Demand for feasible, safe, and preferably low-cost methods of weight reduction is rising every day. The present study reports findings from laparoscopic gastric plication (LGP), which is a new restrictive bariatric technique, combined with a postoperative follow-up program. A 2-year prospective study was performed following LGP in 53 female morbidly obese patients from Gorgan, Iran, with a mean age of 36.3 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 42.6 kg/m(2) (35.3-62.4). Through a four-port approach, the greater omentum and short gastric vessels were transected and the greater curvature was imbricated into the body of the stomach with two rows of nonabsorbable sutures. After surgery, all patients were scheduled to attend a weekly group meeting for behavioral modification and psychotherapy. The mean operative time and hospital stay was 95 min and 72 h, respectively. No intraoperative complications occurred. Mean percentages of excess weight loss (%EWL) were 25.6 %, 54.2 %, 70.2 %, and 74.4 % after 1, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Six patients lost >84 % of their excess weight after 24 months. Patients who did not participate in the group meetings had a lower %EWL after 12 (79.5 % vs. 55.6 %) and 24 months (90 % vs. 43.4 %) compared with the patients who regularly participated in the group meetings (P < 0.005). LGP is a feasible, safe, and effective surgical method for weight loss for at least 24 months when performed on morbidly obese patients. Postoperative group meetings (POGM) for psychotherapy and behavioral modification helped patients to achieve better results.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. piRNAs, which are a novel type of identified small noncoding RNA (ncRNA), play a crucial role in cancer genomics. In recent years, a relatively large number of studies have demonstrated that several piRNA are aberrantly expressed in various kinds of cancers including gastric cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and Lung cancer and may probably serve as a novel therapeutic target and biomarker for cancer treatment. The present review summarized current advances in our knowledge of the roles of piRNAs in cancer.
The estimated magnitude of visual impairment and blindness was much higher than our expectations. Further investigation of the pattern of vision loss in women and children, particularly as a result of trachoma and amblyopia, is warranted. Implementation of measures to treat curable cases of the study population can improve the situation in the region dramatically.
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