Interim analysis of short-term outcomes after laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy with or without preservation of splenic vessels: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (LSPDP) is a widely adopted surgical approach for benign and low-grade malignant neoplasms of the distal pancreas. The Kimura and Warshaw techniques represent two principal strategies, yet it still needs to be determined which one is superior. Our investigation aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with each technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-center, parallel-group, patient-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted at the XXXXX University. Stratified block randomization was utilized to enroll 114 patients starting in March 2022, with an interim analysis of short-term outcomes scheduled after 45%-50% of participant enrollment. Patients were randomized to receive LSPDP via either the Kimura or Warshaw technique. The primary endpoint was intraoperative blood loss, while secondary endpoints included a range of outcomes from composite outcome to quality of life, as quantified by the EQ-5D-5L. RESULTS: From March 2022 to November 2023, 53 patients were randomly allocated to the Kimura (n=25) or Warshaw (n=28) groups for LSPDP. Baseline characteristics and postoperative outcomes were similar between the groups, such as pancreatic fistula incidence, EQ-5D-5L index scores, and delayed gastric emptying rates. Per-protocol (PP) analysis revealed that the Kimura group experienced significantly less blood loss (52.5±51.6 mL vs. 91.7±113.5 mL, P=0.007) and a reduced rate of composite outcome (23.8% vs. 56.7%, P=0.019), but incurred higher costs in the Warshaw group (¥56,227.4±¥7,027.0 vs. ¥63,513.8±¥12,944.5, P=0.013). Splenic infarction rates were higher in the Warshaw group, though not statistically significant (ITT: 39.3% vs. 12.5%, P=0.058; PP: 36.7% vs. 14.3%, P=0.113), without necessitating intervention. Neither group experienced postpancreatectomy haemorrhage, 90-day mortality, or ICU admissions, and all postoperative complications were mild (Clavien-Dindo Grade

Insight into volatile-char interaction mechanisms of biomass torrefaction based on three major components.

Volatile-char interaction is an important phenomenon in biomass thermal conversion process, which significantly contributes to the decomposition, deoxygenation and upgrading of biomass. However, the deep insight into volatile-char interaction mechanisms between hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin is currently unclear. In this work, above mechanism was studied through systematic single-/bi-component torrefactions and the follow-up char analysis. Results demonstrate that only hemicellulose volatile and cellulose char interaction exists during torrefaction at 250 °C, causing over 19.9 wt% of mass loss and 27.3 wt% of O removal for cellulose. This volatile-char interaction causes significant depolymerization and amorphization of cellulose by hydrolysis, acid hydrolysis and esterification reactions. The depolymerized and amorphous cellulose partly thermally decomposes to dehydrated sugars and aromatic compounds through dehydroxylation and aromatization reactions. A volatile-char interaction mechanism model is thus developed. This work provides theoretical insight into biomass thermal conversion and provides basis for the development of new thermochemical method.

Artificial intelligence automated surgical phases recognition in intraoperative videos of laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) is one of the most challenging operations and has a long learning curve. Artificial intelligence (AI) automated surgical phase recognition in intraoperative videos has many potential applications in surgical education, helping shorten the learning curve, but no study has made this breakthrough in LPD. Herein, we aimed to build AI models to recognize the surgical phase in LPD and explore the performance characteristics of AI models. METHODS: Among 69 LPD videos from a single surgical team, we used 42 in the building group to establish the models and used the remaining 27 videos in the analysis group to assess the models' performance characteristics. We annotated 13 surgical phases of LPD, including 4 key phases and 9 necessary phases. Two minimal invasive pancreatic surgeons annotated all the videos. We built two AI models for the key phase and necessary phase recognition, based on convolutional neural networks. The overall performance of the AI models was determined mainly by mean average precision (mAP). RESULTS: Overall mAPs of the AI models in the test set of the building group were 89.7% and 84.7% for key phases and necessary phases, respectively. In the 27-video analysis group, overall mAPs were 86.8% and 71.2%, with maximum mAPs of 98.1% and 93.9%. We found commonalities between the error of model recognition and the differences of surgeon annotation, and the AI model exhibited bad performance in cases with anatomic variation or lesion involvement with adjacent organs. CONCLUSIONS: AI automated surgical phase recognition can be achieved in LPD, with outstanding performance in selective cases. This breakthrough may be the first step toward AI- and video-based surgical education in more complex surgeries.

