Organic Synaptic Transistors with Environmentally Friendly Core/Shell Quantum Dots for Wavelength-Selective Memory and Neuromorphic Functions.

Organic transistors based on organic semiconductors together with quantum dots (QDs) are attracting more and more interest because both materials have excellent optoelectronic properties and solution processability. Electronics based on nontoxic QDs are highly desired considering the potential health risks but are limited by elevated surface defects, inadequate stability, and diminished luminescent efficiency. Herein, organic synaptic transistors based on environmentally friendly ZnSe/ZnS core/shell QDs with passivating surface defects are developed, exhibiting optically programmable and electrically erasable characteristics. The synaptic transistors feature linear multibit storage capability and wavelength-selective memory function with a retention time above 6000 s. Various neuromorphic applications, including memory enhancement, optical communication, and memory consolidation behaviors, are simulated. Utilizing an established neuromorphic model, accuracies of 92% and 91% are achieved in pattern recognition and complicated electrocardiogram signal processing, respectively. This research highlights the potential of environmentally friendly QDs in neuromorphic applications and health monitoring.

Current Status and Global Trend of Rebound Pain After Regional Anesthesia: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Purpose: Rebound pain after regional anesthesia, a common phenomenon when the analgesic effect wears off, has been recognized in the last a few years. The aim of this study is to analyze the status and tendency of this area in a macroscopic perspective. Methods: Bibliometric analysis is the primary methodology of this study. Literature retrieval was conducted in Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection. WoS, Excel, VOSviewer and CiteSpace were employed to do the analyses and visualization. Parameters were analyzed, such as publications, citations, journals, and keywords, etc. Results: In total, 70 articles in the past 10 years were identified eligible. Most articles (14 pieces) were published in 2021, followed by 2022 and 2023 with 13 articles. Researchers come from 134 institutions and 20 countries. Huang Jung-Taek, Hallym College, and USA are the most productive author, institution and country, respectively. The articles were mainly published on the top journals of anesthesiology, orthopedics and surgery. The topic of these articles is primarily about the clinical issues of rebound pain. Peripheral nerve block, brachial plexus block and femoral nerve block are the activist keywords in the area, while perioperative management, fracture surgery and outcome may become hotpots in the next years. Conclusion: Our results show that the study of rebound pain after regional anesthesia starts relatively late and is in upward tendency, future studies can focus on the perioperative management and outcomes of fracture patients, and the definition and mechanism of rebound pain after regional anesthesia.

Association Between Hemoglobin-Albumin-Lymphocyte-Platelet Index and Mortality in Hospitalized COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 Infected Patients.

Background: The hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte-platelet (HALP) index is a novel biomarker reflecting systemic inflammation and nutritional status which are important for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality. However, the association between HALP and mortality in patients with COVID-19 has yet to be investigated. Methods: A cohort of COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 infected patients admitted to the Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University from April 12, 2022 to June 17, 2022 was retrospectively analyzed. Laboratory examinations on hospital admission, including hemoglobin, albumin, and lymphocyte and platelet, were collected. The association between baseline HALP and in-hospital poor overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox regression models, interaction, and stratified analyses. Results: A total of 2147 patients with COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 infection were included in the final analyses, and mortality in the hospital was 2.65%. Multivariate analysis indicated that low HALP index was independently associated with in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17-3.73]. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that low HALP index was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients with age ≥70 (HR = 2.22, CI = 1.18-4.15) and severe cases (HR = 2.09, CI = 1.13-3.86). Conclusion: HALP index is independently related to in-hospital poor OS for COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 infected patients, especially for age ≥70 and severe cases. HALP index on hospital admission is a useful candidate biomarker for identifying high risk of mortality in COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 infected patients.

