New era of robotic surgical systems

Asian Journal of Endoscopic Surgery, EarlyView.


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Portable Infrared Pupillometer in Patients With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Prognostic Value and Circadian Rhythm of the Neurological Pupil Index (NPi)

Background: Portable automated infrared pupillometry is becoming increasingly popular. To generate an objective reference base, the Neurological Pupil index (NPi) which combines different values of the pupillary light reflex is being introduced into clinical practice. In this explorative study, we examined different aspects of the NPi in relation to clinical severity and outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Materials and Methods: Patients with serial assessment of the NPi (NeurOptics pupillometer NPi-200, Irvine, CA) starting no later than day 2 after aSAH onset were included in the study. Relative numbers of pathologic NPi's, absolute NPi values, and their variances were compared according to aSAH clinical severity grade, functional outcome, and case fatality. The correlation between NPi and intracranial pressure, and NPi periodicity, were also examined. Results: In total, 18 patients with 4456 NPi values were eligible for inclusion in the analysis. The general trend of the NPi over time reflected the course of the neurological illness. Mean NPi tended to be lower in patients with clinically severe compared with nonsevere aSAH (3.75±0.40 vs. 4.56±0.06; P=0.171), and in patients with unfavorable compared with favorable outcomes (3.64±0.48 vs. 4.50±0.08; P=0.198). The mean variance of the NPi was higher in patients with severe compared with nonsevere aSAH (0.49±0.17 vs. 0.06±0.02; P=0.025). Pathologic NPi values were recorded more frequently in patients with severe compared with nonsevere aSAH (16.3%±8.8% vs. 0.0%±0.0%; P=0.002), and in those with unfavorable compared with favorable outcomes (19.2%±10.6% vs. 0.7%±0.6%; P=0.017). NPi was inversely correlated with intracranial pressure (Spearman r=−0.551, P

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New Developments in Psychological Wisdom Research: A Growing Field of Increasing Importance

Looking at the state of the world today, one cannot help but wonder what we need to do to ensure a positive and peaceful future for humanity. How is it possible that knowledge and information have become so much more accessible to people in many parts of the world, but we do not seem to have become any wiser? Sternberg (e.g., Reznitskaya & Sternberg, 2004; Sternberg, 2001) has long been arguing that we need to educate our children for more than just intelligence and knowledge—we need to figure out how to foster wisdom. Wisdom goes beyond intelligence and knowledge in that it includes aspects of self-reflection, openness, compassion, and morality (Glück, in press/a). In other words, it is what enables people to use their intelligence for the sake of a common good (Sternberg, in press). The complexity of wisdom, however, is also what makes it seem elusive to many academic psychologists. For a long time, wisdom psychology was viewed by many as a somewhat "esoteric" field with somewhat dubious research methods—after all, how would one measure such a multifaceted and vague construct?

