CircRNA 06209 inhibits cataract development by sponging miR-6848-5p and regulating ALOX15 expression.

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world, and there is a lack of effective treatment drugs. CircRNA plays an important part in a variety of diseases, however, the role of circRNA in cataracts remains largely unknown. In this study, we constructed a cataract model of rats and obtained the circRNAs related to cataracts by whole transcriptome sequencing and circRNA-mRNA co-expression network. To investigate the effect and mechanism of circRNA 06209 on cataracts, we performed several in vivo and in vitro experiments, including CCK8 assay, flow cytometry, dual luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay, actinomycin D assay, and Western blot analysis. We identify that a necroptosis-related circRNA, circRNA 06209, is down-regulated in cataracts. Vitro experiments showed that up-regulation of circRNA 06209 could promote cell proliferation and inhibit cell apoptosis. Vivo experiments revealed that circRNA 06209 overexpression could inhibit the development of cataracts. Mechanistically, circRNA 06209 acts as a miRNA sponge and competitively binds to miR-6848-5p to curb the inhibitory effect of miR-6848-5p on ALOX15, thereby affecting cell viability and apoptosis. This study found that circRNA 06209 plays a critical part in inhibiting cataracts through the miR-6848-5p/ALOX15 pathway, suggesting that circRNA 06209 may be a promising therapeutic target for cataracts.

Hair embedding after transperineal prostate biopsy: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Transperineal prostate biopsy is gradually becoming the standard methodology for diagnosing prostate cancer because of its high accuracy and low risk of infection, but careful preparation is not always highlighted before a transperineal biopsy. we reported two cases of hair embedding during transurethral resection of the prostate following transperineal puncture biopsy with a Bard MC1820 disposable biopsy needle. Histological examination did not find the hair follicle structure required for hair growth. The hair source was suspected to be percutaneously brought in by needle during the biopsya simulated experiment was used to analyze and reconstruct the process of hair embedding in prostate tissue. CONCLUSION: Hair embedding caused by perineal prostate biopsy is a consumable-related adverse event, and skin preparation before a transperineal prostate biopsy is recommended.

Transcriptome sequencing and microRNA-mRNA regulatory network construction in the lens from a Na2SeO3-induced Sprague Dawley rat cataract model.

BACKGROUND: A sight-threatening, cataract is a common degenerative disease of the ocular lens. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of age-related cataract (ARC) formation and progression. METHODS: Cataracts in Sprague Dawley rats were induced by adopting the method that injected selenite subcutaneously in the nape. We performed high-throughput RNA sequencing technology to identify the mRNA and microRNA(miRNA) expression profiles of the capsular membrane of the lens from Na2SeO3-induced and saline-injected Sprague Dawley rats. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were carried out to forecast the regulatory and functional role of mRNAs in cataracts by DAVID and Metascape. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of differentially expressed mRNA(DEmRNAs) was built via the STRING. Target miRNAs of hub genes were predicted by miRBD and TargetScan. Furthermore, differentially expressed miRNA(DEmiRNAs) were selected as hub genes' targets, validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR), and a DEmiRNA-DEmRNA regulatory network was constructed via Cytoscape. RESULT: In total, 329 DEmRNAs including 40 upregulated and 289 downregulated genes were identified. Forty seven DEmiRNAs including 29 upregulated and 18 downregulated miRNAs were detected. The DEmRNAs are involved in lens development, visual perception, and aging-related biological processes. A protein-protein interaction network including 274 node genes was constructed to explore the interactions of DEmRNAs. Furthermore, a DEmiRNA-DEmRNA regulatory network related to cataracts was constructed, including 8 hub DEmRNAs, and 8 key DEmiRNAs which were confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis. CONCLUSION: We identified several differentially expressed genes and established a miRNA-mRNA-regulated network in a Na2SeO3-induced Sprague Dawley rat cataract model. These results may provide novel insights into the clinical treatment of cataracts, and the hub DEmRNAs and key DEmiRNAs could be potential therapeutic targets for ARC.

P2P Cloud Manufacturing Based on a Customized Business Model: An Exploratory Study.

