Perioperative complications and cost of posterior decompression with fusion in thoracic spine for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and ossification of the ligamentum flavum -a comparative study using a national inpatient database.

BACKGROUND: Although posterior decompression with fusion (PDF) are effective for treating thoracic myelopathy, surgical treatment has a high risk of various complications. There is currently no information available on the perioperative complications in thoracic ossification of the longitudinal ligament (T-OPLL) and thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (T-OLF). We evaluate the perioperative complication rate and cost between T-OPLL and T-OLF for patients underwent PDF. METHODS: Patients undergoing PDF for T-OPLL and T-OLF from 2012 to 2018 were detected in Japanese nationwide inpatient database. One-to-one propensity score matching between T-OPLL and T-OLF was performed based on patient characteristics and preoperative comorbidities. We examined systemic and local complication rate, reoperation rate, length of hospital stays, costs, discharge destination, and mortality after matching. RESULTS: In a total of 2,660 patients, 828 pairs of T-OPLL and T-OLF patients were included after matching. The incidence of systemic complications did not differ significantly between the T-OPLL and OLF groups. However, local complications were more frequently occurred in T-OPLL than in T-OLF groups (11.4% vs. 7.7% P = 0.012). Transfusion rates was also significantly higher in the T-OPLL group (14.1% vs. 9.4%, P = 0.003). T-OPLL group had longer hospital stay (42.2 days vs. 36.2 days, P = 0.004) and higher medical costs (USD 32,805 vs. USD 25,134, P < 0.001). In both T-OPLL and T-OLF, the occurrence of perioperative complications led to longer hospital stay and higher medical costs. While fewer patients in T-OPLL were discharged home (51.6% vs. 65.1%, P < 0.001), patients were transferred to other hospitals more frequently (47.5% vs. 33.5%, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This research identified the perioperative complications of T-OPLL and T-OLF in PDF using a large national database, which revealed that the incidence of local complications was higher in the T-OPLL patients. Perioperative complications resulted in longer hospital stays and higher medical costs.

Association between smoking and duration of regional anesthesia - A propensity score matching study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown shorter duration of general anesthesia in smokers but it is unclear in regional anesthesia among smokers. We investigated the association between smoking status and the duration of regional anesthesia. METHODS: A total of 77 patients with a mean age of 47.3 years who underwent lower extremity orthopaedic surgery under regional anesthesia between January 2021 and June 2022 were enrolled. Sixteen patients were smokers and 57 patients were non-smokers. Propensity score matching was performed to balance patient characteristics. Our primary outcome was the time to onset of motor or sensory blockade and the duration required for full recovery of motor or sensory function. RESULTS: The time to sensory loss was 43.4 (SD 35.9) minutes in the smoking group and 39.6 (SD 31.7) minutes in the non-smoking group (p = 0.69), and the time to motor blockade was 37.0 (SD 28.4) minutes in the smoking group and 30.1 (SD 24.1) minutes in the non-smoking group (p = 0.35). The time for recovery of sensory function was 1146.7 (SD 197.8) minutes in the smoking group and 1024.6 (SD 177.9) minutes in the non-smoking group (p = 0.024). The time to recovery of motor function was 978.3 (SD 220.5) minutes in the smoking group and 1090.9 (SD 222.8) minutes in the non-smoking group (p = 0.08). The duration of sensory effect was significantly longer in the smoking group than in the non-smoking group. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant association in the onset of regional anesthesia, but the duration of sensory blockade was significantly longer in the smoking group than in the non-smoking group. Hence, attention should be paid to the risks of the insensate limb in smokers due to prolonged sensory blockade as compared to non-smokers, rather than be concerned about delays in the onset of anesthesia.

Open ankle fractures in the elderly: predisposing factors and the associated mortality.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent effect of open ankle fractures on postoperative mortality and to identify factors leading to open ankle fractures in the elderly population. This is a retrospective case-control study of 1,045 patients aged 65 years and older, with ankle fractures undergoing surgical fixation between 2010 and 2020 at three medical centers (Levels 1-2). A logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for open fractures. Propensity score matching and survival analysis were used to measure the hazard of mortality attributable to open versus closed ankle fractures. There were 128 (12.2%) patients with open ankle fractures. Patients with open ankle fractures were more likely to be older, to be active smokers (OR = 1.7, p = 0.049), and tended to have a higher number of medical comorbidities including hypertension (OR = 2, p = 0.006) and chronic kidney disease (OR = 2.9, p = 0.005). Open ankle fractures were, independently of comorbid conditions and age, associated with higher risk of mortality (HR = 1.7, p = 0.03).

