Efficacy of scleral buckling for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment using a novel foldable capsular buckle.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of scleral buckling for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) using a novel foldable capsular buckle (FCB). METHODS: This was a series of case observation studies. Eighteen patients (18 eyes) who visited our ophthalmology department between August 2020 and August 2022 and were treated for RRD with scleral buckling using FCB were included. The procedure was similar to conventional scleral buckling, while a balloon-like FCB was placed onto the retinal break with balanced salt solution filling for a broad, external indentation instead of the silicone buckle. The retinal reattachment rate, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), refractive dioptre and astigmatism degree, and complications were evaluated and recorded. RESULTS: There were 7 males and 11 females aged 19-58y. The average time course of RRD was 12d, ranging from 7-20d. The retinal break was located in the superior quadrants in 8 eyes and in the inferior quadrants in 10 eyes, with macula-off detachments in 12 eyes. The patients were followed-up for at least 6mo. The final retinal reattachment rate was 100%. The BCVA was significantly improved compared with the baseline (P<0.05). There was no significant change in refractive dioptre or astigmatism degree at each follow-up (all P>0.05). Three patients had transiently high IOPs within one week after surgery. Mild diplopia occurred in 5 patients after surgery and then disappeared after the balloon fluid was removed. CONCLUSION: The success rate of FCB scleral buckling for RRD is satisfactory. This procedure can be expected to be applied in new, uncomplicated cases of RRD.

Preparation of a Polymeric Phosphoramide Flame-Retardant and Its Effect on the Flame-Retardant Properties of Epoxy Resin.

The flammability of epoxy resins and knowing how to achieve curing are particularly important factors during use. A novel approach for enhancing the fire resistance and reducing the smoke emission of epoxy resin during the curing process is suggested, which involves the utilization of a three-source integrated polymerization intumescent flame-retardant. In this study, the synthesis of poly 4,4-diaminodiphenylsulfone spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphonate (PCS) is achieved through using solution polymerization, utilizing 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) and spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphorate disphosphoryl chloride (SPDPC) as initial components. Following that, the EP underwent the inclusion of PCS to examine its resistance to heat, its ability to prevent flames, its effectiveness in reducing smoke and its curing effect. Compared to the unmodified epoxy resin, the addition of PCS can not only cure the epoxy resin, but also decompose before the epoxy resin and has a good carbonization effect. With the addition of 7 wt.% PCS, the LOI value can achieve 31.2% and successfully pass the UL-94 test with a V-0 rating. Moreover, the cone calorimeter experiment demonstrated a noteworthy decline of 59.7% in the maximum heat release rate (pHRR), 63.7% in overall heat release (THR), and 42.3% in total smoke generation (TSP). Based on the examination of TG-FTIR and SEM findings, there is ample evidence to suggest that PCS, functioning as a phosphorus-nitrogen intumescent flame-retardant that combines three origins, has the potential to exhibit a favorable flame-retardant impact in both its gas and condensed phases.

Molecular probes for super-resolution imaging of drug dynamics.

Super-resolution molecular probes (SRMPs) are essential tools for visualizing drug dynamics within cells, transcending the resolution limits of conventional microscopy. In this review, we provide an overview of the principles and design strategies of SRMPs, emphasizing their role in accurately tracking drug molecules. By illuminating the intricate processes of drug distribution, diffusion, uptake, and metabolism at a subcellular and molecular level, SRMPs offer crucial insights into therapeutic interventions. Additionally, we explore the practical applications of super-resolution imaging in disease treatment, highlighting the significance of SRMPs in advancing our understanding of drug action. Finally, we discuss future perspectives, envisioning potential advancements and innovations in this field. Overall, this review serves to inform and practitioners about the utility of SRMPs in driving innovation and progress in pharmacology, providing valuable insights for drug development and optimization.

Comparison of cytokine expression and disease severity between plasma cell-dominant and eosinophil-dominant patients in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

