Changes In Functional Structure Research Articles

Brain Abnormalities in Schizophrenia: A Comparative Imagistic Study.

Background and Objectives: Neuroimaging reveals a link between psychiatric conditions and brain structural-functional changes, prompting a paradigm shift in viewing schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder. This study aims to identify and compare structural brain changes found during the first schizophrenia episode with those found after more than 5 years of illness. Materials and Methods: This prospective study involved 149 participants enrolled between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2021. The participants were categorized into three groups: the first comprises 51 individuals with an initial psychotic episode, the second consists of 49 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia for over 5 years, and a control group comprising 50 individuals without a diagnosis of schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorder. All participants underwent brain CT examinations. Results: The study examined all three groups: first-episode schizophrenia (FES), schizophrenia (SCZ), and the control group. The FES group had a mean age of 26.35 years and a mean duration of illness of 1.2 years. The SCZ group, with a mean age of 40.08 years, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia for an average of 15.12 years. The control group, with a mean age of 34.60 years, had no schizophrenia diagnosis. Structural measurements revealed widening of frontal horns and lateral ventricles in the SCZ group compared to FES and the FES group compared to the control group. Differences in the dimensions of the third ventricle were noted between SCZ and FES, while no distinction was observed between FES and the control group. The fourth ventricle had similar measurements in FES and SCZ groups, both exceeding those of the control group. Our results showed higher densities in the frontal lobe in schizophrenia patients compared to FES and the control group, with the control group consistently displaying the lowest densities. Conclusions: In summary, our comparative imaging analysis of schizophrenia patients, first-episode schizophrenia, and control patients revealed distinct ventricular patterns, with SCZ showing greater widening than FES and FES wider than the control group. Frontal lobe density, assessed via cerebral CT scans, indicated a higher density in the SCZ group in both anterior and posterior cortex portions compared to FES and the control group, while the left posterior cortex in FES had the highest density. These findings highlight unique neuroanatomical features across groups, shedding light on structural differences associated with different stages of schizophrenia.

Covalent conjugation of Inca peanut albumin and polyphenols with different phenolic hydroxyl numbers through laccase catalysis to improve functional properties.

Enzymatic crosslinking is a method that can be used to modify Inca peanut albumin (IPA) using polyphenols, and provides desirable functionalities; however, the effect of polyphenol structures on conjugate properties is unclear. In this study, we selected four polyphenols with different numbers of phenolic hydroxyl groups [para-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA), protocatechuic acid (PCA), gallic acid (GA), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)] for covalent modification of IPA by enzymatic crosslinking, and explored the structure-function changes of the IPA-polyphenol conjugates. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis showed that laccase successfully promoted covalent crosslinking of IPA with polyphenols, with the order of degree of conjugation as EGCG > GA > PCA > HBA, the IPA-EGCG conjugate showed the highest polyphenol binding equivalents (98.35 g kg-1 protein), and a significant reduction in the content of free amino, sulfhydryl, and tyrosine group. The oxidation of polyphenols by laccase forms quinone or semiquinone radicals that are covalently crosslinked to the reactive groups of IPA, leading to significant changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of IPA, with spherical structures transforming into dense lamellar structures. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability and emulsification stability of IPA-EGCG conjugates improved by almost 6-fold and 2.7-fold, respectively, compared with those of unmodified IPA. These data suggest that the higher the number of polyphenol hydroxyl groups, the higher the degree of IPA-polyphenol conjugation; additionally, enzymatic crosslinking can significantly improve the functional properties of IPA. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The relationship between fetuin-A level and the clinical features of patients with coronary artery disease associated with iron deficiency

