Efficiently Fabricated Core-Sheath Piezoelectric Sensor Based on PVDF Microfibrillar Bundle.

With the rapid development of information technology (e.g., Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI)), piezoelectric sensor (i.e., piezoelectric nanogenerator, PENG) receives an increasing number attention in the field of self-powered wearable devices. Taking piezoelectric fiber as an example, it shows promising application for wearable devices owing to its light weight and high flexibility compared with block electronic devices. However, it still remains a challenge to fabricate low-cost and high-performance piezoelectric fiber via a large-scale but efficient method. In this study, via extrusion molding and leaching, a core-sheath piezoelectric sensor is facilely fabricated, whose core and sheath layer are respectively slender steel wire (i.e., electrode) and PVDF microfibrillar bundle (PMB) (i.e., piezoelectric layer). Such piezoelectric sensor shows decent output performance in both pressing (12.3 V) and bending (0.32 V) mode. Meanwhile, it possesses sensitive stress responsiveness when serving for self-powered sensing. Furthermore, such piezoelectric sensors can realize wearable signal transmission and human motion monitoring, showing promising potential for wearable devices in the future. This work proposes a large-scale but efficient method for fabricating high-performance PVDF microfibril based piezoelectric fiber, opening a new pathway to develop self-powered sensors following the concept of polymer "structuring" processing.

Effects of the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YB-106 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides YB-23 strains on the quality and microbial diversity of spicy cabbage.

Spicy cabbage is a popular fermented vegetable food. The study aimed to determine the physicochemical properties, volatile flavor components, sensory evaluation, and microbial diversity of spicy cabbage prepared using different methods. Three methods were used: single-bacteria fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YB-106 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides YB-23, mixed fermentation (LMP) using both strains, and natural fermentation as the blank control (CON). The LMP group has the best quality of spicy cabbage and the highest sensory score. Esters and alkenes were the main volatile flavor components of the spicy cabbage by GC-MS. The fermentation time of LMP group was shorter, and the nitrite degradation rate was >60 %, which was significantly higher than that of other groups (p < 0.05). From the perspective of microbial diversity, the dominant bacteria genera in each group were Lactobacillus, Pantoea, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas. However, mixed fermentation decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, of which the abundance of Serratia was <0.1 %. In conclusion, mixed fermentation can significantly improve the quality of spicy cabbage and shorten the fermentation time. These findings laid the theoretical foundation for the industrial production of high-quality spicy cabbage.

Chemokine receptor CXCR2 in primary sensory neurons of trigeminal ganglion mediates orofacial itch.

The CXCR2 chemokine receptor is known to have a significant impact on the initiation and control of inflammatory processes. However, its specific involvement in the sensation of itch is not yet fully understood. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the function of CXCR2 in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) by utilizing orofacial itch models induced by incision, chloroquine (CQ), and histamine. Our results revealed a significant up-regulation of CXCR2 mRNA and protein expressions in the primary sensory neurons of TG in response to itch stimuli. The CXCR2 inhibitor SB225002 resulted in notable decrease in CXCR2 protein expression and reduction in scratch behaviors. Distal infraorbital nerve (DION) microinjection of a specific shRNA virus inhibited CXCR2 expression in TG neurons and reversed itch behaviors. Additionally, the administration of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 resulted in a decrease in the expressions of p-Akt, Akt, and CXCR2 in TG neurons, thereby mitigating pruritic behaviors. Collectively, we report that CXCR2 in the primary sensory neurons of trigeminal ganglion contributes to orofacial itch through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These observations highlight the potential of molecules involved in the regulation of CXCR2 as viable therapeutic targets for the treatment of itch.

[Effects of mycorrhizal planting on small molecular chemical components of Dendrobium officinale].

