Endoscopic Ruler for varix size measurement: A multicenter pilot study.

BACKGROUND: We invented Endoscopic Ruler, a new endoscopic device to measure the size of varices in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. AIM: To assess the feasibility and safety of Endoscopic Ruler, and evaluate the agreement on identifying large oesophageal varices (OV) between Endoscopic Ruler and the endoscopists, as well as the interobserver agreement on diagnosing large OV using Endoscopic Ruler. METHODS: We prospectively and consecutively enrolled patients with cirrhosis from 11 hospitals, all of whom got esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with Endoscopic Ruler. The primary study outcome was a successful measurement of the size of varices using Endoscopic Ruler. The secondary outcomes included adverse events, operation time, the agreement of identifying large OV between the objective measurement of Endoscopic Ruler and the empirical reading of endoscopists, together with the interobserver agreement on diagnosing large OV by Endoscopic Ruler. RESULTS: From November 2020 to April 2022, a total of 120 eligible patients with cirrhosis were recruited and all of them underwent EGD examinations with Endoscopic Ruler successfully without any adverse event. The median operation time of Endoscopic Ruler was 3.00 min [interquartile range (IQR): 3.00 min]. The kappa value between Endoscopic Ruler and the endoscopists while detecting large OV was 0.52, demonstrating a moderate agreement. The kappa value for diagnosing large OV using Endoscopic Ruler among the six independent observers was 0.77, demonstrating a substantial agreement. CONCLUSION: The data demonstrates that Endoscopic Ruler is feasible and safe for measuring the size of varices in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Endoscopic Ruler is potential to promote the clinical practice of the two-grade classification system of OV.

Partial Geometric Frustration in Inorganic Supramolecular Spin Systems with One-Dimensional Trigonally Aligned Magnetic Chains ∞1(MCl4)2- (M = Fe2+, Co2+).

Exploration of new spin systems with low-dimensional subunits have been of great interest in the past decades due to their interesting physical properties and potential applications in molecular spintronics. Two inorganic supramolecular complexes, (Hg3S2)(FeCl4) and (Hg3S2)(CoCl4), with trigonally aligned 1-D infinite magnetic ∞(1)(FeCl4)(2-) or ∞(1)(CoCl4)(2-) chains have been prepared by solid-state reactions. They exhibit 3-D long-range spin order with strong field dependence and field induced metamagnetic behavior. The intrachain and interchain magnetic coupling constants were estimated by DFT+U and DFT+U+SOC calculations and the both complexes can be regarded as partially frustrated spin systems. The spin Hamiltonian was constructed, the ground state is proposed to be incommensurate spiral spin order, which differs from the commensurate 120° spin structure ground state of fully frustrated trigonal case by a little canted angle. This study shows that cooperative magnetic ordering induced by geometric frustration can be realized in inorganic supramolecular systems assembled by weak van der Waals' interactions.

[Evaluation of ecosystem service and emergy of Wanshan Waters in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China].

The method for monetary value and emergy value analysis of ecosystem service was used in this paper to analyze the change in value of marine ecosystem service of Wanshan District, Zhuhai from 2007 to 2012. The result showed that the monetary value and emergy value of marine ecosystem service of Wanshan District, Zhuhai rose to 11512840000 yuan and 1.97 x 10(22) sej from 7721630000 yuan and 1.04 x 10(22) sej, respectively. Both monetary value and emergy value could forecast the change in the value of marine ecosystem service, but they reflected different value structures and ecological energy, which could be used to more objectively evaluate the ecosystem service. Ecological civilization development, as an inherent driving force to impel the development of marine ecosystem service structure, was important for rational exploitation of marine resources and optimization of marine ecosystem service.

Study on difference of chemical constituents of Qiai in different harvest periods / 中国中药杂志

Artemisiae Argyi Folium,the dried leaves of Artemisia argyi,has been widely used in traditional Chinese and folk medicines for a long time. Qiai is one of the top-geoherb of Artemisiae Argyi Folium. Trying to investigate dynamic changes of chemical components of Qiai in different harvest periods and explore the optimum harvest time of Qiai,in this study,the contents of total flavonoids and total phenolic acids of 36 batches of Qiai collected in 6 different harvest periods were analyzed by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. Furthermore,an HPLC method was applied for simultaneous determination of eight bioactive compounds including six phenolic acids( 5-caffeoylquinic acid,3-caffeoylquinic acid,4-caffeoylquinic acid,3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid,3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid) and two flavonoids( jaceosidin and eupatilin) in Qiai samples. The quantitative results indicated that there were some differences in the contents of total flavonoids,total phenolic acids and bioactive compounds of Qiai samples in different harvest periods. The dynamic changes of total flavonoids and total phenolic acids of Qiai in different harvest periods were consistent. The contents of total flavonoids and total phenolic acids of Qiai samples were higher in the third harvest period( around the Dragon Boat Festival),which is basically consistent with the traditional harvest periods. This present study can provide the basis for determining the suitable harvest time of Qiai,and might be useful for the quality evaluation of this herbal medicine.

New mercury-contained cationic frameworks stabilized by (GaCl4)- unit via weak electrostatic forces in supramolecular compounds (Hg11P4)(GaCl4)4 and (Hg3AsS)(GaCl4).

Two new inorganic supramolecular compounds, (Hg11P4)(GaCl4)4 (1) and (Hg3AsS)(GaCl4) (2), have been prepared by the solid-state reactions. Their structures are characterized by mercury-containing cationic hosts and discrete (GaCl4)(-) guests, which is a derivative of a very strong Lewis acid. The three-dimensional cationic framework of 1, (Hg11P4)(4+), is marvellously extended by Hg2(2+) and Hg3(2+) groups as well as Hg(2+) ions to form two large tunnels with different sizes each embedded with two columns of (GaCl4)(-) anions. Compound 2 features a layered structure with (GaCl4)(-) tetrahedra being intercalated between two-dimensional (Hg3AsS)(+) layers and it is the first mercury pnictidechalcohalide. It is found that the weak electrostatic forces between hosts and guests play a key role in the stabilization of the whole structures of 1 and 2, which is strikingly different from almost all the reported metal pnictidehalide and chalcohalide supramolecular compounds. Optical dielectric constants calculations show that both 1 and 2 possess strong dielectric anisotropy.

Ln3GaS6 (Ln = Dy, Y): new infrared nonlinear optical materials with high laser induced damage thresholds.

Two new ternary rare earth chalcogenides, Dy3GaS6 (1) and Y3GaS6 (2), are reported here. They both crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Cmc21 (no. 36). Both are synthesized in pure phase and show phase-matchable second harmonic generation (SHG) of about 0.2 and 0.5 times, respectively for 1 and 2, as strong as that of KTiOPO4 (KTP) based on the powder SHG measurement at the wavelength of 1910 nm. They possess high powder laser induced damage thresholds (LIDTs), respectively, about 14 and 18 times that of AgGaS2 (AGS) based on the powder LIDT measurements under 1064 nm laser irradiation. They both exhibit wide transparency in the IR region (2.5­25 µm). It is believed that the title compounds are new candidates for nonlinear optical (NLO) materials in the IR region. To gain further insights into the NLO and LIDT properties of 1 and 2, the calculations of second-order NLO susceptibility and lattice energy density (LED) were also performed to explain their SHG efficiencies and high LIDTs.