High sensitive detection of Cd, Hg, Pb and Cr in rice based on LA-MPT-OES with optimized excitation regions by two-dimensional characterization of plasma plume.

Direct, rapid and highly sensitive detection of heavy metals in rice is essential to ensure food safety. In this research, a combination of laser ablation and microwave plasma torch optical emission spectrometry (LA-MPT-OES) was proposed. Based on the optimal observation positions, a high sensitivity and direct determination of Cd, Hg, Pb and Cr in rice were realized. The limits of detection (LOD) were 0.97, 0.12, 0.61 and 0.15 µg/kg, respectively, which were reduced by one order of magnitude compared to the optimal observation height. In addition, the LOD was reduced by one to two orders of magnitude compared with the techniques that require sample pre-treatment. Moreover, the results of the Certified Reference Materials and real samples were in agreement with the reference values with a relative error in the range of 0.28% âˆ¼ 14.16%. The results demonstrated that LA-MPT-OES could be a promising tool to detect heavy metals in rice.

Advancements in Polymer-Assisted Layer-by-Layer Fabrication of Wearable Sensors for Health Monitoring.

Recent advancements in polymer-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) fabrication have revolutionized the development of wearable sensors for health monitoring. LbL self-assembly has emerged as a powerful and versatile technique for creating conformal, flexible, and multi-functional films on various substrates, making it particularly suitable for fabricating wearable sensors. The incorporation of polymers, both natural and synthetic, has played a crucial role in enhancing the performance, stability, and biocompatibility of these sensors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of LbL self-assembly, the role of polymers in sensor fabrication, and the various types of LbL-fabricated wearable sensors for physical, chemical, and biological sensing. The applications of these sensors in continuous health monitoring, disease diagnosis, and management are discussed in detail, highlighting their potential to revolutionize personalized healthcare. Despite significant progress, challenges related to long-term stability, biocompatibility, data acquisition, and large-scale manufacturing are still to be addressed, providing insights into future research directions. With continued advancements in polymer-assisted LbL fabrication and related fields, wearable sensors are poised to improve the quality of life for individuals worldwide.

Recurrence and Complications of Peri-operative Steroid Injection of Keloids: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Keloid scars are a particularly challenging fibroproliferative wound healing disorder with a variety of proposed management approaches including concurrent surgery and intralesional steroid injection. We aimed to identify the optimum time for triamcinolone injection of keloids, by comparing the recurrence and complication occurrence in patients who received pre-, intra- or post-operative injection. Studies reporting on the rate of recurrence and complication occurrence following treatment of keloid scarring with concurrent surgical excision and intralesional steroid injection were identified from the PubMed, Web of science and Embase databases. The I-squared (I2) statistic was used to quantify the variability in study estimates due to heterogeneity and to determine whether the fixed or random effect models will be employed. Publication bias was visualized through funnel plots and tested with the Egger's test. We found that the recurrence rate was significantly lower with post-operative injection compared to intra-operative injection (p < 0.001) and pre-operative injection (p = 0.009). A significant difference between intra-operative and pre-operative injection was not found (p = 0.46). In conclusion, post-operative steroid injection after surgical excision results in lower keloid recurrence compared to pre- and intra-operative injection.Level of Evidence IV "This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 ."

Spatial spillovers of violent conflict amplify the impacts of climate variability on malaria risk in sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden, accounting for 94% of malaria cases and deaths worldwide in 2019. It is also a politically unstable region and the most vulnerable continent to climate change in recent decades. Knowledge about the modifying impacts of violent conflict on climate-malaria relationships remains limited. Here, we quantify the associations between violent conflict, climate variability, and malaria risk in sub-Saharan Africa using health surveys from 128,326 individuals, historical climate data, and 17,429 recorded violent conflicts from 2006 to 2017. We observe that spatial spillovers of violent conflict (SSVCs) have spatially distant effects on malaria risk. Malaria risk induced by SSVCs within 50 to 100 km from the households gradually increases from 0.1% (not significant, P>0.05) to 6.5% (95% CI: 0 to 13.0%). SSVCs significantly promote malaria risk within the average 20.1 to 26.9 °C range. At the 12-mo mean temperature of 22.5 °C, conflict deaths have the largest impact on malaria risk, with an approximately 5.8% increase (95% CI: 1.0 to 11.0%). Additionally, a pronounced association between SSVCs and malaria risk exists in the regions with 9.2 wet days per month. The results reveal that SSVCs increase population exposure to harsh environments, amplifying the effect of warm temperature and persistent precipitation on malaria transmission. Violent conflict therefore poses a substantial barrier to mosquito control and malaria elimination efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Our findings support effective targeting of treatment programs and vector control activities in conflict-affected regions with a high malaria risk.

