Sphagnum mosses, the impact of disturbances and anthropogenic management actions on their ecological role in CO2 fluxes generated in peatland ecosystems.

Mosses of the genus Sphagnum are the dominant vegetation in most pristine peatlands in temperate and high-latitude regions. They play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, being responsible for ca. 50% of carbon accumulation through their active participation in peat formation. They have a significant influence on the dynamics of CO2 emissions due to an efficient maximum potential photosynthetic rate, lower respiration rates, and the production of a recalcitrant litter whose decomposition is gradual. However, various anthropogenic disturbances and land use management actions that favor its reestablishment have the potential to modify the dynamics of these CO2 emissions. Therefore, the objective of this review is to discuss the role of Sphagnum in CO2 emissions generated in peatland ecosystems, and to understand the impacts of anthropogenic practices favorable and detrimental to Sphagnum on these emissions. Based on our review, increased Sphagnum cover reduces CO2 emissions and fosters C sequestration, but drainage transforms peatlands dominated by Sphagnum into a persistent source of CO2 due to lower gross primary productivity of the moss and increased respiration rates. Sites with moss removal used as donor material for peatland restoration emit twice as much CO2 as adjacent undisturbed natural sites, and those with commercial Sphagnum extraction generate almost neutral CO2 emissions, yet both can recover their sink status in the short term. The reintroduction of fragments and natural recolonization of Sphagnum in transitional peatlands, can reduce emissions, recover, or increase the CO2 sink function in the short and medium term. Furthermore, Sphagnum paludiculture is seen as a sustainable alternative for the use of transitional peatlands, allowing moss production strips to become CO2 sink, however, it is necessary to quantify the emissions of all the components of the field of production (ditches, causeway), and the biomass harvested from the moss to establish a final closing balance of C.

Polycladomyces zharkentensis sp. nov., a novel thermophilic cellulose- and starch-degrading member of the Bacillota from a geothermal aquifer in Kazakhstan.

A thermophilic, aerobic and heterotrophic filamentous bacterium, designated strain ZKZ2T, was isolated from a pipeline producing hydrothermal water originating from a >2.3 km deep subsurface geothermal source in Zharkent, Almaty region, Kazakhstan. The isolate was Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, heat-resistant and capable of producing a variety of extracellular hydrolases. Growth occurred at temperatures between 55 and 75 °C, with an optimum around 70 °C, and at pH values between 5.5 and 9.0, with an optimum at pH 7.0-7.5 with the formation of aerial mycelia; endospores were produced along the aerial mycelium. The isolate was able to utilize the following substrates for growth: glycerol, l-arabinose, ribose, d-xylose, d-glucose, d-fructose, d-mannose, rhamnose, d-mannitol, methyl-d-glucopyranoside, aesculin, salicin, cellobiose, maltose, melibiose, sucrose, trehalose, melezitose, raffinose, starch, turanose and 5-keto-gluconate. Furthermore, it was able to hydrolyse carboxymethylcellulose, starch, skimmed milk, Tween 60 and Tween 80. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C16 : 0. Our 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed ZKZ2T within the genus Polycladomyces, family Thermoactinomycetaceae, with the highest similarity to the type species Polycladomyces abyssicola JIR-001T (99.18 % sequence identity). Our draft genome sequence analysis revealed a genome size of 3.3 Mbp with a G+C value of 52.5 mol%. The orthologous average nucleotide identity value as compared to that of its closest relative, P. abyssicola JIR-001T, was 90.23 %, with an in silico DNA-DNA hybridization value of 40.7 %, indicating that ZKZ2T represents a separate genome species. Based on the phenotypic and genome sequence differences from the other two Polycladomyces species, we propose that strain ZKZ2T represents a novel species, for which we propose the name Polycladomyces zharkentensis sp. nov. The type strain is ZKZ2T (=CECT 30708T=KCTC 43421T).

Exploring the Relationship of Declarative Tactical Knowledge With Participation, Football Competence, and Potentiality in a Professional Club (Real Sociedad).

