Presynaptic Enhancement of Transmission from Nociceptors Expressing Nav1.8 onto Lamina-I Spinothalamic Tract Neurons by Spared Nerve Injury in Mice.

Alteration of synaptic function in the dorsal horn (DH) has been implicated as a cellular substrate for the development of neuropathic pain, but certain details remain unclear. In particular, the lack of information on the types of synapses that undergo functional changes hinders the understanding of disease pathogenesis from a synaptic plasticity perspective. Here, we addressed this issue by using optogenetic and retrograde tracing ex vivo to selectively stimulate first-order nociceptors expressing Nav1.8 (NRsNav1.8) and record the responses of spinothalamic tract neurons in spinal lamina I (L1-STTNs). We found that spared nerve injury (SNI) increased excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in L1-STTNs evoked by photostimulation of NRsNav1.8 (referred to as Nav1.8-STTN EPSCs). This effect was accompanied by a significant change in the failure rate and paired-pulse ratio of synaptic transmission from NRsNav1.8 to L1-STTN and in the frequency (not amplitude) of spontaneous EPSCs recorded in L1-STTNs. However, no change was observed in the ratio of AMPA to NMDA receptor-mediated components of Nav1.8-STTN EPSCs or in the amplitude of unitary EPSCs constituting Nav1.8-STTN EPSCs recorded with extracellular Ca2+ replaced by Sr2+ In addition, there was a small increase (approximately 10%) in the number of L1-STTNs showing immunoreactivity for phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases in mice after SNI compared with sham. Similarly, only a small percentage of L1-STTNs showed a lower action potential threshold after SNI. In conclusion, our results show that SNI induces presynaptic modulation at NRNav1.8 (consisting of both peptidergic and nonpeptidergic nociceptors) synapses on L1-STTNs forming the lateral spinothalamic tract.

Insights into the evaluation, influential factors and improvement strategies for poultry meat quality: a review.

Poultry meat, an essential source of animal protein, requires stringent safety and quality measures to address public health concerns and growing international attention. This review examines both direct and indirect factors that compromise poultry meat quality in intensive farming systems. It highlights the integration of rapid and micro-testing with traditional methods to assess meat safety. The paper advocates for adopting probiotics, prebiotics, and plant extracts to improve poultry meat quality.

Perioperative effects of different hypotensive anesthesia techniques in orthognathic surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of combining sevoflurane with remifentanil, esmolol, or nitroglycerin for hypotensive anesthesia and determine the suitable hypotensive anesthesia method for orthognathic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 60 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery for developmental malocclusion. They were divided into three groups based on the hypotensive agent preferences: Group 1 (n = 20), sevoflurane and remifentanil; Group 2 (n = 20), sevoflurane and esmolol; Group 3 (n = 20), sevoflurane and nitroglycerin. Bleeding volume, heart rate, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure were recorded at certain times during the perioperative period, including at stages with increased stress levels in the body, such as incision and osteotomy. The patients' blood pressure, analgesic consumption and pain level were recorded in the postoperative period. RESULTS: Bleeding volume, surgery satisfaction related to bleeding, and total operation time did not differ significantly between groups. Intraoperatively, heart rates were significantly higher in Group 3 than in Groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.001). However, hemodynamic stability was similar in Groups 1 and 2. Postoperatively, analgesic consumption, pain levels, and blood pressure dynamics did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on this study's results, it was concluded that infusing remifentanil, esmolol, or nitroglycerin with sevoflurane during orthognathic surgery successfully achieved the targeted hypotensive anesthesia and can be considered alternative methods. The decision on which method to use should consider the patient's overall health status and additional medical conditions.

Medical Care as Flea Market Bargaining? An International Interdisciplinary Study of Varieties of Shared Decision Making in Physician-Patient Interactions.

