Significant Differences In Activity Research Articles

Fabrication of a coral-like barium titanate nano-piezoelectric coating and its effect on promoting osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell in vitro

Objective: To investigate the biocompatibility of coral-like barium titanate nano-piezoelectric coatings and the influence of ultrasound-excited piezoelectric effect on the early osteogenic differentiation. Methods: The barium titanate nano-piezoelectric coating (the coating group) was prepared on the surface of titanium metal by anodic oxidation, hydrothermal reaction and high-temperature annealing, and polished titanium specimens were used as control group. The surface morphology, composition, and crystal phase and hydrophilicity of the two groups of titanium specimens were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and contact angle meter. The piezoelectric properties of the materials were characterized by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) were cultured and identified and seeded the surface of titanium specimens in two groups. The cells seeded on blank culture plates were used as blank group. After low intensity pulsed ultrasound intervention, cell proliferation and live/dead staining were detected to evaluate cytocompatibility of the coatings. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of each group was detected by ALP staining kit, and the expression of osteogenesis-related genes [integrin, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2)] was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to evaluate the effect of the coating on promoting the early osteogenic differentiation of BMSC. Results: The surface of titanium specimens in the coating group showed a uniform coral-like morphology, and the diameter of the coral tentacles was 70-100 nm. The main component was tetragonal barium titanate. The surface hydrophilicity of the coating group (water contact angle 10.12°±0.93°) was significantly better than that of the control group (water contact angle 78.32°±0.71°) (F=10 165.91, P<0.001). The coating has a stable piezoelectric property with a piezoelectric constant of about 5 pC/N. Cell experiments showed that, with or without ultrasound, the cell proliferation activity of the coating group was significantly lower than that of the blank group and the control group on the third day (P<0.05). On the fifth day, with or without ultrasound, there was no significant difference in cell proliferation activity between the three groups (P>0.05). After 7 days of culture, the ALP activity of the coating group was significantly higher than that of the blank group and the control group (P<0.05). The results of RT-qPCR showed that the mRNA expression of integrin and BMP-2 in the coating group with ultrasound was significantly higher than that in the other groups with ultrasound, and was higher than that of the coating group without ultrasound (P<0.05). The expression of integrin mRNA in the control group with ultrasound was significantly higher than that in the control group without ultrasound (P<0.05). The expression of RUNX2 mRNA in the coating group with ultrasound was significantly higher than that in the coating group without ultrasound (P<0.05). Conclusions: The coral-like barium titanate nano-piezoelectric coating exhibits favorable biocompatibility and stable piezoelectric property, and facilitates the early osteogenic differentiation of BMSC under the excitation of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound.

Evaluation of dentalplaque reduction using microcurrent-emitting toothbrushes in orthodontic patients: a randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical trial.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of microcurrent-emitting toothbrushes (MCTs) and ordinary toothbrushes in reducing the dental plaque index (PI) and dental caries activity among orthodontic patients. The evaluation was performed using a crossover study design involving 22 orthodontic patients randomly assigned to the MCT or ordinary toothbrush groups. The participants used the designated toothbrush for 4weeks and had a 1-week wash-out time before crossover to the other toothbrush. PI (Attin's index) and dental caries activity were measured at baseline and at the end of each 4-week period. Additionally, patients completed questionnaires to assess patient satisfaction for "freshness in mouth" and "cleansing degree." The results showed that the MCT group had a significant reduction in PI (p = 0.009), whereas the ordinary toothbrush group did not (p = 0.595). There was no significant difference in the dental caries activity between the two groups (p > 0.05). Patient satisfaction assessment revealed that 65% patients in the MCT group had more than "fair" experience of freshness, in contrast to 50% of patients in the ordinary toothbrush group. Satisfaction with cleansing degree was similar in both groups. Overall, these findings suggest that MCTs are more effective in reducing dental PI than ordinary toothbrushes.