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas concomitant with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: A investigation of those clinicopathological features by analyzing 48 patients who underwent surgery for those lesions.

BACKGROUND: Differences between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) concomitant with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) (C-PDACs), those without IPMN (NC-PDACs) and invasive cancers derived from IPMN (IC-Ds) have not been fully clarified. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with C-PDAC were included to investigate the differences in 1) clinicopathological features and 2) post-operative courses among the three invasive cancer groups. RESULTS: 1) Characteristics of C-PDACs were mostly similar to those of NC-PDACs; whereas, between C-PDACs and IC-Ds, the rate of mucinous carcinoma (2%/25%, p = 0.003) and pathological stage (IA, 15%/36%, p = 0.033; III, 31%/4%, p = 0.015) significantly differed. Most C-PDACs coexisted with small, multifocal IPMNs without mural nodules. 2) Cumulative 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate related to extra-pancreatic recurrence was significantly worse in C-PDACs than in IC-Ds (35%/69%, p = 0.008) and was not significantly different between C-PDACs and NC-PDACs (35%/18%). This related to intra-pancreatic recurrence tended to be poor in the order of IC-Ds, C-PDACs, and NC-PDACs (69%/82%/93%). CONCLUSIONS: Because characteristics of IPMNs remarkably differed between C-PDACs and IC-Ds, another algorithm specific to the early detection of C-PDACs is necessary. Appropriate post-operative managements according to the two types of recurrences may contribute to the improvement in the prognoses of C-PDACs/IC-Ds.

Outcomes in novel hospital-at-home model for patients with COVID-19: a multicentre retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-at-home (HaH) care has been proposed as an alternative to inpatient care for patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Previous reports were hospital-led and involved patients triaged at the hospitals. To reduce the burden on hospitals, we constructed a novel HaH care model organized by a team of local primary care clinics. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study of the COVID-19 patients who received our HaH care from 1 January to 31 March 2022. Patients who were not able to be triaged for the need for hospitalization by the Health Center solely responsible for the management of COVID-19 patients in Osaka city were included. The primary outcome was receiving medical care beyond the HaH care defined as a composite outcome of any medical consultation, hospitalization, or death within 30 days from the initial treatment. RESULTS: Of 382 eligible patients, 34 (9%) were triaged for hospitalization immediately after the initial visit. Of the remaining 348 patients followed up, 37 (11%) developed the primary outcome, while none died. Obesity, fever, and gastrointestinal symptoms at baseline were independently associated with an increased risk of needing medical care beyond the HaH care. A further 129 (37%) patients were managed online alone without home visit, and 170 (50%) required only 1 home visit in addition to online treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The HaH care model with a team of primary care clinics was able to triage patients with COVID-19 who needed immediate hospitalization without involving hospitals, and treated most of the remaining patients at home.

Normative change with gestation in fetal intraventricular pressure difference with color M-mode Doppler echocardiography.

AIM: The intraventricular pressure difference (IVPD) is the pressure difference in early diastole from the base to the apex of the ventricle. It is a useful marker for evaluating diastolic function because of its role as a suction force. This study investigated the changes in total and segmental IVPDs in normal fetuses throughout gestation to obtain normative data equations. METHODS: One hundred thirty-seven healthy pregnant women at 12-40 weeks of gestation were prospectively enrolled to evaluate IVPD. The color M mode was performed, and the image was evaluated using our own code to calculate the IVPD. Segmental IVPD was divided into mid to apex and base. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate this relationship. RESULTS: There was a significant, positive relationship between IVPD and gestational age in both ventricles (right ventricle [RV]: r = 0.800, left ventricle [LV]: r = 0.818). As for segmental IVPD, basal and mid-apical IVPD also increased with gestation in both ventricles (RV: basal, r = 0.627; mid-apical, r = 0.705; LV: basal r = 0.758; mid-apical, r = 0.756). IVPG, which was calculated as IVPD/ventricular length, also showed a weak, positive relationship with gestation in both ventricles (RV r = 0.351, p < 0.001; LV r = 0.373, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The total and segmental IVPDs significantly increased linearly through time.

