Predictive value of diaphragmatic thickness fraction and integrated pulmonary index on extubation outcome in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to explore the predictive value of the diaphragmatic thickness fraction (DTF) combined with the integrated pulmonary index (IPI) for the extubation outcome in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS: This prospective study involved 93 patients diagnosed with SAP and treated with mechanical ventilation in our hospital from October 2020 to September 2023. The patients were divided into a successful extubation group (61 patients) and an extubation failure group (32 patients) based on the extubation outcomes. The predictive value of the DTF, IPI, and their combination for extubation failure was analyzed. RESULTS: The DTF and IPI were independent risk factors for extubation failure in patients with SAP undergoing mechanical ventilation. In addition, the combination of the DTF and IPI showed predictive value for extubation failure in these patients. CONCLUSION: The DTF and IPI hold predictive value for extubation failure in patients with SAP undergoing mechanical ventilation, and their combined use may improve the predictive efficiency.

Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on pain, knee function, and psychological status in patients after primary total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) after Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is still controversial, and the purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of CBT on pain, knee function, and psychological status of patients after TKA. METHODS: We systematically searched electronic databases such as CNKI, CBM, VIP, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE for randomized controlled studies up to February 30, 2023. Screening against inclusion criteria to select valid studies and extract data. The quality of included studies was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration risk-of-bias 2 (RoB 2) tool for randomized trials. Statistical analysis of the data from this study was carried out using Stata 15.1 software. RESULTS: Finally, our meta-analysis incorporated seven randomized controlled studies of high quality, including 608 patients. The findings of the meta-analysis demonstrated a noteworthy decrease in kinesiophobia levels during the early postoperative phase in the CBT group as compared to the usual care group (WMD = -6.35, 95% CI: -7.98 to -4.72, Z = 7.64, P < 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference between the CBT and usual care groups in terms of postoperative pain as well as knee function. CONCLUSION: CBT may effectively reduce the level of kinesiophobia in the short term after TKA, but did not significantly relieve knee pain or improve knee function.

Nanoplastic toxicity induces metabolic shifts in Populus × euramericana cv. '74/76' revealed by multi-omics analysis.

There is increasing global concern regarding the pervasive issue of plastic pollution. We investigated the response of Populus × euramericana cv. '74/76' to nanoplastic toxicity via phenotypic, microanatomical, physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches. Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) were distributed throughout the test plants after the application of PS-NPs. Nanoplastics principally accumulated in the roots; minimal fractions were translocated to the leaves. In leaves, however, PS-NPs easily penetrated membranes and became concentrated in chloroplasts, causing thylakoid disintegration and chlorophyll degradation. Finally, oxidant damage from the influx of PS-NPs led to diminished photosynthesis, stunted growth, and etiolation and/or wilting. By integrating dual-omics data, we found that plants could counteract mild PS-NP-induced oxidative stress through the antioxidant enzyme system without initiating secondary metabolic defense mechanisms. In contrast, severe PS-NP treatments promoted a shift in metabolic pattern from primary metabolism to secondary metabolic defense mechanisms, an effect that was particularly pronounced during the upregulation of flavonoid biosynthesis. Our findings provide a useful framework from which to further clarify the roles of key biochemical pathways in plant responses to nanoplastic toxicity. Our work also supports the development of effective strategies to mitigate the environmental risks of nanoplastics by biologically immobilizing them in contaminated lands.

Accuracy and reproducibility of two-dimensional computed tomography-based positioning of femoral component rotational alignment in preoperative planning for total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Poor rotation of the femoral component in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can result in various postoperative complications, underscoring the critical importance of preoperative planning. PURPOSE: To improve the accuracy of femoral component positioning during TKA, this study compared the accuracy and repeatability of different two-dimensional (2D) computed tomography (CT) measurement methods for measuring the posterior condylar angle (PCA) in preoperative TKA planning. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 75 patients (150 knees) who underwent bilateral lower extremity computed tomography angiography (CTA) at Fuyang People's Hospital from January 2021 to July 2021. Three different methods were used to measure the PCA based on 2D CT images (axial CT slices) and three-dimensional(3D) models (femoral models reconstructed from CT data) in this study. Method 1: Single-plane 2D CT measurement, measuring PCA in the most obvious single-plane CT slice of the surgical transepicondylar axis (sTEA); Method 2: multi-plane 2D CT measurement, identifying and locating anatomical landmarks in multiple 2D CT slices and measuring PCA; Method 3: 3D model measurement, measuring PCA in the reconstructed femur 3D model. Compare the differences in PCA measurements between the three measurement methods. A positive PCA measurement was recorded when the sTEA was externally rotated relative to the posterior condylar line (PCL). Any difference exceeding 3° between the PCA measurement in the 2D CT and the PCA reference value in the 3D model was classified as an outlier. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman method were utilized to assess the intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of the three measurement methods. RESULTS: The PCA measurement in the single-plane 2D CT was 1.91 ± 1.94°, with a measurement error of - 1.22 ± 1.32° and 12.7% of outlier values. In the multi-plane 2D CT, the PCA measurement was 2.96 ± 1.68°, with a measurement error of -0.15 ± 0.91° and 6.0% of outlier values. The PCA measurement in the 3D model was 3.12 ± 1.69°. The PCA measurement in single-plane 2D CT was notably smaller than that in multi-plane 2D CT and 3D models, with no significant difference between the latter two. The multi-plane 2D CT showed significantly lower measurement error and outlier values than the single-plane 2D CT. All three PCA measurement methods exhibited high reproducibility (ICC: 0.93 ~ 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Using of multi-plane 2D CT for measuring PCA in preoperative planning of TKA has high reproducibility and accuracy, with fewer outlier values. We recommend preoperative measurement of PCA using muti-plane 2D CT to improve the accuracy of positioning the femoral component rotational alignment during surgery.

