Dyslipidemia may impact initial recovery following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The current literature shows that dyslipidemia can lead to a higher incidence of rotator cuff tears (RCTs) and an increased retear rate after repair. We aimed to evaluate the influence of preoperative dyslipidemia on postoperative pain, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), active range of motion (ROM), and structural integrity. METHODS: A cohort of 111 patients who underwent arthroscopic RCT repair between January 2021 and July 2022, and whose complete preoperative serum lipid data were available within one week prior to surgery was retrospectively reviewed. Dyslipidemia was defined as the presence of an increase or decrease in at least one blood lipid profile (triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, or non-high-density lipoprotein). There were 43 patients in the dyslipidemia group and 68 in the ortholiposis group. Patient evaluations, including pain score, PROs, and ROMs, were conducted preoperatively; at 3 and 6 months postoperatively; and at the last follow-up. Structural integrity was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 6 months after surgery if possible, and Sugaya type 4 or 5 was considered a retear. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce bias. RESULTS: The RCT size, surgical technique, preoperative pain status, PROs, and active ROM were comparable between patients with dyslipidemia and those with ortholiposis. Three months after surgery, patients in the dyslipidemia group had worse average PROs (Constant score: P = 0.001; ASES score: P = 0.012; UCLA score: P = 0.015), forward flexion (P = 0.012), and internal rotation (P = 0.001) than patients in the ortholiposis group did. The difference between the two groups persisted after PSM but disappeared at the sixth month after surgery. No significant differences in pain score, PROs, or active ROMs were detected between the dyslipidemia and ortholiposis groups after a mean follow-up of 24 months. Of the 72 patients who underwent MRI, 4 retears (5.6%) were found, and all were in the ortholiposis group. There was no difference in the rate of retears between the two groups (P = 0.291) or with (P = 0.495) PSM. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we found that perioperative dyslipidemia may impact initial recovery within the first 3 months following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair but may have no effect on pain, PROs, or active ROMs at a mean 2-year follow-up or rotator cuff integrity at 6 months postoperatively. Trail registration Retrospectively registered.

Facilitating effects of the synergy with zero-valent iron and peroxysulfate on the sludge anaerobic fermentation system: Combined biological enzyme, microbial community and fermentation mechanism assessment.

This study evaluated a synergetic waste activated sludge treatment strategy with environmentally friendly zero-valent iron nanoparticles (Fe0) and peroxysulfate. To verify the feasibility of the synergistic treatment, Fe0, peroxysulfate, and the mixture of peroxysulfate and Fe0 (synergy treatment) were added to different sludge fermentation systems. The study demonstrated that the synergy treatment fermentation system displayed remarkable hydrolysis performance with 435.50 mg COD/L of protein and 197.67 mg COD/L of polysaccharide, which increased 1.13-2.85 times (protein) and 1.12-1.49 times (polysaccharide) for other three fermentation system. Additionally, the synergy treatment fermentation system (754.52 mg COD/L) exhibited a well acidification performance which was 1.35-41.73 times for other systems (18.08-557.27 mg COD/L). The synergy treatment fermentation system had a facilitating effect on the activity of protease, dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase, which guaranteed the transformation of organic matter. Results also indicated that Comamonas, Soehngenia, Pseudomonas, and Fusibacter were enriched in synergy treatment, which was beneficial to produce SCFAs. The activation of Fe0 on peroxysulfate promoting electron transfer, improving the active groups, and increasing the enrichment of functional microorganisms showed the advanced nature of synergy treatment. These results proved the feasibility of synergy treatment with Fe0 and peroxysulfate to enhance waste activated sludge anaerobic fermentation.

The efficacy of kinesio tape in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective randomized controlled trials.

