Effects of comfort nursing on pain and quality of life in children undergoing tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of comfort nursing on pain, quality of life, and nutritional status in children undergoing tonsillectomy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 114 children who underwent tonsillectomy in Chun'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were divided into a research group and a control group according to the nursing methods, with 57 cases in each group. The control group received routine nursing care, and the research group received additional comfort nursing. We compared the pain level (assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) scale), quality of life (assessed by Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOLI-74)), relevant clinical indicators (postoperative swallowing recovery time, wake-up time, and hospital stay), nutrition indicators (total blood protein and albumin), sleep quality (assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PAQI)), nursing satisfaction, and postoperative complications between the two groups. RESULTS: After postoperative nursing, the VAS scores and PSQI scores were significantly decreased (both P<0.05), and the GQOLI-74 scores were significantly increased (P<0.05) in both groups. The postoperative swallowing recovery time, wake-up time, and hospital stay in the research group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The levels of total serum protein and albumin in the research group were significantly higher than those in the control group (both P<0.05). The research group showed a significantly higher satisfaction rate and lower incidence of complications as compared with the control group (both P<0.05). The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative upper respiratory infection and the degree of tonsillar embedment were independent risk factors for hemorrhage after tonsillectomy (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In children undergoing tonsillectomy, providing comfort nursing can significantly reduce pain and improve their quality of life.

Adhesive, antibacterial and double crosslinked carboxylated polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan hydrogel to enhance dynamic skin wound healing.

An available dressing material which promotes skin tissue repair is of significant importance for public health. Moreover, dynamic wounds have special requirements for hydrogel dressings due to their motion state. Correspondingly, a double crosslinked hydrogel was prepared based on amide and coordination bonds from carboxylated polyvinyl alcohol (PC) and chitosan (CS)/Fe3+. The hydrogel exhibited excellent swelling ratio and suitable biodegradability, which is beneficial to the tissue repair. The results showed that hydrogels with crosslinked structure possessed better unique properties, such as stronger mechanical (78 kPa of G') and adhesion properties, and shorter self-healing time (5 mins), the change of which was consistent with dynamic wounds. The hydrogel exhibited not only antibacterial activity (98 % fatality rate), but also superior hemostatic capacity during the wound healing process. In addition, the hydrogel could shorten skin healing time to 14 days, and obviously accelerated skin structure reconstruction by promoting angiogenesis and collagen deposition. Therefore, double crosslinked hydrogel is a promising dynamic wound dressing.

Flexible, high-strength and multifunctional polyvinyl alcohol/MXene/polyaniline hydrogel enhancing skin wound healing.

Nature-inspired flexible and multifunctional hydrogels are ideal materials for tissue repair. High-strength, wear-resistant, antibacterial and conductive hydrogels can potentially be applied in skin healing. However, their use is often hindered by problems including poor mechanical properties and conductivity. Herein, high-strength and conductivity and antibacterial polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels with Ti3C2Tx (MXene) and polyaniline (PANI) have been developed to enhance skin wound healing. MXene strengthens the hydrogen bonds between PVA molecules and provides antibacterial ability lighted by near-infrared (NIR). PANI acts as an electric conductor and forms chemical bonds via polymerization with PVA to further enhance the mechanical properties of hydrogels. The PVA/MXene/PANI (PMP) hydrogels exhibit excellent mechanical properties (with a tensile strength of 4.1 MPa and a fracture energy of 130 kJ m-2), high electrical conductivity (0.22 S m-1) and antibacterial ability. The hydrogels significantly inhibit bacterial activity in vitro and vivo. Meanwhile, the hydrogels promote proliferation and enhance the migration of cells by electrical stimulation (ES). In addition, PMP hydrogels obviously accelerate skin wound healing by promoting angiogenesis and collagen deposition. Therefore, PMP multifunctional hydrogels are a prospective wearproof material for wound-healing dressings.

The Effects of Rso2 and PI Monitoring Images on the Treatment of Premature Infants Based on Deep Learning.

In recent years, due to the combined effects of individual behavior, psychological factors, environmental exposure, medical conditions, biological factors, etc., the incidence of preterm birth has gradually increased, so the incidence of various complications of preterm infants has also become higher and higher. This article is aimed at studying the therapeutic effects of preterm infants and proposing the application of rSO2 and PI image monitoring based on deep learning to the treatment of preterm infants. This article introduces deep learning, blood perfusion index, preterm infants, and other related content in detail and conducts experiments on the treatment of rSO2 and PI monitoring images based on deep learning in preterm infants. The experimental results show that the rSO2 and PI monitoring images based on deep learning can provide great help for the treatment of preterm infants and greatly improve the treatment efficiency of preterm infants by at least 15%.

Biomimetic cuttlebone polyvinyl alcohol/carbon nanotubes/hydroxyapatite aerogel scaffolds enhanced bone regeneration.

