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OBJECTIVE: Postural abnormalities are a debilitating symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) that may require spinal intervention. Camptocormia is a unique abnormality most seen in PD, defined by a severe forward-flexion of the trunk that completely resolves when supine. The condition presents a challenge due to an undefined pathophysiology and optimal therapeutic approach in a high-risk patient population. In this study, the authors systematically reviewed the literature regarding the use of spine surgery for the treatment of camptocormia in PD. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically queried for studies involving spine surgery as treatment of PD-associated camptocormia. Studies involving nonsurgical management, deep brain stimulation (DBS), non-camptocormic PD patients undergoing surgery, or were out of scope were excluded. RESULTS: The search resulted in 5 studies, with a total of 19 PD patients with camptocormia who underwent spine surgery (73.7% female). The mean age was 69.5 years (range, 59 - 83), and mean PD duration was 69.5 months (range, 36 - 84). Out of 19 patients, 11 required surgical revision (57.9%), with an average of 0.68 revisions per patient (range, 0-2). Radiographic and patient-reported outcomes were inconsistently reported yet showed improvement. Ultimately, 18 patients were reported to have positive outcomes. CONCLUSION: Despite an increased risk of complication and revision that is inherent to PD patients, spine surgery has been proven as a reasonable alternative that should be prospectively studied further, as 18/19 patients had favorable outcomes.
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BACKGROUND: The Ottawa Rules are clinical decision tools designed to assist healthcare providers in determining the need for radiographs in patients with ankle or knee injuries. Compliance with these rules can lead to more efficient use of resources and reduced radiation exposure. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective clinical audit aimed to evaluate healthcare provider's compliance with the Ottawa Rules in an Emergency Department setting and assess the positivity rates of requested knee and ankle X-rays. METHODS: A two-cycle retrospective audit was conducted at Lincoln County Hospital's Emergency Department, involving 648 X-rays collected in two cycles. In between, multiple interventions were implemented to improve the outcomes. RESULTS: The study revealed varying levels of compliance with the Ottawa Rules, with higher compliance observed for knee X-rays than ankle X-rays. The compliance for knee X-rays improved from 74.6% to 89.9% and ankle X-rays improved from 33.1% to 75.8%. Positivity rates for ankle radiographs were higher than knee radiographs in both cycles. The interventions implemented between the cycles significantly improved compliance rates with the Ottawa Rules. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of adherence to the Ottawa Rules in optimizing patient care and resource utilization. The study suggests the need for continued education and periodic audits to maintain and further improve compliance rates. Additionally, the higher positivity rates for ankle radiographs highlight the importance of targeted imaging strategies based on clinical guidelines.
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Motor behaviour using upper-extremity prostheses of different levels is greatly variable, leading to challenges interpreting ideal rehabilitation strategies. Elucidating the underlying neural control mechanisms driving variability benefits our understanding of adaptation after limb loss. In this follow-up study, non-amputated participants completed simple and complex reach-to-grasp motor tasks using a body-powered transradial or partial-hand prosthesis simulator. We hypothesised that under complex task constraints, individuals employing variable grasp postures will show greater sensorimotor beta activation compared to individuals relying on uniform grasping, and activation will occur later in variable compared to uniform graspers. In the simple task, partial-hand variable and transradial users showed increased neural activation from the early to late phase of the reach, predominantly in the hemisphere ipsilateral to device use. In the complex task, only partial-hand variable graspers showed a significant increase in neural activation of the sensorimotor cortex from the early to the late phase of the reach. These results suggest that grasp variability may be a crucial component in the mechanism of neural adaptation to prosthesis use, and may be mediated by device level and task complexity, with implications for rehabilitation after amputation.
Subject(s)
Artificial Limbs , Hand Strength , Posture , Sensorimotor Cortex , Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Hand Strength/physiology , Posture/physiology , Sensorimotor Cortex/physiology , Young Adult , Psychomotor Performance/physiology , Beta Rhythm/physiologyABSTRACT
Ant behavior relies on a collection of natural products, from following trail pheromones during foraging to warding off potential predators. How nervous systems sense these compounds to initiate a behavioral response remains unclear. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans chemotaxis assays to investigate how ant compounds are detected by heterospecific nervous systems. We found that C. elegans avoid extracts of the pavement ant ( Tetramorium immigrans ) and either osm-9 or tax-4 ion channels are required for this response. These experiments were conducted in an undergraduate laboratory course, demonstrating that new insights into interspecies interactions can be generated through genuine research experiences in a classroom setting.
