Postoperative pulmonary complications in older patients undergoing elective surgery with a supraglottic airway device or tracheal intubation.

The two most commonly used airway management techniques during general anaesthesia are supraglottic airway devices and tracheal tubes. In older patients undergoing elective non-cardiothoracic surgery under general anaesthesia with positive pressure ventilation, we hypothesised that a composite measure of in-hospital postoperative pulmonary complications would be less frequent when a supraglottic airway device was used compared with a tracheal tube. We studied patients aged ≥ 70 years in 17 clinical centres. Patients were allocated randomly to airway management with a supraglottic airway device or a tracheal tube. Between August 2016 and April 2020, 2900 patients were studied, of whom 2751 were included in the primary analysis (1387 with supraglottic airway device and 1364 with a tracheal tube). Pre-operatively, 2431 (88.4%) patients were estimated to have a postoperative pulmonary complication risk index of 1-2. Postoperative pulmonary complications, mostly coughing, occurred in 270 of 1387 patients (19.5%) allocated to a supraglottic airway device and 342 of 1364 patients (25.1%) assigned to a tracheal tube (absolute difference -5.6% (95%CI -8.7 to -2.5), risk ratio 0.78 (95%CI 0.67-0.89); p < 0.001). Among otherwise healthy older patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia with intra-operative positive pressure ventilation of their lungs, there were fewer postoperative pulmonary complications when the airway was managed with a supraglottic airway device compared with a tracheal tube.

[Biomechanical study of bridge-link type combined internal fixation system with mixed-rod in the treatment of long segmental comminuted fracture of femoral shaft].

Objective: To observe the biomechanical characteristics of bridge-link type combined internal fixation system (BCFS) with mixed-rod in the treatment of long segmental comminuted fracture of femoral shaft. Methods: A total of 16 models of long comminuted segment fracture of femoral shaft with mixed-rod and double-rod were made (8 each structure), and divided into the mixed-rod group and the double-rod group. The axial compression experiment and the radial torsion experiment were carried out on each of the mixed rod group and the double rod group. Four models were randomly selected from the two groups for axial compression experiment and radial torsion experiment, respectively. The changes of axial compression yield load and displacement, and also radial torsional yield load and angle were observed in two groups. At the same time, the maximum load was recorded when the curve had a break point or in a horizontal state, and then calculated the yield load. The data of normal distribution were compared with one-sample t test. Results: When the two groups were compressed axially at the same speed, as the axial compression yield load increased gradually, the longitudinal compression displacement of the mixed-rod group was obviously smaller than that in the double-rod group; and the maximum axial compression yield load of the mixed-rod group was greater than that in the double-rod group ((7 517±4)N vs (2 290±4) N, t=1 848.071, P=0.000). When the two groups were twisted radially at the same speed,as radial torsional yield load increased gradually, the radial torsion angle of the mixed-rod group was smaller than that in the double-rod group; and the maximum radial torsional yield load of the mixed-rod group was greater than that in the double-rod group ((61.3±2.0) Nm vs (24.4±2.2)Nm, t=25.201, P=0.000). Conclusions: For the long segment comminuted fracture of femoral shaft, the mixed-rod of BCFS can fix fracture more strongly than double-rod in longitudinal direction and maintain the stability of fracture end. The transverse torsion resistance is better than that of the double-rod, and the fatigue resistance is strong.

Over-expression of mir-124 inhibits MMP-9 expression and decreases invasion of renal cell carcinoma cells.

OBJECTIVE: JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway is related to tumor invasion and metastasis that can regulate matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression. MicroRNA-124 (MiR-124) was found downregulated in renal cell carcinoma. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the complementary binding site between miR-124 and 3'-UTR of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3). This study investigated the role of miR-124 in regulating Janus kinase (JAK)-STAT3 activity, MMP-9 expression, and renal cell carcinoma invasion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Luciferase assay was used to test the targeting regulatory effect of miR-124 on STAT3. MiR-124, STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3), and MMP-9 expressions were compared in HK-2, 769-P, and OS-RC-2 cells. Transwell assay was applied to evaluate cell invasion. OS-RC-2 cells were divided into control, miR-NC, miR-124 mimic, STAT3 inhibition, and miR-124 mimic+Stattic groups. RESULTS: MiR-124 targeted inhibited STAT3 expression. OS-RC-2 cells exhibited the strongest invasive ability, followed by 769-P and HK-2 cells. STAT3, p-STAT3, and MMP-9 expressions were highest in OS-RC-2 cells, followed by 769-P and HK-2 cells. MiR-124 demonstrated the opposite expression trend. MiR-124 mimic and/or Stattic treatment attenuated cell invasion through reducing STAT3, p-STAT3, and MMP-9 levels. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-124 down-regulation was associated with renal cancer cell OS-RC-2 invasion enhancement. Over-expression of miR-124 attenuated OS-RC-2 cell invasion by down-regulating STAT3 and MMP-9.

