Endoscopic vidian and vidian-branch neurectomy for refractory allergic rhinitis: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic vidian neurectomy is expected to provide good therapeutic relief in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) being refractory to medication therapy or conservative surgery. However, the evidence bases for its benefit remain debatable. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the therapeutic role of various forms of vidian neurectomy in refractory AR. METHOD: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines were used to conduct a systematic review of primary studies that reported original patient data for endoscopic vidian neurectomy (EVN) and vidian-branch neurectomy, which includes selective vidian neurectomy (SVN) and posterior nasal neurectomy (PNN). The primary outcome was patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS), to assess an improvement in nasal symptom severity and quality of patient's life. The incidence of surgical complications and other objective outcomes were considered secondary outcomes. RESULTS: This review included 24 clinical studies involving 1677 patients with refractory AR, of which 510 patients in six studies had combined chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and 95 patients in one study had combined asthma. Postoperative PROMs were significantly better than preoperatively in almost all patients who underwent vidianp (RQLQ: standardized mean difference [SMD] = 2.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.40-2.92, p < 0.001; VAS: SMD = 5.15, 95% CI = 4.29-6.02, p < 0.001) or vidian-branch neurectomy (RQLQ in PNN: SMD = 3.29, 95% CI = 2.45-4.13, p < 0.001; VAS in PNN: SMD = 4.38, 95% CI = 3.41-5.34, p < 0.001), and were generally better than in the conservative treatment group. Dividing with 18 months as the cutoff point, a subgroup analysis of the follow-up period was conducted, and the results showed that both long-term and short-term postoperative patients had considerably reduced symptoms compared to the preoperative period. The two surgical procedures, SVN and PNN, attributed to vidian-branch neurectomy have extremely few complications. However, EVN is more likely to cause dry eyes and palatal numbness, with no other serious complications. In patients with AR and CRSwNP, vidian or selective vidian neurectomy combined with functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is more effective than conventional FESS (RQLQ: SMD = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.66-2.69, p < 0.001; VAS: SMD = 6.42, 95% CI = 4.78-8.06, p < 0.001). For patients who have both AR and asthma, SVN with pharyngeal branch excision is a potential treatment option. CONCLUSION: EVN and vidian-branch neurectomy (including SVN and PNN) are effective treatments, but the former has a higher risk of complications. Additionally, vidian-branch neurectomy with FESS is beneficial for patients with mixed CRSwNP. SVN is a potential approach for patients with coexisting AR and asthma.

Enhanced recovery after surgery in patients after hip and knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) was characterized as patient-centered, evidence-based, multidisciplinary team-developed routes for a surgical speciality and institution to improve postoperative recovery and attenuate the surgical stress response. However, evidence of their effectiveness in osteoarthroplasty remains sparse. This study aimed to develop an ERAS standard and evaluate the significance of ERAS interventions for postoperative outcomes after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane databases, and Clinicaltrials.gov for randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies until 24 February 2023. All relevant data were collected from studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias and extracted data. The primary outcome was the length of stay (LOS), postoperative complications, and readmission rate. The secondary outcomes included transfusion rate, mortality rate, visual analog score (VAS), the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Short Form 36 (SF-36) bodily pain (SF-36 BP), SF-36 physical function (SF-36 PF), oxford knee score, and range of motion (ROM). RESULTS: A total of 47 studies involving 76 971 patients (ERAS group: 29 702, control group: 47 269) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The result showed that ERAS could significantly shorten the LOS (WMD = -2.65, P < .001), reduce transfusion rate (OR = 0.40, P < .001), and lower 30-day postoperative mortality (OR = 0.46, P = .01) without increasing postoperative complications or readmission rate. Apart from that, ERAS may decrease patients' VAS (WMD = -0.88, P = .01) while improving their ROM (WMD = 6.65, P = .004), SF-36 BP (WMD = 4.49, P < .001), and SF-36 PF (WMD = 3.64, P < .001) scores. However, there was no significant difference in WOMAC, oxford knee score between the ERAS and control groups.Furthermore, we determined that the following seven components of the ERAS program are highly advised: avoid bowel preparation, PONV prophylaxis, standardized anesthesia, use of local anesthetics for infiltration analgesia and nerve blocks, tranexamic acid, prevent hypothermia, and early mobilization. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis suggested that the ERAS could significantly shorten the LOS, reduce transfusion rate, and lower 30-day postoperative mortality without increasing postoperative complications or readmission rate after THA and TKA. Meanwhile, ERAS could decrease the VAS of patients while improving their ROM, SF-36 BP, and SF-36 PF scores. Finally, we expect future studies to utilize the seven ERAS elements proposed in our meta-analysis to prevent increased readmission rate for patients with THA or TKA.

