A novel auxiliary fixation technique of meshes in intraperitoneal onlay mesh procedures for incisional hernia repair

IntroductionMesh fixation is an important step in incisional hernia repair. Weak fixation possibly results in postoperative pain, and even hernia recurrence. We innovated an auxiliary fixation approach, the magnet attraction technique (MAT), to achieve better mesh fixation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of MAT in intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) procedures for incisional hernia repair.MethodsHistorical patient records were analyzed according to the clinical data of 16 patients with incisional hernias. Among them, 5 patients have undergone IPOM repair procedures in combination with MAT to assist in mesh fixation. As a control, 11 patients treated with IPOM and mesh fixation via conventional suspension were included. The clinical data collected include patients' basic characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative conditions, and follow-up results in both groups.ResultsCompared with patients in the control group, patients in the MAT group were found to suffer from a larger hernia ring diameter and longer surgical duration, but shorter hospitalization length on average. And most importantly, no complication has been reported in the MAT group.ConclusionMAT in IPOM operation was regarded as a feasible and safe technique for patients suffering from incisional hernias

Diagenesis of the first member of Canglangpu Formation of the Cambrian Terreneuvian in northern part of the central Sichuan Basin and its influence on porosity

In this paper, taking the first Member of the Canglangpu Formation of the Cambrian Terreneuvian in the northern central Sichuan Basin as an example, the diagenesis and its influence on porosity are systemically studied based on the observations and identifications of cores, casts and cathodoluminescence thin sections. The results show that the rock types of the first member of Canglangpu Formation are various, including mixed rocks, carbonate rocks and clastic rocks. The specific lithology is dominated by sand-bearing oolitic dolomite, sandy oolitic dolomite, sparry oolotic dolomite and fine-grained detrital sandstone. At the same time, the Cang 1 Member has experienced five types of diagenetic environments, including seawater, meteoric water, evaporative seawater, shallow burial, and medium-deep burial diagenetic environments. Moreover, the main diagenetic processes under different diagenetic environments include cementation, dissolution, compaction, chemical compaction, dolomitization and structural fractures. According to the analysis, fabric-selective dissolution in meteoric water diagenetic environment, dolomitization in evaporative seawater environment, and non-fabric-selective dissolution, dolomitization and structural fractures in buried diagenetic environment are beneficial to the development of pores. However, cementation, compaction and chemical compaction in medium and deep burial environments, are unfavorable for the development of pores

Activated networking of platelet activating factor receptor and FAK/STAT1 induces malignant potential in BRCA1-mutant at-risk ovarian epithelium

Objectives It is essential to understand the molecular basis of ovarian cancer etiology and tumor development to provide more effective preventive and therapeutic approaches to reduce mortality. Particularly, the molecular targets and pathways involved in early malignant transformation are still not clear. Pro-inflammatory lipids and pathways have been reported to play significant roles in ovarian cancer progression and metastasis. The major objective of this study was to explore and determine whether platelet activating factor (PAF) and receptor associated networking pathways might significantly induce malignant potential in BRCA1-mutant at-risk epithelial cells. Methods BRCA1-mutant ovarian epithelial cell lines including (HOSE-636, HOSE-642), BRCA1-mutant ovarian cancer cell (UWB1.289), wild type normal ovarian epithelial cell (HOSE-E6E7) and cancerous cell line (OVCA429), and the non-malignant BRCA1-mutant distal fallopian tube (fimbria) tissue specimens were used in this study. Mutation analysis, kinase microarray, western blot, immune staining, co-immune precipitation, cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation and bioinformatic pathway analysis were applied. Results We found that PAF, as a potent pro-inflammatory mediator, induced significant anti-apoptotic effect in BRCA1-mutant ovarian surface epithelial cells, but not in wild type HOSE cells. With kinase microarray technology and the specific immune approaches, we found that phosphor-STAT1 was activated by 100 nM PAF treatment only in BRCA1-mutant associated at-risk ovarian epithelial cells and ovarian cancer cells, but not in BRCA1-wild type normal (HOSE-E6E7) or malignant (OVCA429) ovarian epithelial cells. Co-immune precipitation revealed that elevated PAFR expression is associated with protein-protein interactions of PAFR-FAK and FAK-STAT1 in BRCA1-mutant ovarian epithelial cells, but not in the wild-type control cells. Conclusion Previous studies showed that potent inflammatory lipid mediators such as PAF and its receptor (PAFR) significantly contribute to cancer progression and metastasis. Our findings suggest that these potent inflammatory lipids and receptor pathways are significantly involved in the early malignant transformation through PAFR-FAK-STAT1 networking and to block apoptosis pathway in BRCA1 dysfunctional at-risk ovarian epithelium

Spatial structural characteristics of forests dominated by Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.

The Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) is an ecologically and economically important evergreen coniferous tree which dominates warm temperate forests throughout northern China. We established two permanent plots within the Chinese pine forest in the Jiulong Mountains, Beijing, China. To understand the structural characteristics and dynamics of these plots, we analyzed the spatial structural characteristics within nearest-neighbor relationships using the bivariate distributions of the stand spatial structural parameters: uniform angle index, W; mingling index, M; dominance index, U; and crowding index, C. Results revealed that most trees in the forest were randomly distributed. The predominant individuals and randomly arranged trees were in very dense areas and surrounded by the same species. In addition, both plots exhibited a uniform size differentiation pattern. The two plots differed mainly in the level of species mixture and dominance. The majority of reference trees in the pure Chinese pine forest (plot 1) exhibited poor species mingling and low dominance, whereas trees in the mixed Chinese pine forest (plot 2) were evenly distributed in each mingling class and most trees were of intermediate dominance. The study results are useful for optimizing forest management activities in the studied stands, promoting tree growth, regeneration and habitat diversity, and improving forest quality at a fine scale

Effect of Climate on Carbon Storage Growth Models for Three Major Coniferous Plantations in China Based on National Forest Inventory Data

Forest inventory data (FID) are important resources for understanding the dynamics of forest carbon cycling at regional and global scales. Developing carbon storage growth models and analyzing the difference and climate effect on carbon sequestration capacity have a great importance in practice, which can provide a decision-making basis for promoting high-quality development of forestry and implementing the carbon emission peak and carbon neutralization strategy. Based on the carbon storage dataset of 2680 sample plots from the ninth national forest inventory (NFI) of China, the carbon storage growth models and climate-sensitive variable-parameter carbon storage growth models for three major coniferous plantations (Larix spp., Pinus massoniana, and Pinus tabuliformis) were developed by using weighted nonlinear regression method. The effects of two climate factors (mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP)) on carbon storage growth and carbon sequestration capacity were analyzed and compared. The mean prediction error (MPE) of carbon storage growth models for three major coniferous plantations was less than 5%, and total relative error (TRE) was approximately less than 2% for self- and cross- validation. The maximum current annual increment of carbon storage for P. massoniana, Larix, and P. tabuliformis was 2.29, 1.89, and 1.19 t/(ha·a), respectively, and their corresponding age of inflection point was 9a, 14a, and 30a, respectively. The maximum average increment of carbon storage for P. massoniana, Larix, and P. tabuliformis was 1.85, 1.50, and 0.94 t/(ha·a), respectively, and their corresponding age of quantitative maturity was 16a, 24a, and 53a, respectively. The maximum average increment of carbon storage for the P. massoniana and Larix plantations was approximately 1.97 and 1.60 times, respectively, that of P. tabuliformis plantation. The average increment of carbon storage for the P. massoniana and Larix plantations reduced approximately by 4.5% and 3.8%, respectively, when the MAT decreases by 1 °C. The average increment of carbon storage for the Larix and P.tabuliformis plantations decreased by approximately 6.5% and 3.6%, respectively, when the MAP decreases by 100 mm. Our findings suggest that: the carbon sequestration capacity is from highest to lowest in the P. massoniana, Larix, and P. tabuliformis forests. MAT and MAP have different effects on the carbon growth process and carbon sequestration capacity of these plantations. The greatest impact on carbon sequestration capacity was detected in the Larix plantation, followed by the P. massoniana and P. tabuliformis plantations. It is essential to coordinate regional development and employ scientific management strategies to fully develop the maximum carbon sequestration capacity in terms of plantations in China. In the present study, we estimate the carbon storage in major coniferous plantations in China and describe a useful methodology for estimating forest carbon storage at regional and global levels

Species Diversity of Deadwood in Chinese Fir Plantations Differs between Mixed Planting and Thinning Treatments