The aim of the study: to assess the relationship between the level of fetuin-A and features of clinical hemogram, ferrokinetic parameters, vegetative and structural-functional changes of the myocardium in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) associated with different stages of iron deficiency (ID). Materials and methods. The study involved 90 patients with CAD: stable angina pectoris II–III FC (35 men and 55 women, age – 69 (61; 72)). All patients were divided into 4 clinical groups depending on the parameters of iron metabolism and hemogram: I (n = 16) – patients with absolute ID, II (n = 15) – with latent ID, III (n = 14) – with functional ID; IV (n = 45) – patients CAD without iron metabolism disorders. The physiological concentration of fetuin-A was determined in 15 conditionally healthy people. The results of echocardioscopy, Holter ECG monitoring and their relationship with the level of fetuin-A were analyzed. Results. In patients with CAD associated with various stages of ID, there is a decrease in the concentration of fetuin-A in direct proportion to the degree of progression of sideropenia was established. It was established that there is a relationship between the level of fetuin-A and the concentration of ferritin and transferrin saturation for patients with absolute ID as well as the number of erythrocytes in patients with functional ID. It was established that there is a relationship between the level of fetuin-A and PWd (rs = -0.60, p < 0.05) for patients with absolute ID; for patients with latent ID – with the E/A ratio (rs = +0.66, p < 0.05). In patients with absolute ID and latent ID a number of correlations between fetuin-A level and heart rate variability indicators in active and passive periods was established. The presence of a low level of fetuin-A in patients with CAD and ID increased the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy by 1.5 times, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction by 1.6 times, autonomic dysfunction by 2.14 times in the active period and 1.95 times in the passive period. Conclusions. In patients with CAD, there is a progressive decrease in the fetuin-A level depending on the degree of ID, which contributes to the deepening of disorders of iron metabolism and clinical hemogram, negatively affects the structural and functional state of the myocardium and heart rate variability, increases the risk of developing myocardial hypertrophy, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and vegetative imbalance.

63P The impact of disruption of melatonin secretion on the structural-functional changes of the microbiome and the role of the melatonin-microbiome axis in the initiation of carcinogenesis

63P The impact of disruption of melatonin secretion on the structural-functional changes of the microbiome and the role of the melatonin-microbiome axis in the initiation of carcinogenesis

Role of Melatonin-Microbiome Axis in the Initiation of Carcinogenesis: An Investigation on Disruption of Melatonin Secretion and Structural-Functional Changes of the Microbiome

Role of Melatonin-Microbiome Axis in the Initiation of Carcinogenesis: An Investigation on Disruption of Melatonin Secretion and Structural-Functional Changes of the Microbiome

REMODELING OF EXTRACELLULARLY RECORDED ACTION POTENTIALS OF RAT HEART SUBEPICARDIAL CARDIOMYOCYTES AFTER ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION INJURY

A number of systemic heart diseases leading to the development of heart failure (aortic stenosis, hypertension, diabetic cardiomyopathy, reperfusion injury etc.) are accompanied by a pronounced reorganization of the T-system of cardiomyocytes, both in humans and animals. However, structural-functional changes within this membrane compartment of cardiomyocytes following ischemia-reperfusion (IR) have not been thoroughly studied. The aim of the work was to study the remodeling of the T-system in the subepicardial cardiomyocytes of the left ventricle of the rat heart after IR injury using confocal microscopy and extracellular recording methods. The study was carried out after 24 hours, two weeks, and four weeks following IR. A remodeling of action potentials, recorded extracellularly in the cardiomyocyte membrane patches devoid of t-tubule entrances (type 1 eAP), was observed. Starting from 24 hours up to 4 weeks after IR, there was an increase in the duration of their decline time (T90) and the formation of eAP after-hyperpolarization phase, reaching maximum values by the fourth week after IR. A decrease in the second peak’s amplitude of eAPs, measured from cardiomyocyte surface locations with t-tubule openings, was also noticed four weeks after IR. In this investigation, no observable changes in the structural organization of the T-system were found. These data suggest that functional modifications of the epicardial cardiomyocyte T-system after IR injury may precede its structural modifications.

Global analysis of aging-related protein structural changes uncovers enzyme-polymerization-based control of longevity

Aging is associated with progressive phenotypic changes. Virtually all cellular phenotypes are produced by proteins, and their structural alterations can lead to age-related diseases. However, we still lack comprehensive knowledge of proteins undergoing structural-functional changes during cellular aging and their contributions to age-related phenotypes. Here, we conducted proteome-wide analysis of early age-related protein structural changes in budding yeast using limited proteolysis-mass spectrometry (LiP-MS). The results, compiled in online ProtAge catalog, unraveled age-related functional changes in regulators of translation, protein folding, and amino acid metabolism. Mechanistically, we found that folded glutamate synthase Glt1 polymerizes into supramolecular self-assemblies during aging, causing breakdown of cellular amino acid homeostasis. Inhibiting Glt1 polymerization by mutating the polymerization interface restored amino acid levels in aged cells, attenuated mitochondrial dysfunction, and led to lifespan extension. Altogether, this comprehensive map of protein structural changes enables identifying mechanisms of age-related phenotypes and offers opportunities for their reversal.

