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Abstract Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a prevalent, intricate, and intractable form of neuropathic pain. The available evidence indicates that alterations in the gut microbiota are significant environmental determinants in the development of chronic neuropathic pain. Nevertheless, the correlation between the gut microbiota and PHN remains elusive. A cross-sectional study was performed on a cohort of 27 patients diagnosed with PHN and 27 matched healthy controls. Fecal samples were collected and subjected to microbiota analysis using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Comparable levels of bacterial richness and diversity were observed in the gut microbiota of PHN patients and healthy controls. A significant difference was observed in 37 genera between the two groups. Furthermore, the LEfSe method revealed that the abundance levels of Escherichia-Shigella, Streptococcus, Ligilactobacillus, and Clostridia_UCG-014_unclassified were elevated in PHN patients, while Eubacterium_hallii_group, Butyricicoccus, Tyzzerella, Dorea, Parasutterella, Romboutsia, Megamonas, and Agathobacter genera were reduced in comparison to healthy controls. Significantly, the discriminant model utilizing the predominant microbiota exhibited efficacy in distinguishing PHN patients from healthy controls, with an area under the curve value of 0.824. Moreover, Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated noteworthy correlations between various gut microbiota and clinical symptoms, including disease course, anxiety state, sleep quality, heat pain, pain intensity, and itching intensity. Gut microbiota dysbiosis exists in PHN patients, microbiome differences could be used to distinguish PHN patients from normal healthy individuals with high sensitivity and specificity, and altered gut microbiota are related to clinical manifestations, suggesting potentially novel prevention and therapeutic directions of PHN.

Abstract Objectives The relationship between abdominal adipose tissue and osteoporosis is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of abdominal adipose tissue with bone mineral density (BMD) among a nationally representative sample of US middle-aged adults. Material and methods This study included 1498 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2014 and 2017–2018. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to measure BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, as well as to assess abdominal adipose mass by categorizing total adipose tissue (TAT) into visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between abdominal adipose tissue and BMD, and logistic regression and generalized additive model were used to assess the associations of abdominal adipose tissue with the development of low BMD. Results In our study, men accounted for 51.3%, and the mean age and body mass index for men and women were 49.3 and 49.6 years, and 23.9 and 28.3 kg/m2, respectively. In the univariate model, we found that abdominal adipose mass was positively associated with BMD at femoral neck and spine in both genders. In the multivariate model, among men, a negative correlation was observed between TAT and SAT and BMD at the femoral neck. Additionally, higher masses of TAT, SAT, and VAT were found to significantly increase the risk of low BMD at both the femoral neck and lumbar spine. In contrast, there was no significant association between abdominal adipose mass and BMD in middle-aged women, regardless of menopausal status. Conclusions Our finding suggested that abdominal adipose tissue, regardless of its location (SAT or VAT), may have a negative impact on BMD in middle-aged men independently of body weight, but this relationship was not observed in women. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and investigate potential mechanisms underlying these associations.

There are few studies on the impact of postoperative pain management (such as Acute Pain Service, APS) on the prognosis of patients, especially the research on large samples, even less data on Chinese patients. It is reported that only 25.12 % of hospitals in China have established APS or similar teams, and less than 10 % of them are responsible for the whole process of postoperative analgesia services. Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology has established a professional APS team led by anesthesiologists (TJ-APS), and has a standardized workflow and management system. Based on the TJ-APS standardized postoperative pain management, the incidence and adverse effects of postoperative pain in different types of surgical patients were analyzed. In total, 107,802 patients receiving intravenous PCA from the Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology were selected between January 2016 and December 2021, which were under TJ-APS standardized postoperative analgesia process, postoperative analgesia strategy based on the principle of “low opioid, multimodal, specialization and individualization”, as well as regular ward rounds and 24-h on call on-duty system. We assessed the incidence and adverse effects of postoperative pain in different types of surgical patients. Based on the TJ-APS standardized postoperative pain management, the incidence of poor postoperative analgesia in patients with intravenous PCA is significantly lower than that reported in the current literature (20 %), and mainly occurs in biliary-pancreatic surgery, extrahepatic surgery and gastrointestinal surgery. The overall incidence of adverse effects was 5.52 %, of which nausea and vomiting was the highest, especially among gynecological tumors and gynecological patients, which were 10.75 % and 8.68 % respectively, but both were lower than the level reported in the current literature (20 %). This APS multimodal management and analgesia process can provide reference and guidance for PCA management of postoperative acute pain.

