Clear Border Research Articles

Optical biopsy: fundamentals and applications in neurosurgery

Currently, there is a significant increase in the incidence of cancer of the central nervous system. Determination of the boundaries of intracerebral and intramedullary tumors is especially difficult. The urgency of the problem of determining the boundaries of astrocytic tumors is due to the peculiarities of their growth along myelinated nerve fibers and vessels, leading to the infiltration of healthy white matter by tumor cells, which affects the high frequency of postoperative relapses. The complexity of surgery for intramedullary tumors of the spinal cord is that the tumor does not always have a clear border and the risk of injury is high due to the smaller size of the operated area compared to the brain. Reliable information regarding the volume of the resected tumor should be obtained by intraoperative imaging. The solution to this problem is implemented mainly in three directions: the use of intraoperative computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound scanning, and various combinations of these methods. Unfortunately, all these methods of intraoperative diagnostics do not allow real-time examination of tissues in an operating wound and/or do not provide a simultaneous analysis of both structural and metabolic changes. The limitations of intraoperative navigation methods in neurosurgery have led to the relevance of the development of an accurate spectroscopic method for in vivo determination of the content of specific metabolic markers and structural changes accompanying the development of the tumor process in the nervous tissue. Various approaches to intraoperative navigation based on optical spectroscopy are called optical biopsy. In this article, we present the methods and tools developed in recent years for spectroscopic guidance in neurooncology. First of all, this, of course, concerns the analysis of spectral dependences recorded before, during and after tumor removal. We have used such modalities of optical spectroscopy as fluorescence, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and spontaneous Raman scattering. An equally important issue on the way to increasing the efficiency of tumor resection is the development of new instrumentation; therefore, we have developed a number of new devices, which are a combination of well-known neurosurgical instruments and laser and fiber-optic technologies. Last but not least is the issue of rapid classification of the studied tissues based on the recorded signals, which was solved by us using machine learning methods.

Nonintubated versus intubated "one-stage" preoperative localization and thoracoscopic lung resection.

ObjectiveNonintubated anesthesia, electromagnetic navigation (EMN)-guided preoperative localization, and uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) are recent innovations in minimally invasive thoracic surgery. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of applying nonintubated anesthesia in a “one-stage” localization and resection workflow.MethodsPatients who underwent EMN-guided preoperative percutaneous localization with indocyanine green (ICG) and uniportal VATS were included. Perioperative data were compared between patients receiving nonintubated anesthesia and those receiving general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation.ResultsForty-six patients with a total of 50 nodules were included in the study. Overall, finger palpation could be avoided in 94% of the nodules, whereas fluorescent green signals with a clear border on the pleural surface were noted in 91.3% (21 of 23) of nodules in the nonintubated group and 88.9% (24 of 27) of nodules in the intubated group. Intraoperatively, the nonintubated group had a lower median pH (7.33 [interquartile range (IQR), 7.28-7.40] vs 7.41 [IQR, 7.38-7.44]; P = .003), higher median arterial CO2 (45.5 [IQR, 41.1-58.7] mm Hg vs 38.4 [IQR, 35.3-40.6] mm Hg; P < .001), and lower arterial oxygen (322 [IQR, 211-433] mm Hg vs 426 [IQR, 355-471] mm Hg; P = .005) levels compared with the intubated group. The nonintubated group also had a shorter median registration time (2.0 [IQR, 1.0-3.0] minutes vs 3.0 [IQR, 2.0-8.0] minutes; P = .008) and total time in the operating room (150 [IQR, 130-175] minutes vs 170 [IQR, 135-203] minutes; P = .035), whereas no between-group differences were seen in localization and operative time. The duration of chest drainage, postoperative complications, pathologic diagnosis, and margins were similar in the 2 groups.ConclusionsNonintubated “one-stage” EMN-guided percutaneous ICG localization and uniportal VATS can be an option for selected patients undergoing treatment for small peripheral nodules.

White-light endoscopy is insufficient to distinguish between types of esophageal white lesions.