Background: The efficacy of Kinesio tape (KT) in lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) has been widely discussed, but controversy remains. Objectives: To perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the literature to ascertain the efficacy of KT in LET. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Method: Two independent reviewers carried out a literature search in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Any discrepancies were addressed by a third author. Included in the study were RCTs comparing KT to a control group in the context of LET. The quality of evidence was assessed with the 2.0 version of Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Evaluation centered on clinical outcomes, such as function scores and pain, with comparison made using the risk ratio for dichotomous variables and the mean difference for continuous variables. Statistical significance was considered for P values < 0.05. Results: Included in this review are 11 RCTs with 562 patients. Significant results were noted in favor of KT compared with control based on the visual analog scale score at movement (SMD = -1.17; P = 0.03); visual analog scale score at movement (SMD = -1.08; P < 0.00001); maximal grip strength (SMD = 0.69; P < 0.00001); pain pressure threshold (SMD = 1.14; P < 0.00001); Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation Questionnaire score (SMD = -1.16; P = 0.02) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire score (SMD = -1.19; P < 0.00001). Conclusion: The current evidence shows that KT can improve pain levels and the function of elbow joint in patients with LET, and this improvement is might be clinically significant. We assume that physiotherapists can consider trying the KT in LET patients. Future quality studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and explore the mechanism of KT.

Lattice matching and halogen regulation for synergistically induced large Li and Na storage by halogenated MXene V3C2Cl2.

Suffering from the formation of metal-ion dendrites and low storage capacity, MXene materials exhibit unsatisfactory performance in Li and Na storage. In this study, we demonstrate that the MXene V3C2Cl2 structure can induce uniform Li and Na deposition. This is achieved through coherent heterogeneous interface reconstruction and regulated ion tiling by halogen surface termination. The high lattice matching (91% and 99%) between MXenes and Li/Na, along with positive Cl terminal regulation, guides Li/Na ions to nucleate uniformly on the V3C2Cl2 MXene matrix and grow in a planar manner. Cl termination proves effective in regulating Li/Na ions due to its moderate adsorption and diffusion coefficients. Furthermore, upon adsorption onto the Cl-terminated V3C2Cl2 monolayer, Li4 and Na4 clusters undergo dissociation, favoring uniform adsorption over cluster adsorption. V3C2Cl2 MXenes exhibit impressive Li/Na storage capacities of 434.07 mA h g-1 for Li and 217.03 mA h g-1 for Na, surpassing the Li storage capacity of Ti3C2Cl2 by three-fold and the Na storage capacity of V2C by 1.4 times. This study highlights the regulatory role of Cl surface terminals in dendrite formation and Li/Na ion deposition, with potential applications to other metal-ion storage electrodes.

Size-Dependent Response of Hydrothermally Grown SnO2 for a High-Performance NO2 Sensor and the Impact of Oxygen.

A NO2 sensor with a detection limit down to the ppb level based on pristine SnO2 has been developed through a facile poly(acrylic acid)-mediated hydrothermal method. SnO2 particles of solid microsphere, hollow microsphere, and nanosphere morphologies were synthesized, with respective constitutional crystallite of size ∼2 µm in length and 10-20 nm and ∼7 nm in diameter. All sensors show great selectivity to NO2. The hollow microsphere sensor exhibits the best performance, with medium specific surface area (SSA), followed by the nanosphere sensor with the largest SSA. This is attributed to the superposition of two opposite effects on sensor response with increased SSA: more adsorption sites and fewer electrons to be taken out with overly small crystallite that may reach complete depletion. O2 is found to speed up the response and recovery times but reduce the response because O adsorbates facilitate the adsorption/desorption of NO2 thermodynamically, and the two oxidizing gases compete in harvesting electrons from SnO2. The adverse effect of humidity can be minimized by operating the sensor at 110 °C. The response of the hollow microsphere sensor to 50 ppb of NO2 is 8.8 (Rg/Ra) at room temperature, and it increases to 15.1 at 110 °C. These findings are useful for developing other oxidizing gas semiconductor sensors.

Suture Button Could Result in More Functional Outcomes Improvement and Pain Relief Than Hook Plate Technique for Treating Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation: A Systematic Review of Comparative Studies.