Comparison of ceftriaxone and cefazolin as prophylactic antibiotics for surgical site infection in orthopedic upper extremity surgery: The nationwide shortage of cefazolin in March 2019.

BACKGROUND: Due to the nationwide supply shortage of cefazolin in March 2019 in Japan, ceftriaxone was used as an alternative prophylaxis antibiotic agent. This retrospective study was designed to investigate the impact of cefazolin and ceftriaxone as a prophylactic antibiotic agent for surgical site infection (SSI) in orthopedic upper extremity surgery. METHODS: We used cefazolin for antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent SSI before March 2019. Because of cefazolin shortage, ceftriaxone was used as an alternative agent in our hospital. From April 2014 to May 2021, 2493 upper extremity surgeries were reviewed. The exclusion criteria in this study were as follows: patients aged under 16 years, those with an open wound, those with infectious diseases, those who underwent trigger finger surgery, and those who underwent percutaneous pinning surgery. The incidence of deep SSI was evaluated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. RESULTS: Among the 2493 eligible cases, 1674 were included in this study. In the cefazolin group, 1140 cases were included, whereas, in the ceftriaxone group, 534 cases were included. No significant differences in the demographic data of the patients were observed between the two groups. The incidence of deep SSI was 0.08% (1/1140 cases) in the cefazolin group and 1.1% (6/534 cases) in the ceftriaxone group, with a significant difference between the two groups (odds ratio, 12.9; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the use of ceftriaxone instead of cefazolin after upper extremity surgery increases the risk of deep SSI.

Trend of female first authorship in Journal of Orthopaedic Science, the official journal of the Japanese orthopaedic association from 2001 to 2021: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Women are underrepresented in orthopaedic surgery, especially in Japan. Authorship is associated with representation and career advancement, but the academic representation of women in Japanese orthopaedic surgery has not been elucidated. This study aimed to elucidate the proportion of female first authorship and its associating factors, as well as trends in the Journal of Orthopaedic Science (JOS), the official journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association. METHODS: The study reviewed original articles published in JOS from 2002 to 2021 using data from PubMed on March 16, 2022. The gender of the first and last authors was determined using genderize. io, an online gender detection tool and manual search. The study used multivariable logistic regression to identify the factors associated with female first authorship and visualized the trend of predicted probability using restricted cubic spline curve. RESULTS: Among 2272 original articles, 148 (6.5%) and 79 (3.5%) had female first and last authors, respectively. Compared with 2002-2006, female first authorship significantly increased in 2012-2016 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-4.05; p = 0.03) and 2017-2021 (aOR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.46-5.276; p = 0.002). Affiliation with an institution in Japan (aOR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35-0.74; p < 0.001) and affiliation in orthopaedics (aOR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.11-0.23; p < 0.001) were negatively associated with female first authorship. Around 2020, the trend showed a gradual then rapid increase in women with non-orthopaedic affiliations. Only a very small increase was observed in women with an orthopaedic affiliation. CONCLUSIONS: Female first authorship in JOS has been increasing. However, the proportion of female authors remains low. Authors outside of Japan and not affiliated with orthopaedics largely affect female authorship statistics. The results indicate the persistent gender gap in the academic representation of women in Japanese orthopaedic publications.

Association of osteoporosis and high serum homocysteine levels with intraoperative periprosthetic fracture during total hip arthroplasty: a propensity-score matching analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Intraoperative periprosthetic fracture, one of the most frequent complications of total hip arthroplasty, is a very important factor that affects rehabilitation, hospitalization time, and cost of treatment. Osteoporosis is common in total hip arthroplasty patients and likely contributes to the increasing incidence of periprosthetic fracture. Despite this awareness, preoperative and postoperative osteoporosis evaluations remain insufficient. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between the occurrence of intraoperative periprosthetic fractures and both bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis-related biomarkers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-center retrospective study included a total of consecutive 487 hip joints of patients with a mean age of 65.5 ± 11.8 years who underwent total hip arthroplasty between July 2017 and December 2020. Patients with low BMD defined as T-score < -1.0 versus those with normal BMD were matched by a 1:1 propensity score to balance for patient baseline characteristics, and outcome was analyzed by a modified Poisson regression model. Our primary outcome was the incidence of intraoperative periprosthetic fracture during surgery. We also investigated the effect modification of osteoporosis-related biomarkers, including tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b), total procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (total P1-NP), intact parathyroid hormone (intact PTH), and homocysteine, on osteoporosis and outcomes. RESULTS: After matching, 250 patients were analyzed. The risk of fracture was significantly higher in patients with low BMD than in normal BMD patients (Incidence rate ratio 5.00 [95% CI 1.11-22.43], p = 0.036). We also observed significant effect of high serum homocysteine on the occurrence of intraoperative fractures (Incidence rate ratio 8.38 × 106 [95% C; 3.44 × 106-2.01 × 107], p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Preoperative osteoporosis and high serum homocysteine levels were risk factors for intraoperative periprosthetic fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, A single-center retrospective study.