Total muscle-to-fat ratio influences urinary incontinence in United States adult women: a population-based study.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the total muscle-to-fat ratio (tMFR) and female urinary incontinence (UI), determine whether tMFR can serve as a useful index for predicting UI, and identify factors that may influence this relationship. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 4391 adult women participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2018. The correlation between tMFR and UI was examined using a dose-response curve generated through a restricted cubic spline (RCS) function, LASSO and multivariate logistic regression. Furthermore, predictive models were constructed incorporating factors such as age, race, hypertension, diabetes, cotinine levels, and tMFR. The performance of these predictive models was evaluated using training and test datasets, employing calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic curves, and clinical decision curves. Mediation effects were also analyzed to explore potential relationships between tMFR and female UI. Results: In a sample of 4391 adult women, 1073 (24.4%) self-reported experiencing UI, while 3318 (75.6%) reported not having UI. Based on the analyses involving LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression, it was found that tMFR exhibited a negative association with UI (OR = 0.599, 95% CI: 0.497-0.719, P < 0.001). The results from the restricted cubic spline chart indicated a decreasing risk of UI in women as tMFR increased. Furthermore, the model constructed based on logistic regression analysis demonstrated a certain level of accuracy (in the training dataset: area under the curve (AUC) = 0.663; in the test dataset: AUC = 0.662) and clinical applicability. The mediation analysis revealed that the influence of tMFR on the occurrence of UI in women might potentially occur through the blood index lymphocyte count (P = 0.040). Conclusion: A high tMFR serves as a protective factor against UI in women. Furthermore, lymphocyte might be involved in the relationship between tMFR and female UI.

Risk factors for progression to severe infection and prolonged viral clearance time in hospitalized elderly patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2: a retrospective study at Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University.

Introduction: In elderly patients infected with the Omicron variant, disease progression to severe infection can result in poor outcomes. This study aimed to identify risk and protective factors associated with disease progression to severe infection and viral clearance time in elderly Omicron-infected patients. Methods: Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, was officially designated to provide treatment to patients with COVID-19. This study was conducted on confirmed Omicron cases admitted to the hospital between 10 April 2022 and 21 June 2022. In total, 1,568 patients aged 65 years or older were included. We conducted a retrospective, observational study using logistic regression to analyze risk and protective factors for the development of severe disease and Cox proportional hazards regression models to analyze factors influencing viral clearance time. Results: Aged over 80 years, having 2 or more comorbidities, combined cerebrovascular disease, chronic neurological disease, and mental disorders were associated with the development of severe disease, and full vaccination was a protective factor. Furthermore, aged over 80 years, combined chronic respiratory disease, chronic renal disease, cerebrovascular disease, mental disorders, and high viral load were associated with prolonged viral clearance time, and full vaccination was a protective factor. Discussion: This study analyzed risk factors for progression to severe infection and prolonged viral clearance time in hospitalized elderly Omicron-infected patients. Aged patients with comorbidities had a higher risk of developing severe infection and had longer viral clearance, while vaccination protected them against the Omicron infection.

Exercise attenuates the perioperative neurocognitive disorder induced by hyperhomocysteinemia in mice.

The perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND) is a severe complication that affects millions of surgical patients each year. Homocysteine (Hcy) is known to increase the risk of developing PND in both young and elderly mice. However, whether Hcy alone can induce cognitive deficits in middle-aged mice (12-month-old), whether exercise can attenuate Hcy-induced hippocampus-related cognitive deficits after surgery through suppressing neuroinflammation, synaptic elimination, and the level of Hcy remains unknown. The present study aimed to answer these questions through testing the possibility of establishing a PND model using 12-month-old mice which received homocysteine injections before exploratory laparotomy and the therapeutic mechanism of exercise. In the present study, it was found that levels of serum homocysteine were age-dependently increased in mice with a significant difference between that of 18-month-old mice and 6-week, 6-month, and 12-month-old mice. PND occurred in 18-month but not in 12-month-old mice after exploratory laparotomy under isoflurane anesthesia. Intraperitoneal injection of Hcy for 3 consecutive days before surgery rendered 12-month-old mice to develop PND after abdominal laparotomy under isoflurane anesthesia at a minimal dosage of 20 mg/kg. Neuroinflammation and synaptic elimination was present in 12-month-old preoperative Hcy-injected mice. Preoperative voluntary wheel exercise could prevent PND in 12-month-old mice that have received Hcy injection before surgery, which might be related to the decreased level of serum Hcy. Activation of glial cells, proinflammatory phenotype markers and synaptic elimination were attenuated in the hippocampus of 12-month-old preoperative Hcy-injected mice by this exercise. These results provide direct evidence that hyperhomocysteinemia can induce postoperative cognitive deficits in middle-aged mice. Pre-surgery exercise can effectively prevent Hcy-precipitated postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

Development and validation of a prognostic model based on clinical laboratory biomarkers to predict admission to ICU in Omicron variant-infected hospitalized patients complicated with myocardial injury.

