Critical roles and clinical perspectives of RNA methylation in cancer.

RNA modification, especially RNA methylation, is a critical posttranscriptional process influencing cellular functions and disease progression, accounting for over 60% of all RNA modifications. It plays a significant role in RNA metabolism, affecting RNA processing, stability, and translation, thereby modulating gene expression and cell functions essential for proliferation, survival, and metastasis. Increasing studies have revealed the disruption in RNA metabolism mediated by RNA methylation has been implicated in various aspects of cancer progression, particularly in metabolic reprogramming and immunity. This disruption of RNA methylation has profound implications for tumor growth, metastasis, and therapy response. Herein, we elucidate the fundamental characteristics of RNA methylation and their impact on RNA metabolism and gene expression. We highlight the intricate relationship between RNA methylation, cancer metabolic reprogramming, and immunity, using the well-characterized phenomenon of cancer metabolic reprogramming as a framework to discuss RNA methylation's specific roles and mechanisms in cancer progression. Furthermore, we explore the potential of targeting RNA methylation regulators as a novel approach for cancer therapy. By underscoring the complex mechanisms by which RNA methylation contributes to cancer progression, this review provides a foundation for developing new prognostic markers and therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating RNA methylation in cancer treatment.

Association of hemorrhage-to-treatment time with outcomes in patients with brainstem cavernous malformations: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Brainstem cavernous malformations (BSCMs) often present with haemorrhage, but the optimal timing for microsurgical intervention remains unclear. This study aims to explore how intervention timing relates to neurological outcomes in haemorrhagic BSCM patients undergoing microsurgery, offering insights for clinical decisions. METHODS: A total of 293 consecutive patients diagnosed with BSCMs, who underwent microsurgery were identified between March 2011 and January 2023 at two comprehensive centres in China, with a postoperative follow-up duration exceeding 6 months. Utilizing logistic regression models with restricted cubic splines, distinct time groups were identified. Subsequently, matching weight analysis compared these groups in terms of outcomes, new haemorrhage rates, cranial nerve deficits, and perioperative complications. The primary outcome was an unfavourable outcome, which was defined as a mRS score greater than 2 at the latest follow-up. RESULTS: Among the 293 patients, 48.5% were female, median age was (39.9±14.3) years, and median haemorrhage-to-treatment time was 42 days. Patients were categorized into acute (≤21 days), subacute (22-42 days), and delay (>42 days) intervention groups. After matching, 186 patients were analyzed. Adjusted analysis showed lower unfavourable outcome rates for acute [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 0.73; 95% CI, 0.65-0.82; P<0.001] and subacute (adjusted OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.95; P=0.007) groups compared to the delay group. Subacute intervention led to fewer cranial nerve deficits (adjusted OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88, P<0.001). New haemorrhage incidence didn't significantly differ among groups. CONCLUSIONS: For haemorrhagic BSCMs patients, delayed microsurgical intervention that exceeded 42 days after a prior haemorrhage were associated with an increased risk of unfavourable neurological outcomes.

Treatment Modalities and Outcomes in Brainstem Cavernous Malformations: A Large Multicenter Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic brainstem cavernous malformations (BSCMs) pose a high risk of morbidity and mortality due to recurrent hemorrhage, warranting aggressive management. However, few studies have compared the effectiveness of different treatment modalities for BSCMs. We aimed to assess the association of treatment modalities with recurrent hemorrhage and neurological outcomes in patients with BSCM. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using an observational registry database covering population of southwest and southeast China. Adult patients with BSCM were included and followed up between March 1, 2011, to March 31, 2023. We compared outcomes between microsurgery and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in propensity score-matched case pairs, incorporating demographic, medical history, and lesion characteristics. The outcomes studied included recurrent hemorrhage and poor prognosis (defined as a Glasgow Outcome Scale score, <4). Absolute rate differences and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were calculated using Cox models. RESULTS: Among 736 diagnosed patients with BSCM, 96 (48 matched pairs) were included after exclusions and propensity score matching (mean age, 43.1 [SD, 12.1] years; 50% women). During the median 5-year follow-up, no significant differences in recurrent hemorrhage (4.2% [microsurgery] versus 14.6% [SRS], HR, 3.90 [95% CI, 0.46-32.65]; P=0.21) and poor prognosis (12.5% [microsurgery] versus 8.3% [SRS], HR, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.08-1.08]; P=0.07) were observed between microsurgery and SRS recipients. Furthermore, either microsurgery or SRS correlated with fewer recurrent hemorrhage (HR, 0.09 [95% CI, 0.02-0.39]; P=0.001; HR, 0.21 [95% CI, 0.07-0.69]; P=0.01) compared with conservative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, both microsurgery and SRS were safe and effective for BSCM, demonstrated comparable outcomes in recurrent hemorrhage and poor prognosis. However, interpretation should be cautious due to the potential for residual confounding. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn/; Unique identifier: ChiCTR2300070907.

