Assessment of pesticide exposure to applicators during spraying in orchards with a stretcher-mounted sprayer.

Various health risk assessment models have been developed to evaluate occupational pesticide exposure in China. However, there has been limited investigation into the relationship between health risks and pesticide spraying in orchards. In this study, we analyzed pesticide exposure of applicators while spraying with a stretcher-mounted sprayer in orchards located in four different climatic regions. All garments' unit exposure (UE) demonstrated a right-skewed distribution, with gloves and shins accounting for the highest proportion of dermal pesticide exposure. We observed little difference in dermal and inhalation UE levels between apple and citrus orchards, except for pesticide exposure levels on wipes and faces. While 57% of the inhalation UE distribution variance was attributed to clustering and location effects, no significant differences were observed in dermal exposure levels. We evaluated the impact of different levels of protective clothing on pesticide exposure levels, according to applicators' working habits in China. Our findings revealed that improved levels of protection significantly reduced dermal exposure to pesticides, particularly when wearing gloves during spraying with a stretcher-mounted sprayer. Based on our empirical data, we utilized a simple random sampling model and an intercept-only lognormal mixed model to estimate dermal and inhalation exposure levels. The estimated dermal UE was accurate to within 3-fold with 95% confidence, and half of the estimated inhalation UE was acceptable according to the fold relative accuracy (fRA). Our established and verified statistics for dermal and inhalation UE can be utilized to evaluate the potential pesticide exposure to applicators during spraying in orchards with a stretcher-mounted sprayer.

Joint polarization detection and degradation mechanisms for underwater image enhancement.

Light absorption and scattering exist in the underwater environment, which can lead to blurring, reduced brightness, and color distortion in underwater images. Polarized images have the advantages of eliminating underwater scattering interference, enhancing contrast, and detecting material information of the object in underwater detection. In this paper, from the perspective of polarization imaging, different concentrations (0.15 g/ml, 0.30 g/ml, and 0.50 g/ml), different wave bands (red, green, and blue), different materials (copper, wood, high-density PVC, aluminum, cloth, foam, cloth sheet, low-density PVC, rubber, and porcelain tile), and different depths (10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm) are set up in a chamber for the experimental environment. By combining the degradation mechanism of underwater images and the analysis of polarization detection results, it is proved that the degree of polarization images have greater advantages than degree of linear polarization images, degree of circular polarization images, S1, S2, and S3 images, and visible images underwater. Finally, a fusion algorithm of underwater visible images and polarization images based on compressed sensing is proposed to enhance underwater degraded images. To improve the quality of fused images, we introduce orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) in the high-frequency part to improve image sparsity and consistency detection in the low-frequency part to improve the image mutation phenomenon. The fusion results show that the peak SNR values of the fusion result maps using OMP in this paper are improved by 32.19% and 22.14% on average over those using backpropagation and subspace pursuit methods. With different materials and concentrations, the underwater image enhancement algorithm proposed in this paper improves information entropy, average gradient, and standard deviation by 7.76%, 18.12%, and 40.8%, respectively, on average over previous algorithms. The image NIQE value shows that the image quality obtained by this paper's algorithm is improved by about 69.26% over the original S0 image.

Post-genomic era in agriculture and veterinary science: successful and proposed application of genetic targeting technologies.

Gene editing tools have become an indispensable part of research into the fundamental aspects of cell biology. With a vast body of literature having been generated based on next generation sequencing technologies, keeping track of this ever-growing body of information remains challenging. This necessitates the translation of genomic data into tangible applications. In order to address this objective, the generated Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data forms the basis for targeted genome editing strategies, employing known enzymes of various cellular machinery, in generating organisms with specifically selected phenotypes. This review focuses primarily on CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the context of its advantages over Zinc finger proteins (ZNF) and Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN) and meganucleases mutagenesis strategies, for use in agricultural and veterinary applications. This review will describe the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in creating modified organisms with custom-made properties, without the undesired non-targeted effects associated with virus vector vaccines and bioactive molecules produced in bacterial systems. Examples of the successful and unsuccessful applications of this technology to plants, animals and microorganisms are provided, as well as an in-depth look into possible future trends and applications in vaccine development, disease resistance and enhanced phenotypic traits will be discussed.

