The effect of intraoperative midazolam on postoperative delirium in older surgical patients: a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

Background: Midazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine frequently used in the perioperative setting. This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of intraoperative midazolam on postoperative delirium (POD) in older patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

Methods: This study included patients aged ≥ 65 years who received general anaesthesia between April 2020 and April 2022 in multiple hospitals across China.

Mental health changes in elderly patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has a heavy impact on the mental health of elderly surgical patients worldwide. In particular, the elderly patients faced considerable psychological stress due to various environmental and medical factors during the outbreak. This study aims to examine changes in mental health trends among non-cardiac surgical patients aged 65 and above in China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Silencing Expression May Inhibit Autophagy in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells.

Muscle diseases are closely related to autophagy disorders. Studies of autophagy inhibition indicated the importance of autophagy in muscle regeneration, while activation of autophagy can restore muscle function in some myopathies. Previous studies have revealed that mutations in the gene may lead to several kinds of hereditary myopathies.

A de novo mutation (p.S1419F) of Retinoic acid induced 1 is responsible for a patient with Smith-Magenis syndrome exhibiting schizophrenia.

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS, OMIM# 182290) is a rare congenital disorder which characterized by multiple abnormalities involving in craniofacial, skeletal, otorhinolaryngolocial, neurological, behavioral and others. 17p11.2 microdeletion and RAI1 mutations have been proven to be genetic lesions of this disease.

Up-regulation of proBDNF/p75 signaling in antibody-secreting cells drives systemic lupus erythematosus.

Inappropriate expansion of antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) is typical of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the regulatory signaling of pathogenic ASCs is unclear. The present study shows that brain-derived neurotrophic factor precursor (proBDNF) and its high-affinity pan-75 neurotrophin receptor (p75) are highly expressed in CD19CD27CD38 ASCs in patients with SLE and in CD19CD44CD138 ASCs in lupus-like mice. The increased proBDNF ASCs were positively correlated with clinical symptoms and higher titers of autoantibodies in SLE.

Association of Apoptosis-Mediated CD4 T Lymphopenia With Poor Outcome After Type A Aortic Dissection Surgery.

Many patients with type A aortic dissection (AAD) show low lymphocyte counts pre-operatively. The present study investigated the prognostic values of lymphopenia and lymphocyte subsets for the postoperative major adverse events (MAEs) in AAD patients undergoing surgery, and explore mechanisms of lymphopenia. We retrospectively analyzed pre-operative lymphocyte counts in 295 AAD patients treated at two hospitals, and evaluated their correlation with MAEs.

[Epidemiological and clinical features of children with mild coronavirus disease 2019].

Objective: To study the epidemiological and clinical features of children with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: The children who were diagnosed with mild COVID-19 in the Wuchang Shelter Hospital in Wuhan from February 5 to March 10, 2020 were enrolled as subjects. The clinical, laboratory, and lung imaging data were collected during hospitalization and isolation.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor precursor in the immune system is a novel target for treating multiple sclerosis.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor precursor (proBDNF) is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system. However, the role of proBDNF in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is unknown. Peripheral blood and post-mortem brain and spinal cord specimens were obtained from multiple sclerosis patients to analyze proBDNF expression in peripheral lymphocytes and infiltrating immune cells in the lesion site.

[Roles of the public-facility-turned temporary hospital in prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 in Wuhan, China and clinical experience in the hospital].

Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, the public-facility-turned temporary hospital (PFTH) has played an important role in preventing the spread of the epidemic. Wuchang PFTH is the first one to put into clinical practice and the last one suspended in Wuhan. The National Emergency Medical Rescue Team of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, together with other 13 medical teams (841 medical staff in total), have fulfilled the task for the treatment of non-severe COVID-19 patients, without any medical staff infected.

Association Between Preoperative US, Elastography Features and Prognostic Factors of Papillary Thyroid Cancer With BRAF Mutation.

To investigate the value of US and elastography for predicting prognostic factors of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in the positive BRAF Mutation group. A total of 116 BRAF Mutation patients with PTCs were enrolled in this prospective study, who were preoperatively evaluated by US, US elasticity imaging (EI), and Virtual Touch tissue imaging (VTI) and Virtual Touch tissue quantification (VTQ) of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess 23 independent variables for predicting prognostic factors.

The long noncoding RNA NKILA protects against myocardial ischaemic injury by enhancing myocardin expression via suppressing the NF-κB signalling pathway.

Background: The lncRNA NKILA has been reported to interact with NF-κB and has an important role in various human diseases. However, the role of NKILA in myocardial ischaemic injury is still unknown.