Aims: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a prognostic model based on clinical laboratory biomarkers for the early identification of high-risk patients who require intensive care unit (ICU) admission among those hospitalized with the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and complicated with myocardial injury (MI). Methods: This single-center study enrolled 263 hospitalized patients with confirmed Omicron variant infection and concurrent MI. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts. Relevant variables were collected upon admission, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select candidate variables for constructing a Cox regression prognostic model. The model's performance was evaluated in both training and validating cohorts based on discrimination, calibration, and net benefit. Results: Of the 263 eligible patients, 210 were non-ICU patients and 53 were ICU patients. The prognostic model was built using four selected predictors: white blood cell (WBC) count, procalcitonin (PCT) level, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level. The model showed good discriminative ability in both the training cohort (concordance index: 0.802, 95% CI: 0.716-0.888) and the validation cohort (concordance index: 0.799, 95% CI: 0.681-0.917). For calibration, the predicted probabilities and observed proportions were highly consistent, indicating the model's reliability in predicting outcomes. In the 21-day decision curve analysis, the model had a positive net benefit for threshold probability ranges of 0.2 to 0.8 in the training cohort and nearly 0.2 to 1 in the validation cohort. Conclusion: In this study, we developed a clinically practical model with high discrimination, calibration, and net benefit. It may help to early identify severe and critical cases among Omicron variant-infected hospitalized patients with MI.

A study of clinical and serological correlation of early myocardial injury in elderly patients infected with the Omicron variant.

Introduction: Myocardial injury in elderly Omicron variant patients is a leading cause of severe disease and death. This study focuses on elucidating the clinical characteristics and potential risk factors associated with myocardial injury in elderly patients infected with the Omicron variant. Methods: Myocardial injury was defined based on elevated cardiac troponin concentrations exceeding the 99th percentile upper reference limit. Among 772 elderly Omicron-infected patients, categorized into myocardial injury (n = 263) and non-myocardial injury (n = 509) groups. The stratified log-rank statistic was used to compare the probability of patients developing intensive care. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the best cut-off values of clinical and laboratory data for predicting myocardial injury. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was adopted to analyze the risk factors for myocardial injury. Results: The occurrence of myocardial injury in Omicron variant-infected geriatric patients was up to 34.07% and these patients may have a higher rate of requiring intensive care (P < 0.05). By comparing myocardial injury patients with non-myocardial injury patients, notable differences were observed in age, pre-existing medical conditions (e.g., hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure), and various laboratory biomarkers, including cycle threshold-ORF1ab gene (Ct-ORF1ab), cycle threshold-N gene (Ct-N), white blood cell count, neutrophil (NEUT) count, NEUT%, lymphocyte (LYM) count, LYM%, and D-dimer, interleukin-6, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, glomerular filtration rate, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine (sCr) levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in the multivariable logistic regression, we identified potential risk factors for myocardial injury in Omicron variant-infected elderly patients, including advanced age, pre-existing coronary artery disease, interleukin-6 > 22.69 pg/ml, procalcitonin > 0.0435 ng/ml, D-dimer > 0.615 mg/L, and sCr > 81.30 µmol/L. Conclusion: This study revealed the clinical characteristics and potential risk factors associated with myocardial injury that enable early diagnosis of myocardial injury in Omicron variant-infected elderly patients, providing important reference indicators for early diagnosis and timely clinical intervention.

Dietary Restriction Improves Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders by Inhibiting Neuroinflammation and Gut Microbial Dysbiosis.

Anesthesia/surgery have been identified as potential factors contributing to perioperative neurocognitive disorders, with a notably heightened risk observed in aging populations. One of the primary drivers of this impairment is believed to be neuroinflammation, specifically inflammation of hippocampal microglia. Dietary restriction has demonstrated a favorable impact on cognitive impairment across various disorders, primarily by quelling neuroinflammation. However, the precise influence of dietary restriction on perioperative neurocognitive disorders remains to be definitively ascertained. This investigation aims to explore the effects of dietary restriction on perioperative neurocognitive disorders and propose innovative therapeutic strategies for their management. The model of perioperative neurocognitive disorder was induced through exploratory laparotomy under isoflurane anesthesia. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the open field test, Barnes maze test, and fear conditioning test. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to quantify concentrations of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in both serum and hippocampal samples. The Western blot technique was utilized to assess expression levels of hippocampal PSD 95, Synaptophysin, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-kB p65. Microglial polarization was gauged using a combination of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunofluorescence labeling techniques. We conducted 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the impact of dietary restriction on the intestinal flora of aged mice following anesthesia/surgery. Our findings indicate that dietary restrictions have the potential to ameliorate anesthesia/surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction. This effect is achieved through the modulation of gut microbiota, suppression of inflammatory responses in hippocampal microglia, and facilitation of neuronal repair and regeneration.