Cooperation of chloroplast ascorbate peroxidases and proton gradient regulation 5 is critical for protecting Arabidopsis plants from photo-oxidative stress.

High-light (HL) stress enhances the production of H2 O2 from the photosynthetic electron transport chain in chloroplasts, potentially causing photo-oxidative damage. Although stromal and thylakoid membrane-bound ascorbate peroxidases (sAPX and tAPX, respectively) are major H2 O2 -scavenging enzymes in chloroplasts, their knockout mutants do not exhibit a visible phenotype under HL stress. Trans-thylakoid proton gradient (∆pH)-dependent mechanisms exist for controlling H2 O2 production from photosynthesis, such as thermal dissipation of light energy and downregulation of electron transfer between photosystems II and I, and these may compensate for the lack of APXs. To test this hypothesis, we focused on a proton gradient regulation 5 (pgr5) mutant, wherein both ∆pH-dependent mechanisms are impaired, and an Arabidopsis sapx tapx double mutant was crossed with the pgr5 single mutant. The sapx tapx pgr5 triple mutant exhibited extreme sensitivity to HL compared with its parental lines. This phenotype was consistent with cellular redox perturbations and enhanced expression of many oxidative stress-responsive genes. These findings demonstrate that the PGR5-dependent mechanisms compensate for chloroplast APXs, and vice versa. An intriguing finding was that the failure of induction of non-photochemical quenching in pgr5 (because of the limitation in ∆pH formation) was partially recovered in sapx tapx pgr5. Further genetic studies suggested that this recovery was dependent on the NADH dehydrogenase-like complex-dependent pathway for cyclic electron flow around photosystem I. Together with data from the sapx tapx npq4 mutant, we discuss the interrelationship between APXs and ∆pH-dependent mechanisms under HL stress.

Early and long-term clinical outcomes of endoscopic interventions for benign pancreatic duct stricture/obstruction-the possibility of additional clinical effects of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided pancreatic drainage.

OBJECTIVES: For benign pancreatic duct strictures/obstructions (BPDS/O), endoscopic ultrasonography-guided pancreatic drainage (EUS-PD) is performed when endoscopic transpapillary pancreatic drainage (ETPD) fails. We clarified the clinical outcomes for patients with BPDS/O who underwent endoscopic interventions through the era where EUS-PD was available. METHODS: Forty-five patients with BPDS/O who underwent ETPD/EUS-PD were included. We retrospectively investigated overall technical and clinical success rates for endoscopic interventions, adverse events, and clinical outcomes after successful endoscopic interventions. RESULTS: The technical success rates for ETPD and EUS-PD were 77% (35/45) and 80% (8/10), respectively, and the overall technical success rate using two drainage procedures was 91% (41/45). Among the 41 patients who underwent successful endoscopic procedures, the clinical success rates were 97% for the symptomatic patients (35/36). The rates of procedure-related pancreatitis after ETPD and EUS-PD were 13% and 30%, respectively. After successful endoscopic interventions, the cumulative 3-year rate of developing recurrent symptoms/pancreatitis was calculated to be 27%, and only two patients finally needed surgery. Continuous smoking after endoscopic interventions was shown to be a risk factor for developing recurrent symptoms/pancreatitis. CONCLUSIONS: By adding EUS-PD to ETPD, the technical success rate for endoscopic interventions for BPDS/O was more than 90%, and the clinical success rate was nearly 100%. Due to the low rate of surgery after endoscopic interventions, including EUS-PD, for patients with BPDS/O, EUS-PD may contribute to their good clinical courses as a salvage treatment for refractory BPDS/O.

