Nasal Temperature Research Articles

Computational fluid dynamics simulation wall model predicting air temperature of the nasal passage for nonhuman primates.

Nasal passages adjust the temperature of inhaled air to reach the required body temperature for the lungs. The nasal regions of primates including humans are believed to have experienced anatomical modifications that are adaptive to effective conditioning of the atmospheric air in the habitat for a given species. Measurements of the nasal temperature are required to understand the air-conditioning performance for a given species. Unfortunately, repeated direct measurements within the nasal passage have been technically precluded in most nonhuman primates. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is a potential approach for examining the temperature profile in the nasal passage without any direct measurements. The CFD simulation model mainly comprises a computational model to simulate physiological mechanisms and a wall model to simulate the nasal passage's anatomical and physical properties. We used a computational model developed for humans and examined corrections for the developed wall model based on human properties for predicting its performance in Japanese macaques. This study confirmed that the epithelium layer thickness of the wall model affects the accuracy of the predictions for macaques. A convenient correction of the thickness based on body mass allows us to simulate the actual air temperature profile in macaques' nasal passage. The CFD simulations of the wall model corrected with body mass can be applied to other nonhuman primates and mammals. This convenient corrective approach allows us to examine the functional contributions of a specific morphology to the air-conditioning performance without any direct measurements to improve our understanding of primates' functional morphology and physical adaptations to the temperature environment in their habitat.

Nasal Vestibular Temperature as an Objective Measurement of the Nasal Airway Utilizing a Smartphone Thermal Imager: Proof of Concept.

Nasal Vestibular Temperature as an Objective Measurement of the Nasal Airway Utilizing a Smartphone Thermal Imager: Proof of Concept.

Rapid High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Levodopa Quantitation at Low UV Wavelength: Application of Pharmacokinetics Study in Rat Following Intranasal Delivery.

Levodopa is widely administered orally in clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease; however, due to levodopa various oral absorption and low bioavailability, intranasal delivery seems to be a suitable alternative route of administration. Pluronic F-127 is a thermosensitive polymer, which can form gel at nasal cavity temperature and increase drug residence time. In this study, a rapid High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method was validated in presence of internal standard to determine pharmacokinetic parameters following levodopa administration to rats in three different intravenous solution, intranasal solution and intranasal thermosensitive gel groups. A precised (96.7%) and accurate (95.0%) HPLC method was validated at low UltraViolet (UV) wavelength of 208nm that showed limit of detection and limit of quantitation of 59 and 177ng/mL, respectively. Specificity results showed no interference for levodopa with endogenous serum materials, and serum extraction efficacy was 93%. Pharmacokinetic parameters including bioavailability of 75 and 85% with mean residence time of 78 and 94min were estimated for intranasal solution and thermosensitive gel using the validated HPLC method, which indicated that levodopa nasal gel may be a good alternative with appropriate pharmacokinetic outcome. Therefore, the validated levodopa HPLC analysis method at low UV wavelength was efficiently applied in pharmacokinetic study.

