Dorsal Sites Research Articles

Transvaginal double-layer parallel in-situ suturing for early complex vesicovaginal fistula repair: Case report.

Complex vesicovaginal fistulas (VVFs) with large defects pose significant surgical challenges. Traditional repair methods often require extensive tissue separation and multilayer suturing, risking local blood supply and healing. This study introduces a novel modified transvaginal repair technique that simplifies the procedure while preserving tissue vascularity. It employs double-layer parallel in situ suturing for early repair of complex VVF. A 50-year-old woman was admitted with continuous vaginal urine leakage for 4 days following trauma. Speculum examination revealed a 3-cm longitudinal oval laceration at the 11 o'clock position in the dorsal lithotomy site, with continuous fluid leakage through the fistula. Self-inflicted complex VVF. The patient underwent prophylactic placement of bilateral double-J stents and continuous catheterization, followed by surgical repair using a modified transvaginal technique involving double-layer parallel in situ suturing. Postoperative evaluations showed successful healing with no urinary leakage. The vaginal sutures were removed on day 24, and follow-up at 1 year confirmed no recurrence of the fistula or lower urinary tract symptoms, significantly improving the patient's quality of life. The modified transvaginal repair technique using double-layer parallel in situ suturing is a simple and effective approach for early repair of complex VVF, highlighting its potential for broader clinical application. Future studies with larger cohorts are needed to validate these findings.

Biomechanical and histological variables differ by site but not by lameness in equine digital cushion samples from forelimbs

The equine digital cushion (DC) has been a poorly understood structure regarding its mechanical properties and composition. The objective of this study was to develop a sampling technique and to compare the biomechanical and histologic properties of DC between lame and non-lame forelimbs. Both forefeet from horses with induced carpal lameness were radiographed prior to humane euthanasia. Radiographs were used to guide sample collection of two, post-mortem, midline DC samples, palmar and dorsal, via an 8mm biopsy punch. Samples were subjected to compressive testing to determine elastic modulus. Histological evaluation was used to quantify collagen, adipose, ground substance, elastic fibers, and blood vessels. Comparisons of variables between palmar and dorsal DC sites and lame and non-lame limbs were made using student's t-tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests with P < 0.05. There were no differences in histologic or biomechanical properties in DCs of lame and non-lame forelimbs. The dorsal DC sampling site had a significantly higher median elastic modulus (median: 0.054 MPa, range: 0.001 – 2.110 MPa) and a larger median percentage of ground substance (median: 15 %, 95 % CI: 3 – 30 %) compared to the palmar DC site (elastic modulus: median: 0.023 MPa, range: 0 – 0.576 MPa; ground substance: median 5 %, 95 % CI: 3 – 25 %) (P = 0.03, <0.001; respectively). This study demonstrated that adequate samples could be collected from the DC for biomechanical and histological analysis. Differences in elastic modulus and ground substance between palmar and dorsal samples may reflect different roles of these sites within the DC.

Assessment of Incomplete Apical Bone Coverage of Maxillary Premolar and Molar Roots Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography in 161 Dogs.

This retrospective study assessed maxillary premolar and molar teeth and identified roots with incomplete apical bone coverage using cone beam computed tomography in 161 dogs. The associated dorsal anatomic sites that the roots communicated with were the ventral nasal meatus, maxillary recess, infraorbital canal, and pterygopalatine fossa. The study found that all roots of the maxillary premolar and molar teeth have the potential for incomplete apical bone coverage, with 26.7% having incomplete apical bone coverage. No significant association with sex was found. A significant association with weight was found, and this lowered with increasing body weight. Facial index, as a determinate of skull shape, was found to be significant in only 35.7% of roots in univariate and 14.2% of roots in multivariate modeling. Knowledge of the anatomy of these roots plays an important role in safe and effective extraction techniques, in reducing iatrogenic trauma, and in understanding the potential local effects of periodontal and endodontic disease.