PURPOSE: To systematically review the current evidence to compare the differences in outcomes of the suture button (SB) versus hook plate (HP) fixations for treating acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation (ACD). METHODS: Two independent reviewers performed the literature search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A literature search of the Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases was performed and Level I-IV evidence studies comparing the SB and HP procedures for acute ACD were included. Studies that met the following exclusion criteria were excluded: (1) letters, comments, case reports, reviews, animal studies, cadaveric studies, biomechanical studies, and study protocols; (2) incomplete data; and (3) repeated studies and data. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of nonrandomized studies. Constant score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, operation time, coracoclavicular distance (CCD), and complications were recorded and the mean differences of VAS and Constant were compared with preset minimal clinically important difference. RESULTS: Fourteen studies with 363 patients treated with SB procedures and 432 patients with the HP procedure were included. In terms of patient-reported outcomes, 5 of the 13 included studies reported significantly greater Constant score in SB group and most (4/5) used arthroscopic SB technique. Statistically significant differences in favor of SB were found in 3 of the 7 included studies in terms of VAS score whereas none of them reached the minimal clinically important difference. In terms of recurrent instability, no statistically significant difference was noted. All studies showed that the SB technique resulted in lower estimated blood loss. No difference was detected in CCD and complications. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current body of evidence, it is suggested that employment of the SB technique may confer advantageous outcomes when compared to the HP technique in acute ACD patients. These potential benefits may include higher Constant scores, lower pain levels, and no discernible increases in operation time, CCD, or complication rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level II-IV studies.

Nanoleaf-derived carbon materials as a sensitivity coating for solid­phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Metal-organic framework-derived carbon materials have shown extensive application in the sensitive extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but more active sites for its adsorption were still a tireless pursuit. In this study, ZIF-nanoleaf-derived carbon (NLCs) was synthesized and developed as a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber (NLCs-F). The extraction performance was compared with ZIF-dodecahedron-derived carbon (DHCs) coated fiber (DHCs-F), which was prepared by only changing the ratio of the reactants. The unique morphology of NLCs provided abundant adsorption active sites for the selected PAHs, while the large average aperture facilitated selective extraction of high molecular weight analytes. Additionally, the high carbon content enhanced the strong enrichment capability for hydrophobic PAHs. Hence, the prepared NLCs-F coupled with GC-MS showed a good correlation coefficient (0.9975) in a wide linear range, low limits of detection (0.3-1.8 ng L-1), satisfactory repeatability, and reproducibility, which made it apply in the enrichment of PAHs in actual tea and coffee samples.

Comparative proteomic analysis of vancomycin-sensitive and vancomycin-intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PURPOSE: The extensive use of vancomycin has led to the development of Staphylococcus aureus strains with varying degrees of resistance to vancomycin. The present study aimed to explore the molecular causes of vancomycin resistance by conducting a proteomics analysis of subcellular fractions isolated from vancomycin-intermediate resistant S. aureus (VISA) and vancomycin-sensitive S. aureus (VSSA) strains. METHODS: We conducted proteomics analysis of subcellular fractions isolated from 2 isogenic S. aureus strains: strain 11 (VSSA) and strain 11Y (VISA). We used an integrated quantitative proteomics approach assisted by bioinformatics analysis, and comprehensively investigated the proteome profile. Intensive bioinformatics analysis, including protein annotation, functional classification, functional enrichment, and functional enrichment-based cluster analysis, was used to annotate quantifiable targets. RESULTS: We identified 128 upregulated proteins and 21 downregulated proteins in strain 11Y as compared to strain 11. The largest group of differentially expressed proteins was composed of enzymatic proteins associated with metabolic and catalytic activity, which accounted for 32.1% and 50% of the total proteins, respectively. Some proteins were indispensable parts of the regulatory networks of S. aureus that were altered with vancomycin treatment, and these proteins were related to cell wall metabolism, cell adhesion, proteolysis, and pressure response. CONCLUSION: Our proteomics study revealed regulatory proteins associated with vancomycin resistance in S. aureus. Some of these proteins were involved in the regulation of cell metabolism and function, which provides potential targets for the development of strategies to manage vancomycin resistance in S. aureus.

