Electrochemical water splitting enhancement by introducing mesoporous NiCoFe-trimetallic phosphide nanosheets as catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Transition metal-based catalysts are widely used in electrocatalysis, especially in the field of water splitting, due to their excellent electrochemical performance, which focuses on improving the efficiency of the complex oxygen evolution reaction (OER) that occurs at the anode. Transition metal-based catalysts will undergo electrochemical surface reconstruction and form (oxy)hydroxide-based hybrids, which consider the actual active sites for OER. So many efforts have been made to know the origin of the effect of electrochemical surface reconstruction on the performance of the OER. Herein, NiCoFe-phosphide catalyst nanosheets were constructed by a simple one-step hydrothermal reaction by adding oleylamine and ethanol to water solvent during the preparation of the catalyst precursor and high-temperature gas-phase phosphating and significantly showed high effectiveness catalytic activity and conductivity in comparison to normal and traditional preparation methods. Electrochemical analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) demonstrate that the surface was constructed during the electrochemical reaction and formed an amorphous layer of MOx(OH)y active sites, which increased the electrochemical surface area and promoted charge transfer. As well, the synthesized NiCoFePx-PNSs catalyst nanosheets exhibit excellent catalytic activity with a low overpotential equal to 259 mV to achieve the OER at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and a low Tafel slope of 50.47 mV dec-1 which is better than for most reported transition metal-based electrocatalysts. This work provides a new design for a transition metal-based catalyst for OER as well as further insights into the effect of electrochemical surface reconstruction on intrinsic activity and OER performance.

Boosting oxygen evolution reaction rates with mesoporous Fe-doped MoCo-phosphide nanosheets.

Transition metal-based catalysts are commonly used for water electrolysis and cost-effective hydrogen fuel production due to their exceptional electrochemical performance, particularly in enhancing the efficiency of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode. In this study, a novel approach was developed for the preparation of catalysts with abundant active sites and defects. The MoCoFe-phosphide catalyst nanosheets were synthesized using a simple one-step hydrothermal reaction and chemical vapor deposition-based phosphorization. The resulting MoCoFe-phosphide catalyst nanosheets displayed excellent electrical conductivity and a high number of electrochemically active sites, leading to high electrocatalytic activities and efficient kinetics for the OER. The MoCoFe-phosphide catalyst nanosheets demonstrated remarkable catalytic activity, achieving a low overpotential of only 250 mV to achieve the OER at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. The catalyst also exhibited a low Tafel slope of 43.38 mV dec-1 and maintained high stability for OER in alkaline media, surpassing the performance of most other transition metal-based electrocatalysts. The outstanding OER performance can be attributed to the effects of Mo and Fe, which modulate the electronic properties and structures of CoP. The results showed a surface with abundant defects and active sites with a higher proportion of Co2+ active sites, a larger specific surface area, and improved interfacial charge transfer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed that the catalyst's high activity originates from the presence of Mo6+/Mo4+ and Co2+/Co3+ redox couples, as well as the formation of active metal (oxy)hydroxide species on its surface.

Optogenetics Reveals Roles for Supporting Cells in Force Transmission to and From Outer Hair Cells in the Mouse Cochlea.

Outer hair cells (OHCs) of the organ of Corti (OoC), acting as bidirectional cellular mechanoelectrical transducers, generate, receive, and exchange forces with other major elements of the cochlear partition, including the sensory inner hair cells (IHCs). Force exchange is mediated via a supporting cell scaffold, including Deiters' (DC) and outer pillar cells (OPC), to enable the sensitivity and exquisite frequency selectivity of the mammalian cochlea and to transmit its responses to the auditory nerve. To selectively activate DCs and OPCs in male and female mice, we conditionally expressed in them a hyperpolarizing halorhodopsin (HOP), a light-gated inward chloride ion pump, and measured extracellular receptor potentials (ERPs) and their DC component (ERPDCs) from the cortilymph, which fills the OoC fluid spaces, and compared the responses with similar potentials from HOP-/- littermates. The compound action potentials (CAP) of the auditory nerve were measured as an indication of IHC activity and transmission of cochlear responses to the CNS. HOP light-activated hyperpolarization of DCs and OPCs suppressed cochlear amplification through changing the timing of its feedback, altered basilar membrane (BM) responses to tones at all measured levels and frequencies, and reduced IHC excitation. HOP activation findings reported here complement recent studies that revealed channelrhodopsin activation depolarized DCs and OPCs and effectively bypassed, rather than blocked, the control of OHC mechanical and electrical responses to sound and their contribution to timed and directed electromechanical feedback to the mammalian cochlea. Moreover, our findings identify DCs and OPCs as potential targets for the treatment of noise-induced hearing loss.