Accuracy and reproducibility analysis of different reference axes for femoral prosthesis rotation alignment in TKA based on 3D CT femoral model.

BACKGROUND: There are many reference axes to determine the rotational positioning of the femoral prosthesis in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), mainly including the surgical transepicondylar axis (sTEA), anatomical transepicondylar axis (aTEA), Whiteside line, and the posterior condylar line (PCL), etc., but there is still no definite conclusion on which is the most accurate reference axis. OBJECTIVE: To explore the reproducibility of each reference axis of femoral external osteotomy based on the 3D CT femoral model, compare the deviation of the simulated femoral prosthesis rotation alignment, positioned based on each reference axis, with the gold standard sTEA, and analyze the accuracy of each reference axis. METHODS: The imaging data of 120 patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent a 3D CT examination of the knee in our hospital from June 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. The 3D model of the femur was established by Mimics software. The line relative to PCL externally rotated 3° (PCL + 3°), aTEA, and the vertical line of the Whiteside line were constructed and compared with the gold standard sTEA. Intra-observer, as well as inter-observer reproducibility analysis, was performed by the intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: The angle ∠WS, between the vertical line of Whiteside and sTEA, was 2.54 ± 2.30°, with an outlier of 54.2%; the angle ∠aTEA, between aTEA and sTEA, was 4.21 ± 1.01°, with an outlier of 99.1%; the angle ∠PCL, between PCL + 3° external rotation and sTEA, was 0.50 ± 1.06°, with the highest accuracy and an outlier of 5.8%, and the differences among all three were statistically significant, P < 0.05. The intra-observer ICC values of ∠WS, ∠aTEA, and ∠PCL were 0.975 (0.964-0.982), 0.926 (0.896-0.948), and 0.924(0.892,0.946), respectively, and the reproducibility levels were excellent; the inter-observer ICC values of ∠WS, ∠aTEA, and ∠PCL were 0.968(0.955-0.978), 0.906 (0.868-0.934) and 0.970 (0.957,0.979), respectively, with excellent reproducibility levels; Bland-Altman plots suggested that the scatter points of intra-observer and inter-observer measurement differences more than 95% were within the limits of agreement. CONCLUSION: The reference axis for locating the distal femoral external rotation osteotomy based on the 3D CT femoral model has good reproducibility. The PCL is easy to operate, has the highest precision, and the lowest outliers among the reference axes is therefore recommended.

The Clinical Outcomes of Measured Resection and Gap Balancing Techniques in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: At present, the clinical efficacy of measured resection (MR) and gap balancing (GB) techniques in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is still controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome indexes of the two surgical methods through a meta-analysis. METHODS: The literature was systematically searched on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG, Weipu (VIP), and China Biomedical Literature (CBM) electronic databases inception until June 12, 2022. RevMan 5.3 software (the Nordic Cochrane Center, the Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) was used to analyze all data of this study. The Cochrane risk bias assessment tool is a risk bias evaluation criterion recommended by the Cochrane Handbook for systematic reviews. RESULTS: Eleven studies involving 1268 knees in total were included. The main outcome indexes showed that the Knee Society Score (KSS) knee score (MD: -1.40; 95% CI: -2.57 to -0.22; p = 0.02) and KSS knee function score (MD: -3.11; 95% CI: -3.72 to -2.50; p < 0.001) in the GB group were higher 1 year after operation, while femoral component rotation angle (FCRA; MD: -0.75; 95% CI: -1.34 to -0.07; p = 0.03) and the osteotomy volume of the posterior medial femoral condyle (MD: -0.76; 95% CI; -1.13 to -0.38; p < 0.001) were greater in the GB group. In addition, there was no significant difference in the joint line change (MD: -0.03; 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.01; p = 0.16) between the two groups. Secondary outcome results showed that the knee joint range of motion (ROM) in 3 months, and the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score after 1 year were better in the GB group. However, the operation time of the MR group was shorter. In addition, this study revealed no significant differences in post-complications between these two groups. CONCLUSION: Although the GB technique may not provide better radiographic results or reduce the complication rate, the recovery of joint function showed earlier improvement.

