[Analysis on the scrap situation of COVID-19 vaccine in Suzhou city]

To analyze the usage and loss of the COVID-19 vaccine in ten districts of Suzhou city from December 18, 2020 to April 30, 2021.The results showed the loss rate was 0.222‰ in Suzhou city. The loss rate of pre-filled packaging COVID-19 vaccine was higher than that of vial packaging. The loss rate of 40 packaging was the lowest in vial packaging. The loss rate of all kinds of COVID-19 vaccine in stable inoculation unit was the lowest. It is recommended to distribute 40 vial packaging COVID-19 vaccine for centralized vaccination to reduce the loss of COVID-19 vaccine.

Ureteral double J stent displaced into vena cava and management with laparoscopy: A case report and review of the literature

We reported displacement of a ureteral double J stent into the vena cava and laparoscopic management in a 69-year-old patient with a history of ureteral stent placement. Preoperative computed tomography and plain X-rays showed malpositioning of the double J stent and displacement into the inferior vena cava. The characteristics of stent misplacement precluded endovascular procedures and explorative laparoscopic surgery was performed. The intra- and postoperative periods were uneventful. Postoperative imaging demonstrated that the new double J stent was in the right position. The patient was discharged 7 d after the operation and was symptom free at the 4-mo follow-up.

CUL4B promotes bladder cancer metastasis and induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Increased expression of cullin 4B (CUL4B) is linked to progression in several cancers. This study aims to explore the effects of CUL4B on bladder cancer (BC) metastasis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and potential correlation to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We collected BC tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 124 BC patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were employed in order to detect the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related proteins and EMT markers. MTT and Transwell assays were used in order to measure cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. BC 5637 cells were transfected with control, siRNA scramble control (siRNA-NC), si-CUL4B, and CUL4B or Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF-1) overexpression constructs. Levels of CUL4B mRNA and protein were increased in BC tissues in comparison with the adjacent normal tissues. CUL4B expression was negatively correlated with the expression of E-cadherin and positively correlated to the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin. Compared to the control group, levels of β-catenin, cyclinD1, c-myc, MMP7, and EMT markers were reduced, whereas phosphorylated GSK3β^Ser9 and E-cadherin levels were increased in the si-CUL4B and WIF-1 groups. In addition, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities were also increased. Increasing CUL4B expression had the opposite effect. These findings suggest that CUL4B induces EMT and promotes metastasis of BC by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Large spin Hall angle in vanadium film

We report a large spin Hall angle observed in vanadium films sputter-grown at room temperature, which have small grain size and consist of a mixture of body centered tetragonal (bct) and body centered cubic (bcc) structures. The spin Hall angle is as large as θ_V = −0.071 ± 0.003, comparable to that of platinum, θ_Pt = 0.076 ± 0.007, and is much larger than that of bcc V film grown at 400 °C, θ_{V_bcc} = −0.012 ± 0.002. Similar to β-tantalum and β-tungsten, the sputter-grown V films also have a high resistivity of more than 200 μΩ∙cm. Surprisingly, the spin diffusion length is still long at 16.3 nm. This finding not only indicates that specific crystalline structure can lead to a large spin Hall effect but also suggests 3d light metals should not be ruled out in the search for materials with large spin Hall angle.

Ureteroscopic management of asymptomatic and symptomatic simple parapelvic renal cysts

Background

To investigate feasibility and safety of treating simple parapelvic renal cysts using flexible ureteroscopy with the Holmium laser.

Methods

Between February 2010 and July 2013, a total of 21 patients, aging from 29 to 71 (49.00 ± 13.23), were diagnosed with parapelvic renal cysts by ultrasonography in combination with contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CT) and intravenous urography (IVU) in the Department of Urology Surgery, People’s Hospital of the Zhejiang province. Fifteen patients were asymptomatic and 6 patients were symptomatic with flank pain. All patients underwent drainage of the cysts using flexible ureteroscopy with Holmium laser. Patients were followed up 1, 3 and 12 months after the operation.

Results

The intervention was successful in 20 patients and failed in 1 patient who, subsequently successfully underwent a laparoscopic cyst removal. There were no intra-operative and post-operative complications reported. The mean operation time was 27 min (range: 15 to 45 min). The mean hospital stay was 2.6 days (range: 1 to 5 days). Twenty patients were followed up until 15 months after surgery. After such ureteroscopic management, there were no renal cysts detected in 7 patients (35 %) and a reduction in size of the renal cysts was found in 13 patients (65 %). Flank pain subsided in all 6 (100 %) previously symptomatic patients.