PURPOSE: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by inflammation of the nasal and sinus mucosa. The inflammatory patterns may differ among patients, leading to different subtypes based on the dominant inflammatory cell type. This study aimed to compare the differences in cytokine expression and disease severity between plasma cell-dominant and eosinophil-dominant subtypes in patients with CRSwNP. METHODS: This study included 53 CRSwNP patients and 19 control subjects who did not have asthma or a history of cigarette smoking. The expression of cytokines and inflammatory cells was assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. RESULTS: Among the cytokines analyzed, only IL-6 was significantly different between the two subtypes. A greater proportion of mast cells and IgE cells was present in plasma cell-dominant CRSwNP patients than in eosinophil-dominant group. For the three disease severity scores (LMK-CT, TPS and SNOT-22), objective scores (LMK-CT and TPS) were greater in the eosinophil-dominant CRSwNP group, while the opposite result was shown for the subjective score (SNOT-22). Additionally, the percentage of plasma cell-dominant cells was significantly positively correlated with disease severity according to the TPS and SNOT-22 scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed that plasma cell-dominant inflammation, a subtype of type 2 CRS, was significantly correlated with subjective disease severity. The study also highlights the role of IL-6, IgE and mast cells as distinguishing factors between eosinophil-dominant and plasma cell-dominant CRSwNP. This information could be useful for clinical diagnosis and personalized treatment.

Luminescence enhancement through co-sensitization in lanthanide composites for efficient photocatalysis.

Lanthanide-doped nanocrystals that convert near-infrared (NIR) irradiation into shorter wavelength emission (ultraviolet-C) offer many exciting opportunities for biomedicine, bioimaging, and environmental catalysis. However, developing lanthanide-doped nanocrystals with high UVC brightness for efficient photocatalysis is a formidable challenge due to the complexity of the multiphoton process. Here, we report a series of heterogeneous core-multishell structures based on a co-sensitization strategy with multi-band enhanced emission profiles under 980 nm excitation. Interestingly, the multiphoton processes involving two to six-photon upconversion are highly promoted via a co-sensitization strategy. More importantly, through growth layers of TiO2 and CdS photocatalysts, these lanthanide nanocomposites with efficient multi-upconverted emission show efficient photocatalytic activity. This study provides a new perspective for mechanistic understanding of multiphoton processes in heterostructures and also offers exciting opportunities for highly efficient photocatalytic applications.

Mitochondria-targeting metallodrugs for cancer therapy: perspectives from cell death modes.

Mitochondria, recognized as the cellular powerhouses, are indispensable organelles responsible for crucial cellular processes, such as energy metabolism, material synthesis, and signaling transduction. Their intricate involvement in a broad spectrum of diseases, particularly cancer, has propelled the exploration of mitochondria-targeting treatment as a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Since the groundbreaking discovery of cisplatin, the trajectory of research on the development of metal complexes have been marked by continuous advancement, giving rise to a diverse array of metallodrugs characterized by variations in ligand types, metal center properties, and oxidation states. By specifically targeting mitochondria, these metallodrugs exhibit the remarkable ability to elicit various programmed cell death pathways, encompassing apoptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis. This review primarily focuses on recent developments in transition metal-based mitochondria-targeting agents, offering a comprehensive exploration of their capacity to induce distinct cell death modes. The aim is not only to disseminate knowledge but also to stimulate an active field of research toward new clinical applications and novel anticancer mechanisms.

Long-term oral administration of Kelisha capsule does not cause hepatorenal toxicity in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kelisha capsules (KLS) are often used to treat acute diarrhoea, bacillary dysentery, heat stroke, and other diseases. One of its components, Asarum, contains aristolochic acid I which is both nephrotoxic and carcinogenic. However, the aristolochic acid (AA) content in KLS and its toxicity remain unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aims of this study were to quantitatively determine the contents of five aristolochic acid analogues (AAAs) in Asarum and KLS, and systematically evaluate the in vivo toxicity of KLS in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to determine the content of the five AAAs in Asarum and KLS. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered KLS at 0, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 g/kg respectively, and then sacrificed after 4 weeks of administration or after an additional 2 weeks of recovery. The endpoints assessed included body weight measurements, serum biochemistry and haematology indices, and clinical and histopathological observations. RESULTS: The AAAs content in Asarum sieboldii Miq. (HB-ESBJ) were much lower than those of the other Asarums. The contents of AA I, AA IVa, and aristolactam I in KLS were in the ranges of 0.03-0.06 µg/g, 1.89-2.16 µg/g, and 0.55-1.60 µg/g, respectively, whereas AA II and AA IIIa were not detected. None of the rats showed symptoms of toxic reactions and KLS was well tolerated throughout the study. Compared to the control group, the activated partial thromboplastin time values of rats in the 1.5 and 3.0 g/kg groups significantly reduced after administration (P < 0.05). In addition, the serum triglycerides of male rats in the 0.75 and 1.5 g/kg groups after administration, and the 0.75, 1.5, 3.0 g/kg groups after recovery were significantly decreased (P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). No significant drug-related toxicological changes were observed in other serum biochemical indices, haematology, or histopathology. CONCLUSIONS: The AA I content in KLS met the limit requirements (<0.001%) of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Therefore, it is safe to use KLS in the short-term. However, for safety considerations, attention should be paid to the effects of long-term KLS administration on coagulation function and triglyceride metabolism.