Single-incision plus one port laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy with major venous resection and reconstruction for pancreatic cancer with video recordings.

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) with superior mesenteric/portal vein (SMV/PV) resection and reconstruction was the most technically challenging procedure and had been rarely reported. However, single-incision plus one-port LPD (SILPD +1) with SMV/PV resection and reconstruction has never been reported. In this study, we will demonstrate the feasibility, safety, key surgical procedure, and long-term outcomes for SILPD +1 with SMV/PV resection and reconstruction using video evidence. Two cases of SILPD +1 with SMV/PV wedge resection were carried out by the authors. There was no tumor recurrence during the one-year follow-up. It is worth noting that skilled laparoscopic technicians are necessary to safely complete the procedure with good short-term and long-term outcomes.

Impact of an AI-Based laparoscopic cholecystectomy coaching program on the surgical performance: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the gold standard for treating symptomatic gallstones but carries inherent risks like bile duct injury (BDI). While critical view of safety (CVS) is advocated to mitigate BDI, its real-world adoption is limited. Additionally, significant variations in surgeon performance impede procedural standardization, highlighting the need for a feasible, innovative, and effective training approach. The aim of this study is to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted coaching program for LC to enhance surgical education and improve surgeon's performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a multi-center, randomized controlled trial from May 2022 to August 2023 to assess the impact of an AI-based coaching program, SmartCoach, on novice performing LC. Surgeons and patients meeting specific inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to either a coaching group with AI-enhanced feedback or a self-learning group. The primary outcome was assessed using the Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Rating Form (LCRF), with secondary outcomes including surgical safety, efficiency, and adverse events. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, with significance set at P-value less than 0.05. RESULTS: Between May 2022 and August 2023, 22 surgeons were initially enrolled from 10 hospitals, with 18 completing the study. No demographic differences were noted between coaching and self-learning groups. In terms of surgical performance (LCRF scores), the coaching group showed significant improvement over time (31 to 40, P=0.008), outperforming the self-learning group by study end (40 vs 38, P=0.032). Significant improvements in CVS achievement were also noted in the coaching group (11% to 78%, P=0.021). Overall, the coaching program was well-received, outpacing traditional educational methods in both understanding and execution of CVS and participants in the intervention group expressed strongly satisfaction with the program. CONCLUSIONS: The AI-assisted surgical coaching program effectively improved surgical performance and safety for novice surgeons in LC procedures. The model holds significant promise for advancing surgical education.