Structural-functional changes in the proventriculus of poultry infected with transmissive viral proventriculitis

Transmissive viral proventriculitis (TVP) is a new avian disease, the etiology and pathogenesis and diagnostics of which remain unidentified, being therefore a subject of an active ongoing discussion among researchers and veterinary doctors. Cases of the disease have been reported and registered in many countries of the world. On poultry farms of Ukraine, this disease started to be diagnosed in 2019, according to the characteristic pathognomic changes. The article presents the results of pathoanatomical, histological and electronic-microscopical studies of the glandular part of the stomach of 62 ill broiler chickens aged 24-28 days and 7 clinical healthy broiler chickens of the same age. The samples of the proventriculus from the infected and clinically healthy chickens were fixated in 10% aqueous solution of neutral formalin and in 1.5% solution of glutaraldehyde in 0.2 molar cacodylate buffer (рН 7.2). Pathoanatomic necropsy of the infected broiler chickens revealed overall anemia, decrease in the volume of the spleen, thymus and fecal sac. In the glandular part of the stomach, the wall was slightly thickened, non-homogenously stained on the section, the mucous membrane being swollen, covered by dense whitish mucous. According to the histological study, the proventriculus of the broiler chickens had lymphocytic necrotizing proventriculitis. In the tubular-alveolar structures of the mucous membrane, there prevailed alteration of the secretory epithelium, with its transformation into ductal epithelium, combined with lymphocytic infiltration of the interstitium. Intensive necrosis of most glandular (oxynticopeptic) cells was accompanied by their exfoliation from the basal membrane of the secretory parts, with desquamated cells accumulating in enlarged lumens of alveoli and excretory ducts. Further, necrotized oxynticopeptic cells in the tubular-alveolar glands were actively replaced by cylindrical ductal cells, and also their hyperplasia and hypertrophy occurred. Diffusive and multifocal interalveolar round-cell infiltrates were mostly presented by lymphocytes, among which there occurred plasmocytes, macrophages, and heterophils. Ultrastructural studies of secretory cells revealed presence of pathogen virions in nucleus and cytoplasm. Based on the morphological changes in the birds’ proventriculus, we diagnosed transmissive viral proventriculitis, which had not been recorded in Ukraine before.

Structural and functional changes caused by pathogenic variants in diabetes causing genes HNF1A and HNF1B

The HNF-1α and HNF-1β proteins are polymorphic in character, which contribute to the broader clinical variability that is linked with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, genotyping must be undertaken to gather further information about the HNF-1α and HNF-1β to have a better understanding of effective regulation of aberrant blood glucose levels that are produced because of HNF-1α and HNF-1β mutations. These mutations give rise to various forms of diabetes such as hyperglycemia, which is a major form of diabetes. This hyperglycemia is caused by a defect in the HNF-1α protein. This study utilizes homology modeling and molecular dynamics to evaluate the structure-function changes that are associated with HNF-1α and HNF-1β mutations. Using sequence comparison, structure prediction and molecular dynamics, an investigation of twelve missense and pathogenic mutations was carried out. Sequence comparisons revealed that most of the phenotypes were located within the fully conserved residues of HNF-1α and HNF-1β. On the other hand, some of the residues were found to be located within the semi-conserved residues. In addition, the mean of the solvent-accessible surface area (ASA) of models was lower than that for mutants. RESIs MD These findings give a deeper insight into the structure-function features of HNF-1α and HNF-1β mutations. They may also be beneficial in predicting the severity of type 2 diabetes based on future genotyping.

Age changes in extramural digestive glands of sheep and rabbits in the postembryonic period

The study of the peculiarities of the anatomy of sheep and rabbits' digestive systems is an important way to improve the efficiency of these animals' breeding. The aim of the presented research was to study structural changes of such digestive glands as the liver and the pancreas which occur in the process of ontogenesis in sheep and rabbits. Sheep of the "Kazakh fat-tailed semi-coarse-wooled" breed (n = 8) raised in the "Sayan" private peasant agriculture and rabbits of the "Grey Giant" breed (n = 8), raised on the mini rabbit farm of the Agriculture Faculty of Shakarim University were used in the research.Two experimental animal groups were formed (of sheep, "Kazakh fat-tailed semi-coarse-wooled" breed, n = 8; rabbits, "Grey Giant" breed, n = 8). The liver and pancreas' ontogenesis development has been studied in these animals. The study presents a holistic view of the macro-microscopic structure of the liver and the pancreas of animals in crucial age periods, stages, and phases of postembryonic ontogenesis (by the example of sheep and rabbits). The authors have traced age stages of adaptive change and structural-functional change of stromal-parenchymatous structures of the liver in sheep and rabbits taking into account stages and crucial phases of development. Development of the liver and the pancreas are characterized by discontinuous growth in the process of postnatal ontogenesis. A crucially important period is the first months after birth, during which the weight and functionality of these organs grow rapidly.