Esophageal white lesions (EWL) are commonly observed under upper endoscopy, while their clinical significance remains undetermined. The aim of this study was to identify the endoscopic characteristics of EWL and distinguish between different types of EWL. Consecutive patients with upper gastrointestinal complaints and participants admitted for health check-up who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy from October 2018 to August 2019 in a tertiary hospital were prospectively screened. EWL were detected under endoscopy and biopsy was performed for histological analysis. Participants' characteristics, lifestyle, esophageal motility and reflux monitoring variables were analyzed. Of the 3641 consecutive participants screened, 303 of them aged 56.12 ± 10.95 years were found to have EWL (detection rate of 8.3%). More than one-third of them preferred hot drinks, eating pickled or spicy food, smoking and alcohol consumption and 5.3% had current or former upper gastrointestinal or head and neck cancers. The common endoscopic appearance of the EWL (2.9 mm ± 1.2 mm in diameter) included slightly elevated plaque, translucent white in color, with a clear border, round or oval in shape, and a scaly, rough or smooth surface. Histology showed low-grade intraepithelial dysplasia in 13 cases, leukoplakia in 10 and intestinal metaplasia in one. No significant differences were found between the histological findings and endoscopic manifestations of EWL. EWL are not uncommon in daily endoscopic examination, with some of them being precancerous lesions. Conventional white-light endoscopy is insufficient to identify EWL, while histological assessment is important. Further studies using advanced endoscopic techniques with long-term follow-up are needed.

Penerapan Pendekatan Word and Paradigm pada Proses Morfofonemik Verba Bahasa Turki

The Turkish language is one of the languages which people nowadays learn. The Turkish language belongs to agglutinative language with a slight border between words and their morpheme, yet it has a clear border amongst the morphemes. There is a vowel harmony in the Turkish language where the sound of the last vowel of the stem affects the vowel’s sound of the attached suffixes. The existence of the vowel harmony triggers the change of the sound of the attached morphemes which their function is as suffixes. This study analyzes the morphophonemic process of Turkish verbs using the Word and Paradigm approach. The data of this study are the oral data of Turkish verbs got from the social media of YouTube. The data are collected by observing and noting. The morphophonemic process affected by the change of the sound is later analyzed using the padan method and Word and Paradigm or WP approach from the data collection. Through the approach, the word-formation rules are made for later, the effectiveness of the Word and Paradigm approach is studied in the morphophonemic analysis of Turkish verbs. The results show that there are different kinds of word-formation, and the WP approach effectively analyses Turkish verbs.

TRANSMISI DAN REAKTIVASI VIRUS HERPES SIMPLEKS TIPE 1 (LAPORAN KASUS)

Background : Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 can cause recurrent infection (reactivation) in the form of herpes labialis. This viral infection can be transmitted through contact with oral secretions, with a 8-10% prevalence of patients) and 90% of close contact with patients. The purpose of this case study is to describe herpes labialis caused by contact with the patient and its treatment. Case report : A 23-year-old woman came to RSIGM Sultan Agung Semarang with the chief complaint of sores in the corner of her mouth since 4 days ago with fever, which ruptured two days later. Extraoral examination revealed 4 mm erosions with clear borders and multiple 1 mm vesicles with clear borders surrounded by erythematous based on the labial commissure dextra. Herpes labialis was diagnosed. Conclusion : Herpes labialis can be transmitted through direct contact or through oral secretions such as saliva. Giving acyclovir cream three times a day is effective for relieving symptoms and hastening healing. These lesions can be healed without scar.

SERTOLI CELL TUMOR OF TESTIS: CASE REPORT

A 36-year-old male with right scrotal induration visited a local physician and ultrasonography showed a mass in the right testicle. He was referred to our hospital, where an additional ultrasonography examination revealed a 1×1-cm mass with clear borders, a heterogeneous interior, slight hyperintensity, and abundant blood flow in the upper part of the right testis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography results indicated a massive lesion with an uneven contrast effect in the right testis and no evidence of metastasis, while magnetic resonance imaging showed the tumor with bleeding and internal heterogeneity. All tumor markers were negative. Under a diagnosis of primary germ cell tumor of the testis without metastasis, a high orchiectomy was performed. The pathological diagnosis was sertoli cell tumor. Histopathologically, the tumor was benign and no additional treatment was performed. Three years after the operation, the patient was well and without complications.