Inspired by the ordered porous nanostructure of bone, biomimetic functionalization porous biomaterial could be considered as promising substitutes for bone regeneration. To realize the relevant biomimetic porous structure, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based biomimetic cuttlebone aerogel scaffold which simultaneously contained modified carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) and hydroxyapatite (HAP) was first prepared using a one-step rapid freeze-drying method. By adjusting the MCNTs contents, both the surface hydrophilicity and the mechanical properties of the scaffold could be improved concurrently. Besides, the PVA/MCNTs/HAP enhanced the adhesion, differentiation and gene expression of osteogenic markers performances of MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, the aerogel scaffolds were implanted into the calvarial defect model of SD IGS Rat to evaluate osteogenic performance in vivo. The Micro-CT characterization and bone content theoretical analysis after 8 weeks together indicated that the PVA/MCNTs/HAP aerogel scaffolds could accelerate bone regeneration without the contribution of endogenous cytokines. The unique biomimetic porous structure, superior mechanical properties and excellent bone regeneration capacity of PVA/MCNTs/HAP aerogel scaffolds made them potential materials for bone regeneration.

Graphene Oxide/Chitosan/Hydroxyapatite Composite Membranes Enhance Osteoblast Adhesion and Guided Bone Regeneration.

Two-dimensional materials provide a secluded space for bone formation and preserve the growth of surrounding tissues, thus playing a crucial role in guided bone regeneration (GBR). Graphene oxide (GO) has been widely employed in GBR due to its good mechanical and hydrophilic properties. A single GO membrane, however, does not provide a friendly environment for osteogenic cell adhesion. With their adjustable mechanical properties and excellent biocompatibility, composite membranes can simulate the multicomponent structure of an extracellular matrix for cell adhesion. To obtain two-dimensional membranes with appropriate mechanical strength and sufficient biocompatibility, GO-based composite membranes simultaneously containing chitosan (CS) and hydroxyapatite (HAP) were first prepared using one-step vacuum filtration and a biomimetic mineralization method. CS and HAP improved the mechanical strength and surface hydrophilicity of the membranes. In addition, moderate addition of HAP enhanced the adhesion, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblasts. The prepared composite membranes were then implanted into a calvarial defect model to evaluate their osteogenic induction effects in vivo. Microcomputed tomography observation and histological analysis indicate that GO/CS/HAP composite membranes can accelerate bone regeneration without the contribution of endogenous cytokines. GO/CS/HAP composite membranes with unique biomimetic porous structures, superior mechanical properties, and excellent bone regeneration capacity are potential materials for application in GBR.

HIF1α-Induced Glycolysis in Macrophage Is Essential for the Protective Effect of Ouabain during Endotoxemia.

Ouabain, a steroid binding to the Na+/K+-ATPase, has several pharmacological effects. In addition to the recognized effects of blood pressure, there is more convincing evidence suggesting that ouabain is involved in immunologic functions and inflammation. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a metabolic regulator which plays a considerable role in immune responses. Previous studies had shown that HIF-1α-induced glycolysis results in functional reshaping in macrophages. In this study, we investigated the role of glycolytic pathway activation in the anti-inflammatory effect of ouabain. We found that ouabain is involved in anti-inflammatory effects both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, ouabain can inhibit LPS-induced upregulation of GLUT1 and HK2 at the transcriptional level. GM-CSF pretreatment almost completely reversed the inhibitory effect of ouabain on LPS-induced release of proinflammatory cytokines. Alterations in glycolytic pathway activation were required for the anti-inflammatory effect of ouabain. Ouabain can significantly inhibit the upregulation of HIF-1α at the protein level. Our results also revealed that the overexpression of HIF-1α can reverse the anti-inflammatory effect of ouabain. Thus, we conclude that the HIF-1α-dependent glycolytic pathway is essential for the anti-inflammatory effect of ouabain.

Innovative biodegradable poly(L-lactide)/collagen/hydroxyapatite composite fibrous scaffolds promote osteoblastic proliferation and differentiation.

The development of an artificial bone graft which can promote the regeneration of fractures or diseased bones is currently the most challenging aspect in bone tissue engineering. To achieve the purpose of promoting bone proliferation and differentiation, the artificial graft needs have a similar structure and composition of extracellular matrix. One-step electrospinning method of biocomposite nanofibers containing hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and collagen (Coll) were developed for potential application in bone tissue engineering. Nanocomposite scaffolds of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), PLLA/HA, PLLA/Coll, and PLLA/Coll/HA were fabricated by electrospinning. The morphology, diameter, elements, hydrophilicity, and biodegradability of the composite scaffolds have been investigated. The biocompatibility of different nanocomposite scaffolds was assessed using mouse osteoblasts MC3T3-E1 in vitro, and the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of cells on different nanofibrous scaffolds were investigated. The results showed that PLLA/Coll/HA nanofiber scaffolds enhanced cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, differentiation, mineralization, and gene expression of osteogenic markers compared to other scaffolds. In addition, the nanofibrous scaffolds maintained a stable composition at the beginning of the degradation period and morphology wastage and weight loss were observed when incubated for up to 80 days in physiological simulated conditions. The PLLA/Coll/HA composite nanofibrous scaffolds could be a potential material for guided bone regeneration.