Association between postoperative nadir platelet count and postoperative cardiovascular complications following septal myectomy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Platelet count is associated with cardiovascular risk and mortality in several cardiovascular diseases, but the association of the nadir platelet counts post-septal myectomy with the cardiovascular complication risk in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients remains unclear. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study reviewed all adult patients who underwent septal myectomy at a single tertiary referral center over a 5-year period. Postoperative nadir platelet count was defined as the lowest platelet count in the first 4 postoperative days or until hospital discharge. The composite outcome included cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, malignant arrhythmia, cardiac tamponade, and major bleeding events within 30 days postoperatively. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were used to assess the association between postoperative nadir platelet count and the 30-day postoperative cardiovascular complication risk. RESULTS: Among the 113 enrolled patients, 23 (20.4%) developed cardiovascular events within 30 days postoperatively. The incidence of postoperative cardiovascular complications was significantly higher in patients with a nadir platelet count ≤ 99 × 109/L than in those with a nadir platelet count > 99 × 109/L (33.3% vs. 7.1%, crude risk ratio: 4.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.69-12.85, P < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that postoperative nadir platelet count was negatively associated with 30-day postoperative cardiovascular complications (adjusted odds ratio: 0.97; 95% confidence interval: 0.95-0.99; P = 0.005) and the association was linear (Pnonlinearity = 0.058) after full adjustment. The association between nadir platelet count and cardiovascular complications within 30 days post-surgery was consistent in all predefined subgroups (Pinteraction > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The postoperative nadir platelet count was significantly associated with the 30-day post-myectomy risk of cardiovascular complications in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04275544).

Dreaming during gastrointestinal endoscopy under propofol, ciprofol, or remimazolam anesthesia: study protocol for a parallel-design double-blind, single-center trial.

BACKGROUND: Dreaming sometimes occurs during sedation. It has been reported that factors such as different anesthetics, depth of anesthesia, age, sex, and preoperative psychological state may affect dreams. Ciprofol and remimazolam are novel choices for painless endoscopy. Herein, we aimed to investigate dreaming during gastrointestinal endoscopy under propofol, ciprofol, and remimazolam anesthesia respectively. METHODS: This is a prospective, parallel-design double-blind, single-center clinical trial. Three hundred and sixty subjects undergoing elective painless gastroscopy, colonoscopy, or gastroenteroscopy will be enrolled. Eligible subjects will undergo propofol-, ciprofol-, or remimazolam-induced anesthesia to finish the examination. Interviews about the modified Brice questionnaire will be conducted in the recovery room. Incidence of dreaming is set as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include type of dreams, improvement of sleep quality, evaluation of patients, incidence of insufficient anesthesia, and intraoperative awareness. Safety outcomes are the incidences of hypotension and hypoxia during examination and adverse events during recovery. DISCUSSION: This study may observe different incidences of dreaming and diverse types of dreams, which might lead to different evaluations to the anesthesia procedure. Based on the coming results, anesthesiologists can make a better medication plan for patients who are going to undergo painless diagnosis and treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on May 18, 2023 (registration number ChiCTR2300071565).

The plasticity of neuropeptide Y-Y1 receptor system on Tac2 neurons contributes to mechanical hyperknesis during chronic itch.