Effects of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Updated Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment syndrome, primarily affecting women between the ages of 40 and 70, and conservative treatments are the first option for mild-to-moderate CTS. However, the comparisons between extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and other non-surgical methods in the treatment of mild-to-moderate CTS remain controversial, and an updated systematic review is needed. METHODS: An electronic search was performed, and all available articles until August 2023 were included in the analysis. The overall quality of evidence was assessed by the GRADE approach. Meta-analyses were conducted using Manager V.5.3.3. Pooled effect sizes were expressed as the weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 19 RCTs were included. Low-level quality evidence showed that ESWT outperformed the control intervention in terms of functional improvements, pain relief, electrodiagnostic parameters, and cross-sectional area of the median nerve at any time point of follow-up. Compared to local corticosteroid injection (LCI), there were statistically better improvements in functional improvements, pain relief, and electrodiagnostic parameters at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: There is low-level quality evidence to show that both fESWT and rESWT are more clinically effective than controls in symptom relief, functional enhancement, and electrophysiologic parameters' improvement for patients with mild-to-moderate CTS at any time point of follow-up. Compared with LCI, ESWT yielded similar short-term (<1 month) but better medium- (1-6 months) and long-term (>6 months) improvements in pain relief and functional recovery with fewer potential complications.

[Hydrochemical Characteristics and Control Factors of Surface Water in Kuaize River Basin at the Upper Pearl River].

The Kuaize River is a small typical karst watershed in the source area of the Pearl River as well as an important coal mining area in Eastern Yunnan with a fragile ecological environment. Strengthening the research on the water environment in the region plays an important role in supporting the comprehensive management of the ecological environment and water resources in the source region of the Pearl River. Through the systematic collection of surface water, karst groundwater, and mine water samples, mathematical statistics analysis, correlation analysis, ion ratio analysis, absolute principal component scores multiple linear regression(APCS-MLR), and other methods were used to study the characteristics of hydrochemical evolution and control factors in Kuaize River Basin. The results showed that the average pH value of surface water in Kuaize River Basin was 7.8, which was weakly alkaline. The main cations were Ca2+ and Na+, showing the characteristics of Ca2+>Na+>Mg2+>K+. The main anions were HCO3- and SO42-, showing the characteristics of HCO3->SO42->NO3->Cl-. The variation coefficients of Na+, SO42-, and NO3- in surface water were high, showing strong spatial variability. The water chemical type of the trunk stream was mainly HCO3-Ca, whereas the water chemical type of the tributary was relatively complex, mainly HCO3-Ca, HCO3-Ca·Na, and HCO3·SO4-Ca·Na. The chemical composition of surface water was mainly affected by rock weathering, cation exchange, and human activities. Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and HCO3- in surface water mainly came from the weathering of carbonate rock and silicate rock; SO42- mainly came from the oxidation of sulfide, such as pyrite in coal seams; K+, Cl-, and NO3- mainly came from domestic sewage and agricultural activities. The APCS-MLR receptor model analysis results showed that the surface water in the Kuaize River Basin was mainly affected by sulfide oxidation, carbonate weathering, weathering of silicate rock in mine water, domestic sewage, agricultural activities, and unknown sources. In general, the contribution rate of human activities such as mining, domestic sewage, and agricultural activities to the surface water reached 47.17%, indicating that human activities were the key driving factor of surface water chemistry in the Kuaize River Basin.

Integrated network pharmacology and experimental validation to explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of Qihuang Granule and its main ingredients in regulating ferroptosis in AMD.