Clinical evaluation of the effect for prophylactic balloon occlusion in pregnancies complicated with placenta accreta spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder is a critical and severe obstetric condition associated with high risk of intraoperative massive hemorrhage and cesarean hysterectomy. Severe obstetric hemorrhage is currently one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide. Prophylactic balloon occlusions, including prophylactic balloon occlusion of the abdominal aorta (PBOAA) and prophylactic balloon occlusion of the internal iliac arteries (PBOIIA), are the most common means of controlling hemorrhage in patients with PAS disorder, but their effectiveness is still debated. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of prophylactic balloon occlusion during cesarean section (CS) in improving maternal outcomes for PAS patients. SEARCH STRATEGY: MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched from the inception dates to June 2022, using the keywords "placenta accreta spectrum disorder/morbidly adherent placenta (placenta previa, placenta accreta, placenta increta, placenta percreta), balloon occlusion, internal iliac arteries, abdominal aorta, hemorrhage, hysterectomy, estimated blood loss (EBL), packed red blood cells (PRBCs)" to identify the systematic reviews or meta-analyses. SELECTION CRITERIA: All articles regarding PAS disorders and including the application of balloon occlusion were included in the screening. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two independent researchers performed the data extraction and assessed study quality. EBL volume and PRBC transfusion volume was regarded as the primary endpoints. Random and fixed effects models were used for the meta-analysis (RRs and 95% CIs), and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for quality assessments. MAIN RESULTS: Of 429 studies identified, a total of 35 trials involving the application of balloon occlusion for patients with PAS disorder during CS were included. A total of 19 studies involving 935 patients who underwent PBOIIA were included in the PBOIIA group, and 851 patients were included in control 1 group. Ten studies including 428 patients with PAS who underwent PBOAA were allocated to the PBOAA group, and 324 patients without PBOAA were included in control 2 group. Simultaneously, we compared the effect on PBOAA and PBOIIA including seven studies, which referred to 267 cases in the PBOAA group and 313 cases in the PBOIIA group. The results showed that the PBOIIA group had a reduced EBL volume (MD: 342.06 mL, 95% CI: -509.90 to -174.23 mL, I2 = 77%, P < 0.0001) and PRBC volume (MD: -1.57 U, 95% CI: -2.49 to -0.66 U, I2 = 91%, P = 0.0008) than that in control 1 group. With regard to the EBL volume (MD: -926.42 mL, 95% CI: -1437.07 to -415.77 mL, I2 = 96%, P = 0.0004) and PRBC transfusion volume (MD: -2.42 U, 95% CI: -4.25 to -0.59 U, I2 = 99%, P = 0.009) we found significant differences between the PBOAA group and control 2 group. Prophylactic balloon occlusion (PBOAA and PBOIIA) had a significant effect on reducing intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion volume in patients with PAS. Moreover, PBOAA was more effective than PBOIIA in reducing intraoperative blood loss (MD: -406.63 mL, 95% CI: -754.12 to -59.13 mL, I2 = 92%, P = 0.020), but no significant difference in controlling PRBCs (MD: -3.48 U, 95% CI: -8.90 to 1.95 U, I2 = 99%, P = 0.210) between the PBOIIA group and the PBOAA group. Hierarchical analysis was conducted by differentiating gestational weeks and maternal age to reduce the high heterogeneity of meta-analysis. Hierarchical analysis results demonstrated the heterogeneities of the study were reduced to some extent, and gestational weeks and maternal age might be the cause of increased heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic balloon occlusion is a safe and effective method to control hemorrhage and reduce PRBC transfusion volume for patients with PAS, and PBOAA could reduce more intraoperative blood loss than PBOIIA. However, we found no statistical difference in lessening packed red blood cell transfusion volume for PAS patients. Hence, preoperative prophylactic balloon occlusion is the recommended application for PAS patients in obstetric CSs. Furthermore, PBOAA is preferred for controlling intraoperative bleeding in patients with corresponding medical conditions.

Delayed gastric emptying after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: a single-center experience of 827 cases.

BACKGROUND: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) commonly occurs after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Risk factors for DGE have been reported in open PD but are rarely reported in laparoscopic PD (LPD). This study was designed to evaluate the perioperative risk factors for DGE and secondary DGE after LPD in a single center. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent LPD between October 2014 and April 2023. Demographic data, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were collected. The risk factors for DGE and secondary DGE were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 827 consecutive patients underwent LPD. One hundred and forty-two patients (17.2%) developed DGE of any type. Sixty-five patients (7.9%) had type A, 62 (7.5%) had type B, and the remaining 15 (1.8%) had type C DGE. Preoperative biliary drainage (p = 0.032), blood loss (p = 0.014), and 90-day any major complication with Dindo-Clavien score ≥ III (p < 0.001) were independent significant risk factors for DGE. Seventy-six (53.5%) patients were diagnosed with primary DGE, whereas 66 (46.5%) patients had DGE secondary to concomitant complications. Higher body mass index, soft pancreatic texture, and perioperative transfusion were independent risk factors for secondary DGE. Hospital stay and drainage tube removal time were significantly longer in the DGE and secondary DGE groups. CONCLUSION: Identifying patients at an increased risk of DGE and secondary DGE can be used to intervene earlier, avoid potential risk factors, and make more informed clinical decisions to shorten the duration of perioperative management.

A CARM1 Inhibitor Potently Suppresses Breast Cancer Both In Vitro and In Vivo.

