Robotic surgical systems, with advantages such as 3D visualization, rotating instruments, and stable imaging, are increasingly utilized in transabdominal and transanal approaches for rectal cancer surgery. Compared to traditional laparoscopy, robotic systems could educe the technical difficulty of total mesorectal excision (TME) and enhance pelvic autonomic nerve preservation, while demonstrating comparable long-term outcomes. However, the high cost and limited clinical benefits have led to reflection. Controversies persist regarding prolonged operative time, lack of haptic feedback and limited cost-effectiveness. Studies suggest robotic surgery may benefit patients with complex conditions such as obesity, narrow pelvis or low rectal tumors. The rapid development of domestic surgical robots is expected to break market monopolies, reduce costs and expand applications through telemedicine. Future efforts should focus on identifying optimal patient cohorts and generating high-quality evidence to refine the clinical utility of robotic surgery.

Robotic surgical systems, with advantages such as 3D visualization, rotating instruments, and stable imaging, are increasingly utilized in transabdominal and transanal approaches for rectal cancer surgery. Compared to traditional laparoscopy, robotic systems could educe the technical difficulty of total mesorectal excision (TME) and enhance pelvic autonomic nerve preservation, while demonstrating comparable long-term outcomes. However, the high cost and limited clinical benefits have led to reflection. Controversies persist regarding prolonged operative time, lack of haptic feedback and limited cost-effectiveness. Studies suggest robotic surgery may benefit patients with complex conditions such as obesity, narrow pelvis or low rectal tumors. The rapid development of domestic surgical robots is expected to break market monopolies, reduce costs and expand applications through telemedicine. Future efforts should focus on identifying optimal patient cohorts and generating high-quality evidence to refine the clinical utility of robotic surgery.

Objective:To observe any impact of supplementing conventional rehabilitation training with electrothermal acupuncture on the upper limb motor functioning of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods:Thirty-six hemiplegic persons who had recently survived a stroke were divided at random into an electrothermal acupuncture group ( n=18) and a control group ( n=18). Both groups received conventional rehabilitation training, while the electrothermal acupuncture group was additionally provided with daily 30-minute sessions of electrothermal acupuncture, 6 days per week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment everyone′s upper limb motor functioning was quantified using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-UE), and their ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed using the modified Barthel index (MBI). The Hong Kong version of the functional test for the hemiplegic upper extremity (FTHUE-HK) was also administered. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was employed to compute the co-contraction ratios (CRs) of the agonist to antagonist muscles during elbow flexion and extension. Results:After the treatment, both groups exhibited significant improvements in their average FMA-UE, FTHUE-HK and MBI results, but with significantly greater improvement in the electrothermal acupuncture group. The root mean square values of the wrist flexor and extensor and elbow flexor muscles during flexion showed significant improvement in both groups, with the average values in the electrothermal acupuncture group significantly better than those of the control group. The CR values during elbow extension in the electrothermal acupuncture group demonstrated significant improvement compared to before the treatment.Conclusions:Supplementing conventional rehabilitation measures with electrothermal acupuncture can better increase the strength of the elbow and wrist extensor muscles in the early days after a stroke. It promotes the recruitment of muscle fibers in the extensor muscle group, reduces abnormal coordination patterns in the elbow joint, and improves upper limb motor function, the practicality of hand function, and ability in the activities of daily living.

Objective:To observe any impact of supplementing conventional rehabilitation training with electrothermal acupuncture on the upper limb motor functioning of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods:Thirty-six hemiplegic persons who had recently survived a stroke were divided at random into an electrothermal acupuncture group ( n=18) and a control group ( n=18). Both groups received conventional rehabilitation training, while the electrothermal acupuncture group was additionally provided with daily 30-minute sessions of electrothermal acupuncture, 6 days per week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment everyone′s upper limb motor functioning was quantified using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-UE), and their ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed using the modified Barthel index (MBI). The Hong Kong version of the functional test for the hemiplegic upper extremity (FTHUE-HK) was also administered. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was employed to compute the co-contraction ratios (CRs) of the agonist to antagonist muscles during elbow flexion and extension. Results:After the treatment, both groups exhibited significant improvements in their average FMA-UE, FTHUE-HK and MBI results, but with significantly greater improvement in the electrothermal acupuncture group. The root mean square values of the wrist flexor and extensor and elbow flexor muscles during flexion showed significant improvement in both groups, with the average values in the electrothermal acupuncture group significantly better than those of the control group. The CR values during elbow extension in the electrothermal acupuncture group demonstrated significant improvement compared to before the treatment.Conclusions:Supplementing conventional rehabilitation measures with electrothermal acupuncture can better increase the strength of the elbow and wrist extensor muscles in the early days after a stroke. It promotes the recruitment of muscle fibers in the extensor muscle group, reduces abnormal coordination patterns in the elbow joint, and improves upper limb motor function, the practicality of hand function, and ability in the activities of daily living.