Fumonisin B1 induces hepatotoxicity in mice through the activation of oxidative stress, apoptosis and fibrosis.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a harmful environmental pollutant that induces hepatotoxicity, but the mechanism is still poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the effects of FB1 on the liver of mice and discover the underlying molecular mechanisms. A total of 40 male mice were exposed to 0 or 5 mg/kg FB1 for 42 days, and then, they were sacrificed, and the liver and blood were collected. Besides, AML12 cells were exposed to FB1. Biochemical and liver related indexes as well morphological changes, redox, apoptosis and fibrosis related markers were measured in liver and AML12 cells. The results showed that the liver function and biochemical indexes in the blood were changes, and the histopathological analysis indicated that FB1 exposure caused hepatic sinusoid atrophy, hemosiderosis, hepatocyte steatosis and fibrosis, finally inducing liver injury. Notably, a significant increase in the intracellular antioxidant enzymes SOD1, SOD2, NF-κB (p65), H2O2 and NO was found in FB1 exposed AML12 cells and liver tissues. In addition, TUNEL staining showed many apoptotic cells, and western blotting revealed a significant increase in the pro-apoptosis proteins. FB1 also induced liver fibrosis by triggering TGF-ß1/α-SMA/collagen/MMP signaling in the hepatocytes. Our results provide a novel explanation of the toxicological mechanism of action of FB1, which provoked oxidative stress, apoptosis and fibrosis in mice liver.

Efficacy and Safety of Ningmitai Capsules in Patients with Chronic Epididymitis: A Prospective, Parallel Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ningmitai (NMT) capsules in patients with chronic epididymitis. METHODS: This prospective randomized controlled trial included 112 patients diagnosed with chronic epididymitis. The patients were randomized (1 : 1 : 1) to receive levofloxacin (LVX), NMT, or NMT combined with LVX for 4 weeks. The patients were followed up at 2 and 4 weeks after initiation of treatment and were evaluated in terms of Chronic Epididymitis Symptom Index (CESI) scores, epididymal nodules, and safety parameters. The primary endpoints were the CESI scores at the end of 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The secondary endpoints included the mean epididymal nodule diameter and the clinical efficacy rate. Safety was evaluated by hepatorenal function tests and adverse event reports during the trial. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of treatment, the CESI score of the NMT group was significantly lower than that of the LVX group (P < 0.05). In addition, the clinical efficacy rate of the NMT group was significantly higher than that of the LVX group (55% vs. 8.33%, P < 0.0001), indicating that NMT has a rapid effect on chronic epididymitis. After 4 weeks of treatment, there was no significant difference in CESI scores or clinical efficacy rates between the two monotherapy regimens (P > 0.05); however, the mean diameter of epididymal nodules was significantly smaller in the NMT group than in the LVX group (P < 0.0001). Moreover, after 4 weeks of treatment, the patients in the LVX + NMT group, which had a clinical efficacy rate of 97.22%, had lower CESI scores (both P < 0.01) and a smaller epididymal nodule diameter (vs. LVX, P < 0.0001; vs. NMT, P < 0.05) than those in the other two groups. No adverse events or abnormal hepatorenal function were found during the study. CONCLUSION: NMT significantly improved CESI scores and epididymal nodule diameter in patients with chronic epididymitis. The combination of NMT and LVX provides a much better effect than monotherapy, and this treatment regimen was well tolerated.

A surfactant-mediated sol-gel method for the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers and its application in a biomimetic immunoassay for the detection of protein.

Molecularly imprinted polymers have demonstrated tremendous potential in the immunoassay as alternatives to biological antibodies. However, the production of molecularly imprinted polymers for protein remains great challenges because of structural complexity and organic solvent instability. In addition, non-specific binding sites in the molecularly imprinted polymers debase the feasibility of it as alternative to antibodies for immunoassay. Here, a surfactant-mediated sol-gel system in an aqueous environment was designed to produce the molecularly imprinted polymers for protein. A blocked strategy was introduced to decrease non-specific cross-reactivity and to improve the selectivity. The developed products were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. The obtained molecularly imprinted polymers exhibited desirable specific recognition towards the target and a biomimetic immunoassay method was developed. The method exhibited a good linear response to human serum albumin in a concentration range of 1-100 µg mL-1. The limit of detection of this method was 0.3 µg mL-1 (3s/K), and good recoveries ranging from 85.4-104.5% were achieved. This study demonstrated that the molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by the surfactant-mediated sol-gel method can produce high selectivity materials, which had great potential to replace antibodies in a biomimetic immunoassay.