CARM1, belonging to the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family, is intricately associated with the progression of cancer and is viewed as a promising target for both cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, the number of specific and potent CARM1 inhibitors is limited. We herein discovered a CARM1 inhibitor, iCARM1, that showed better specificity and activity toward CARM1 compared to the known CARM1 inhibitors, EZM2302 and TP-064. Similar to CARM1 knockdown, iCARM1 suppressed the expression of oncogenic estrogen/ERα-target genes, whereas activated type I interferon (IFN) and IFN-induced genes (ISGs) in breast cancer cells. Consequently, iCARM1 potently suppressed breast cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. The combination of iCARM1 with either endocrine therapy drugs or etoposide demonstrated synergistic effects in inhibiting the growth of breast tumors. In summary, targeting CARM1 by iCARM1 effectively suppresses breast tumor growth, offering a promising therapeutic approach for managing breast cancers in clinical settings.

CDK4/6 inhibition sensitizes MEK inhibition by inhibiting cell cycle and proliferation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is not sensitive to most chemotherapy drugs, leading to poor chemotherapy efficacy. Recently, Trametinib and Palbociclib have promising prospects in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This article aims to explore the effects of Trametinib on pancreatic cancer and address the underlying mechanism of resistance as well as its reversal strategies. The GDSC (Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer) and CTD2 (Cancer Target Discovery and Development) were utilized to screen the potential drug candidate in PDAC cell lines. The dose-increase method combined with the high-dose shock method was applied to induce the Trametinib-resistant PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cell lines. The CCK8 proliferation assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and western blot were conducted to verify the inhibitory effect of Trametinib and Palbociclib. RNA-seq was performed in resistant PDAC cell lines to find the differential expression genes related to drug resistance and predict pathways leading to the reversal of Trametinib resistance. The GDSC and CTD2 database screening revealed that Trametinib demonstrates a significant inhibitory effect on PDAC. We found that Trametinib has a lower IC50 than Gemcitabine in PDAC cell lines. Both Trametinib and Gemcitabine can decrease the proliferation capacity of pancreatic cells, induce cell cycle arrest, and increase apoptosis. Simultaneously, the phosphorylation of the AKT and ERK pathways were inhibited by the treatment of Trametinib. In addition, the RNA-seq of Trametinib-induced resistance PDAC cell lines reveals that the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-RB-E2F regulatory axis and G2/M DNA damage checkpoint might lead the drug resistance. Besides, the combination of Trametinib with Palbociclib could inhibit the proliferation and cell cycle of both resistant cells lines and also restore the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells to Trametinib. Last but not least, the interferon-α and interferon-γ expression were upregulated in resistance cell lines, which might lead to the reversal of drug resistance. The study shows Trametinib has a critical inhibitory effect on PDAC. Besides, the combination of Trametinib with Palbociclib can inhibit the proliferation of PDAC-resistant cells.

Independent external validation and comparison of existing pancreatic fistula risk scores after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy with Bing's pancreaticojejunostomy.

BACKGROUND: The fistula risk score (FRS) is the widely acknowledged prediction model for clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF). In addition, the alternative FRS (a-FRS) and updated alternative FRS (ua-FRS) have been developed. This study performed external validation and comparison of these 3 models in patients who underwent laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) with Bing's pancreaticojejunostomy. METHODS: The FRS total points and predictive probabilities of a-FRS and ua-FRS were retrospectively calculated using patient data from a completed randomized controlled trial. Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and CR-POPF were defined according to the 2016 International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery criteria. The correlations of the 4 risk items of the FRS model with CR-POPF and POPF were analyzed and represented using the Cramer V coefficient. The performance of the 3 models was measured using the area under the curve (AUC) and calibration plot and compared using the DeLong test. RESULTS: This study enrolled 200 patients. Pancreatic texture and pathology had discrimination for CR-POPF (Cramer V coefficient: 0.180 vs 0.167, respectively). Pancreatic duct diameter, pancreatic texture, and pathology had discrimination for POPF (Cramer V coefficient: 0.357 vs 0.322 vs 0.257, respectively). Only the calibration of a-FRS predicting CR-POPF was good. The differences among the AUC values of the FRS, a-FRS, and ua-FRS were not statistically significant (CR-POPF: 0.687 vs 0.701 vs 0.710, respectively; POPF: 0.733 vs 0.741 vs 0.750, respectively). After recalibrating, the ua-FRS got sufficient calibration, and the AUC was 0.713 for predicting CR-POPF. CONCLUSION: For LPD cases with Bing's pancreaticojejunostomy, the 3 models predicted POPF with better discrimination than predicting CR-POPF. The recalibrated ua-FRS had sufficient discrimination and calibration for predicting CR-POPF.