Conclusions

Flexible ureteroscopy with the Holmium laser may be a feasible and effective treatment option in selected patients with simple parapelvic renal cysts. Further prospective randomized studies that compare the procedure to laparoscopic treatments are needed.

Transport magnetic proximity effects in platinum

Platinum (Pt) metal, being nonmagnetic and with a strong spin-orbit coupling interaction, has been central in detecting the pure spin current and establishing most of the recent spin-based phenomena. Magnetotransport measurements, both electrical and thermal, conclusively show strong ferromagnetic characteristics in thin Pt films on the ferromagnetic insulator due to the magnetic proximity effects. The pure spin current phenomena measured by Pt, including the inverse spin Hall and the spin Seebeck effects, are thus contaminated and not exclusively established.

Pyloric resection and delayed gastric liquid emptying in rats

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection of the distal stomach impairs gastric emptying. Generally, pylorus and the antrum are removed in the distal gastrectomy, however, the pylorus is removed individually under specific circumstances. We focus on the relation between the pyloric resection and the gastric liquid emptying.

AIMS

The present investigation aimed to explore the pylorectomy how to influence gastric liquid emptying in rats.

METHODS

Pylorectomy and end-to-end gastroduodenal anastomosis were conducted in rats. Electrodes were implanted in the gastrointestinal serosal surface near the stoma. Total stomach, proximal stomach, distal stomach and duodenal liquid emptying, myoelectricities in the gastrointestinal tract near the stoma, and structures were examined with scintigraphy, electrode recording in vivo, and electron microscopy, respectively.

RESULTS

Delayed total stomach and distal stomach emptying were found in pylorectomy rats (p<0.001). However, there was no difference in the proximal stomach and the duodenal liquid emptying compared to the controls (p>0.05). The myoelectricity of 3-5 cpm (cycles/min) in antrum and 10-12 cpm in duodenum were found in the controls and no retrograde or antegrade myoelectricities were recorded in the duodenum and antrum. High-frequency myoelectricities (tachygastria) were recorded in the antrum near the stoma (p<0.01), the retrograde and antegrade myoelectricities propagating through the stoma were recorded, and the regenerated interstitial cells of Cajal were found in stoma under electron microscope observation in pylorectomy rat.

CONCLUSIONS

The gastroduodenal incoordination and abnormal myoelectricity related to impaired contraction in the antrum caused the delayed liquid gastric emptying in pylorectomy rats.

Detailed study on the role of oxygen vacancies in structural, magnetic and transport behavior of magnetic insulator: Co-CeO(2)

Room temperature ferromagnetism in polycrystalline Co(x)Ce(1-x)O(2-δ) (0.001≤x≤0.10) bulk samples has been investigated. Annealing in the forming gas transformed the as-prepared paramagnetic into a ferromagnetic insulating material with over two orders of magnitude enhancement (from 3.7 × 10(-2) to 1.24 μ(B)/Co) in the magnetization. Structural characterization of both the as-prepared and H(2)-treated samples showed a single phase material. The incorporation of Co with the formation of oxygen vacancies in the oxide lattice was revealed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The presence of oxygen vacancies is indicated by the existence of mixed valence states of cerium (Ce(4+) and Ce(3+)) in the high resolution XPS 3d spectrum. The role of the donor defects (oxygen vacancies) has been verified through the removal of oxygen vacancies. The ferromagnetic insulating ground state has been explained in terms of the interaction of the F(+) center and 3d magnetic cations. The connection between magnetic properties, electronic structure of the magnetic impurity and donor defect has been established. First principle calculations have been performed using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method within the density functional theory (DFT) framework; these support our experimental findings. Both the experiment and calculations reinforced the crucial role of oxygen vacancies.

Interplay of dopant, defects and electronic structure in driving ferromagnetism in Co-doped oxides: TiO(2), CeO(2) and ZnO

A comprehensive study of the defects and impurity (Co)-driven ferromagnetism is undertaken in the oxide semiconductors: TiO(2), ZnO and CeO(2). The effect of magnetic (Co(2+)) and non-magnetic (Cu(2+)) impurities in conjunction with defects, such as oxygen vacancies (V(o)), have been thoroughly investigated. Analyses of the x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data reveal the incorporation of cobalt in the lattice, with no signature of cobalt segregation. It is shown that oxygen vacancies are necessary for the ferromagnetic coupling in the Co-doped oxides mentioned above. The possible exchange mechanisms responsible for the ferromagnetism are discussed in light of the energy levels of dopants in the host oxides. In addition, Co and Cu co-doped TiO(2) samples are studied in order to understand the role of point defects in establishing room temperature ferromagnetism. The parameters calculated from the bound magnetic polaron (BMP) and Jorgensen's optical electronegativity models offer a satisfactory explanation of the defect-driven ferromagnetism in the doped/co-doped samples.