The Effect of Music on Postoperative Agitation, Pain, and Opioid Use among Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain and agitation is an ongoing issue among patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR). Use of complementary therapies such as music may improve outcomes when combined with medical therapy. AIM: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) initiative was to evaluate postoperative use of classical music among adult patients who have undergone TKR on reported agitation, pain, and opioid use. DESIGN: A prospective evidence-based QI initiative. SETTING: A midwestern hospital post-anesthesia care unit. PARTICIPANTS: Postoperative patients who had undergone TKR. METHODS: Classical piano music was played postoperatively using an MP3 device. Adult patients who were undergoing TKR were consecutively offered music during their recovery period in the PACU. Agitation was measured using the Richmond Agitation Sedation Score (RASS). Patient perceived pain was measured on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being extreme pain. Opioid use was measured using the morphine milligram equivalents (MME). FINDINGS: A total of (n=40) patients received music and (n=50) patients received standard care without music. RASS was significantly lower in the music group than in the baseline non-music group X2 (1, N = 89) = 17.8, p < .001. Patient reported pain scores were significantly lower in the music group, 3.98(SD = 2.71), compared to the baseline non-music group, 6.27(SD = 2.60). Opioid use was also significantly decreased in the music group to MME 9.51(SD = 8.62) compared to the baseline non-music group 13.38 (SD = 9.71). CONCLUSION: Music is an effective nonpharmacologic intervention in decreasing agitation, pain, and opioid use among patients undergoing TKR. These findings provide evidence for nurses to incorporate music as an adjunctive approach to enhance the patient's experience and improve outcomes.

Diffusion-rate sieving of propylene and propane mixtures in a cooperatively dynamic porous crystal.

Selective molecular recognition is an important alternative to the energy-intensive industrial separation process. Porous coordination polymers (PCPs) offer designing platforms for gas separation because they possess precise controllability over structures at the molecular level. However, PCPs-based gas separations are dominantly achieved using strong adsorptive sites for thermodynamic recognition or pore-aperture control for size sieving, which suffer from insufficient selectivity or sluggish kinetics. Developing PCPs that work at high temperatures and feature both high uptake capacity and selectivity is urgently required but remains challenging. Herein, we report diffusion-rate sieving of propylene/propane (C3H6/C3H8) at 300 K by constructing a PCP material whose global and local dynamics cooperatively govern the adsorption process via the mechanisms of the gate opening for C3H6 and the diffusion regulation for C3H8, respectively, yielding substantial differences in both uptake capacity and adsorption kinetics. Dynamic separation of an equimolar C3H6/C3H8 mixture reveals outstanding sieving performance with a C3H6 purity of 99.7% and a separation factor of 318.

Combined Transcranial Doppler and Melatonin Levels to Predict Delayed Cerebral Ischemia After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the early prediction value of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) combined with serum melatonin level for delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: This paper is a prospective study. A total of 120 patients with SAH treated were included. The patients were divided into the DCI group (40 cases) and non-DCI group (80 cases) according to whether DCI occurred 14 days after SAH (DCI usually occurs 4 to 14 d after bleeding). Baseline data, serum melatonin level, and TCD test results within 24 hours after admission were compared between the 2 groups. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting the occurrence of DCI after SAH. The value of serum melatonin level, middle cerebral artery mean blood flow velocity (MBFV) and their combination in predicting DCI in SAH patients was evaluated. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in the proportion of Fisher grade, Hunt-Hess grade, serum melatonin level, middle cerebral artery systolic blood flow velocity (Vs), MBFV and pulse index (PI) between the 2 groups (P<0.05). Serum melatonin levels, middle cerebral artery Vs, MBFV, and PI in the DCI group were higher than those in non-DCI group. Logistic regression (LR) analysis showed that serum melatonin level (OR=1.796, 95% CI: 1.575-4.123) and middle cerebral artery MBFV (OR=3.279, 95% CI: 2.112-4.720] were the influencing factors for DCI in SAH patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Middle cerebral artery MBFV and serum melatonin levels were higher in patients with SAH complicated with DCI, and the combination of the 2 could provide a reference for early clinical prediction of DCI in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).