This study aimed to provide a scientific basis for the application of the mycorrhizal planting technology of Dendrobium officinale by investigating the effects of mycorrhizal planting on the fingerprints of D. officinale and the content of six chemical components. Seventeen samples of D. officinale under mycorrhizal and conventional planting were collected from four regions, such as Jinhua of Zhejiang. The HPLC fingerprints were established to evaluate the similarity of the samples. The content of six chemical components of the samples was determined by HPLC. There were 15 common peaks in the fingerprints, and five of them were identified by marker compounds, which were naringenin, 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybibenzyl, 3,4'-dihydroxy-5-methoxybibenzyl, 3',4-dihydroxy-3,5'-dimethoxybibenzyl(gigantol), and 3,4-dihydroxy-4',5-dimethoxybibenzyl(DDB-2). The similarities of the fingerprints of mycorrhizal and conventional planting samples and the control fingerprint were in the ranges of 0.733-0.936 and 0.834-0.942, respectively. The influences of mycorrhizal planting on fingerprints were related to planting regions, the germplasm of D. officianle, and the amount of fungal agent. The content of six chemical components in the samples varied greatly, and the content of DDB-2 was the highest, ranging from 69.83 to 488.47 µg·g~(-1). The mycorrhizal planting samples from Chongming of Shanghai and Taizhou of Jiangsu showed an increase in the content of 5-6 components, while samples from Zhangzhou of Fujian and Jinhua of Zhejiang showed an increase in the content of 1-2 components. The results showed that mycorrhizal planting technology did not change the chemical profile of small molecular chemical components of D. officinale, but affected the content of chemical components such as bibenzyls, which has a good application prospect.

Identification and Dissipation of Chlorpyrifos and Its Main Metabolite 3,5,6-TCP during Wheat Growth with UPLC-QTOF/MS.

Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-QTOF/MS) technology was used to investigate the degradation and metabolism of chlorpyrifos during wheat growth by spraying plants with different doses of chlorpyrifos 7 days after the flowering and filling stage. We analyzed and identified chlorpyrifos metabolites in different parts of wheat in full-scan MSE mode, and established a chlorpyrifos metabolite screening library using UNIFI software. The results show that the residues of chlorpyrifos in wheat ears, leaves, and stems exhibited a decreasing trend with the prolongation of application time, and the degradation kinetics could be fitted with the first-order kinetic equation Ct = C0 e−kt. The initial residues of chlorpyrifos in different parts of the wheat were different, in the order of leaves > wheat ears > stems. The degradation rate of chlorpyrifos under field conditions is relatively fast, and the half-life value is 2.33−5.05 days. Chlorpyrifos can undergo a nucleophilic addition substitution reaction under the action of hydrolase to generate secondary metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (3,5,6-TCP). The residual amount of 3,5,6-TCP in each part of wheat first showed an increasing trend and then decreased over time. It reached the maximum on the 3rd, 7th, or 11th day after application, and then gradually degraded. Considering that 3,5,6-TCP is a biomarker with potential threats to humans and animals, it is recommended that 3,5,6-TCP be included in the relevant regulations for dietary exposure risk assessment.

The effects of social capital on entrepreneurial resilience of SME from China: A moderated mediation model of entrepreneurial passion and Confucian traditional golden-mean thinking.

Small and medium-sized startups play a crucial role in a country's sustainable development. SMEs are at an early development stage, which means weaker institutional norms and successful paradigms, tending to suffer from exceptionally high failure rates because of many constraints, including a lack of resources and credit to access the core information. The higher the environmental uncertainty, the more likely that new start-ups rely on all kinds of social links for acquiring resources. As a critical ability to withstand and overcome obstacles, entrepreneurial resilience is an essential personal characteristic to ensure the sustainability of new ventures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the internal mechanism through which SME entrepreneurs' social capital affects entrepreneurial resilience. To reveal the internal mechanism, we propose a moderated and mediation model. Using survey data from SEM entrepreneurs in China, hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping model are adapted to test and verify mediation and moderation effects. The results show that social capital indeed positively influences entrepreneurial resilience directly and partly through the mediating effect of harmonious entrepreneurial passion and obsessive entrepreneurial passion. Moreover, findings suggest golden-mean thinking negatively moderates the relationship between obsessive entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial resilience yet positively moderates the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurial resilience. Based on these findings, we conclude that entrepreneurial resilience may be achieved more effectively through the complex internal process of social capital, entrepreneurial passion, and golden-mean thinking. Finally, the study proposes the theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for follow-up research.