59 Neutrophils and respiratory health of feedlot cattle supplemented with autolized yeast

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate whether autolyzed yeast (AY) in the diet interferes with the innate immunity and healthy of feedlot finished steer. At 0, 14, 42, 70, and 105 days of feedlot, the following were measured: neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (N/L), neutrophilic oxidative metabolism, and respiratory disease indicators (frequency of animal with mucopurulent nasal secretion and orbital temperature) and frequency of pneumonia (histopathological analyses at slaughter day). For this, 36 ½ Angus steers (average BW 330kg and 11 months of age), were distributed in three treatments, with 12 animals each: Control; YA 4g (4g/animal/day, RumenYeast®); and AY 7g (7g/animal/day, RumenYeast®) for 105d. For all results, significant data were considered that show significance level P ≤ 0.05 and statistical trend, 0.05 > P < 0.1. On days 42 and 70, the AY 4g increased neutrophil oxidative metabolism (P = 0.06 and 0.01) and reduced N:L ratio (P = 0.08 and 0.01) comparing to the control group. This neutrophil oxidative metabolism increase was punctual for AY 7g, at 70d (P = 0.01), but the reduction of the N:L ratio occurs at 42 and 70d (P = 0.08 and 0.01). These immune increments promoted fewer respiratory diseases indicators, especially in the AY 4g, observed by a higher frequency of animals without nasal secretion at 42, 70 e 105d comparing to the control group (P = 0.03, 0.001 and 0.001), a lower orbital temperature at 105d (P = 0.02), and a lower frequency of pneumonia (P = 0.06). The AY 7 showed a higher frequency of animals with nasal secretion 14d (P = 0.04) and a lower frequency of animals without mucopurulent nasal secretion at 42 and 70d (P = 0.03 and 0.001), without significant difference for orbital temperature or pneumonia comparing to the other groups. We conclude the autolyzed yeast included in the diet improved the neutrophils functions of the animal and the health of the respiratory tract of feedlot cattle, especially when used at 4g/animal/day.

The role of nasal congestion as a defence against respiratory viruses

IntroductionThis review discusses how nasal congestion may have benefits as a mechanism of defence against respiratory viruses.MethodsA literature research was conducted on respiratory viruses and nasal congestion, following a recently published review on how temperature sensitivity is important for the success of common respiratory viruses.ResultsThe literature reported that common respiratory viruses are temperature sensitive and replicate well at the cooler temperatures of the upper airways (32°C), but replication is restricted at body temperature (37°C). The amplitude of the phases of congestion and decongestion associated with the nasal cycle was increased on infection with respiratory viruses and this caused unilateral nasal congestion and obstruction. Nasal congestion and obstruction increase nasal mucosal temperature towards 37°C and therefore restricted the replication of respiratory viruses.ConclusionNasal congestion associated with the nasal cycle may act as a mechanism of respiratory defence against infection with respiratory viruses.

Insitu Nasal Gel of Granisetron For Enhancement of Bioavailability Over Oral Delivery: Formulation, Optimization and In-Vivo Evaluation

The objective of the present work was formulation, optimization and in-vivo evaluation of in-situ nasal gel of granisetron that shows liquid to gel transformation at nasal temperature (32-34°C) and maximum drug release after 4 hr; shows biovailability enhancement over oral delivery. Formulations were prepared using poloxamer PF 127 as gel forming polymer, carbopol as mucoadhesive agent and fulvic acid as penetration enhancer. A Box Benhken Design was used to prepare the experimental batches and Design Expert software for optimization of the formulation. Ex-vivo evaluations were carried out on sheep nasal mucosa and for in-vivo evaluation, rabbits were used. It was observed that optimized formulation showed gelation temperature near 33°C and drug release of 96% after 4hr. Fulvic acid was evaluated as penetration enhancer in this work and showed significant enhancement of drug diffusion across nasal mucosal membrane. Ex-vivo histological evaluation of nasal mucosa treated with optimized formulation showed no significant destructive effects. In-vivo evaluations showed that the plasma level profile of prepared insitu nasal gel was enhanced significantly over oral delivery. The findings suggested that nasal route nasal transmucosal delivery of granisetron can result in enhancement of its bioavailability over oral route.

Non-contact thermography-based respiratory rate monitoring in a post-anesthetic care unit.