We compared the declarative tactical knowledge (DTK) of 196 male and female players (16.9 ± 2.4 years) belonging to the academy of a Spanish professional football club with their participation (minutes played), football competence (coaching staff assessment), and future potential (technical direction prediction). The DTK had no correlation with the minutes played (%) by the participants during the 2021-22 season (r = -.162, p = .045). Student's t test for independent samples compared the football competence of the participants with high DTK (n = 74) and low DTK (n = 76), proving a small impact (p = .021, d = 0.39) in favor of the first group. Although the high-DTK group showed a better average of potentiality, the technical direction identified more potential players for the first team in the low-DTK group. In conclusion, no solid evidence was found to justify that participants with higher DTK in each team were those who played more minutes and showed greater football competence and potentiality.

Mechano-electrical interactions and heterogeneities in wild-type and drug-induced long QT syndrome rabbits.

Electromechanical reciprocity - comprising electro-mechanical (EMC) and mechano-electric coupling (MEC) - provides cardiac adaptation to changing physiological demands. Understanding electromechanical reciprocity and its impact on function and heterogeneity in pathological conditions - such as (drug-induced) acquired long QT syndrome (aLQTS) - might lead to novel insights in arrhythmogenesis. Our aim is to investigate how electrical changes impact on mechanical function (EMC) and vice versa (MEC) under physiological conditions and in aLQTS. To measure regional differences in EMC and MEC in vivo, we used tissue phase mapping cardiac MRI and a 24-lead ECG vest in healthy (control) and IKr -blocker E-4031-induced aLQTS rabbit hearts. MEC was studied in vivo by acutely increasing cardiac preload, and ex vivo by using voltage optical mapping (OM) in beating hearts at different preloads. In aLQTS, electrical repolarization (heart rate corrected RT-interval, RTn370) was prolonged compared to control (P < 0.0001) with increased spatial and temporal RT heterogeneity (P < 0.01). Changing electrical function (in aLQTS) resulted in significantly reduced diastolic mechanical function and prolonged contraction duration (EMC), causing increased apico-basal mechanical heterogeneity. Increased preload acutely prolonged RTn370 in both control and aLQTS hearts (MEC). This effect was more pronounced in aLQTS (P < 0.0001). Additionally, regional RT-dispersion increased in aLQTS. Motion-correction allowed us to determine APD-prolongation in beating aLQTS hearts, but limited motion correction accuracy upon preload-changes prevented a clear analysis of MEC ex vivo. Mechano-induced RT-prolongation and increased heterogeneity were more pronounced in aLQTS than in healthy hearts. Acute MEC effects may play an additional role in LQT-related arrhythmogenesis, warranting further mechanistic investigations. KEY POINTS: Electromechanical reciprocity comprising excitation-contraction coupling (EMC) and mechano-electric feedback loops (MEC) is essential for physiological cardiac function. Alterations in electrical and/or mechanical heterogeneity are known to have potentially pro-arrhythmic effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate how electrical changes impact on the mechanical function (EMC) and vice versa (MEC) both under physiological conditions (control) and in acquired long QT syndrome (aLQTS). We show that changing the electrical function (in aLQTS) results in significantly altered mechanical heterogeneity via EMC and, vice versa, that increasing the preload acutely prolongs repolarization duration and increases electrical heterogeneity, particularly in aLQTS as compared to control. Our results substantiate the hypothesis that LQTS is an ?electro-mechanical', rather than a 'purely electrical', disease and suggest that acute MEC effects may play an additional role in LQT-related arrhythmogenesis.

Debulking SARS-CoV-2 in saliva using angiotensin converting enzyme 2 in chewing gum to decrease oral virus transmission and infection.

