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Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) and cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are common complications following thoracic surgery, particularly in patients aged 65 years and above. These complications can significantly affect recovery and increase healthcare costs. This study investigates the effects of low-dose S-ketamine on reducing POD and POCD in this patient demographic. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, medical records of patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent elective thoracic surgery from January 2019 to August 2023 were reviewed. Patients were categorized into S-ketamine and Control groups based on intraoperative S-ketamine exposure. POD was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), while cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months post-surgery. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters, including hemodynamic stability, blood loss, pain scores, and ICU stay length, were also recorded. Results: The study comprised 140 participants, with 70 in each group. The S-ketamine group demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of POD at 7 days post-surgery (12.0% vs. 26.7%, P < 0.001), and reduced POCD at 1 month (18.7% vs. 36.0%, P < 0.05) and 6 months (10.7% vs. 21.3%, P < 0.05). The Ketamine group had a significantly higher median MoCA score compared to the Control group both at 1 month (P = 0.021) and 6 months (P = 0.007). Adverse events, such as infection, bleeding, and respiratory failure, showed no significant differences between the groups, suggesting a safe profile for S-ketamine. Conclusion: Administering low-dose S-ketamine during thoracic surgery in patients aged 65 years and above significantly reduces the incidence of POD and POCD, highlighting its neuroprotective potential. These findings advocate for the inclusion of S-ketamine in anesthetic protocols to improve postoperative outcomes and reduce healthcare costs in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Competency-oriented medical education has become a global trend. However, most current studies focus on the independent effects of various competencies and lack an examination of the combined effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the competency configurations of excellent pediatric residents and general pediatric residents and to provide a scientific reference for the talent training and career development of pediatric residents. Methods: Behavioral event interviews were conducted with 23 pediatric residents at a children's hospital in Beijing in July and August 2019. Two researchers coded the interview data to summarize the competency of pediatric residents. The research group scored the performance of 23 pediatric residents in various aspects of competency and used the crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis method to explore the competency configurations of excellent pediatric residents and general pediatric residents. Results: This study concludes that pediatric residents should have six core competencies: professional spirit, clinical skills, communication ability, learning ability, mental capacity and research ability. There are 4 combinations of competencies for becoming an excellent pediatric resident: the clinical type, scientific research type, all-around development type and high emotional intelligence type. In addition, there are 3 combinations of competencies for becoming a general pediatric resident: the comprehensive ability deficiency type, lack of professionalism and mental capacity type, lack of communication ability type. Conclusions: There are differences in competence between excellent and general pediatric residents. Excellent pediatric residents do not need to possess all competencies but should specialize in clinical practice, scientific research or communication skills. This study suggests that training in mental capacity, professional spirit and communication ability should be strengthened during pediatric resident training. Pediatric residents should make career development plans according to their actual situation, and hospitals should arrange suitable positions according to the characteristics of pediatric residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exploring the molecular mechanisms of primordial germ cell (PGC) migration and the involvement of gonadal somatic cells in gonad development is valuable for comprehending the origins and potential treatments of reproductive-related diseases. Methods: Diaphanous related formin 1 (Diaph1, also known as mDia1) was screened by analyzing publicly available datasets (ATAC-seq, DNase-seq, and RNA-seq). Subsequently, the CRISPR-Cas9 technology was used to construct Diaph1 knockout mice to investigate the role of Diaph1 in gonad development. Results: Based on data from public databases, a differentially expressed gene Diaph1, was identified in the migration of mouse PGC. Additionally, the number of PGCs was significantly reduced in Diaph1 knockout mice compared to wild type mice, and the expression levels of genes related to proliferation (Dicer1, Mcm9), adhesion (E-cadherin, Cdh1), and migration (Cxcr4, Hmgcr, Dazl) were significantly decreased. Diaph1 knockout also inhibited Leydig cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in the testis, as well as granulosa cell apoptosis in the ovary. Moreover, the sperm count in the epididymal region and the count of ovarian follicles were significantly reduced in Diaph1 knockout mice, resulting in decreased fertility, concomitant with lowered levels of serum testosterone and estradiol. Further research found that in Diaph1 knockout mice, the key enzymes involved in testosterone synthesis (CYP11A1, 3β-HSD) were decreased in Leydig cells, and the estradiol-associated factor (FSH receptor, AMH) in granulosa cells were also downregulated. Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that the knockout of Diaph1 can disrupt the expression of factors that regulate sex hormone production, leading to impaired secretion of sex hormones, ultimately resulting in damage to reproductive function. These results provide a new perspective on the molecular mechanisms underlying PGC migration and gonadal development, and offer valuable insights for further research on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Local resident normal fibroblasts (NFs) are the major source of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are distinguishable from NFs by their tumor-supportive properties. However, the mechanism and the effects underlying the transition of NFs to CAFs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. Methods: Five pairs of matching primary NFs and CAFs derived from OSCC patients were sent for RNA sequencing. Epiregulin (EREG) expression was analyzed by IHC in fibroblasts from OSCC patients. The role of EREG in the NF-CAF transition and the consequential effects on OSCC progression were examined by upregulation/downregulation of EREG in NFs/CAFs both in vitro and in vivo. Results: Here, we identified epiregulin (EREG) as the most remarkably upregulated gene in CAFs. High EREG expression in CAFs correlated with higher T stage, deeper invasion and inferior worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) in OSCC patients and predicted shorter overall survival. Overexpression of EREG in NFs activated the CAF phenotype. Mechanistically, the JAK2/STAT3 pathway was enhanced by EREG in parallel with increased IL-6 expression, which could be inhibited by the JAK2 inhibitor AG490. Recombinant IL-6 upregulated the