Mitochondrial dysfunction affects hepatic immune and metabolic remodeling in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background: Immune dysregulation and metabolic derangement have been recognized as key factors that contribute to the progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, the mechanisms underlying immune and metabolic derangement in patients with advanced HBV-ACLF are unclear.

Aim: To identify the bioenergetic alterations in the liver of patients with HBV-ACLF causing hepatic immune dysregulation and metabolic disorders.

Treatment of functional dyspepsia in Chinese adult patients with domperidone: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.

Objective: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of domperidone for the treatment of Chinese patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) who were diagnosed according to the Rome IV criteria and to identify the FD subtypes that potentially responded better to domperidone.

Methods: This multicenter prospective study was conducted in China from August 2018 to July 2020, consisting of a 1-week screening phase and a 2-week double-blind treatment phase. Participants were randomized to receive domperidone 10 mg or matching placebo tablets thrice daily for 14 days.

Prognostic and clinicopathological value of Twist expression in esophageal cancer: A meta-analysis.

Background: Twist is a repressor of E-cadherin transcription that induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cancer metastasis. However, the prognostic value of Twist expression in patients with esophageal cancer remains controversial.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic and clinicopathological value of Twist expression in esophageal cancer.

[Medication regularity of combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in treating Helicobacter pylori-related gastropathy based on literatures].

The medication rules of combination of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) and Western medicine in treating Helicobacter pylori-related gastropathy are analyzed to provide reference for clinical Helicobacter pylori-related gastropathy. Relevant literatures on integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori-related gastropathy were collected in CNKI,Wan Fang,VIP and CBM. Excel software and traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system were used to establish a prescription database for data mining and analysis of the medication rules.

[Clinical Features of Pneumocystis Jiroveci Pneumonia in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease].

Objective To investigate the clinical features of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) complicated with Pneumocystis Jiroveci Pneumonia (PJP). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 5 patients who were hospitalized in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2012 to July 2017 for treatment of IBD complicated with PJP. Demographic characteristics,clinical manifestations,treatments,and outcomes were descriptively analyzed.

A novel fully automated system for quantification of Hepatitis B virus DNA using magnetic bead-based method combined with real-time PCR.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem and causes liver damage as cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Development of an accurate, sensitive and reproducible detection method for detecting and monitoring HBV DNA is very necessary and urgent.

Objectives: The aims were to evaluate the analytical performances of the fully automated Pre-NAT system comparing to domestic assay, and to explore the role of highly sensitive quantification of HBV DNA in the management of chronic HBV infection.

Differentiation of mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma from poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma: based on the multivariate analysis of contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings.

Purpose: We aim to gain further insight into identifying differential radiological features of mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (mICC) from poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (pHCC) on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT).

Materials And Methods: 107 patients with pathologically confirmed mICC (n = 48) and pHCC (n = 59) who had undergone preoperative contrast-enhanced CT were enrolled. Qualitative analysis of CT images were evaluated for tumor demarcation, shape, presence of satellite nodules, capsular retraction, biliary involvement, intratumoral arteries, tortuous tumoral vessels, vascular invasion, portal vein tumor thrombus, arterial enhancement pattern, portal venous phase enhancement, and washout pattern.

Enhanced magnifying endoscopy for differential diagnosis of superficial gastric lesions identified with white-light endoscopy.

Background: Various techniques using magnifying endoscopy (ME) and chromoendoscopy are being developed to enhance images of gastrointestinal tumor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ME enhanced by acetic acid-indigo carmine mixture (ME-AIM) and ME enhanced with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) for differential diagnosis of superficial gastric lesions identified with conventional white-light endoscopy (WLE).

Methods: Patients with superficial gastric lesions picked up with WLE were enrolled in the study.

Endoscopic ultrasound in restaging and predicting pathological response for advanced gastric cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Aim: To evaluate the role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in restaging and predicting response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: In all, 48 advanced gastric cancer patients were recruited from June 2007 to December 2010 after providing their written, informed consent. All patients underwent an EUS before and after three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (FOLFOX 6), and then a radical resection was performed 3-4 weeks after chemotherapy.

Pancreaticobiliary duct changes of periampullary carcinomas: quantitative analysis at MR imaging.