Comparison of the cachexia index based on hand-grip strength (H-CXI) with the original CXI for the prediction of cancer cachexia and prognosis in patients who underwent radical colectomy for colorectal cancer.

Background and aims: The cachexia index (CXI) is a novel biomarker for estimating cancer cachexia. The cachexia index based on hand-grip strength (H-CXI) has been recently developed as a simple proxy for CXI. The present study aims to compare both the H-CXI and CXI for the prediction of cancer cachexia and postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent radical colectomy for colorectal cancer. Methods: Patients who underwent radical operations for colorectal cancer were included in this study. Cancer cachexia was diagnosed according to the international consensus outlined by Fearon et al. The cachexia index (CXI) was calculated as [skeletal muscle index (SMI) × serum albumin/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)]. The H-CXI was calculated as [hand-grip strength (HGS)/height2 × serum albumin/NLR]. The SMI was measured based on the preoperative CT images at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) level. HGS was measured before surgery. Results: From July 2014 to May 2021, a total of 1,411 patients were included in the present study, of whom 361 (25.6%) were identified as having cancer cachexia. Patients with cachexia had a lower CXI (p < 0.001) and lower H-CXI (p < 0.001) than those without cachexia. A low CXI but not low H-CXI independently predicted cancer cachexia in the multivariate analysis (OR 1.448, p = 0.024). Both a low CXI (HR 1.476, p < 0.001 for OS; HR 1.611, p < 0.001 for DFS) and low H-CXI (HR 1.369, p = 0.007 for OS; HR 1.642, p < 0.001 for DFS) were independent predictors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) after adjusting for the same covariates. A low H-CXI but not low CXI was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications (OR 1.337, p = 0.044). No significant association was found between cancer cachexia and postoperative complications. Conclusion: The CXI and H-CXI exhibited better prognostic value than cancer cachexia for the prediction of postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent radical colectomy for colorectal cancer. The H-CXI was a superior index over the CXI in predicting short-term clinical outcomes, whereas the CXI demonstrated a closer correlation with Fearon's criteria for cancer cachexia. Ideal tools for the assessment of cancer cachexia should incorporate not only weight loss but also muscle mass, physical function, and inflammatory state.

Prognostic value of GLIM-defined malnutrition in combination with hand-grip strength or gait speed for the prediction of postoperative outcomes in gastric cancer patients with cachexia.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cachexia is associated with impaired functional and nutritional status and worse clinical outcomes. Global Leadership Initiative in Malnutrition (GLIM) consensus recommended the application of GLIM criteria to diagnose malnutrition in patients with cachexia. However, few previous study has applied the GLIM criteria in patients with cancer cachexia. METHODS: From July 2014 to May 2019, patients who were diagnosed with cancer cachexia and underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were included in this study. Malnutrition was diagnosed using the GLIM criteria. Skeletal muscle index was measured using abdominal computed tomography (CT) images at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) level. Hand-grip strength and 6-meters gait speed were measured before surgery. RESULTS: A total of 356 patients with cancer cachexia were included in the present study, in which 269 (75.56%) were identified as having malnutrition based on the GLIM criteria. GLIM-defined malnutrition alone did not show significant association with short-term postoperative outcomes, including complications, costs or length of postoperative hospital stays. The combination of low hand-grip strength or low gait speed with GLIM-defined malnutrition led to a significant predictive value for these outcomes. Moreover, low hand-grip strength plus GLIM-defined malnutrition was independently associated with postoperative complications (OR 1.912, 95% CI 1.151-3.178, P = 0.012). GLIM-defined malnutrition was an independent predictive factor for worse OS (HR 2.310, 95% CI 1.421-3.754, P = 0.001) and DFS (HR 1.815, 95% CI 1.186-2.779, P = 0.006) after surgery. The addition of low hand-grip strength or low gait speed to GLIM-defined malnutrition did not increase its predictive value for survival. CONCLUSION: GLIM-defined malnutrition predicted worse long-term survival in gastric cancer patients with cachexia. Gait speed and hand-grip strength added prognostic value to GLIM-defined malnutrition for the prediction of short-term postoperative outcomes, which could be incorporated into preoperative assessment protocols in patients with cancer cachexia.