Sea: Zone of Proscription and Confinement of Evils

The sea is present in the collection of Popular Medicine collected by Michel Giacometti and published in Artes de Cura e Espanta-Males (2009). In many of the recipes and incantations belonging to various medical specialties, the sea – like the mountain or the high pine forest – is an area where evils are thrown / exorcised.From a close reading of the most explicit part of the collection regarding the relationship between the therapeutic ritual and the sea, we find that there is a clear border between humanized spaces – symptomatically, where roosters and chickens are singing and, by extension, other domesticated animals – and the so-called outlawed, non-humanized zones. Necessarily, a boundary to be veiled and maintained for the benefit of (fragile) human and non-human bodies. The person who throws the material remains of a therapeutic ritual into the sea often does so with his back to the sea. The evils are sent to the curdled, salty, sacred sea, or to the very bottom of the sea. Precisely, where they are believed to be no longer harmful and can never return.It is well known that in terms of a landscape history, the sea – as well as the mountain and the desert – was / is, because it is an area of incalculable risk and danger, a hostile landscape. And, only in modern times, the sea (as well as the seaside and the beach) is a landscape and a place of leisure. The aforementioned collection of folk medicine is a testament to this premodern mentality.

How the Gulf States are using their air space to assert their sovereignty

Abstract All Arab states, including the Gulf states, are regularly considered an anomaly in International Relations: allegedly artificially created, lacking clear identity, borders and sovereignty. We challenge this assertion by looking at one dimension of sovereignty often overlooked: the air space. We measure this assertion along the classical lines of sovereignty: do the states have the institutions, regulations and capacity to manage their air space, do they use it for economic and diplomatic purposes, do they have the means to conduct war in it, and does it feature in their national identity? We find that particularly since 1990, the Gulf States have affirmed their sovereignty markedly in all these areas. These findings show two things: that sovereignty can be a feature of a state regardless of the nature of its creation, and that it can be affirmed in a space previously overlooked, the air.

Sexual Difference and Women's Space in Sandra Cisneros' Caramelo

Unlike previous feminist critics who were seeking ways to reduce the otherness of the women to help them be the same as men, the subject, Luce Irigaray, strongly emphasizes the irreducibility of the women's place as the "other." Concerned with the concept of sexual difference and the otherness of women, Irigaray occupies a unique position among feminist critics. Irigaray aims not to be the "same," but to make a clear border between these two sexually different creatures. Based on sexual difference, both men and women should stand in their bordered place, and they cannot be substituted for the other. Accordingly, Irigaray seeks irreducible alterity for women in all aspects, which is the most crucial objective of this paper. Being a feminitst by spirit, Sandra Cisneros, the prize-winning chicana writer, in her novel, Caramelo (2002), dramatizes what Irigaray theorizes in her Ethics of Sexual Difference (1993). In this light, the current study analyzes Caramelo to illustrate how the "place" of the "other," that is women's "place," is occupied unfairly by the empowered men, and how female characters resist and/or succumb to the oppressive situations. The results of the study indicate that Lala, the main character, possesses the potentiality of being aware of "sexual difference" and "space," as key tools, to regain her place occupied by men, and reclaim her subjectivity, goals for which both Sandra Cisneros and Luce Irigary have aimed for years.

Primary Retroperitoneal Ganglioneuroma: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 32 Patients.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, therapy options, and outcomes of retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma.Methods: In this retrospective study, we collected and analyzed the clinical data of 32 patients diagnosed with retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma and admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2012 to August 2019.Results: Among our 32 cases with retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma, the male-to-female ratio was 1:3 and the mean age was 35. Only 25% of the cases presented with abdominal pain while more than 65% had no specific symptoms. The masses could be found through physical examination in only five patients. Most of the tumors are located near the renal area. They were usually single and displayed an embedded growth pattern with diameters <10 cm, clear borders, and soft texture. For radiological imaging, the majority of tumors demonstrated soft tissue density with mild-to-moderate enhancement on CT imaging and showed hypoecho with moderate blood flow signals in ultrasound. No significantly abnormal laboratory examinations were found in most patients. Of all the 32 patients, 2 chose surveillance after biopsy due to difficulties in operation, while others chose surgical resection. The mean follow-up time was 15.8 months among 26 patients. The tumor remained stable in the surveillance cases. Residual tumors were found in four cases receiving operations with no progress and discomfort. No recurrence was seen in all patients.Conclusions: The retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma is a benign tumor without specific clinical manifestations or significant laboratory findings. Typically, it is shown as low density with a clear border and an embedded growth pattern in radiological imaging. The overall prognosis is good. Surgery is an effective approach with possible severe complications. Incomplete resection or surveillance can be considered for some cases where complete resection is difficult to achieve.