The relationship between serum homocysteine levels and sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: There was disagreement over the association between serum/plasma homocysteine (HCY) levels and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Through the use of a meta-analysis, this study aims to determine whether there is a significant difference in serum homocysteine levels between the SSNHL group and the control group. DESIGN: The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases were all thoroughly searched. The two independent reviewers thoroughly examined the initially searched articles. The data results were calculated by standard mean difference (SMD) or odds ratios (OR). Review Manager (version 5.3) was applied to statistical data. STUDY SAMPLE: There were 766 participants in the 6 trials with continuous outcomes that were part of the meta-analysis A. In addition, meta-analysis B, which included 961 people, contained a total of 3 studies with dichotomous results. RESULTS: Both meta-analyses revealed the same conclusion that serum/plasma HCY levels in the SSNHL patients are higher than those in the controls (SMD 0.41, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.72, P < 0.01; OR 3.27, 95 % CI 2.16 to 4.94, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the SSNHL patients' serum/plasma HCY levels were greater than those of the control group.

Can polysomnography be replaced by ApneaGraph200 for OSA diagnosis? A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is yet unknown if the ApneaGraph200 system can replace the Polysomnography system (PSG), which is now the gold standard for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the difference in apnea hypopnea index and lowest oxygen saturation levels between the AG200 system and PSG system. METHODS: Utilizing PubMed, Elsevier, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), a thorough literature search was carried out. Eligible studies contrasting the AG200 system and the PSG system were found by two separate researchers. Review Manager (version 5.3) was adopted for data synthesis. RESULTS: The meta-analysis A pooled the comparison of AHI between the AG and PSG groups, and included seven studies involving a total of 419 participants, which revealed that there was a significant difference in AHI between the above two diagnostic methods (standard mean difference (SMD) = - 0.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) = - 0.32 to - 0.05, P = 0.008). As a supplementary, meta-analysis B pooled the comparison of lowest oxygen saturation between the AG and PSG groups and included five studies involving a total of 224 participants. It revealed that there was no significant difference between the AG group and the PSG group (SMD = 0.09, 95% CI - 0.24 to 0.43, P = 0.58). CONCLUSION: The ApneaGraph200 system can be used for the initial screening of OSA patients, but it is not a complete alternative to polysomnography for the diagnosis and severity of the OSA condition.

Neuroanatomical Basis for the Orexinergic Modulation of Anesthesia Arousal and Pain Control.

Hypothalamic orexin (hypocretin) neurons play crucial roles in arousal control. Their involvement in anesthesia and analgesia remains to be better understood. In order to enhance our view on the neuroanatomy, we systematically mapped the projections of orexin neurons with confocal microscope and light sheet microscope. We specifically expressed optogenetic opsins tagged with fluorescence markers in orexin neurons through adeno-associated viral infection in the mouse brain. The imaging results revealed fine details and novel features of the orexin projections throughout the brain, particularly related to the nuclei regulating arousal and pain. We then optogenetically activated orexin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus to study the effects on anesthesia-related behaviors. cFos staining showed that optogenetic stimulation can activate orexin neurons in the ChR2-mCherry group, but not the control mCherry group (62.86 ± 3.923% vs. 7.9 ± 2.072%; P < 0.0001). In behavior assays, optogenetic stimulation in the ChR2-mCherry group consistently elicited robust arousal from light isoflurane anesthesia (9.429 ± 3.804 s vs. 238.2 ± 17.42 s; P < 0.0001), shortened the emergence time after deep isoflurane anesthesia (109.5 ± 13.59 s vs. 213.8 ± 21.77 s; P = 0.0023), and increased the paw withdrawal latency in a hotplate test (11.45 ± 1.185 s vs. 8.767 ± 0.7775; P = 0.0317). The structural details of orexin fibers established the neuroanatomic basis for studying the role of orexin in anesthesia and analgesia.

Multimodal, Multiscale Insights into Hippocampal Seizures Enabled by Transparent, Graphene-Based Microelectrode Arrays.

Hippocampal seizures are a defining feature of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Area CA1 of the hippocampus is commonly implicated in the generation of seizures, which may occur because of the activity of endogenous cell populations or of inputs from other regions within the hippocampal formation. Simultaneously observing activity at the cellular and network scales in vivo remains challenging. Here, we present a novel technology for simultaneous electrophysiology and multicellular calcium imaging of CA1 pyramidal cells (PCs) in mice enabled by a transparent graphene-based microelectrode array (Gr MEA). We examine PC firing at seizure onset, oscillatory coupling, and the dynamics of the seizure traveling wave as seizures evolve. Finally, we couple features derived from both modalities to predict the speed of the traveling wave using bootstrap aggregated regression trees. Analysis of the most important features in the regression trees suggests a transition among states in the evolution of hippocampal seizures.