Programming memristor arrays with arbitrarily high precision for analog computing.

In-memory computing represents an effective method for modeling complex physical systems that are typically challenging for conventional computing architectures but has been hindered by issues such as reading noise and writing variability that restrict scalability, accuracy, and precision in high-performance computations. We propose and demonstrate a circuit architecture and programming protocol that converts the analog computing result to digital at the last step and enables low-precision analog devices to perform high-precision computing. We use a weighted sum of multiple devices to represent one number, in which subsequently programmed devices are used to compensate for preceding programming errors. With a memristor system-on-chip, we experimentally demonstrate high-precision solutions for multiple scientific computing tasks while maintaining a substantial power efficiency advantage over conventional digital approaches.

The comparison of corneal higher-order aberration and surgically induced astigmatism between the clear corneal incision and the limbus tunnel incision of posterior chamber implantable collamer lens implantation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the corneal high-order aberrations and surgically induced astigmatism between the clear corneal incision and limbus tunnel incision for posterior chamber implantable collamer lens (ICL/TICL) implantation. METHODS: A total of 127 eyes from 73 myopic patients underwent ICL V4c implantation, with 70 eyes receiving clear corneal incisions and 57 eyes receiving limbus tunnel incisions. The anterior and back corneal surfaces were measured and the Root Mean Square of all activated aberrations (TRMS) was calculated, including higher-order aberration (HOA RMS), spherical aberration Z40, coma coefficients (Coma RMS) Z3-1 Z31, and surgically induced astigmatism (SIA). The measurements were taken preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 day, 1 week, and 1, 3, and 6 months. In this study, the corneal higher-order aberration was estimated as the Zernike coefficient calculated up to 5th order. The measurements were taken at a maximum diameter of 6.5 mm using Pentacam. RESULTS: One week after the operation, the corneal back Z31 of the clear corneal incision group was 0.06 ± 0.06, while the limbus tunnel incision group showed a measurement of 0.05 ± 0.06 (p = 0.031). The corneal back Z40 of the clear corneal incision group was -0.02 ± 0.25, compared to -0.04 ± 0.21 in the limbus tunnel incision group (p = 0.01). One month after the operation, the corneal back SIA of the clear corneal incision group was 0.11 ± 0.11, compared to 0.08 ± 0.11of the limbus tunnel incision group (p = 0.013), the corneal total SIA of the clear corneal incision group was 0.33 ± 0.30, compared to 0.15 ± 0.16 in the limbus tunnel incision group (p = 0.004); the clear corneal incision group exhibited higher levels of back astigmatism and total SIA than the limbus tunnel incision in the post-operation one month period. During the 6- month post-operative follow-up period, no significant difference in Z31, Z40, and other HOA RMS data was observed between the two groups. The total SIA of the corneal incision group and the limbus tunnel incision group were 0.24 ± 0.14 and 0.33 ± 0.32, respectively (p = 0.393), showing no significant difference between the two groups 6 months after the operation. CONCLUSION: Our data showed no significant difference in the high-order aberration and SIA between clear corneal incision and limbus tunnel incision up to 6 months after ICL-V4c implantation.

Probing Electronic Band Structures of Dielectric Polymers via Pre-Breakdown Conduction.

The electronic band structure, especially the defect states at the conduction band tail, dominates electron transport and electrical degradation of a dielectric material under an extremely high electric field. However, the electronic band structure in a dielectric is barely well studied due to experimental challenges in detecting the electrical conduction to an extremely high electric field, i.e., prebreakdown. In this work, the electronic band structure of polymer dielectric films is probed through an in situ prebreakdown conduction measurement method in conjunction with a space-charge-limited-current spectroscopic analysis. An exponential distribution of defect states at the conduction band tail with varying trap levels is observed in accordance with the specific morphological disorder in the polymer dielectric, and the experimental defect states show also a favorable agreement with the calculated density of states from the density functional theory. The methodology demonstrated in this work bridges the molecule-structure-determined electronic band structure and the macro electrical conduction behavior with a highly improved understanding of material properties that control the electrical breakdown, and paves a way for guiding the modification of existing material and the exploration of novel materials for high electric field applications.