Mechanical fabrication and evaluation of bioresorbable barbed sutures with different barb geometries

Bioresorbable polymeric sutures are gaining interest from surgeons and patients as they reduce surgical stress and trauma. This study involves two bioresorbable polymers, namely, catgut and poly(4-hyrdorxybutyrate) (P4HB) that are used widely in cosmetic procedures. P4HB barbed sutures are favorably used in rhytidectomy (micro-facelifts) procedures while catgut sutures are widely used for external wound closure after surgical interventions. This study involves the mechanical fabrication of catgut and P4HB barbed sutures and compares their mechanical and anchoring properties. Barbed sutures were fabricated with two different barb geometries namely, straight and curved barbs. The mechanical properties were evaluated via tensile testing, and the anchoring performance was studied by means of a suture-tissue pull-out protocol using porcine dermis tissue which was harvested from the medial dorsal site. The fabricated barbed sutures of both materials showed a similar trend compared to non-barbed sutures of decreases in failure stress, strain at failure, and work to rupture or toughness which was reduced by about 70%. At the same time there was a 15% increase in the initial modulus or stiffness of the barbed sutures. The pull-out force for the barbed sutures with straight barbs was similar for both P4HB (5.04 ± 0.8 N) and catgut (4.47 ± 3.8 N), and as expected, were higher than that of non-barbed sutures of the same size. It was also observed that barbed sutures with curved barbs also required a higher pull-out force than those sutures with straight barbs. It was concluded that by barbing sutures with different barb shapes and geometries, a range of barbed suture products could be fabricated, each meeting the closure requirements for different types of tissue and therefore being suitable for different surgical procedures.

Anatomical Structures at Risk in Percutaneous Preparation Talonavicular Fusion.

The stability of the hindfoot greatly relies on the integrity of the talonavicular joint. Pathologies affecting this joint often necessitate fusion. Our study explores the risks posed to neurovascular and tendon structures during simulated percutaneous talonavicular joint preparation for fusion. In 9 fresh cadaver specimens, the talonavicular joint was accessed through two portals. A 2-mm Shannon burr was employed for joint surface preparation with distraction provided by a pin-based distractor. Dissections were performed to assess potential damage to critical structures, including the dorsalis pedis artery, superficial and deep peroneal nerves, extensor hallucis longus (EHL), and tibialis anterior (TA) tendons. The dorsal portal site was found to be significantly closer to important structures compared to the medial portal site. The Shannon burr made contact with various structures, with a single transection identified for both deep and superficial peroneal nerve branches. During the dorsal portal site approach, potential injury to the EHL tendon was identified as concern. This study sheds light on the potential risks associated with percutaneous dorsal and medial joint preparation approaches using a Shannon burr.Level of Evidence:Level V, mechanism-based reasoning..

Effects of environmental translocation and host characteristics on skin microbiomes of sun-basking fish.

Variation in the composition of skin-associated microbiomes has been attributed to host species, geographical location and habitat, but the role of intraspecific phenotypic variation among host individuals remains elusive. We explored if and how host environment and different phenotypic traits were associated with microbiome composition. We conducted repeated sampling of dorsal and ventral skin microbiomes of carp individuals (Cyprinus carpio) before and after translocation from laboratory conditions to a semi-natural environment. Both alpha and beta diversity of skin-associated microbiomes increased substantially within and among individuals following translocation, particularly on dorsal body sites. The variation in microbiome composition among hosts was significantly associated with body site, sun-basking, habitat switch and growth, but not temperature gain while basking, sex, personality nor colour morph. We suggest that the overall increase in the alpha and beta diversity estimates among hosts were induced by individuals expressing greater variation in behaviours and thus exposure to potential colonizers in the pond environment compared with the laboratory. Our results exemplify how biological diversity at one level of organization (phenotypic variation among and within fish host individuals) together with the external environment impacts biological diversity at a higher hierarchical level of organization (richness and composition of fish-associated microbial communities).

The Risk of Injury in Wrist Arthroscopy Portals: A Cadaveric Study.

During wrist arthroscopy, the wrist joint can be visualized from almost every perspective through a combination of standard dorsal and volar arthroscopic portals. This cadaveric study aims to compare all wrist portals described in terms of their safety in order to rank them according to the distance from the nearest structure at risk for arthroscopic wrist procedures. Twenty-nine cadaveric formalin-embellished upper limbs were examined. Needles were inserted at dorsal and volar portal sites to perform the measurements. During the subsequent dissection, distances were measured as the shortest possible distance from the nearest structure at risk for each portal. Safe zones were determined for all portals, and the safety classification of arthroscopic wrist portals was proposed, ranking them from the safest to the most perilous. Applying the proposed safety classification to arthroscopic practice, wrist arthroscopy can be performed with a lower risk of iatrogenic complications arising from the implementation of the wrist portals.

