This study evaluated the effects of perioperative nutrition management by a multidisciplinary team on nutrition and postoperative complications of patients with esophageal cancer. A total of 239 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy and gastric conduit reconstruction for esophageal or esophagogastric junction cancer between February 2019 and February 2020 were included in the study. They were divided into the experimental group (120 patients) and the control group (119 patients) using the random number table method. Control group patients received routine diet management and experimental group patients received perioperative nutrition management by a multidisciplinary team. The differences of nutriture and postoperative complications between the two groups were compared. At 3 and 7 days after surgery, the experimental group patients had higher total protein and albumin levels (P<0.05), shorter postoperative anal exhaust time (P<0.05), lower incidence of postoperative gastrointestinal adverse reactions, pneumonia, anastomotic fistula, hypoproteinemia (P<0.05), and lower hospitalization costs (P<0.05) than the control group. Nutrition management by a multidisciplinary team effectively improved the nutriture of patients, promoted the rapid recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function, reduced postoperative complications, and reduced hospitalization costs.

Abstract: Triptolide, a purified diterpenoid from the herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f., was widely used to treat many diseases. However, the hepatotoxicity of triptolide limited its clinical use. Research showed oxidative stress played an important role in triptolide-induced liver injury. To investigate the effect of vitamin C, which was one of the most effective antioxidants, on triptolide-induced hepatotoxicity and its potential mechanism in mice. In the present study, acute liver injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection of triptolide and vitamin C was orally administered. The results showed treatment with vitamin C prevented the triptolide-induced liver injury by reducing the levels of aspartate transaminase from 286.86 to 192.48 U/mL and alanine aminotransferase from 746.75 to 203.36 U/mL. Histopathological changes of liver corresponded to the same trend. Furthermore, vitamin C also protected the liver against triptolide-induced oxidative stress by inhibiting the generation of malondialdehyde (2.22 to 1.49 nmol/mgprot) and hydrogen peroxide (14.74 to 7.19 mmol/gprot) and restoring the level of total superoxide dismutase (24.32 to 42.55 U/mgprot) and glutathione (7.69 to 13.03 μg/mgprot). These results indicated that vitamin C could protect against triptolide-induced liver injury via reducing oxidative stress, and vitamin C may pose a significant health protection in the clinical use of triptolide.

An improved method based on reverse flow injection is proposed for determining sulfate concentration in the wet-process of phosphoric acid (WPA). The effect of reagent composition, flow rate, temperature, acid concentration, length of the reaction coil, and linear response range on the flow system is discussed in detail. Optimal conditions are established for determining sulfate in the WPA samples. Baseline drift is avoided by a periodic washing step with EDTA in an alkaline medium. A linear response is observed within a range of 20 - 360 mg L-1, given by the equation A = 0.0020C (mg L-1) + 0.0300, R² = 0.9991. The detection limit of the proposed method for sulfate analysis is 3 mg L-1, and the relative standard deviation (n = 12) of sulfate absorbance peak is less than 1.60%. This method has a rate of up to 29 samples per hour, and the results compare well with those obtained with gravimetric method.

As is commonly understood, the root canal morphology of the maxillary molars is usually complex and variable. It is sometimes difficult to detect the distobuccal root canal orifice of a maxillary second molar with root canal treatment. No literature related to the distobuccal root canals of the maxillary second molars has been published. Objective: To investigate the position of the distobuccal root canal orifice of the maxillary second molars in a Chinese population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Material and methods: In total, 816 maxillary second molars from 408 patients were selected from a Chinese population and scanned using CBCT. The following information was recorded: (1) the number of root canals per tooth, (2) the distance between the mesiobuccal and distobuccal root canal orifice (DM), (3) the distance between the palatal and distobuccal root canal orifice (DP), (4) the angle formed by the mesiobuccal, distobuccal and palatal root canal orifices (∠PDM). DM, DP and ∠PDM of the teeth with three or four root canals were analyzed and evaluated. Results: In total, 763 (93.51%) of 816 maxillary second molars had three or four root canals. The distance between the mesiobuccal and distobuccal orifice was 0.7 to 4.8 mm. 621 (81.39%) of 763 teeth were distributed within 1.5-3.0 mm. The distance between the palatal and distobuccal orifice ranged from 0.8 mm to 6.7 mm; 585 (76.67%) and were distributed within 3.0-5.0 mm. The angle (∠PDM) ranged from 69. 4º to 174.7º in 708 samples (92.80%), the angle ranged from 90º to 140º. Conclusions: The position of the distobuccal root canal orifice of the maxillary second molars with 3 or 4 root canals in a Chinese population was complex and variable. Clinicians should have a thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the maxillary second molars.