Promoting CO2 Electroreduction to Ethane by Iodide-Derived Copper with the Hydrophobic Surface.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to value-added products provides a feasible pathway for mitigating net carbon emissions and storing renewable energy. However, the low dimerization efficiency of the absorbed CO intermediate (*CO) and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction hinder the selective electroreduction of CO2 to ethane (C2H6) with a high energy density. Here, we designed hydrophobic iodide-derived copper electrodes (I-Cu/Nafion) for reducing CO2 to C2H6. The Faradaic efficiency of C2H6 reached 23.37% at -0.7 V vs RHE over the I-Cu/Nafion electrode in an H-type cell, which was about 1.7 times higher than that of the I-Cu electrode. The hydrophobic properties of the I-Cu/Nafion electrodes led to an increase in the local CO2 concentration and stabilized the Cu+ species. In situ Raman characterizations and density functional theory calculations indicate that the enhanced performances could be ascribed to the strong *CO adsorption and decreased the formation energy of *COOH and *COCOH intermediates. This study highlights the effect of the hydrophobic surface on Cu-based catalysts in the electroreduction of CO2 and provides a promising way to adjust the selectivity of C2 products.

Associations Between Self-Reported Visual Difficulty, Age of Onset, and Cognitive Function Trajectories Among Chinese Older Adults.

Objectives: This study examined the association between self-reported visual difficulty and age-related cognitive declines among older Chinese adults and how the timing of visual difficulty onset plays a role in cognitive trajectories. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2011-2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, involving 9974 respondents aged 60 years or older (mean age 65.44 years, range 60-101 years). Results: At baseline, 14.16% respondents had self-reported visual difficulty. Growth curve models showed that Chinese older adults with visual difficulty experienced a faster decline in cognitive function compared to those without visual difficulty (ß = -0.02, p < .01). Older adults who began experiencing visual difficulty between 61 and 75 years of age had steeper cognitive declines compared to those with earlier or later onset (ß = -0.05, p < .01). Discussion: Older adults with self-reported visual difficulty experience faster rates of cognitive decline. Future research should explore potential factors that underlie the association between onset timing of visual difficulty and cognitive function.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demographic and disease burden of pediatric malignant solid tumors in China: a single-center, cross-sectional study.

Background: With the development of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), China implemented measures in an attempt to control the infection rate. We conducted a single-center, cross-sectional study to ascertain the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the equitable availability of medical resources for children diagnosed with malignant solid tumors in China. Methods: Data on the demographics, clinical characteristics, and medical expenses of 876 patients diagnosed with neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), Wilms tumor, hepatoblastoma (HB), Ewing sarcoma (ES), and central nervous system (CNS) tumors from 2019 to 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, were retrospectively collected from the National Center for Children's Health. The Pearson χ2 test and Mann-Whitney test were performed to analyze the differences among variables. Results: Except for the regional origin of children with tumors during the epidemic, no significant differences were found in the demographic or clinical characteristics of patients at initial diagnosis. The number of patients from northern China and northeastern China who attended Beijing Children's Hospital (BCH) increased after the outbreak of COVID-19 (P=0.001). There was no significant alteration observed in the frequency of hospitalizations per individual per annum (P=0.641) or the mean expense incurred per individual per hospitalization (P=0.361). In addition, the medical insurance coverage rate of real-time settlement increased year by year. Conclusions: After the COVID-19 outbreak, the origin of patients with solid tumor who visited BCH was concentrated in the northern region of China. COVID-19 had no impact on the other demographic factors, clinical characteristics, or economic burden of patients with pediatric malignant solid tumors.

Graphene Quantum Dots Eradicate Resistant and Metastatic Cancer Cells by Enhanced Interfacial Inhibition.

Drug-resistant and metastatic cancer cells such as a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a crucial role in metastasis and relapse. Conventional small-molecule chemotherapeutics, however, are unable to eradicate drug-resistant CSCs owing to limited interface inhibitory effects. Herein, it is reported that enhanced interfacial inhibition leading to eradication of drug-resistant CSCs can be dramatically induced by self-insertion of bioactive graphene quantum dots (GQDs) into DNA major groove (MAG) sites in cancer cells. Since transcription factors regulate gene expression at the MAG site, MAG-targeted GQDs exert greatly enhanced interfacial inhibition, downregulating the expression of a collection of cancer stem genes such as ALDH1, Notch1, and Bmi1. Moreover, the nanoscale interface inhibition mechanism reverses cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) by inhibiting MDR1 gene expression when GQDs are used at a nontoxic concentration (1/4 × half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50)) as the MDR reverser. Given their high efficacy in interfacial inhibition, CSC-mediated migration, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells can be substantially blocked by MAG-targeted GQDs, which can also be harnessed to sensitize clinical cytotoxic agents for improved efficacy in combination chemotherapy. These findings elucidate the inhibitory effects of the enhanced nano-bio interface at the MAG site on eradicating CSCs, thus preventing cancer metastasis and recurrence.