Flexible-Arranged Biomimetic Array Integrated with Parallel Entropy-Driven Circuits for Ultrasensitive, Multiple, and Reliable Detection of Cancer-Related MicroRNAs.

With the emergence of microRNA (miRNA) as a promising biomarker in cancer diagnosis, it is significant to develop multiple analyses of miRNAs. However, it still faces difficulties in ensuring the sensitivity and accuracy during multiplex detection owing to the low abundance and experimental deviation of miRNAs. In this work, a flexible-arranged biomimetic array integrated with parallel entropy-driven circuits (EDCs) was developed for ultrasensitive, multiplex, reliable, and high-throughput detection of miRNAs. The biomimetic array was fabricated by arrangement of various photonic crystals (PCs) for adjustable photonic band gaps (PBGs) and specific fluorescence enhancement. Meanwhile, two cancer-related miRNAs and one reference miRNA were introduced as multiple analytes as a proof-of-concept. The parallel EDCs with negligible crosstalk were designed based on the modular property. Because of the one-to-one match between the emitted fluorescence of parallel EDCs and the PBGs of the flexible-arranged biomimetic array, the generated fluorescence signal triggered by target miRNAs can be enhanced on the corresponding domain of the array. Furthermore, the amplified signal of the array was detected with high-throughput scanning, which could reveal specific information on cancer-related miRNAs as well as reference miRNA, enhancing the abundance and reliability of the analysis. The proposed array has the merits of a modular design, flexible deployment, simple operation (nonenzymatic and isothermal), improved accuracy, high sensitivity, and multiplex analysis, showing potential in disease diagnosis.

Nanosheet Promotes Chronic Wound Healing by Localizing Uncultured Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells.

Objective: To develop an efficacious and efficient method for treating chronic wounds using "nanosheet" that improves the survival and localization of transplanted cells without prior seeding to optimally derive the regenerative potentials of uncultured stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells. Approach: We propose a method whereby the wound is covered by uncultured SVF cells using the nanosheet [porous poly(d, l,-lactic acid)] (PDLLA) films) designed to hold cells in a single-cell layer. A chronic wound model was created on 12-month-old db/db mice by inflecting a full-thickness skin excision on their dorsum and was subsequently given either no treatment or a treatment with SVF cells alone (with Tegaderm dressing), nanosheet alone, or nanosheet with SVF cells. Results: The placement of the nanosheet improved the grafted cell retention rate at day 10 timepoint by 5 folds, and the wound area was the smallest in the wounds treated with SVF cells plus nanosheet in comparison to the other groups. Collagen deposition and epidermal growth factor were significantly higher in the wound beds treated with SVF cells with the nanosheet, offering some mechanistic insights. Innovation: Porous poly(d, l,-lactic acid acid) (PDLLA) films or "nanosheet" printed on the nanoscale (1-100 nm in thickness) as a cellular scaffold for cytotherapy for the treatment of chronic wounds. Conclusion: The use of the nanosheet is an effective way to improve the transplanted SVF cell retention and accelerate the overall wound closure.

Roles of ß-catenin in innate immune process and regulating intestinal flora in Qi river crucian carp (Carassius auratus).