[Transperineal laparoscopic nephrectomy in live-donors]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the feasibility and safety of transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy in live-donors.

METHODS

Two cases of live-donor underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy in May and August 2008 respectively and both were followed up.

RESULT

In two cases the operation time was 130, 10 min; blood loss was 50 ml; warm ischemic time was 30 s and 2 min; the length of artery was 4.0 cm and 3.5 cm; the length of vein was 3.0 cm. The grafted kidneys started to produce urine at 30 s and 10 s after blood supply. Renal function of donor returned to normal after two days. The donors were discharged at 7th day after the operation. Renal function of recipient was normal after 3 days.

CONCLUSION

Transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy in live-donor is a safe and effective procedure, which provides kidney with satisfactory blood vessels and ureter for graft.

[Genotyping of HLA-DRB by oligonucleotide arrays in Han populations in southern China]

OBJECTIVE

To develop an oligoneucleotide array for HLA-DRB typing and evaluate its function in comparison with that of PCR-SSP typing.

METHODS

According to the specific allele sequences of HLA-DRB loci in Han populations in Southern China, 44 synthesized typing probes were immobilized on a glass supports. A pair of group-specific primers was designed according to the sequence of HLA-DRB exon2, then the primers and Cy5-dCTP were used in PCR, thus the PCR products were labeled with Cy5. The labeled PCR products were hybridized with the probes in the array, and the signals were scanned by scanner and then analyzed by Image software.110 samples of DNA of the lymphocytes from the spleens or peripheral blood of kidney recipients and unrelated donors were typed by this array and the results were compared with those of PCR-SSP typing.

RESULTS

All the samples except for one without PCR product had been genotyped by HLA array successfully. Ten samples were identified differently by these 2 methods. PCR-SSO verified the correctness of the array in 7 samples among which 6 samples were identified as homozygous by PCR-SSP and heterozygous by array and 1 sample was identified as heterozygous by PCR-SSP and homozygous by the array; and proved that among the remaining 3 samples the results of 2 samples identified by PCR-SSP and 1 sample identified by the array were wrong.

CONCLUSION

The HLA-DRB oligoneucleotide array technique is a precise, rapid molecular method for HLA-DRB genotyping. Compared with PCR-SSP method, the genotyping chip is more sensitive and specific and can test several samples at a time.

The diagnosis and management of solvent-related disorders

Millions of workers in the United States are recurrently exposed to solvents throughout their working lives. Members of this class of compounds share the ability to dissolve waxes, fats, and oils as their common characteristic. This review offers the health practitioner a practical approach to the diagnosis, management, and prevention of solvent-related disorders that result from exposures to these compounds in the workplace. A description of commonly used solvents is provided, along with a brief review of the literature that documents their acute and chronic effects on health.

Role of copper zinc superoxide dismutase in the short-term treatment of acetic acid-induced colitis in rats

The present study describe the role of copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) in the short-term treatment of experimental colitis induced with 8% acetic acid. The colonic mucosa damage index in the group of 10 rats treated intravenously with 30,000 U/kg CuZnSOD was significantly decreased when compared with the control group (10 rats) treated with normal saline (0.4 +/- 0.6 vs 1.5 +/- 0.5 p < 0.01). Assay of SOD in the control group was 0.3 +/- 0.08 and in the SOD treated group, SOD was significantly increased to 0.8 +/- 0.1, glutathione peroxidase was 44.8 +/- 6.3 in the control and 56.4 +/- 9.1 in the treated group (difference not significant). Both myeloperoxidase activity (14.0 +/- 2.5 vs 22.7 +/- 2.5) and lipid peroxidation products (13.8 +/- 2.9 vs 52.9 +/- 9.6) were significantly lower in the colonic mucosa of the SOD treated group in comparison with the control. These results indicate that the anti-inflammatory effects of CuZnSOD were mainly the removal of oxygen free radicals and indirectly the prevention of lipid peroxidation. This study suggests that CuZnSOD may be beneficial in the treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis. However, our experimental data suggest that this treatment will not have strong effects on the control of severe ulcerative colitis.