THU046 Repeated Treatment With AZP-3813, A Bicyclic, 16-Amino Acid Peptide Antagonist Of The Human Growth Hormone Receptor, Induces Enhanced Suppression Of IGF1 In Beagle Dogs

Abstract Disclosure: G. Ravel: None. C. Chalmey: None. C. Berardet: None. D. Duracher: None. H. Kurasaki: None. T. Tomiyama: None. P. Reid: None. M.D. Culler: None. Medical treatment of acromegaly is based on either suppressing pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion or inhibiting GH action by preventing interaction with its receptor in order to suppress the elevated levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). AZP-3813 is a 16-amino acid, bicyclic peptide antagonist of the GH receptor (GHR) derived from peptide sequences discovered using a unique, cell-free in vitro transcription-translation system screened against the human GHR, and optimized by rational design to increase binding affinity, solubility and half-life. The KD of AZP-3813 for the human GHR is 1.9nM. In previous studies, AZP-3813 was demonstrated to suppress IGF1 secretion in juvenile rats in a dose-related manner, and to maintain IGF1 suppression when given daily for extended periods. Recently, we demonstrated that AZP-3813 is also very effective in suppressing IGF1 in normal Beagle dogs. Dogs receiving a single 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg subcutaneous injection of AZP-3813 responded with a dose-related 2.2 + 7.1, 21.4 + 2.7 and 27.8 + 1.5% decrease in IGF1 after 24 hours, respectively, and the decrease in IGF1 attained with a single 10 mg/kg dose was maintained for over 72 hours. The relatively small further increase in IGF1 suppression with 10 versus 1 mg/kg suggests that 10 mg/kg AZP-3813 may induce near maximal GHR antagonism. To examine the effect of repeated and higher dose treatment of dogs with AZP-3813, young adult, non-fasted, Beagle dogs were injected subcutaneously at rotated dorsal sites with AZP-3813 at doses of 10, 30 or 60 mg/kg (n=2, one male and one female) daily for seven days. Blood samples, collected prior to dosing to establish baseline IGF1 levels and 24 hour after the final, seventh AZP-3813 injection, were assayed for total IGF1 content by radioimmunoassay. Baseline IGF1 levels were lower in the female dogs (136.7 + 36.1 ng/ml) than in the male dogs (197.0 + 11.3 ng/ml); however, the percent IGF1 suppression resulting from AZP-3813 treatment was similar for both sexes. AZP-3813, injected for seven days at 10, 30 and 60 mg/kg, induced highly significant 69.0 + 4.0, 70.5 + 9.5 and 75.0 + 1.0% decreases in IGF1, respectively. The similar magnitude of IGF1 suppression attained with the three doses of AZP-3813 implies that maximal GH antagonism is essentially achieved with the 10 mg/kg dose. The substantial increase in IGF1 suppression achieved by repeated 10 mg/kg injection of AZP-3813, compared to the previously observed suppression after a single 10 mg/kg injection, likely represents compound accumulation (under investigation) as well as a progressive effect of maximal GH antagonism on IGF1 production. These results demonstrate that the potent GHR antagonist activity of AZP-3813 translates to a highly effective suppression of IGF1 in normal dogs and further support the development of AZP-3813 as a potential therapy for acromegaly. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Difference in Kernel Shape and Endocarp Anatomy Promote Dehiscence in Pistachio Endocarp

A fully split shell in pistachio (Pistacia vera) is a trait that is preferred by consumers and is a criterion in evaluating the grade of the pistachio nut. However, although the expanding kernel has been hypothesized to provide the physical force needed for shell split, the mechanisms that control shell split remain unknown. Furthermore, it is intriguing how the shell, or endocarp, splits at the suture ridge when there is no clear dehiscence zone. The objectives of this study were 1) to identify traits associated with dehiscence in fruit in the high-split rate cultivar Golden Hills when compared with the lower split rate cultivar Kerman and determine the anatomic features associated with endocarp dehiscence at the suture region, and 2) to examine the effect of kernel shape on endocarp dehiscence. We determined that, despite the fact that the pistachio endocarp is composed primarily of a single type of polylobate sclerenchyma cell, specialization of cell shape and size at the suture site results in smaller, more flattened cells. We report there is a furrowing of the shell at the dorsal and apical suture sites, where dehiscence initiates. This furrowing is not observed at the ventral suture site or in the indehiscent fruit of Pistacia atlantica, a species that has been used as rootstock for P. vera. In addition, the size of the kernel in the sagittal axis (the width) is strongly associated with a greater split rate. Based on our results, a tentative model emerges in which, in the absence of specialized cell types, cell shape modification can create an anatomically distinct region that is mechanically weak in the endocarp for the initiation of dehiscence, whereas the force from the width of the kernel is necessary for the shell split rate difference as observed in cultivars.