Autophagic inhibitor attenuates rapamycin-induced inhibition of proliferation in cultured A549 lung cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Increasing studies have suggested that rapamycin has inhibitory effect for cancer cell proliferation. AIM: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of rapamycin on the proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells and try to elucidate its probable mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A549 cells were randomly divided into the following 3 groups (n=6): the Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) culture solution administered alone group (C group), the 10 nmol/l rapamycin administered alone group (R group) and the 5 mmol/l 3-methyladenine (3-MA) plus 10 nmol/l rapamycin administered group (MR group). Death percentage of A549 cells was observed and the levels of caspase-3, Beclin-1, and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) were determined. RESULTS: Compared with C group, percentage of cell death, caspase-3, Beclin-1 and LC3-II both showed a significant increase in R group (p < 0.05). On the contrary, as compared with R group, percentage of cell death, caspase-3, Beclin-1 and LC3-II both showed a significant decrease in MR group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Rapamycin has an inhibitory effect for the proliferation of A549 cells, and its mechanism is likely related to the activation of autophagic pathway.

[Effect of hypothermia on activities of tubule motor protein and constructure protein after cerebral ischemia in gerbils].

AIM: To study the effect of hypothermia on kinesin and MAP2 activities after cerebral ischemia in gerbils, and investigate the relationship between changes of their activities and DND. METHODS: Immunoreactivity of kinesin and MAP2 were determined by immunohistochemical study in combination with computer image analysis system, and DND were assayed by histological examination. RESULTS: Hypothermia significantly reduced DND after cerebral ischemia. Immunoreactivities of MAP2 and kinesin progressively decreased during forebrain ischemia-reperfusion, and the decreasing of kinesin activity was greater than that of MAP2 in the same reperfusion time. Hypothermia obviously mitigate the decreasing degree of MAP2 and kinesin activity after cerebral ischemia. The decreasing degree of kinesin activity was consistent with that of DND during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in gerbils. CONCLUSION: Hypothermia significantly reduced DND after cerebral ischemia, which might be related to the improvement of kinesin activity after cerebral ischemia reperfusion in gerbils.

Toxicity of a phenyl pyrazole insecticide, fipronil, to mosquito and chironomid midge larvae in the laboratory.

Toxicity of a phenyl pyrazole insecticide, fipronil, to 4th-instar larvae of 6 species of colonized mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. taeniorhynchus, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Culex nigripalpus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus) and 2 species of field-collected chironomid midges (Chironomus crassicaudatus and Glyptotendipes paripes) was evaluated in the laboratory. All mosquito species were highly susceptible with 48-h median lethal concentration (LC50) values ranging from 0.00043 ppm (Ae. taeniorhynchus and An. quadrimaculatus) to 0.023 ppm (Ae. albopictus). Chironomus crassicaudatus and G. paripes also were extremely susceptible (48-h LC50 of both species: 0.00042 ppm) to fipronil. Larval mortality checks of Ae. taeniorhynchus, Cx. nigripalpus, and G. paripes at 24 h and again at 48 h posttreatment revealed delayed activity of this compound against these species. First-instar larvae of Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were significantly (P < 0.01) more susceptible to fipronil than the 4th-instar larvae of these mosquito species.

Estimating sporozoite rates by examining pooled samples of mosquitoes.

Pooling sampled mosquitoes for sporozoite detection by immunoassays is an efficient and economic approach in situations of very low vector infectivity. In the present study a strategy was proposed to estimate sporozoite rates using this approach. For this purpose there should be only one infected mosquito in any positive pool, so that the number of positive pools examined is an approximation of the number of infected mosquitoes in sample collections. The rationale underlying the strategy is to specify the maximal pool sizes for the given sporozoite rates so that it is reasonable to assert there is no more than one infected mosquito in any positive pool. A statistical model was developed to calculate the maximal pool sizes for various guessed sporozoite rates. The results showed that maximal pool size declined non-linearly with increases in the given sporozoite rates. With a guessed sporozoite rate < 1% as many as 35 mosquitoes could be pooled for sporozoite determination.

[The residual correcting prediction of grey model for malaria cases in China].

In this study a grey model GM (1,1) was developed on the basis of malaria cases reported for the period of 1986-1990 in China. In order to further enhance the predicting power of the model, residual correction is performed and the residual correcting GM (1,1) model was established. The result showed that the predicting performance of the latter model was much improved. The number of predicted cases for 1991 (101,770) was conformed to the number of actual malaria cases reported (101,636).