BACKGROUND: Qihuang Granule (QHG) is a traditional prescription  that has exhibited potential in safeguarding against age-related maculopathy (AMD). Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) and Fructus lycii (FL) are the main components of QHG. Ferroptosis, a newly discovered, iron-dependent, regulated cell death pathway, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of AMD. This study delves into the intricate mechanism by which SM/FL and QHG confer protection against AMD by modulating the ferroptosis pathway, employing a combination of network pharmacology and experimental validation. METHODS: Bioactive compounds and potential targets of SM and FL were gathered from databases such as TCMSP, GeneCard, OMIM, and FerrDb, along with AMD-related genes and key genes responsible for ferroptosis regulation. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were performed to discover the potential mechanism. The construction of an interaction network involving AMD, ferroptosis, SM/FL potential target genes was facilitated by the STRING database and realized using Cytoscape software. Subsequent validation was accomplished through molecular docking and in vitro cell experiments. RESULTS: Noteworthy active compounds including quercetin, tanshinone IIA, luteolin, cryptotanshinone, and hub targets such as HIF-1α, EGFR, IL6, and VEGFA were identified. KEGG enrichment unveiled the HIF-1 signalling pathway as profoundly enriched, and IL6 and VEGF were involved. The molecular docking revealed the significant active compounds with hub genes and quercetin showed good binding to HIF-1α, which is involved in inflammation and angiogenesis. Experimental results verified that both herbs and QHG could regulate key ferroptosis-related targets in the retinal pigment epithelium and inhibit the expression of HIF-1α, VEGFA, and IL-6, subsequently increase cell viability and decrease the ROS content induced by H2O2. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the molecular mechanism through which SM/FL and QHG protect against AMD and emerges as a plausible mechanism underlying this protection.

SLS 3D Printing To Fabricate Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Hydroxyapatite Bioactive Composite Porous Scaffolds and Their Bone Defect Repair Property.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) exhibits a wide range of potential applications in the biomedical field due to its favorable mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, few studies have been carried out on selective laser sintering (SLS) of PVA due to its poor thermal processability. In this study, in order to impart PVA powder the excellent thermal processability, the molecular complexation technology was performed to destroy the strong hydrogen bonds in PVA and thus significantly reduced the PVA melting point and crystallinity to 190.9 °C and 27.9%, respectively. The modified PVA (MPVA) was then compounded with hydroxyapatite (HA) to prepare PVA/HA composite powders suitable for SLS 3D printing. The final SLS 3D-printed MPVA/HA composite porous scaffolds show high precision and interconnected pores with a porosity as high as 68.3%. The in vitro cell culture experiments revealed that the sintered composite scaffolds could significantly promote the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts and facilitate bone regeneration, and the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results further demonstrate that the printed MPVA/20HA scaffold could significantly enhance the expression levels of both early osteogenic-specific marker of alkaline phosphatase stain and runt-related transcription factor 2. Meanwhile, in in vivo experiments, it is encouragingly found that the resultant MPVA/20HA SLS 3D-printed part has an obvious effect on promoting the growth of new bone tissue as well as a better bone regeneration capability. This work could provide a promising strategy for fabrication of PVA scaffolds through SLS 3D printing, exhibiting a great potential for clinical applications in bone tissue engineering.

One-stage rotator cuff repair in stiff shoulders shows comparable range of motion, clinical outcome and retear rates to non-stiff shoulders: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: One-stage treatment involving rotator cuff repair and shoulder capsule release is mainly used to treat patients with rotator cuff tears (RCTs) and concomitant shoulder stiffness. Despite the increasing attention to the efficacy and safety of one-stage treatment, controversy still remains. Therefore, this systematic review aims to summarize the indications, operation procedure and rehabilitation protocol, and compare the range of motions (ROMs), functional outcomes and retear rates of one-stage treatment for RCTs in stiff shoulders and non-stiff shoulders. METHODS: Multiple databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase and MEDLINE) were searched for studies that investigated outcomes after one-stage treatment for RCTs concomitant with shoulder stiffness compared with rotator cuff repair for RCTs alone, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. Descriptive statistics, including range of motion, patient-reported outcome and retear rate, are presented without meta-analysis due to the heterogeneity and low levels of evidence. RESULTS: A total of 9 cohort studies were included, with 305 patients treated with one-stage treatment involving rotator cuff repair and simultaneous shoulder capsular release and 1059 patients treated with rotator cuff repair alone. Patients in both groups had significant symptom improvement and functional recovery after the one-stage treatment for the stiffness group and standard repair for the non-stiffness group, and most patients could return to normal life and work within 6 months after the operation. The retear rate in the one-stage treatment group was not higher than that in the rotator cuff repair group. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were observed in terms of range of motion and patient-reported outcomes in the vast majority of studies at the final follow-up, including the visual analog scale for pain, the Constant score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, the University of California Los Angeles Shoulder Score, the Oxford shoulder score and the Simple Shoulder Test. CONCLUSION: One-stage treatment for RCTs in stiff shoulders provides comparable ROM and patient-reported clinical outcomes as rotator cuff repair for non-stiff RCTs. In addition, the rate of postoperative retear in stiff shoulder treated with one-stage treatment was not higher than in non-stiff shoulders.

