Chiral self-sorting and guest recognition of porous aromatic cages.

The synthesis of ultra-stable chiral porous organic cages (POCs) and their controllable chiral self-sorting at the molecular and supramolecular level remains challening. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a serial of axially chiral porous aromatic cages (PAC 1-S and 1-R) with high chemical stability. The theoretical and experimental studies on the chiral self-sorting reveal that the exclusive self-recognition on cage formation is an enthalpy-driven process while the chiral narcissistic and self-sorting on supramolecular assembly of racemic cages can be precisely regulated by π-π and C-H…π interactions from different solvents. Regarding the chemical stability, the crystallinity of PAC 1 is maintained in aqueous solvents, such as boiling water, high-concentrated acid and alkali; mixtures of solvents, such as 1 M H2SO4/MeOH/H2O solution, are also tolerated. Investigations on the chiral sensing performance show that PAC 1 enables enantioselective recognition of axially chiral biaryl molecules.

A tetraphenylethylene-based covalent organic polymer for highly selective and sensitive detection of Fe3+ and as a white light emitting diode.

A newly prepared tetraphenylethylene-based (TPE-based) covalent organic polymer (COP) named COP-1 exhibits high selectivity for sensing Fe3+ and the limit of detection (LOD) for Fe3+ is 0.42 µM, which is lower than the reported metal-free porous polymers. Furthermore, a WLED is fabricated and the CIE coordinates are (0.32, 0.33), very close to pure white light. The COP-1 shows potential applications in biosensors of Fe3+ and preparation of WLEDs.

Use of an autologous liver round ligament flap zeros postoperative bile leak after curative resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative bile leak is a major surgical morbidity after curative resection with hepaticojejunostomy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma, especially in Bismuth-Corlette types III and IV. This retrospective study assessed the effectiveness and safety of an autologous hepatic round ligament flap (AHRLF) for reducing bile leak after hilar hepaticojejunostomy. METHODS: Nine type III and IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma patients were consecutively hospitalized for elective perihilar partial hepatectomy with hilar hepaticojejunostomy using an AHRLF between October 2009 and September 2013. The AHRLF was harvested to reinforce the perihilar hepaticojejunostomy. Main outcome measures included operative time, blood loss, postoperative recovery times, morbidity, bile leak, R0 resection rate, and overall survival. RESULTS: All patients underwent uneventful R0 resection with hilar hepaticojejunostomy. No patient experienced postoperative bile leak. CONCLUSIONS: The AHRLF was associated with lack of bile leak after curative perihilar hepatectomy with hepaticojejunostomy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma, without compromising oncologic safety, and is recommended in selected patients.

Isolated pancreatic tuberculosis in non-immunocompromised patient treated by Whipple's procedure: a case report.

PANCREATIC tuberculosis (TB) is a rare disease and its diagnosis is difficult because of the lack of specific clinical manifestations. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have some diagnostic values in this disease, but it is easy to misdiagnose pancreatic TB as a pancreatic tumor.1 In this article, we present a case of non-immunocompromised patient developing an isolated pancreatic TB, report the CT and MRI findings, and the surgical procedure for it.

Nanoparticle-mediated local delivery of an antisense TGF-ß1 construct inhibits intimal hyperplasia in autogenous vein grafts in rats.

BACKGROUND: Intimal hyperplasia is one of the most important causes of vascular graft failure. Numerous studies have correlated transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) with extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, a hallmark of intimal thickening. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, we performed immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and Western blot to examine the dynamic expression of TGF-ß1, TGF-ß1 receptor type I (TGF-ß RI), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) during intimal hyperplasia in grafted veins of a rat model generated by grafting a portion of the right internal jugular vein to the ipisiliary carotid artery. Additionally, we determined whether nanoparticle-mediated delivery of a TGF-ß1 antisense-expressing construct prevented TGF-ß1 expression and intimal hyperplasia in grafted veins. In grafted veins, the expression of TGF-ß1 significantly increased on day 3 after transplantation, peaked on day 7, slightly decreased on day 14, and returned to baseline levels on day 28. The positive expression of TGF-ß RI in grafted veins remarkably increased on day 7, peaked on day 14, and decreased thereafter. MMP-1 expression decreased significantly, while TIMP-1 expression increased, significantly on days 14 and 28. Nanoparticle-mediated delivery of a TGF-ß1 antisense-expressing construct down-regulated TGF-ß1 expression and inhibited intimal hyperplasia in grafted veins. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide further evidence that TGF-ß1 plays an integral role in the development of intimal hyperplasia after vascular injury. Nanoparticle-mediated delivery of a TGF-ß1 antisense-expressing construct is a feasible strategy to target TGF-ß1-induced intimal thickening.