Sarcopenia predicts postoperative complications and survival in colorectal cancer patients with GLIM-defined malnutrition: Analysis from a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether sarcopenia could predict postoperative outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer with Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM)-defined malnutrition. METHODS: Clinical data of patients who underwent radical resection for colorectal cancer were prospectively collected. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by the combination of low handgrip strength and low muscle quantity or quality as measured by abdominal computed tomography (CT) images. Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed to identify independent predictors for postoperative complications and survival, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 310 patients with colorectal cancer with GLIM-defined malnutrition were included, of which 145 (46.77%) were identified with sarcopenia. Malnutritional patients with sarcopenia had significantly higher incidences of total complications (34.5% versus 15.8%), severe complications (9.7% versus 1.8%), longer lengths of postoperative hospital stay (median, 14 days versus 12 days), and more costs (median, 56,257 RMB versus 49,024 RMB) than those without sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was an independent predictive factor for postoperative complications (OR 2.531, 95% CI 1.451-4.415), overall survival (HR 1.519, 95% CI 1.026-2.248), and disease-free survival (HR 1.847, 95% CI 1.324-2.576). Patients with severe sarcopenia had a higher incidence of severe complications but not total complications or survival than those with not-severe sarcopenia. Moreover, the predictive value of sarcopenia for postoperative complications was attributed to muscle strength and quality but not muscle quantity. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia predicts postoperative complications and survival in patients with colorectal cancer with GLIM-defined malnutrition. Preoperative assessment of sarcopenia is still necessary when nutritional assessment has been well performed.

Using Decellularized Magnetic Microrobots to Deliver Functional Cells for Cartilage Regeneration.

The use of natural cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) has gained widespread attention in the field of cartilage tissue engineering. However, current approaches for delivering functional scaffolds for osteoarthritis (OA) therapy rely on knee surgery, which is limited by the narrow and complex structure of the articular cavity and carries the risk of injuring surrounding tissues. This work introduces a novel cell microcarrier, magnetized cartilage ECM-derived scaffolds (M-CEDSs), which are derived from decellularized natural porcine cartilage ECM. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are selected for their therapeutic potential in OA treatments. Owing to their natural composition, M-CEDSs have a biomechanical environment similar to that of human cartilage and can efficiently load functional cells while maintaining high mobility. The cells are released spontaneously at a target location for at least 20 days. Furthermore, cell-seeded M-CEDSs show better knee joint function recovery than control groups 3 weeks after surgery in preclinical experiments, and ex vivo experiments reveal that M-CEDSs can rapidly aggregate inside tissue samples. This work demonstrates the use of decellularized microrobots for cell delivery and their in vivo therapeutic effects in preclinical tests.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics and In Vitro Lineage Tracing Reveals Differential Susceptibility of Human iPSC-Derived Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons in a Cellular Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Advances in stem cell technologies open up new avenues for modelling development and diseases. The success of these pursuits, however, relies on the use of cells most relevant to those targeted by the disease of interest, for example, midbrain dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson's disease. In the present study, we report the generation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line capable of purifying and tracing nascent midbrain dopaminergic progenitors and their differentiated progeny via the expression of a Blue Fluorescent Protein (BFP). This was achieved by CRISPR/Cas9-assisted knock-in of BFP and Cre into the safe harbour locus AAVS1 and an early midbrain dopaminergic lineage marker gene LMX1A, respectively. Immunocytochemical analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing of iPSC-derived neural cultures confirm developmental recapitulation of the human fetal midbrain and high-quality midbrain cells. By modelling Parkinson's disease-related drug toxicity using 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+), we showed a preferential reduction of BFP+ cells, a finding demonstrated independently by cell death assays and single-cell transcriptomic analysis of MPP+ treated neural cultures. Together, these results highlight the importance of disease-relevant cell types in stem cell modelling.

