So Shiho Tang Reduces Inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced RAW 264.7 Macrophages and Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Mice.

So Shiho Tang (SSHT) is a traditional herbal medicine commonly used in Asian countries. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of SSHT and the associated mechanism using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and murine dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis models. Pre-treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with SSHT significantly reduced LPS-induced inflammation by decreasing nitrite production and regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Meanwhile, in mice, DSS-induced colitis symptoms, including colon shortening and body weight loss, were attenuated by SSHT. Moreover, representative compounds of SSHT, including glycyrrhizic acid, ginsenoside Rb1, baicalin, saikosaponin A, and saikosaponin B2, were quantified, and their effects on nitrite production were measured. A potential anti-inflammatory effect was detected in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Our findings suggest that SSHT is a promising anti-inflammatory agent. Its representative components, including saikosaponin B2, ginsenoside Rb1, and baicalin, may represent the key active compounds responsible for eliciting the anti-inflammatory effects and can, therefore, serve as quality control markers in SSHT preparations.

A Novel Roux-en-Y Reconstruction Involving the Use of Two Circular Staplers after Distal Subtotal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

PURPOSE: Although Roux-en-Y (R-Y) reconstruction after distal gastrectomy has several advantages, such as prevention of bile reflux into the remnant stomach, it is rarely used because of the technical difficulty. This prospective randomized clinical trial aimed to show the efficacy of a novel method of R-Y reconstruction involving the use of 2 circular staplers by comparing this novel method to Billroth-I (B-I) reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 118 patients were randomly allocated into the R-Y (59 patients) and B-I reconstruction (59 patients) groups. R-Y anastomosis was performed using two circular staplers and no hand sewing. The primary end-point of this clinical trial was the reflux of bile into the remnant stomach evaluated using endoscopic and histological findings at 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: No significant differences in clinicopathological findings were observed between the 2 groups. Although anastomosis time was significantly longer for the patients of the R-Y group (P<0.001), no difference was detected between the 2 groups in terms of the total surgery duration (P=0.112). Endoscopic findings showed a significant reduction of bile reflux in the remnant stomach in the R-Y group (P<0.001), and the histological findings showed that reflux gastritis was more significant in the B-I group than in the R-Y group (P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this randomized controlled clinical trial showed that compared with B-I reconstruction, R-Y reconstruction using circular staplers is a safe and feasible procedure. This clinical trial study was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov (registration No. NCT01142271).

An adaptive Cauchy differential evolution algorithm for global numerical optimization.

Adaptation of control parameters, such as scaling factor (F), crossover rate (CR), and population size (NP), appropriately is one of the major problems of Differential Evolution (DE) literature. Well-designed adaptive or self-adaptive parameter control method can highly improve the performance of DE. Although there are many suggestions for adapting the control parameters, it is still a challenging task to properly adapt the control parameters for problem. In this paper, we present an adaptive parameter control DE algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, each individual has its own control parameters. The control parameters of each individual are adapted based on the average parameter value of successfully evolved individuals' parameter values by using the Cauchy distribution. Through this, the control parameters of each individual are assigned either near the average parameter value or far from that of the average parameter value which might be better parameter value for next generation. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is more robust than the standard DE algorithm and several state-of-the-art adaptive DE algorithms in solving various unimodal and multimodal problems.

An approach to self-assembling swarm robots using multitree genetic programming.

In recent days, self-assembling swarm robots have been studied by a number of researchers due to their advantages such as high efficiency, stability, and scalability. However, there are still critical issues in applying them to practical problems in the real world. The main objective of this study is to develop a novel self-assembling swarm robot algorithm that overcomes the limitations of existing approaches. To this end, multitree genetic programming is newly designed to efficiently discover a set of patterns necessary to carry out the mission of the self-assembling swarm robots. The obtained patterns are then incorporated into their corresponding robot modules. The computational experiments prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Comparison of intracorporeal reconstruction after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with extracorporeal reconstruction in the view of learning curve.

PURPOSE: The intracorporeal reconstruction after laparoscopic gastrectomy can minimize postoperative pain, and give better cosmetic effect, while it may have technical difficulties and require the learning curve. This study aimed to analyze the surgical outcome of intracorporeal reconstruction according to the surgeon's experience comparing with extracorporeal procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2009 to September 2011, intracorporeal reconstruction in laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer was performed for 71 patients (Intra group). During same period, 231 patients underwent laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (Extra group). These patients were classified into initial (1st to 20th case of intra group), intermediate (21th to 46th case), and experienced (after 47th case) phases. RESULTS: Intracorporeal procedures included 35 cases of Billroth-I, 30 Billroth-II and 6 Roux en Y reconstructions. In the initial phase, operation time (P=0.022) were significantly longer for the patients of intra group than them of extra group. Although the difference was not significant, the length of hospital stay was longer and complication rate was higher in the intra group. In intermediate and experienced phases, there was no difference between two groups in operation time and hospital stay. In these phases, complication rate was lower in the intra group than the extra group (3.9% versus 9.7%). The pain scale was significantly lower post operation day 5 in the intra group. CONCLUSIONS: Intracorporeal reconstruction after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was feasible and safe, and the technique was stabilized after 20th case if the surgeon has sufficient experiences when we compared it with extracorporeal reconstruction.

