We assessed the effect of social deprivation upon the Oxford knee score (OKS), the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) and patient satisfaction after total knee replacement (TKR). An analysis of 966 patients undergoing primary TKR for symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) was performed. Social deprivation was assessed using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Those patients that were most deprived underwent surgery at an earlier age (p = 0.018), were more likely to be female (p = 0.046), to endure more comorbidities (p = 0.04) and to suffer worse pain and function according to the OKS (p < 0.001). In addition, deprivation was also associated with poor mental health (p = 0.002), which was assessed using the mental component (MCS) of the SF-12 score. Multivariable analysis was used to identify independent predictors of outcome at one year. Pre-operative OKS, SF-12 MCS, back pain, and four or more comorbidities were independent predictors of improvement in the OKS (all p < 0.001). Pre-operative OKS and improvement in the OKS were independent predictors of dissatisfaction (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). Although improvement in the OKS and dissatisfaction after TKR were not significantly associated with social deprivation per se, factors more prevalent within the most deprived groups significantly diminished their improvement in OKS and increased their rate of dissatisfaction following TKR.

Engineered micro-/nanoparticles of various physicochemical properties play significant roles in biomedical engineering from biosensing, in vivo imaging, in vitro diagnosis, drug delivery to therapy. Compared to conventional batch synthesis, microfluidics-based synthesis enables precise reaction control, enhanced mixing, and rapid chemical reactions, allowing for the flow synthesis of particles in a controllable, sustainable, and costsaving manner that is attractive to industry. This review focuses on the recent advances of using microfluidic devices for the flow synthesis of inorganic micro-/nanoparticles with specific properties and their practical applications. We highlight the principle and the merits of emerging microfluidic techniques over conventional methods, discuss chemical reactions performed in the microfluidic reactors, summarize and tabulate strategies for the flow synthesis of inorganic particles, and provide the established applications of materials from these microfluidic systems. The challenges, opportunities, and future perspectives of microfluidics in the synthesis and applications of inorganic micro-/nanoparticles are furthermore discussed.

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The aim of this review was to present an over view of degenerative rotator cuff tears and a suggested management protocol based upon current evidence. Degenerative rotator cuff tears are common and are a major cause of pain and shoulder dysfunction. The management of these tears is controversial, as to whether they should be managed non-operatively or operatively. In addition when operative intervention is undertaken, there is question as to what technique of repair should be used. This review describes the epidemiology and natural history of degenerative rotator cuff tears. The management options, and the evidence to support these, are reviewed. We also present our preferred management protocol and method, if applicable, for surgical fixation of degenerative rotator cuff tears.

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Background and Aim. Various methods, including the Child-Pugh score, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, the MELD combined with serum sodium concentration (MELD-Na) score, the integrated MELD (iMELD) score, and the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, have been widely used for predicting the survival of decompensated cirrhosis (DeCi) patients. In this study, we defined and compared the prognostic value of these scores to predict mortality in DeCi patients. Methods. We performed a single-center, observational retrospective study and analyzed 456 DeCi patients who were hospitalized in the gastroenterology department. The biochemical examination results and demographic characteristics of the patients were obtained, and five scores were calculated upon admission after 24 hours. All patients were observed until death, loss to follow-up, or specific follow-up times (28 days, 90 days, and 6 months). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the ability of these methods to predict mortality in DeCi patients. Results. At 28 days, 90 days, and 6 months, the cumulative number of deaths was 50 (11.0%), 76 (16.6%), and 91 (19.9%), respectively. The scores were significantly higher in nonsurviving patients than in surviving patients. All scores yielded viable values in predicting 28-day, 90-day, and 6-month prognoses for DeCi patients. The areas under the ROC curve (AUROCs) of the ALBI score were higher than those of the other scores, which were only over 0.700 at 28 days. The AUROC of the MELD score was higher than that of the other scores, including the MELD-Na and iMELD scores, at 90 days and 6 months. Conclusion. All five methods (Child-Pugh score, MELD score, MELD-Na score, iMELD score, and ALBI score) provided a reliable prediction of mortality for both the short-term and long-term prognosis of patients with DeCi. The ALBI score may be particularly useful for assessing short-term outcomes, whereas the MELD score may be particularly useful for assessing long-term outcomes.

Microfluidic techniques open new frontiers for the controllable synthesis of functional micro/nanomaterials with desired shapes for a variety of applications. In this study, miniaturized spiral-shaped microchannel with two inlets and one outlet was specially designed for the controllable flow synthesis of mesoporous silica nanofibers (MSNFs) using one inlet flow containing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and diluted ammonia and the other inlet flow containing diluted tetraethyl orthosilicate. The aspect ratios and diameters of MSNFs can be easily tuned by changing the flow rates and/or the concentrations of reactants. In addition, fluorescent dyes, magnetic nanoparticles, therapeutic drugs, or silver nanoparticles can be simultaneously assembled into MSNFs to make them promising functional materials in bioimaging, theranostics, and catalysis fields.