In mammals, ß-catenin participates in innate immune process through interaction with NF-κB signaling pathway. However, its role in teleost immune processes remains largely unknown. We aimed to clarify the function of ß-catenin in the natural defense mechanism of Qi river crucian carp (Carassius auratus). ß-catenin exhibited a ubiquitous expression pattern in adult fish, as indicated by real-time PCR analysis. Following lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI: C) and Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) challenges, ß-catenin increased in gill, intestine, liver and kidney, indicating that ß-catenin likely plays a pivotal role in the immune response against pathogen infiltration. Inhibition of the ß-catenin pathway using FH535, an inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, resulting in pathological damage of the gill, intestine, liver and kidney, significant decrease of innate immune factors (C3, defb3, LYZ-C, INF-γ), upregulation of inflammatory factors (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-8), and downregulation of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, increase of Malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Following A. hydrophila invasion, the mortality rate in the FH535 treatment group exceeded that of the control group. In addition, the diversity of intestinal microflora decreased and the community structure was uneven after FH535 treatment. In summary, our findings strongly suggest that ß-catenin plays a vital role in combating pathogen invasion and regulating intestinal flora in Qi river crucian carp.

New antimony fluorooxoborates with strong birefringence and unprecedented structural characterisation.

Fluorooxoborates constitute a rich source of optical crystals due to their structural diversity and excellent performance. Antimony fluorooxoborates with stereochemically active lone pairs of electrons still have not been found, although the first antimony borate was discovered several years ago. In this study, we have achieved the successful synthesis of the first antimony(III) fluorooxoborate with an unprecedented [B2O4F]∞ chain, namely SbB2O4F. Remarkably, SbB2O4F shows strong birefringence (0.171@1064 nm) and short UV cutoff edges (about 220 nm) according to calculations. The birefringence of SbB2O4F mainly originates from the highly distorted [SbO4] groups.

Unraveling the genetic architecture of congenital vertebral malformation with reference to the developing spine.

Congenital vertebral malformation, affecting 0.13-0.50 per 1000 live births, has an immense locus heterogeneity and complex genetic architecture. In this study, we analyze exome/genome sequencing data from 873 probands with congenital vertebral malformation and 3794 control individuals. Clinical interpretation identifies Mendelian etiologies in 12.0% of the probands and reveals a muscle-related disease mechanism. Gene-based burden test of ultra-rare variants identifies risk genes with large effect sizes (ITPR2, TBX6, TPO, H6PD, and SEC24B). To further investigate the biological relevance of the genetic association signals, we perform single-nucleus RNAseq on human embryonic spines. The burden test signals are enriched in the notochord at early developmental stages and myoblast/myocytes at late stages, highlighting their critical roles in the developing spine. Our work provides insights into the developmental biology of the human spine and the pathogenesis of spine malformation.

Subcutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium abscessus following botulinum toxin injections: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: The rapid development of cosmetic injections has led to an increased incidence of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Here, we presented a case of cutaneous Mycobacterium abscessus infection subsequent to botulinum toxin injection for treating masseter hypertrophy, and reviewed the literature on skin and soft tissue infections caused by NTM after cosmetic injections. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The patient underwent surgical excision and regular antibiotic therapy and has had nearly 2 months of follow-up without any signs of infection. The diagnosis and treatment of NTM infection have always been challenging, and further research is needed to standardize and guide the treatment.

Classification of gastrocnemius muscle hypertrophy for personalized botulinum toxin type A treatment.

BACKGROUND: Owing to its safety and convenience, botulinum toxin type A (BoNtA) has become a first-choice treatment for contouring calf muscle asymmetries or deformities. Different injection methods and dosages have been discussed in the literature, but a standardized BoNtA treatment remains unclear. AIMS: This study aimed to classify gastrocnemius muscle hypertrophy (GMH) through multiple measurements to provide a personalized BoNtA treatment protocol. METHODS: The measurements combining of gastrocnemius muscle (GM) contour, max leg circumference and GM thickness was applied to classify different type of GMH in a normal population. Based on these findings, a personalized BoNtA treatment protocol was determined and evaluated regarding max leg circumference, GM thickness, the position of max leg circumference, patient and doctor satisfaction rate, and complications. RESULTS: A total of 100 GMH were classified into two bulging types (bilateral-bulging type and unilateral-bulging type) and two categories (moderate GMH and severe GMH). 40 cases were treated with personalized BoNtA injection methods ("Even" or "Intense"method) and dosages (300 or 400 units). Follow-up examinations at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. Max leg circumference and GM thickness decreased significantly and the position of max leg circumference rose prominently during treatment (2.56 ± 1.93; p < 0.05). The overall patient satisfaction rate was 70%-100%. No serious complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: We identify four groups of GMH through several measurements and outline a personalized BoNtA treatment for each type. This recommended protocol may improve the therapeutic outcomes and patient satisfaction after treatment.

