ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine independent predictors of inguinal lymph node (ILN) metastasis in patients with penile cancer. Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed all patients with penile cancer who underwent surgery at our medical center in the last ten years (n=157). Using univariate and multivariate logistic-regression models, we assessed associations with age, medical-history, phimosis, onset-time, number and maximum diameter of involved ILNs measured by imaging, pathological T stage, degree of tumor differentiation and/or cornification, lymphatic vascular infiltration (LVI), nerve infiltration, and ILN metastases. Interaction and stratified analyses were used to assess age, phimosis, onset time, number of ILNs, cornification, and nerve infiltration. Results: A total of 110 patients were included in the study. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were significantly correlated with ILN metastasis: maximum diameter of enlarged ILNs, T stage, pathological differentiation, and LVI. Among patients with a maximum ILN diameter ≥1.5cm, 50% had lymph node metastasis whereas 30.6% patients with a maximum ILN diameter <1.5cm showed LNM. Among 44 patients with stage Ta/T1, 10 showed ILN metastases, while 47.0% patients with stage T2 showed ILN metastases. Among 40 patients with highly differentiated penile-cancer, eight showed ILN metastasis, while 47.1% patients with low-to-middle differentiation showed ILN metastases. The rate of LNM was 33.3% in the LVI-free group and 64.3% in the LVI group. Conclusion: Our single-center results suggested that maximum ILN diameter, pathological T stage, pathological differentiation, and LVI were independent risk factors for ILN metastases.

RESUMO Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da cobertura contínua do olho doente de pacientes com coriorretinopatia serosa central por 48 horas. Métodos: Este estudo retrospectivo, caso-controle, incluiu 32 pacientes com coriorretinopatia serosa central, dos quais 17 receberam tratamento de cobertura contínua por 48 horas no olho doente com gaze médica como grupo de tratamento e 15 foram acompanhados como grupo de observação. Todos os pacientes não receberam nenhum outro tratamento ou medicamento. O logaritmo do ângulo mínimo de resolução da acuidade visual melhor corrigida (LogMar), a espessura macular da retina e o valor médio da raiz quadrada da densidade da amplitude no primeiro anel do eletroretinograma multifocal foram examinados antes e após o tratamento por 48 horas, respectivamente. Resultados: Após o tratamento contínuo, a acuidade visual melhor corrigida pela escala logMar foi de 0, 31 ± 0, 18 no grupo de tratamento e 0, 56 ± 0, 37 no grupo de observação (p=0, 019). A espessura macular da retina foi de 461 ± 43 µm no grupo de tratamento e 498 ± 50 µm no grupo de observação (p=0,032). O valor médio da raiz quadrada da densidade de amplitude no primeiro anel do eletroretinograma multifocal foi de 32,5 ± 5,3 nV/deg2 no grupo com cobertura e foi de 26,6 ± 4,3 NV/deg2 no grupo de observação (p=0,002). Conclusões: O tratamento de cobertura contínua no olho doente, durante 48 horas, apresentou efeitos positivos na acuidade visual melhor corrigida, na espessura e na função macular da retina no tratamento da coriorretinopatia serosa central.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To assess the effect of continuously covering the sick eye affected with central serous chorioretinopathy for 48 h. Methods: This retrospective, case-control study involved 32 central serous chorioretinopathy patients categorized in the treatment group composed of 17 sick eye that received continuous covering treatment for 48 h with a medical gauze and the observation group composed of 15 of these patients who were followed up. None of the patients received any other treatments or medications. The logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) best-corrected visual acuity, macular retinal thickness, and the root mean square value of the amplitude density in the first ring of multifocal electroretinogram were examined before and after the 48-h treatment. Results: After the continuous treatment, the logMAR best-corrected visual acuities were 0.31 ± 0.18 and 0.56 ± 0.37 in the treatment and observation groups, respectively (p=0.019). The macular retinal thicknesses were 461 ± 43 µm and 498 ± 50 µm in the treatment and observation groups, respectively (p=0.032). The root mean square values of the amplitude density in the first ring of multifocal electroretinogram were 32.5 ± 5.3 nV/deg2 and 26.6 ± 4.3 nV/deg2 in the treatment and observation groups, respectively (p=0.002). Conclusions: The continuous application of the covering treatment for 48 h on the sick eye showed positive outcomes with respect to the best-corrected visual acuity, macular retinal thickness, and macular retina functions in the treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy.

ABSTRACT Protein content is one of the main nutrition quality traits used to measure nutrition value in rice (Oryza sativa L.) Therefore, improving the protein content is a main target for nutrition quality breeding in rice. Previous studies have mainly focused on the total protein content in brown and polished rice using bi-parental segregating populations. Few researchers have focused on four different protein component traits (glutelin, prolamin, albumin, and globulin) in rice, and little is known regarding association analysis in natural populations. In this study, 329 japonica accessions (Oryza sativa L. subsp. japonica Kato) were collected from worldwide geographic distributions and genotyped using 154 microsatellite markers to detect the association between four protein component traits and relative markers in the tested panel. The Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 method was used to measure the phenotype of four protein components. A total of 845 amplified alleles were detected with allele number ranging from 2 to 9. The whole population was divided into three subgroups via software STRUCTURE 2.3.4. The scatterplot showed that the LD (linkage disequilibrium) decay distance was about 30 cM in the whole tested population. A total of 15 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were identified by using both the general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM). These associated marker loci can provide a higher variety of choices in improving the nutrition quality of rice. In addition, the carrier materials with excellent alleles identified in this study can be used as parental genotypes in rice molecular breeding in the future.

Using BaCO3, SrCO3 and TiO2, et al as crude materials, La2O3 as dopant, Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 (BST) Ceramics of perovskite structure were prepared by solid state reaction method. We investigated the effects of La2O3-doping and sintering temperature on the dielectric properties of BaSrTiO3 ceramics. The experiment results show that: The amount of La2O3 can increase the dielectric constant of the sample, with the doping amount increasing, the dielectric constant increases. The sintering temperature has also significant impact on the dielectric properties. The dielectric constant of the sample reaches its highest point at 1280 °C.