To advance a novel concept of debulking virus in the oral cavity, the primary site of viral replication, virus-trapping proteins CTB-ACE2 were expressed in chloroplasts and clinical-grade plant material was developed to meet FDA requirements. Chewing gum (2 g) containing plant cells expressed CTB-ACE2 up to 17.2 mg ACE2/g dry weight (11.7% leaf protein), have physical characteristics and taste/flavor like conventional gums, and no protein was lost during gum compression. CTB-ACE2 gum efficiently (>95%) inhibited entry of lentivirus spike or VSV-spike pseudovirus into Vero/CHO cells when quantified by luciferase or red fluorescence. Incubation of CTB-ACE2 microparticles reduced SARS-CoV-2 virus count in COVID-19 swab/saliva samples by >95% when evaluated by microbubbles (femtomolar concentration) or qPCR, demonstrating both virus trapping and blocking of cellular entry. COVID-19 saliva samples showed low or undetectable ACE2 activity when compared with healthy individuals (2,582 versus 50,126 ΔRFU; 27 versus 225 enzyme units), confirming greater susceptibility of infected patients for viral entry. CTB-ACE2 activity was completely inhibited by pre-incubation with SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, offering an explanation for reduced saliva ACE2 activity among COVID-19 patients. Chewing gum with virus-trapping proteins offers a general affordable strategy to protect patients from most oral virus re-infections through debulking or minimizing transmission to others.

Beamforming Techniques for Passive Radar: An Overview.

Passive radar is an interesting approach in the context of non-cooperative target detection. Because the signal source takes advantage of the so-called illuminator of opportunity (IoO), the deployed system is silent, allowing the operator cheap, portable, and practically undetectable deployments. These systems match perfectly with the use of antenna arrays to take advantage of the additional gains provided by the coherent combination of the signals received at each element. To obtain these benefits, linear processing methods are required to enhance the system's performance. In this work, we summarize the main beamforming methods in the literature to provide a clear picture of the current state of the art. Next, we perform an analysis of the benefits and drawbacks and explore the chance of increasing the number of antenna elements. Finally, we identify the major challenges to be addressed by researchers in the future.

Uptake-leak balance of SR Ca2+ determines arrhythmogenic potential of RyR2R420Q+/- cardiomyocytes.

Mutations of the RyR2 are channelopathies that can predispose to life threatening catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardias (CPVTs) during exercise or stress. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are causal for the arrhythmias downstream of the ß-adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) activation are not defined. They may be specific and different for each particular RyR2 mutation. Obvious possibilities are the phosphorylation of the mutated RyR2s or the stimulation of the SR Ca2+ pump (SERCA), which could increase SR Ca2+ loading. Potentially arrhythmogenic Ca2+ signals, such as Ca2+ waves, were recorded and analyzed from WT and RyR2R420Q+/- mouse cardiomyocytes with confocal microscopy after field stimulation at 1 Hz. In RyR2R420Q+/- cardiomyocytes we found a higher occurrence and frequency of Ca2+ waves, particularly upon ß-AR stimulation with isoproterenol. This was accompanied by a shorter latency to the first spontaneous wave. Wave velocity from raw traces, as well as amplitude and decay time constant (τ) analyzed in de-skewed traces were comparable in both cell types. To obtain further insight into the role of the SERCA we selectively stimulated SERCA in permeabilized myocytes using Fab fragments of a PLB antibody (2D12). Surprisingly, SERCA stimulation alone resulted in considerably higher wave frequencies than when mimicking ß-AR stimulation with cAMP, particularly in RyR2R420Q+/- cardiomyocytes. This may be a consequence of some protective SR Ca2+ unloading resulting from the SR Ca2+ leak via phosphorylated RyR2s in cAMP. Spark-to-spark recovery analysis suggested a remarkably higher Ca2+ release sensitivity in RyR2R420Q+/- cells, both in control and upon ß-AR stimulation. Together these findings suggest that the fine balance between SR Ca2+ loading via SERCA and the Ca2+ leak via mutated and phosphorylated RyR2s is an important determinant for the overall cellular arrhythmogenicity prevailing in the RyR2R420Q+/- myocytes.

Parametric Study of the Factors Influencing Liposome Physicochemical Characteristics in a Periodic Disturbance Mixer.

