Staurantherafloribunda, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Yunnan, China.

Staurantherafloribunda F.Su, C.Y.Hao & K.Tan, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated here. It is morphologically similar to S.grandifolia Benth. in the shape of corolla, stigma, leaves and the number of stamens. However, it can be readily distinguished from the compared species by its dense cymes, leaf indumentum, lack of a corolla spur, calyx colour and stamen shape. The description of the new species, photographs, detailed descriptions, notes on etymology, distribution and habitat, as well as comparisons with morphologically similar species, are provided.

ALDH3B2 Polymorphism Is Associated with Colorectal Cancer Susceptibility.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 5th leading cancer in China. Alcohol consumption has been reported to be one of the risk factors of CRC. However, it remains unclear whether genetic variants of alcohol metabolic genes are associated with CRC risk. In this study, we tested the coding variants in the alcohol metabolic genes and the risk of CRC, by using 485 cases and 516 controls. A total of 16 germline coding variants in 10 alcohol metabolic genes were genotyped. We identified that rs3741178 in ALDH3B2 was significantly associated with CRC risk with odds ratio being 2.13 (95% CI: 1.24-3.68, P=0.0064). Further functional annotation suggested that this variant may damage the protein function of ALDH3B2. Our results suggested that ALDH3B2 in the alcohol metabolism pathway contributed to the development of CRC, which may contribute to the prevention of this disease in the future.

Application effect of pneumatic tourniquet with individualized pressure setting in orthopaedic surgery of extremities: A meta-analysis.

AIMS: To evaluate the application effect of individualized pressure setting strategy of pneumatic tourniquet in orthopaedic surgery. BACKGROUND: Some individualized setting pressures of pneumatic tourniquet are lower than the standard pressure recommended in the textbook (Nursing of Operating Room, People's Military Publishing House, 2008). DESIGN: Meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: CL, WOS, PubMed, CNKI, CBM, VIP and Wan-fang DATA. REVIEW METHODS: We searched studies on the application effect of individualized pressure of pneumatic tourniquet from the establishment date of the databases to September 2017. Study quality was assessed using the quality evaluation method recommended in the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 (Higgins, 2011). The primary outcome was inflation pressure. RESULTS: We identified nine studies including 1,200 patients. The individualized pressure setting strategy can provide a lower inflation pressure (four studies), improve haemostatic effect (six studies) and reduce the incidence of related complications (eight studies). CONCLUSIONS: An individualized inflation pressure is recommended when using the tourniquet in orthopaedic surgery. And the setting pressure might be a minimum and efficiency one, by accessing the the systolic blood pressure and limb circumferences of the patient. IMPACT: This study addressed that the individualized pressure setting strategy of pneumatic tourniquet can provide a lower inflation pressure and a higher application value in orthopaedic limb surgery. However, greater attention should be focused on how to unify the individualized pressure setting strategy. Meanwhile, the instructions for use from manufacturers need to be updated. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct a large-sample multi-centre high-quality randomized controlled trial in strict accordance with the CONSORT standard.

Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy as a Novel Agent for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Refractory to Current Medical Therapy.

This study aimed to assess efficacy and safety data from pilot trials of the radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) refractory to current medical therapy. A total of 29 men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of BPH who had responded poorly to medical therapy for at least 6 months and were poor surgical candidates were enrolled. Each participant was treated with rESWT once a week for 8 weeks, each by 2000 impulses at 2.0 bar and 10 hertz of frequency. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) were evaluated before treatment, after the fourth and eighth rESWT, and 3 months after the end of treatment. Peak urinary flow ( Qmax) and postvoid residual (PVR) were assessed. Safety was also documented. Statistically significant clinical improvements were reported for IPSS, QoL, and IIEF-5 after treatment, and those were sustained until 3 months follow-up. Qmax and PVR improved evidently at 8 weeks with a 63% and 70% improvement, respectively. The only adverse event was the occasional perineum pain or discomfort, which usually disappeared within 3 days. The rESWT may be an effective, safe, and noninvasive treatment for symptomatic BPH in selected patients whose medical treatment has faced failure and are poor surgical candidates.

Superiority of 5% NaHCO3 for preoperative hair removal in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery with a limb vein: a randomized controlled trial†.

OBJECTIVES: Compared with a dry environment with talcum powder, a wet, alkaline environment with NaHCO3 solution is better for hair removal, as it can soften and expand the hair, decrease the friction and shear forces on the skin, and make hair removal easier and more efficient. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a preoperative skin preparation of 5% NaHCO3 with that of talcum powder for softening hair in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with the saphenous vein. METHODS: A prospective randomized, single-blinded, controlled study was established. Between March 2012 and June 2013, 120 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria underwent elective CABG surgery with the saphenous vein in our hospital. The same doctor obtained the saphenous vein of each patient by a uniform method. CABG surgery was performed through an open or endoscopic technique, according to each patient's condition. Patients were divided into two groups of 60 patients each, according to whether the preoperative skin preparation procedure was performed with a 5% solution of NaHCO3 at 45-50°C (experimental group) or with talcum powder (control group). Main outcome measures were the incision inflammation rate, skin preparation time, presence of shaving-induced macroscopic haemorrhagic spots, verbal rating scale (VRS) pain score and satisfaction. RESULTS: Neither group had any evidence of incision inflammation. The average (mean ± standard deviation) skin preparation time of the experimental group was shorter than that of the control group (5.58 ± 1.52 vs 9.74 ± 1.23 min, P < 0.001). Three patients in the experimental group and 17 in the control group had shaving-induced macroscopic haemorrhagic spots after skin preparation (P = 0.001). The VRS pain scores were different between the two groups (P < 0.001). In the control group, 40% of patients and 37% of nurses were satisfied with the skin preparation procedure, compared with 95 and 90%, respectively, in the experimental group (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hair softening with a 5% NaHCO3 solution protected the skin integrity, alleviated pain and improved patient satisfaction to a greater extent than talcum powder. Nurses found the 5% NaHCO3 solution to be more convenient and less time-consuming to use.

[Study on method of time-resolved fluorescence spectra for rare fluorescence chelate].

In the present paper, the technology of time-resolved fluorescence spectra was investigated in order to improve the sensitivity of the solid-phase time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay. The fluorescence properties, fluorescence intensity and detection method of the novel complexes 4,4'-dibromo-6,6'-bis(N,N-bis(ethoxycarbonylmethyl) amino methyl)-2,2'-bipyridine were investigated through self-developed solid-phase time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay instrument. At the same time, the Eu-TTA-phen and Eu-beta-NTA-TOPO series of Eu(III) compounds were detected.