Faultline configurations affecting the entrepreneurial team performance of new generation of returning migrant workers in China: An empirical study based on fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.

As the impact of faultlines is still without a consensus, to figure out how faultlines will hurt or promote the entrepreneurial performance can help the new generation of Chinese migrant workers to start their businesses successfully under the Rural Revitalization Strategy. This study addressed a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) based on 32 returning entrepreneurial teams from a complexity perspective. We firstly introduced three faultline categories for migrant workers and selected five of the faultlines with high factor loads in each category for further analysis. Then a scale was developed to measure the team performance. By conducting fsQCA, four types of faultline configurations were found: (1) background-experience actuation; (2) guidance-balance lacking; (3) role-cognition conflict; and (4) information-decision polarization. The "background-experience actuation" type will promote the entrepreneurial performance while the other types will hurt the performance. Theoretically, breaking through the limitations of traditional regressions in previous studies, fsQCA is used to explore the complex interactions and integrated effects among different categories of faultlines, demonstrates that the unstable impact is just a one-sided representation of the overall effect, and fills the general faultline theory with Chinese specific scenario and small-sized entrepreneurship. Practically, several implications are proposed to optimize the heterogeneity of the returning migrant workers' entrepreneurial teams and increase their performances, such as constructing the "balance" and "guidance" mechanism, enriching the background diversity of the members and solving the information-decision faultlines into individual diversity, etc., which can also be utilized by migrant worker entrepreneurs in other developing areas in the world.

Gentlemen seek harmony but not uniformity: The heterogeneity of entrepreneurial team and organizational resilience.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the association of the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial team with organizational Resilience. In an uncertain environment, whether new ventures can form entrepreneurial resilience at the organizational level in adverse events becomes the key to sustainable development. Based on the theory of heterogeneous advantage and identity characteristics, this manuscript constructed a research framework of "Structure-Behavior-Result" and described the mechanism and boundary conditions of the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial team affecting organizational resilience in detail. The role of Confucian traditional culture as a moderator has also been analyzed. Data has been obtained from 390 entrepreneurs in China. All hypotheses were tested using moderated mediation model. It has been found that the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial team has positive effect on organizational resilience. It has also been discovered that cross-boundary search behavior acted as a partial mediator between the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial team and organizational resilience. The Confucian traditional culture strengthens the relationship between them. The results are helpful in understanding the internal mechanism of the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial team affecting organizational resilience. Theoretical and practical implications have been highlighted and future research suggestions have been provided.

The effects of mindfulness upbringing perception on social entrepreneurship orientation: A moderated mediation model of prosocial motivation and perceived pressure from external stakeholders.

Driven by economic and social benefits, social enterprises create new development models that combine wealth creation, social welfare provision, and environmental improvement through innovative approaches. The social entrepreneurship orientation reflects the behavioral tendency to transplant entrepreneurship orientation into the field of social value creation. It is a strategy to balance and integrate economic interests and social interests, which has a significant impact on social entrepreneurship performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the internal mechanism of the impact of social entrepreneurs' mindfulness upbringing perception on social entrepreneur orientation. To reveal the internal mechanism, we propose a moderated and mediation model of prosocial motivation and perceived pressure from external stakeholders. In this study, random sampling was conducted among social start-ups in China. In order to improve the accuracy of the scale, a pre-survey was conducted before the formal survey. The data analysis results of the pre-survey showed that the scale in this study was suitable for the Chinese context and had good external validity. Through using survey data from social entrepreneurs in China, hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping model are adapted to test and verify mediation and moderation effects. The results show that mindfulness upbringing perception indeed positively influences social entrepreneurship orientation directly and partly through the mediating effect of prosocial motivation. Moreover, findings suggest the perceived pressure from external stakeholders negatively moderates not only the relationship between prosocial motivation and social entrepreneurship orientation but also the overall mediation model. This indicates that social entrepreneurs with low perceived pressure from external stakeholders will improve their social entrepreneurship orientation rapidly when their prosocial level is high. Based on these findings, we conclude that social entrepreneurship orientation may be achieved more effectively through the complex process of mindfulness upbringing perception, prosocial motivation, and perceived pressure from external stakeholders. Finally, the study proposes the theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for follow-up research.