Objective To investigate the correlation between somatosensory evoked potentials(SEP)of upper limbs,and sensory and motor functions in stroke patients in different stages. Methods From June,2021 to October,2023,177 stroke patients in Shijiazhuang People's Hospital were diveded into acute stage group(within 14 days,n=25),early recovery group(14 days to one month,n=110)and middle to late recovery group(one to six months,n=42)according to the duration of the disease.General information of the patients was recorded;SEP examination was performed,and N20 lantency and amplitude were recorded.Monofilament touch and two-point discrimination sensation of the patient's hands were tested using the monofila-ment and two-point discrimination tools,respectively;and motor function was assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assess-ment-Upper Extremities(FMA-UE).The correlation between SEP,and the sensory and motor scores in each group was analyzed. Results There was no significant difference in the monofilament tactile and two-point discrimination scores among the three groups(P>0.05).SEP was not correlated with sensory and motor functions in the acute stage group(P>0.05);in the early recovery group,N20 latency was negatively correlated with monofilament tactile sensation(r=-0.267,P=0.005)and positively correlated with two-point discrimination sensation(r=0.220,P=0.021),and N20 amplitude was positively correlated with monofilament tactile sensation(r=0.328,P<0.001)and FMA-UE score(r=0.418,P<0.001),and negatively correlated with two-point discrimination(r=-0.405,P<0.001);in the middle to late recovery group,the N20 latency was negatively correlated with FMA-UE score(r=-0.313,P=0.044),and N20 amplitude was positively correlated with monofilament tactile sensation(r=0.598,P<0.001)and FMA-UE score(r=0.393,P=0.010),and negatively correlated with two-point discrimination(r=-0.591,P<0.001).Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the score of monofilament tactile sensa-tion was negatively correlated with N20 latency(β=-0.510,P=0.046),and the FMA-UE score was positively correlated with N20 amplitude(β=0.313,P=0.026)in the middle to late recovery group;in the early recovery group,the two-point discriminative sensation score was negatively correlated with N20 amplitude(β=-0.270,P=0.039). Conclusion The correlation between SEP and sensory and motor functions becomes more significant with the prolonga-tion of disease.

Humans ; Staphylococcus lugdunensis/genetics* ; Peptides, Cyclic ; Chromosomes ; Operon/genetics* ; Staphylococcal Infections/genetics* ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents

Although networks of microbial species have been widely used in the analysis of 16S rRNA sequencing data of a microbiome, the construction and analysis of a complete microbial gene network are in general problematic because of the large number of microbial genes in metagenomics studies. To overcome this limitation, we propose to map microbial genes to functional units, includ-ing KEGG orthologous groups and the evolutionary genealogy of genes:Non-supervised Ortholo-gous Groups (eggNOG) orthologous groups, to enable the construction and analysis of a microbial functional network. We devised two statistical methods to infer pairwise relationships between microbial functional units based on a deep sequencing dataset of gut microbiome from type 2 dia-betes (T2D) patients as well as healthy controls. Networks containing such functional units and their significant interactions were constructed subsequently. We conducted a variety of analyses of global properties, local properties, and functional modules in the resulting functional networks. Our data indicate that besides the observations consistent with the current knowledge, this study provides novel biological insights into the gut microbiome associated with T2D.

BACKGROUNDTo study the significance of pneumonectomy via intrapericardial vascular management in the surgical treatment of lung cancer.

METHODSA total of 56 patients with central-type lung cancer underwent pneumonectomy via intrapericardial vascular management.

RESULTSThe incidence of postoperative complications was 8.93%(5/56). One patient died and the mortality rate was 1.97%. The postoperative follow up rate was 96.4%. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 72.7%(40/55), 31.4%(11/35) and 17.4% (4/23) respectively.

CONCLUSIONSPneumonectomy via intrapericardial vascular management is safe and can improve the resection rate. It might provide a basis for the further treatment of lung cancer and should be widely applied.