Cinepazide maleate promotes recovery from spinal cord injury by inhibiting inflammation and prolonging neuronal survival.

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of cinepazide maleate (CM) on spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats, thereby providing an experimental basis for the use of CM as a preventative and therapeutic strategy for SCI. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining and western blot analysis were used to assess neural cell apoptosis. enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze the expression of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in spinal cord tissues and cerebrospinal fluid. CD68 staining and western blot analysis were used to investigate the effect of CM on microglia activation. The effects of CM on motor function and histological damage in rats after SCI were investigated using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score, footprint assay, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and NeuN staining. In vitro models of neuronal cell injury and microglial inflammation were developed to investigate the effects of CM on apoptosis and inflammation. Functional tests (BBB score and footprint test) revealed that CM-treated rats had significantly improved motor function. In vivo CM treatment reduced the number of apoptotic cells at the site of injury. Similarly, in vitro CM treatment reduced H2 O2 -induced neuronal apoptosis. In vivo CM treatment reduced the number of CD68-positive microglia and the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6. Similarly, in vitro CM treatment reduced LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines in microglia. CM promotes the recovery of motor function by inhibiting SCI-induced apoptosis and inflammatory responses and reducing the area of the post-SCI cavity in rats. These findings indicate that CM is a potential drug worthy of translational studies for SCI treatment.

SPP1 exacerbates ARDS via elevating Th17/Treg and M1/M2 ratios through suppression of ubiquitination-dependent HIF-1α degradation.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe inflammatory pulmonary condition that leads to respiratory failure. The imbalance of Th17/Treg and M1/M2 is implicated in ARDS. A better understanding of the regulation of the balance of Th17/Treg and M1/M2 may provide novel therapeutic targets for ARDS. METHODS: Plasma and BALF samples were collected from ARDS patients. Inflammatory cytokines were examined by ELISA. Th17, Treg, M1 and M2 were identified via immunofluorescence staining of RORγt, Foxp3, iNOS and Arg-1. H&E and Masson's trichrome staining were applied for evaluating pulmonary damage and fibrosis. A mouse model of ARDS was established through LPS administration. HIF-1α was immunoprecipitated and subjected to ubiquitination analysis via western blotting. The expression of SPP1, VHL and HIF-1α was examined by RT-qPCR and western blotting. RESULTS: ARDS patients showed elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines and ratios of Th17/Treg and M1/M2. SPP1 was upregulated in ARDS mice, and silencing of SPP1 alleviated lung injury and fibrosis. SPP1 inhibited VHL expression to reduce the ubiquitination and degradation of HIF-1α in ARDS. Overexpression of SPP1 facilitated Th17, Treg and M1 polarization but inhibited M2 polarization through upregulation of HIF-1α. CONCLUSION: SPP1 elevates Th17/Treg and M1/M2 ratio by suppressing VHL expression and ubiquitination-dependent HIF-1α degradation, thus exacerbating ARDS. Our study provides novel mechanistic insights into ARDS pathogenesis and promising therapeutic targets.

The role of maintenance therapy in the treatment of advanced urothelial cancer: a comprehensive systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Concerns increase with maintenance therapy for advanced urothelial cancer (aUC). We perform a comprehensive network meta-analysis (NMA) to investigate the efficacy and toxicities of maintenance therapy in aUC patients. Trials assessing maintenance treatment with either a continuous or a switch strategy for aUC were identified. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and secondary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicities. Nine articles reporting eight trials were included. The pooled hazard ratio demonstrated that maintenance therapy significantly improved OS giving HR 0.83 (95%CI: 0.74-0.93, P = 0.0013) and PFS with HR of 0.78 (95%CI: 0.62-0.99, P = 0.05), but increased the risk of developing severe adverse events and treated-related discontinues (P < 0.05). Sub-group analysis indicated that 'switch' ICI (immune checkpoint inhibitor) maintenance therapy significantly improved OS and PFS when compared to best support care (BSC) (P < 0.05). NMA showed that chemotherapy followed by 'switch' maintenance with ICI significantly improved OS (HR 0.70, 95%CI: 0.57-0.87) when compared to BSC. 'Continuous' maintenance with ICI alone had a tendency to improve OS (HR 0.85, 95%CI: 0.71-1.01), and TA (HR0.93, 95%CI: 0.58-1.50) and vinflunine (HR 0.74, 95%CI: 0.44-1.24) was no significantly associated with a lower likelihood of disease death. Based on the analysis of the treatment ranking, 'switch' maintenance with ICI appeared as the best treatment approach. Our pooled results confirm that maintenance therapy yields a significant survival advantage for aUC patients. NMA indicates that switch maintenance with ICI is the optimum maintenance treatment for aUC and reduces mortality by about a third.