Lactobacillus acidophilus VB1 co-aggregates and inhibits biofilm formation of chronic otitis media-associated pathogens.

This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus, alone and in combination with ciprofloxacin, against otitis media-associated bacteria. L. acidophilus cells were isolated from Vitalactic B (VB), a commercially available probiotic product containing two lactobacilli species, L. acidophilus and Lactiplantibacillus (formerly Lactobacillus) plantarum. The pathogenic bacterial samples were provided by Al-Shams Medical Laboratory (Baqubah, Iraq). Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing for 16 antibiotics were performed using the VITEK2 system. The minimum inhibitory concentration of ciprofloxacin was also determined. The antimicrobial activity of L. acidophilus VB1 cell-free supernatant (La-CFS) was evaluated alone and in combination with ciprofloxacin using a checkerboard assay. Our data showed significant differences in the synergistic activity when La-CFS was combined with ciprofloxacin, in comparison to the use of each compound alone, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa SM17 and Proteus mirabilis SM42. However, an antagonistic effect was observed for the combination against Staphylococcus aureus SM23 and Klebsiella pneumoniae SM9. L. acidophilus VB1 was shown to significantly co-aggregate with the pathogenic bacteria, and the highest co-aggregation percentage was observed after 24h of incubation. The anti-biofilm activities of CFS and biosurfactant (BS) of L. acidophilus VB1 were evaluated, and we found that the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration that inhibits 50% of bacterial biofilm (MBIC50) of La-CFS was significantly lower than MBIC50 of La-BS against the tested pathogenic bacterial species. Lactobacillus acidophilus, isolated from Vitane Vitalactic B capsules, demonstrated promising antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities against otitis media pathogens, highlighting its potential as an effective complementary/alternative therapeutic strategy to control bacterial ear infections.

Neural Respiratory Drive During Different Dyspnea Relief Positions and Breathing Exercises in Individuals With COPD.

When the work load of the respiratory muscles increases and/or their capacity decreases in individuals with COPD, respiratory muscle activation increases to maintain gas exchange and respiratory mechanics, and perception of dyspnea occurs. The present study aimed to compare diaphragm and accessory respiratory muscle activation during normal breathing, pursed-lip breathing, and breathing control in different dyspnea relief positions, supine and side lying. A cross-sectional study design was used. Sixteen individuals with COPD age between 40-75 y were included. Pulmonary function was evaluated by spirometry, muscle activation by surface electromyography, and dyspnea by the modified Borg scale. Muscle activation was measured in the diaphragm, scalene, sternocleidomastoid, and parasternal muscles. The evaluation was made in the dyspnea relief positions (sitting leaning forward, sitting leaning forward at a table, leaning forward with back against a wall, standing leaning forward, and high lying), seated erect, supine, and side lying. There were significant differences between the 8 positions (P < .001). There was no significant difference in muscle activation between sitting leaning forward and sitting leaning forward at a table position with analyzing post hoc test results (P > .99 for each muscle). However, muscle activation was lower in these 2 positions than in the other positions (P < .001 for each muscle). Muscle activation was greater in the supine position than in the other positions (P < .001 for each muscle). No difference was observed in muscle activation between the seated erect, leaning forward with back against a wall, standing leaning forward, high-lying, or side-lying positions (P > .05 for each muscle with a minimum P value of .09). The use of sitting leaning forward and sitting leaning forward at a table positions together with breathing control may help people with COPD to achieve more effective dyspnea relief and greater energy efficiency.

Hemocompatibility Evaluation of a Novel Ambulatory Pulmonary Assist System Using a Lightweight Axial-Flow Pump.