High-speed digital off-axis holography to study atomization and evaporation of burning droplets

Droplet formation and evaporation are key processes of spray combustion, the mechanism of which is yet not fully understood. In this study, we develop a method based on high-speed (25 kHz) digital off-axis holography (DOH) to visualize and measure burning ethanol droplets in the atomization. Ligaments and fragments from a burning drop internally blown to disintegrate are studied after hologram processing. Reconstructed images are nearly free from influences of the flame with the measured droplets showing clear borders. Size and depth location uncertainties reduce to nearly 1/10 of those of commonly used with digital in-line holography. A time-resolved observation shows the dynamic formation of secondary droplets with stages classified as vapor penetration, sheet breakup, and ligament disintegration. Sizes and velocities of fragments are extracted and their distributions are analyzed at 1.12 ms, 3.12 ms, and 13 ms after the initiation of atomization. Results show that new secondary droplets have larger sizes and smaller velocities with time. Lagrangian measurements are performed with 3D droplet tracking algorithm. Evaporation rates of 31 droplets with different positions, sizes, and velocities are obtained and the results are in good accordance with previous studies. The DOH technique is promising to investigate the combustion of individual fuel droplets in a polydisperse droplet cloud as the real spray combustion.

In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy for monitoring actinic keratosis treated with 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy.

Actinic keratosis (AK) occurs frequently in sun-exposed skin while its diagnosis and treatment were still in exploration. Thirty two patients with facial AK lesions were selected and examined with reflective confocal microscopy (RCM) firstly, followed by biopsy at the same site. RCM was used to observe AK lesions before 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) treatment, after the first treatment, after 4 treatments, and at 1 and 6months follow-up. Retrospective analysis of RCM images was performed. Thirty two AK cases showed initial RCM microscopic features including disorderly arranged epidermal cells (100%), atypical keratinocytes (100%), and blurry border between the epidermis and dermis (100%). 4 patients quitted trail. After treatments, 24 cases showed basically regular arrangement of epidermal cells, absent atypical keratinocytes, and clear border between epidermis and dermis, while 4 cases improved little. At 1 and 6months follow-up, 23 cases remained relapse-free while 1 case developed recurrent symptoms. Effective rate of 4 ALA-PDT treatments for AK was 100%; recurrence and cure rates were 4.2% and 82.1%, respectively. ALA-PDT is effective to treat AK, while RCM can be recommended for in vivo evaluating and monitoring the effect of ALA-PDT on AK.

Distal Stimulation Site at the Medial Tibia for Saphenous Nerve Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (DSn-SSEPs) in Lateral Lumbar Spine Procedures

ABSTRACT Lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedures are performed with multimodality neuromonitoring of the femoral nerve to prevent lumbosacral plexus and peripheral nerve injury from positioning, dilation, retraction, and hardware implantation. The integrity of the femoral nerve can be continuously assessed during these procedures by Somatosensory Evoked Potentials of the Saphenous nerve (Sn-SSEPs). Sn-SSEPs are technically challenging to acquire and necessitate advanced troubleshooting skills with a more rigid anesthetic regimen and physiological parameters. We performed a retrospective analysis of Sn-SSEP data for 100 consecutive lateral lumbar surgeries where the stimulation electrodes were placed distally below the knee and medial to the tibia bone (i.e., DSn-SSEPs). Monitorable baseline responses were present in 87% of patients after the exclusion of fourteen cases where the tibial nerve SSEP was absent, quadriceps transcranial electrical motor evoked potentials (TCeMEPs) were absent or not utilized. Sex, age, body mass index (BMI), diagnosis, mean arterial pressure (MAP), inhalational anesthetic levels, reliability of ulnar and posterior tibial nerve SSEPs, and the reliability of femoral nerve innervated quadriceps TCeMEPs were evaluated but were not of statistically significant consequence between cases where the DSn-SSEP was present or absent in this study. We found the utilization of DSn-SSEPs to be a valuable adjunct to femoral nerve monitoring. Stimulation electrode placement is easy to palpate with clear anatomical borders. Significant muscle artifact and patient movement from stimulation do not affect waveform morphology, allowing for continuous and reliable monitoring. We recommend including DSn-SSEPs to optimize recordings during lateral lumbar procedures.