To overcome the problems of long production cycle and high cost in the product manufacturing process, a P2P (platform to platform) cloud manufacturing method based on a personalized custom business model has been proposed in this paper by integrating different technologies such as deep learning and additive manufacturing (AM). This paper focuses on the manufacturing process from a photo containing an entity to the production of that entity. Essentially, this is an object-to-object fabrication. Moreover, based on the YOLOv4 algorithm and DVR technology, an object detection extractor and a 3D data generator are constructed, and a case study is carried out for a 3D printing service scenario. The case study selects online sofa photos and real car photos. The recognition rates of sofa and car were 59% and 100%, respectively. Retrograde conversion from 2D data to 3D data takes approximately 60 s. We also carry out personalized transformation design on the generated sofa digital 3D model. The results show that the proposed method has been validated, and three unindividualized models and one individualized design model have been manufactured, and the original shape is basically maintained.

[Study on the length and quality of prostate biopsy tissue strips].

OBJECTIVE: To improve the diagnostic yield of prostate biopsy, which we can achieve by puncture more sites and number of cores, another way to obtain more tissue is to take longer tissue strips. In this study, we evaluated the effect of strip length on cancer diagnosis by needle biopsy and derived a cutoff value of strip length to improve cancer detection. METHODS: The pathological reports of 754 patients with suspected prostate cancer who underwent transperineal prostate biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. The age, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, Gleason score and tissue strip length were analyzed. The length of the tissue strip was compared between the biopsy positive patients and the biopsy negative patients, and the patients were divided into group A（biopsy positive group）and group B（biopsy negative group）, respectively. Statistical analysis of tissue strip lengths was performed to determine cutoff values for biopsy length quality. RESULTS: A total of 10 556 tissue strips were obtained from 754 patients, and 45.1 % of the patients were pathologically diagnosed as prostate cancer. The median length of the tissue strip was 10.5 (9.5, 12.5) mm, the median age was 69 (64,75) years, the median PSA was 12.4 (8.6, 20.8) µg/L, and the median prostate volume was 44.8 (30.5, 64.4) ml. The median length of tissue strips in group A and group B was 11 (10,13) mm and 10 (9,12) mm, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed on the length of tissue strips in all cases, and the cutoff value of quality assurance was 11.8mm, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.82, and the cut-off value of quality assurance was 11.8mm. Sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 73.8%(P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In transperineal prostate biopsy, the cancer detection rate of tissue strips may increase with length. The results of ROC analysis showed that 11.8 mm was used as the cut-off value for quality assurance.

[Mendelian randomization of diabetes and prostate cancer risk in East Asian population].

OBJECTIVE: Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to explore the causal relationship between diabetes (type 1 and type 2) and prostate cancer (PCa) in East Asian population. METHODS: Mendelian randomization is a causal inference method based on genetic variation, which uses the influence of randomly assigned genotypes in nature on phenotype to infer the impact of biological factors on diseases. This study used genetic variation genes related to inflammatory biomarkers as instrumental variables to improve inference, and patient data was obtained from the GWAS database's aggregated association results. In the individual sample, we estimated the correlation between instrumental variables (SNPs) and type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and screened out strongly related SNPs, and excluded SNPs related to prostate cancer. After screening, further sensitivity analysis and visualization of research results were carried out to test the blood glucose level and the causal relationship between diabetes and prostate cancer. RESULTS: Our MR analysis found that there was a negative causal relationship between the risk of prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes.The ratio of type 2 diabetes to prostate cancer causal relationship (OR)=1.0039, 95% confidence interval (CI)=(1.0008, 1.0071), P=0.013, while type 1 diabetes had fewer SNPs screened, Failed to conduct relevant follow-up analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Under Mendel's randomization hypothesis, our research results show that in the East East Asian population, the gene predicted type 2 diabetes and the occurrence of prostate cancer have a negative causal relationship, while the causal relationship between type 1 diabetes and prostate cancer is unknown due to the limited number of instrumental variables.