In patients at high risk of respiratory complications, pulse oximetry may not adequately detect hypoventilation events. Previous studies have proposed using thermography, which relies on infrared imaging, to measure respiratory rate (RR). These systems lack support from real-world feasibility testing for widespread acceptance. This study enrolled 101 spontaneously ventilating patients in a post-anesthesia recovery unit. Patients were placed in a 45° reclined position while undergoing pulse oximetry and bioimpedance-based RR monitoring. A thermography camera was placed approximately 1 m from the patient and pointed at the patient’s face, recording continuously at 30 frames per second for 2 min. Simultaneously, RR was manually recorded. Offline imaging analysis identified the nares as a region of interest and then quantified nasal temperature changes frame by frame to estimate RR. The manually calculated RR was compared with both bioimpedance and thermographic estimates. The Pearson correlation coefficient between direct measurement and bioimpedance was 0.69 (R2 = 0.48), and that between direct measurement and thermography was 0.95 (R2 = 0.90). Limits of agreement analysis revealed a bias of 1.3 and limits of agreement of 10.8 (95% confidence interval 9.07 to 12.5) and − 8.13 (− 6.41 to − 9.84) between direct measurements and bioimpedance, and a bias of −0.139 and limits of agreement of 2.65 (2.14 to 3.15) and − 2.92 (− 2.41 to 3.42) between direct measurements and thermography. Thermography allowed tracking of the manually measured RR in the post-anesthesia recovery unit without requiring patient contact. Additional work is required for image acquisition automation and nostril identification.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10877-020-00595-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparison of ciliary beat frequencies at different temperatures in young adults

RationaleDirect visualisation of ciliary beat pattern (CBP) and ciliary beat frequency (CBF) has been recommended as the first-line diagnostic test in patients suspected of having primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). However, the test procedure is not yet completely standardised, and centres measure the CBF at different temperatures.ObjectivesIt was the aim of the study to compare CBF at different temperatures, to establish normative values, to check for age dependency and to measure the temperature on the nasal mucosa of the participants.MethodsHigh-speed video-microscopy analysis with a Sisson-Ammons Video Analysis (SAVA) system was used to determine CBP and CBF in the participants.MeasurementsNasal brushings were taken and CBF was measured in randomised order at three temperatures: 25°C, 32°C and 37°C.Main resultsIn total, 100 healthy young adults (74 female, 26 male), aged 20.2–31.9 years, were included in the study. We found a highly significant difference among the groups: the median CBF was 7.0 Hz at 25°C, 7.6 Hz at 32°C and 8.0 Hz at 37°C. The maximum time period ex vivo was 65 min and did not differ significantly. However, CBF was significantly higher when the cilia were kept at a higher temperature before the measurements were made. We found no correlation between CBF and the age of the participants. The median nasal mucosal temperature in our study participants was 30.2°C (range 24.7–35.8°C) comparable to the 30.2–34.4°C described in the literature.ConclusionsThe most appropriate temperature at which to measure CBF is 32°C. In our study, with 95% confidence for this temperature the CBF was between 6.3 and 9.0 Hz.

Terapia cognitivo-conductual grupal sobre la sintomatología depresiva-ansiosa y temperatura nasal en mujeres con cáncer de mama: Estudio piloto

Objetivo. Evaluar el efecto de una intervención cognitivo-conductual grupal sobre la sintomatología ansiosa-depresiva y el funcionamiento autonómico afectivo en mujeres con cáncer de mama. Método. Estudio pre-experimental con una muestra de 17 mujeres mexicanas con un nivel de depresión de moderada-severa y diagnóstico de cáncer de mama. Los instrumentos de evaluación fueron el Inventario de Depresión de Beck y la Escala de ansiedad de Hamilton; además de una evaluación del funcionamiento autonómico mediante el registro intra-sesión de la temperatura periférica nasal. Resultados. Se observó una reducción de los síntomas de depresión (Z=-3.182, p=0.001), ansiedad (Z=-2.697, p=0.007) y un incremento de la temperatura al finalizar el tratamiento (Z=-2.669, p=008) que se mantuvo por seis meses (Z=-3.266, p=0.001). Conclusión. La terapia cognitivo conductual grupal fue eficaz para la reducción de la sintomatología ansiosa-depresiva y la regulación autonómica en el grupo de mujeres con cáncer de mama.