The occurrence of deadwood is inevitable during the process of plantation conversion, but the influences of conversion and the potential environmental effect on deadwood species diversity remain unclear. We established two fixed plots in Chinese fir thinned forest (TF) and Chinese fir and Michelia macclurei Dandy mixed forest (MF) (100 × 80 and 120 × 60 m2, respectively). We classified the deadwood into groups based on origin and by status, and analyzed deadwood species diversity using four common diversity indices. We also investigated the contribution of topographic factors to tree mortality using redundancy analysis. The species composition of deadwood differed markedly between the MF and TF. The species diversity and variety of deadwood status were greater for the TF than MF, although abundance was lower. Topography was poorly correlated with deadwood in the MF, while in the TF, altitude was strongly correlated with deadwood from Chinese fir, shade-intolerant late-coming populations, and fallen wood. Slope was negatively correlated with late-coming populations and fallen wood, but deadwood correlations with convexity were weak. These results indicate that cultivation methods strongly alter the species composition, status, abundance and diversity of deadwood in plantations. Topographic factors and targeted cultivation practices promote the formation of deadwood

Analysis of Energy-Saving Transport Conditions of Light-Particle Slurry

Ice slurry, as a new environmentally friendly cold storage medium, is widely used in the field of cold storage and air conditioning because of its excellent flow and heat transfer characteristics. Based on experimental data of slurry flow, the rheological properties of light-particle slurries composed of polyethylene particles and water were analyzed using the response surface method. Using the yield stress and viscosity as the responses and considering three key influencing factors (solid-phase content, particle size, and pipe diameter) simultaneously, the order and law influencing the rheological factors were found. This was a new attempt to find energy-saving conditions for light slurry particle transport using the response surface method. The results showed that the response surface method can select the minimum working condition of mixed slurry viscosity and yield stress to ensure the safe and energy-saving transport of slurry. Moreover, it was also found that the main factor influencing slurry yield stress is the pipe diameter, and the yield stress increases with increasing pipe diameter. The main factor influencing slurry viscosity is particle size, and the viscosity increases with increasing particle size

Effect of Climate on Carbon Storage Growth Models for Three Major Coniferous Plantations in China Based on National Forest Inventory Data

Forest inventory data (FID) are important resources for understanding the dynamics of forest carbon cycling at regional and global scales. Developing carbon storage growth models and analyzing the difference and climate effect on carbon sequestration capacity have a great importance in practice, which can provide a decision-making basis for promoting high-quality development of forestry and implementing the carbon emission peak and carbon neutralization strategy. Based on the carbon storage dataset of 2680 sample plots from the ninth national forest inventory (NFI) of China, the carbon storage growth models and climate-sensitive variable-parameter carbon storage growth models for three major coniferous plantations (Larix spp., Pinus massoniana, and Pinus tabuliformis) were developed by using weighted nonlinear regression method. The effects of two climate factors (mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP)) on carbon storage growth and carbon sequestration capacity were analyzed and compared. The mean prediction error (MPE) of carbon storage growth models for three major coniferous plantations was less than 5%, and total relative error (TRE) was approximately less than 2% for self- and cross- validation. The maximum current annual increment of carbon storage for P. massoniana, Larix, and P. tabuliformis was 2.29, 1.89, and 1.19 t/(ha·a), respectively, and their corresponding age of inflection point was 9a, 14a, and 30a, respectively. The maximum average increment of carbon storage for P. massoniana, Larix, and P. tabuliformis was 1.85, 1.50, and 0.94 t/(ha·a), respectively, and their corresponding age of quantitative maturity was 16a, 24a, and 53a, respectively. The maximum average increment of carbon storage for the P. massoniana and Larix plantations was approximately 1.97 and 1.60 times, respectively, that of P. tabuliformis plantation. The average increment of carbon storage for the P. massoniana and Larix plantations reduced approximately by 4.5% and 3.8%, respectively, when the MAT decreases by 1 °C. The average increment of carbon storage for the Larix and P.tabuliformis plantations decreased by approximately 6.5% and 3.6%, respectively, when the MAP decreases by 100 mm. Our findings suggest that: the carbon sequestration capacity is from highest to lowest in the P. massoniana, Larix, and P. tabuliformis forests. MAT and MAP have different effects on the carbon growth process and carbon sequestration capacity of these plantations. The greatest impact on carbon sequestration capacity was detected in the Larix plantation, followed by the P. massoniana and P. tabuliformis plantations. It is essential to coordinate regional development and employ scientific management strategies to fully develop the maximum carbon sequestration capacity in terms of plantations in China. In the present study, we estimate the carbon storage in major coniferous plantations in China and describe a useful methodology for estimating forest carbon storage at regional and global levels

Bivariate distributions for dominance <i>vs</i>. uniform angle index: Plots (a) 1 and (b) 2.

<p>Bivariate distributions for dominance <i>vs</i>. uniform angle index: Plots (a) 1 and (b) 2.</p

Map of the study site.

<p>The map was produced using the Ggmap package in R [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0194710#pone.0194710.ref040" target="_blank">40</a>].</p