Graphene Scaffolds: A Striking Approach to Combat Dermatophytosis.

Exclusive physicochemical and biological properties of carbon allotrope graphene have attracted the peer attention of researchers for the synthesis and development of newer topical remedies including films, scaffolds, microspheres, and hydrogels. Here, graphene nanoplatelets (GN) were embedded into a different ratio of polymeric ERL100/ERS100 solution and fabricated in the form of a scaffold through the electrospinning process. FTIR spectra displayed characteristic similar peaks present both in GN and GN-loaded scaffold owing to the compatibility of GN and polymeric mixture. XRD curve revealed a distinct GN peak at nearly 26° whereas from DSC/TGA thermal stability was observed between polymers and graphene nanoplatelets. FESEM images showed ultrathin architecture of GN-loaded scaffold in a range of 280 ± 90 nm. The fabricated scaffold exhibited hydrophilicity (contact angle 48.8 ± 2.8°) and desirable swelling index (646% in skin pH media) which were desired criteria for the scaffold for topical application. In vitro, antifungal activity was conducted through the broth microdilution method against different virulent dermatophytes i.e., Microsporum gypseum, M. canis, M. fulvum, and Trychophyton rubrum. For in vivo evaluation, T. rubrum inoculum was applied on the dorsal surface of each group of Swiss albino mice, and the degree and intensity of mycelial growth or erythema on skin surfaces was visually investigated. The study depicted complete signs of cure after 14 days of application of G3-loaded scaffold on the infected dorsal site. Hence graphene-loaded scaffold represented a possible alternative for the treatment of topical fungal infections caused by dermatophytes.

Influence of Intramuscular Injection Sites on Pharmacokinetics of Amoxicillin in Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and Its Implication for Antibacterial Efficacy.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different injection sites, including dorsal, cheek, and pectoral fin muscles, on the pharmacological properties of amoxicillin (AMOX) in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) after a single intramuscular (IM) injection of 40 mg/kg. The AMOX concentration was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, followed by a non-compartmental model analysis. The peak serum concentrations (Cmax) achieved 3 h after dorsal, cheek, and pectoral fin IM injections were 202.79, 203.96, and 229.59 μg/mL, respectively. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) was 1697.23, 2006.71, and 1846.61 µg/mL·h, respectively. The terminal half-life (t1/2λZ) was prolonged for cheek and pectoral fin IM injections (10.12 and 10.33 h, respectively) compared to dorsal IM injection (8.89 h). In the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis, a higher T > minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and AUC/MIC values were observed after AMOX was injected into the cheek and pectoral fin muscles compared to the dorsal muscle. Muscle residue depletion was below the maximum residue level from day 7 after IM injection at all three sites. These findings suggest that the cheek and pectoral fin sites provide advantages regarding systemic drug exposure and prolonged action compared with the dorsal site.

Mycobacterium marinum: A Challenging Cause of Protracted Tenosynovitis

Mycobacterium marinum infections are rare, and they can be difficult to diagnose and treat. This may lead to further spread of the infection and complications, such as tenosynovitis, pyomyositis, and osteomyelitis. A 40-year-old previously healthy man presented with tenosynovitis of the extensor tendons on the second phalanx of his right hand. He was initially treated with steroid injections without any effect. Followingly, ulceration and an abscess developed on the dorsal site of the hand. At this point, it came to the physician's knowledge that the patient had been cleaning an aquarium before onset of symptoms. After progression to massive tenosynovitis, the patient was admitted and underwent multiple surgical debridements. Briefly, after the first surgery, an interferon-γ release assay was positive, and treatment for M. marinum with rifampicin and azithromycin was initiated after eight months of symptoms. Later, a surgical biopsy showed acid-fast bacilli, and a polymerase chain reaction confirmed the diagnosis of M. marinum. In this case story, we highlight the difficulties of diagnosing and managing this complicated infection, describe the considerable morbidity associated with it, and suggest that local tissue concentrations could be useful to improve clinical outcomes, as these concentrations are potentially suboptimal.