Veterinary deworming agent-induced toxic optic neuropathy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Veterinary antiparasitic drugs are widely used in countries and regions in which parasitic diseases are endemic, which leads to the risk of accidental ingestion and poisoning in humans.  CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old male patient with a history of cirrhosis sought medical attention on November 25, 2021, due to progressive vision loss. He had previously taken triclabendazole and bithionol and was diagnosed with toxic optic neuropathy on examination. Steroid, neurotonic, and high-pressure oxygen therapy were ineffective. CONCLUSIONS: Triclabendazole and bithionol have potential risk of optic neurotoxicity and should be considered for enhanced supervision and warning labels.

Reconstruction of Medial Canthal Ligament With Autogenous Fascia Lata Graft.

BACKGROUND: An eyelid malignant tumor invading the medial canthus is a serious eyelid disease that requires extensive resection and complex destruction. The medial canthus ligament is especially difficult to repair because its reconstruction often requires special materials. In this study, we described our reconstruction technique using autogenous fascia lata. METHODS: Data from 4 patients (4 eyes) who had medial canthal ligament defects after Mohs resection of eyelid malignant tumors were reviewed from September 2018 to August 2021. The reconstruction of the medial canthal ligament using autogenous fascia lata was performed in all of the patients. If combined with the upper and lower tarsus defects, autogenous fascia lata was split into 2 branches to repair the tarsal plate. RESULTS: The pathologic diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma in all patients. The mean follow-up time was 13.6±3.51 months (range, 8-24 mo). There was no tumor recurrence, infection, or graft rejection. All patients achieved good eyelid movement and function and were satisfied with their medial angular shape and cosmetic contour. CONCLUSIONS: Autogenous fascia lata is a good material to repair medial canthal defects. It is easy to take and effectively maintains eyelid movement and function with satisfactory postoperative effects.

Hyphenated DEMS and ATR-SEIRAS techniques for in situ multidimensional analysis of lithium-ion batteries and beyond.

A wide spectrum of state-of-the-art characterization techniques have been devised to monitor the electrode-electrolyte interface that dictates the performance of electrochemical devices. However, coupling multiple characterization techniques to realize in situ multidimensional analysis of electrochemical interfaces remains a challenge. Herein, we presented a hyphenated differential electrochemical mass spectrometry and attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy analytical method via a specially designed electrochemical cell that enables a simultaneous detection of deposited and volatile interface species under electrochemical reaction conditions, especially suitable for non-aqueous, electrolyte-based energy devices. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the capability of the homemade setup and obtained the valuable reaction mechanisms, by taking the tantalizing reactions in non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries (i.e., oxidation and reduction processes of carbonate-based electrolytes on Li1+xNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 and graphite surfaces) and lithium-oxygen batteries (i.e., reversibility of the oxygen reaction) as model reactions. Overall, we believe that the coupled and complementary techniques reported here will provide important insights into the interfacial electrochemistry of energy storage materials (i.e., in situ, multi-dimensional information in one single experiment) and generate much interest in the electrochemistry community and beyond.

Droplets microfluidics platform-A tool for single cell research.

Cells are the most basic structural and functional units of living organisms. Studies of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell-cell interactions can help scientists understand the mysteries of living systems. However, there is considerable heterogeneity among cells. Great differences between individuals can be found even within the same cell cluster. Cell heterogeneity can only be clearly expressed and distinguished at the level of single cells. The development of droplet microfluidics technology opens up a new chapter for single-cell analysis. Microfluidic chips can produce many nanoscale monodisperse droplets, which can be used as small isolated micro-laboratories for various high-throughput, precise single-cell analyses. Moreover, gel droplets with good biocompatibility can be used in single-cell cultures and coupled with biomolecules for various downstream analyses of cellular metabolites. The droplets are also maneuverable; through physical and chemical forces, droplets can be divided, fused, and sorted to realize single-cell screening and other related studies. This review describes the channel design, droplet generation, and control technology of droplet microfluidics and gives a detailed overview of the application of droplet microfluidics in single-cell culture, single-cell screening, single-cell detection, and other aspects. Moreover, we provide a recent review of the application of droplet microfluidics in tumor single-cell immunoassays, describe in detail the advantages of microfluidics in tumor research, and predict the development of droplet microfluidics at the single-cell level.