Clinical observation of herb-separated moxibustion combining western medication on allergic rhinitis of kidney-yang deficiency type and correlation with infrared thermal imagining

To observe the therapeutic effect of herb-separated moxibustion combined with budesonide nasal spray (rhinocort) on moderate to severe persistent allergic rhinitis (AR) of kidney-yang deficiency type, and to explore the correlation between nasal temperature and condition of allergic rhinitis. A total of 70 patients with moderate to severe persistent AR were randomized into an observation group (35 cases) and a control group (35 cases, 3 cases dropped off). Both groups were treated with rhinocort, one spray on each side of the nostril (approximately 64 μg each spray), once in the morning and once in the evening, for 4 weeks. On the basis of the above treatment, the observation group was treated with herb-separated moxibustion at Shenshu (BL 23), Feishu (BL 13), Zhiyang (GV 9), Dazhui (GV 14), 3 moxibustions per acupoint, a single treatment lasting about 30 min. This treatment was given once every other day, 3 times every week, and totally continuous 4 weeks. The changes of AR symptom visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were observed before and after treatment and at 3 months follow-up after treatment. The heat variation (temperature, range) on projection areas of the nose, lungs, large intestine and kidneys of the two groups' patients before and after treatment were detected by the infrared thermal imaging diagnostic system, and the correlation between the VAS scores and nasal temperature before and after treatment was analyzed. The clinical effects of both groups were evaluated according to the VAS score. The total effective rate in the observation group after treatment was 85.7% (30/35), which was higher than 71.9% in the control group (23/32, P<0.05). After treatment and at follow-up, the VAS scores of both groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the VAS score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group at follow-up (P<0.05). After treatment, the nasal temperature, pulmonary range, large intestinal range and renal range of the observation group were all lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), the nasal temperature and nasal range of the control group were lower than before treatment (P<0.05), and the reduction of nasal temperature, nasal range and renal range in the observation group was greater than that of the control group (P<0.05). Before and after treatment, there was a correlation between VAS score and nasal temperature (P<0.05). The herb-separated moxibustion combining western medication has a better effect and long-term effect than western medication alone for moderate to severe persistent AR, which can improve heat variation on projected areas of the nose, lung, large intestine and kidney of patients. In addition, nasal temperature can reflect the severity of the symptoms of patients with moderate to severe persistent AR, or it can be used as a secondary indicator to evaluate condition of AR.

Evaluación e Intervención Psicofisiológica Térmica de Sesión Única de Estrés Social en Estudiantes de Psicología

El estrés social agudo induce un incremento de la actividad simpática, mientras que la relajación promueve actividad parasimpática. Sin embargo, algunas personas no logran regular su balance autonómico (estrés- relajación), por lo que se propuso evaluar el efecto de una intervención psicofisiológica de sesión única. Participaron estudiantes de Psicología (n= 15) quienes completaron una evaluación psicométrica de medidas de distrés (ansiedad, depresión, estrés postraumático, alexitimia y percepción subjetiva de estrés). Posteriormente se aplicó el Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-Cog), un protocolo conductual para inducir estrés social agudo, seguido de una estrategia de relajación por imaginería guiada (IG). Mediante un diseño de medidas repetidas se registró su temperatura nasal y se comparó la diferencia térmica entre estrés y relajación. Posteriormente, los estudiantes que reportaron un nivel de distrés en las medidas psicométricas se aleatorizaron en dos subgrupos para aplicar un procedimiento de condicionamiento térmico en manos – relajación y un grupo control. Los resultados revelaron una asociación (p&lt; 0.05) entre la temperatura nasal y las medidas de distrés; un decremento de la temperatura nasal post-TSST-Cog (acompañado de un aumento de percepción de estrés) y un incremento térmico (asociado a una disminución de estrés) post-IG existiendo una diferencia estadística entre ambos procedimientos (p&lt; 0.01). Para los participantes con distrés, el procedimiento de condicionamiento térmico logró revertir el descenso de temperatura (p= 0.05), mientras que los estudiantes sin el procedimiento no hubo cambios post-IG (p= 0.15). Se concluye que el uso del protocolo TSST-Relajación puede ser utilizado como un procedimiento diagnóstico del funcionamiento emocional, así como la promoción del condicionamiento térmico en quienes no se beneficien de los procedimientos de relajación tradicionales.