Trends and outcomes of minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer: 750 consecutive cases in seven years at a single center.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to investigate trends in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for gastric cancer through the experience of a single center and to predict the direction of the development of MIS. METHODS: During a 7-year period, 2,160 patients underwent curative gastric cancer surgery. Changes in the proportion and pathologic features of a total of 750 cases that involved MIS, as well as the surgical methods and outcomes of MIS, were analyzed. RESULTS: An analysis of the patient population treated by MIS revealed that the proportion of patients with T2 or greater tumors on the basis of pathologic findings was initially <5.0% but had recently increased to 24.3%. Although the proportions of intracorporeal anastomosis and robotic surgery had recently increased, the complication rate and operative time had stabilized 2 years after the 1st MIS. CONCLUSIONS: Given these results, the application of MIS for gastric cancer is expected to become more frequent. In addition, new modalities will be preferred by both surgeons and patients to reduce the invasiveness of gastric cancer surgery.

Comparison of Surgical Outcomes between Robotic and Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: The Learning Curve of Robotic Surgery.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic gastrectomy is a widely accepted surgical technique. Recently, robotic gastrectomy has been developed, as an alternative minimally invasive surgical technique. This study aimed to evaluate the question of whether robotic gastrectomy is feasible and safe for the treatment of gastric cancer, due to its learning curve. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the prospectively collected data of 100 consecutive robotic gastrectomy patients, from November 2008 to March 2011, and compared them to 282 conventional laparoscopy patients during the same period. The robotic gastrectomy patients were divided into 20 initial cases; and all subsequent cases; and we compared the clinicopathological features, operating times, and surgical outcomes between the three groups. RESULTS: The initial 20 robotic gastrectomy cases were defined as the initial group, due to the learning curve. The initial group had a longer average operating time (242.25±74.54 minutes vs. 192.56±39.56 minutes, P>0.001), and hospital stay (14.40±24.93 days vs. 8.66±5.39 days, P=0.001) than the experienced group. The length of hospital stay was no different between the experienced group, and the laproscopic gastrectomy group (8.66±5.39 days vs. 8.11±4.10 days, P=0.001). The average blood loss was significantly less for the robotic gastrectomy groups, than for the laparoscopic gastrectomy group (93.25±84.59 ml vs. 173.45±145.19 ml, P<0.001), but the complication rates were no different. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that robotic gastrectomy is a safe and feasible procedure, especially after the 20 initial cases, and provides a satisfactory postoperative outcome.

Efficacy of endoscopic ultrasonography for prediction of tumor depth in gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: As the proportion of early gastric cancer (EGC) has recently been increased, minimally invasive treatment is currently accepted as main therapy for EGC. Accurate preoperative staging is very important in determining treatment options. To know the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), we compared the depth of invasion of the tumor with preoperative EUS and postoperative pathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 152 patients who underwent EUS before laparoscopic gastrectomy. The preoperative EUS results were compared with the pathological findings. RESULTS: The overall proportion of coincidence for depth of invasion between EUS and pathologic results was 41.4%. Univariate analysis showed that the rate of corrected prediction of EUS for tumor depth significantly decreased for the lesions more than 3cm in diameter (P=0.033), and those with a depressed morphology (P=0.035). In multivariate analysis, the depressed type (P=0.029, OR=2.873) and upper lesion (P=0.035, OR=2.151) was the significantly independent factors influencing the inaccurate prediction of EUS for tumor depth. CONCLUSIONS: When we decide the treatment modality considering the clinical depth of invasion by EUS, the possibility of discordance with pathologic results should be considered for the lesions located in the upper third of the stomach and with a depressed morphology.

Efficacy of Roux-en-Y Reconstruction Using Two Circular Staplers after Subtotal Gastrectomy: Results from a Pilot Study Comparing with Billroth-I Reconstruction.

PURPOSE: The Roux en Y method has rarely been performed due to longer operation time and high risk of complication, despite several merits including prevention of bile reflux. We conducted a retrospective review of the result of Roux en Y reconstruction using two circular staplers after subtotal gastrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From December 2008 to May 2009, a total of 26 patients underwent Roux en Y reconstruction using two circular staplers after subtotal gastrectomy, and seventy-two patients underwent Billroth-I reconstruction. Roux en Y anastomosis was performed using two circular staplers without hand sewing anastomosis. We compared clinicopathologic features and surgical outcomes between the two groups. All patients underwent gastrofiberscopy between six and twelve months after surgery to compare the bile reflux. RESULTS: No significant differences in clinicopathologic findings were observed between the two groups, except for the rate of minimal invasive surgery (P=0.004) and cancer stage (P=0.002). No differences in the rate of morbidity (P=0.353) and admission duration (P=0.391) were observed between the two groups. Gastrofiberscopic findings showed a significant reduction of bile reflux in the remnant stomach in the Roux en Y group (P=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: When compared with Billroth-I reconstruction, Roux en Y reconstruction using the double stapler technique was found to reduce bile reflux in the remnant stomach without increasing postoperative morbidity. Based on these results, we planned to begin a randomized controlled clinical trial for comparison of Roux en Y reconstruction using this method with Billroth-I anastomosis.

Giant mesenteric cystic lymphangioma originating from the lesser omentum in the abdominal cavity.

A 48 year old woman was diagnosed with a huge cystic mass in her abdominal cavity. She complained of significant abdominal discomfort due to the mass. The abdominal computed tomography revealed a giant multi-lobulated mass, measuring 26×12 cm in size, adjacent to the lesser curvature of the stomach. In the operation field, the mass was found to originate from the lesser omentum, including the right and left gastric vessels and the vagus nerves, and to invade the lesser curvature of the stomach. For curative resection, distal subtotal gastrectomy with mass excision followed by gastroduodenostomy were performed. This mass was pathologically diagnosed to be a mesenteric cystic lymphangioma; in fact, the largest ever reported. The patient had no complications during the postoperative period and was discharged from the hospital on the seventh day after surgery.