How Are Synapses Born? A Functional and Molecular View of the Role of the Wnt Signaling Pathway

Synaptic transmission is a dynamic process that requires precise regulation. Early in life, we must be able to forge appropriate connections (add and remove) to control our behavior. Neurons must recognize appropriate targets, and external soluble factors that activate specific signaling cascades provide the regulation needed to achieve this goal. Wnt signaling has been implicated in several forms of synaptic plasticity, including functional and structural changes associated with brain development. The analysis of synapses from an electrophysiological perspective allows us to characterize the functional role of cellular signaling pathways involved in brain development. The application of quantal theory to principles of developmental plasticity offers the possibility of dissecting the function of structural changes associated with the birth of new synapses as well as the maturation of immature silent synapses. Here, we focus on electrophysiological and molecular evidence that the Wnt signaling pathway regulates glutamatergic synaptic transmission, specifically N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), to control the birth of new synapses. We also focus on the role of Wnts in the conversion of silent synapses into functional synapses.

Comparative analysis of the structure-function changes in the endodermal cells of tomato leaf petioles after gravity stimulation and phytohormone action

The sedimentaion of amyloplasts in tomato leaf petiole cells, when influenced by gravistimulation, gravistimulation and phytohormone epine, gravistimulation, and by an exogenous source of ethylene ethephon for a period of 0.25–24 h, was demonstrated. Ethephone significantly slowed down the sedimentation of amyloplasts serving as statolytes in cells, which correlates with its inhibitory effect on the formation of the gravitropic bending of the stem.

Abstract P3047: Identification Of Role Of Intracellular Chloride Channel Clic4 In Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in Diabetic patients. Mitochondrial dysfunction is the major contributor of the myocardial structural, functional, and metabolic defects in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Activation of mitochondrial ion channel, K ATP have been shown to facilitate protection from the adverse effects of diabetic cardiomyopathy via modulating mitochondrial function. In this study we delineate the impact of mitochondrial associated membrane (MAM) chloride channel-CLIC4 in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Our results show that pharmacological inhibition of chloride intracellular channel (CLIC) with IAA-94 abrogated the cardio-deleterious effects of hyperglycemia in neonatal cardiomyocytes, thus, implicating role of targets of IAA-94 in the onset and development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Amongst the six mammalian paralogs of CLICs, we identified CLIC4 and CLIC5 are most abundant in the heart. In addition, we observed over expression and localization changes of MAM-CLIC4 but not mitochondrial CLIC5 in neonatal cardiomyocytes upon high glucose treatment. Furthermore, cardiomyocytes isolated from CLIC4 knock out mice under hyperglycemia do no exhibit disruption of sarcomere structures, reduction in contractility, and enhanced ROS production in comparison to wild type cardiomyocytes. These observations suggest that an absence of CLIC4 revokes the structure-function changes in cardiomyocytes upon hyperglycemia. Moreover, we demonstrate that clic4 -/- mice were protected from body weight gain and impaired glucose tolerance in comparison to wild type mice in the presence of a high fat diet. Interestingly, we also observed that clic4 -/- mice are resistant to increase in blood glucose levels upon streptozocin administration. Thus, suggesting a regulatory role of CLIC4 in glucose metabolism. Overall, this study suggests a probable novel role of intracellular chloride channel CLIC4 in diabetic cardiomyopathy via regulating glucose metabolism.

Endurance training-induced cardiac remodeling in a guinea pig athlete's heart model.

Besides the health benefits of regular exercise, high-level training-above an optimal level-may have adverse effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of long-term vigorous training and its potentially detrimental structural-functional changes in a small animal athlete's heart model. Thirty-eight 4-month-old male guinea pigs were randomized into sedentary and exercised groups. The latter underwent a 15-week-long endurance-training program. To investigate the effects of the intense long-term exercise, in vivo (echocardiography, electrocardiography), ex vivo, and in vitro (histopathology, patch-clamp) measurements were performed. Following the training protocol, the exercised animals exhibited structural left ventricular enlargement and a significantly higher degree of myocardial fibrosis. Furthermore, resting bradycardia accompanied by elevated heart rate variability occurred, representing increased parasympathetic activity in the exercised hearts. The observed prolonged QTc intervals and increased repolarization variability parameters may raise the risk of electrical instability in exercised animals. Complex arrhythmias did not occur in either group, and there were no differences between the groups in ex vivo or cellular electrophysiological experiments. Accordingly, the high parasympathetic activity may promote impaired repolarization in conscious exercised animals. The detected structural-functional changes share similarities with the human athlete's heart; therefore, this model might be useful for investigations on cardiac remodeling.