Iridium(III)-Based PD-L1 Agonist Regulates p62 and ATF3 for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy.

Anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy, a new lung cancer treatment, is limited to a few patients due to low PD-L1 expression and tumor immunosuppression. To address these challenges, the upregulation of PD-L1 has the potential to elevate the response rate and efficiency of anti-PD-L1 and alleviate the immunosuppression of the tumor microenvironment. Herein, we developed a novel usnic acid-derived Iridium(III) complex, Ir-UA, that boosts PD-L1 expression and converts "cold tumors" to "hot". Subsequently, we administered Ir-UA combined with anti-PD-L1 in mice, which effectively inhibited tumor growth and promoted CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration. To our knowledge, Ir-UA is the first iridium-based complex to stimulate the expression of PD-L1 by explicitly regulating its transcription factors, which not only provides a promising platform for immune checkpoint blockade but, more importantly, provides an effective treatment strategy for patients with low PD-L1 expression.

Mitochondria-targeted ruthenium complexes can be generated in vitro and in living cells to target triple-negative breast cancer cells by autophagy inhibition.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type of breast cancer, which owned severe resistance to platinum-based anticancer agents. Herein, we report a new metal-arene complex, Ru-TPE-PPh3, which can be synthesized in vitro and in living cells with copper catalyzed the cycloaddition reaction of Ru-azide and alkynyl (CuAAC). The complex Ru-TPE-PPh3 exhibited superior inhibition of the proliferation of TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells with an IC50 value of 4.0 µM. Ru-TPE-PPh3 could induce the over production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to initiate the oxidative stress, and further damage the mitochondria both functionally and morphologically, as loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cutting the supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the disappearance of cristae structure. Moreover, the damaged mitochondria evoked the occurrence of mitophagy with the autophagic flux blockage and cell death. The complex Ru-TPE-PPh3 also demonstrated excellent anti-proliferative activity in 3D MDA-MB-231 multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs), indicating the potential to inhibit solid tumors in living cells. This study not only provided a potent agent for the TNBC treatment, but also demonstrated the universality of the bioorthogonally catalyzed lethality (BCL) strategy through CuAAC reation.

Development and Application of a Duplex RT-RPA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of Cymbidium mosaic virus and Odontoglossum ringspot virus.

Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV) are among the world's most serious and widespread orchid viruses; they often infect orchids, causing devastating losses to the orchid industry. Therefore, it is critical to establish a method that can rapidly and accurately detect viruses in the field using simple instruments, which will largely reduce the further spread of viruses and improve the quality of the orchid industry and is suitable for mass promotion and application at grassroots agrotechnical service points. In this investigation, we established a rapid amplification method for virus detection at 39 °C for 35 min to detect the presence of CymMV and ORSV simultaneously, sensitively, and specifically in orchids. Primers for the capsid protein (CP)-encoding genes of both viruses were designed and screened, and the reaction conditions were optimized. The experimental amplification process was completed in just 35 min at 39 °C. There were no instances of nonspecific amplification observed when nine other viruses were present. The RPA approach had detection limits of 104 and 103 copies for pMD19T-CymMV and pMD19T-ORSV, respectively. Moreover, the duplex RT-RPA investigation confirmed sensitivity and accuracy via a comparison of detection results from 20 field samples with those of a gene chip. This study presents a precise and reliable detection method for CymMV and ORSV using RT-RPA. The results demonstrate the potential of this method for rapid virus detection. It is evident that this method could have practical applications in virus detection processes.