[Clinical characteristics of 175 cases with advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, so as to provide more evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. METHODS: The clinical records of 175 cases with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University from 2012 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among the 175 cases with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, the male to female ratio was 1∶1.6, and the mean age was (38.6 ± 12.9) years (range, 11 to 69 years). 93.7% of the patients (164 cases) were Tibetan, and 79.4% (139 cases) were from Guoluo Prefecture. 73.7% (129 cases) were herdsmen, and 58.3% (102 cases) were illiterate. The major clinical symptoms included upper abdominal pain, yellowing of skin and mucosa, and scleral icterus. 69.1% of the lesions were located in bilateral livers, and 63.4% of the cases have 2 and more lesions. 53.7% of the cases have their inferior vena cava involved by the lesions. In addition, the most affected neighboring organ was diaphragmatic muscle (21.7%), and lung was the most affected distant metastatic site (40.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is highly prevalent in Guoluo Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Screening of this disease is required in this region and rational treatment scheme should be developed.

Preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers and application in a biomimetic biotin-avidin-ELISA for the detection of bovine serum albumin.

Immunoassay as a primary analytical tool is widely applied in the field of analysis. However, biological antibodies used in the routine immunoassay exhibit high cost and poor stability. Herein, in this study, a biomimetic ELISA method using molecularly imprinted polymers as a alternative to antibodies was developed. The molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared through dopamine polymerization using Fe3O4 nanoparticles as magnetic nuclei, bovine serum albumin as a template, dopamine as a functional monomer and crosslinking agent. The molecularly imprinted polymers were characterized by scanning electron micrographs, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer and X-ray diffractometer, respectively. The detection range of the established biomimetic ELISA method was 5-1000 µg mL-1. The method exhibited high selectivity for bovine serum albumin compared with other proteins and good recovery ranging from 89.0% to 102.3% was obtained from spiked bovine serum samples. The results showed that the method by using molecularly imprinted polymers as biomimetic antibodies could be used to detect bovine serum albumin rapidly in bovine serum with a high sensitivity and accuracy. This study demonstrates that the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers by dopamine polymerization can produce material with high affinity and potential to replace antibodies in biomimetic ELISA for protein detection.

ESTIMATION OF EFFECTIVE DOSE OF DENTAL X-RAY DEVICES.

This study aims to estimate the effective doses of dental X-ray devices under common scanning protocols. After putting TLDs in the Alderson Radiation Therapy Phantom, we exposed the phantom under common scanning protocols of three dental X-ray devices, namely CBCT, dental panoramic machine and intraoral round cone device. Then effective doses were calculated using the measured absorbed doses of organs and tissues. Tissue weighting factors recommended by the ICRP were adopted in the calculation. Effective doses under common scanning protocols of three Dental X-ray devices were obtained. The effective dose of dental CT was 0.20 mSv, and that of dental panoramic machine and intraoral radiography were 0.013 and 0.0050 mSv, respectively. The tissue absorbed doses of dental CT scan were 0.63 mGy of brain, 7.7 mGy of salivary glands, 8.7 mGy of thyroid and 4.0 mGy of the lens of the eye. The tissue absorbed doses from dental panoramic machine are 0.62 mGy of salivary glands and 0.25 mGy of thyroid. And finally the tissue absorbed dose of intraoral radiography was 0.80 mGy of salivary gland. Among the three dental X-ray devices studied, dental CBCT scan can cause much higher effective dose than the other two. Brain, salivary glands, thyroid and the lens of the eye are tissues receiving relatively higher absorbed doses.

Cancer survival in patients from a hospital-based cancer registry, China.

