Knowledge mapping and research trends on perioperative neurocognitive disorder from 1990 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis.

Introduction: Perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND) has attracted consistently increasing attention worldwide. However, there are few bibliometric studies that systematically evaluate this field. This study aimed to visualize the knowledge structure and research trends in PND through bibliometrics to help understand the future development of basic and clinical research. Methods: Literature related to PND in Web of Science and PubMed from 1990 to 2022 were collected through keywords retrospectively. Additionally, the source information, citation information, etc. of these publications were extracted. Finally, bibliometric analysis was performed by visualization software and statistical software. Results: There were 2837 articles and reviews in total. An exponential rise in PND-related publications was observed. China had the most publication, followed by the US and Germany. The institution with the most output and citations was Harvard University (149 papers, 8966 citations). The most prominent author was Marcantonio Edward R with 66 publications and 5721 citations. The journal with the highest productivity for PND research was Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience followed by Anesthesia and Analgesia. Keywords were identified as six topics, including postoperative delirium, postoperative neurocognitive disorder, cardiac surgery, anaesthesia, orthopedic surgery, and dementia. According to keyword analysis, the most recent popular keywords in PND research were prevention, older patients, emergence delirium, orthopedic surgery, and dexmedetomidine. Conclusions: Publications on PND are increasing at an alarming rate from 1990 to 2022. Current research and future trends will concentrate on the prevention and treatment of PND, as well as PND associated with orthopedic surgery in older adults.

Could the pulp be preserved in tooth with root resorption caused by embedded tooth?

Background/purpose: At present, there are no recognized guidelines or consensus for the treatment strategy of the asymptomatic tooth with external root resorption caused by an embedded tooth (et-ERR). Most clinicians would like prophylactic or concomitant root canal therapy (RCT) along with the extraction of the embedded tooth. The purpose of this study was to report the prognosis of external root resorption (ERR) and investigate the possibility to preserve the vital pulp of ERR tooth. Materials and methods: The patients who had asymptomatic et-ERR teeth were included. After extraction of the embedded tooth, the clinical process, prognosis, and adverse events were observed, including symptoms, clinical, and radiographic examination throughout the follow-up period. Results: A total of four cases with special features were reported. Over a follow-up period of up to 12 months, on clinical examination, 3 ERR teeth preserved pulp vitality without additional intervention except for tooth extraction and have kept normal function free from any symptoms. Radiographic examination showed bone regeneration and recovery of periodontal tissue. While one case failed to keep the vital pulp and ended in intentional replantation. Conclusion: As to et-ERR, if the embedded tooth can be promptly extracted with a minimally invasive technique and effective infection control, the pulp vitality of the et-ERR tooth is likely to be preserved. In this situation, the preferred management of asymptomatic et-ERR tooth is just followed up without prophylactic RCT.

Multiprotein Adsorption from Human Serum at Gold and Oxidized Iron Surfaces Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy and Polarization-Modulation Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy.

Multiprotein adsorption from complex body fluids represents a highly important and complicated phenomenon in medicine. In this work, multiprotein adsorption from diluted human serum at gold and oxidized iron surfaces is investigated at different serum concentrations and pH values. Adsorption-induced changes in surface topography and the total amount of adsorbed proteins are quantified by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and polarization-modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), respectively. For both surfaces, stronger protein adsorption is observed at pH 6 compared to pH 7 and pH 8. PM-IRRAS furthermore provides some qualitative insights into the pH-dependent alterations in the composition of the adsorbed multiprotein films. Changes in the amide II/amide I band area ratio and in particular side-chain IR absorption suggest that the increased adsorption at pH 6 is accompanied by a change in protein film composition. Presumably, this is mostly driven by the adsorption of human serum albumin, which at pH 6 adsorbs more readily and thereby replaces other proteins with lower surface affinities in the resulting multiprotein film.

Effect of Surface Hydrophobicity on the Adsorption of a Pilus-Derived Adhesin-like Peptide.

Bacterial colonization of abiotic surfaces such as those of medical implants, membrane filters, and everyday household items is a process of tremendous importance for public health. Bacteria use adhesive cell surface structures called adhesins to establish contact with abiotic surfaces. Among them, protein filaments called type IV pili are particularly important and found in many Gram-negative pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Understanding the interaction of such adhesin proteins with different abiotic surfaces at the molecular level thus represents a fundamental prerequisite for impeding bacterial colonization and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. In this work, we investigate the interaction of a synthetic adhesin-like peptide, PAK128-144ox, derived from the type IV pilus of P. aeruginosa with hydrophilic and hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Using a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), and spectroscopic investigations, we find that PAK128-144ox has a higher affinity for hydrophobic than for hydrophilic surfaces. Additionally, PAK128-144ox adsorption on the hydrophobic SAM is furthermore accompanied by a strong increase in α-helix content. Our results show a clear influence of surface hydrophobicity and further indicate that PAK128-144ox adsorption on the hydrophobic surface is enthalpically favored, while on the hydrophilic surface, entropic contributions are more significant. However, our spectroscopic investigations also suggest aggregation of the peptide under the employed experimental conditions, which is not considered in the MD simulations and should be addressed in more detail in future studies.