Salient target detection in hyperspectral image based on visual attention

Salient target detection in hyperspectral image is a significant task in image segmentation, target tracking, image classification and so on. Many existing saliency detection algorithms for hyperspectral image detection cannot present the boundary of the salient target well and the description of the target is not enough. A method based on visual attention to detect the salient target of hyperspectral image is proposed in this paper. In this method, frequency-tuned (FT) salient detection model is combined with spectral salient to detect target in hyperspectral image. FT model is used to get target with clear border, and spectral information is made full use of to improve the accuracy of target detection. Firstly, FT is used to detect saliency of hyperspectral image and the saliency map is generated. Then, spectral information of the hyperspectral image is measured by similarity, and the spectral saliency is obtained by calculating spectral angle distance between the spectral vectors. Finally, the FT's saliency map and the spectral saliency map are combined to form the final saliency target maps. Experimental results show that our method is superior to other methods in saliency target detection of hyperspectral image, and the precision-recall curve and F-measure are better as well.

The Problem of Cyber Espionage in the International Humanitarian Law

INTRODUCTION. The article analyses the problem of cyber espionage in the context of armed conflict in cyberspace. The relevance of this research, as part of the problem of international humanitarian law applying in cyberspace, is confirmed by the rapid development of cyber technologies that can be used during armed conflict, as well as the availability of the Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The main sources of this research are the provisions of the Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations, the rules of Additional Protocol I of June 08, 1977 to the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, the rules of the Hague Regulations on the Laws and Customs of War on Land of 1907, and the rules of custom- ary international humanitarian law. The methodology consists of the principles used in legal research, as well as general scientific and special methods of legal research (system and formal legal methods).RESEARCH RESULTS. The provisions of the Tallinn Manual on cyber espionage were examined for compliance with the relevant provisions of Additional Protocol I of June 08, 1977 to the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, the Hague Regulations on the Laws and Customs of War on Land of 1907, and the rules of customary international humanitarian law, as well as the problems that may arise in the process of possible practical application of this provision of the Tallinn Manual.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. It is noted that the provisions of the Tallinn Manual 2.0 on cyber espionage are based on the relevant rules of international law. In fact, the relevant provision of the Tallinn Manual is completely copied from the relevant rules of IHL. However, based on the results of this research, the author comes to the conclusion that such blind copying does not take into account the specifics of cyberspace and leads to the following problems in the possible practical application of this provision of the Tallinn Manual: firstly, due to the anonymity of users, it will be difficult to distinguish between a cyber intelligence officer and a cyber spy in practice. Secondly, due to the difficulties in establishing clear state borders in cyberspace, including due to the use of blockchain and VPN technologies, in practice it is impossible to reliably establish whether secret information was collected on the territory of the enemy, which, in turn, leads to difficulties in qualifying such an act as cyber espionage. Finally, in the context of modern armed conflicts, espionage has ceased to be a phenomenon exclusively of international armed conflicts, and therefore it is likely that cyber espionage can be carried out not only in the context of an international armed conflict, but also in the context of a non-international armed conflict. Based on the results of this research, suggestions were made to develop state practice on this issue. It is desirable that States raise the discussion of the above issues at the UN General Assembly, which would help to identify the main trends in the development of such practices. Only And only after the practice of States on this issue becomes more obvious, the question of developing an appropriate international treaty, preferably within the UN, can be raised.