ObjectiveTo create and authenticate MRI-based radiomic signatures to identify dorsal root ganglia (DRG) lesions in post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) patients generalizable and interpretable.MethodThis prospective diagnostic study was conducted between January 2021 and February 2022. Lesioned DRG in patients with PHN and normal DRG in age-, sex-, height-, and weight-matched healthy controls were selected for assessment and divided into two groups (8:2) randomly: training and testing sets. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was employed to generate feature signatures and construct a model, followed by the assessment of model efficacy using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC), as well as sensitivity and specificity metrics.ResultsThe present investigation involved 30 patients diagnosed with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), consisting of 18 males and 12 females (mean age 60.70 ± 10.18 years), as well as 30 healthy controls, comprising 18 males and 12 females (mean age 58.13 ± 10.54 years). A total of 98 DRG were randomly divided into two groups (8:2), namely a training set (n = 78) and a testing set (n = 20). Five radiomic features were chosen to construct the models. In the training dataset, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.847, while the sensitivity and specificity were 71.79 and 97.44%, respectively. In the test dataset, the AUC was 0.87, and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.00 and 100.00%, respectively.ConclusionAn MRI-based radiomic signatures model has the capacity to uncover the micro-change of damaged DRG in individuals afflicted with postherpetic neuralgia.

Purpose To assess changes of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal nerves in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and investigate the correlation between DRG morphology and clinical symptoms in PHN patients using magnetic resonance neurography (MRN). Methods In this case-control study, forty-nine lesioned DRG in 30 patients and 49 normal DRG in 30 well-matched (age, sex, height, weight) healthy controls were assessed. Clinical symptoms of patients (pain, allodynia, itching, and numbness) were assessed. MRN features (DRG volume (VDRG), the largest diameter (Dmax) of spinal nerves, signal intensity of DRG and spinal nerves (M-value)) were measured in all participants. Multilinear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the DRG morphology and clinical symptoms in patients. Results The volume and relative M-value of lesioned DRG in patients were significantly higher than those on the same side of healthy controls (p = 0.013, p < 0.001, respectively). The mean Dmax and relative M-value of spinal nerves on the lesioned side were significantly higher than those on the contralateral and same side of healthy controls (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0011, p = 0.0053, respectively). No difference was found between the mean VDRG of the lesioned and contralateral sides. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that disease duration was independent risk factor for the maximum rate of VDRG differences (p = 0.013). Conclusions DRG and spinal nerves on the lesioned side are swollen during PHN. Disease duration is an independent risk factor for morphological differences in the lesioned DRG of PHN patients. This study provides important guidance for individualized treatments of PHN.

Nonlinear optical materials, especially two-dimensional materials, are anticipated to reveal broadband optical nonlinearity for future miniaturized photonic applications. Herein, we report a physical vapor deposition method to produce β-In _2 Se _3 thin film and investigate the broadband nonlinear absorption ( β ) and refraction (n _2 ) characteristics. The β-In _2 Se _3 semiconductor shows an excellent optical nonlinearity with large β in 10 ^2 cm GW ^−1 scale and n _2 in 10 ^−12 cm ^2 W ^−1 scale from visible to NIR wavelengths, which are superior to those of metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) and metal-organic frameworks. This excellent optical nonlinearity makes β-In _2 Se _3 a promising candidate for advanced nanophotonic devices and beyond.

Background NTRK1 gene, encoding TrkA, is essential for the nervous system and drives a variety of biological processes, including pain. Given the unsatisfied analgesic effects of some new drugs targeting NTRK1 in clinic, a deeper understanding for the mechanism of NTRK1 in neurons is crucial. Methods We assessed the transcriptional responses in SH-SY5Y cells with NTRK1 overexpression using bioinformatics analysis. GO and KEGG analyses were performed, PPI networks were constructed, and the functional modules and top 10 genes were screened. Subsequently, hub genes were validated using RT-qPCR. Results A total of 419 DEGs were identified, including 193 upregulated and 226 downregulated genes. GO showed that upregulated genes were mainly enriched in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, protein folding in ER, etc., and downregulated genes were highly enriched in a series of cellular parts and cellular processes. KEGG showed DEGs were enriched in protein processing in ER and pathways associated with cell proliferation and migration. The finest module was dramatically enriched in the ER stress response-related biological process. The verified seven hub genes consisted of five upregulated genes (COL1A1, P4HB, HSPA5, THBS1, and XBP1) and two downregulated genes (CCND1 and COL3A1), and almost all were correlated with response to ER stress. Conclusion Our data demonstrated that NTRK1 significantly influenced the gene transcription of ER stress response in SH-SY5Y cells. It indicated that ER stress response could contribute to various functions of NTRK1-dependent neurons, and therefore, ER stress response-associated genes need further study for neurological dysfunction implicated in NTRK1.