Chloride channels regulate differentiation and barrier functions of the mammalian airway.

The conducting airway forms a protective mucosal barrier and is the primary target of airway disorders. The molecular events required for the formation and function of the airway mucosal barrier, as well as the mechanisms by which barrier dysfunction leads to early onset airway diseases, remain unclear. In this study, we systematically characterized the developmental landscape of the mouse airway using single-cell RNA sequencing and identified remarkably conserved cellular programs operating during human fetal development. We demonstrated that in mouse, genetic inactivation of chloride channel Ano1/Tmem16a compromises airway barrier function, results in early signs of inflammation, and alters the airway cellular landscape by depleting epithelial progenitors. Mouse Ano1-/-mutants exhibited mucus obstruction and abnormal mucociliary clearance that resemble the airway defects associated with cystic fibrosis. The data reveal critical and non-redundant roles for Ano1 in organogenesis, and show that chloride channels are essential for mammalian airway formation and function.

Tunable Transcriptional Interference at the Endogenous Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Locus in Drosophila melanogaster.

Neighboring sequences of a gene can influence its expression. In the phenomenon known as transcriptional interference, transcription at one region in the genome can repress transcription at a nearby region in cis Transcriptional interference occurs at a number of eukaryotic loci, including the alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) gene in Drosophila melanogasterAdh is regulated by two promoters, which are distinct in their developmental timing of activation. It has been shown using transgene insertion that when the promoter distal from the Adh start codon is deleted, transcription from the proximal promoter becomes de-regulated. As a result, the Adh proximal promoter, which is normally active only during the early larval stages, becomes abnormally activated in adults. Whether this type of regulation occurs in the endogenous Adh context, however, remains unclear. Here, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system to edit the endogenous Adh locus and found that removal of the distal promoter also resulted in the untimely expression of the proximal promoter-driven mRNA isoform in adults, albeit at lower levels than previously reported. Importantly, transcription from the distal promoter was sufficient to repress proximal transcription in larvae, and the degree of this repression was dependent on the degree of distal promoter activity. Finally, upregulation of the distal Adh transcript led to the enrichment of histone 3 lysine 36 trimethylation over the Adh proximal promoter. We conclude that the endogenous Adh locus is developmentally regulated by transcriptional interference in a tunable manner.

A Fast Image Deformity Correction Algorithm for Underwater Turbulent Image Distortion.

An algorithm correcting distortion based on estimating the pixel shift is proposed for the degradation caused by underwater turbulence. The distorted image is restored and reconstructed by reference frame selection and two-dimensional pixel registration. A support vector machine-based kernel correlation filtering algorithm is proposed and applied to improve the speed and efficiency of the correction algorithm. In order to validate the algorithm, laboratory experiments on a controlled simulation system of turbulent water and field experiments in rivers and oceans are carried out, and the experimental results are compared with traditional, theoretical model-based and particle image velocimetry-based restoration and reconstruction algorithms. Using subjective visual evaluation, image distortion has been effectively suppressed; based on an objective performance statistical analysis, the measured values are better than the traditional and formerly studied restoration and reconstruction algorithms. The method proposed in this paper is also much faster than the other algorithms. It can be concluded that the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the de-distortion effect of the underwater turbulence degraded image, and provide potential techniques for the accurate operation of underwater target detection in real time.

[Effects of mulching on soil moisture in a dryland winter wheat field, Northwest China].

This paper studied the effects of different mulching modes on the soil moisture in a semi-arid rainfed area of Loess Plateau, Northwest China. Seven treatments were installed, i. e., mulching plastic film in summer (T1), mulching plastic film in autumn (T2), mulching 5 cm long wheat straw in summer (T3), mulching whole wheat straw in summer (T4), mulching plastic film in summer plus wheat straw (T5), mulching used plastic film after harvest (T6), and un-mulching (CK). In T6, the soil moisture in different layers at different crop growth stages was all higher than that in CK. In the other five mulching treatments, the soil moisture in 0-90 cm layer before flowering stage was obviously higher, but that in 0-90 cm layer after flowering stage and in 90-200 cm layer during the whole growth season was lower than that of CK. The soil moisture in 0-200 cm layer in T6 during the whole growth period was significantly higher than that in CK, with a difference of 0.9%, but the soil moisture in 0-200 cm layer in other mulching treatments was lower. As compared with plastic film mulching, straw mulching increased the soil moisture in 0-200 cm layer. The soil moisture under mulching with used plastic film after harvest was higher than that under mulching with new plastic film. As compared to CK, the grain yield of winter wheat with plastic film mulching was increased by 20.3%-29.0%, and that With straw mulching was increased by 5.0%-16.7%. There was a significant positive correlation between the crop productivity and the soil water consumption during the growth period (r = 0.77*).