Cholinergic degeneration in association with tau pathology and evidence of sex differences

<h3>Introduction</h3> Nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are women. While AD is associated with several pathological and neurodegenerative processes, including the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques, the spread of phosphorylated tau tangles, and the dysfunction of the cholinergic neurotransmission system, the neurobiological mechanisms contributing to the disproportional impact of AD on women remains unclear. While several recent studies, including our work, report elevated tau deposition in women, it remains unclear how sex differences in tau burden contribute to the progression of neurodegenerative processes leading to cognitive decline and higher AD prevalence in women. Throughout the progression of AD, the most consistent losses are seen in cholinergic neurons, where these losses negatively affect cognition, particularly in attention, learning, and memory formation. In-vitro models suggest that the cholinergic neuron loss may be due to the toxic interaction of extracellular tau with cholinergic muscarinic M1/M3 receptors leading to cholinergic cell death. This model is supported by post-mortem studies in both animal models and AD patients showing significant reduction of the cholinergic neurons in tau-affected brain regions. The relationship between tau and cholinergic loss has not yet been established in in-vivo human brain. <h3>Methods</h3> We examined cross-sectional imaging data from 84 clinically normal (CN) elderly participants from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). These included structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and [18F]flortaucipir positron emission tomography (PET). The degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic system (BFCS) was measured using the VBM toolbox in SPM 12. As the BFCS nuclei lack clear anatomical borders on MRI scans, we used previously published cytoarchitectonic maps of BFCS sub-regions to identify the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM), which is one of the earliest AD-affected regions in BFCS. We used ADNI processed [18F]flortaucipir PET standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) in Braak stage composite regions I, II-II, II-IV, and V-VI that approximate the spread of tau as depicted by Braak and Braak to estimate the regional tau burden. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations between individual Braak composite regions (predictors) and NBM volume (outcome) while accounting for age, APOE status and amyloid-positivity as covariates. <h3>Results</h3> Our preliminary findings from CN women supports a significant association between early tau burden, measured with [18F]Flortaucipir SUVR in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, and NBM atrophy (beta = -0.17, p = 0.04;). By comparison, we did not find a significant association in age-matched men (beta = -0.1, p = 0.07). Women also exhibited a higher tau burden than men (p = 0.045 in Braak I-II ROI PET SUVR). Moreover, we detected neither a sex difference in Amyloid status nor an association between Amyloid positivity and NBM. <h3>Conclusions</h3> This is the first in-vivo study that examines the relationship between early tau pathology and cholinergic loss. Our preliminary data supports that higher tau burden in early Braak-stage regions is associated with greater degeneration in NBM. As tau is more extensive in women than men, the effects of tau on cholinergic neurons may contribute to sex differences in cholinergic loss. One of the limitations of our current structural method is that it does not capture the brain-wide degeneration of cholinergic neurons outside of the basal forebrain to identify significant sex differences in global cholinergic, particularly in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) where sex differences in [18F]Flortaucipir SUVR is more prominent than in CN and where sex differences are seen across multiple Braak-stage regions. <h3>Funding</h3> This research was supported by R01 AG066159-01 (Newhouse) and R01 MH121620 (Taylor)

Delineation of the healthy rabbit kidney by immunohistochemistry – A technical note

Pre-clinical animal models are needed to investigate and study kidney injuries and diseases. The rabbit kidney model is frequently used because various important parameters can be assessed with it. For example, histology and immunohistochemistry are indispensable as tissue morphology and composition can be investigated qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Here, different histological and immunohistochemical stainings were performed in the rabbit healthy naïve kidney tissue. First, overnight formalin fixation followed by paraffin embedding and cryopreservation with a subsequent 10-minute formalin fixation prior to staining were compared. Cryosections showed a more pronounced staining pattern, with clear borders at low magnifications, but blurred borders at higher magnifications. Then, antigen retrieval (AR) for paraffin embedded sections resulted in more prominent corresponding signals compared to stainings without AR. Moreover, several advantages and disadvantages of chromogenic versus immunofluorescence stainings were considered. Chromogenic staining was advantageous compared to immunofluorescence for collagen I and III, and to a minor degree for fibronectin. Finally, distinct structures, such as the pelvis, the calices, the glomeruli and tubuli, were stained in serial sections with diverse immunohistochemical stainings in order to delineate their composition. The following stainings were performed: standard Haematoxylin&Eosin and Elastica van Gieson staining, collagen I, collagen III, fibronectin, α-SMA, ki-67 and protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2). While chromogenic stainings of collagen I and collagen III were particularly useful to depict kidney structures in paraffin sections compared with cryosections, cryosections immunofluorescently stained for α-SMA were superior to paraffin sections, particularly at higher magnifications. With regard to specific structures, we found renal vessel walls positive for fibronectin and α-SMA, while the Bowman’s capsule was only positive for fibronectin and α-SMA showed only tiny spots. The mesangial cells of the glomeruli and the distal tubuli were PAR-2 positive, while the proximal tubuli were PAR-2 negative.