Minimal synthetic enhancers reveal control of the probability of transcriptional engagement and its timing by a morphogen gradient.

How enhancers interpret morphogen gradients to generate gene expression patterns is a central question in developmental biology. Recent studies have proposed that enhancers can dictate whether, when, and at what rate promoters engage in transcription, but the complexity of endogenous enhancers calls for theoretical models with too many free parameters to quantitatively dissect these regulatory strategies. To overcome this limitation, we established a minimal promoter-proximal synthetic enhancer in embryos of Drosophila melanogaster. Here, a gradient of the Dorsal activator is read by a single Dorsal DNA binding site. Using live imaging to quantify transcriptional activity, we found that a single binding site can regulate whether promoters engage in transcription in a concentration-dependent manner. By modulating the binding-site affinity, we determined that a gene's decision to transcribe and its transcriptional onset time can be explained by a simple model where the promoter traverses multiple kinetic barriers before transcription can ensue.

Functional and Aesthetic Outcomes of No-Dissection Nasal Dorsum Using Subdorsal Septal Excision in Preservation Rhinoplasty.

Dorsal preservation (DP) caused privilege change in the concept of rhinoplasty and a promising superior functional and aesthetic transformation in rhinoplasty surgery. Avoiding dissection of the dorsal nasal bone and cartilage will leave the soft-tissue envelope intact, leading to a fine and smooth appearance, faster operation with less subsequent edema, and overall preservation of the dorsal aesthetic line. This prospective study included 113 patients who underwent DP rhinoplasty for nasal hump treatment with minimum dissection of nasal dorsum soft-tissue envelope. Results were evaluated using the Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey (SCHNOS). The mean preoperative SCHNOS score was 7.21; the mean obstructive score was 2.95 ± 1.068 and the mean aesthetic score was 4.27 ± 0.771. The average lowering of the dorsal hump was 4.4 mm. Approximately 96% of patients showed improvement in the SCHNOS score after surgery, 86.7% (98 patients) showed improvement in the obstructive symptoms and 95.6% (108 patients) showed improvement in the aesthetic score. Complications were seen in 22.11% (most commonly residual hump in 13.27% of cases and dorsal indentation in 5.31%), bleeding was seen in 2.65%, and granuloma formation at the dorsal osteotomy site was seen in 0.88%. There was a very significant improvement in the aesthetic, obstructive, and overall SCHNOS score ( P = 0.000) for each parameter. DP rhinoplasty is a safe and very effective procedure, with very low risk of complications. Most of the treated patients have improvement of the obstructive and aesthetic outcome after surgery. Therapeutic, IV.

Implantation and tracing of green fluorescent protein-expressing adipose-derived stem cells in peri-implant capsular fibrosis

BackgroundAdipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been reported to reduce fibrosis in various tissues. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory role of ASCs on capsule formation by analyzing the histologic, cellular, and molecular changes in a mouse model of peri-implant fibrosis. We also investigated the fate and distribution of ASCs in the peri-implant capsule.MethodsTo establish a peri-implant fibrosis model, customized silicone implants were inserted into the dorsal site of C57BL/6 wild-type mice. ASCs were harvested from the fat tissues of transgenic mice that express a green fluorescent protein (GFP-ASCs) and then injected into the peri-implant space of recipient mice. The peri-implant tissues were harvested from postoperative week 2 to 8. We measured the capsule thickness, distribution, and differentiation of GFP-ASCs, as well as the cellular and molecular changes in capsular tissue following ASC treatment.ResultsInjected GFP-ASCs were distributed within the peri-implant capsule and proliferated. Administration of ASCs reduced the capsule thickness, decreased the number of myofibroblasts and macrophages in the capsule, and decreased the mRNA level of fibrogenic genes within the peri-implant tissue. Angiogenesis was enhanced due to trans-differentiation of ASCs into vascular endothelial cells, and tissue hypoxia was relieved upon ASC treatment.ConclusionsWe uncovered that implanted ASCs inhibit capsule formation around the implant by characterizing a series of biological alterations upon ASC treatment and the fate of injected ASCs. These findings highlight the value of ASCs for future clinical applications in the prevention of capsular contracture after implant-based reconstruction surgery.