Structural-Functional Changes in a Ti50Ni45Cu5 Alloy Caused by Training Procedures Based on Free-Recovery and Work-Generating Shape Memory Effect.

Active elements made of Ti50Ni45Cu5 shape memory alloy (SMA) were martensitic at room temperature (RT) after hot rolling with instant water quenching. These pristine specimens were subjected to two thermomechanical training procedures consisting of (i) free recovery shape memory effect (FR-SME) and (ii) work generating shape memory effect (WG-SME) under constant stress as well as dynamic bending and RT static tensile testing (TENS). The structural-functional changes, caused by the two training procedures as well as TENS were investigated by various experimental techniques, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fragments cut from the active regions of trained specimens or from the elongated gauges of TENS specimens were analyzed by DSC, XRD, and AFM. The DSC thermograms revealed the shift in critical transformation temperatures and a diminution in specific absorbed enthalpy as an effect of training cycles. The DMA thermograms of pristine specimens emphasized a change of storage modulus variation during heating after the application of isothermal dynamical bending at RT. The XRD patterns and AMF micrographs disclosed the different evolution of martensite plate variants as an effect of FR-SME cycling and of being elongated upon convex surfaces or compressed upon concave surfaces of bent specimens. For illustrative reasons, the evolution of unit cell parameters of B19′ martensite, as a function of the number of cycles of FR-SME training, upon concave regions was discussed. AFM micrographs emphasized wider and shallower martensite plates on the convex region as compared to the concave one. With increasing the number of FR-SME training cycles, plates’ heights decreased by 84–87%. The results suggest that FR-SME training caused marked decreases in martensite plate dimensions, which engendered a decrease in specific absorbed enthalpy during martensite reversion.

Anemic cardiomyopathy (changes in the heart muscle in chronic iron deficiency anemia)

The anemic heart (cor anemicum), or according to the modern classification of metabolic (anemic) cardiomyopathy, is a complex of clinical and structural-functional changes on the part of the cardiovascular system in patients with iron deficiency anemia. This article deals with etiology, pathogenesis, approaches to diagnosis and therapy of anemic cardiomyopathy.

პირველადი ჯანდაცვა სოფლად - სისტემის თავისებურებები, პრობლემები და პერსპექტივები აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკის მაგალითზე

Primary health care development is of great importance, especially for such a low-income country like Georgia. The efficient functioning of the PHC helps to avoid the need for expensive services. The improvement of the PHC in Georgia began in the 2000s. Within the scope of the reform, PHC centers were restored and equipped, medical staff were trained, a state primary health care program was launched, and measures were taken to increase access to medical services in rural areas. However, it is still challenging to provide high-quality PHC service in rural areas due to some system problems. In the mountainous villages of Adjarian region, the population's geographical access to the PHC sector is quite limited. The situation becomes especially complicated in winter due to the road closure to the center of the community during intense snow. Therefore, in all villages of Adjara, a structure similar to pre-existing maternity wards is maintained - in the form of Community Medical Points (CMP), financially supported by the municipalities. This paper aims to study the problems of rural primary health care system development based on the pattern of Adjara AR. The study discusses health legislation, state and regional healthcare programs, works by various authors and materials found on the Internet. The focus is on the problems of access to rural PHC services and their underlying causes. The research subject is the Primary Health Care System of Georgia, and the object is the PHC sector of Adjara AR municipalities. The paper endeavours to study the features of the PHC at the municipal level, identify gaps and provide recommendations. Research methods such as analysis and synthesis, systemic, historical, structural-functional and comparative-legal were used in the research process. The study found that despite vital structural-functional changes in rural primary health care in recent decades, the system still fails to thoroughly meet the objectives introduced by healthcare policy.