Pioneers of the plantation economy: militarism, dispossession and the limits of growth in the Wa State of Myanmar

The characteristic mobility of highland populations in Southeast Asia relied to a large extent on their particular adaption to an ecological environment: swidden cultivation of tubers on mountain slopes. This ecology corresponded to cosmologies in which potency was limitless, or at least had no fixed and delimited precinct (as did the rice paddies and Buddhist realms in the valleys). Military state building, modern transport, and new crops and agricultural technologies have effectively ended swidden cultivation. In this article, I follow the pioneers of the plantation economy in the Wa State of Myanmar, who dispossess local populations of their land and employ them as plantation labour. The limits of growth and potency they encounter are (a) in the natural environment and (b) in the resistance of local populations. Yet, even though there are such limits, the potency to which these pioneers aspire is still limitless. It is however channelled through a new economy of life, epitomised in the plantation, nourished in excessive feasting, and maintained by the kinship dynamics of capture and care.

Regional CO2 Budget and Abatement Countermeasures for Forest Scenic Spots: A Case Study of the Shenyang National Forest Park

We used the carbon carrying capacity as an indicator of environmental productivity, clarified the emission reduction thresholds and measures for achieving a carbon neutral tourism destination, and proposed a simple, objective, and universal method for estimating the carbon budget of forest tourism scenic spots with function of both carbon sinks and carbon emissions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the Climate Friendly Parks tool, a carbon emissions list with a clear border and relatively complete content was established to characterize the negative impact of tourism activities on the environment. Forest resource inventory data and the CO2Fix method could be used to accurately calculate the carbon sinks of forest tourism scenic spots. In 2019, the total CO2 emissions in Shenyang National Forest Park were 1841.445 t. The amount of CO2 sequestered by the forest was 1336.787 t, accounting for 72.59% of the total CO2 emissions. Thus, tourism had a net CO2 deficit of 504.658 t. Electricity consumption, garbage disposal, raw coal consumption, infrastructure construction, and land-use changes of forestland were the top five sources of CO2 emissions. The augmentation of the carbon pool could be improved by 65.358% of the total budget through forest management. The reduction aims of 133.41%–150.32% could be easily reached through emissions-cutting measures. Based on these results, we suggest several measures for low-carbon sustainable tourism.

Retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma with a compressed invasion-free kidney: A rare case report

A 68-year-old female patient presented an evident drop in weight within half a year. A heterogeneous huge tumor was found in the left retroperitoneal space through a nonenhanced abdominal computed tomography. The tumor contributed mass effect on adjacent organs and structures, with equivocal left kidney outline. Enhanced kidney magnetic resonance imaging illustrated its hyper-vascular content and clear border. Radical excision was performed through an open approach. The mass was 25 cm in length and weighed about 5 kg. Grossly, it was accompanied by a compressed but invasion-free kidney. The diagnosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma was made, and a focally involved margin was identified. The average annual incidence of retroperitoneal sarcomas is 2.7 cases/million. Retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcoma seldom induces symptoms until the tumor makes a mass effect on adjacent organs. The tumor of this patient stands out as the compressed, yet invasion-free left kidney. Surgical resection is regarded as the only potential curative therapy. Due to the large size at presentation and wide extent of the tumor, it often results in limited resectability or positive margin. Important prognostic factors of retroperitoneal sarcoma involve surgical margin, tumor grade, differentiation, and histologic subtype. Dedifferentiated liposarcoma has a worse prognosis and a positive gross margin implies a higher chance of local recurrence as well as a higher mortality rate.