TIF is an alternative intervention in controlling GERD-related symptoms with comparable short-term patient satisfaction. Long-term results showed decreased efficacy with time. Patients often resume PPIs at reduced doses in the near future.

By using the techniques developed for generating high-speed droplets, we have systematically investigated binary droplet collision when the Weber number (We) was increased from the range usually tested in previous studies on the order of 10 to a much larger value of about 5100 for water (a droplet at 23 m/s with a diameter of 0.7 mm). Various liquids were also used to explore the effects of viscosity and surface tension. Specifically, beyond the well-known regimes at moderate We's, which exhibited coalescence, separation, and separation followed by satellite droplets, we found different behaviors showing a fingering lamella, separation after fingering, breakup of outer fingers, and prompt splattering into multiple secondary droplets as We was increased. The critical Weber numbers that mark the boundaries between these impact regimes are identified. The specific impact behaviors, such as fingering and prompt splattering or splashing, share essential similarity with those also observed in droplet-surface impacts, whereas substantial variations in the transition boundaries may result from the disparity of the boundary conditions at impacts. To compare the outcomes of both types of collisions, a simple model based on energy conservation was carried out to predict the maximum diameter of an expanding liquid disk for a binary droplet collision. The results oppose the dominance of viscous drag, as proposed by previous studies, as the main deceleration force to effect a Rayleigh-Taylor instability and ensuing periphery fingers, which may further lead to the formations of satellite droplets.

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In cirrhotic patients with large esophageal varices, liver stiffness and spleen stiffness correlate with HVPG, and spleen stiffness is superior to liver stiffness in predicting portal hypertension.

Tissue adhesives combined with lauromacrogol is a safe therapeutic option for gastric varices, with comparably less cyanoacrylate volume used. Because of the small number of study patients, it cannot be proven to have better efficacy than without lauromacrogol. Multicenter studies with larger patient groups are necessary.

Recently, many new diagnostic biomarkers have been developed for colorectal cancer. We chose 2 methods with high diagnostic efficiency, the detection of serum microRNA and metabolomics based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and aimed to establish appropriate models. We reviewed the diagnostic value of all microRNA identified by previous diagnostic tests. We selected appropriate microRNA to validate their diagnostic efficiency, and determined the optimal combination. We included 85 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and 78 healthy controls (HC) and detected the expression of the microRNA. GC/MS analysis was conducted, and we used 3 multivariate statistical methods to establish diagnostic models. The concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 (CA19‐9) were detected for comparison with the novel models. Ultimately, 62 published studies and 63 microRNA were included in this review. MiR‐21, miR‐29a, miR‐92a, miR‐125b and miR‐223 were selected to further validate their diagnostic value. The serum levels of the 5 microRNA in CRC patients were significantly higher than those in the HC. The combination of miR‐21, miR‐29a, miR‐92a and miR‐125b had the highest area under the curve (AUC) at 0.952, with a sensitivity of 84.7% and a specificity of 98.7%. The GC/MS analysis exhibited an excellent diagnostic value and the AUC reached 1.0. With regard to traditional biomarkers, the AUC of CEA and CA19‐9 were 0.808 and 0.705, respectively. The application prospects are good for microRNA and metabolomics as new diagnostic methods because of their high diagnostic value compared with traditional biomarkers.

BackgroundMany novel diagnostic biomarkers have been developed for gastric cancer (GC) recently. We chose two methods with high diagnostic value, the detection of serum microRNAs and metabolomics based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and aimed to establish appropriate models.MethodsWe reviewed the diagnostic accuracies of all microRNAs identified by previous diagnostic tests. Then appropriate microRNAs and their combinations were validated the diagnostic value. We included 80 patients with GC and 82 healthy controls (HCs) and detected the expression of the microRNAs. GC/MS analysis was conducted, and we used three multivariate statistical analyses to establish diagnostic models. The concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA19–9) were detected for comparison with the novel models.ResultsSixty-seven published studies and 70 microRNAs were finally included in the systematic review. MiR-18a, miR-19a, miR-21, miR-92a, miR-199a and miR-421 were chosen to further validate their diagnostic efficiencies. Five of those microRNAs in GC patients had significantly different expression. The combination of miR-19a and miR-92a had the highest area under the curve (AUC) at 0.850 with a sensitivity of 91.3% and a specificity of 61.0%. The GC/MS analysis performed an excellent diagnostic value and the AUC reached 1.0.ConclusionThere is a good potential for microRNAs and GC/MS analysis as new diagnostic methods in view of their high diagnostic value compared with traditional biomarkers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4343-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: As a lipid metabolic disorder, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an important cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, with no effective drug up to date. Previous studies have demonstrated increased methylation levels of key genes in NAFLD, suggesting that hydroxymethylation, a key step in demethylation, may be a possible strategy to reverse NAFLD. TET1 is well known as a key hydroxymethylase, however, its role and mechanism in NAFLD remains unclear. Methods: In this study, we utilized TET1 knockout mice, fed with high-fat diet. Furthermore, by ChIP and hMeDIP. TET1 knockdown L02 and HepG2 cell lines. Results: Their degree of liver steatosis was more severe than that of wild-type mice, suggesting that TET1 had a significant protective effect against NAFLD. We further found that PPARα, a key regulator of fatty acid oxidation, and its downstream key enzymes ACOX1 and CPT1A, as well as the fatty acid oxidation product β-HB were significantly decreased in TET1 knockout mice. While the key genes for fatty acid synthesis and uptake were not significantly changed, suggesting that TET1 inhibits NAFLD by promoting fatty acid oxidation via PPARα pathway. TET1 was confirmed to directly bind to the promoter of PPARα and elevate its hydroxymethylation level. Conclusions: This study is the first to show that TET1 can activate PPARα, promote fatty acid oxidation and inhibit NAFLD progression by hydroxymethylation of PPARα promoter, which may be a new strategy to reverse NAFLD.