Treating peripheral nerve injury-induced spinal cord degeneration and neuropathic pain with peripherally administrated stem cells.

Treating peripheral nerve injury-induced spinal cord degeneration and neuropathic pain with peripherally administrated stem cells.

Integrated multi-omics reveals novel microbe-host lipid metabolism and immune interactions in the donkey hindgut.

Evidence has shown that gut microbiota play a key role in host metabolism and health; however, little is known about the microbial community in the donkey hindgut as well as the interactions that occur between gut microbes and the host. This study aimed to explore the gut microbiome differences by analyzing the microbial community and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to lipid metabolism and the immune system along the donkey hindgut. The hindgut tissues (cecum, ventral colon, and dorsal colon) were separated, and the contents of each section were collected from six male donkeys for multi-omics analysis. There were significant differences in terms of dominant bacteria among the three sections, especially between the cecum and dorsal colon sites. For instance, species belonging to Prevotella and Treponema were most abundant in the cecum, while the Clostridiales_bacterium, Streptococcus_equinus, Ruminococcaceae_bacterium, etc., were more abundant in the dorsal colon. Apart from propionate, the concentrations of acetate, isobutyrate, valerate and isovalerate were all lower in the cecum than in the dorsal colon (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we identified some interesting DEGs related to lipid metabolism (e.g., ME1, MBOAT1, ACOX1, ACOX2 and LIPH) and the immune system (e.g., MUC3B, mucin-2-like, IL17RC, IL1R2, IL33, C1QA, and MMP9) between the cecum and dorsal colon and found that the PPAR pathway was mainly enriched in the cecum. Finally, we found a complex relationship between the gut microbiome and gene expression, especially with respect to the immune system, and combined with protein-protein interaction (PPI) data, suggesting that the PPAR pathway might be responsible, at least in part, for the role of the hindgut microbiota in the donkeys' gut homeostasis. Our data provide an in-depth understanding of the interaction between the microbiota and function in the healthy equine hindgut and may also provide guidance for improving animal performance metrics (such as product quality) and equine welfare.

Task-modulated Sensitivity to Vocal Pitch in the Dorsal Premotor Cortex during Multitalker Speech Recognition.

It has long been known that listening to speech activates inferior frontal (pre-)motor regions in addition to a more dorsal premotor site (dPM). Recent work shows that dPM, located adjacent to laryngeal motor cortex, responds to low-level acoustic speech cues including vocal pitch, and the speech envelope, in addition to higher-level cues such as phoneme categories. An emerging hypothesis is that dPM is part of a general auditory-guided laryngeal control circuit that plays a role in producing speech and other voluntary auditory-vocal behaviors. We recently reported a study in which dPM responded to vocal pitch during a degraded speech recognition task, but only when speech was rated as unintelligible; dPM was more robustly modulated by the categorical difference between intelligible and unintelligible speech. Contrary to the general auditory-vocal hypothesis, this suggests intelligible speech is the primary driver of dPM. However, the same pattern of results was observed in pitch-sensitive auditory cortex. Crucially, vocal pitch was not relevant to the intelligibility judgment task, which may have facilitated processing of phonetic information at the expense of vocal pitch cues. The present fMRI study (n = 25) tests the hypothesis that, for a multitalker task that emphasizes pitch for talker segregation, left dPM and pitch-sensitive auditory regions will respond to vocal pitch regardless of overall speech intelligibility. This would suggest that pitch processing is indeed a primary concern of this circuit, apparent during perception only when the task demands it. Spectrotemporal modulation distortion was used to independently modulate vocal pitch and phonetic content in two-talker (male/female) utterances across two conditions (Competing, Unison), only one of which required pitch-based segregation (Competing). A Bayesian hierarchical drift-diffusion model was used to predict speech recognition performance from patterns of spectrotemporal distortion imposed on each trial. The model's drift rate parameter, a d'-like measure of performance, was strongly associated with vocal pitch for Competing but not Unison. Using a second Bayesian hierarchical model, we identified regions where behaviorally relevant acoustic features were related to fMRI activation in dPM. We regressed the hierarchical drift-diffusion model's posterior predictions of trial-wise drift rate, reflecting the relative presence or absence of behaviorally relevant acoustic features from trial to trial, against trial-wise activation amplitude. A significant positive association with overall drift rate, reflecting vocal pitch and phonetic cues related to overall intelligibility, was observed in left dPM and bilateral auditory cortex in both conditions. A significant positive association with "pitch-restricted" drift rate, reflecting only the relative presence or absence of behaviorally relevant pitch cues, regardless of the presence or absence of phonetic content (intelligibility), was observed in left dPM, but only in the Competing condition. Interestingly, the same effect was observed in bilateral auditory cortex but in both conditions. A post hoc mediation analysis ruled out the possibility that decision load was responsible for the observed pitch effects. These findings suggest that processing of vocal pitch is a primary concern of the auditory-cortex-dPM circuit, although during perception core pitch, processing is carried out by auditory cortex with a potential modulatory influence from dPM.