Human respiration monitoring using infrared thermography and artificial intelligence

The respiration rate (RR) is the most vital parameter used for the determination of human health. The most widely adopted techniques, used to monitor the RR are contact in nature and face many drawbacks. This paper reports the use of Infrared Thermography, in reliably monitoring the RR in a contact-less and non-invasive way. A thermal camera is used to monitor the variation in nasal temperature during respiration continuously. Further, the nostrils (region of interest) are tracked during head motion and object occlusion, by implementing a computer vision algorithm that makes use of ‘Histogram of oriented gradients’ and ‘Support vector machine’ (SVM). The signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the acquired breathing signals is very low; hence they are subjected to appropriate filtering methods. The filters are compared depending on the performance metrics such as SNR and Mean square error. The breaths per minute are obtained without any manual intervention by implementing the ‘Breath detection algorithm’ (BDA). This algorithm is implemented on 150 breathing signals and its performance is determined by computing the parameters such as Precision, Sensitivity, Spurious cycle rate, and Missed cycle rate values, obtained as 98.6%, 97.2%, 1.4%, and 2.8% respectively. The parameters obtained from the BDA are fed to the k-Nearest Neighbour (k-NN) and SVM classifiers, that determine whether the human volunteers have abnormal or normal respiration, or have Bradypnea (slow breathing), or Tachypnea (fast breathing). The Validation accuracies obtained are 96.25% and 99.5% with Training accuracies 97.75% and 99.4% for SVM and k-NN classifiers respectively. The Testing accuracies of the completely built SVM and k-NN classifiers are 96% and 99%, respectively. The various performance metrics like Sensitivity, Specificity, Precision, G-mean and F-measure are calculated as well, for every class, for both the classifiers. Finally, the Standard deviation values of the SVM and k-NN classifiers are computed and are obtained as 0.022 and 0.007, respectively. It is observed that the k-NN classifier shows a better performance compared to the SVM classifier. The pattern between the data points fed to the classifiers is viewed by making use of the t-Stochastic Neighbor Embedding algorithm. It is noticed from these plots that the separation between the data points belonging to different classes, improves and shows minimal overlap by increasing the perplexity value and number of iterations.

Numerical simulation of intranasal airflow in nasal numerical models with nasal septum perforations of different locations and sizes

Objective: To investigate the effect of nasal septum perforation (SP) with different locations and sizes on nasal airflow by means of numerical simulation. Methods: Two healthy persons with normal nasal anatomy were enrolled in this study, including a 45 years old male (case 1) and a 36 years old female (case 2). Nasal CT data was used as the basis to create nasal airway numerical models of nasal SP with different locations (anterior caudal, central caudal, posterior caudal and anterior cranial) and sizes (diameter of 10 mm and 5 mm respectively). The inspiratory airflow characteristics (nasal cavity volume, nasal cavity wall area, pressure, nasal resistance, temperature, airflow velocity, wall shear stress, airflow-rate partitioning and vortex) of these nasal airway numerical models were simulated and analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between nasal resistances, airflow temperature and nasal cavity wall area. Results: In terms of pressure and nose resistance, the anterior caudal and larger size SP lead to more obvious variation of pressure distribution, and increased nasal resistance was especially found in the nasal cavity with anterior and medium caudal SP. In terms of temperature, the anterior (caudal and cranial) and larger size SP had significant effect on local temperature gradient as same as the anterior cranial and smaller size SP. Nasal heating efficiency was lower in nasal model with the anterior and larger size SP than that in the normal model. The temperature difference from the nostril to the end of nasal septum had positive correlation with nasal cavity wall area (R(2) value of case 1 and case 2 was 0.69, 0.41, respectively, all P<0.01). In terms of airflow velocity, the anterior caudal and cranial SP had more significant effect on the average airflow velocity in the nasal cavity. The anterior and medium caudal SP could make the airflow distribution in the asymmetric bilateral nasal cavity more unbalanced compared to the bilateral symmetrical nasal models. The anterior and medium SP resulted in a more pronounced vortex distribution than the posterior SP. Conclusions: The effect of SP on nasal cavity is related to its location and size. The anterior and larger size SP shows more negative influence on intranasal pressure, nasal resistance, heat transmission efficiency, airflow-rate partitioning than the posterior and smaller size SP.