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The direct electrochemical reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) results in various products, complicating the regeneration of the crucial 1,4-NADH cofactor for enzymatic reactions. Previous research primarily focused on steady-state polarization to examine potential impacts on product selectivity. However, this study explores the influence of dynamic conditions on the selectivity of NAD+ reduction products by comparing two dynamic profiles with steady-state conditions. Our findings reveal that the main products, including 1,4-NADH, several dimers, and ADP-ribose, remained consistent across all conditions. A minor by-product, 1,6-NADH, was also identified. The product distribution varied depending on the experimental conditions (steady state vs. dynamic) and the concentration of NAD+, with higher concentrations and overpotentials promoting dimerization. The optimal yield of 1,4-NADH was achieved under steady-state conditions with low overpotential and NAD+ concentrations. While dynamic conditions enhanced the 1,4-NADH yield at shorter reaction times, they also resulted in a significant amount of unidentified products. Furthermore, this study assessed the potential of using pulsed electrochemical regeneration of 1,4-NADH with enoate reductase (XenB) for cyclohexenone reduction.
Subject(s)
Electrochemical Techniques , NAD , Oxidation-Reduction , NAD/chemistry , NAD/metabolismABSTRACT
Multiple approaches for instrumentation of the upper cervical spine have evolved to treat atlantoaxial instability which, until the 20th century, was largely considered to be inoperable and managed nonsurgically with immobilization. Surgeons set out to provide safe and effective approaches in a clearly dangerous and technically complex anatomic region. It is important to provide a historical analysis of the evolution of techniques that have shaped C1-C2 instrumentation, and how the diligent efforts of surgeons to improve the biomechanical stability and fusion rates of their constructs eventually led to the prevailing Harms technique. This technique is explored by describing its surgical steps, alternative techniques, and associated outcomes. For successful instrumentation of the atlantoaxial joint, a comprehensive understanding of spinal biomechanics, surgical techniques, and anatomic variations is imperative for surgeons to develop a tailored plan for each patient's individual pathology and anatomy.
Subject(s)
Atlanto-Axial Joint , Joint Instability , Spinal Fusion , Humans , Spinal Fusion/methods , Bone Screws , Cervical Vertebrae/surgery , Atlanto-Axial Joint/surgery , Joint Instability/surgeryABSTRACT
Objective. Adipose tissue is considered to be an endocrine organ that secretes bioactive substances known as adipokines that contribute to the pathophysiology of metabolic and coronary diseases related to obesity. In this study, various novel biomarkers, such as inflammatory markers that are pro-inflammatory (visfatin) and anti-inflammatory (omentin-1), as prognostic indicators for people with coronary artery disease (CAD) were investigated. Methods. In this study, 30 diabetic patients with CAD, 30 diabetic patients without CAD, and 30 healthy control counterparts were included. Serum omentin and visfatin concentrations were evaluated by solid-phase enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Patients with established diagnosis of CAD based on angiography, ECG, and elevated cardiac marker level were included into the study. Patients with cardioembolic stroke, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, CNS vasculitis, and hemorrhage due to trauma, tumor, vascular malformation, and coagulopathy were excluded. Results. The serum omentin-1 levels were significantly higher in the healthy controls in comparison with the diabetic group (p<0.0001) and serum visfatin levels were significantly higher in the diabetic group in comparison with the healthy controls (p<0.0001). The serum omentin levels were significantly higher in the diabetic group in comparison with the cardio-diabetic group (p<0.0001) and serum visfatin levels were significantly higher in the cardio-diabetic group in comparison with the diabetic group (p<0.0001). The serum omentin-1 showed negative correlation with the serum visfatin in the cardio-diabetic group. Conclusion. The adipokines, such as omentin and visfatin, may be good therapeutic candidates in preventing or ameliorating CAD.