Phenomenon: Shared decision making (SDM) is a core ideal in the interaction between healthcare providers and patients, but the implementation of the SDM ideal in clinical routines has been a relatively slow process. Approach: In a sociological study, 71 interactions between physicians and simulated patients enacting chronic heart failure were video-recorded in China, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey as part of a quasi-experimental research design. Participating physicians varied in specialty and level of experience. The secondary analysis presented in this article used content analysis to study core components of SDM in all of the 71 interactions and a grounded theory approach to observe how physicians responded actively to patients even though they did not actively employ the SDM ideal. Findings: Full realization of the SDM ideal remains an exception, but various aspects of SDM in physician-patient interaction were observed in all four locations. Analyses of longer interactions show dynamic processes of interaction that sometimes surprised both patient and physician. We observed varieties of SDM that differ from the SDM ideal but arguably achieve what the SDM ideal is intended to achieve. Our analysis suggests a need to revisit the SDM ideal-to consider whether varieties of SDM may be acceptable, even valuable, in their own right. Insights: The gap between the SDM ideal and SDM as implemented in clinical practice may in part be explained by the tendency of medicine to define and teach SDM through a narrow lens of checklist evaluations. The authors support the argument that SDM defies a checklist approach. SDM is not uniform, but nuanced, dependent on circumstances and setting. As SDM is co-produced by patients and physicians in a dynamic process of interaction, medical researchers should consider and medical learners should be exposed to varieties of SDM-related practice rather than a single idealized model. Observing and discussing worked examples contributes to the physician's development of realistic expectations and personal professional growth.

Neuropilin-1 regulates renin synthesis in juxtaglomerular cells.

Renin is the key enzyme of the systemic renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which plays an essential role in regulating blood pressure and maintaining electrolyte and extracellular volume homeostasis. Renin is mainly produced and secreted by specialized juxtaglomerular (JG) cells in the kidney. In the present study, we report for the first time that the conserved transmembrane receptor neuropilin-1 (NRP1) participates in the development of JG cells and plays a key role in renin production. We used the myelin protein zero-Cre (P0-Cre) to abrogate Nrp1 constitutively in P0-Cre lineage-labelled cells of the kidney. We found that the P0-Cre precursor cells differentiate into renin-producing JG cells. We employed a lineage-tracing strategy combined with RNAscope quantification and metabolic studies to reveal a cell-autonomous role for NRP1 in JG cell function. Nrp1-deficient animals displayed abnormal levels of tissue renin expression and failed to adapt properly to a homeostatic challenge to sodium balance. These findings provide new insights into cell fate decisions and cellular plasticity operating in P0-Cre-expressing precursors and identify NRP1 as a novel key regulator of JG cell maturation. KEY POINTS: Renin is a centrepiece of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and is produced by specialized juxtaglomerular cells (JG) of the kidney. Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) is a conserved membrane-bound receptor that regulates vascular and neuronal development, cancer aggressiveness and fibrosis progression. We used conditional mutagenesis and lineage tracing to show that NRP1 is expressed in JG cells where it regulates their function. Cell-specific Nrp1 knockout mice present with renin paucity in JG cells and struggle to adapt to a homeostatic challenge to sodium balance. The results support the versatility of renin-producing cells in the kidney and may open new avenues for therapeutic approaches.

Wearable near-infrared spectroscopy: reliability and sensitivity among different endurance cycling exercise intensities

The present study investigated the reliability and sensitivity of a wearable near-infrared spectroscopy (wNIRS) device in moderate and heavy exercise intensity domains. On three separate days, eleven males performed an incremental test to exhaustion, and in the following visits, four submaximal constant-load bouts (i.e., test and retest) were performed in the moderate-intensity domain (100 and 130 W) and heavy-intensity domain (160 and 190 W). The local tissue oxygen saturation index (SmO2) and pulmonary oxygen uptake (V̇O2) were measured continuously. The absolute SmO2 and V̇O2 values and the change (Δ) from the 3rd to 6th min of exercise were calculated. There was good reliability for SmO2 measurements, as indicated by the high intraclass correlation coefficient analysis (ICC ≥0.84 for all) and low coefficient of variation between the two trials (CV ≤4.1% for all). Steady-state responses were observed for SmO2 and V̇O2 from the 3rd to the 6th min in the two moderate-intensity bouts (P>0.05), whereas SmO2 decreased and V̇O2 increased from the 3rd to the 6th min in the two heavy-intensity bouts (P<0.05). Together, these findings suggested that the SmO2 measured with a wNIRS device is reliable and sensitive to track local metabolic changes provoked by slight increments in exercise intensity.