A promising electrochemical sensor based on PVP-induced shape control of a hydrothermally synthesized layered structured vanadium disulfide for the sensitive detection of a sulfamethoxazole antibiotic.

The presence of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in natural waters has become a significant concern recently because of its detrimental effects on human health and the ecological environment. To address this issue, it is of utmost urgency to develop a reliable method that can determine SMX at ultra-low levels. In our research, we utilized PVP-induced shape control of a hydrothermal synthesis method to fabricate layer-like structured VS2, and employed it as an electrode modification material to prepare an electrochemical sensor for the sensitive determination of SMX. Thus, our prepared VS2 electrodes exhibited a linear range of 0.06-10.0 µM and a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 47.0 nM (S/N = 3) towards SMX detection. Additionally, the electrochemical sensor presented good agreement with the HPLC method, and afforded perfect recovery results (97.4-106.8%) in the practical analysis. The results validated the detection accuracy of VS2 electrodes, and demonstrated their successful applicability toward the sensitive determination of SMX in natural waters. In conclusion, this research provides a promising approach for the development of electrochemical sensors based on VS2 composite materials.

Racial disparities in surgical outcomes after mastectomy in 223 000 female breast cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer mortality and treatment differ across racial groups. It remains unclear whether such disparities are also reflected in perioperative outcomes of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy. STUDY DESIGN: The authors reviewed the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database (2008-2021) to identify female patients who underwent mastectomy for oncological purposes. The outcomes were stratified by five racial groups (white, Black/African American, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) and included 30-day mortality, reoperation, readmission, surgical and medical complications, and non-home discharge. RESULTS: The study population included 222 947 patients, 68% ( n =151 522) of whom were white, 11% ( n =23 987) Black/African American, 5% ( n =11 217) Asian, 0.5% ( n =1198) American Indian/Alaska Native, and 0.5% ( n =1018) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. While 136 690 (61%) patients underwent partial mastectomy, 54 490 (24%) and 31 767 (14%) women received simple and radical mastectomy, respectively. Overall, adverse events occurred in 17 222 (7.7%) patients, the largest portion of which were surgical complications ( n =7246; 3.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that being of Asian race was protective against perioperative complications [odds ratio (OR)=0.71; P <0.001], whereas American Indian/Alaska Native women were most vulnerable to the complication occurrence (OR=1.41; P <0.001). Black/African American patients had a significantly lower risk of medical (OR=0.59; P <0.001) and surgical complications (OR=0.60; P <0.001) after partial and radical mastectomy, respectively, their likelihood of readmission (OR=1.14; P =0.045) following partial mastectomy was significantly increased. CONCLUSION: The authors identified American Indian/Alaska Native women as particularly vulnerable to complications following mastectomy. Asian patients experienced the lowest rate of complications in the perioperative period. The authors' analyses revealed comparable confounder-adjusted outcomes following partial and complete mastectomy between Black and white races. Their findings call for care equalization in the field of breast cancer surgery.