Integration with Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveals the In Vitro Cytotoxic Mechanisms of Chinese Poplar Propolis by Triggering the Glucose Metabolism in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Natural products serve as a valuable reservoir of anticancer agents. Chinese poplar propolis (CP) has exhibited remarkable antitumor activities, yet its precise mechanisms of action remain elusive. This study aims to elucidate the in vitro cytotoxic mechanisms of CP in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) through comprehensive transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Our evidence suggested that CP possesses a great potential to inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells by targeting the glucose metabolism. Notably, CP exhibited a dose- and time-dependent reduction in the viability of HepG2 cells. Transcriptome sequencing unveiled significant alterations in the cellular metabolism, particularly within glucose metabolism pathways. CP effectively restrained glucose consumption and lactic acid production. Moreover, the CP treatment led to a substantial decrease in the mRNA expression levels of key glucose transporters (GLUT1 and GLUT3) and glycolytic enzymes (LDHA, HK2, PKM2, and PFK). Correspondingly, CP suppressed some key protein levels. Cellular metabolomic analysis demonstrated a marked reduction in intermediary products of glucose metabolism, specifically fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and acetyl-CoA, following CP administration. Finally, key compounds in CP were screened, and apigenin, pinobanksin, pinocembrin, and galangin were identified as potential active agents against glycolysis. It indicates that the effectiveness of propolis in inhibiting liver cancer is the result of the combined action of several components. These findings underscore the potential therapeutic value of propolis in the treatment of liver cancer by targeting glycolytic pathways.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester inhibits MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation in inflammatory microenvironment by suppressing glycolysis and lipid metabolism.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is one of the main active ingredients of propolis with good antitumor activities. However, the potential effects of CAPE on the glycolysis and lipid metabolism of tumor cells are unclear. Here, the anti-tumor effects of CAPE on MDA-MB-231 cells in an inflammatory microenvironment stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were studied by estimating the inflammatory mediators and the key factors of glycolysis and lipid metabolism. The CAPE treatment obviously inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis, and the mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased in the LPS-stimulated MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared with the LPS group, pro-inflammatory mediators, including toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha (IκBα), interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6, as well as interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4), declined after the CAPE treatment. Additionally, CAPE significantly down-regulated the levels of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3), and the key enzymes of glycolysis-hexokinase 2 (HK2), phosphofructokinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme M2 (PKM2), and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA). Moreover, CAPE treatment decreased the levels of key lipid metabolism proteins, including acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and free fatty acid (FFA)-transported-related protein CD36. After adding the glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), the inhibitory effects of CAPE on cell viability and migration were not significant when compared with the LPS group. In summary, the antitumor activity of CAPE in vitro was mainly via the modulation of the inflammatory mediators and the inhibition of key proteins and enzymes in glucose and lipid metabolism.

Microstructure Evolution of the Ti-46Al-8Nb-2.5V Alloy during Hot Compression and Subsequent Annealing at 900 °C.

TiAl alloys are high-temperature structural materials with excellent comprehensive properties, and their ideal service temperature range is about 700-950 °C. High-Nb containing the Ti-46Al-8Nb-2.5V alloy was subjected to hot compression and subsequent annealing at 900 °C. During hot compression, work-hardening and strain-softening occurred. The peak stresses during compression are positively correlated with the compressive strain rates and negatively correlated with the compression temperatures. The α2 phase exhibited a typical (0001)α2 basal plane texture after hot compression, while the ß0 and γ phases did not show a typical strong texture. Subsequent annealing at 900 °C of the hot-compressed samples resulted in significant phase transformations, specifically the α2 → γ and ß0 → γ phase transformations. After 30 min of annealing, the volume fraction of the α2 phase decreased from 39.0% to 4.6%. The microstructure characteristics and phase fraction after 60 min of annealing were similar to those after 30 min. According to the calculation of Miller indexes and texture evolution during annealing, the α2 → γ phase transformation did not follow the Blackburn orientation relationship. Multiple crystal-oriented α2 phases with nanoscale widths (20~100 nm) precipitate within the γ phase during the annealing process, which means the occurrence of γ → α2 phase transformation. Still, the γ → α2 phase transformation follows the Blackburn orientation relationship.