The outcome of V vs. S shaped nasal deformity in preservation rhinoplasty; A comparative study

Preservation rhinoplasty resulted in a major change in the philosophy of rhinoplasty surgery, it include 3 main elements: elevation of a sleeve of skin from the subperichondrial-subperiosteal plane, preservation of the osseo-cartilaginous dorsum, and maintaining the alar cartilages with minimum excision while achieving the desired shape using sutures. This is prospective study included 113 patients who underwent dorsal preservation rhinoplasty for nasal hump treatment. Patients were followed for 15months after surgery. To compare the different outcomes between V-shaped and S-shaped dorsum regarding the cosmetic and functional outcomes after preservation rhinoplasty. The mean age of our patients was 27.19years, females constituted 61.1%. Most patients (77.9%) had no complications after surgery, residual hump was the commonest in 13.3% of the patients, other complications were dorsal indentation in 5.3%, bleeding in 2.7%, and granuloma at the dorsal osteotomy site in 0.9% of patients. About 75.22% had S-shaped deformity, and the rest 24.78% had V-shaped deformity. The correlation was not significant between the types of the nasal hump deformity and the gender (P-value 0.395), age of patients (P-value 0.064), the overall postoperative SCHNOS for obstructive symptoms (P-value 0.19), the overall postoperative SCHNOS for aesthetic outcome (P-value 0.33), the postoperative complications (P-value 0.531), and the type of complications (0.705), while it was very significant with different postoperative SCHNOS scores for obstructive symptoms (P-value 0.000), postoperative SCHNOS different aesthetic scores (P-value 0.001), operation time and lowering the dorsal hump (P-values 0.000) for both. Preservation rhinoplasty has low risk for postoperative complications. V-shaped deformity has a better overall outcome than S-shaped one.

Effects of Induction Culture on Osteogenesis of Scaffold-Free Engineered Tissue for Bone Regeneration Applications.

Restoration of the bone defects caused by infection or disease remains a challenge in orthopedic surgery. In recent studies, scaffold-free engineered tissue with a self-secreted extracellular matrix has been proposed as an alternative strategy for tissue regeneration and reconstruction. Our study aimed to engineer and fabricate self-assembled osteogenic and scaffold-free tissue for bone regeneration. Osteogenic scaffold-free tissue was engineered and fabricated using fetal cartilage-derived progenitor cells, which are capable of osteogenic differentiation. They were cultured in osteogenic induction environments or using demineralized bone powder for differentiation. The fabricated tissue was subjected to real-time qPCR, biochemical, and histological analyses to estimate the degree of in vitro osteogenic differentiation. To demonstrate bone formation in an in vivo environment, scaffold-free tissue was transplanted into the dorsal subcutaneous site of nude mice. Bone development was monitored postoperatively over 8weeks by the observation of calcium deposition in the matrix. In the in vitro experiments, engineered osteogenically induced scaffold-free tissue demonstrated three-dimensional morphological characteristics, and sufficient osteogenic differentiation was confirmed through the quantification of specific osteogenic gene markers expressed and calcium accumulation within the matrix. Following the evaluation of differentiation efficacy, in vivo experiments revealed distinct bone formation, and that blood vessels had penetrated the fabricated tissue. The novel engineering of scaffold-free tissue with osteogenic potential can be used as an optimal bone graft substitute for bone regeneration.