Cross-modal associative memory impairment in schizophrenia.

Impaired associative memory function in patients with schizophrenia has received considerable attention. However, previous studies have primarily concentrated on unisensory materials, which limits our understanding of the broader implications of this impairment. In this study, we sought to expand on this knowledge by examining two types of associative memory domains in individuals with schizophrenia, leveraging both visual (Vis) and auditory (Aud) materials. A total of 32 patients with schizophrenia and 29 healthy controls were recruited to participate in the study. Each participant participated in an experiment composed of three paradigms in which different abstract materials (Aud-Aud, Aud-Vis, and Vis-Vis) were presented. Subsequently, the discriminability scores of the two groups were calculated and compared in different modal tasks. Results from the study indicated that individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated varying degrees of associative memory dysfunction in both the same and cross-modalities, with the latter having a significantly lower score than healthy controls (t = 4.120, p < 0.001). Additionally, the cross-modal associative memory function was significantly and negatively correlated with the severity of negative symptoms among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (r = -0.362, p = 0.042). This study provides evidence of abnormalities in the processing and memorization of information that integrates multiple sensory modalities in individuals with schizophrenia. This is of great significance for further understanding the cognitive symptoms and pathological mechanisms of schizophrenia, potentially guiding the development of relevant interventions and treatment methods.

Application of haemoglobin absorption spectral imaging in laryngeal papilloma surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This study compares the detection rates of haemoglobin absorption spectral imaging and white light imaging in laryngeal papilloma surgery. METHODS: Seventeen patients with laryngeal papilloma who underwent surgery in our department from September 2019 to September 2021 were selected. All patients underwent carbon dioxide laser surgery under a microscope. The lesion sites were explored in white light mode and haemoglobin absorption spectral imaging mode. The pharynx and larynx anatomical sites were evaluated using Derkay's all-position scoring system. The numbers and scores for lesions observed in the two modes were compared. RESULTS: In 17 cases, there were statistically significant differences in the numbers of laryngeal papillomas (Derkay score) detected by white light mode and haemoglobin absorption spectral imaging mode. In 9 of 17 patients (52.94 per cent), the haemoglobin absorption spectral imaging mode showed additional diseased tissues. CONCLUSION: The haemoglobin absorption spectral imaging mode can dynamically identify diseased tissues in carbon dioxide laser surgery under a microscope and improve the laryngeal papilloma detection rate.

Endoscope-Assisted Resection of Benign Parotid Tumors via Concealed Post-Auricular Sulcus Incision.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of endoscopic-assisted resection of benign parotid tumors via concealed post-auricular sulcus incision. METHODS: Between October 2019 and March 2021, eligible patients with diagnosed benign parotid tumors were prospectively included and randomly assigned to two groups: the endoscope-assisted post-auricular sulcus incision group (endoscope group) and the conventional Blair "S" incision group (conventional group). RESULTS: A total of 45 patients were finally included, including 24 subjects in the endoscope group and 21 subjects in the conventional group. No obvious differences were observed in basic information between these two groups of patients. The surgical incision length in endoscope group patients was 4.0 ± 0.4 cm, which was significantly shorter than that in conventional group patients, 10.3 ± 1.6 cm (p < 0.001). The total intraoperative blood loss, the first post-operative day drainage volume, the total post-operative drainage volume, and the total drainage days were all significantly lower in endoscope group patients than in conventional group patients (all p < 0.05). Among 3 months follow-ups, no local recurrence or residual tumor were found in both groups of patients, and there were none of them had permanent facial paralysis or parotid fistula. The self-evaluated appearance satisfaction VAS scores of endoscope group patients were all 0, which was significantly lower than that of conventional group patients, 4.7 ± 1.6 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Compared with the conventional Blair "S" incision surgery, the endoscope-assisted resection of the benign parotid tumors via concealed post-auricular sulcus incision was safe and effective and showed advantages of faster recovery and better self-assessments of appearance satisfaction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Laryngoscope, 133:133-138, 2023.

Comparison of short-term recovery in children with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing tonsillotomy vs. tonsillectomy.

Objectives: To compare the pain levels, degrees of pharyngeal swelling, and weight loss after tonsillectomy vs. tonsillotomy in children clinically diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) over the first seven postoperative days, and to determine which procedure was associated with better recovery in the early postoperative period. Methods: Between April 2021 and December 2021, 121 children with OSA (80 males and 41 females), ranging from 3 to 12 years of age with an average age of 6.7 years, were prospectively enrolled in this study conducted at Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: a tonsillotomy group with 63 cases (40 males and 23 females) and a tonsillectomy group with 58 cases (40 males and 18 females). The patients' pain levels [as indicated by Parents' Postoperative Pain Measure (PPPM) scores] and degrees of pharyngeal swelling were recorded for seven days postoperatively, and the patients' body weights were recorded on postoperative day seven. Results: In the tonsillotomy group, the PPPM scores were the highest on the day of surgery and on the first postoperative day; the patients' pain levels gradually decreased.The PPPM scores in the tonsillectomy group were higher than those in the tonsillotomy group from the day of surgery to the seventh postoperative day (p < 0.05). The degree of pharyngeal swelling was lower in the tonsillotomy group than in the tonsillectomy group. Weight loss was lower in the tonsillotomy group than in tonsillectomy group on the 7th day after surgery (p < 0.05). On the fifth, sixth, and seventh postoperative days, compared with preschool children, school-age children who had undergone tonsillotomy experienced more pain relief than those who had undergone tonsillectomy (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Children with OSA experienced less pain, less pharyngeal swelling, and less weight loss with tonsillotomy than with tonsillectomy. On the fifth, sixth, and seventh postoperative days, compared with preschool children, tonsillotomy in school-age children is more advantageous in school-age children.