JAK2/STAT3/EREG pathway in a feedback loop. Moreover, EREG-induced CAF activation promoted the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) necessary for migration and invasion, which was dependent on JAK2/STAT3 signaling and IL-6. In vivo, EREG expression in stroma fibroblasts promoted tumor growth with high stromal α-SMA, phospho-JAK2/STAT3, and IL-6 expression and upregulated EMT in HSC3 cells. Conclusions: EREG is essential for the NF-CAF transformation needed to induce EMT of tumor cells in a JAK2-STAT3- and IL-6-dependent manner in OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To promote the integration of medical resources, Beijing has built medical alliances since 2012, but this reform has not changed the state of disordered medical treatment. Patients are still willing to go to high-level hospitals for medical treatment. What causes patients to prefer high-level hospitals? To explore the reasons behind this preference for high-level medical treatment among patients and to guide patients to make visits in an orderly manner, we conducted this study and compared patients' satisfaction with hospitals of different levels in the context of medical resource integration.Methods: This study conducted a questionnaire survey among 1250 patients who were selected in 18 medical alliances in Beijing from October to December 2016. The study type is a comparative study based on cross-sectional data. Patient satisfaction was the main outcome, and descriptive analysis, chi-square tests, nonparametric tests and binary logistic regression analysis were used. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.Results: The overall satisfaction score of the medical alliances was 3.375, and the satisfaction scores of core hospitals and cooperative hospitals were 2.77 and 3.07, respectively. The overall patient satisfaction rate was 44.62%, and the satisfaction rates of core hospitals and cooperative hospitals were 34.34 and 50.43%, respectively. The type of hospital and understanding of medical alliance policy were the factors associated with patient satisfaction with the medical alliance.Conclusions: The patients' satisfaction with cooperative hospitals was higher than their satisfaction with core hospitals. Although the patients were more satisfied with the service attitude of the cooperative hospitals, they still preferred core hospitals due to their higher expectations for their medical treatment and greater trust in their medical technology. It is necessary to explore the establishment of closed medical alliances under the unified management of human and financial resources to enable medical alliances to become a community of common interests and provide integrated medical services for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are highly susceptible to cardiovascular disease, and coronary artery disease (CAD) is their leading cause of death. We aimed to assess whether computed tomography (CT) based imaging parameters and radiomic features of pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) can improve the diagnostic efficacy of whether patients with T2DM have developed CAD. Methods: We retrospectively recruited 229 patients with T2DM but no CAD history (146 were diagnosed with CAD at this visit and 83 were not). We collected clinical information and extracted imaging manifestations from CT images and 93 radiomic features of PCAT from all patients. All patients were randomly divided into training and test groups at a ratio of 7:3. Four models were constructed, encapsulating clinical factors (Model 1), clinical factors and imaging indices (Model 2), clinical factors and Radscore (Model 3), and all together (Model 4), to identify patients with CAD. Receiver operating characteristic curves and decision curve analysis were plotted to evaluate the model performance and pairwise model comparisons were performed via the DeLong test to demonstrate the additive value of different factors. Results: In the test set, the areas under the curve (AUCs) of Model 2 and Model 4 were 0.930 and 0.929, respectively, with higher recognition effectiveness compared to the other two models (each p < 0.001). Of these models, Model 2 had higher diagnostic efficacy for CAD than Model 1 (p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.129–0.350]). However, Model 4 did not improve the effectiveness of the identification of CAD compared to Model 2 (p = 0.776); similarly, the AUC did not significantly differ between Model 3 (AUC = 0.693) and Model 1 (AUC = 0.691, p = 0.382). Overall, Model 2 was rated better for the diagnosis of CAD in patients with T2DM. Conclusions: A comprehensive diagnostic model combining patient clinical risk factors with CT-based imaging parameters has superior efficacy in diagnosing the occurrence of CAD in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a new syndrome with some clinical manifestations similar to Kawasaki disease (KD), which is difficult to distinguish. Objective: The study aimed to characterize the demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, laboratory features, cardiac complications, and treatment of MIS-C compared with KD. Study design: Studies were selected by searching the PubMed, EMBASE and so on before February 28, 2022. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4 software and STATA 14.0. Results: Fourteen studies with 2928 participants were included. MIS-C patients tended to be older and there was no significant difference in the sex ratio. In terms of clinical characteristics, MIS-C patients were more frequently represented with respiratory, gastrointestinal symptoms and shock. At the same time, they had a lower incidence of conjunctivitis than KD patients. MIS-C patients had lower lymphocyte counts, platelet (PLT) counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs), alanine transaminase (ALT), and albumin levels and had higher levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), troponin, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, fibrinogen, ferritin, and creatinine. MIS-C patients had a higher incidence of left ventricle (LV) dysfunction, valvular regurgitation, pericardial effusion, myocarditis, and pericarditis. The incidence of coronary artery lesion (CAL) was lower in MIS-C patients [OR (95% CI): 0.52 (0.29, 0.93), p =0.03], while it was similar in the acute period. MIS-C patients had higher utilization of glucocorticoids (GCs) and lower utilization of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). Conclusions: There were specific differences between MIS-C and KD, which might assist clinicians with the accurate recognition of MIS-C and further mechanistic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perinatal brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in children. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in full term infants, and white matter injury in premature infants are most known brain injury in perinatal period. Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells contain hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, and so on. Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells have many biological functions, such as nerve and vascular regeneration, anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation, and immune regulation. Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells transplantation has achieved significant efficacy and safety in animal and clinical trials for the treatment of perinatal brain injury. We will review human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells transplantation for perinatal brain injury in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]