Predicting Early Stages of Beef Respiratory Disease Using Thermal Imaging Technology

ObjectivesThe objective of this research was to utilize thermal imaging technology to estimate body temperature, so that an early stage of BRD can be detected.Materials and MethodsNinety-two steers were restrained in a squeeze chute that is housed in an indoor handling facility on 6 separate occasions. At least one image was taken of each side of the head using a thermal infrared camera (FLIR E8 WiFi, FLIR, Wilsonville, OR). The distance at which the images were taken was approximately 1 m from the steer. The rectal temperature was used as the control method to compare thermal imaging data. After thermal image acquisition, images were analyzed using the FLIR ResearchIR Max software (v. 4.40.8.28, FLIR, Wilsonville, OR), with the regions of interest being the eye and nasal cavity.ResultsThe analysis focused on minimum (MIN), maximum (MAX), mean, standard deviation (SD), and range of temperatures in the regions of interest. The REG procedure in SAS (v. 9.4, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC) was used to perform stepwise regression to predict rectal temperature from the outdoor temperature (OTEMP) and all imaging features. When OTEMP was greater than –17.8°C, the regression model contained OTEMP, left nasal MAX, left nasal SD, and left eye MAX temperature and right eye temperature range, with an R2 of 0.24. When OTEMP was above freezing (0°C), the regression model contained left nasal temperature range, right eye temperature range, and average nasal mean temperature, with an R2 increase to 0.50. When using all data, the regression model fit left nasal MAX, right nasal MIN, average nasal mean, and left eye MAX temperatures and right eye temperature range, with an R2 of 0.08. These results show that thermal imaging technology has higher prediction accuracy in warmer temperature ranges than extreme cold conditions.ConclusionMore validation research on this thermal imaging technology needs to be conducted at warmer temperatures since all the current data was collected on cold winter days and a large portion of U.S. cattle are reared in more temperate and warmer areas than North Dakota such as Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida. Overall, these results show promise for using thermal imaging technology to help detect BRD in an earlier stage by detecting fever before other clinical signs of BRD are present.

Experimental Supplements from Mobile Tools for Cognitive Introspection Towards Cognitive Augmentation

In an increasingly interconnected world with more and more technology surrounding us, more and more people end up with psychological and mental health issues. Mobile Computing technologies is often introduced into society without knowing about impact and consequences. We need new mobile tools for everyday life to better manage our attention and give us introspection into our cognitive self. There are patterns in human physiological signals (facial expressions, heart rate, nasal temperature, eye movements, blinking, etc.) that can reveal information about cognitive functions of individuals and groups.

Impact of Varying Types of Nasal Septal Deviation on Nasal Airflow Pattern and Warming Function: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis.

Nasal septal deviations (NSD) have been categorized into 7 types. The effect of these different deviations on airflow pattern and warming function has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to utilize a computational fluid dynamics approach to assess the impact of NSD of varying types on nasal airflow and warming function. Patients with each type of NSD were enrolled in the study, and a normal participant as the control. Using a computational fluid dynamics approach, modeling of nasal function was performed. Indices of nasal function including airflow redistribution, total nasal resistance, airflow velocity, and airflow temperature were determined. Among all types of NSD, the maximal velocity and total nasal resistance were markedly higher in type 4 and 7 deviations. The flow partition and velocity distribution were also altered in type 4 and 7 as well as type 2 and 6 deviations. Airflow in all categories of NSD was fully warmed to a similar degree. From a computational aerodynamics perspective, the type of septal deviation may contribute to altered airflow characteristics. However, warming function was similar between septal deviation types. Future studies will help to ascertain the functional importance of septal deviation types and the applicability of these computational studies.