Optimized multilayer structure for sensitive THz characterization of thin-film glucose solutions.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has shown promise in biomedical sample characterization and high characterization sensitivity is in demand due to the thin-film (TF) feature of the sample. This paper proposes an optimized multilayer structure for sensitive characterization of TF aqueous solutions in reflection THz-TDS. Theoretical simulations are conducted for structural optimization and the 75 µm window-sample-mirror structure displays the best sensitivity compared to other sandwich structures and traditional THz measurement geometries. 0-20% TF glucose solutions are then measured; and a spectral peak introduced by the proposed structure is observed to result in the high sensitivity. Our work provides a new way of customizing multilayer structure for THz thin-film characterization.

Application of 16 G Biopsy Needle in Transperineal Template-Guided Prostate Biopsy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of 16 G biopsy needle in transperineal template-guided prostate biopsy (TTPB), compared with 18 G biopsy needle. METHODS: The patients who underwent TTPB from August 2020 to February 2021 were randomized into 2 groups using a random number table. The control group (n = 65) and the observation group (n = 58) performed biopsy with 18 G (Bard MC l820) and 16 G (Bard MC l616) biopsy needles, respectively. Positive rate of biopsy, Gleason score, complications, and pain score were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The age, prostate volume, PSA, and the number of cores were comparable between the 2 groups. The positive rate of biopsy in the observation group was 68.9% (40/58), meanwhile the control group was 46.2% (30/65). There was statistical difference between the 2 groups (p = 0.011). Gleason score of the observation group (8 [7-9]) was higher than that of the control group (8 [6-9]) (p = 0.038). There was no significant difference in pain score and complications including hematuria, hematospermia, perineal hematoma, infection, and urinary retention between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 16 G biopsy needle significantly improved the positive rates and accurately evaluate the nature of lesions, meanwhile did not increase the incidence of complications compared with 18 G biopsy needle.

Comparison of the Oncological and Functional Outcomes of Brachytherapy and Radical Prostatectomy for Localized Prostate Cancer.

Background and Objectives: To compare the oncological and functional outcomes of brachytherapy (BT) and radical prostatectomy (RP) in patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 557 patients with localized PCa who were treated with BT (n = 245) or RP (n = 312) at Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital between January 2012 and December 2017. Biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were compared by treatment modality. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate bRFS. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaire. Results: The BT group was older and had a higher initial PSA (iPSA). The 5-year bRFS was 82.9% in the BT group versus 80.1% in the RP group (p = 0.570). The 5-year CSS was 96.4% in the BT group versus 96.8% in the RP group (p = 0.967). Based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, Gleason score ≥ 8 was the main independent prognostic factor for bRFS. Regarding the HRQoL, compared with the baseline, both treatments produced a significant decrease in different aspects of HRQoL at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Patients in the BT group had lower HRQoL with regard to urinary irritation/obstruction and bowel function or bother, while patients in the RP group had lower HRQoL concerning urinary incontinence and sexual function or bother. There was no significant difference in HRQoL aspects between the two groups after follow-up for 2 years compared with the baseline. Conclusions: BT provides equivalent oncological control outcomes in terms of bRFS and CSS for patients with localized PCa compared with RP. Gleason score ≥ 8 was the main independent prognostic factor for bRFS. BT had better HRQoL compared with RP, except for urinary irritation/obstruction and bowel function or bother, but returned to baseline after 2 years.

The Efficacy of Urinary Continence in Patients Undergoing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy with Bladder-Prostatic Muscle Reconstruction and Bladder Neck Eversion Anastomosis.

Background and Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of bladder-prostatic muscle reconstruction and bladder neck eversion anastomosis in the recovery of urinary continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Materials and Methods: From January 2020 to May 2022, 69 patients who underwent RARP in our hospital were recruited. Thirty-seven patients underwent RARP with the Veil of Aphrodite technique (control group). On the basis of the control group, 32 patients underwent bladder-prostatic muscle reconstruction and bladder neck eversion anastomosis during RARP (observation group). The recovery of urinary continence was followed up at 24 h and 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after catheter removal. Results: There were no significant differences in operative time (127.76 ± 21.23 min vs. 118.85 ± 24.71 min), blood loss (118.27 ± 16.75 mL vs. 110.77 ± 19.63 mL), rate of leakage (3.13% vs. 2.70%), rate of positive surgical margin (6.25% vs. 10.81%), or postoperative Gleason score [7 (6−8) vs. 7 (7−8)] between the observation group and the control group (p > 0.05). After catheter removal, the rates of urinary continence at 24 h, 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks were 46.88%, 68.75%, 84.38%, 90.63%, and 93.75% in the observation group, respectively. Meanwhile, the rates of urinary continence in the control group were 21.62%, 37.84%, 62.16%, 86.49%, and 91.89%, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.034), especially at 24 h, 1 week, and 4 weeks after catheter removal (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Bladder-prostatic muscle reconstruction and bladder neck eversion anastomosis were beneficial to the recovery of urinary continence after RARP, especially early urinary continence.

