, chemotherapeutic, and other underlying causes, and studies on HLH triggered by tumors have mainly focused on hematological malignancies. Secondary HLH in patients with solid tumors is rare. Here, we present two cases of gastric cancer complicated with HLH. The patient 1 was diagnosed as gastric cancer at stage I and got intractable fever after a distal subtotal gastrectomy without any evidence of infections or other complications. The patient 2 suffered from unresectable gastric adenocarcinoma and got fever, hemorrhagic rashes, and petechiae in mouth after six cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After detailed and comprehensive examinations, HLH was diagnosed in the two patients according to 2004 HLH diagnostic criteria, and the patients received treatment including immunosuppressive agents immediately. After therapy, the two patients showed partial remission, but both eventually died due to HLH relapse or progression of the primary tumor. The treatment regimen for HLH is intricate, and only a few relevant studies have focused on the treatment of cancer patients with HLH. The high mortality associated with this disease calls for more attention and additional research to improve the prognosis for these patients.

Experiments of a 100 kV-level pulse generator based on metal-oxide varistor.

This paper introduces the development and experiments of a 100 kV-level pulse generator based on a metal-oxide varistor (MOV). MOV has a high energy handling capacity and nonlinear voltage-current (V-I) characteristics, which makes it useful for high voltage pulse shaping. Circuit simulations based on the measured voltage-current characteristics of MOV verified the shaping concept and showed that a circuit containing a two-section pulse forming network (PFN) will result in better defined square pulse than a simple L-C discharging circuit. A reduced-scale experiment was carried out and the result agreed well with simulation prediction. Then a 100 kV-level pulse generator with multiple MOVs in a stack and a two-section pulse forming network (PFN) was experimented. A pulse with a voltage amplitude of 90 kV, rise time of about 50 ns, pulse width of 500 ns, and flat top of about 400 ns was obtained with a water dummy load of 50 Ω. The results reveal that the combination of PFN and MOV is a practical way to generate high voltage pulses with better flat top waveforms, and the load voltage is stable even if the load's impedance varies. Such pulse generator can be applied in many fields such as surface treatment, corona plasma generation, industrial dedusting, and medical disinfection.

Extramural vascular invasion detected by contrast-enhanced multiple-row detectors computed tomography (ceMDCT) as a predictor of synchronous metastases in colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Extramural Vascular Invasion (EMVI) is histologically defined as the presence of tumor cells beyond the muscularis propria in vessels resulting in disease metastases. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether EMVI, detected by contrast-enhanced multiple-row detectors computed tomography (MDCT), has closely association with synchronous metastases in colon cancer. METHODS: Patients with pathology proven colon cancer were included in this retrospective study. Preoperative imaging status, including Extramural tumor depth, Lymph nodes, tumor location, and ctEMVI status, were defined on MDCT. Postoperative pathological tumor stage, lymph node stage, and tumor differentiation, were defined in accordance with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th Edition. Synchronous metastases were detected on follow-up MDCT 3 months after initial diagnosis or by surgery, if available. Associations between ctEMVI and other preoperative and postoperative factors were analyzed using Chi-squared tests. Logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the preoperative and postoperative factors of synchronous metastases in colon cancer. RESULTS: ctEMVI was observed in 96 patients (96/241, 39.8%). The presence of ctEMVI varied significantly depending on ctEMD (χ2 = 66.557, P<0.001), lymph nodes status on MDCT (χ2 =24.533, P=0.001), pathological tumor status (χ2 = 36.267, P <0.001) and pathological lymph nodes status analyses (χ2 =32.103, P <0.001). Synchronous metastases were seen in 36 patients (36/96, 37.5%) with ctEMVI and 11 (11/145, 7.6%) patients without ctEMVI. The incidence of synchronous metastases was significantly higher in the cohort of positive ctEMVI with odds ratio (OR) of 7.309 (95% CI 3.485∼15.330, P<0.001). Positive ctEMVI (Odds ratio 4.654, 95%CI: 1.987∼10.898, P <0.001) and ctEMD larger than 5 mm (Odds ratio 2.654, 95%CI: 1.116∼6.309, P =0.027) were demonstrated to be significant preoperative factors in predicting synchronous metastases. CONCLUSION: MDCT-detected EMVI could be used as a preoperative factor to predict synchronous metastases in colon cancer.

Prognostic significance of computed tomography-detected extramural vascular invasion in colon cancer.

AIM: To compare disease-free survival (DFS) between extramural vascular invasion (EMVI)-positive and -negative colon cancer patients evaluated by computed tomography (CT). METHODS: Colon cancer patients (n = 194) undergoing curative surgery between January 2009 and December 2013 were included. Each patient's demographics, cancer characteristics, EMVI status, pathological status and survival outcomes were recorded. All included patients had been routinely monitored until December 2015. EMVI was defined as tumor tissue within adjacent vessels beyond the colon wall as seen on enhanced CT. Disease recurrence was defined as metachronous metastases, local recurrence, or death due to colon cancer. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare DFS between the EMVI-positive and -negative groups. Cox's proportional hazards models were used to measure the impact of confounding variables on survival rates. RESULTS: EMVI was observed on CT (ctEMVI) in 60 patients (30.9%, 60/194). One year after surgery, there was no statistically significant difference regarding the rates of progressive events between EMVI-positive and -negative patients [11.7% (7/60) and 6.7% (9/134), respectively; P = 0.266]. At the study endpoint, the EMVI-positive patients had significantly more progressive events than the EMVI-negative patients [43.3% (26/60) and 14.9% (20/134), respectively; odds ratio = 4.4, P < 0.001]. Based on the Kaplan-Meier method, the cumulative 1-year DFS rates were 86.7% (95%CI: 82.3-91.1) and 92.4% (95%CI: 90.1-94.7) for EMVI-positive and EMVI-negative patients, respectively. The cumulative 3-year DFS rates were 49.5% (95%CI: 42.1-56.9) and 85.8% (95%CI: 82.6-89.0), respectively. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that ctEMVI was an independent predictor of DFS with a hazard ratio of 2.15 (95%CI: 1.12-4.14, P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: ctEMVI may be helpful when evaluating disease progression in colon cancer patients.

[Animal experimental study of biodegradable magnesium alloy stapler for gastrointestinal anastomosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the safety and feasibility of biodegradable magnesium alloy stapler based on the result of animal experimental study for gastrointestinal anastomosis. METHODS: Sixteen beagle dogs were equally and randomly divided into experimental (magnesium alloy) group and control (titanium alloy) group. A gastrojejunal and a colonic anastomosis were performed in each beagle dog. The anastomosis time, postoperative complications, body weight, blasting pressure of anastomosis and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and serum magnesium were compared between the two groups. The healing of anastomosis and degradation of magnesium alloy were observed. The histopathological features of heart, liver, spleen and kidney were examined in the two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in anastomosis time, body weight, postoperative complications, anastomotic bursting pressure between the two groups. The anastomosis was healed well, and no dramatic inflammatory cell infiltration was observed. Magnesium alloy could be degraded completely in the animal body within 90 days. There were no significant differences in serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and serum magnesium between the two groups. Histopathological examination showed that the degradation of magnesium alloy did not harm the important organs (liver, kidney, heart, brain and spleen). CONCLUSIONS: Magnesium alloy stapler is safe and feasible for gastrointestinal anastomosis in beagle dogs. The degradation of magnesium alloy does not harm the healing of anastomosis and other important organs. Magnesium alloy stapler may be a candidate of biodegradable and safe material of stapler for gastrointestinal anastomosis in human.