Subject(s)
Coronary Artery Disease , Diabetes Mellitus , Humans , Adipokines/metabolism , Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase , Cytokines , Adipose Tissue/metabolismABSTRACT
In maize, young kernels that are less competitive and have poor sink activity often abort. Studies have indicated that such poor competitiveness depends, in part, on the regulation by auxin (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA). However, the mechanisms for such effects remain unclear. We used pollination-blocking and hand-pollination treatments accompanied by multi-omics and physiological tests, to identify underlying mechanism by which IAA and ABA, along with sugar signaling affect kernel development. Results showed that preventing pollination of the primary ears reactivated kernels in the secondary ears and altered both sugar metabolism and hormone signaling pathways. This was accompanied by increased enzyme activities in carbon metabolism and concentrations of glucose and starch, as well as increased levels of IAA and decreased levels of ABA in the reactivated kernels. Positive and negative correlations were observed between IAA, ABA contents and cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity, and glucose contents, respectively. In vitro culture revealed that the expression of genes involved in glucose utilization was upregulated by IAA, but downregulated by ABA. IAA could promote the expression of ABA signaling genes ZmPP2C9 and ZmPP2C13 but downregulated the expression of Zmnced5, an ABA biosynthesis gene, and ZmSnRK2.10, which is involved in ABA signal transduction. However, these genes showed opposite trends when IAA transport was inhibited. To summarize, we suggest a regulatory model for how IAA inhibits ABA metabolism by promoting the smooth utilization of glucose in reactivated young kernels. Our findings highlight the importance of IAA in ABA signaling by regulating glucose production and transport in maize.
Subject(s)
Abscisic Acid , Indoleacetic Acids , Abscisic Acid/metabolism , Indoleacetic Acids/metabolism , Zea mays/metabolism , Glucose/metabolism , Sugars/metabolismABSTRACT
The general objectives of spine surgery are to alleviate pain, restore neurologic function, and prevent or treat spinal deformities or instability. The accumulating expanse of outcome measures has allowed us to more objectively quantify these variables and, therefore, gauge the success of treatments, ultimately improving the quality of the delivered health care. It has become increasingly evident that spinal conditions and their accompanying interventions affect all aspects of a patient's life, including their physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. This underscores the challenge of creating clinically relevant and accurate outcome measures in spine care, and the reason why there is a growing recognition of the importance of subjective measures such as patient-reported outcome measures, that consider a patients' health-related quality of life. Subjective measures provide valuable insights into patient experiences and perceptions of treatment outcomes, whereas objective measures provide a reproducible glimpse into key radiographic and clinical parameters that are associated with a successful outcome. In this narrative review, we provide a detailed analysis of the most common subjective and objective outcome measures employed in spine surgery, with a special focus on their current role as well as the possible future of outcome reporting.
Subject(s)
Quality of Life , Spinal Diseases , Humans , Spine/surgery , Treatment Outcome , Spinal Diseases/surgery , Pain , Patient Reported Outcome MeasuresABSTRACT
We submit a cautionary tale of a patient with critical aortic stenosis presenting with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, who underwent balloon aortic valvuloplasty, insertion of a transvalvular left percutaneous ventricular assist device and high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention, with a post-operative course complicated by outflow obstruction from the device itself. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
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OBJECTIVES: To compare the relative efficacy of adjuvant nonopioid analgesic regimens in adult cardiac surgical patients. DESIGN: This frequentist, random-effects network meta-analysis (NMA) was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021282913) and conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses for Network Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-NMA). The risk of bias (RoB) and confidence of evidence were assessed by RoB 2 and Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis, respectively. Relevant databases were searched from inception to October 9, 2021. SETTING: A total of 124 (N = 26,257) randomized controlled trials were included, of which 110 were analyzed. PARTICIPANTS: Trials enrolling adults (≥18 years of age) undergoing cardiac surgery that compared nonopioid analgesics against other nonopioid analgesics, placebo, or no additional treatment, as adjuvants to standard analgesic management, and reported at least 1 of the outcomes of interest. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Outcomes of interest included resting postoperative pain scores at 24 hours. Compared with standard care and/or placebo, pain scores were reduced significantly by 10 different regimens, including acetaminophen (N = 176; mean difference [MD] -0.66 points, 95% CI -1.16 to -0.15 points; high confidence), magnesium (N = 323; -0.05 points, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.02 points; high confidence), gabapentin (N = 96; MD -0.40 points, 95% CI -0.71 to -0.09; moderate confidence), and clonidine (N = 64; MD v0.38 points, 95% CI -0.73 to v0.04 points; moderate confidence). Indomethacin, diclofenac, magnesium, and gabapentin significantly reduced 24-hour opioid consumption. Four regimens significantly decreased the intensive care unit length of stay. Hydrocortisone, dexmedetomidine, and clonidine significantly decreased the duration of mechanical ventilation. Magnesium decreased, while methylprednisolone significantly increased, the risk of myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Given the increasing emphasis on enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS) protocols and the eventual goal of limiting opiate prescriptions postoperatively, the authors' data suggested far greater use of nonopioid adjuncts to minimize pain and enhance recovery following cardiac surgery.