A Hybrid Algorithm of Ant Colony and Benders Decomposition for Large-Scale Mixed Integer Linear Programming.

The mixed integer linear programming (MILP) has been widely applied in many fields such as supply chain management and robot control, while how to develop a more efficient algorithm to solve large-scale MILP is still in discussion. This study addresses a hybrid algorithm of the ant colony and Benders decomposition to improve the efficiency. We firstly introduce the design of our algorithm, in which the Benders algorithm decomposes the MILP into a master problem and a slack problem, the ant colony algorithm generates initial solutions for the master problem, and heuristic rules obtain feasible solutions for the slack problem. Then, the computational experiments are carried out to verify efficiency, with a benchmark test and some medium-large scale examples. Compared with other algorithms like CPLEX, GUROBI, and traditional ACA, our algorithm shows a better performance with a 0.3%-4.0% optimality gap, as well as a significant decrease of 54.3% and 33.6% on average in the CPU time and iterations, respectively. Our contribution is to provide a low-workload, time-saving, and high-accuracy hybrid algorithm to solve MILP problems with a large amount of variables, which can be widely used in more commercial solvers and promote the utilization of the artificial intelligence.

Acetylome analysis of acetylation providing new insight into sclerotial generation in medicinal fungus Polyporus umbellatus.

Sclerotium-forming fungi are ecologically diverse and possess notable pathogenic or medicinal properties. The sclerotial generation mechanism is still elusive though Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia are typical Traditional Chinese Medicine with diuretic and antitumor effects. Protein acetylation displays a crucial role in several biological processes, but the functions of acetylation in this valuable fungus are unknown at present. In this study, acetylome of P. umbellatus was studied using nano LC-Triple TOF mass spectrometry system following immune-affinity-based enrichment. Totally, 648 acetylated sites in 342 proteins were identified and nine motifs were found to be conserved in P. umbellatus including KacY, KacA, KacL, KacG, MacS, MacA, RacA, RacL, and RacG. Acetylated proteins taken part in types of biological processes, particularly to those in biological processes associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism. Inhibitors complement tests were carried out to verify the role of ROS in acetylation modification. It was concluded that oxidative stress regulated sclerotial generation via proteins acetylation in P. umbellatus. The present study presents new insight into the essential roles of acetylation in sclerotial formation, which may also be applicable for other sclerotium-forming fungi.

[Effects of growth-promoting strain Mycena sp. M23 on photosynthesis of Aronia melanocarpa]. / ä¿ƒç”Ÿå°è‡å±žèŒæ ªM23å¯¹é»‘æžœè ºè‚‹èŠ±æ¥¸å ‰åˆä½œç”¨çš„å½±å“.

The agronomic traits, chlorophyll content, physiological indices of Aronia melanocarpa were compared in five treatments, namely negative control (CK), positive control (PCK), low dose of microbial inoculant (T1, 50 g per seedling), moderate dose of microbial inoculant (T2, 100 g per seedling), high dose of microbial inoculant (T3, 200 g per seedling) in field. The diurnal variation of net photosynthetic rate was measured by Li-6400 portable photosynthesis system. The diurnal variation of net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of A. melanocarpa showed a pattern of bi-modal curve with photosynthetic "noon break" phenomenon, which occurred at 1:00 pm. At that time, stomatal conductance (gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of A. melanocarpa showed a dramatic decline, while intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) significantly rose. It was a photosynthetic "noon break" phenomenon caused by non-stomatal limitation. Application of inoculant to A. melanocarpa successfully avoided the photosynthetic "noon break" phenomenon. Compared with average value of CK and PCK, Pn, gs, Tr, water use efficiency (WUE) and light utilization efficiency (LUE) of inoculation groups increased by 113%, 91%, 50%, 48% and 117% at 1:00 pm. Daily mean of Pn, gs, Tr and LUE of inoculation group was 1.5, 1.9, 1.4 and 1.5 times as that of average value of CK and PCK. The inductive effect of high dose of microbial inoculant treatment was the best among inoculation treatments, with the seedling height 1.2 times as that of the moderate and low inoculant groups. All growth indices, photosynthetic parameters and resistant physiological indices of high dose group were superior to other groups. Our results suggested that fungi M23 could improve the adaptability of A. melanocarpa to environmental stresses and promote its growth by increasing photosynthesis, with the inductive effect of high dose being the best.