Effect of water-oil ratio on the photocatalytic performance of visible light-active BiVO4 nanoparticles prepared by inverse microemulsion-calcination method.

Nowadays, nano-photocatalysts (NPs) have become the research focus in the field of photocatalysis due to their excellent photocatalytic activity, and microemulsion is an effective method to prepare high-efficiency nano-photocatalysts. Here, BiVO4 NPs with high efficiency under visible light were prepared by a combination of reverse microemulsion method and calcination method. XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, DRS, PL, BET and other characterization tests were used to comprehensively explore the influence of water-oil ratio on the physicochemical properties of the catalysts. The results show that BiVO4 NPs of monoclinic scheelite with high crystallization degree can be obtained by this method. The microscopic morphology, specific surface area and total pore volume of BiVO4 NPs are significantly affected by the water-oil ratio. It is difficult to obtain BiVO4 NPs with small particle size and uniform dispersion under the condition of too low or too high water-oil ratio. Meanwhile, the photogenerated carrier recombination efficiency of the catalyst is significantly improved, thus reducing the photocatalytic activity of the catalyst. Strikingly, the BiVO4 NPs obtained under the condition of water-oil ratio is 20 exhibited well-dispersed nanospheres with diameters ranging from 80 to 100 nm. It has the highest photocatalytic activity due to its high crystallinity, large specific surface area and total pore volume and relatively low photogenerated carrier recombination efficiency. Under visible light irradiation, the degradation efficiency of RhB can reach 97.69% in 100 min, and the rate constant is 0.03253 min-1.

Black pepper and vegetable oil-based emulsion synergistically enhance carotenoid bioavailability of raw vegetables in humans.

This study demonstrated the combination of black pepper and a canola oil-based emulsion synergistically enhanced carotenoid bioavailability of raw vegetables in humans. In a randomized crossover design, healthy young adults consumed (1) vegetable salad (control), (2) salad with canola oil emulsion (COE), (3) salad with black pepper (BP), and (4) salad with canola oil emulsion and black pepper (COE + BP). COE + BP led to a higher AUC0-10h of total plasma carotenoids (p < 0.0005) than the control (6.1-fold), BP (2.1-fold), and COE (3.0-fold). COE + BP increased AUC0-10h of plasma lutein, α-carotene, ß-carotene, and lycopene by 4.8, 9.7, 7.6, and 5.5-fold than the control, respectively (p < 0.0001). COE + BP produced a significant synergy in increasing both Cmax and AUC0-10h of total carotenoids, α-carotene, ß-carotene, and lycopene. Moreover, COE + BP produced a stronger enhancement on AUC0-10h of total carotenoids, α-carotene, ß-carotene, and lycopene in females than in males.

Exosomes-mediated phenotypic switch of macrophages in the immune microenvironment after spinal cord injury.

Although accumulating evidence indicated that modulating macrophage polarization could ameliorate the immune microenvironment and facilitate the repair of spinal cord injury (SCI), the underlying mechanism of macrophage phenotypic switch is still poorly understood. Exosomes (Exos), a potential tool of cell-to-cell communication, may play important roles in cell reprogramming. Herein, we investigated the roles of macrophages-derived exosomes played for macrophage polarization in the SCI immune microenvironment. In this study, we found the fraction of M2 macrophages was markedly decreased after SCI. Moreover, the M2 macrophages-derived exosomes could increase the percentage of M2 macrophages, decrease that of M1 macrophages while the M1 macrophages-derived exosomes acted oppositely. According to the results of in silico analyses and molecular experiments verification, this phenotypic switch might be mediated by the exosomal miRNA-mRNA network, in which the miR-23a-3p/PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis might play an important role. In conclusion, our study suggests macrophage polarization that regulated by various interventions might be mediated by their own exosomes at last. Moreover, M2 macrophages-derived exosomes could promote M2 macrophage polarization via the potential miRNA-mRNA network. Considering its potential of modulating polarization, M2 macrophages-derived exosomes may be a promising therapeutic agent for SCI repair.

Long Noncoding RNA SPRY4-IT1 Modulates Ketamine-Induced Neurotoxicity in Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neurons through EZH2.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether long noncoding RNA sprouty receptor tyrosine kinase signaling antagonist 4-intronic transcript 1 (SPRY4-IT1) is involved in the regulation of ketamine-induced neurotoxicity. METHODS: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were induced into neurons in vitro and treated with ketamine. Apoptosis and neurite degeneration assays were used to determine ketamine-induced neurotoxicity and qRT-PCR to determine SPRY4-IT1 expression. SPRY4-IT1 was downregulated in hESC-induced neurons to examine its regulation on ketamine-induced neurotoxicity. The correlation between enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and SPRY4-IT1 was also examined. EZH2 was upregulated in SPRY4-IT1-downregualted hESC-induced neurons to further examine its participation in SPRY4-IT1-mediated ketamine neurotoxicity. RESULTS: Ketamine-induced dose-dependent apoptosis, neurite degeneration, and SPRY4-IT1 upregulation in hESC-induced neurons. Lentivirus-mediated SPRY4-IT1 downregulation protected ketamine neurotoxicity. EZH2 expression was positively correlated with SPRY4-IT1 in hESC-induced neurons. EZH2 overexpression markedly reversed the protective effects of SPRY4-IT1 knockdown on ketamine neurotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: SPRY4-IT1 is involved in anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity, possibly through the regulation on EZH2 gene.