Subject(s)
Analgesia , Analgesics, Non-Narcotic , Cardiac Surgical Procedures , Humans , Adult , Analgesics, Non-Narcotic/therapeutic use , Network Meta-Analysis , Gabapentin/therapeutic use , Clonidine/therapeutic use , Magnesium , Analgesics/therapeutic use , Pain, Postoperative/diagnosis , Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy , Pain, Postoperative/prevention & control , Cardiac Surgical Procedures/adverse effects , Analgesia/methodsABSTRACT
AIMS: Adipose tissue is considered as an endocrine organ that releases bioactive factors known as adipokines which contribute to the pathogenesis of rotundity-linked metabolic and cardiovascular complications. Rotundity is a major predisposer for the development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). DATA SYNTHESIS: The literature survey from various databases such as Pubmed/Medline, DOAJ, Scopus, Clarivate analytics/Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to prepare this article. The epidemic of rotundity has gained significant attention to understand the biology of adipocytes and the metabolism of adipose tissue in obese individuals. In CAD, visfatin/NAMPT was primarily indicated as a clinical marker of atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction and vascular injury having a prognostic significance. Visfatin/NAMPT is a factor that promotes vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis. Omentin is an anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic adipokine regulating cardiovascular functions. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights and summarizes the scientific information pertaining to the role of the adipokines - omentin and visfatin in CAD.
Subject(s)
Atherosclerosis , Coronary Artery Disease , Humans , Adipokines/metabolism , Adipose Tissue/metabolism , Atherosclerosis/metabolism , Coronary Artery Disease/diagnosis , Coronary Artery Disease/metabolism , Cytokines/metabolism , Nicotinamide PhosphoribosyltransferaseABSTRACT
Potassium (K) application can alleviate cotton salt stress, but the regulatory mechanisms affecting cotton fiber elongation and ion homeostasis are still unclear. A two-year field experiment was conducted to explore the effects of K on the osmolyte contents (soluble sugar, K+ content, and malate) and related enzyme activities during the fiber elongation of two cotton cultivars with contrasting salt sensitivity (CCRI-79; salt tolerant cultivar, and Simian 3; salt-sensitive cultivar). Three K application treatments (0, 150, and 300 kg K2 O ha-1 ) were applied at three soil salinity levels (low salinity, EC = 1.73 ± 0.05 dS m-1 ; medium salinity, EC = 6.32 ± 0.10 dS m-1 ; high salinity, EC = 10.84 ± 0.24 dS m-1 ). K application improved fiber length and alleviated salt stress by increasing the maximum velocity of fiber elongation (Vmax ). The increase rate of K on fiber length decreased with elevating salt stress, and the increase rate of K on Vmax of CCRI-79 was greater than that of Simian3. K application can increase the enzyme activities (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, PEPC, E.C. 4.1.1.31; pyrophosphatase, PPase, E.C. 3.6.1.1; and plasma membrane H+ -ATPase, PM H+ -ATPase, E.C. 3.6.3.14) as well as the content of osmolytes associated with the enzymes mentioned above. K increased the osmolyte contents under salt stress, and the increase in the K+ content of the fibers was much higher than that of soluble sugar and malate. The results of this study indicated K fertilizer application rates regulate the metabolism of osmolytes in cotton fiber development under salt stress, K+ is more critical to fiber elongation.
Subject(s)
Gossypium , Malates , Gossypium/physiology , Malates/metabolism , Potassium/metabolism , Salt Stress , Cotton Fiber , Homeostasis , Sugars/metabolism , Adenosine Triphosphatases/metabolismABSTRACT
Testicular cancer, accounting for 1-1.5% of male malignancies, rarely presents bilaterally, with only 2-3% of cases being bilateral and a mere 10% being synchronous, typically sharing histological patterns in both testes. Discordant histological presentation is exceedingly rare, with only a few reported cases. In this report, we detail a case involving a 35-year-old infertile male with bilateral synchronous testicular tumors, each exhibiting different histopathologies. This case highlights the diagnostic intricacies and the necessity for tailored management in the face of such uncommon presentations. The implications of oncological treatment and fertility preservation significantly affect the patient's overall quality of life.