The Plant Growth-Promoting Fungus MF23 (Mycena sp.) Increases Production of Dendrobium officinale (Orchidaceae) by Affecting Nitrogen Uptake and NH 4 + Assimilation.

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo is a traditional and scarce medicinal orchid in China. Mycorrhizal fungi could supply nitrogen (N) to orchids for seed germination and seedling recruitment. However, the N transport mechanism between orchids and the fungus is poorly understand. Early studies found that the fungus MF23 (Mycena sp.) could promote the growth of D. officinale. To better dissect the molecular interactions involved in N transport between D. officinale and MF23, transcriptome and metabolome analyses were conducted on conventional and mycorrhizal cultivations of D. officinale. Moreover, validation tests were carried out in the greenhouse to measure net fluxes of N O 3 - and N H 4 + of roots by a non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT), determine N assimilation enzyme activity by the ELISA, and analyze the expression level of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of N transporters and DEGs involved in N metabolism by RT-qPCR. Combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses showed that MF23 may influence N metabolism in D. officinale. The expression of DoNAR2.1 (nitrate transporter-activating protein), DoAMT11 (ammonium transporter), DoATFs (amino acid transporters), DoOPTs (oligopeptide transporters), and DoGDHs (glutamate dehydrogenases) in symbiotic D. officinale was upregulated. NMT results showed a preference for N H 4 + in D. officinale and indicated that MF23 could promote the uptake of N O 3 - and N H 4 + , especially for N H 4 + . ELISA results showed that MF23 could increase the activity of glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate dehydrogenase. This study suggested that MF23 increases the production of D. officinale by affecting N uptake and N H 4 + assimilation capacity.

Identity, Synthesis, and Cytotoxicity of Forchlorfenuron Metabolites in Kiwifruit.

Forchlorfenuron (CPPU) is a plant growth regulator widely used in kiwifruit production. Although research on the toxicological and environmental effects of CPPU is well-established, the nature and toxicological properties of its metabolites are much less well-known. Using high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance, the CPPU previously unidentified metabolites in Xuxiang and Jinyan kiwifruit were identified as N-(2-chloro-4-pyridinyl)-N'-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-urea (metabolite 1) and N-phenyl-N'-4-pyridinylurea (metabolite 2, CAS: 1932-35-0). Their structures were confirmed by synthesis (metabolite 1) and by comparison with a commercial standard (metabolite 2). Quantitative studies demonstrate that CPPU and its metabolites are mainly retained in the kiwifruit peel, while the content is dependent on the nature of the peel surface, with the smoother peel of Jinyan kiwifruit retaining smaller amounts of the compound. Cell viability experiments in Caco2 and Lo2 cells show that the metabolites may have a lower cytotoxicity compared to the parent compound CPPU.

Effects of different pesticides treatments on the nutritional quality of kiwifruit.