Methods: We established cell and animal models of myocardial ischaemic injury.

Association of global DNA hypomethylation with post-operative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients undergoing hip surgery.

Background: Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a decline of cognitive status that commonly occurs after surgery in elderly patients. Whether DNA methylation is associated with the development of POCD remains unclear.

Methods: Subjects (N = 124) older than 65 years-of-age undergoing hip replacement surgery were enrolled.

Infiltration of Blood-Derived Macrophages Contributes to the Development of Diabetic Neuropathy.

Background And Objective: Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is a common complication associated with diabetes. Currently, its underlying pathomechanism remains unknown. Studies have revealed that the recruitment of blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to the spinal cord plays a pivotal role in different models of central nervous system injury.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Precursor in the Hippocampus Regulates Both Depressive and Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Rats.

Depression and anxiety are two affective disorders that greatly threaten the mental health of a large population worldwide. Previous studies have shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor precursor (proBDNF) is involved in the development of depression. However, it is still elusive whether proBDNF is involved in anxiety, and if so, which brain regions of proBDNF regulate these two affective disorders.

Intermittent High Glucose Exacerbates A-FABP Activation and Inflammatory Response through TLR4-JNK Signaling in THP-1 Cells.

Background: Glucose fluctuation confers additional risks on diabetes-related vascular diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Macrophage activation mediated by TLR4-JNK signaling plays an important role during the progress of diabetes. In the present study, we hypothesize that glucose fluctuation results in macrophage inflammation through TLR4-JNK signaling pathways.

Assessment of Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging Quantification and the Ultrasound Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System in Patients With Thyroid Nodules Referred for Biopsy.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Virtual Touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ; Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) in combination with the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) for assessing thyroid nodules referred for biopsy.

Methods: A total of 197 surgically or cytologically proven thyroid nodules in 187 patients were included. Nodules evaluated by conventional ultrasound (US) and VTIQ examinations were classified into US TI-RADS categories.

Effect of dexmedetomidine combined with sufentanil on preventing emergence agitation in children receiving sevoflurane anesthesia for cleft palate repair surgery.

The aim of the present study was to observe whether dexmedetomidine (DEX) combined with sufentanil decreased emergence agitation (EA) in children receiving sevoflurane anesthesia for cleft palate repair surgery. Children undergoing elective cleft palate repair surgery were randomly allocated into the DEX + sufentanil group (group DS; n=50) and the normal saline + fentanyl group (group SF; n=50). Patients in group DS were treated with 0.

A Risk Model based on Ultrasound, Ultrasound Elastography, and Histologic Parameters for Predicting Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.

To develop a risk model for predicting axillary lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDCs) using ultrasound (US), US elastography of virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI) and virtual touch tissue imaging & quantification (VTIQ), and histologic parameters. This study included 162 breast IDCs in 162 patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the risk factors and a risk model was created.

Thyroid Ultrasound: State of the Art. Part 2 - Focal Thyroid Lesions.

Accurate differentiation of focal thyroid nodules (FTL) and thyroid abnormalities is pivotal for proper diagnostic and therapeutic work-up. In these two part articles, the role of ultrasound techniques in the characterization of FTL and evaluation of diffuse thyroid diseases is described to expand on the recently published World Federation in Ultrasound and Medicine (WFUMB) thyroid elastography guidelines and review how this guideline fits into a complete thyroid ultrasound exam.

Neutralizing IL-6 reduces heart injury by decreasing nerve growth factor precursor in the heart and hypothalamus during rat cardiopulmonary bypass.

Aims: To investigate whether the expression of nerve growth factor precursor (proNGF) changes during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and whether neutralizing interleukin-6 (IL-6) during CPB has cardiac benefits.

Main Methods: Thirty patients undergoing CPB were recruited and their serum proNGF and troponin-I (TNI) were detected. In addition, rats were divided into three groups: CPB group, CPB with cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group, and a control group.

Thyroid Ultrasound: State of the Art Part 1 - Thyroid Ultrasound reporting and Diffuse Thyroid Diseases.

Accurate differentiation of focal thyroid nodules (FTL) and thyroid abnormalities is pivotal for proper diagnostic and therapeutic work-up. In these two part articles, the role of ultrasound techniques in the characterization of FTL and evaluation of diffuse thyroid diseases is described to expand on the recently published World Federation in Ultrasound and Medicine (WFUMB) thyroid elastography guidelines and review how this guideline fits into a complete thyroid ultrasound exam.