Flower-like hollow microspheres were synthesized on a large scale using a one-step hydrothermal route. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The results showed that the shells of the hollow microspheres were composed of numerous type II SnO/Sn₃O₄ heterostructures. A 500 °C annealing treatment changed the type II SnO/Sn₃O₄ heterostructures into type I SnO₂/Sn₃O₄ heterostructures; at 700 °C, the products were pure SnO₂ semiconductors. A photocatalytic degradation test showed that the highest efficiency degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) was obtained using type II SnO/Sn₃O₄ heterostructure semiconductors with a degradation rate constant of 2.3 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹. This highly efficient activity was induced by enhanced charge separation in type II SnO/Sn₃O₄ heterostructure semiconductors.

Purpose: To analyze the perioperative risk factors related to lumbar spine fusion surgery in elderly patients. Methods: 202 elderly patients (age range 77–92 years old) who have underwent lumbar spinal fusion surgeries between January 2019 and June 2021 were retrospectively investigated. Information of age, sex, comorbidity, fixation segments, operation time, surgical blood loss and perioperative complications during hospitalization were collected. Risk factors for complications were analyzed. Student’s t-test, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U‑test and multivariate generalized linear models were used. Results: In this study, 31 patients presented complications (15.3%) in these elderly patients with an average age of 79.1 years, including 1 patient with intraoperative complication and 30 patients with postoperative complications; and 2 out of 31 patients (1%) died. The elderly patients were divided into group A (24 patients) with major postoperative complications and group B (178 patients) without major postoperative complications. Major postoperative complications were significantly associated with age (univariate analysis, t = 3.92, P < 0.001; multivariate analysis, OR = 1.323, 95%CI 1.126–1.554, P = 0.001), but not significantly associated with other factors tested (sex, comorbidity, fixation segments, operation time, surgical blood loss). Then 173 patients (range 77–81 years) were selected and the rate of major postoperative complications of each age from 78 to 81 years was compared with that of 77 years patients, respectively. We found that the ratios of complications at 80 years (OR = 10.000, P = 0.019) and 81 years (OR = 10.000, P = 0.009) were higher than the ratio at 77 years. Conclusions: Although with great progress of medical technology, increasing age was still the independent risk factor for major postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery. As for the incidence of major postoperative complications, 80 and 81 years old patients was 10 folds higher than that of 77 years old patients, reminding us to pay more attention to 80 years old and even older patients.

In this study, based on energy-converting nanomedicine, we report multifunctional two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets with an inherent plasmonic property and piezocatalytic activity for imaging-guided synergistic tumor therapy.