Clinical Presentation, Management, and Diagnostic Performance of 2021 Criteria for Paraneoplastic Neurologic Syndromes in Childhood.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNSs) are remote neurologic immune-related effects of tumors. The clinical characteristics of pediatric PNSs remain unclear. We retrospectively examined the clinical characteristics of cases of pediatric PNSs and assessed the performance of the 2021 diagnostic criteria in children. METHODS: Patients hospitalized in the Beijing Children's Hospital between June 2015 and June 2023 and fulfilling the description of definite by 2004 diagnostic criteria of PNSs were included. A retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics was conducted, and the 2021 diagnostic criteria were applied to rediagnostic stratification. RESULTS: Among the 42 patients included, the most common neurologic syndrome was opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) (62%), followed by rapidly progressive cerebellar syndrome (26%). Most tumors were neuroblastomas (88%), with few being ovarian teratomas (10%). Approximately 71% (30/42) of patients were classified as definite and 24% (10/42) as probable according to the 2021 criteria. All cases judged as probable exhibited rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia with neuroblastoma. For OMS, chemotherapy was administered based on the tumor's risk stage, accompanied by regular infusion of IV gamma globulin and oral steroids following tumor diagnosis. Twenty-one patients underwent regular follow-ups over 4.92 (0.58-7.58) years. The initial hospitalization recorded a median score of 12 (7-14) on the Mitchell and Pike OMS rating scale, decreasing to 0 (0-5) at the final follow-up. In cases of rapidly progressive cerebellar syndrome, a similar therapeutic regimen was used. Nine patients underwent regular follow-ups over 4.42 (1.17-7.50) years. The mean modified Rankin scale score at first hospitalization was 4 (3-4), reducing to 1 (0-4) at the final follow-up. Only 17% (5/30) of patients across both groups exhibited poor response to this regimen. Among these 5 patients, 4 belonged to the low-risk group (without chemotherapy). DISCUSSION: OMS followed by rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia are the most common forms of PNSs in children and are associated with neuroblastoma. An aggressive approach with multiple immunotherapies may improve the prognosis of neuroblastoma-associated PNSs. The 2021 criteria perform well in pediatric PNSs. However, we propose upgrading the classification of antibody-negative rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia with neuroblastoma to definite diagnosis. This adjustment aims to further improve the diagnostic efficacy of this diagnostic criterion in childhood.

Impact of sarcopenia in elderly patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty on postoperative outcomes: a propensity score-matched study.

OBJECTIVE: Frailty poses a crucial risk for postoperative complications in the elderly, with sarcopenia being a key component. The impact of sarcopenia on postoperative outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is still unclear. This study investigated the potential link between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes among elderly THA patients. METHODS: Totally 198 older patients were enrolled in this study. Sarcopenia in this group was determined by assessing the skeletal muscle index, which was measured using computed tomography at the 12th thoracic vertebra and analyzed semi-automatically with MATLAB R2020a. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to evaluate postoperative complications of grade II and above (POCIIs). RESULTS: The variables balanced using PSM contained age, sex and comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and COPD. Before PSM, sarcopenic patients with reduced BMI (24.02 ± 0.24 vs. 27.11 ± 0.66, P < 0.001) showed higher POCIIs rates (48.31% vs. 15%, P = 0.009) and more walking-assisted discharge instances (85.96% vs. 60%, P = 0.017) compared with non-sarcopenia patients. After PSM, this group maintained reduced BMI (23.47 ± 0.85 vs. 27.11 ± 0.66, P = 0.002), with increased POCIIs rates (54.41% vs. 15%, P = 0.002) and heightened reliance on walking assistance at discharge (86.96% vs. 60%, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia patients exhibited a higher incidence of POCIIs and poorer physical function at discharge. Sarcopenia could serve as a valuable prognostic indicator for elderly patients undergoing elective THA.

Antidiabetic Close Loop Based on Wearable DNA-Hydrogel Glucometer and Implantable Optogenetic Cells.

Diabetes mellitus and its associated secondary complications have become a pressing global healthcare issue. The current integrated theranostic plan involves a glucometer-tandem pump. However, external condition-responsive insulin delivery systems utilizing rigid glucose sensors pose challenges in on-demand, long-term insulin administration. To overcome these challenges, we present a novel model of antidiabetic management based on printable metallo-nucleotide hydrogels and optogenetic engineering. The conductive hydrogels were self-assembled by bioorthogonal chemistry using oligonucleotides, carbon nanotubes, and glucose oxidase, enabling continuous glucose monitoring in a broad range (0.5-40 mM). The optogenetically engineered cells were enabled glucose regulation in type I diabetic mice via a far-red light-induced transgenic expression of insulin with a month-long avidity. Combining with a microchip-integrated microneedle patch, a prototyped close-loop system was constructed. The glucose levels detected by the sensor were received and converted by a wireless controller to modulate far-infrared light, thereby achieving on-demand insulin expression for several weeks. This study sheds new light on developing next-generation diagnostic and therapy systems for personalized and digitalized precision medicine.