Liposomes encapsulate different substances ranging from drugs to genes. Control over the average size and size distribution of these nanoparticles is vital for biomedical applications since these characteristics determine to a high degree where liposomes will accumulate in the human body. Micromixers enable the continuous flow synthesis of liposomes, improving size control and reproducibility. Recently, Dean flow dynamics-based micromixers, such as the periodic disturbance mixer (PDM), have been shown to produce controlled-size liposomes in a scalable and reproducible way. However, contrary to micromixers based on molecular diffusion or chaotic advection, their production factors and their influence over liposome properties have not yet been addressed thoroughly. In this work, we present a comprehensive parametric study of the effects of flow conditions and molecular changing factors such as concentration, lipid type, and temperature on the physicochemical characteristics of liposomes. Numerical models and confocal images are used to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate mixing performance under different liposome production conditions and their relationship with vesicle properties. The total flow rate (TFR) and, to a lesser extent, the flow rate ratio (FRR) control the liposome size and size distribution. Effects on liposome size are also observed by changing the molecular factors. Moreover, the liposome ζ potential is independent of the factors studied here. The micromixer presented in this work enables the production of liposomes as small as 24 nm, with monodispersed to low or close to low polydispersed liposome populations as well as a production rate as high as 41 mg/h.

Metagenomics and Culture-Based Diversity Analysis of the Bacterial Community in the Zharkent Geothermal Spring in Kazakhstan.

Diversity of the microbial community in the Zharkent geothermal hot spring, located in the southeastern region of Kazakhstan, was assessed using both culture-dependent and -independent approaches. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of DNA extracted from the spring water yielded 11,061,725 high-quality sequence reads, totaling >1,67 Gb of nucleotide sequences. Furthermore, water samples were enriched in nutrient broth at varying high temperatures, and colonies isolated by being streaked onto nutrient agar. Finally, DNA extraction and amplification, as well as sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, were conducted. Bacteria constituted more than 99.97% of the total prokaryotic abundance, with Archaea contributing only an extremely small component; Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria dominated the community. At genus level, Firmicutes reads affiliated with Desmospora, Parageobacillus, Paenibacillus, and Brevibacillus, accounting for more than 60% of total prokaryotic abundance. Eight morphologically distinct, aerobic, endospore-forming thermophilic bacteria were recovered; isolates differed significantly in substrate utilization patterns, as well as their production of thermophilic, extracellular, hydrolytic enzymes for degradation of starch, lipids, cellulose, and protein. Five strains could degrade all four macromolecular types at temperatures ranging from 55 to 75 °C. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed all isolates into the genus Geobacillus with some of them possibly representing novel species. The results indicate that this hot spring represents a rich source of novel thermophilic bacteria and potentially useful thermostable enzymes.

Speech-in-Noise Recognition With More Realistic Implementations of a Binaural Cochlear-Implant Sound Coding Strategy Inspired by the Medial Olivocochlear Reflex.

OBJECTIVES: Cochlear implant (CI) users continue to struggle understanding speech in noisy environments with current clinical devices. We have previously shown that this outcome can be improved by using binaural sound processors inspired by the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex, which involve dynamic (contralaterally controlled) rather than fixed compressive acoustic-to-electric maps. The present study aimed at investigating the potential additional benefits of using more realistic implementations of MOC processing. DESIGN: Eight users of bilateral CIs and two users of unilateral CIs participated in the study. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) for sentences in competition with steady state noise were measured in unilateral and bilateral listening modes. Stimuli were processed through two independently functioning sound processors (one per ear) with fixed compression, the current clinical standard (STD); the originally proposed MOC strategy with fast contralateral control of compression (MOC1); a MOC strategy with slower control of compression (MOC2); and a slower MOC strategy with comparatively greater contralateral inhibition in the lower-frequency than in the higher-frequency channels (MOC3). Performance with the four strategies was compared for multiple simulated spatial configurations of the speech and noise sources. Based on a previously published technical evaluation of these strategies, we hypothesized that SRTs would be overall better (lower) with the MOC3 strategy than with any of the other tested strategies. In addition, we hypothesized that the MOC3 strategy would be advantageous over the STD strategy in listening conditions and spatial configurations where the MOC1 strategy was not. RESULTS: In unilateral listening and when the implant ear had the worse acoustic signal-to-noise ratio, the mean SRT was 4 dB worse for the MOC1 than for the STD strategy (as expected), but it became equal or better for the MOC2 or MOC3 strategies than for the STD strategy. In bilateral listening, mean SRTs were 1.6 dB better for the MOC3 strategy than for the STD strategy across all spatial configurations tested, including a condition with speech and noise sources colocated at front where the MOC1 strategy was slightly disadvantageous relative to the STD strategy. All strategies produced significantly better SRTs for spatially separated than for colocated speech and noise sources. A statistically significant binaural advantage (i.e., better mean SRTs across spatial configurations and participants in bilateral than in unilateral listening) was found for the MOC2 and MOC3 strategies but not for the STD or MOC1 strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, performance was best with the MOC3 strategy, which maintained the benefits of the originally proposed MOC1 strategy over the STD strategy for spatially separated speech and noise sources and extended those benefits to additional spatial configurations. In addition, the MOC3 strategy provided a significant binaural advantage, which did not occur with the STD or the original MOC1 strategies.