Abdominal separation in an adult male patient with acute abdominal pain.

We report a male patient with prolonged post-prandial abdominal distension and a sudden onset of epigastric pain initially diagnosed as acute abdomen. The patient had no history of surgery. Physical examination revealed peritonitis and abdominal computed tomography scan showed upper abdominal mesentery intorsion. The patient then underwent surgical intervention. It was found that the descending mesocolon dorsal root was connected to the ascending colon and formed a membrane encapsulating the small intestine. The membrane also formed an orifice in the ileal pars caeca, from which a 30 cm herniated ileum formed a "C"-shaped loop which was strangulated by the orifice. An abdominal separation was diagnosed after surgery. We liberated the membranous peritoneum which incarcerated the intestinal canal from the root of ileocecal junction to Treitz ligament, and reduced the small intestinal malrotation. The patient had an uneventful recovery after operation with his abdominal distention disappeared during the follow-up. Abdominal separation is a rare situation, which may be related with embryo development. Surgery is a choice of treatment for it.

[Methylation status and protein expression of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene in breast cancer].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Protein expression product of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is an important component of Wnt signal transduction pathway. APC gene inactivation leads to dysfunction of beta-catenin protein degradation, and then activates Tcf/Lef and causes abnormal transcription of oncogenes, such as c-myc, c-jun and cyclin D1, finally leads to carcinogenesis. This study was to investigate the correlation of methylation status of APC gene promoter 1A to protein expression of APC gene in breast cancer, and analyze the correlation of aberrant methylation of APC gene to clinicopathologic features of breast cancer. METHODS: Methylation status of APC gene promoter 1A in 76 specimens of breast cancer and corresponding adjacent tissues was detected by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction; the expression of APC protein was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The methylation rate of APC gene promoter 1A was significantly higher in breast cancer than in pericancerous normal breast tissue (36.8% vs. 0, P < 0.05). The positive rate of APC protein was significantly lower in breast cancer than in normal breast tissue (52.4% vs. 100%, P < 0.05). The promoter methylation of APC gene was positively correlated to TNM stage (r=0.296, P < 0.05), but negatively correlated to the expression of APC protein (r=-0.368, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Abnormal methylation of APC gene occurs in the progression of breast cancer, which is the main cause for the absence of APC protein expression, and the major mechanism of inactivation of APC gene.

[Determination of intestinal permeability in cholelithiasis patients by oral administration of technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetatic acid].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the intestinal permeability of patients with cholelithiasis of different types. METHODS: Technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetatic acid (99mTc-DTPA) at the dose of 185 MBq (5 mCi) was administered orally to 56 patients of cholelithiasis, 15 cases of cholesterol stone (CS group) and 41 cases of pigment stone (PS group) based on the cross section of the stone during operation, and 17 healthy controls. A 24 h urine collection was obtained after the ingestion of the tracer to calculate the urinary excretion of DTPA. RESULTS: The mean percentage of the total ingested dose of 99mTc-DTPA excreted in a 24 h urinary excretion was 5.0%+/-3.6% in the CS group, not significantly different from that in the control group (4.5%+/-3.4%. F=2.18, P>0.05), and the mean percentage of the total ingested dose of 99mTc-DTPA excreted in a 24 h urinary excretion of the PS group was 10.5%+/-6.9%, significantly higher than that in the control group (F=7.62, P<0.05), showing a significantly increase of intestinal permeability (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The intestinal permeability of the patients of pigment stone is higher than that of the healthy subjects. Hyperpermeability may be a factor of the pathogenesis of pigment stone.