Abstract Background In this case report, we described the past history, clinical manifestations, genetic characteristics and cognitive evaluation of a boy with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) who developed autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Case presentation The boy had an early onset of CIPA at the age of 48 months, and was later diagnosed with ASD at 5 years old. Developmental delays in communication, social skills and the presence of maladaptive behaviors were observed in the patient. Professional treatments significantly improved the developmental delays. Conclusions This case demonstrated that ASD may develop in children with CIPA, and pediatricians should be aware that if they suspect or identify a child with CIPA that they should also be screened for ASD using similar examination and diagnostic tools as shown in the present report. Moreover, therapeutic interventions for ASD was helpful for the remission of both diseases.

Introduction:PRKCG mutations have been implicated in the pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 14 (SCA14), which is a rare autosomal dominant disease marked by cerebellar degeneration, dysarthria, and nystagmus. Until now, there has never been a report of patients with mutations of c.1232G>C worldwide.Case description: We report a case of a 30-year-old Chinese man with episodic dystaxia, speech disorder, and cognitive impairment; however, his father exclusively exhibited a speech disorder regardless of the same mutation. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous c.1232G>C (p.G411A) variant of PRKCG.Conclusion: This case presents an extended genotype and phenotype of SCA14, and emphasizes the importance of gene sequencing in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia.

IntroductionMannitol is the most widely used hyperosmolar agent during neurosurgical procedures. However, its use can lead to serious hyperkalemia with altered cardiac conduction.Case presentationHere we report a case in which a 40-min cardiac arrest was caused by mannitol-induced hyperkalemia during craniotomy. In addition, we conducted a literature review through a PubMed (MEDLINE) search of the relevant literature published so far. Details of all cases are presented and discussed. The results suggest that male patients or patients with uncontrolled diabetes might be at higher risk to develop this phenomenon. The results also suggest that the high dose and rapid rate of infusion of mannitol might contribute to mannitol-induced hyperkalemia.ConclusionPhysicians should be aware of the existence of mannitol-induced hyperkalemia. Although the mechanism of this complication is not well established, it is prudent to administer mannitol cautiously, especially in patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Continuous electrocardiogram monitoring and frequent measurements of serum electrolytes can help to detect and treat possible life-threatening events induced by mannitol-induced hyperkalemia early.

Herpes zoster is not common in multiple myeloma (MM) patients treated with lenalidomide-based regimens. We report an MM patient in his late 60s who received lenalidomide as maintenance treatment and whose condition was complicated with refractory postherpetic neuralgia. The patient received antiviral treatment and analgesia immediately after the diagnosis of herpes zoster. Two months later, the patient received acupuncture, radiofrequency treatment, and even spinal cord stimulation, which failed to relieve the pain. Consequently, we performed high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical and thoracic nerves. Then, stellate ganglion block, left C5/C6/C7/C8 nerve root block, and left thoracic 1, 2 paravertebral nerve block were performed with the assistance of real-time ultrasound. The pain was immediately relieved after treatment; however, the symptoms reappeared 2 days later. At 5 months after treatment, the patient still experienced severe pain. We suggest that MM patients complicated with postherpetic neuralgia are refractory to treatment. Starting nerve block therapy, pulsed radiofrequency, and other interventional therapies as early as possible could be a more optimal treatment plan for these patients.

All-optical terahertz (THz) modulators have received tremendous attention due to their significant role in developing future sixth-generation technology and all-optical networks. Herein, the THz modulation performance of the Bi2Te3/Si heterostructure is investigated via THz time-domain spectroscopy under the control of continuous wave lasers at 532 nm and 405 nm. Broadband-sensitive modulation is observed at 532 nm and 405 nm within the experimental frequency range from 0.8 to 2.4 THz. The modulation depth reaches 80% under the 532 nm laser illumination with a maximum power of 250 mW and 96% under 405 nm illumination with a high power of 550 mW. The mechanism of the largely enhanced modulation depth is attributed to the construction of a type-II Bi2Te3/Si heterostructure, which could promote photogenerated electron and hole separation and increase carrier density dramatically. This work proves that a high photon energy laser can also achieve high-efficiency modulation based on the Bi2Te3/Si heterostructure, and the UV-Visible control laser may be more suitable for designing advanced all-optical THz modulators with micro-level sizes.

A homopolysaccharide fraction (PEP-1A) with desired immunomodulatory activity was isolated from culture broth of Parabacteroides distasonis. Structural characterization uncovered that PEP-1A had a molecular weight of 3.40 × 106 Da and possessed mannose merely. Comprehensive analysis of FT-IR, GC–MS and 1D/2D NMR confirmed that the structure of PEP-1A was expected as follows:Finally, the activity assays on RAW 264.7 macrophages showed that PEP-1A could promote proliferation, increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhance the phagocytosis, and promote the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) and inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Furthermore, PEP-1A could give play to immunoregulation effect through NF-κB, MAPK and Akt signaling pathways. Collectively, the study of PEP-1A offers a molecular underpinning for the future application of PEP-1A as a potential immunostimulant.