MR-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy for drug-resistant lesional epilepsy: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: To describe and report the efficacy and safety of MR-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. METHODS: A retrospective review of all MRgLITT procedures in our hospital was performed. All procedures were performed using a surgical laser ablation system. Demographic and outcome data were compiled and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients underwent MRgLITT procedures from June 2021 to November 2021. The average age at surgery was 18.1 years (3-61.4 years). The average length of hospitalization post-surgery was 4.95 days (4-7 days). Surgical substrates included 8 patients with hypothalamic hamartomas, 5 with medial temporal lobe epilepsy, 3 with deep focal cortical dysplasia, 1 with tuberous sclerosis, 1 with a cavernous malformation, and 1 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome who underwent anterior corpus callosotomy. Complications occurred in three patients. After an average follow-up of 1 year, 6 patients were seizure-free (Engel I, 31.6%), 1 had significant seizure control (Engel II, 5.3%), 7 had seizure control (Engel III, 36.8%), and 5 had no improvement in their seizures (Engel IV, 26.3%). Fisher's exact tests did not reveal statistical significance for the association between Engel class outcome and epileptic disease. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that MRgLITT, as a method for treating drug-resistant epilepsy, is minimally invasive, safe, and efficient and that it can reduce the incidence of surgery-related complications.

One-step solution for angioplasty, low-profile stent delivery, and intrastent dilation using a dual-lumen angioplasty balloon microcatheter: technical advances, limitations, outcomes, and literature review.

Dual-lumen angioplasty balloon microcatheters make it possible to perform percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), low-profile stent delivery, and intrastent dilation without the microcatheter exchange technique. This technique has shown many advantages in recent years. We reviewed the techniques and applications in different intracranial vascular diseases and summarized the outcomes and indications. Gateway dual-lumen angioplasty balloon was used for PTA and kept in situ. Stent was delivered and deployed via Gateway microcatheter. Intrastent balloon dilation was performed after stent deployment. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data, surgical procedures, technique application, and follow-up outcomes of six patients treated from 2020 to 2023. Neurological function was assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS). A literature review was performed using PubMed. All seven patients (4 males, 3 females; mean age, 62.6 ± 6.9 years) underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent deployment using a balloon microcatheter. There was one middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm with parent artery stenosis, two MCA dissections, and four intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses (ICASs). The mRS score was 0 in five patients and 1 in two patients. Cerebral dissection with stenosis is the best indication, and its application in stent-assisted aneurysm coiling is inappropriate. This technique is controversial in ICAS treatment.

A dynamic model of coalbed methane emission from boreholes in front of excavation working face: numerical model and its application.

China's current energy consumption is primarily fueled by coal, increasing coal mining with growing energy demand. Coal and gas outburst accidents are common problems in coal mining, and prediction methods are fundamental for preventing such accidents. The gas emission characteristics of boreholes are a combination of comprehensive coal properties and coal seam gas occurrence status; thus, the accurate prediction of gas emissions from boreholes is crucial for preventing such hazards. This paper presents a method for measuring the gas flow rate in continuous boreholes, which is used to predict outburst danger in front of the working face. The model was compared with field measurement data and found suitable for research. The effects of different initial gas pressures, different borehole radius, and different burial depths on gas emissions from boreholes were studied. The results showed that (1) initial gas pressure is the main influencing factor of gas gushing. The amount of gas emission during drilling and the attenuation of gas pressure are more sensitive to pressure. An increase in gas pressure considerably increases the amount of gas gushing out of drilling holes. (2) The increase in the drilling radius increases the generation of coal cuttings, the area of the drilling hole wall, and the degree of damage to the drilling hole wall. Consequently, the amount of gas gushing out of the drilling hole increases. (3) In situ stress occurs mainly because of the increase in gas pressure with an increase in burial depth and the increase in gas desorption caused by the increase in damage to the borehole wall. This study provides a new outburst prediction method, which involves identifying outburst hazards through the gas gushing out of the borehole. The results are expected to aid the control of underground coal and gas outbursts and ensure the safe production of coal mines.

Angioarchitectural features of arteriovenous fistulas at craniocervical junction predicting clinical presentation and unfavorable neurological function: insight from a multicenter cohort and pooled analysis.