Tobacco smoking is an independent factor associated with retinal damage in systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional and retrospective study.

To analyze the influence of tobacco smoking on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) clinical features and damage. Cross-sectional and retrospective, case-control study comparing SLE patients with and without tobacco exposure. Cumulative clinical data and comorbidities were collected, and severity (Katz index) and damage (SLICC/ACR damage index) (SDI) indices were calculated. Pack-years (PY) was used to estimate lifetime tobacco exposure. A logistic regression was carried out to explore the impact of tobacco use on retinal damage. 216 patients were included. The mean age was 49 years (± 12.7), 93% were females, and median disease duration was 17 years [interquartile range (IQR):9-25]. Fifty-three percent of patients were smokers at some point. The median PY was 13 (IQR: 6-20.5). Only 54.8% of active smokers recalled having been informed of the negative effects of smoking, versus 83.3% of never smokers (< 0.001). In a bivariant analysis, an association between tobacco use at any time and discoid lupus [OR: 3.5(95%CI 1.5-8.9); p = 0.002] photosensitivity [OR: 2.06(95%CI 1.16-3.7); p = 0.01] and peripheral arteriopathy (p = 0.007) was found. Considering SDI item by item, a significant association with retinal damage, adjusted for age [OR: 1.03(95%CI 1-1.07); p = 0.04], was found. Using PYs, an association was found with discoid lupus (p = 0.01), photosensitivity (p = 0.03) and peripheral arteriopathy (p = 0.01), global SDI > 0 (p = 0.002) and retinal damage (p = 0.02). In a multivariate analysis exploring factors associated with retinal damage, any previous smoking history and SDI remained associated with retinal damage. Tobacco smoking is associated with cutaneous manifestations and damage and is an independent predictor of retinal damage in SLE patients.

Functional role of highly conserved residues of the N-terminal tail and first transmembrane segment of a P4-ATPase.

The P4 family of P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) plays an important role in maintaining phospholipid asymmetry in eukaryotic cell membranes. Leishmania miltefosine transporter (LMT) is a plasma membrane (PM) P4-ATPase that catalyses translocation into the parasite of the leishmanicidal drug miltefosine as well as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine analogues. In the present study, we analysed the role, in LMT, of a series of highly conserved amino acids previously undescribed in the N-terminal region of P4-ATPases. Seven residues were identified and, according to an LMT structural model, five were located in the cytosolic N-terminal tail (Asn58, Ile60, Lys64, Tyr65 and Phe70) and the other two (Pro72 and Phe79) in the first transmembrane segment (TM1). Alanine-scanning mutagenesis analysis showed that N58A, Y65A and F79A mutations caused a considerable reduction in the LMT translocase activity. These mutations did not affect protein expression levels. We generated additional mutations in these three residues to assess the influence of the conservation degree on LMT translocase activity. Some of these mutations reduced expression levels without affecting the interaction between LMT and its CDC50 subunit, LRos3. Conserved and non-conserved mutations in the invariant residue Asn58 drastically reduced the translocase activity. Consequently, Asn58 may be necessary to achieve optimal catalytic LMT activity as previously described for the potentially equivalent Asn39 of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase isoform 1a (SERCA1a). Additionally, conservation of a hydrophobic residue at position 79 is crucial for LMT stability.