Efficacy and Safety of Nerve Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Breast Cosmetic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the postoperative analgesic efficacy and safety of nerve block (NB) in patients undergoing breast surgery for cosmetic purposes. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Libraries were searched from inception to September 2022, to identify all eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Continuous data are presented as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), whereas dichotomous data are provided as odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI. This meta-analysis was performed in RevMan 5.4. RESULTS: A total of 10 RCTs with 565 patients were meta-analyzed. Compared to the control group, the pain score of the NB group was significantly lower at postoperative 2, 3-4, 6-8, 12-16 and 24 h. Opioid consumption in the first postoperative 24 h was significantly lower in the NB group (MD = - 9.02, 95% CI - 14.29 to - 3.75, P < 0.05), I2 = 95%). In addition, the NB group showed a prolonged time to first postoperative analgesic requirement (MD = 43.15, 95% CI 4.74-81.56, P < 0.05, I2 = 96%), decreased incidence of additional postoperative analgesia (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.07-0.28, P < 0.05, I2 = 0%) and reduced incidence of postoperative nausea or vomiting (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.22-0.48; P < 0.05; I2 = 0%). There was no significant difference in operation duration between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Nerve block is an effective and safe option for postoperative analgesia after breast cosmetic surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Association between schizophrenia and psoriasis: A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have showed an association between schizophrenia and risk of psoriasis and vice versa. However, whether schizophrenia is causally associated with psoriasis is unclear. METHODS: A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed with publicly available genome-wide association study data including schizophrenia (n = 77 096) and psoriasis (n = 462 933). The inverse-variance weighted method was performed as the main analysis, with a complementary with the other two analyses: MR-Egger and weighted median method. A series of sensitivity analyses were also conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results. RESULTS: MR analyses indicated that genetically predicted schizophrenia was significantly associated with an increased risk of psoriasis [OR: 1.001, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.000-1.002, p = 0.012]. However, no causal effect of genetically predicted psoriasis on schizophrenia (OR: 0.221, 95% CI: 0.029-1.682, p = 0.145) was detected. No pleiotropy or heterogeneity was detected in sensitivity analysis (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides genetic evidence for the causal association between schizophrenia and psoriasis.

The role of cilia during organogenesis in zebrafish.

Cilia are hair-like organelles that protrude from the surface of eukaryotic cells and are present on the surface of nearly all human cells. Cilia play a crucial role in signal transduction, organ development and tissue homeostasis. Abnormalities in the structure and function of cilia can lead to a group of human diseases known as ciliopathies. Currently, zebrafish serves as an ideal model for studying ciliary function and ciliopathies due to its relatively conserved structure and function of cilia compared to humans. In this review, we will summarize the different types of cilia that present in embryonic and adult zebrafish, and provide an overview of the advantages of using zebrafish as a vertebrate model for cilia research. We will specifically focus on the roles of cilia during zebrafish organogenesis based on recent studies. Additionally, we will highlight future prospects for ciliary research in zebrafish.

PPARγ agonist treatment reduces fibroadipose tissue in secondary lymphedema by exhausting fibroadipogenic PDGFRα+ mesenchymal cells.

Secondary lymphedema occurs in up to 20% of patients after lymphadenectomy performed for the surgical management of tumors involving the breast, prostate, uterus, and skin. Patients develop progressive edema of the affected extremity due to retention of protein-rich lymphatic fluid. Despite compression therapy, patients progress to chronic lymphedema in which noncompressible fibrosis and adipose tissue are deposited within the extremity. The presence of fibrosis led to our hypothesis that rosiglitazone, a PPARγ agonist that inhibits fibrosis, would reduce fibrosis in a mouse model of secondary lymphedema after hind limb lymphadenectomy. In vivo, rosiglitazone reduced fibrosis in the hind limb after lymphadenectomy. Our findings verified that rosiglitazone reestablished the adipogenic features of TGF-ß1-treated mesenchymal cells in vitro. Despite this, rosiglitazone led to a reduction in adipose tissue deposition. Single-cell RNA-Seq data obtained from human tissues and flow cytometric and histological evaluation of mouse tissues demonstrated increased presence of PDGFRα+ cells in lymphedema; human tissue analysis verified these cells have the capacity for adipogenic and fibrogenic differentiation. Upon treatment with rosiglitazone, we noted a reduction in the overall quantity of PDGFRα+ cells and LipidTOX+ cells. Our findings provide a framework for treating secondary lymphedema as a condition of fibrosis and adipose tissue deposition, both of which, paradoxically, can be prevented with a pro-adipogenic agent.