HISTOLOGICAL CHANGES OF ADRENAL GLAND IN RABBITS DURING THE EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION WITH TRYPANOSOMA EVANSI AND AFTER TREATMENT WITH NAGANOL

The structural – functional changes in the adrenal glands associated with experimental infection with Trypanosoma evansi and the reversed changes after the treatment of rabbits with anti-trypanosomal drugs (Naganol, Bayer, 205) were studied. Thirty adult New Zealand male rabbits were divided into two groups: control group which include 12 rabbits while the infected group include 13 rabbits. Rabbits of infected group were injected I. V with 10 trypanosoma on 0.2 ml mice blood diluted with AL -sever's solution while rabbits of control group were injected with trypansoma free diluted mice blood. Forty-two days after infection the infected group were treated with neganol 10% sol. (20mg/ kg B.W, i.v) than all the rabbits were killed after 42 days of treatment. Microscopic examination of the hematoxylin-eosin stained adrenal gland revealed occurrence of degenerative changes of the zona fosciculata-reticulaties infltration of mononuclear cells, red blood cells and focal coagulative necrosis in both zone when compared with those of the control group, while treated group showed focal regeneration of secretort cells of both zone. It is concluded there were revers of structural-functional changes after treatment to the normal state.

Electrochemical Pressure Impedance Spectroscopy As a Diagnostic Method for Hydrogen-Air Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

This work introduces a novel in-situ diagnostic method for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) referred to as electrochemical pressure impedance spectroscopy (EPIS). Inspired by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), EPIS is a spectroscopic technique that analyses correlations between frequencies in an applied pressure signal and the corresponding voltage response signal in the frequency domain. In EPIS, cathode cell pressure is modulated as a sinusoidal wave by the back-pressure controller (BPC), and the cell voltage is monitored as the response signal. Cell voltage response originates from the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and, therefore, EPIS can be used to probe cathode transport properties and is sought to develop tools that can be used to study water transport as a function of changes in structure and operating conditions. The cathode reactant gas flows through channels with a pressure drop and, thus, the pressure signal is not identical in different sections of the flow channel. Before studying the relationships between pressure and voltage, it is important to consider the impact of the flow channel on oscillations in the pressure response. The response of the system as a function of correlations between the cathode inlet pressure and the cathode outlet pressure is examined in this work to probe the contributions of the flow channel. Due to instrumental limitations, the BPC can only perform tests at a frequency of 0.1 Hz. Experimental limitations like cathode stoichiometry ratio, cathode flow rate, oxygen partial pressure at cathode, and pressure oscillation amplitude are intensively studied, and therefore, EPIS experimental formalism is defined in this work. Figure 1

White Matter Plasticity in Trigeminal Neuralgia - FCD Mapping Study

Central nervous system changes can follow trigeminal nerve dysfunction. Brain white matter and functional connectivity changes in TN patients were involved in pain perception, modulation, the cognitive-affective system, and motor function; moreover, changes in functional reorganization correlate with white matter alterations. The correlated brain structural-functional changes may be responsible for the persistence of long-term recurrent pain and sensory-related dysfunction in TN patients. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) characterizes non-Gaussian diffusion by estimating the excess kurtosis of the displacement distribution and functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping allows the calculation of functional connectivity maps in brain networks & overcomes the limitations of seed-based approaches for functional study. We examined both DKI and FCD in TN using multiple MRI technologies to provide insight into its central mechanisms. 10 TN patients and 20 healthy controls were studied. Diffusion kurtosis imaging was analyzed to extract diffusion and kurtosis parameters, and functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping was used to explore the functional reorganization in the brain. In the patient group, lower axial kurtosis and higher axial diffusivity in tracts participated in sensory, cognitive-affective, and modulatory aspects of pain, such as the cingulate gyrus, bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, forceps major, bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus, bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and bilateral uncinate fasciculus. However, there were no significant differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and mean diffusivity (MD) between the two groups. Compared with healthy controls, TN patients exhibited significantly decreased axial kurtosis (AK) in white matter regions with fiber arrangement, such as in the right corticospinal tract, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. However, there were no significant differences in radial kurtosis (RK) and mean kurtosis (MK) between the two groups. Patients exhibited complex FCD reorganization of hippocampus, striatum, thalamus, precentral gyrus, precuneus, prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobule in multiple modulatory networks that played crucial roles in pain perception, modulation, cognitive-affective system, and motor function. Further, the correlated structural-functional changes may be responsible for the persistence of long-term recurrent pain and sensory-related dysfunction in TN. Abnormal increased diffusion in white matter tracts involved in sensory, cognitive-affective, and modulatory aspects of pain are correlated with decreased FCDs in pain perception and modulation in TN patients.