Activation of ascorbate metabolism by nitrogen starvation and its physiological impacts in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Redox homeostasis is crucial for plant acclimation to nutrient-deficient conditions, but its molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, the effects of nutrient deficiencies on antioxidant systems in Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated. We found that ascorbate content in the plants grown with nitrogen starvation was higher than those with complete nutrition. The higher ascorbate levels were associated with enhanced gene expression of ascorbate biosynthesis enzymes and cytosolic isozymes of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, suggesting that nitrogen starvation facilitated both consumption and biosynthesis of ascorbate. Nevertheless, we did not identify any phenotypic differences between wild type and ascorbate-deficient mutants (vtc2) under nitrogen starvation. Under high-light stress, the vtc2 mutants suffered severer photoinhibition than wild type. Interestingly, when high-light stress and nitrogen starvation were combined, wild type and vtc2 plants exhibited photoinhibition to the same extent. Based on these findings, we discuss the regulation and role of ascorbate metabolism under nitrogen starvation.

Accurate endoscopic identification of the afferent limb at the Y anastomosis using the fold disruption sign after gastric resection with Roux-en-Y reconstruction.

In patients with Roux-en-Y (RY) reconstruction for gastric resection, the newly defined "fold disruption" (FD) sign can be useful to distinguish the afferent limb from the efferent limb at the Y anastomosis when balloon endoscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (BE-ERCP) is performed. The FD sign was defined as endoscopic findings of the internal folds disrupted toward the afferent limb and continued toward the efferent limb at the Y anastomosis. In this prospective observational study, the accuracy of the FD sign was evaluated for those who underwent BE-ERCP after gastric resection with RY reconstruction. Of 28 patients for whom the accuracy could be evaluated among 30 enrolled patients, the afferent limb was identified using the FD sign with 100% accuracy. For the other two patients, the scope could not reach the target lumen due to severe intestinal adhesion in one and reached the target lumen without recognition of the Y anastomosis in the other. There was no patient for whom the FD sign could not be judged for any reason, such as a blurred anastomosis line, unclear folds, sticky discharge and blood coating the surface, when the Y anastomosis was recognized. The FD sign was a highly accurate tool for distinguishing the afferent limb from the efferent limb in patients after gastric resection with RY reconstruction. This study was registered in UMIN (issued ID, UMIN000038326).

Comparison of perioperative complications in anterior decompression with fusion and posterior decompression with fusion for thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament -a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide inpatient database.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (T-OPLL) is a rare disease, which can cause spinal cord compression leading to various neurological symptoms. There are limited treatment options for T-OPLL, surgery is generally considered the only effective treatment. However, few studies have investigated surgical complications in patients with T-OPLL, and there are no data regarding surgical risks in anterior decompression with fusion (ADF) when compared with posterior decompression with fusion (PDF) for T-OPLL. METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed as T-OPLL and underwent ADF via the anterior approach and PDF via the posterior approach from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2018, were extracted from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database. We analyzed perioperative systemic and local complication rates after ADF and PDF and compared them using propensity score matching (PSM) method. In each of the two groups, we investigated the details of length of stay, costs, mortality, and discharge destination. RESULTS: In total 1344 patients (ADF: 88 patients, PDF: 1256 patients), 176 patients were investigated after PSM (88 pairs). While the incidence of overall systemic complication was significantly higher in the ADF group (ADF/PDF: 25.0%/8.0%, P = 0.002), there was no significant difference in the overall local complication rate (15.9%/19.3%, P = 0.55). Specifically, respiratory complications were more frequently observed in the ADF group (9.1%/0%, P = 0.004), however, other systemic and local complications did not differ significantly between the two groups. The length of stay was 1.7 times longer (P < 0.001) and the medical costs were 1.4 times higher (P < 0.001) in patients with perioperative complications, compared to those without perioperative complications. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the perioperative complications of ADF and PDF in patients with T-OPLL using a large national database. ADF showed a higher incidence of respiratory complications. Development of perioperative complications was associated with longer hospital stay and higher medical costs.