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) at the craniocervical junction (CCJ) are uncommon conditions with complex angioarchitecture. The objective of this study was to identify the angioarchitectural features of CCJ-AVF that were predictive of clinical presentation and neurological function. The study encompassed a total of 68 consecutive patients with CCJ-AVF at two neurosurgical centers between 2014 and 2022. Additionally, a systematic review was conducted, including 68 cases with detailed clinical data obtained via PubMed database spanning 1990 to 2022. Clinical and imaging data were collected and pooled together to analyze factors associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), myelopathy, and modified Rankin scale (mRS) at presentation. The mean age of the patients was 54.5 ± 13.1 years, with 76.5% of them being male. The most common feeding arteries were V3-medial branches (33.1%), and drainage was frequently through the anterior or posterior spinal vein/perimedullary vein (72.8%). SAH was the most common presentation (49.3%), and an associated aneurysm was identified as a risk factor for SAH (adjusted OR, 7.44; 95%CI, 2.89-19.15). Anterior or posterior spinal vein/perimedullary vein (adjusted OR, 2.78; 95%CI, 1.00-7.72) and male gender (adjusted OR, 3.76; 95%CI, 1.23-11.53) were associated with higher risk for myelopathy. Myelopathy at presentation was an independent risk factor for unfavorable neurological status (adjusted OR per score, 4.73; 95%CI, 1.31-17.12) in untreated CCJ-AVF. The present study identifies risk factors associated with SAH, myelopathy, and unfavorable neurological status at presentation in patients with CCJ-AVF. These findings may help treatment decisions for these complex vascular malformations.

The application of high-resolution vessel wall imaging in the in situ bypass surgeries for complex anterior cerebral artery aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Complex anterior cerebral artery (ACA) aneurysms are still technically challenging to treat. Bypass surgery is needed to achieve aneurysm obliteration and ACA territory revascularization. Severe atherosclerosis of aneurysm walls can cause clip slippage, intraoperative rupture, postoperative ischemic events. How to assess the atherosclerotic changes in vascular walls by high-resolution vessel wall magnitude resonance imaging (VWI) is the key question in complex ACA aneurysm surgical management. METHODS: This retrospective single-center study included eight patients diagnosed with complex anterior cerebral arteries admitted to our hospital for bypass surgery from January 2019 to April 2022. We discussed the application of VWI in aneurysms treated with in situ bypass and reviewed previous experience of revascularization strategies for complex ACA aneurysms. RESULTS: In this study, we treated 8 cases of complex ACA aneurysms (3 communicating aneurysms/5 postcommunicating aneurysms) over the prior one year. In situ side-to-side anastomosis (1 A2-to-A2/6 A3-to-A3) was performed in seven cases, and trapping combined with excision was performed in another case. Following bypass, complete trapping was performed in 4 cases, and proximal clipping was performed in 3 cases. No surgery-related neurological dysfunctions were observed. The final modified Rankin scale was 0 in seven of the eight cases and 2 in one case. CONCLUSION: High-resolution VWI, as a favorable preoperative assessment tool, provides insight into patient-specific anatomy and microsurgical options before operations, which can help neurosurgeons develop individualized and valuable surgical plans.

Cognitive Performance in Patients With Sporadic Vestibular Schwannoma.

BACKGROUND: To date, few data are available on the cognitive function of patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) before treatment. OBJECTIVE: To provide a cognitive profile of patients with VS. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study recruited 75 patients with an untreated VS and 60 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy control subjects. A set of neuropsychological tests were administered to each participant. RESULTS: Compared with the matched controls, patients with VS exhibited impaired general cognitive function, memory, psychomotor speed, visuospatial ability, attention and processing speed, and executive function. The subgroup analyses displayed that patients with severe-to-profound unilateral hearing loss were more cognitively impaired than patients with no-to-moderate unilateral hearing loss. In addition, patients with right-sided VS scored worse than those with left-sided VS on tests of memory, attention and processing speed, and executive function. No differences were observed in cognitive performance between patients with or without brainstem compression and those with or without tinnitus. We also found that worse hearing and longer hearing loss duration were associated with poorer cognitive performance in patients with VS. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide evidence for cognitive impairment in patients with untreated VS. It can thus be said that including cognitive assessment in the routine clinical management of patients with VS may facilitate more appropriate clinical decision-making and improve patients' quality of life.