Surface Reconstruction Facilitated by Fluorine Migration and Bimetallic Center in NiCo Bimetallic Fluoride Toward Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical anodic reaction of electrochemical water splitting, developing a high-efficiency electrocatalyst is essential. Transition metal-based catalysts are much more cost-effective if comparable activities can be achieved. Among them, fluorides are rarely reported due to their low aqueous stability of coordination and low electric conductivity. Herein, a NiCo bimetallic fluoride with good crystallinity is designed and constructed, and significantly enhanced catalytic activity and conductivity are observed. The inevitable oxidation of transition metal ions at high potential and the dissociation of F- are attributed to the low aqueous stability of coordination. The theoretical researches predicte that transition metal fluorides should have a strong tendency to electrochemical reconstruction. Therefore, based on the observations on their electrochemical behavior, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and bode plots, it is further demonstrated that surface reconstruction occurred during the electrochemical process, meanwhile a significant increase of electrochemically active area, which is created by F migration, are also directly observed. Additionally, DFT calculation results show that the electronic structure of the catalysts is modulated by the bimetallic centers, and this reconstruction helps optimizing the adsorption energy of oxygen-containing species and improves OER activity.

Novel biallelic variants in the PLEC gene are associated with severe hearing loss.

Pediatric auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder is a particular type of hearing loss caused by abnormal sound transmission from the cochlea to the brain. It is due to defective peripheral synaptic function or improper neuronal conduction. Using trio whole-exome sequencing, we have identified novel biallelic variants in the PLEC gene in three individuals with profound deafness from two unrelated families. Among them, one pediatric patient diagnosed with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder had a good cochlear implantation outcome. The other two adult patients were diagnosed with non-syndromic hearing loss. Studies in mice and zebrafish confirmed that plectin is developmentally expressed in the inner ear. Moreover, plectin's knockdown resulted in a reduction of synaptic mitochondrial potential and loss of ribbon synapses, reinforcing the idea of a role for plectin in neuronal transmission. Altogether, the results presented here, point to a new unconventional role for plectin in the inner ear. Contrary to the well-characterized association of plectin to skin and muscle diseases, we found that specific plectin mutations can result in hearing loss with no other clinical manifestations. This is important because 1) it provides evidence of plectin's involvement in inner ear function and 2) it will help clinicians at the time of diagnosis and treatment.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Boost with the CyberKnife for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Dosimetric Analysis and Potential Clinical Benefits.

(1) Aim: To compare the treatment plans of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with CyberKnife (CK) and high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary/interstitial brachytherapy (IC/ISBT) and examine the feasibility of CK-SBRT as a viable alternative to BT in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). (2) Methods: A BT plan of 28 Gy in four fractions delivered previously to 20 patients with LACC was compared with a CK plan based on the same CT images with structures delineation for BT. The SBRT treatment plan was further divided according to two different approaches, with the high-risk planning target volume (HR-PTV) defined by the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) without and with a 5 mm margin, which were named CK-CTV plan and CK-PTV plan, respectively. The dose distributions and dosimetric parameters of the target volumes and organs at risk (OARs) were recorded and compared for the three boost plans. Radiobiological metrics were calculated based on the EUD for the hybrid plans. Additionally, the relationship between tumor volume and tolerance doses for the OARs in the BT plan and CK-PTV plan was investigated. (3) Results: Target coverage was better with the CK plan than with the BT plan, as the D95%, D98%, HI and CI of the CK-CTV plan and CK-PTV plan were higher than those of the BT plan; an exception was the D50%. Similarly, the TCP of the target was also significantly in favor of the CK hybrid plans (p < 0.01). For the OARs, the CK-CTV plan was superior to the BT plan as regards the rectum D2cc, bladder D2cc and bladder Dmax. The CK-PTV plan could achieve dosimetric parameters comparable to those of the BT plan for OARs concerning the small residual tumor volume. The NTCP of the rectum for the WPI+CK-CTV plans was significantly lower than that of the WPI+BT plans (p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: CK-based SBRT can achieve better target coverage, dose sparing for the OARs and radiobiological effects compared with the BT plan for tumors that are not excessively large. CK-based SBRT could be an alternative option to administer a radiation boost for patients with LACC.