Research on the role and mechanism of IL-17 in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is one of the primary causes of low back pain (LBP), which seriously affects patients' quality of life. In recent years, interleukin (IL)-17 has been shown to be highly expressed in the intervertebral disc (IVD) tissues and serum of patients with IDD, and IL-17A has been shown to promote IDD through multiple pathways. We first searched databases such as PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science using the search terms "IL-17 or interleukin 17″ and "intervertebral discs". The search period ranged from the inception of the databases to December 2023. A total of 24 articles were selected after full-text screening. The main conclusion of the clinical studies was that IL-17A levels are significantly increased in the IVD tissues and serum of IDD patients. The results from the in vitro studies indicated that IL-17A can activate signaling pathways such as the NF-κB and MAPK pathways; promote inflammatory responses, extracellular matrix degradation, and angiogenesis; and inhibit autophagy in nucleus pulposus cells. The main finding of the in vivo experiments was that puncture of animal IVDs resulted in elevated levels of IL-17A within the IVD, thereby inducing IDD. Clinical studies, in vitro experiments, and in vivo experiments confirmed that IL-17A is closely related to IDD. Therefore, drugs that target IL-17A may be novel treatments for IDD, providing a new theoretical basis for IDD therapy.

Enhanced acrylic gauge with five eccentric circles for optimizing CT angiography spatial resolution via Taguchi's methodology.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral examination via CTA is always the first choice for patients with unexpected brain injury or different types of brain lesions to detect ruptured hemangiomas, vascular infarcts, or other brain tissue lesions. OBJECTIVE: This study innovated the acrylic gauge with five eccentric circles for computed tomography angiography (CTA) analysis to optimize the spatial resolution via Taguchi's methodology. METHODS: The customized gauge was revised from the V-shaped slit gauge and transferred into five eccentric circles' slit gauge. The gauge was assembled with another six acrylic layers to simulate the human head. Taguchi's L18 orthogonal array was adopted to optimize the spatial resolution of CTA imaging quality. In doing so, six essential factors of CTA are kVp, mAs, spiral rotation pitch, FOV, rotation time of the CT and reconstruction filter, and each factor has either two or three levels to organize into eighteen combinations to simulate the full factor combination of 486 (21 × 35 = 486) times according to Taguchi's recommendation. Three well-trained radiologists ranked the gauge's 18 CTA scanned imaging qualities according to contrast, sharpness, and spatial resolution and derived the unique fish-bone-plot of six factors for further analysis. The optimal factor combination of CTA was proven by follow-up verification and ANOVA to obtain this study's dominant or minor factor. RESULTS: The optimal factor combination of CTA was A2 (120 kVp), B3 (200 mAs), C1 (Pitch 0.6), D2 (FOV 220 mm2), E1 (rotation time 0.33 s), and F3 (Brain sharp, UC). Furthermore, deriving a quantified MDD (minimum detectable difference) to imply the spatial resolution of CTA, a semiauto profile analysis program run in MATLAB and OriginPro was recommended to evaluate the MDD and to suppress the manual error in calculation. Eventually, the derived MDDs of the conventional and optimal factor combinations of CTA were 2.35 and 2.26 mm, respectively, in this study. CONCLUSION: Taguchi's methodology was found applicable for quantifying the CTA imaging quality in practical applications.

Protective effects of COVID-19 vaccination in splenectomized patients with immune thrombocytopenia.

Splenectomy is an effective treatment for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The effect of COVID-19 vaccination on splenectomized patients with ITP during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on clinical outcomes in these patients. This was a longitudinal study of splenectomized patients with ITP. A total of 191 splenectomized patients were included in this study. After a median follow-up of 114 months, 146 (76.4%) patients had a sustained response to splenectomy. During COVID-19 infection, vaccinated patients showed a lower risk of severe infections (odds ratio [OR], 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05-0.36; p < 0.001), hospitalization (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04-0.48; p = 0.002), and ITP exacerbation (OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04-0.67; p = 0.012). These findings indicate that COVID-19 vaccination plays a protective role in splenectomized patients with ITP.