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BACKGROUND: Guidelines have recommended the use of dexmedetomidine or propofol for sedation after cardiac surgery, and propofol monotherapy for other patients. Further outcome data are required for these drugs. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was prospectively registered on PROSPERO. The primary outcome was ICU length of stay. Secondary outcomes included duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU delirium, all-cause mortality, and haemodynamic effects. Intensive care patients were analysed separately as cardiac surgical, medical/noncardiac surgical, those with sepsis, and patients in neurocritical care. Subgroup analyses based on age and dosage were conducted. RESULTS: Forty-one trials (N=3948) were included. Dexmedetomidine did not significantly affect ICU length of stay across any ICU patient subtype when compared with propofol, but it reduced the duration of mechanical ventilation (mean difference -0.67 h; 95% confidence interval: -1.31 to -0.03 h; P=0.041; low certainty) and the risk of ICU delirium (risk ratio 0.49; 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.87; P=0.019; high certainty) across cardiac surgical patients. Dexmedetomidine was also associated with a greater risk of bradycardia across a variety of ICU patients. Subgroup analyses revealed that age might affect the incidence of haemodynamic side-effects and mortality among cardiac surgical and medical/other surgical patients. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine did not significantly impact ICU length of stay compared with propofol, but it significantly reduced the duration of mechanical ventilation and the risk of delirium in cardiac surgical patients. It also significantly increased the risk of bradycardia across ICU patient subsets.
Subject(s)
Delirium , Dexmedetomidine , Propofol , Adult , Bradycardia/chemically induced , Critical Illness/therapy , Delirium/chemically induced , Dexmedetomidine/therapeutic use , Humans , Hypnotics and Sedatives/therapeutic use , Intensive Care Units , Propofol/therapeutic use , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Respiration, ArtificialABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to design an artificial neural network for the prediction of cephalometric variables via a lateral photo- graph in skeletal Class I, II, and III patterns. METHODS: A total of 94 patients were recruited for this prospective study, with an age range of 15-20 years (41 boys and 53 girls) seek- ing orthodontic treatment. According to cephalometric analysis, using AutoCAD 21.0, they were allocated into three groups. Thirty with skeletal Class I (14 boys and 16 girls), 34 with skeletal Class II (14 boys and 20 girls), and 30 with skeletal Class III malocclusion (13 boys and 17 girls) according to SNA, SNB, and ANB angles measured from cephalometric radiographs. The study includes (1) finding the correlation of the skeletal measurements between lateral profile photographs and cephalometric radiographs for the recruited patients and (2) designing a specific artificial neural networks for the assessment of skeletal factors via lateral photographs, these artificial neural networks are trained and tested with the total of 94 standard lateral cephalograms. RESULTS: This novel Network provided models of regression that can forecast the cephalometric variables through analogous photo- graphic measurements with excellent predictive power R = 0.99 and limited estimation error for each malocclusion (Class I, II, and III). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that artificial intelligence would be useful as an accurate method in orthodontics for the prediction of cephalometric variables and its performance was achieved by several factors such as proper selection of the input data, preferable generalization, and organization.
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Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of corticosteroids for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Materials & methods: Efficacy outcomes included time to negative SARS-CoV-2 tests, length of stay, duration and incidence of intensive unit care stay, incidence of mortality and duration and incidence of mechanical ventilation. Safety outcomes included the incidence of adverse events and severe adverse events, incidence of hyperglycemia and incidence of nosocomial infections. Results: Ninety-five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (n = 42,205) were included. Corticosteroids were associated with increased length of stay (based on RCT only), increased time to negative tests, decreased length of mechanical ventilation and increased odds of hyperglycemia. Conclusion: Corticosteroids should be considered in patients requiring mechanical ventilation, and glycemic monitoring may be needed when administering corticosteroids.
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Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have been increasingly utilized end-stage heart failure despite guidelinedirected medical therapy (due to limited organ availability) as a bridge to transplant or destination therapy, with improved overall survival.Majority of patients undergoing LVAD implantation have pre-existing implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in-situ.We present a case of device-device interaction resulting in EMI inducing recurrent inappropriate device therapies inducing ventricular arrhythmia followed by the inappropriate triggering of noise reversion mode, thereby inhibiting device therapies.With the increase in number of end-stage heart failure patients with ICDs in situ (and limited organ availability) undergoing LVAD implantation, it is imperative to recognize potential device-device interactions to avoid unwarranted invasive interventions.