Patient body mass index modifies the association between waiting time for hip fracture surgery and in-hospital mortality: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patient body mass index (BMI) plays an important role in stress exposure, especially in elderly patients with hip fracture. However, how BMI modifies the relationship between the waiting time for surgery and mortality remains unclear. METHODS: We investigated the association between waiting time and mortality using a nationwide multicenter database of patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes were complications. We performed prespecified subgroup analysis with stratification by BMI. RESULTS: Overall, 305,846 patients (mean age, 83.5; standard deviation [SD], 8.2); women, 79.5% (n = 243,214) were included in our study. A cubic spline curve revealed two inflection points in the association between waiting time and mortality, and we statistically divided patients into three groups accordingly: the reference group (80,110 patients [26.2%] who waited 1 day for surgery), the delayed group (184,778 patients [60.4%] who waited 2-6 days for surgery), and the extremely delayed group (40,958 patients [13.4%] who waited more than 6 days for surgery). Multivariable logistic regression models showed that the odds of mortality in the delayed group was 14% higher than that in the reference group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.14; p = 0.002), whereas the odds of mortality in the extremely delayed group was 52% higher than that of the reference group (aOR, 1.52; p < 0.001). Patients with lower BMI were more negatively affected by delayed surgery compared to patients with normal BMI (p for interaction = 0.002). Respiratory disorders were most frequent and the spline curve was accordant with in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients underwent surgery within 1 day, particularly with lower BMI, had a lower mortality than normal BMI. To optimize limited health care resource, patient's BMI should be considered for hip fracture management, and further investigation in prospective study should be needed to address causal relationship. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III.

Would giving priority in surgery timing to the oldest patients result in lower mortality?

PURPOSE: Early hip fracture surgery in elderly patients is recognized as a positive prognostic factor. When applied as an intervention, it does not always reduce overall patient mortality. A plausible explanation for this is that not all patients equally benefit from early surgery. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of early surgery on mortality in patients ages 80 and older. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort of 3463 patients with hip fractures, operated upon within seven days of admission in a tertiary medical center between 2010 and 2018. Patients were divided into five groups: ages 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95-99, and 100 or above. Baseline characteristics were compared between groups. Mortality at one year post-operatively as a function of surgery delay was visualized for each group, using restricted spline curve analysis. RESULTS: Patients with increasing age were operated on earlier, had increased co-morbidities with a higher ASA score and experienced higher mortality. Spline curve analysis in younger patients, ages 80 to 94, demonstrated an inflection point at 48 hours after admission, prior to which mortality was rising rapidly and after which it continued rising slowly. In the two oldest age cohorts, there was no increased mortality with an increasing surgical delay. CONCLUSIONS: In patients ages 80-94 surgery on day one may be preferable to surgery on day two. In patients ages 95 and older, surgery time did not influence mortality. Pursuit of better patient outcomes may include prioritizing early surgery in younger patients.

Dehydroascorbate Reductases and Glutathione Set a Threshold for High-Light-Induced Ascorbate Accumulation.

Plants require a high concentration of ascorbate as a redox buffer for survival under stress conditions, such as high light. Dehydroascorbate reductases (DHARs) are enzymes that catalyze the reduction of DHA to ascorbate using reduced glutathione (GSH) as an electron donor, allowing rapid ascorbate recycling. However, a recent study using an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) triple mutant lacking all three DHAR genes (herein called ∆dhar) did not find evidence for their role in ascorbate recycling under oxidative stress. To further study the function of DHARs, we generated ∆dhar Arabidopsis plants as well as a quadruple mutant line combining ∆dhar with an additional vtc2 mutation that causes ascorbate deficiency. Measurements of ascorbate in these mutants under low- or high-light conditions indicated that DHARs have a nonnegligible impact on full ascorbate accumulation under high light, but that they are dispensable when ascorbate concentrations are low to moderate. Because GSH itself can reduce DHA nonenzymatically, we used the pad2 mutant that contains ∼30% of the wild-type GSH level. The pad2 mutant accumulated ascorbate at a wild-type level under high light; however, when the pad2 mutation was combined with ∆dhar, there was near-complete inhibition of high-light-dependent ascorbate accumulation. The lack of ascorbate accumulation was consistent with a marked increase in the ascorbate degradation product threonate. These findings indicate that ascorbate recycling capacity is limited in ∆dhar pad2 plants, and that both DHAR activity and GSH content set a threshold for high-light-induced ascorbate accumulation.