[Mid-term effectiveness of arthroscopic Bankart repair in treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation].

Objective: To investigate the mid-term effectiveness of arthroscopic Bankart repair for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation. Methods: The clinical data of 107 patients with recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation who met the inclusion criteria between January 2017 and June 2021 was retrospectively analyzed, and all patients underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair. There were 88 males and 19 females. The age of the primary dislocation ranged from 13 to 48 years (mean, 23.3 years). The number of preoperative dislocations was 2-160 times (median, 7 times). The duration of preoperative instability was 0.2-240.0 months (median, 36.0 months). The mean age at operation was 28.2 years (range, 16-61 years). There were 43 cases of left shoulder and 64 cases of right shoulder. The proportion of glenoid defects in 63 patients was 1.7%-16.1% (mean, 8.1%). MRI showed that none of the patients had rotator cuff tears or shoulder stiffness. The CT three-dimensional reconstruction was performed at 1 day after operation to evaluate the distribution of implanted anchors and the occurrence of glenoid split fracture and whether there were nails pullout at the implant site. The postoperative complications were observed, and the pain and function of the shoulder were evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Rowe score, Constant-Murley score, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score. The recurrence of instability, the results of apprehension test, the number of patients who returned to preoperative sports level, and the satisfaction rate of patients were recorded. Results: All patients were successfully operated and were followed up 20-73 months (mean, 41.5 months). All incisions healed by first intention. The CT three-dimensional reconstruction at 1 day after operation showed that the anchors were located at the 2 : 00-5 : 30 positions of the glenoid, and there was no glenoid split fracture or nails pullout at the implant site. At last follow-up, VAS score was significantly lower than that before operation, and Rowe score, Constant-Murley score, and ASES score were significantly higher than those before operation ( P<0.05). Seven patients (6.5%) had recurrence of anterior shoulder dislocation at 23-55 months (mean, 39.9 months) after operation, including 6 cases of dislocation and 1 case of subluxation. At last follow-up, 51 patients (47.7%) returned to preoperative sports level, and 11 patients (10.3%) had a positive apprehension test. The patients' satisfaction rate was 90.7% (97/107). Among the 10 patients who were not satisfied with the surgical effectiveness, 7 patients had postoperative recurrence of instability, and 3 patients felt that they did not return to preoperative sports level. Conclusion: Arthroscopic Bankart repair has good mid-term effectiveness in patients with recurrent anterior shoulder dislocations, minimal or no glenohumeral bone defects and low sports need.

Construction of multiple concentration gradients for single-cell level drug screening.

Isolation and manipulation of single cells play a crucial role in drug screening. However, previously reported single-cell drug screening lacked multiple-dose concentration gradient studies, which limits their ability to predict drug performance accurately. To solve this problem, we constructed a multiconcentration gradient generator in which a Tai Chi-spiral mixer can accelerate solution mixing in a short time and produce a linear concentration gradient. Later, a gradient generator combined with a single-cell capture array was adopted to investigate the effects of single or combined doses of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin on human hepatoma cells and human breast carcinoma cells (at the single-cell level). The results showed that both drugs were effective in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and the combination was more effective for human hepatoma cells. In addition, the relationship between the biomechanical heterogeneity (e.g., deformability and size) of tumor cells and potential drug resistance at the single-cell level was investigated, indicating that small and/or deformable cells were more resistant than large and/or less deformable cells. The device provides a simple and reliable platform for studying the optimal dosage of different drug candidates at the single-cell level and effectively screening single-agent chemotherapy regimens and combination therapies.