Rationale: In the physiological states, the act of scratching protects the person from harmful substances, while in certain pathological conditions, the patient suffers from chronic itch, both physically and mentally. Chronic itch sufferers are more sensitive to mechanical stimuli, and mechanical hyperknesis relief is essential for chronic itch treatment. While neuropeptide Y-Y1 receptor (NPY-Y1R) system is known to play a crucial role in modulating mechanical itch in physiological conditions, it is elusive how they are altered during chronic itch. We hypothesize that the negative regulatory effect of Y1Rs on Tac2 neurons, the key neurons that transmit mechanical itch, declines during chronic itch. Methods: We combined transgenic mice, chemogenetic manipulation, immunofluorescence, rabies virus circuit tracing, and electrophysiology to investigate the plasticity of Y1Rs on Tac2 neurons during chronic itch. Results: We found that Tac2 neurons receive direct input from Npy neurons and that inhibition of Npy neurons induces activation of Tac2 neurons. Moreover, the expression of Y1Rs on Tac2 neurons is reduced, and the regulatory effect is also reduced during chronic itch. Conclusion: Our study clarifies the plasticity of Y1Rs on Tac2 neurons during chronic itch and further elucidates the mechanism by which NPY-Y1R system is responsible for modulating mechanical itch. We highlight Y1Rs as a promising therapeutic target for mechanical hyperknesis during chronic itch.

Humidity/Oxygen-Insensitive Organic Synaptic Transistors Based on Optical Radical Effect.

For most organic synaptic transistors based on the charge trapping effect, different atmosphere conditions lead to significantly different device performance. Some devices even lose the synaptic responses under vacuum or inert atmosphere. The stable device performance of these organic synaptic transistors under varied working environments with different humidity and oxygen levels can be a challenge. Herein, a moisture- and oxygen-insensitive organic synaptic device based on the organic semiconductor and photoinitiator molecules is reported. Unlike the widely reported charge trapping effect, the photoinduced free radical is utilized to realize the photosynaptic performance. The resulting synaptic transistor displays typical excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, learning, and forgetting behaviors. Furthermore, the device exhibits decent and stable photosynaptic performances under high humidity and vacuum conditions. This type of organic synaptic device also demonstrates high potential in ultraviolet B perception based on its environmental stability and broad ultraviolet detection capability. Finally, the contrast-enhanced capability of the device is successfully validated by the single-layer-perceptron/double-layer network based Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology pattern recognition. This work could have important implications for the development of next-generation environment-stable organic synaptic devices and systems.

Middle aged CAMKII-Cre:Cbsfl/fl mice: a new model for studying perioperative neurocognitive disorders.

Postoperative complications, such as perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), have become a major issue affecting surgical outcomes. However, the mechanism of PND remains unclear, and stable animal models of middle-aged PND are lacking. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) allosteric activator, can reduce the level of plasma homocysteine and prevent the occurrence of PND. However, the time and resource-intensive process of constructing models of PND in elderly animals have limited progress in PND research and innovative therapy development. The present study aimed to construct a stable PND model in middle-aged CAMKII-Cre:Cbsfl/fl mice whose Cbs was specifically knocked out in CAMKII positive neurons. Behavioral tests showed that these middle-aged mice displayed cognitive deficits which were aggravated by exploratory laparotomy under isoflurane anesthesia. Compared with typical PND mice which were 18-month-old, these middle-aged mice showed similar cognitive deficits after undergoing exploratory laparotomy under isoflurane anesthesia. Though there was no significant difference in the number of neurons in either the hippocampus or the cortex, a significant increase in numbers of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus was observed. These indicate that middle-aged CAMKII-Cre:Cbsfl/fl mice can be used as a new PND model for mechanistic studies and therapy development for PND.

Stretchable and neuromorphic transistors for pain perception and sensitization emulation.

Pain perception nociceptors (PPN), an important type of sensory neuron, are capable of sending out alarm signals when the human body is exposed to destructive stimuli. Simulating the human ability to perceive the external environment and spontaneously avoid injury is a critical function of neural sensing of artificial intelligence devices. The demand for developing artificial PPN has subsequently increased. However, due to the application scenarios of bionic electronic devices such as human skin, electronic prostheses, and robot bodies, where a certain degree of surface deformation constantly occurs, the ideal artificial PPN should have the stretchability to adapt to real scenarios. Here, an organic semiconductor nanofiber artificial pain perception nociceptor (NAPPN) based on a pre-stretching strategy is demonstrated to achieve key pain aspects such as threshold, sensitization, and desensitization. Remarkably, while stretching up to 50%, the synaptic behaviors and injury warning ability of NAPPN can be retained. To verify the wearability of the device, NAPPN was attached to a curved human finger joint, on which PPN behaviors were successfully mimicked. This provides a promising strategy for realizing neural sensing function on either deformed or mobile electronic devices.