A Nasal Temperature and pH Dual-Responsive In Situ Gel Delivery System Based on Microemulsion of Huperzine A: Formulation, Evaluation, and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Study.

Huperzine A (hup A), extracted from the Chinese medicinal plant Huperzia serrata, is a reversible and highly selective second-generation acetylcholine esterase (AchE) inhibitor for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it suffers from low bioavailability in the brain. This study aimed to develop a nasal temperature and pH dual-responsive in situ gel delivery system based on microemulsion of hup A (hup A-M-TPISG). The optimal formulation was obtained by central composite design and response surface methodology. The optimized mucoadhesive formulation, hup A-M-TPISG, was composed of pluronic F127 (20.80%), pluronic F68 (2.8%), and chitosan (0.88%) as the gel matrix, which could gelatinize under physiological conditions (29-34°C, pH6.5) because of its temperature and pH responsiveness. The optimized hup A-M-TPISG formulation was further evaluated by in vitro release and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies via microdialysis. The in vitro release study showed continuous and steady drug release from hup A-M-TPISG, which was in accordance with the first-order model. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic results revealed that the optimized formulation for nasal administration, with convenient administration and improved patient compliance, could achieve similar brain-targeting properties as intravenous administration. In conclusion, the hup A-M-TPISG for intranasal administration, as an effective and safe vehicle, could enhance the absorption of hup A in vivo and would be a promising noninvasive alternative for partially improving brain-targeting therapy.

Application of a Thermosensitive In Situ Gel of Chitosan-Based Nasal Spray Loaded with Tranexamic Acid for Localised Treatment of Nasal Wounds.

The integrity of the nasal epithelium plays a crucial role in the airway defence mechanism. The nasal epithelium may be injured as a result of a large number of factors leading to nose bleeds, also known as epistaxis. However, local measures commonly used to treat epistaxis and improve wound healing present several side effects and patient discomfort. Hence, this study aims to address some of these drawbacks by developing a new formulation for nasal epithelial wound healing. Chitosan, a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer, was used to develop a thermosensitive nasal formulation for the delivery of tranexamic acid (TXA), one of the most effective pharmacological options to control bleeding with cost and tolerability advantages. The in situ gelation properties of the formulation upon administration in the nasal cavity were investigated in terms of gelation time and temperature. It was found that the developed formulation can undergo rapid liquid-to-gel phase change within approximately 5min at 32°C, which is well within the human nasal cavity temperature range. The spray pattern, deposition and droplet size generated by the nasal spray was also characterised and were found to be suitable for nasal drug delivery. It was also observed that the in situ gelation of the formulation prevent nasal runoff, while the majority of drug deposited mainly in the anterior part of the nose with no lung deposition. The developed formulation was shown to be safe on human nasal epithelium and demonstrated six times faster wound closure compared to the control TXA solution.