Fondaparinux sodium and low molecular weight heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in Chinese patients with major orthopedic surgery or trauma: a real-world study.

BACKGROUND: The present real-world study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety between fondaparinux sodium (FPX) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in Chinese patients with major orthopedic surgery or trauma. METHODS: A total of 2429 patients, with major orthopedic surgery or trauma, underwent FPX (n = 1177) or LMWH (n = 1252) for VTE prophylaxis and were retrospectively reviewed. Primary outcomes, including in-hospital VTE and in-hospital major bleeding incidences, as well as the secondary outcomes, including in-hospital minor bleeding, in-hospital death, and VTE/bleeding/death within 2 months after discharge, were analyzed. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was conducted. RESULTS: FPX group exhibited lower in-hospital VTE (0.1% vs. 0.8%; P = 0.032, crude OR = 0.11 before IPTW; P = 0.046, weighted OR = 0.12 after IPTW) and in-hospital minor bleeding (17.8% vs. 26.8%; P < 0.001, crude OR = 0.59 before IPTW; P < 0.001, weighted OR = 0.67 after IPTW) compared to LMWH group. Furthermore, no difference of in-hospital major bleeding, in-hospital death, and VTE/bleeding/death within 2 months after discharge was observed between FPX group and LMWH group (all P > 0.05). Further subgroup analyses identified, in specific cluster of patients such as older age, renal function impairment, hypertension and so on, in-hospital VTE was declined in FPX group compared to LMWH group (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: FPX is probable to exhibit a superior thromboprophylaxis efficacy compared with LMWH in in-hospital patients with major orthopedic surgery or trauma, especially in some special patients such as older age, renal function impairment, hypertension, etc.

Association between frailty and postoperative delirium: a meta-analysis of cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty has been suggested as a possible risk factor for postoperative delirium (POD). However, results of previous studies were not consistent. We performed a meta-analysis of cohort study to evaluate the above association. METHODS: Relevant studies were obtained via systematic search of PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases. Only studies with multivariate analysis were included. A random-effect model incorporating the potential heterogeneity was used to combine the results. RESULTS: Fifteen cohort studies including 3250 adult patients who underwent surgery were included, and the prevalence of frailty was 27.1% (880/3250) before surgeries. Overall, POD occurred in 513 patients (15.8%). Pooled results showed that frailty was associated with a higher risk of POD (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 3.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.56-4.07, P < 0.001) without significant heterogeneity (P for Cochrane's Q test = 0.25, I2 = 18%). Subgroup analyses showed a more remarkable association between frailty and POD in prospective cohort studies (OR: 3.64, 95% CI: 2.95-4.49, P < 0.001) than that in retrospective cohort studies (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.60-3.35, P < 0.001; P for subgroup difference = 0.04). Moreover, the association was not affected by country of the study, age group of the patient, elective or emergency surgeries, cardiac and non-cardiac surgeries, evaluation instruments for frailty, diagnostic methods for POD, or quality score of the study (P for subgroup difference all > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty may be associated with a higher risk of POD in adult population.

The analgesic efficacy of paravertebral block for percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

INTRODUCTION: The analgesic efficacy of paravertebral block for percutaneous nephrolithotomy remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the analgesic efficacy of paravertebral block for patients with percutaneous nephrolithotomy. METHODS: We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing analgesic efficacy of paravertebral block for percutaneous nephrolithotomy are included in this meta-analysis. RESULTS: Five RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group after percutaneous nephrolithotomy, paravertebral block is associated with the decrease in analgesic consumption (standard mean difference (Std. MD) = -1.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -2.18 to -0.92; P < .00001) and additional analgesics (risk ratio (RR) = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.44; P = .0003), prolonged time to first analgesic requirement (Std. MD = 1.51; 95% CI = 0.26 to 2.76; P = .02). There is no statistical difference of adverse events including nausea or vomiting (RR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.11 to 2.35; P = .38), or itching (RR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.26 to 1.81; P = .45) between 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Paravertebral block is effective for pain control after percutaneous nephrolithotomy.