Purpose: There are few reports on survival rate analysis from hospital-based cancer registries (HBCR) in China, although the National Center of Cancer Registry of China has launched such an effort with the mission to expand the scope of registration and follow-up. Our study aimed to evaluate survival and outcomes of cancer patients from a HBCR in eastern China. Methods: Active and passive follow-up methods were used to obtain information on survival status for all patients from Qidong City and Haimen City in the databases of our hospital-based registrations from 2002 to 2014. Censor time for survival was 31st March, 2016. Survival probability was estimated using the life-table method with SPSS Statistics software, and comparison of significant differences in survival rates was tested by Wilcoxon (Gehan) statistic. Results: The outcomes of 5010 patients were identified in the follow-up for 5244 cases from Qidong and Haimen, with a follow-up rate of 95.65%, and a rate of lost to follow-up of 4.35%. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year observed survival (OS) rate in all-combined cancer sites were 59.80%, 37.70%, 30.82%, and 22.60%, respectively. The top 10 cancer sites in rank were cancers of lung, esophagus, liver, cervix, stomach, breast, colon-rectum, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, nasopharynx, and ovary, with 5-year OS rates of 12.63%, 19.62%, 11.69%, 66.61%, 21.35%, 59.43%, 36.36%, 37.03%, 48.95% and 36.17%, respectively. Females experienced better survival than males for lung, esophageal, liver, nasopharyngeal and pancreatic cancers (P<0.05), but not for other sites (P>0.05). A significant difference was also found between males and females when all-sites were combined (P<0.01). There are significant differences (P<0.05) between the 2015 patients (from Qidong) and the 3001 patients (from Haimen) with 5-year OS rates of 32.72% vs 29.57%; no significant differences were found for 5-year OS rates for individual cancer sites (P>0.05) except for liver (P=0.0005) and ovary (P=0.0460) between the two cities. Younger patients had better prognosis, but significance was only seen in cervical (P=0.0102) and nasopharyngeal (P=0.0305) cancers. Conclusion: The survival rates of each site or of all sites-combined in this setting are consistent with those elsewhere in China and abroad. Discrepancies in overall survival could be affected by the proportion of sites with or without better prognosis. Hospital-based cancer survival is a better index to evaluate outcomes that reflect the levels of comprehensive treatment and improvement of medical and health services.

Association of long non-coding RNA GAS5 and miR-21 levels in CD4+ T cells with clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The present study aimed to assess the expression of growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) and microRNA (miR)-21 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and attempted to explore their association with clinical features. CD4+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood of healthy donors and SLE patients by magnetic-activated cell sorting. GAS5 and miR-21 expression levels in cluster of differentiation (CD)4+ T cells were measured by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results revealed that GAS5 and miR-21 levels were significantly elevated in CD4+ T cells of patients with SLE compared with those in control subjects (P<0.05). Regarding clinical features, SLE patients with ulceration had higher GAS5 expression levels in CD4+ T cells than those without ulceration (P<0.05), and the expression of miR-21 was significantly higher in CD4+ T cells of SLE patients with low levels of complement component 3 (C3) than in those with normal levels of complement C3 (P<0.05). In conclusion, GAS5 and miR-21 in CD4+ T cells may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of SLE.

Mode of Managing Nutrient Solution Based on N Use Efficiency for Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

In aeroponic cultivation the nutrient solution is an essential component to achieve good production results. And nitrogen is the main constituent element of the nutrient solution and essential element in plant nutrition. Therefore, the management and monitoring nutrient solution and existing nitrogen is fundamental. The experiment shows that three modes of replacing the nutrient solution and three initial pH values and their interaction significantly influenced the fresh weight and dry matter of lettuce. The highest values of fresh and dry weight were recorded in the fifth treatment where there is an interaction between pH 6 and the mode of replacing half of the nutrient solution. The consumption rate of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and gross nitrogen (GN) was higher during stage 1 (10 days after transplanting), especially for the mode of complete replacing nutrient solution.

Cancer survival in Qidong between 1972 and 2011: A population-based analysis.

Population-based cancer survival is an improved index for evaluating the overall efficiency of cancer health services in a given region. The current study analysed the observed survival and relative survival of leading cancer sites from a population-based cancer registry between 1972 and 2011 in Qidong, China. A total of 92,780 incident cases with cancer were registered and followed-up for survival status. The main sites of the cancer types, based on the rank order of incidence, were the liver, stomach, lung, colon and rectum, oesophagus, breast, pancreas, leukaemia, brain and central nervous system (B and CNS), bladder, blood [non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)] and cervix. For all malignancies combined, the 5-year observed survival was 13.18% and the relative survival was 15.80%. Females had higher observed survival and relative survival (19.32 and 22.71%, respectively) compared with males (9.63 and 11.68%, respectively). The cancer sites with the highest five-year relative survival rates were the female breast, bladder, cervix and colon and rectum; followed by NHL, stomach, B and CNS cancer and leukaemia. The poorest survival rates were cancers of oesophagus, lung, pancreas and liver. Higher survival rates were observed in younger patients compared with older patients. Cancers of the oesophagus, female breast and bladder were associated with higher survival in middle-aged groups. Improved survival rates in the most recent two 5-year calendar periods were identified for stomach, lung, colon and rectum, oesophagus, female breast and bladder cancer, as well as leukaemia and NHL. The observations of the current study provide the opportunity for evaluation of the survival outcomes of frequent cancer sites that reflects the changes and improvement in a rural area in China.

