ABSTRACT Purpose Horseshoe kidney (HSK) is the most common renal fusion anomaly, occurring in 0.25% of the population (1). It presents technical obstacles to pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) despite robotic assistance (2, 3). KangDuo-Surgical-Robot-01 (KD-SR-01), an emerging robotic platform in China, has yielded satisfactory outcomes in pyeloplasty (4, 5). We first describe our modified technique of robotic bilateral pyeloplasty for UPJO in HSK using KD-SR-01 system in the Lithotomy Trendelenburg position. Materials and Methods A 36-year-old man with HSK and bilateral UPJO suffered right flank pain due to renal calculi (Figure-1). Repeated double-J stent insertion and ureteroscopy lithotripsy did not relieve his symptoms. A robot-assisted modified bilateral dismembered V-shaped flap pyeloplasty was performed using KD-SR-01 system in the Lithotomy Trendelenburg position. Results Total operative time was 298 minutes with 50 ml estimated blood loss. There was no conversion to laparoscopic or open surgery. A follow-up of 14 months showed relieving symptoms and stable renal function. Cine magnetic resonance urography and computed tomography urography revealed improved hydronephrosis and good drainage. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. Conclusions It is technically feasible to perform a KD-SR-01-assisted modified bilateral dismembered V-shaped flap pyeloplasty in the Lithotomy Trendelenburg position for HSK. This procedure achieves managing UPJO on both sides without redocking the system and provides a wider operative field. In addition, it may be associated with better ergonomics, better cosmetic outcomes, and less possibility of postoperative bowel adhesion. However, further investigation is still warranted to confirm its safety, efficacy, and advantages over traditional procedures.

Abstract Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic mycotoxin present in many foods, posing a serious human health problem. Oriental high-salt fermented foods are highly susceptible to AFB1 contamination due to their production process and condition. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate microbial resources that can remove AFB1 in a high-salt condition. In the current study, forty-nine salt-tolerant microorganisms with the ability to remove AFB1 were isolated from Doubanjiang, a Chinese typical high-salt red pepper paste. Among them, Bacillus velezensis AD8 had the highest removal rate of AFB1. The AFB1 removal activity of B. velezensis AD8 was mainly attributed to culture supernatant, and it was sensitive to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or/and proteinase-K treatment, which indicated that extracellular enzyme contributed to the degradation of AFB1. The optimal incubation time, pH value and NaCl concentration of the initial medium for degradation of AFB1 by the B. velezensis AD8 were investigated. In addition, the AFB1 concentration had no significant effect on degradation activity. The addition of nitrogen source, Mg2+ and Mn2+ stimulated degradation rate, whereas addition of carbon source, Zn2+ and Fe2+ inhibited degradation. Thus, B. velezensis AD8 might be a potential candidate to degrade AFB1 in high-salt food matrices.

With agaric as carbon source and urea as nitrogen source, this paper has successfully synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) by simple one-step hydrothermal method. A series of analysis have been used to make characterization of the physical, chemical structures and optical performance of N-CQDs. The fluorescence stability was studied by examining the ionic strength, pH value and storage time and other conditions. The cytotoxicity and bacterial toxicity of N-CQDs were applied to biological imaging. Considering the quenching effect of 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4 DNP) on the fluorescence generated by N-CQDs, N-CQDs have been used as fluorescence probe in detection of 2,4-DNP where N-CQDs showed high sensitivity, selectivity and strong disturbance resistance to 2,4-DNP based on the quenching mechanism of transfer of resonance energy. It can also be concluded that agaric-based N-CQDs can be used in bio-imaging due to a good inhibitory effect on but low toxicity to bacteria. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the probe has presented a good coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9969) and a low limit of detection (15.78 nM). This method has been successfully applied to determine 2,4-DNP in environmental samples and provided a new idea for developing green and natural composite carbon materials.