Profiling mouse cochlear cell maturation using 10× Genomics single-cell transcriptomics.

Juvenile and mature mouse cochleae contain various low-abundant, vulnerable sensory epithelial cells embedded in the calcified temporal bone, making it challenging to profile the dynamic transcriptome changes of these cells during maturation at the single-cell level. Here we performed the 10x Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of mouse cochleae at postnatal days 14 (P14) and 28. We attained the transcriptomes of multiple cell types, including hair cells, supporting cells, spiral ganglia, stria fibrocytes, and immune cells. Our hair cell scRNA-seq datasets are consistent with published transcripts from bulk RNA-seq. We also mapped known deafness genes to corresponding cochlear cell types. Importantly, pseudotime trajectory analysis revealed that inner hair cell maturation peaks at P14 while outer hair cells continue development until P28. We further identified and confirmed a long non-coding RNA gene Miat to be expressed during maturation in cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglia neurons, and Pcp4 to be expressed during maturation in cochlear hair cells. Our transcriptomes of juvenile and mature mouse cochlear cells provide the sequel to those previously published at late embryonic and early postnatal ages and will be valuable resources to investigate cochlear maturation at the single-cell resolution.

In vivo optogenetics reveals control of cochlear electromechanical responses by supporting cells.

Cochlear sensitivity, essential for communication and exploiting the acoustic environment, results from sensory-motor outer hair cells (OHCs) operating in a structural scaffold of supporting cells and extracellular cortilymph (CL) within the organ of Corti (OoC). Cochlear sensitivity control is hypothesized to involve interaction between the OHCs and OoC supporting cells (e.g., Deiters' cells (DCs) and outer pillar cells (OPCs)), but this has never been established in vivo Here, we conditionally expressed channelrhodopsins (ChR2) specifically in male and female mouse DCs and OPCs. illumination of the OoC activated the nonselective ChR2 cation conductance and depolarized DCs when measured in vivo and in isolated OoC. Measurements of sound-induced cochlear mechanical and electrical responses revealed OoC illumination suppressed the normal functions of OoC supporting cells transiently and reversibly. OoC illumination blocked normally occurring continuous minor adjustments of tone-evoked basilar membrane (BM) displacements over their entire dynamic range and OHC voltage responses to tones at levels and frequencies subject to cochlear amplification. OoC illumination altered the OHC MET conductance operating point, which reversed the asymmetry of OHC voltage responses to high level tones. OoC illumination accelerated recovery from temporary loud sound-induced acoustic desensitization. We concluded that DCs and OPCs are involved in both the control of cochlear responses that are essential for normal hearing, and the recovery from temporary acoustic desensitization. This is the first direct in vivo evidence for the interdependency of the structural, mechanical, and electrochemical arrangements of OHCs and OoC supporting cells that together provide fine control of cochlear responses.Significance statement:A striking feature of the mammalian cochlear sensory epithelium, the organ of Corti, is the cellular architecture and supporting cell arrangement that provides a structural scaffold for the sensory-motor outer hair cells. The role of the supporting cell scaffold, however, has never been elucidated in vivo, although in vitro and modelling studies indicate the scaffold is involved in exchange of forces between the outer hair cells and the organ of Corti. We used in vivo techniques, including optogenetics, that do not disrupt arrangements between the outer hair cells and supporting cells, but selectively, transiently, and reversibly interfere with supporting cell normal function. We revealed the supporting cells provide continuous adjustment of cochlear sensitivity, which is instrumental in normal hearing.