Pesticides are widely used in the process of kiwifruit growth to promote fruit expansion. This study was aimed to assess the effects of pesticides on the quality of kiwifruit by applying high and normal concentrations of forchlorfenuron (CPPU) and thidiazuron (TDZ) to "Xuxiang" (XX) green kiwifruit and "Jinyan" (JY) gold kiwifruit. Sixty kiwifruit trees were used to comprehensively evaluate the effects on the pulp and whole kiwifruit. In addition to the weight gain effect and basic physical-chemical properties (vitamin C, total protein, glucose and fructose, organic acids), the main nutritional qualities (in vitro and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA), and dietary minerals) were also evaluated. The vitamin C content of XX was not affected by pesticides, but the use of CPPU reduced vitamin C of JY pulp by 23% (p < 0.05). Pesticides did not reduce the antioxidant values of XX pulp in vitro but significantly reduced CAA values (32%-47%). In JY pulp, pesticides treatments had no significant effect on antioxidant values in vitro except that CPPU treatments significantly reduced the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value by 21% (p < 0.05). Reasonable use of pesticides can effectively improve taste of kiwifruit, increasing kiwifruit weight and the content of certain nutrients. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Based on observed changes in nutritional components, CPPU may be more suitable for XX while TDZ may be more suitable for JY. The significance of this study may affect kiwifruit farmers and ultimately help improve the sensory quality of kiwifruit.

Clinical Significance of Down-Regulated CD70 and CD27 Expression in Poor Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: CD27 is a co-stimulatory immune checkpoint molecule in the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. CD27 regulates the generation and maintenance of T cell immunity by binding to CD70 and regulating B-cell activation and immunoglobulin synthesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CD27 and CD70 expression were assessed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) compared to normal tissue samples in the GSE53625 dataset of 179 paired cases and in 153 Chinese cases using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. The correlation was also investigated between CD27 and CD70 expression and immune-related pathways, including CD8+ T cell recruitment, function, and other inhibitory immune checkpoints. RESULTS: Levels of both CD27 and CD70 expression were down-regulated in ESCC compared to the paired normal tissues. CD27 and CD70 expression was mainly present in lymphocytes surrounding and infiltrating the tumor lesions but rarely expressed in tumor cells. Lost expression of CD27 and CD70 was associated with clinicopathological features, including depth of tumor invasion and better patient survival. Furthermore, CD27 expression was significantly associated with levels of CD8A, GZMB, IFNG, the CD8+ T cell recruitment-associated chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11), and CD8 receptors (CCR5, CXCR6, and CXCR3), while CD70 expression was inversely associated with levels of immunosuppressive checkpoints (PD-L1, PD-L2, and HHLA2). CONCLUSION: Detection of CD70/CD27 expression could be further verified as a biomarker for ESCC early detection and prognosis prediction.

Three-Field versus Two-Field Lymphadenectomy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Most surgeons now accept lymphadenectomy as an essential feature of the operative treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Three-field and two-field lymphadenectomy are two of the most popular excision scopes among surgeons. Over recent years, researchers have performed a range of comparative studies regarding these techniques, although the conclusions remain inconsistent. METHOD: We systematically retrieved the records of PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov until October 2019 and performed preliminary and full-text screening of the articles. We used the NOS scale to evaluate the quality of the enrolled studies, with only medium- and high-quality studies included. Review Manager 5.3 and Stata15 were used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of eight studies involving 1676 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using with two-field and three-field lymphadenectomy, although three-field lymphadenectomy led to the gaining of a higher number of lymph nodes, there were no significant differences between the two in terms of the number of positive lymph nodes and overall survival. Three-field lymphadenectomy also caused higher levels of intraoperative blood loss and higher morbidity of the anastomotic fistula. No significant differences in operation time, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, pneumonia, chylothorax, anastomotic stenosis, ileus, cervical nodal recurrence and hospital mortality were observed. CONCLUSIONS: According to our meta-analysis, two-field lymphadenectomy is recommended as a first-choice surgical treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, since the results showed a risk of bias, they should be treated with caution.