Subperiosteal orbital hematoma concomitant with abscess in a patient with sinusitis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Sinusitis-derived subperiosteal orbital collection is uncommon and is usually diagnosed as subperiosteal orbital abscess or, rarely, as hematoma. We report a unique and even rarer case of subperiosteal orbital collection, which is actually a complication of hematoma and abscess. CASE SUMMARY: A 26-year-old female presented with left eyeball pain and ipsilateral chemosis. She had no history of head trauma or upper respiratory infection. Her blood cell count showed an increase in leukocytes. Fiberoptic rhinolaryngoscopy revealed only mucosal edema of the left olfactory crest without apparent discharge. The computed tomography scan results showed an opaque left posterior ethmoid cell with a thickened bony shell and fusiform changes in the periosteal elevation of the medial wall of the left orbit. Emergent surgery revealed an ethmoid mucocele complicated with subperiosteal orbital hematoma and abscess. The pathology of the lamina papyracea between the mucocele and subperiosteal collection was necrotic, and the overlying mucosa was de-epithelialized. CONCLUSION: Subperiosteal orbital hematoma with abscess in a patient with sinusitis adds to the current knowledge of orbital complications of sinusitis.

Cuproptosis-associated CDKN2A is targeted by plicamycin to regulate the microenvironment in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the most common malignancy of the head and neck, has an overall 5-year survival rate of <50%. Genes associated with cuproptosis, a newly identified copper-dependent form of cell death, are aberrantly expressed in various tumours. However, their role in HNSCC remains unknown. In this study, bioinformatic analysis revealed that the cuproptosis-related gene CDKN2A was correlated with the malignant behaviour of HNSCC. Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves showed that patients with high CDKN2A expression had a better prognosis. Multiomic analysis revealed that CDKN2A may be associated with cell cycle and immune cell infiltration in the tumour microenvironment and is important for maintaining systemic homeostasis in the body. Furthermore, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations suggested strong binding between plicamycin and CDKN2A. And plicamycin inhibits the progression of HNSCC in cellular assays. In conclusion, this study elucidated a potential mechanism of action of the cuproptosis-associated gene CDKN2A in HNSCC and revealed that plicamycin targets CDKN2A to improve the prognosis of patients.

Application of intraoperative hypothermic saline to relieve postoperative pain for pediatric coblation tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of hypothermic saline application for pediatric coblation tonsillectomy on postoperative pain. METHODS: Forty-eight children with adenotonsillar hyperplasia underwent tonsillectomy ± adenoidectomy. 24 children were in the HTS group (which used hypothermic saline as the coblation medium in operation), the other 24 children with the same age were in the control NTS group (who use normothermic saline as the coblation medium). All children and their parents were asked to complete a daily questionnaire for 7 days following their surgery. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed when comparing the two outlet water temperatures of the coblation wand both at ablation power and at coagulation power (p = 0.000). Children in HTS group got lower scores than those in the NTS group (p < 0.05). No side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Using hypothermic normal saline as the media of coblation wand is potential for reduce postoperative pain in pediatric patients while also having no detrimental financial or medical effects on said patients.

Knockdown of TKTL1 additively complements cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by regulating the levels of NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate.

BACKGROUND: Transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) plays an important role in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) branch, the main pathway generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and nucleotides for DNA synthesis. TKTL1 is closely related to DNA damage and has a close relationship with incidence and progression of cancers. Cisplatin is the main chemotherapeutic drug by inducing DNA damage. Whether TKTL1 knockdown additively complements cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, however, remains largely undefined. METHODS: Lipofectamine 2000 was used to transfect si-TKTL1s with different sequences into the CNE2 and HONE1 cells. The mRNA and protein levels of TKTL1 were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to access the viability and apoptosis of CNE2 and HONE1 cells. The NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate levels in both CNE2 and HONE1 cells were determined by NADPH examination kit and HPCE analysis, respectively. The effect of TKTL1 knockdown and NADPH/ribose-5-phosphate supplement on DNA damage was assessed by using Comet assay. RESULTS: TKTL1 knockdown significantly decreased TKTL1 level in CNE2 and HONE1 cells. A significant decrease in cell viability and an obvious increase in cell apoptosis rate were found in si-TKTL1+cisplatin group compared with si-TKTL1 group or si-control+cisplatin group. The levels of NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate in CNE1 and HONE1 cells were dramatically decreased in si-TKTL1 group compared with si-control group. TKTL1 knockdown additively complemented cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity, which was partly reversed by the supplements of NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate, including the increased survival rate, decreased apoptosis and DNA damage. CONCLUSIONS: Knockdown of TKTL1 additively complements cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting the levels of NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate, indicating that TKTL1 may be a promising target to improve the therapeutic effect combining with cisplatin for the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.