Could nanotechnology improve exercise performance? Evidence from animal studies

Abstract This review provides the current state of knowledge regarding the use of nutritional nanocompounds on exercise performance. The reviewed studies used the following nanocompounds: resveratrol-loaded lipid nanoparticles, folic acid into layered hydroxide nanoparticle, redox-active nanoparticles with nitroxide radicals, and iron into liposomes. Most of these nutritional nanocompounds seem to improve performance in endurance exercise compared to the active compound in the non-nanoencapsulated form and/or placebo. Nutritional nanocompounds also induced the following physiological and metabolic alterations: 1) improved antioxidant activity and reduced oxidative stress; 2) reduction in inflammation status; 3) maintenance of muscle integrity; 4) improvement in mitochondrial function and quality; 5) enhanced glucose levels during exercise; 6) higher muscle and hepatic glycogen levels; and 7) increased serum and liver iron content. However, all the reviewed studies were conducted in animals (mice and rats). In conclusion, nutritional nanocompounds are a promising approach to improving exercise performance. As the studies using nutritional nanocompounds were all conducted in animals, further studies in humans are necessary to better understand the application of nutritional nanocompounds in sport and exercise science.

Quantitative fetal MRI with diffusion tensor imaging in cases with 'short' corpus callosum.

OBJECTIVES: It has been suggested previously that the presence of Probst bundles (PB) in cases with a short corpus callosum (SCC) on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may help to differentiate between corpus callosal (CC) dysplasia and a variant of normal CC development. The objectives of this study were to compare DTI parameters between cases of SCC vs normal CC and between cases of SCC with PB (SCC-PB+) vs SCC without PB (SCC-PB-). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients referred to the Necker Hospital in Paris, France, for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of an apparently isolated SCC detected by sonography between November 2016 and December 2022 (IRB: 00011928). MRI was performed using a 1.5-Tesla Signa system. T2-weighted axial and sagittal sequences of the fetal brain were used to measure the length and thickness of the CC. 16-direction DTI axial brain sequences were performed to identify the presence of PB and to generate quantitative imaging parameters (fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)) of the entire CC, genu, body and splenium. Cases in which other associated brain abnormalities were detected on MRI were excluded. Cases were matched for fetal gender and gestational age with controls in a 1:3 ratio. Control cases were normal fetuses included in the LUMIERE on the FETUS trial (NCT04142606) that underwent the same DTI evaluation of the brain. Comparisons between SCC and normal CC cases, and between SCC-PB+ and SCC-PB- cases were performed using ANOVA and adjusted for potential confounders using ANCOVA. RESULTS: Twenty-two SCC cases were included and compared with 66 fetuses with a normal CC. In 10/22 (45.5%) cases of SCC, PB were identified. As expected, dimensions of the CC were significantly smaller in SCC compared with normal CC cases (all P < 0.01). In SCC-PB+ vs SCC-PB- cases, FA values were significantly lower in the entire CC (median, 0.21 (range, 0.19-0.24) vs 0.24 (range, 0.22-0.28); P < 0.01), genu (median, 0.21 (range, 0.15-0.29) vs 0.24 (range, 0.17-0.29); P = 0.04), body (median, 0.21 (range, 0.18-0.23) vs 0.23 (range, 0.21-0.27); P = 0.04) and splenium (median, 0.22 (range, 0.16-0.30) vs 0.25 (range, 0.20-0.29); P = 0.03). ADC values were significantly higher in the entire CC, genu and body in SCC-PB+ vs SCC-PB- cases (all P < 0.05). In SCC-PB+ cases, all FA values were significantly lower, and ADC values in the CC body were significantly higher compared with normal CC cases (all P < 0.05). In SCC-PB- cases, there was no significant difference in FA and ADC compared with normal CC cases (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Fetal DTI evaluation of the CC showed that FA values were significantly lower and ADC values tended to be significantly higher in SCC-PB+ compared with normal CC cases. This may highlight alterations of the white matter microstructure in SCC-PB+. In contrast, isolated SCC-PB- did not demonstrate significant changes in DTI parameters, strengthening the possibility that this is a normal CC variant. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The evaluation of nasolacrimal duct injury in Le Fort I osteotomy patients.