Expression of RUNX2 and MDM21 in rats with periodontitis under chronic intermittent hypoxia.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the expression of RUNX2 and MDM21 in rats with periodontitis under the chronic intermittent hypoxia. METHODS: A total of 32 SD healthy rats were randomly divided into four groups, with 8 rats in each group. The molecular biological techniques of immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect the effect of different hypoxia time (0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h) and different concentrations of hypoxia (0.000, 0.001, 0.010, 0.060 and 0.100 ppm) on the expression of RUNX2 and MDM21 in rats of four groups. RESULTS: The expression of RUNX2 and MDM21 in each group was significantly higher than the one at other concentrations when the concentration was 0.010 ppm, with the statistical difference (P < 0.05). The expression of RUNX2 and MDM21 was that normoxic control group > normoxic periodontitis group > hypoxia control group > hypoxia periodontitis group under the action with the concentration of 0.010 ppm for 12 h, but there was no significant difference for the comparison among groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The condition of chronic intermittent hypoxia can reduce the expression of RUNX2 and MDM21 in rats with periodontitis and aggravate the damage of periodontal bone.

Therapeutic efficacy of PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies in statin-nonresponsive patients with hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia are the predominant causes for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Clinical guidelines for lowering CVD risk have advocated that low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) must be reduced. The primary choice of therapy for controlling lipidemia has been statins, which are not completely effective. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PCSK9), which interferes with LDL clearance from circulation, inversely relates to the LDL-C levels. The loss of statin efficacy is likely due to increased circulating PCSK9 and antibody therapy against PCSK9 has been found to be efficacious in lowering LDL-C. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of PCSK9-mAbs for lowering LDL-C, in statin non-responsive hypercholesterolemia patients. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials of PCSK9 antibody-statin combination vs statin, published till 2015. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, and a collective decision was reached about the included studies in the metaanalysis. Parameters analyzed: change from baseline in LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC); ApoB and ApoA1 levels. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies with 4909 patients were selected. Overall, add-on therapy with PCSK9-mAb to the ongoing statin therapy was found to achieve greater reduction in LDL-C, ApoB, TC, compared to statin therapy. There were no major treatment emergent adverse effects due to PCSK9-mAb therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In adult patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia, PCSK9-mAb therapy in combination with statins was able to achieve the goal of lowering LDL-C.

The Clinical Results of Percutaneous Endoscopic Interlaminar Discectomy (PEID) in the Treatment of Calcified Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID), which poses advantages for certain types of herniated disc, is gaining wider acceptance in clinical practice. We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of the PEID technique in treatment of calcified lumbar disc herniation. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case-control study. SETTING: University hospital in China. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of the PEID technique in treatment of calcified lumbar disc herniation, and a comparison between calcified and noncalcified disc herniation was drawn to analyze the causes of herniated disc calcification. METHODS: Data from patients who underwent full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy in our department between March 2011 and May 2013 were collected. Thirty cases with calcified lumbar disc herniation were included in the study group, and 30 age-, gender-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched cases with noncalcified lumbar disc herniation served as controls. Perioperative data, preoperative and postoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) values, MacNab scores, and postoperative low-extremity dysesthesia among patients in the 2 groups were collected. RESULTS: The values of computed tomography (CT) in the calcified group were significantly higher than those in the noncalcified group (P < 0.01). The preoperative disease courses in the 2 groups were similar. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the duration of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) administration (P < 0.01). VAS and ODI scores improved significantly after surgery, but there were no significant differences between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). Three months after surgery, the rate of low-extremity dysesthesia in the calcified group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P = 0.03) but became similar at 6 months. By applying MacNab criteria the proportions of good and excellent were greater than 90% in both groups, and there was no difference between groups (P > 0.05). LIMITATIONS: The sample size was small in this retrospective study. CONCLUSION: The PEID technique is an effective method in the treatment of calcified lumber disc herniation, although the rate of postoperative dysesthesia is higher in this group during the early postoperative period. Long-term TCM administration may be related to the calcification of herniated lumbar discs.

Uniportal video assisted thoracoscopic surgery thymectomy (left approach).