CARM1 hypermethylates the NuRD chromatin remodeling complex to promote cell cycle gene expression and breast cancer development.

Protein arginine methyltransferase CARM1 has been shown to methylate a large number of non-histone proteins, and play important roles in gene transcriptional activation, cell cycle progress, and tumorigenesis. However, the critical substrates through which CARM1 exerts its functions remain to be fully characterized. Here, we reported that CARM1 directly interacts with the GATAD2A/2B subunit in the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex, expanding the activities of NuRD to include protein arginine methylation. CARM1 and NuRD bind and activate a large cohort of genes with implications in cell cycle control to facilitate the G1 to S phase transition. This gene activation process requires CARM1 to hypermethylate GATAD2A/2B at a cluster of arginines, which is critical for the recruitment of the NuRD complex. The clinical significance of this gene activation mechanism is underscored by the high expression of CARM1 and NuRD in breast cancers, and the fact that knockdown CARM1 and NuRD inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. Targeting CARM1-mediated GATAD2A/2B methylation with CARM1 specific inhibitors potently inhibit breast cancer cell growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. These findings reveal a gene activation program that requires arginine methylation established by CARM1 on a key chromatin remodeler, and targeting such methylation might represent a promising therapeutic avenue in the clinic.

Pestalotiopsis jiangsuensis sp. nov. Causing Needle Blight on Pinus massoniana in China.

Pinus massoniana Lamb. is an important, common afforestation and timber tree species in China. Species of Pestalotiopsis are well-known pathogens of needle blight. In this study, the five representative strains were isolated from needle blight from needles of Pi. massoniana in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Based on multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of the three genomic loci (ITS, TEF1, and TUB2), in conjunction with morphological characteristics, a new species, namely Pestalotiopsis jiangsuensis sp. nov., was described and reported. Pathogenicity tests revealed that the five representative strains of the species described above were pathogenic to Pi. massoniana. The study revealed the diversity of pathogenic species of needle blight on Pi. massoniana. This is the first report of needle blight caused by P. jiangsuensis on Pi. massoniana in China and worldwide. This provides useful information for future research on management strategies of this disease.

Textbook oncologic outcomes are associated with increased overall survival in patients with pancreatic head cancer after undergoing laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Textbook oncologic outcomes (TOO) have been used to evaluate long-term oncologic outcomes for patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) but not laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD). The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic value of TOO for patients with pancreatic head cancer undergoing LPD and discuss the risk factors associated with achieving TOO. METHODS: Patients with pancreatic head cancer who underwent LPD in West China Hospital from January 2015 to May 2022 were consecutively enrolled. TOO was defined as achieving R0 resection, examination of ≥ 12 lymph nodes, no prolonged length of stay, no 30-day readmission/death, and receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Survival analysis was used to determine the prognostic value of a TOO on overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors of a TOO. The rates of a TOO and of each indicator were compared in patients who suffered or not from delayed gastric emptying (DGE). RESULTS: A total of 44 (25.73%) patients achieved TOO which was associated with improved median OS (TOO 32 months vs. non-TOO 20 months, P = 0.034) and a better RFS (TOO 19 months vs. non-TOO 13 months, P = 0.053). Patients suffering from DGE [odds ratio (OR) 4.045, 95% CI 1.151-14.214, P = 0.029] were independent risk factors for TOO. In addition, patients with DGE after surgery had a significantly lower rate of TOO (P = 0.015) than patients without DGE. CONCLUSIONS: As there were significant differences between patients who achieved TOO or not, TOO is a good indicator for long-term oncologic outcomes in patients with pancreatic head cancer after undergoing LPD. DGE is the risk factor for achieving TOO, so it is important to prevent the DGE after LPD to improve the rate of TOO.

Real-time fluorescence-guided adhesiolysis with indocyanine green in intra-abdominal surgery (with video).