A yolk-shell structure construction for metal-organic frameworks toward an enhanced electrochemical water splitting catalysis.

NiFe-based transition metal catalysts are widely used in electrocatalysis, especially in the field of water splitting, due to their excellent electrochemical performance. Herein, a simple method was designed to synthesize a Ni MOF based on nickel foam and it was modified with Fe. After the introduction of Fe, the resulting material exhibits an obvious yolk-shell structure, which greatly increases the specific surface area and facilitates the construction of active sites. At the same time, the synergy between Ni and Fe is conducive to optimizing the electronic structure and effectively improving the poor stability of the MOF. As a result, the synthesized Ni MOF-Fe-2 only needs an overpotential of 229 mV to achieve the OER at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, which is better than most reported transition metal-based electrocatalysts. To our surprise, it showed extraordinary stability under the voltage used for water splitting.

Increased B Cell-Activating Factor Expression Is Associated with Postoperative Recurrence of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a common upper airway inflammatory disease with a high postoperative recurrence rate. This study is aimed at exploring the expression of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) in CRSwNP and its association with postoperative recurrence. Methods: A total of 80 CRSwNP patients, including 40 primary CRSwNP patients and 40 recurrent CRSwNP patients, 40 chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) patients, and 40 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study, and the serum and tissue samples were collected. The circulating and tissue BAFF expressions were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Their clinical values for predicting postoperative recurrence of CRSwNP were evaluated. Results: We determined serum levels of BAFF were remarkably increased in the CRSwNP group than the CRSsNP and HC groups (P < 0.05), and higher concentrations of BAFF were associated with peripheral eosinophil percentage (r = 0.614, P < 0.001). The serum BAFF concentrations were significantly higher in the recurrent CRSwNP group in comparison with the primary group (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve presented that serum BAFF levels were associated with the postoperative recurrence in CRSwNP patients (P < 0.05). Moreover, tissue BAFF levels were significantly increased in the CRSwNP group than the HC group, especially in the recurrent CRSwNP group (P < 0.05), and enhanced BAFF RNA expressions were correlated with serum BAFF levels (r = 0.703, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Our results elucidated that the BAFF expression was enhanced in CRSwNP patients and associated with postoperative recurrence. BAFF could be a serologic biomarker for predicting postoperative recurrence in CRSwNP patients.

An Fe-doped Co-oxide electrocatalyst synthesized through a post-modification method toward advanced water oxidation.

In the context of the ever-increasing energy crisis, electrocatalytic water splitting has attracted widespread attention as an effective means to provide clean energy. However, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is an important anodic half reaction, shows very slow kinetics due to the multi-step electron transfer process, which severely restricts the efficiency of energy conversion. Herein, we used a simple solvothermal method to dope iron into the cobalt-containing hydroxide precursor, and successfully prepared the Fe-doped Co-oxide electrocatalyst Co3-xFexO4-0.01. It only needs an overpotential of 294 mV to perform the OER at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, and has a low Tafel slope of 47.3 mV dec-1. Moreover, Co3-xFexO4-0.01 has excellent stability. There is no significant increase in the overpotential for oxygen evolution at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 after nearly 20 h. BET surface area test and XPS spectroscopy results show that Fe doping provides more mesopores and oxygen bridges, which is conducive to the construction of active sites and electronic regulation during the OER. This work can help design more bimetallic based highly active OER materials.

TUB and ZNF532 Promote the Atoh1-Mediated Hair Cell Regeneration in Mouse Cochleae.