BACKGROUND: Although Le Fort I surgeries are safe and successful procedures; nasolacrimal duct injuries may be observed due to these surgeries. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of nasolacrimal duct injury in Le Fort I osteotomy patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study consisting of patients who underwent Le Fort I osteotomies between 2017 and 2021 in the Erciyes University Faculty of Dentistry. The primary predictor variables were the distance of the nasolacrimal canal to the outer cortex of the maxilla and the nasal floor, as well as the superior-inferior level of the superiorly positioned screw inserted in the maxilla aperture region relative to the nasolacrimal canal. The outcome variable was the presence of a nasolacrimal duct injury. Mann Whitney U test was used for quantitative variables between the two groups. A Pearson chi-squared analysis was used to compare categorical data. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 290 nasolacrimal canals were evaluated in 145 patients, 87 females, and 58 males. The mean age was 23.47± 6.67. There was a statistically significant relationship between screw level and nasolacrimal canal perforation (p<0,001). The distance between the most anterior border of the nasolacrimal canal and the outer cortical of the maxilla was significantly less in the perforation group (p<0,001). The fixation screw was significantly closer to the nasolacrimal canal in the perforation group (p<0,001). CONCLUSIONS: In Le Fort I surgery, nasolacrimal duct injury may occur during screw fixation to the aperture region. Superiorly positioned fixation screws in the aperture region may damage the nasolacrimal canal. In patients where the nasolacrimal canal is close to the outer cortex, care should be taken when applying the fixation screws to the aperture region to avoid damaging the canal.

Which method is successful in closure of acute oroantral communication? A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study's purpose is to retrospectively evaluate the success of surgical methods used in treating Oroantral Communication (OAC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was designed as a retrospective cohort study on patients who developed OAC after surgery maxillary posterior region. The records of patients previously treated with OAC were scanned through the hospital registry software. A data set was created by recording patients' age, gender, systemic disease, etiological reasons, and surgical methods. The primary predictor variable was the surgical method used to treat OAC. Other variables were age, gender, systemic disease and etiological reasons. The primary outcome was oroantral fistula development after the first surgical intervention. The patients who were positive in clinical examination and Valsalva test on control days were considered unsuccessful. One-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for quantitative variables in more than two groups. Pearson chi-square test was used to compare categorical data. RESULTS: This retrospective cohort study was completed with 605 patients who met the study criteria among 95,883 patients who underwent surgery in the maxillary posterior region. The incidence of OAC was 0.63%. The patients consisted of 238 female and 367 male patients. The mean age was 41.06±14.48 years. Buccal flap and Buccal Fat Pad methods were used most frequently in the treatment. While treatment was completed with the first surgical intervention in 592 (97.85%) patients, OAF developed in 13 (2.15%) patients. No statistically significant relation existed between surgical technique and OAF development (p>0.005). The success rate of the Buccal Flap method was 98.7%, and the Buccal Fat Pad method was 95.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that noninvasive methods in openings smaller than 5 mm and surgical treatment methods in openings larger than 5 mm have a high success rate with the limitations of present study.