Age and clinical outcomes after hip fracture surgery: do octogenarian, nonagenarian and centenarian classifications matter?

BACKGROUND: older patients with hip fractures are arbitrarily classified as octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians. We have designed this study to quantify in-hospital mortality and complications among each of these groups. We hypothesised that the associations between age and in-hospital mortality and complications are continuously increasing, and that these risks increase rapidly when patients reach a certain age. METHODS: this research is a retrospective cohort study using nationwide database between 2010 and 2018. Patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, and aged 60 or older, were included. The associations between patient age, in-hospital mortality and complications were visualised using the restricted cubic spline models, and were analysed employing multivariable regression models. Then, octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians were compared. RESULTS: among a total of 565,950 patients, 48.7% (n = 275,775) were octogenarians, 23.0% (n = 129,937) were nonagenarians and 0.7% (n = 4,093) were centenarians. The models presented three types of association between age, in-hospital mortality and complications: (i) a continuous increase (mortality and respiratory complications); (ii) a mild increase followed by a steep rise (intensive care unit admission, heart failure, renal failure and surgical site hematoma) and (iii) a steep increase followed by a limited change (coronary heart disease, stroke and pulmonary embolisms). CONCLUSION: we identified three types of association between age and clinical outcomes. Patients aged 85-90 may constitute the upper threshold for age categorisations, because the risk of in-hospital complications changed dramatically at that stage. This information can improve clinical awareness of various complications and support collective decision-making.

Cholangioscopy- versus fluoroscopy-guided transpapillary mapping biopsy for preoperative evaluation of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a prospective randomized crossover study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the lateral extent of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, the value of cholangioscopy-guided mapping biopsy (CMB) compared with that of fluoroscopy-guided mapping biopsy (FMB) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to compare these two techniques. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, crossover study, both CMB and FMB techniques were performed for all patients in a randomized order. Target sites for the mapping biopsy were determined based on resection lines of possible surgical procedures. At least two biopsy strokes were attempted at each target site. The primary outcome was the rate of site-based successful biopsies, which was defined as acquisition of epithelium-containing material appropriate for diagnosing benignancy/malignancy from each site, regardless of amount of materials obtained from the same site. RESULTS: Between September 2016 and October 2018, 28 patients (16 distal bile duct cancer and 12 perihilar bile duct cancer) were enrolled and divided into two groups of 14 patients: CMB first and FMB first. Although all 118 target sites could be approached using CMB, FMB forceps reached only 71% of them with significantly poor accessibility to the B2/3 confluence. Since several materials were too small and did not contain epithelium, the overall rates of site-based successful biopsies were 78% (92/118) using CMB and 64% (76/118) using FMB (P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of site-based successful biopsies using CMB was significantly higher than that using FMB when evaluated using specimens obtained from several biopsy strokes.

Value of repeated cytology for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas with high risk potential of malignancy: Is it a promising method for monitoring a malignant transformation?

OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of and indications for cytological reexamination to detect malignant changes in branch duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs) have not been studied in detail. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and indications of cytological reexamination by using pancreatic juice (repeated cytology) for BD-IPMNs. METHODS: Forty-five patients who underwent repeated cytology after a diagnosis of benignancy by using initial cytology were recruited for this study. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients, excluding 7 patients with lack of surveillance period after the final cytology, were classified into Malignancy (n = 13) and Benignancy groups (n = 25) on the bases of the findings from resected specimens or changes in BD-IPMNs after repeated cytology. The sensitivity and specificity to detect malignant changes in BD-IPMNs by using repeated cytology were 62% and 100%, respectively. For the 12 patients with mural nodules (MNs) ≥ 5 mm (67% of them were malignant), the sensitivity was 50%, whereas, for the 26 patients without MNs ≥ 5 mm (19% of them were malignant), it was 80%. In addition, malignant changes in BD-IPMNs after initial cytology occurred in 62% of the patients with changes in the MNs and 27% of the patients with an increase in the cyst size. CONCLUSION: Repeated cytology can play a role in the determination for surgery even after a diagnosis of benignancy by using initial cytology, especially for BD-IPMNs without MNs ≥5 mm. In addition, changes in the MNs or cyst size may be appropriate indications for repeated cytology.