Identification of a methylation panel aid in risk stratification in node-positive penile squamous cell carcinoma.

Molecular prognostic factors for individualized treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are poorly defined. Our study developed and validated a novel molecular tools aid in preinguinal and postinguinal lymphadenectomy risk stratification in node-positive penile SCC. Patients with node-positive penile SCC who underwent inguinal or ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy were divided into three cohorts: a discovery set, a development set and a validation set. The local ethics committee approved the study. The primary endpoint was cancer-specific survival (CSS). At the discovery stage, 17 CpG sites were significantly associated with CSS. In the development set, we constructed a 3-CpG-based prognostic score for survival prediction. The hazard ratio (HR) of the panel (dichotomized using the optimal cutoff) was 5.8 in the multivariate analyses (P < .001). The addition of the methylation score significantly improved the pN-stage C-index from 0.70 to 0.79 (incremental C = 0.09, P < .001). In the validation set, the methylation panel showed a HR of 9.9 in the multivariate analyses. The addition of the molecular marker improved the pN-stage C-index from 0.69 to 0.78 (incremental C = 0.09, P < .001). The methylation score remarkably separated survival curves in different pN stages, which indicate that the tool can be applied to tailor the treatment in both preinguinal and postinguinal lymphadenectomy settings. We developed and validated a prognostic methylation panel for node-positive penile SCC. The tool may aid in the risk stratification of the population with heterogeneous outcomes and needs prospective validation. Patients in high-risk group may benefit from more aggressive therapy or clinical trials.

Risk factors for infection complications after transrectal ultrasound-guided transperineal prostate biopsy.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the influence factors of infection complications of transrectal ultrasound-guided transperineal prostate biopsy. METHODS: A total of 2192 patients who underwent prostate biopsy under transperineal prostate biopsy were analyzed retrospectively from December 2010 to May 2020.We collected the clinical characteristics and the incidence of complications, and used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to analyze independent risk factors for infection complications after transperineal prostate biopsy. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that the following factors were associated with the infection complications: diabetes, bacterial prostatitis, history of urinary retention, history of urinary infection, and number of cores. Furthermore, multivariate logistic analysis revealed that diabetes (OR 2.037, 95% CI 1.143-3.572, P = 0.021) and history of urinary retention (OR 2.563, 95% CI 1.284-3.901, P = 0.013) were independent risk factors for infection complications after transperineal prostate biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with diabetes and history of urinary retention were more likely to have infection complications after transperineal prostate biopsy.

Prognosis of the 8th TNM Staging System for Penile Cancer and Refinement of Prognostication by Incorporating High Risk Human Papillomavirus Status.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the prognostic value of the 8th TNM staging system and assessed a modified N stage incorporating high risk human papillomavirus status in a multicenter cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Included in analysis were 292 patients with M0 penile squamous cell carcinoma from a total of 6 referral centers. High risk human papillomavirus status was examined. The Chinese multicenter cohort of 230 patients was used to validate the 8th TNM staging system and propose a modified N classification. The modified classification was further validated in an independent cohort of 62 patients at Moffitt Cancer Center. RESULTS: Median followup was 48.9 months. Of the patients 42% had node positive disease. In the primary cohort the 8th TNM staging system achieved better discriminative ability compared with the 7th edition (C-index 0.769 vs 0.751, p=0.029). The 8th N category better stratified survival between pN1 and pN2 (p <0.001) and reclassified 15% of node positive cases into pN1 with 64% 5-year overall survival. High risk human papillomavirus status further stratified pN2-3 disease (p=0.040) and pN2-3 high risk human papillomavirus negative status was associated with 32% 5-year survival. The newly proposed 3-tier classification (1-pN1, 2-pN2-3 high risk human papillomavirus positive and 3-pN2-3 high risk human papillomavirus negative) significantly increased the C-index from 0.620 to 0.666 compared with the 8th N classification of pN1 and pN2-3 (p=0.04). In the external validation cohort significantly improved results were observed using the modified N classification (C-index 0.567-0.641, p=0.027). CONCLUSIONS: The 8th edition of the AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) Staging System for penile cancer showed better discriminative ability for prognostic stratification. Adding high risk human papillomavirus status further improved the prognostic stratification in patients with node positive disease.