Endovascular aortic sealing with Nellix reduces intraoperative radiation dose when compared to endovascular aortic repair.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze radiation exposure during endovascular aortic sealing (EVAS) in comparison with standard endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in clinical practice. METHODS: From December 2013 to October 2016 (35 months), 60 patients were analyzed for intraoperative radiation exposure during EVAR: 30 consecutive patients (mean age, 73.10 years; 28 male) received EVAS (Nellix Endologix); within the same time frame, 30 patients were treated with standard EVAR (mean age, 71.87 years; 30 male). An indirect dose analysis was performed for both groups of patients, including effective dose and cumulative air kerma. Furthermore, fluoroscopy time (FT), dose area product, and time of procedure were included in the study. RESULTS: The effective dose was significantly reduced in the EVAS group (3.72 mSv) compared with the group treated with standard EVAR (6.8 mSv; P ≤ .001). The cumulative air kerma was also lowered in EVAS (67.65 mGy vs 139 mGy in EVAR; P ≤ .001). FT for the entire group was 13 minutes and was shorter (P < .001) for EVAS (9 minutes) in comparison with EVAR (19 minutes). The dose area product for the entire cohort was 16.95 Gy.cm2 and was lower during EVAS (12.4 Gy.cm2) than during EVAR (22.6 Gy.cm2; P < .001). The median operating time for the entire group was 123.5 minutes and was significantly shorter (P < .01) for EVAS (119 minutes vs EVAR at 132 minutes). The FT shows a significant correlation with the patient's weight (P = .022), body mass index (P = .004), and time of procedure (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: EVAS is associated with a relevant decrease in indirect measured radiation dose and time of procedure compared with standard EVAR. A relevant reduction in dose during EVAS is highly likely to result in lower exposure to radiation for physicians and staff. Such a result would be highly advantageous and calls for further analysis.

Narrow band imaging endoscopy improves visualization of vessels of the perforated tympanic membrane.

PURPOSE: Because successful healing of a tympanic membrane perforation (TMP) depends upon the maintenance of blood supply to the injured area, we assessed the usefulness of narrow band imaging (NBI) video endoscopy to evaluate its vascularization. To our knowledge, the use of NBI to assess tympanic membrane (TM) vascular patterns has never been attempted. METHODS: Prospective observational study. NBI and cold white light (CWL) flexible videoendoscopy was used to explore perforated TMs of 100 patients. Main outcome measures were visualization of vessels among abnormal TM findings: monomeric areas (MA) (n = 6), myringosclerosis plaques (MP) (n = 65) and perforation edges (n = 100). They were graded by a vascular otoendoscopic score (VOS) comparing both types of lights (Wilcoxon test). Location and vascularization patterns were analyzed (Fisher's test). RESULTS: NBI was better to observe vascularization of 32% of perforation edges and 75.4% of MP (p < 0.001). NBI displayed higher (better) VOS when evaluating TMP edges (1.05 vs. 0.73) and MP (1.56 vs. 0.81, p < 0.001). The majority of TMP edges showed a ring pattern (66%), followed by irregular (19%), avascular (12%) and radial patterns (3%). The avascular pattern was more frequent in posterior perforations (p = 0.003). The radial pattern was most frequently found in MP, especially at posterior quadrants (p = 0.048). MA presented an irregular pattern in 83.3% of TMs. CONCLUSIONS: NBI videoendoscopy is a promising non-invasive technique, superior to CWL for visualizing vessels among TMP edges and MP, based on further study, could become a supplementary diagnostic tool in the workup of TMP and the decision-making surgical field.

Levator Palpebrae Superioris Muscle Direct Neurotization.

Direct muscle neurotization has been proved to be a feasible technique for facial reanimation microsurgical procedures. Direct muscle neurotization is performed by implanting the interposition nerve graft directly into the substance of the muscle. The authors present the case of a 36-year-old male patient with upper eyelid dysfunction secondary to facial trauma. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle was macroscopically unaffected; however, neurophysiological test proved a selective denervation of the CN III motor branch to the levator palpebrae superioris muscle. Direct muscle neurotization was performed by means of 2 separate nerve procedures. The authors have made follow-up for 3 months after surgery. The authors have noted development of upper eyelid movement meaning adequate function of the neurotized muscle. The authors believe that this procedure could be integrated into the surgical options to treat selective nerve injuries should the right patient is encountered.