Intra-abdominal adhesions have consistently posed a challenge for surgeons during procedures. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of utilizing indocyanine green (ICG) in conjunction with near-infrared imaging for the detection of intra-abdominal adhesions. In vitro, we analyzed factors affecting ICG fluorescence. We divided SD rats into groups to study ICG excretion in different digestive tract regions. Additionally, we reviewed surgical videos from previous cholecystectomy cases, categorizing them by ICG injection timing and assessing fluorescence imaging in various digestive tract regions. Finally, we preoperatively injected ICG into two cholecystectomized patients with abdominal adhesions, guiding intraoperative adhesiolysis with near-infrared fluorescence imaging. In vitro, we observed a significant influence of protein and ICG concentrations on ICG fluorescence intensity. Our rat experiments unveiled a strong and highly significant correlation (Kendall's tau-b = 1, P < 0.001) between the timing of ICG injection and the farthest point of intestinal fluorescence. A retrospective case analysis further validated this finding (Kendall's tau-b = 0.967, P < 0.001). Under the guidance of fluorescence navigation, two cholecystectomized patients with intra-abdominal adhesions successfully underwent adhesiolysis, and no postoperative complications occurred. The intraoperative combination of ICG with near-infrared fluorescence imaging effectively enhances the visibility of the liver, bile ducts, and various segments of the gastrointestinal tract while providing real-time navigation. This real-time fluorescence guidance has the potential to aid surgeons in the dissection of intra-abdominal adhesions.

Extended pancreatic neck transection versus conventional pancreatic neck transection during laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPDEXCEPT): protocol for a multicentre superiority randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains one of the most severe complications of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD). Theoretically, transecting the pancreatic neck more distally has both advantages (more blood supply, and more central pancreatic duct) and disadvantages (maybe smaller the pancreatic duct) in preventing POPF. This theoretical contradiction pushed us to organise this trial to explore the impact of the level of pancreatic transection in clinical practice. We conduct this randomised trial with the hypothesis that extended pancreatic neck transection has superiority to conventional pancreatic neck transection. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The LPDEXCEPT (Extended pancreatic neck transection versus conventional pancreatic neck transection during laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy) trial is a multicentre, randomised-controlled, open-label, superiority trial in 4 centres whose annual surgical volume for LPD is more than 25 cases with pancreatic surgeons who had completed their learning curve. A total of 154 patients who meet the inclusive and exclusive criteria are randomly allocated to the extended pancreatic neck transection group or conventional pancreatic neck transection group in a 1:1 ratio. The stratified randomised block design will be applied, with stratified factors are surgical centre and the diameter of the main pancreatic duct measured by preoperative CT scan (preMPD). The primary outcome is the incidence of the clinically relevant pancreatic fistula. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics Committee on Biomedical Research of West China Hospital of Sichuan University has approved this trial in March 2023 (approval no. 2023-167). Results of this trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05808894.

Decoding surgical skill: an objective and efficient algorithm for surgical skill classification based on surgical gesture features -experimental studies.

BACKGROUND: Various surgical skills lead to differences in patient outcomes and identifying poorly skilled surgeons with constructive feedback contributes to surgical quality improvement. The aim of the study was to develop an algorithm for evaluating surgical skills in laparoscopic cholecystectomy based on the features of elementary functional surgical gestures (Surgestures). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos were collected from 33 surgeons in five hospitals. The phase of mobilization hepatocystic triangle and gallbladder dissection from the liver bed of each video were annotated with 14 Surgestures. The videos were grouped into competent and incompetent based on the quantiles of modified global operative assessment of laparoscopic skills (mGOALS). Surgeon-related information, clinical data, and intraoperative events were analyzed. Sixty-three Surgesture features were extracted to develop the surgical skill classification algorithm. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the classification and the top features were evaluated. RESULTS: Correlation analysis revealed that most perioperative factors had no significant correlation with mGOALS scores. The incompetent group has a higher probability of cholecystic vascular injury compared to the competent group (30.8 vs 6.1%, P =0.004). The competent group demonstrated fewer inefficient Surgestures, lower shift frequency, and a larger dissection-exposure ratio of Surgestures during the procedure. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the classification algorithm achieved 0.866. Different Surgesture features contributed variably to overall performance and specific skill items. CONCLUSION: The computer algorithm accurately classified surgeons with different skill levels using objective Surgesture features, adding insight into designing automatic laparoscopic surgical skill assessment tools with technical feedback.