Organic High-Temperature Synaptic Phototransistors for Energy-Efficient Neuromorphic Computing.

Organic optoelectronic synaptic devices that can reliably operate in high-temperature environments (i.e., beyond 121°C) or remain stable after high-temperature treatments have significant potential in biomedical electronics and bionic robotic engineering. However, it is challenging to acquire this type of organic devices considering the thermal instability of conventional organic materials and the degradation of photoresponse mechanisms at high temperatures. Here, high-temperature synaptic phototransistors (HTSPs) based on thermally stable semiconductor polymer blends as the photosensitive layer are developed, successfully simulating fundamental optical-modulated synaptic characteristics at a wide operating temperature range from room temperature to 220°C. Robust optoelectronic performance can be observed in HTSPs even after experiencing 750 h of the double 85 testing due to the enhanced operational reliability. Using HTSPs, Morse-code optical decoding scheme and the visual object recognition capability are also verified at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, flexible HTSPs are fabricated, demonstrating an ultralow power consumption of 12.3 aJ per synaptic event at a low operating voltage of -0.05 mV. Overall, the conundrum of achieving reliable optical-modulated neuromorphic applications while balancing low power consumption can be effectively addressed. This research opens up a simple but effective avenue for the development of high-temperature and energy-efficient wearable optoelectronic devices in neuromorphic computing applications.

Long-term oral ACEI/ARB therapy is associated with disease severity in elderly COVID-19 omicron BA.2 patients with hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of long-term oral ACEIs/ARBs on the incidence of exacerbation and in-hospital mortality in elderly COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 patients with hypertension, especially patients aged 80 years or older. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients suffering mild and rcommon COVID-19 with hypertension who were hospitalized in the Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital between April 2022 and June 2022 were enrolled. Primary outcomes included the incidence of exacerbation and in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of respiratory failure of patients, use of mechanical ventilation, nucleic acid conversion time (NCT), hospitalization costs, and the temporal trend of the incidence of exacerbations and in-hospital mortality in different age groups. The data were analysed using propensity score weighting (PSW). RESULTS: In the entire cohort, there were 298 ACEI/ARB users and 465 non-ACEI/ARB users. The ACEI/ARB group showed a lower incidence of exacerbation (OR = 0.64, 95% CI for OR: 0.46-0.89, P = 0.0082) and lower in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.49, 95% CI for OR: 0.27-0.89, P = 0.0201) after PSW. Sensitivity analysis obtained the same results. The results of the subgroup of patients aged 80 years and older obtained a similar conclusion as the whole cohort. Most of the study indicators did not differ statistically significantly in the subgroup of patients aged 60 to 79 years except for rates of mechanical ventilation and respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: Antihypertensive therapy with ACEIs/ARBs might reduce the incidence of exacerbation and in-hospital mortality. The findings of this study support the use of ACEIs/ARBs in COVID-19 patients infected by Omicron BA.2, especially in patients aged 80 years or older with hypertension.

Effective early strategy to prevent olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions (OGDs) are key symptoms of COVID-19, which may lead to neurological complications, and lack of effective treatment. This may be because post-disease treatments may be too late to protect the olfactory and gustatory functions. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of early use of saline nasal irrigation (SNI), corticosteroid nasal spray, and saline or chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash for preventing OGDs in COVID-19. DESIGN: This study was a double-blind randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The study was conducted from May 5 to June 16, 2022. We recruited patients from three hospitals who were admitted with COVID-19 but without OGDs on the day of admission. Olfactory and gustatory functions were evaluated using the Taste and Smell Survey and the numerical visual analog scale. Participants were randomized to the saline, drug, or control groups. The control group received no intervention, saline group received SNI plus saline nasal spray and mouthwash, and the trial group received SNI plus budesonide nasal spray and chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash. Participants were assessed again on the day of discharge. RESULTS: A total of 379 patients completed the trial. The prevalence of OGDs was significantly lower in the saline (11.8%, 95% CI, 6.6-19.0%; P < 0.001) and trial (8.3%, 95% CI, 4.1-14.8%; P < 0.001) groups than in the control group (40.0%, 95% CI, 31.8-48.6%). Additionally, both interventions reduced the severity of OGDs. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated effective strategies for preventing COVID-19-related OGDs, and the findings may guide early management of SARS-CoV-2 infection to reduce the incidence of COVID-19-related complications.