Purpose: To quantitatively analyse the pancreaticobiliary duct changes of periampullary carcinomas with volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) and true fast imaging with steady-state precession (true FISP) sequence, and investigate the value of these findings in differentiation and preoperative evaluation.

Materials And Methods: Magnetic resonance (MR) images of 71 cases of periampullary carcinomas (34 cases of pancreatic head carcinoma, 16 cases of intrapancreatic bile duct carcinoma and 21 cases of ampullary carcinoma) confirmed histopathologically were analysed. The maximum diameter of the common bile duct (CBD) and main pancreatic duct (MPD), dilated pancreaticobiliary duct angle and the distance from the end of the proximal dilated pancreaticobiliary duct to the major papilla were measured.

[Whole-liver perfusion scans with 64-slice spiral CT in patients with liver cirrhosis].

Objective: To test the value of whole-liver perfusion in demonstrating liver angiography and assessing the degree of liver cirrhosis.

Methods: Forty patients with confirmed liver cirrhosis (patient group) and twenty patients without any liver abnormalities (control group) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent whole-liver perfusion CT scans.

Ectopic pancreaticobiliary drainage accompanied by proximal jejunal adenoma: a case report.

A patient with obstructive jaundice was examined by multidetector row helical computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and his common bile duct was observed to be leading into the distal portion of the horizontal duodenum with a pancreaticobiliary union outside the duodenal wall. A mass was also found in the proximal jejunum. All the above findings were confirmed by subsequent surgery, thus contrast-enhanced MDCT and MRI with appropriate image post-processing could provide non-invasive and accurate information regarding anatomy and lesions of the pancreaticobiliary duct and duodenal union, which may improve the feasibility of surgery and reduce postoperative complications.

First-principles determinations and investigations of the electronic absorption and third-order polarizability spectra of electron donor-acceptor chromophores tetraalkylammonium halide/carbon tetrabromide.

Calculations on donor-acceptor molecular pairs of tetraalkylammonium halide/carbon tetrabromide complexes are provided to investigate structure/property-related linear and nonlinear optical properties by using the time-dependent density functional theory technique coupled with the sum-over-states method. The calculated energies of the first allowed electronic transition decrease, and the nonresonant third-order polarizabilities at the THG, EFISHG, and DFWM optical processes increase progressively from [DBU-H+Br-.CBr(4) to [NPr(4)Br.

From molecule to bulk material: optical properties of hydrogen-bonded dimers [C12H12N4O2AgPF6]2 and [C28H28N6O3AgPF6]2 depend on the arrangement of the oxime moieties.

The dependence of the optical properties of [C(12)H(12)N(4)O(2)AgPF(6)](2) (dimer-1) and [C(28)H(28)N(6)O(3)AgPF(6)](2) (dimer-2) on the arrangement of the oxime moieties in the molecule and in bulk crystals was investigated by means of time-dependent density functional theory. Dimer-1 with simple pyridine oxime ligands and a wavy arrangement has a smaller dipole moment and larger transition energy between the two states, and thus smaller third-order polarizabilities and two-photon absorption cross sections. Dimer-2 with extended pyridine oxime ligands and a ladder arrangement has a larger dipole moment and smaller transition energy between the two states, and thus larger third-order polarizabilities and two-photon absorption cross sections.

Synthesis, crystal structure, and optical properties of LiGd5P2O13, a layered lithium gadolinium phosphate containing one-dimensional Li chains.

A lithium gadolinium phosphate crystal, LiGd5P2O13, has been synthesized by a high temperature solution reaction and solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The structure is monoclinic, space group C2/m, with unit cell parameters a = 18.645(3), b = 5.

Theoretical study of two-photon absorption in donor-acceptor chromophores tetraalkylammonium halide/carbon tetrabromide.

Two-photon absorption properties of a series of donor-acceptor chromophores of tetraalkylammonium halide/carbon tetrabromide ([NR4h.CBr4], h = Cl, Br, I; R = Me, Et, Pr) complexes are investigated in terms of the calculated results by the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) technique combined with the sum-over-states (SOS) method. The modeling two-photon absorption spectra show that these charge-transfer complexes have large two-photon absorption (TPA) cross sections and the [NEt4I.