Analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block with or without rectus sheath block in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is commonly used for pain control in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, significant pain persists, affecting patient recovery and sleep quality on the day of surgery. We compared the analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided TAP block with or without rectus sheath (RS) block in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the visual analog scale (VAS) scores. METHODS: The study was registered before patient enrollment at the Clinical Research Information Service (registration number: KCT0006468, 19/08/2021). 88 American Society of Anesthesiologist physical status I-III patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were divided into two groups. RS-TAP group received right lateral and right subcostal TAP block, and RS block with 0.2% ropivacaine (30 mL); Bi-TAP group received bilateral and right subcostal TAP block with same amount of ropivacaine. The primary outcome was visual analogue scale (VAS) for 48 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included the use of rescue analgesics, cumulative intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) consumption, patient satisfaction, sleep quality, and incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in VAS score between two groups for 48 h postoperatively. We found no difference between the groups in any of the secondary outcomes: the use of rescue analgesics, consumption of IV-PCA, patient satisfaction with postoperative pain control, sleep quality, and the incidence of postoperative adverse events. CONCLUSION: Both RS-TAP and Bi-TAP blocks provided clinically acceptable pain control in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, although there was no significant difference between two combination blocks in postoperative analgesia or sleep quality.

Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Using an Osmium Complex as a Panchromatic Self-Photosensitized Catalyst: Utilization of Blue, Green, and Red Light.

The photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) represents an attractive approach for solar-energy storage and leads to the production of renewable fuels and valuable chemicals. Although some osmium (Os) photosensitizers absorb long wavelengths in the visible-light region, a self-photosensitized, mononuclear Os catalyst for red-light-driven CO2 reduction has not yet been exploited. Here, we discovered that the introduction of an Os metal to a PNNP-type tetradentate ligand resulted in the absorption of light with longer-wavelength (350-700 nm) and that can be applied to a panchromatic self-photosensitized catalyst for CO2 reduction to give mainly carbon monoxide (CO) with a total turnover number (TON) of 625 under photoirradiation (λ≥400 nm). CO2 photoreduction also proceeded under irradiation with blue (λ0=405 nm), green (λ0=525 nm), or red (λ0=630 nm) light to give CO with >90 % selectivity. The quantum efficiency using red light was determined to be 12 % for the generation of CO. A catalytic mechanism is proposed based on the detection of intermediates using various spectroscopic techniques, including transient absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance, and UV/Vis spectroscopy.

The Immune-Stimulating and Anti-Diabetic Effects of Allium hookeri Leaves Grown in a Plant Factory with Artificial Lights in Immunosuppressed Obese C57BL/6 Mice.

We investigated the immune-stimulating and anti-diabetic effects of Allium hookeri leaves grown in a plant factory with artificial lights. The immunomodulatory effects of A. hookeri leaves' ethanol extracts were evaluated with immune-related hematological factors in blood, the proliferation of splenocytes, NK cell activity, IgG and cytokine levels, and their mechanisms in immunosuppressed obese mice. Anti-diabetic effects were determined by the inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase in vitro and fasting blood glucose levels and biochemical factors in the serum of immunosuppressed obese mice. A. hookeri leaf extracts increased WBC and LYM counts, the proliferation of splenocytes, and serum IgG and IL-1ß concentrations compared to those of the NC group, which was used as a negative control. A. hookeri leaf extracts also improved serum HDL levels while they decreased the activities of digestive enzymes, fasting blood glucose, and biochemical factors (ALT, AST, T-Chol, TG, LDL, and GLU). The expressions of IL-1ß, JNK, c-Jun, p65, and iNOS in the thymus of immunosuppressed mice were activated by the treatment of A. hookeri leaf extracts. The results suggest that A. hookeri leaves grown in a plant factory with artificial lights also have immune-stimulatory and anti-diabetic effects and can be used as novel functional supplements to control related diseases and to improve public health.

Sleep disturbance correlated with severity of neuropathic pain in sciatic nerve crush injury model.

The association between sleep and pain has been investigated widely. However, inconsistent results from animal studies compared with human data show the need for a validated animal model in the sleep-pain association field. Our study aims to validate common neuropathic pain models as a tool for evaluating the sleep-pain association. Electrodes electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) were surgically implanted to measure sleep. The von Frey test was used to measure pain sensitivity. Following the baseline data acquisition, two pain-modelling procedures were performed: sciatic nerve crush injury (SCI) and common peroneal nerve ligation (CPL). Post-injury measurements were performed on days 1, 5, 10, and 15 post-surgery. The results presented decreased paw withdrawal thresholds and reduced NREM sleep duration in both models on the first post-surgery day. In the SCI model, NREM sleep duration was negatively correlated with paw withdrawal thresholds (p = 0.0466), but not in the CPL model. Wake alpha and theta EEG powers were also correlated with the pain threshold. The results confirm that the SCI model shows disturbed sleep patterns associated with increased pain sensitivity, suggesting it is a reliable tool for investigating sleep disturbances associated with neuropathic pain.