Hair Transplantation in the United States: A Population-based Survey of Female and Male Pattern Baldness.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia, the most common type of hair loss, can impair the patient's overall mental health. Although there are pharmaceutical and surgical treatments available, little is known about the public standpoint toward hair transplantation (HT). Methods: A sample of individuals living in the United States (n = 1000; male and female participants were equally distributed) was asked to fill out the questionnaire. The online survey was conducted in June 2022. Results: Most participants (42%; n = 416) were between 41 and 60 years of age. Study participants frequently reported that, with their hair loss progressing, they would not feel attractive anymore (n = 400; 40%), nor as confident as before (n = 330; 33%). Although women with minimal hair loss were willing to spend a median price of $4000 [interquartile range (IQ) IQR $1000-$5000], women with extensive hair loss were willing to spend significantly more (median = $5000; IQR $3600-$6375; P = 0.011). This was reproducible in men (P = 0.033). Although significantly fewer women considered undergoing HT (430 women versus 447 men; P < 0.001), female participants were willing to pay more for their HT compared with men (P = 0.039). Conclusions: Individuals living in the United States consider hair loss to impair their attractiveness and regard HT as a valuable therapeutic option. More affordable and gender-specific HT should be subject to future research work.

An Overview to Molecularly Imprinted Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Bisphenol A.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used extensively in plastics and resins. However, its endocrine-disrupting properties pose risks to human health and the environment. Thus, accurate and rapid detection of BPA is crucial for exposure monitoring and risk mitigation. Molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensors (MIES) have emerged as a promising tool for BPA detection due to their high selectivity, sensitivity, affordability, and portability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in MIES for BPA detection. We discuss the operating principles, fabrication strategies, materials, and methods used in MIES. Key findings show that MIES demonstrate detection limits comparable or superior to conventional methods like HPLC and GC-MS. Selectivity studies reveal excellent discrimination between BPA and structural analogs. Recent innovations in nanomaterials, novel monomers, and fabrication techniques have enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. However, limitations exist in reproducibility, selectivity, and stability. While challenges remain, MIES provide a low-cost portable detection method suitable for on-site BPA monitoring in diverse sectors. Further optimization of sensor fabrication and characterization will enable the immense potential of MIES for field-based BPA detection.

Impact of sarcopenia on outcomes in surgical patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgeons have historically used age as a preoperative predictor of postoperative outcomes. Sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass due to disease or biological age, has been proposed as a more accurate risk predictor. The prognostic value of sarcopenia assessment in surgical patients remains poorly understood. Therefore, the authors aimed to synthesize the available literature and investigate the impact of sarcopenia on perioperative and postoperative outcomes across all surgical specialties. METHODS: The authors systematically assessed the prognostic value of sarcopenia on postoperative outcomes by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, searching the PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception to 1st October 2022. Their primary outcomes were complication occurrence, mortality, length of operation and hospital stay, discharge to home, and postdischarge survival rate at 1, 3, and 5 years. Subgroup analysis was performed by stratifying complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system. Sensitivity analysis was performed by focusing on studies with an oncological, cardiovascular, emergency, or transplant surgery population and on those of higher quality or prospective study design. RESULTS: A total of 294 studies comprising 97 643 patients, of which 33 070 had sarcopenia, were included in our analysis. Sarcopenia was associated with significantly poorer postoperative outcomes, including greater mortality, complication occurrence, length of hospital stay, and lower rates of discharge to home (all P <0.00001). A significantly lower survival rate in patients with sarcopenia was noted at 1, 3, and 5 years (all P <0.00001) after surgery. Subgroup analysis confirmed higher rates of complications and mortality in oncological (both P <0.00001), cardiovascular (both P <0.00001), and emergency ( P =0.03 and P =0.04, respectively) patients with sarcopenia. In the transplant surgery cohort, mortality was significantly higher in patients with sarcopenia ( P <0.00001). Among all patients undergoing surgery for inflammatory bowel disease, the frequency of complications was significantly increased among sarcopenic patients ( P =0.007). Sensitivity analysis based on higher quality studies and prospective studies showed that sarcopenia remained a significant predictor of mortality and complication occurrence (all P <0.00001). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is a significant predictor of poorer outcomes in surgical patients. Preoperative assessment of sarcopenia can help surgeons identify patients at risk, critically balance eligibility, and refine perioperative management. Large-scale studies are required to further validate the importance of sarcopenia as a prognostic indicator of perioperative risk, especially in surgical subspecialties.