The use of infrared thermography to investigate emotions in common marmosets

Measuring body surface temperature changes with infrared thermography has recently been put forward as a non-invasive alternative measure of physiological correlates of emotional reactions. In particular, the nasal region seems to be highly sensitive to emotional reactions. Several studies suggest that nasal temperature is negatively correlated with the level of arousal in humans and other primates, but some studies provide inconsistent results. Our goal was to establish the use of infrared thermography to quantify emotional reactions in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), with a focus on the nasal region. To do so we exposed 17 common marmosets to a set of positive, negative and control stimuli (positive: preferred food, playback of food calls; negative: playback of aggressive vocalizations, teasing; control: no stimulus). We compared nasal temperature before and after the stimuli and expected that highly aroused emotional states would lead to a drop in nasal temperature. To validate the thermography measure, we coded piloerection of the tail as an independent measure of arousal and expected a negative correlation between the two measures. Finally, we coded physical activity to exclude its potential confounding impact on nasal temperature. Our results show that all predictions were met: the animals showed a strong decrease in nasal temperature after the presentation of negative arousing stimuli (teasing, playback of aggressive vocalizations). Furthermore, these changes in nasal temperature were correlated with piloerection of the tail and could not be explained by changes in physical activity. In the positive and the control conditions, we found systematic sex differences: in males, the preferred food, the playbacks of food calls, as well as the control stimulus led to an increase in nasal temperature, whereas in females the temperature remained stable (preferred food, control) or decreased (playback of food calls). Based on naturalistic observations that document higher food motivation and competition among female marmosets, as well as stronger reactions to separation from group members in male marmosets, these sex differences corroborate a negative correlation between arousal and nasal temperature. Overall, our results support that measuring nasal temperature by infrared thermography is a promising method to quantify emotional arousal in common marmosets in a fully non-invasive and highly objective way.

Exploratory Investigation of Infrared Thermography for Measuring Gorilla Emotional Responses to Interactions with Familiar Humans.

Simple SummaryInteractions between zoo professionals and animals, such as positive reinforcement training, occur regularly and are thought to be enriching for animals. However, there is little empirical information on how animals perceive these interactions or on the interactions’ effects on animals’ emotional states. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of infrared thermography for measuring the emotional responses of three western lowland gorillas at the Detroit Zoo to routine interactions (positive reinforcement training and cognitive tasks) with familiar humans. In addition to thermal images, we collected saliva samples for hormone analysis before and after human–animal interactions and a control condition, and we recorded behavioral data during all conditions. Nasal temperatures consistently decreased for two gorillas during interactions, while the third gorilla showed repeated increases. The behavior of all three gorillas suggested that they were engaged in the interactions, without exhibiting behaviors that could indicate negative welfare impacts. Oxytocin and cortisol both decreased following all conditions, including the control, and were thus equivocal for interpreting the meaning of the changes in nasal temperature. As mixed results in previous research show, infrared thermography may detect emotional arousal; however, additional indicators are necessary to determine the valence of the observed changes. The variability in responses we observed do not lend themselves to making firm conclusions about the validity of infrared thermography (IRT) for measuring emotion in this context or about how these gorillas responded to interactions. Challenges and suggestions for future studies using infrared thermography to examine interactions between humans and zoo animals are discussed.Interactions between zoo professionals and animals occur regularly and are believed to be enriching for animals. Little empirical information exists on how animals perceive these interactions, and particularly how the interactions affect the emotional states of animals. Infrared thermography (IRT) has shown some promise in the assessment of emotions in a variety of species, but further research is needed to determine if this method is useful in a zoo setting. We conducted a pilot study to determine if IRT is a valid measure of the emotional responses to routine interactions (positive reinforcement training and cognitive tasks, compared to a control condition) with familiar humans on three western lowland gorillas at the Detroit Zoo. We measured nasal temperatures associated with emotional change using IRT. To examine the validity of the IRT data, we collected saliva samples for hormone analysis before and after each condition, in addition to behavioral data during the interactions and control condition. Decreases in nasal temperatures for two gorillas and an increase in the third indicate that arousal changed consistently within individuals following the interactions but not the control condition. Pre-post cortisol levels and oxytocin concentrations decreased for all conditions, but the decreases seen did not differ among the conditions. The gorillas were highly engaged in the interactions, and two produced more grumble vocalizations during the human-animal interactions (HAIs) compared to the control condition. Additionally, the gorillas performed self-directed behaviors more often during the control condition, also suggesting HAIs were not a negative experience. In summary, we were able to measure changes in arousal using IRT, but we were unable to determine the emotional valence of these changes based on the additional indicators employed. Additionally, the inconsistency across these measures precluded firm conclusions about either the validity of IRT for measuring emotion in this context or how the interactions impacted these gorillas. These findings highlight the challenges of using IRT to measure emotional states in non-human animals, and we discuss further steps necessary to apply this method in future studies.