BACKGROUND: Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy for the management of myasthenia gravis and thymoma has been described and routinely performed. With the advent of single port surgery, uniportal thymectomy has gained popularity and left side approach is preferred only if the suspecting tumour is situated on the left mediastinum. However, many doubt or dislike the left side VATS approach to anterior mediastinum as the ventricular apex renders maneuverer of instruments difficult. This is certainly not the case as shown in this video and to date, there is no published manuscript on left uniportal thymectomy. METHODS: Patient positioned semi-supine with left sided propped up and the ipsilateral arm placed naturally and secured by the side and below the chest wall. Cleaned and draped as for sterile procedure. General anaesthesia and lung isolation achieved with a double lumen endotracheal intubation. A 2.5 cm incision was made at 4th intercostal space, anterior axillary line (lateral to nipple line). Extra small size wound protector was used and CO2 insufflation was not needed. Instruments utilised in this case were "not new" and used for laparoscopic surgery 2 decades ago. This video demonstrates the simple technique of left uniportal approach to total thymectomy. Safe en bloc resection of thymus and thymic tumour with surrounding fatty tissue were performed, by combination of careful pleura dissection using diathermy, traction and blunt dissection of thymus. Extra caution when dividing thymic vein branches from innominate vein is prudent in order to prevent intra-operative haemorrhage and subsequent conversion to sternotomy or thoracotomy. RESULTS: In this video, total thymectomy was performed without complication. The specimen was removed through the port and a single chest tube was placed at end of procedure for 1 day. Patient went home uneventfully on day 2. CONCLUSIONS: Left uniportal VATS thymectomy is feasible, and preferred for left sided thymoma. This simple approach should be encouraged and performed by all enthusiastic VATS thoracic surgeons.

Changes in Endosymbiotic Bacteria of Brown Planthoppers During the Process of Adaptation to Different Resistant Rice Varieties.

The specific primers of five species of endosymbiotic bacteria were designed to determine their numbers in three virulent populations of brown planthopper, Nilapavata lugens Stål, and to assess changes during adaptation to different resistant varieties using fluorescent quantitative PCR. The results showed that Chryseobacterium was the dominant bacteria in all three populations of brown planthopper, followed by Acinetobacter in TN1 population, Arsenophonus and Serratia in Mudgo population, and Arthrobacter and Acinetobacter in ASD7 population. When the TN1 population of brown planthopper was transferred to ASD7 (with resistant gene bph2) rice plants, Chryseobacterium was still the dominant bacteria, but the originally subdominant Acinetobacter declined to a level that was not significantly different from that of other endosymbiotic bacteria. After they were transferred to Mudgo (with resistant gene Bph1), Serratia and Arsenophonus increased significantly and became the dominant bacteria. However, they declined to a level that was not significantly different from that of the three other species after two generations. When ASD7 and Mudgo populations of brown planthopper were transferred to the susceptible variety TN1, the community of endosymbiotic bacteria in the ASD7 population of brown planthopper showed no significant changes. However, the numbers of Acinetobacter and Arthrobacter in the Mudgo population of brown planthopper exhibited a transient increase and returned to their original levels after two generations. After the Mudgo population of brown planthopper was transferred to ASD7 rice plants, the quantity of endosymbiotic bacteria fluctuated, but the bacterial structure did not change significantly. However, after the ASD7 population of brown planthopper was transferred to the Mudgo rice plants, the bacterial structure changed significantly. Serratia and Arsenophonus increased significantly and became dominant. Although Serratia and Arsenophonus decreased significantly after a generation, they were still greater than Chryseobacterium. It was presumed that Chryseobacterium was dominant in all three populations of virulent brown planthoppers, but had no significant effect on virulence variation of brown planthopper. However, Serratia and Arsenophonus might be correlated with virulence variation of brown planthopper.

Effect of Malate-oligosaccharide Solution on Antioxidant Capacity of Endurance Athletes.

L-malate is an important intermediate on the process of metabolism; it plays an important role in generating mitochondria ATP both under aerobic and hypoxic condition. It is easy to be absorbed and come into mitochondrion through cell membrane and promote to produce energy in mitochondrion. The purpose of this investigation is to probe into the different influence malate ingestion on blood lactate and glucose kinetics during aerobic exercise athletes; at the same time, rats were used to study the effect of malate and oligosaccharide solution on the metabolism in muscle and liver. The supplement of malate-oligosaccharide solution may improve the level of antioxidants in vivo after exercise, and subsequently increase the total antioxidant capacity and decrease the level of lipid peroxidation. At the appropriate time sports drinks can add varying degrees of motion to extend time to fatigue enhance athletic ability, speed up the recovery process after exercise, reduce fatigue.