Raptor ablation in skeletal muscle decreases Cav1.1 expression and affects the function of the excitation-contraction coupling supramolecular complex.

The protein mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase regulating a number of biochemical pathways controlling cell growth. mTOR exists in two complexes termed mTORC1 and mTORC2. Regulatory associated protein of mTOR (raptor) is associated with mTORC1 and is essential for its function. Ablation of raptor in skeletal muscle results in several phenotypic changes including decreased life expectancy, increased glycogen deposits and alterations of the twitch kinetics of slow fibres. In the present paper, we show that in muscle-specific raptor knockout (RamKO), the bulk of glycogen phosphorylase (GP) is mainly associated in its cAMP-non-stimulated form with sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes. In addition, 3[H]-ryanodine and 3[H]-PN200-110 equilibrium binding show a ryanodine to dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) ratio of 0.79 and 1.35 for wild-type (WT) and raptor KO skeletal muscle membranes respectively. Peak amplitude and time to peak of the global calcium transients evoked by supramaximal field stimulation were not different between WT and raptor KO. However, the increase in the voltage sensor-uncoupled RyRs leads to an increase of both frequency and mass of elementary calcium release events (ECRE) induced by hyper-osmotic shock in flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) fibres from raptor KO. The present study shows that the protein composition and function of the molecular machinery involved in skeletal muscle excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling is affected by mTORC1 signalling.

Longitudinal practice patterns of prophylaxis of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

The aim of this study was to analyze the longitudinal practice patterns of prophylaxis of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Patients diagnosed with PMR were collected retrospectively in two rheumatology departments. In addition to demographic and diagnostic criteria, the chart review included the following information at baseline and at follow-up: doses of prednisone, prescription of calcium, vitamin D and bisphosphonates, bone mass measurement (BMD) and fragility fractures. We analyzed the percentage of patients undergoing BMD and were prescribed a bisphosphonate over the years. We evaluated 158 patients: 117 of them were women, mean age was 73 years, and they had an average follow-up of 4.8 years. 104 patients (66 %) received osteoporosis medication during the first visit, 44 of them were given bisphosphonate. During follow-up, another 30 treatments with bisphosphonate were added (46 % overall) while 37 cases (23 %) received no treatment with calcium or bisphosphonate. BMD was performed in 111 patients (69 %; 53 % of males and 76 % of females). Factors associated with the use of bisphosphonates were female sex (OR 4.4, 95 % CI 4.02-4.86), BMD (OR 2.4, 95 % CI 2.05-2.78) and commencement of treatment after the year 2005 (54 vs 37 %, OR 1.93, 95 % CI 1.60-2.26). No significant differences were found with age, initial doses of prednisone or the hospital. According to recent prevention guidelines, treatment with biphosphonate should have been administered in more than 90 % of patients. Although prophylaxis of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in patients with PMR has increased in the recent years, many patients do not receive prophylaxis with bisphosphonate during the first visit.

Truncal Plane Blocks for Implantation of Cardiac Resynchronization Devices: A Systematic Review.

Patients undergoing subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) placement can experience significant perioperative pain. General anesthesia is traditionally used for S-ICD placement and is associated with increased risk. Truncal plane blocks (TPBs) and sedation offer an alternative for adequate analgesia while avoiding hemodynamic compromise related to general anesthesia. A comprehensive evidence search utilized PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, US National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials, and Medline Complete databases and the evidence examined the efficacy of TPBs in S-ICD placement. The quality of evidence was assessed using the guidelines described in the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model. Three randomized-controlled trials, four nonrandomized experimental studies, two nonexperimental studies, and three case studies totaling 379 patients were reviewed. Ultrasound-guided TPBs with sedation demonstrated superior analgesic efficacy for S-ICD procedures. Hemodynamics marginally deviated from baseline values and were well tolerated by patients. The evidence suggests that TPBs provide adequate analgesia during intraoperative and postoperative periods. TPBs are effective in reducing pain scores and opioid consumption postoperatively. Although there were no significant changes in hemodynamic values, more research should be conducted to evaluate the effects on intraoperative hemodynamics.