McKeown or Ivor Lewis minimally invasive esophagectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is increasingly accepted in many countries. McKeown esophagectomy and Ivor Lewis esophagectomy are two protocols commonly used for MIE, but which one provides more benefit to the patients remains matter of controversy. METHODS: All records in PubMed, Embase, Medline, The Cochrane Library, Wanfang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Chinese VIP Information till May 2019 were systematically retrieved to compare the cohort studies of McKeown esophagectomy and Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. A meta-analysis of the extracted data was performed using the Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 15 software. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 23 cohort studies in which a total of 4,933 patients were enrolled. The results revealed that minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy (MIME) was superior to minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (MILE) in hospital cost, but inferior to it in operating time, length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, anastomotic leakage, anastomotic leakage requiring surgery, anastomotic stenosis, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury, chylothorax, pulmonary complications and total complications. There were no statistical differences between MIME and MILE in blood loss, detected number of lymph nodes, blood transfusion rate, R0 resection rate, re-operation rate, drainage duration, length of the stay in intensive care unit (ICU), 1-year mortality, lung infection, cardiac arrhythmia and delayed gastric emptying. CONCLUSIONS: Except for the cost, MILE is superior to MIME in several aspects, and may represent a better choice for MIE. The results of the present study should be interpreted with caution since the meta-analysis is based on nonrandom cohort studies which may have a selection bias.

A new technology for reducing anastomotic fistula in the neck after esophageal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: To explore the risk factors and prevention methods of cervical mechanical anastomotic fistula and stenosis after the radical resection of esophageal cancer. METHODS: From March 2018 to November 2018, 128 patients undergoing mechanical anastomosis of esophageal cancer were selected from the Department of Thoracic Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. All the enrolled patients were operated on using the Mckeown method, and a retrospective study was conducted. Data for preoperative and postoperative test indices, intraoperative embedding materials, postoperative complications, and preoperative and postoperative treatment were collected, and the relationship between various factors and the incidence of cervical anastomotic fistula and stenosis was analysed. Univariate analysis was conducted using t tests or Fisher's exact probability method, and multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regression models. RESULTS: All 128 patients successfully underwent surgery without dying. The enrolled patients were evaluated using the Stooler classification, with 28 patients having grade 0, 41 patients having grade 1, 34 patients having grade 2, 21 patients having grade 3, and 4 patients having grade 4 stenosis. Patients with stenosis of grade 3 or above had obvious choking sensation, which could only be relieved by balloon dilation. Symptoms in all patients with stenosis were relieved by balloon dilation. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding embedding materials, preoperative choking history, history of alcohol consumption, history of hypertension, history of coronary heart disease, history of diabetes, postoperative calcium concentration, average albumin concentration, average platelet concentration, body mass index, anastomotic fistula, preoperative chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, or postoperative cough (P>0.05). There were significant differences in postoperative reflux (χ2=11.338, P<0.05) and scar constitution (χ2=12.497, P<0.05). The effects of embedding materials in patients with anastomotic fistula were significantly different (χ2=4.372, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative reflux and scar constitution may be risk factors for postoperative anastomotic stenosis after resection of esophageal cancer. There was almost no difference in the effects on esophageal anastomotic stenosis between embedding materials and the omentum majus, but Neoveil® may have certain advantages in preventing cervical anastomotic fistula, and thus may have certain clinical application value.

Evaluation of Penicillium expansum for growth, patulin accumulation, nonvolatile compounds and volatile profile in kiwi juices of different cultivars.

Patulin (PAT) contamination and changes of nonvolatile and volatile compounds caused by Penicillium expansum in fresh juices of 8 kiwi cultivars were investigated. Growth and PAT production of P. expansum were greater at 25°C than at 4°C. P. expansum grew in kiwi juices under pH ranging from 2.75 to 3.27 and produced 45.10-268.88µg/mL of PAT at 25°C. Decreases occurred in malic acid and soluble protein; while consumption and production simultaneously happened for reducing sugar, total soluble solid, titratable acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid and total phenolics. A large number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were produced during infection and each cultivar presented a distinct profile. Most of the alcohols, acids, ketones and phenols increased while aldehydes decreased. VOCs that were specific to infected kiwi juices are potential biomarkers for GC-MS analysis of kiwifruit infected by P. expansum.