Adsorption and dehydrogenation of C2-C6n-alkanes over a Pt catalyst: a theoretical study on the size effects of alkane molecules and Pt substrates.

Adsorption and dehydrogenation of C2-C6n-alkanes are investigated on a Pt substrate using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and the size effects of alkane molecules and Pt substrates are discussed in detail. The Pt(111) surface and Pt55 cluster are chosen to represent large and small Pt nanoparticles, respectively. The C2-C6 straight-chain alkanes show no site preference on Pt(111) drifting over the surface, but prefer to locate along the edge sites of Pt55. Our results suggest that a linear relationship holds for the adsorption energies of n-alkanes against the chain length on Pt(111), in accordance with the experimental observations. Pt55 also exhibits a similar linear relationship for n-alkanes but with larger adsorption energies due to the low-coordinated Pt atoms at the edge site. For the two-step dehydrogenation from alkanes to alkenes, the first dehydrogenation reaction is the rate-determining step (RDS) on Pt(111), and a larger size of alkane molecule will lead to a lower dehydrogenation activity. While on Pt55, no RDS is present and the dehydrogenation activity oscillates slightly as the chain length of n-alkane increases. Generally, Pt55 involves lower energy barriers for most dehydrogenation steps compared to Pt(111), indicating that small Pt particles with more low-coordinated Pt atoms are more active towards alkane dehydrogenation. In addition, a clear BEP relationship is identified for all the dehydrogenation reactions of C2-C6n-alkanes on Pt substrates, and this linear relationship is independent of the particle size of the Pt substrate and the chain length of alkanes.

Pelvic plexus block to provide better anesthesia in transperineal template-guided prostate biopsy: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of pelvic plexus block (PPB) in relief pain during transperineal template-guided prostate biopsy (TTPB), compared with conventional periprostatic nerve block (PNB). METHODS: From July 2016 to August 2017, 245 patients who were performed TTPB in Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University were recruited. The patients were randomized into three groups using a random number table. Group-1 received prostate capsule local anesthesia with 22 ml of 1% lidocaine. Group-2 additionally received PNB on the basis of Group-1. To perform PNB, 5 ml 1% lidocaine was injected into the region of prostatic neurovascular bundle situated in the angle of prostate-bladder-seminal vesicle. Group-3 received prostate capsule local anesthesia plus PPB (5 ml of 1% lidocaine injection into the pelvic plexus which located on lateral to the bilateral seminal vesicle apex). The patients' pain and satisfaction were evaluated by visual analogue scale and visual numerical scale, respectively. RESULTS: The age, total prostate volume, PSA and the number of cores were comparable among the three groups. The visual analog scale scores of group-3 were significantly lower than group-2 during biopsy (P = 0.003). Conversely, the visual numeric scale scores were higher in group-3 (P = 0.039). Both the group-2 and group-3 outperformed the group-1 in alleviating pain and had a higher quantification of satisfaction. There were no significant differences in the pain scores or the satisfaction scores at 30 min after the procedure among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The analgesic efficacy of PPB guided by Doppler ultrasound in TTPB was better than that of PNB and both were superior to no nerve block. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-IOR-17013533 , 01/06/2016.