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Dexamethasone Is Superior to Dexmedetomidine as a Perineural Adjunct for Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block: Systematic Review and Indirect Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Both dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine are effective peripheral nerve block (PNB) perineural adjuncts that prolong block duration. However, each is associated with side effects. With paucity of head-to-head comparisons of these adjuncts, the question of the best adjunct to mix with local anesthetics (LA) for PNB is unanswered. This meta-analysis aims to inform current practice and future research by identifying the superior adjunct by comparing dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine. METHODS: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, trials comparing the combination of perineural dexamethasone or dexmedetomidine with LA to LA alone for PNB were sought. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of trials, and indirect or network meta-analyses using random-effects modeling were planned. We designated duration of analgesia as a primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included sensory and motor block durations, sensory and motor block onset times, and the risks of hypotension, sedation, and neurological symptoms. RESULTS: Fifty trials were identified, including only 1 direct comparison, precluding a network meta-analysis. Indirect meta-analysis of 49 trials (3019 patients) was performed. Compared to dexmedetomidine, dexamethasone prolonged the duration of analgesia by a mean difference (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 148 minutes (37–259 minutes) (P = .003), without prolonging sensory/motor blockade. Dexmedetomidine increased rates of hypotension (risk ratio [95% CI], 6.3 [1.5–27.5]; P = .01) and sedation (risk ratio [95% CI], 15.8 [3.9–64.6]; P = .0001). Overall risk of bias was moderate, and publication bias was noted, resulting in downgrading evidence strength. CONCLUSIONS: There is low-quality evidence that both adjuncts similarly prolong sensory/motor blockade. However, dexamethasone may be a superior adjunct; it improves the duration of analgesia by a statistically significant increase, albeit clinically modest, equivalent to 2.5 hours more than dexmedetomidine, without the risks of hypotension or sedation. Future direct comparisons are encouraged. Accepted for publication September 10, 2018. Funding: This work was supported by departmental funding from the Department of Anesthesia, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland (E.A.), and also from the Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (F.W.A.). Conflicts of Interest: See Disclosures at the end of the article. Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's website (https://ift.tt/KegmMq). Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Faraj W. Abdallah, MD, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital General Campus, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada. Address e-mail to FAbdallah@toh.ca. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Airway Management and Clinical Outcomes in External Laryngeal Trauma: A Case Series

External laryngeal trauma is a rare but potentially fatal event that presents several management challenges. This retrospective observational case series conducted at a level-1 trauma center over a 12-year period consists of 62 cases of acute external laryngeal trauma. Patient demographics, mode and mechanisms of injury, presenting signs and symptoms, initial imaging results, airway management, time to surgical management, and 6-month outcomes including airway status, deglutition status, and voice quality were investigated. No difference was found in mortality or 6-month outcomes between patients requiring surgical repair and/or tracheostomy versus patients with less severe injuries managed conservatively. Accepted for publication August 30, 2018. Funding: None. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Institutional review board Number and Contact Information: HUM00125057. 2800 Plymouth Rd, Bldg 520, Room 3214, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. E-mail: irbmed@umich.edu. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Alexandra R. DePorre, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, 1H247 UH, 1500 E Medical Center Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Address e-mail to adeporre@med.umich.edu. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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Labor Pain's Relationship With Depression: From Whence, and What Shall be Done?

No abstract available

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Propofol Regulates Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation via Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II/AMPK/ATF5 Signaling Axis

BACKGROUND: Propofol can cause degeneration of developing brain cells and subsequent long-term learning or memory impairment. However, at the early stage of embryonic development, the molecular mechanism of propofol-induced inhibition in neural stem cells (NSCs) neurogenesis is still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the role of propofol in NSCs neurogenesis and, more importantly, to explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: First, a single intraperitoneal injection of propofol was performed in pregnant mice, and 6 hours after administration of propofol, the hippocampus RNA and the protein of the embryos' brains was extracted to analyze the expression of neuron-specific markers. Second, the primary NSCs were isolated from the hippocampus of mouse embryonic brain and then treated with propofol for cell viability, immunostaining, and transwell assays; more importantly, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and q-reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays to identify genes regulated by propofol; the Western blot, small interfering RNA (SiRNA), and luciferase reporter assays were used to study the effects of propofol on calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMk) II/5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) signaling pathway. RESULTS: Our results indicated that propofol treatment could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of NSCs. The results of RNA-seq assays showed that propofol treatment resulted in downregulation of a group of Ca2+-dependent genes. The following mechanism studies showed that propofol regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of NSCs through the CaMkII/phosphorylation of serine at amino acid position 485 (pS485)/AMPK/ATF5 signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The results from study demonstrated that propofol inhibits the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of NSCs, and these effects are partially mediated by CaMkII/pS485/AMPK/ATF5 signaling pathway. Accepted for publication August 30, 2018. Funding: This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81400930). The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's website (https://ift.tt/KegmMq). Reprints will not be available from the authors. Address correspondence to Jing Cang, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Xuhui Qu, Shanghai Shi 200032, China. Address e-mail to cangjing1998@126.com. © 2018 International Anesthesia Research Society

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