Hair cell (HC) regeneration is a promising therapy for permanent sensorineural hearing loss caused by HC loss in mammals. Atoh1 has been shown to convert supporting cells (SCs) to HCs in neonatal cochleae; its combinations with other factors can improve the efficiency of HC regeneration. To identify additional transcription factors for efficient Atoh1-mediated HC regeneration, here we optimized the electroporation procedure for explant culture of neonatal mouse organs of Corti and tested multiple transcription factors, Six2, Ikzf2, Lbh, Arid3b, Hmg20 a, Tub, Sall1, and Znf532, for their potential to promote Atoh1-mediated conversion of SCs to HCs. These transcription factors are expressed highly in HCs but differentially compared to the converted HCs based on previous studies, and are also potential co-reprograming factors for Atoh1-mediated SC-to-HC conversion by literature review. P0.5 cochlear explants were electroporated with these transcription factors alone or jointly with Atoh1. We found that Sox2+ progenitors concentrated within the lateral greater epithelial ridge (GER) can be electroporated efficiently with minimal HC damage. Atoh1 ectopic expression promoted HC regeneration in Sox2+ lateral GER cells. Transcription factors Tub and Znf532, but not the other six tested, promoted the HC regeneration mediated by Atoh1, consistent with previous studies that Isl1 promotes Atoh1-mediated HC conversionex vivo and in vivo and that both Tub and Znf532 are downstream targets of Isl1. Thus, our studies revealed an optimized electroporation method that can transfect the Sox2+ lateral GER cells efficiently with minimal damage to the endogenous HCs. Our results also demonstrate the importance of the Isl1/Tub/Znf532 pathway in promoting Atoh1-mediated HC regeneration.

Characterization of quinoxaline derivatives for protection against iatrogenically induced hearing loss.

Hair cell loss is the leading cause of hearing and balance disorders in humans. It can be caused by many factors, including noise, aging, and therapeutic agents. Previous studies have shown the therapeutic potential of quinoxaline against drug-induced ototoxicity. Here, we screened a library of 68 quinoxaline derivatives for protection against aminoglycoside-induced damage of hair cells from the zebrafish lateral line. We identified quinoxaline-5-carboxylic acid (Qx28) as the best quinoxaline derivative that provides robust protection against both aminoglycosides and cisplatin in zebrafish and mouse cochlear explants. FM1-43 and aminoglycoside uptake, as well as antibiotic efficacy studies, revealed that Qx28 is neither blocking the mechanotransduction channels nor interfering with aminoglycoside antibacterial activity, suggesting that it may be protecting the hair cells by directly counteracting the ototoxin's mechanism of action. Only when animals were incubated with higher doses of Qx28 did we observe a partial blockage of the mechanotransduction channels. Finally, we assessed the regulation of the NF-κB pathway in vitro in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and in vivo in zebrafish larvae. Those studies showed that Qx28 protects hair cells by blocking NF-κB canonical pathway activation. Thus, Qx28 is a promising and versatile otoprotectant that can act across different species and toxins.

BRAF inhibition protects against hearing loss in mice.

Hearing loss caused by noise, aging, antibiotics, and chemotherapy affects 10% of the world population, yet there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs to prevent it. Here, we screened 162 small-molecule kinase-specific inhibitors for reduction of cisplatin toxicity in an inner ear cell line and identified dabrafenib (TAFINLAR), a BRAF kinase inhibitor FDA-approved for cancer treatment. Dabrafenib and six additional kinase inhibitors in the BRAF/MEK/ERK cellular pathway mitigated cisplatin-induced hair cell death in the cell line and mouse cochlear explants. In adult mice, oral delivery of dabrafenib repressed ERK phosphorylation in cochlear cells, and protected from cisplatin- and noise-induced hearing loss. Full protection was achieved in mice with co-treatment with oral AZD5438, a CDK2 kinase inhibitor. Our study explores a previously unidentified cellular pathway and molecular target BRAF kinase for otoprotection and may advance dabrafenib into clinics to benefit patients with cisplatin- and noise-induced ototoxicity.

Clinical and genetic study of 12 Chinese Han families with nonsyndromic deafness.

BACKGROUND: Nonsyndromic hearing loss is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. In this study, we characterized the clinical features of 12 Chinese Han deaf families in which mutations in common deafness genes GJB2, SLC26A4, and MT-RNR1 were excluded. METHODS: Targeted next-generation sequencing of 147 known deafness genes was performed in probands of 10 families, while whole-exome sequencing was applied in those of the rest two. RESULTS: Pathogenic mutations in a total of 11 rare deafness genes, OTOF, CDH23, PCDH15, PDZD7, ADGRV1, KARS, OTOG, GRXCR2, MYO6, GRHL2, and POU3F4, were identified in all 12 probands, with 16 mutations being novel. Intrafamilial cosegregation of the mutations and the deafness phenotype were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. CONCLUSION: Our results expanded the mutation spectrum and genotype-phenotype correlation of nonsyndromic hearing loss in Chinese Hans and also emphasized the importance of combining both next-generation sequencing and detailed auditory evaluation to achieve a more accurate diagnosis for nonsyndromic hearing loss.