Permanent 125 I prostate brachytherapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of permanent 125 I prostate brachytherapy in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study of 45 patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer from the Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China was carried out. Patients were divided into two groups according to different treatments: 21 patients received endocrine therapy alone (control group), and 24 patients underwent brachytherapy combined with endocrine therapy (treatment group). Prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival, cancer-specific survival, overall survival and quality of life of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The median prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival and cancer-specific survival of the treatment group were 29 months (interquartile range 25-37 months) and 37 months (interquartile range 30-50 months), respectively. These were significantly longer than those of the control group (both P < 0.05). Prostate-specific antigen (before androgen deprivation therapy and before brachytherapy), prostate volume, Gleason score, clinical stage and brachytherapy were associated with prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival and cancer-specific survival on univariate analysis. For the quality of life after treatment, urinary symptoms/problems at 1 month after brachytherapy compared with the control group had a statistically significant difference and clinically relevant deterioration, but after 6 months there were no statistically significant differences and clinically relevant deterioration. Compared with the control group, the physical functioning, social functioning, global health and general physical discomfort of the treatment group were significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Brachytherapy with 125 I seed implantation can effectively prolong survival of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and, to a certain extent, improve patients' quality of life.

[Analysis of the cause of missed diagnosis in transperineal prostate biopsy with 4 cases report].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the causes of missed diagnosis in transrectal ultrasound-guided transperineal prostate biopsy. METHODS: The biopsy results of total 278 patients who received transrectal ultrasound-guided transperineal prostate biopsy from January 2012 to December 2014 in Subei People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, using 11 systemic divisions. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 149 patients were hyperplasia of prostate. Fifty-six patients with biopsy-negative and obvious symptoms of lower urinary tract obstruction were underwent transurethral resection of the prostate. Four of which were found to be prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: Early-stage prostate cancer, special prostate tumor location, inadequate biopsy tissue, special patients in limited position, and dissatisfied anesthesia may increase the risk of missed diagnosis. Targeted and individualized puncture may improve the effectiveness.

Manual reduction in testicular torsion and subsequent treatment after successful reduction: a series of reports in a single institution.

Introduction: To explore the factors affecting the success of testicular torsion manual reduction and the safety of subsequent conservative treatment after successful reduction. Methods: Clinical data of 66 patients with testicular torsion treated in our emergency department from February 2017 to February 2022 were retrospectively collected. Manual reduction without anesthesia was performed in 19 patients. Patients with successful manual reduction chose different subsequent treatments according to the wishes of themselves and their guardians, including continuing conservative treatment and surgical exploration. Relevant clinical data were collected and analyzed. Results: Manual reduction was successful in 11 patients (11/19). Seven of them chose to continue conservative treatment, and four underwent surgical exploration immediately. Among the 7 patients who were treated conservatively, 3 underwent surgical treatment due to scrotal discomfort or testicular torsion at different stages, and the remaining 4 patients showed no recurrence of torsion during follow-up. Compared with other patients, patients with successful manual reduction had the shorter duration of pain (p < 0.05). The time from visiting our hospital to surgery in patients who attempted manual reduction was slightly shorter than those who underwent surgery directly (p > 0.05). The testes of these 11 patients were all successfully preserved. Conclusions: The short duration of pain may contribute to the success of manual reduction, and manual reduction did not increase the preparation time before surgery. Due to the unpredictable risk of recurrence, immediate surgical treatment is still recommended, or postponed elective surgical treatment should be offered in the next days or weeks.

Effect of transdermal drug delivery patches on the stratum corneum: in vivo inspection with a handheld terahertz probe.

Transdermal drug delivery patches are a good alternative to hypodermic drug injection. The drug delivery efficiency depends strongly on the hydration of the skin under treatment, and therefore, it is essential to study the effects on the skin induced by the application of these medical-grade patches. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy shows great promise for non-invasive skin evaluation due to its high sensitivity to subtle changes in water content, low power and non-ionizing properties. In this work, we study the effects of transdermal drug delivery patches (three fully occlusive and three partially occlusive) applied on the upper arms of ten volunteers for a maximum period of 28 h. Three different levels of propylene glycol (0 %, 3 % and 6 %) are added to the patches as excipient. By performing multilayer analysis, we successfully retrieve the water content of the stratum corneum (SC) which is the outermost layer of skin, as well as its thickness at different times before and after applying the patches. This study demonstrates the potential of using THz sensing for non invasive skin monitoring and has wide applications for skin evaluation as well as the development of skin products.