Abstract In this manuscript, we have demonstrated the delicate design and synthesis of bimetallic oxides nanoparticles derived from metal–oleate complex embedded in 3D graphene networks (MnO/CoMn2O4 ⊂ GN), as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. The novel synthesis of the MnO/CoMn2O4 ⊂ GN consists of thermal decomposition of metal–oleate complex containing cobalt and manganese metals and oleate ligand, forming bimetallic oxides nanoparticles, followed by a self-assembly route with reduced graphene oxides. The MnO/CoMn2O4 ⊂ GN composite, with a unique architecture of bimetallic oxides nanoparticles encapsulated in 3D graphene networks, rationally integrates several benefits including shortening the diffusion path of Li+ ions, improving electrical conductivity and mitigating volume variation during cycling. Studies show that the electrochemical reaction processes of MnO/CoMn2O4 ⊂ GN electrodes are dominated by the pseudocapacitive behavior, leading to fast Li+ charge/discharge reactions. As a result, the MnO/CoMn2O4 ⊂ GN manifests high initial specific capacity, stable cycling performance, and excellent rate capability.

Achondroplasia is a type of disproportionate dwarfism with short limbs and a normal-sized torso. This condition results in a potential spinal abnormality and a difficult airway may increase the anesthetic risk, not only in neuraxial anesthesia, but also in general anesthesia. We report a 25-year-old primigravida with achondroplasia who underwent cesarean section under epidural anesthesia with the assistance of real-time ultrasound guidance. A total dose of 17 mL 2% lidocaine with 7.5 μg sufentanil was administered via epidural catheter intermittently. The level of anesthesia reached T4. No other anesthetic was administered during the operation and the procedure was uneventful. The mother and her newborn were routinely discharged without any adverse events. During the follow-up at 10 months postoperatively, the patient did not have any discomfort. We suggest that titrated epidural anesthesia at the time of real-time ultrasound-guidance is a safe and effective epidural anesthesia for patients with achondroplasia.

Developing stable, efficient and economical electrocatalytic materials is still challenging for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Hence, we develop a Pd/Ni bimetallic carbon electrocatalyst (Pd/Ni-NC) with outstanding electrocatalytic performance. The catalyst derived from Pd-doped Ni-MOF (Pd/Ni-MOF) has particles and needle-like carbon tubes on its surface and is similar in shape to setaria. Benefiting from the composition and the unique structure, Pd/Ni-NC shows excellent HER catalytic performance with 16 mV at 10 mA cm−2, superior to Pd or Ni single metal-carbon catalyst. Furthermore, it maintains stable catalytic activity under constant current for 25h. These results show the strategy that obtaining Pd and Ni bimetallic MOF by cation exchange and its corresponding bimetallic carbon material with setaria-shaped structure by calcination is powerful for high efficient HER performance.

The chromatographic fingerprint of 14 batches of Artemisia rupestris L. samples were established in this study. The constituents of ten components in Artemisia rupestris L. were determined using quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) and the external standard method (ESM). Due to their stability and accessibility, chlorogenic acid and linarin were used as references to calculate the relative correction factors (RCFs) of apigenin-C-6,8-pentoside-hexoside, apigenin-C-6,8-di-pentoside, luteolin, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, chrysosplenetin B, and sbsinthin, based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The value calculated by QAMS was consistent with that of the ESM, and the reproducibility of RCFs was found to be reliable. In conclusion, simultaneous determination of the ten components by the QAMS method and chromatographic fingerprint analysis were feasible and accurate in evaluating the quality of Artemisia rupestris L. and can be used as reference in traditional Chinese medicine quality control.

Carbon nitride (CNx) films supported on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass are prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering, in which the film thicknesses are 90â100 nm, and the element components in the CNx films are in the range of x = 0.15â0.25. The as-prepared CNx is for the first time used as counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and show a preparation-temperature dependent electrochemical performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrates that there is a higher proportion of sp2 Cî…C and sp3 Cî¸N hybridized bonds in CNx-500 (the sample treated at 500 °C) than in CNx-RT (the sample without a heat treatment). It is proposed that the sp2 Cî…C and sp3 CâN hybridized bonds in the CNx films are helpful for improving the electrocatalytic activities in DSSCs. Meanwhile, Raman spectra also prove that CNx-500 has a relatively high graphitization level that means an increasing electrical conductivity. This further explains why the sample after the heat treatment has a higher electrochemical performance in DSSCs. In addition, the as-prepared CNx counter electrodes have a good light transmittance in the visible light region. The results are meaningful for developing low-cost metal-free transparent counter electrodes for DSSCs. Keywords: Solar cells, Counter electrodes, Carbon nitride, Electrocatalysis, Magnetron sputtering