[Comparison between the effect of endoscopic-assisted low temperature plasma and electric planer on the treatment of adenoid hypertrophy: a Meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of endoscopic-assisted low temperature plasma (ELTP) and electric planer (EP) on the treatment of adenoid hypertrophy.
 Methods: We searched China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Weipu Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature (CMB), PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database, and collected the randomized controlled studies regarding the effect of ELTP and EP on the treatment of adenoid hypertrophy from January 2007 to June 2016. Methodologies were used to evaluate the included studies, and Meta-analysis was performed by Revman 5.2.
 Results: Thirteen studies including 1 448 patients fulfilled the study requirement. Seven hundred and twenty-two patients were treated with ELTP, and 726 patients were treated with EP. The Meta-analysis showed: compared with EP, ELTP could improve the cure rare (OR=3.19, 95% CI 1.42 to 7.15, P=0.005), reduce the blood loss during surgery (MD=-20.35, 95% CI -20.84 to -19.87, P<0.001), shorten the operation time (MD=-15.71, 95% CI -18.06 to -12.17, P<0.001), and reduce the incidence of complications (OR=0.13, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.30, P<0.001), while there was no difference between the 2 groups in the postoperative residual rate of adenoid, postoperative hemorrhage rate and the rate of torus tubarius injury.
 Conclusion: Comparing with EP, ELTP shows more advantages in the adenoidectomy.

Overexpression of N-cadherin and ß-catenin correlates with poor prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

An increasing amount of evidence demonstrates that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is important in tumor invasion and metastases. The cell-cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin and the Wnt/ß-catenin cascade protein ß-catenin are two biomarkers of EMT. The present study aimed to measure the expression levels of N-cadherin and ß-catenin in samples from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and evaluate their prognostic significance. N-cadherin and ß-catenin mRNA was evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 26 NPC tissue samples and 8 nasopharyngeal epithelium samples. Protein expression of N-cadherin and ß-catenin was also detected using immunohistochemistry in 128 archival NPC paraffin-embedded specimens. Finally, associations between clinical pathological parameters and prognostic values in NPC were evaluated. The results demonstrated that both the mRNA and protein levels of N-cadherin and ß-catenin were significantly increased in NPC tissues compared with the controls. Enhanced expression of N-cadherin and ß-catenin protein was strongly correlated with the status of lymph node metastasis and clinical stages in patients with NPC. Notably, high expression of N-cadherin and ß-catenin proteins was significantly correlated with lower overall survival (OS) rate in patients with NPC. Finally, multivariate analysis demonstrated that expression of N-cadherin protein and clinical stages were independent prognostic factors for patients with NPC. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that N-cadherin and ß-catenin expression may be used as potential prognostic biomarkers for patients with NPC.

The timing of surgical treatment of traumatic facial paralysis: a systematic review.

CONCLUSIONS: Surgical decompression performed within 2 weeks yields the best clinical prognosis for patients with TFP. This study also demonstrated that surgical exploration performed within 2 months results in acceptable outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The ideal timing for surgical intervention of traumatic facial paralysis (TFP) is still controversial. A systematic review was performed to appropriately determine the timing of surgical decompression. METHODS: Related studies were identified by searching Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane and reviewing the relevant reference lists until 1 March 2016. Surgical timing was classified into four sub-groups: <2 weeks, 2 weeks-1 month, 1-2 months, and >2 months. RESULTS: Six studies including 119 patients (119 cases) fulfilled the study requirements. The number of patients who achieved perfect recovery of House-Brackmanm (H-B) grade 1 was 40 of 119 patients (33.6%). Good results were demonstrated in 94.4% (17/18) of patients managed with surgical decompression within 2 weeks vs 63.4% (64/101) of patients undergoing surgical intervention at >2 weeks (p = 0.009).