Auricular vagus nerve stimulation protects against postoperative cognitive dysfunction by attenuating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in aged rats.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) has been increasingly recognized as a significant complication after surgery, especially in senior patients. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) reportedly provides beneficial effects against various brain disorders, supporting a hypothesis of its protective role in POCD. However, direct stimulation of the vagus nerve is invasive, as it requires a surgical incision in the neck. Thus, we employed a non-invasive VNS method by stimulating the dermatome in the external ear, which is innervated by the vagus nerve (auricular vagus nerve stimulation; aVNS) and sought to investigate the efficacy of this method in treating surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction in an aged rat model of POCD. We observed that the treatment of aVNS alleviated postoperative memory impairment after exploratory laparotomy surgery, as demonstrated by the shorter swimming latency and distance in Morris water maze tests. Moreover, aVNS also reduced postoperative apoptosis in the hippocampus of the aged rats. Concomitant with these beneficial effects, we found that treatment with aVNS attenuated postoperative neuroinflammation (i.e., the protein level of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α, along with the nuclear protein expression of NF-κB) and Alzheimer's-related pathology (tau phosphorylation at AT-8 and Ser396, as well as the levels of Aß40 and Aß42) in the hippocampus of the aged rats. In conclusion, our study is the first to reveal the neuroprotective effect of aVNS against POCD. This effect might be attributed to the inhibition of neuroinflammation and Alzheimer's-related pathology. This study suggests non-invasive aVNS may serve as a promising method for clinical treatment of POCD.

Exploration and validation of downregulated microRNA-199a-3p, downstream messenger RNA targets and transcriptional regulation in osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone tumor with a high incidence and mortality in children and adolescents. Emerging evidence shows that microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in biological tumor mechanisms by targeting downstream messenger RNAs (mRNAs). This article aimed to investigate the potential regulatory targets of microRNA-199a-3p (miR-199a-3p) in OS and to contribute to the understanding of miR-199a-3p-related OS regulatory mechanisms. MicroRNA-related Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) chips, ArrayExpress chips and literature data were used to determine the expression of miR-199a-3p in OS and pooled to explore its potential clinical value. To investigate the target genes of miR-199a-3p further, we integrated the results from the following three-part gene study: Twelve online prediction tools were used to predict the target genes of miR-199a-3p; the GEO GSE89370 chip transfected with miRSelect pEP-miR-199a-3p was used to analyze the downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in OS cells; and highly expressed DEGs were derived from an in-house microarray generated from three pairs of clinical OS and normal tissue samples acquired through our department. Then, we analyzed the target genes using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to further identify the primary target genes. In addition, we constructed transcription factor (TF)-miRNA-joint gene feed-forward regulatory loops (FFLs) with Circuits DB using miR-199a-3p as the core. A comprehensive meta-analysis of a hub of miR-199a-3p targeted genes was performed to integrate expression level, summary ROC (sROC) curves and survival analysis results from the GEO data for verification and exploration. Finally, the expression levels of the hub genes were verified in OS tissues and U2OS cells by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunocytochemistry (ICC). Data on miR-199a-3p expression were obtained from three data sets (GSE65071, GSE69524, and PMID 21666078), which showed low miR-199a-3p expression levels in OS tissues. The combined data indicated the same tendency, with the SMD of the random effect model, as shown in forest plots, being -2.8 (95% CI: -4.49, -1.11). In addition, we determined that miR-199a-3p may serve as a molecular marker useful for distinguishing OS tissues from normal tissues with high sensitivity and specificity, with the measured outcomes being 0.94 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.99) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.78, 1.00), respectively. In addition, 391 genes were considered targets of miR-199a-3p in OS, and the enrichment analysis indicated that these targets were mainly enriched in proteoglycans in cancer and in spliceosomes. Four genes, CDKI, CCNB1, AURKA and NEK2, were regarded as hub targets based on the PPI data. Subsequently, TF-miRNA-joint genes FFLs were constructed in Circuits DB and included 17 TFs and 82 joint targets. These joint targets were mainly enriched in spliceosomes. UBE2D1 and RBM25 were regarded as hub joint targets based on the enrichment analysis. All selected target genes were further verified to ensure that they were upregulated in OS and to determine their prognostic significance. At the experimental verification level, the CDK1 protein was confirmed to be positively expressed in the cytoplasm of OS tissues and the U2OS cell line. Our study verified that miR-199a-3p was obviously downregulated in OS. CDK1, CCNB1, NEK2, AURKA, UBE2D1 and RBM25 were identified as potential target genes of miR-199a-3p in OS.