The Pulmonary Assist System (PAS) is currently under development as a wearable respiratory assist system. In this study, the hemocompatibility of the PAS's axial-flow mechanical pump (AFP) was compared to other contemporary mechanical pumps in an acute ovine model. The PAS was attached to a normal sheep in a venovenous configuration using one of three pumps: 1) AFP, 2) ReliantHeart HeartAssist 5 (control), or 3) Abbott Pedimag (control) (n = 5 each). Each sheep was supported on the PAS for 12 hours with two L/minute of blood flow and four L/minute of sweep gas. Hemolysis, coagulation, inflammation, and platelet activation and loss were compared among the groups. In this study, the plasma-free hemoglobin (pfHb) was less than 10 mg/dl in all groups. The pfHb was significantly lower in the AFP group compared to other groups. There was no significant clot formation in the pumps and oxygenators in all groups. Furthermore, no significant differences in coagulation (oxygenator resistance, fibrinopeptide A), inflammation (white blood cell counts, IL-8), and platelet activation and loss (p-selectin, platelet counts) were observed among the groups (all, p > 0.05). This study demonstrates equivalent hemocompatibility of the PAS's AFP to other contemporary mechanical pumps with a reduced level of hemolysis on startup.

The maintenance of complex visual scenes in working memory may require activation of working memory manipulation circuits in the dlPFC: A preliminary report

AbstractPast research has shown that the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (dlPFC) are implicated in both emotional processing as well as cognitive processing,1,2,3 in addition to working memory4, 5. Exactly how these disparate processes interact with one another within the dlPFC is less understood. To explore this, we designed a task that looked at working memory performance during fMRI under both emotional and nonemotional conditions, and tested it in this preliminary report. Participants were asked to complete three tasks (letters, neutral images, emotional images) of the Sternberg Sorting Task under one of two trial conditions (sort or maintain). Regions of interest consisted of the left and right dlPFC as defined by brain masks based on NeuroSynth6. Results showed a significant main effect of the ‘sort’ condition on reaction speed for all three trial types, as well as a main effect of task type (letters) on accuracy. In addition, a significant interaction was found between trial type (sort) and task type (letters), but not for either of the picture tasks. Although preliminary, these results reveal a discrepancy between BOLD signal and behavioral data, with no significant difference in BOLD activity during image trials being displayed, despite longer response times for every condition. While these initial results show that the dlPFC is implicated in nonemotional cognitive processing, more research is needed to explain the lack of BOLD activation seen here for similar emotionally valanced tasks, possibly indicating the involvement of other brain networks.

Characterization of Betalain Content and Antioxidant Activity Variation Dynamics in Table Beets (Beta vulgaris L.) with Differently Colored Roots

Antioxidant properties, betalain profiles and biochemical composition were studied in table beets with maroon and yellow root colors. Features of dynamic changes during the growing season were described. Significant differences in antioxidant activity were found in table beet accessions with differently colored roots. Negative dynamics of antioxidant activity were observed in all accessions. Statistically significant differences were registered among the accessions in the total amounts of phenolic compounds, chlorophylls, and betalains. The group of maroon accessions demonstrated strong positive correlations between their antioxidant activity and total phenolics (r = 0.91), antioxidant activity and betacyanins (r = 0.80), and between betacyanins and phenolics (r = 0.90). The antioxidant activity in the accessions with yellow roots was associated with chlorophyll b (r = 0.85), ascorbic acid (r = 0.83), and total phenolics (r = 0.83). The data are presented on the structure of betalains in two table beet groups contrasting in their root color. The results of the study made it possible to identify key components in the biochemical profile of differently colored beetroots, associated with their high antioxidant activity. Dynamic changes were shown for the antioxidant activity and fractional composition of betalains in table beet during its growing season, and a conclusion was made concerning the higher nutritional value of maroon cultivars.

Postoperative Activity Restrictions After Slings: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Restricting activity after midurethral slings is an unproven practice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of postoperative activity restriction on satisfaction and outcomes after slings. This was a multicenter, 2-arm, noninferiority randomized controlled trial. Patients aged 18-85 years undergoing treatment with a midurethral sling were randomized 1:1 to postoperative activity restriction or liberal activity. Restrictions included avoidance of strenuous exercise and heavy lifting. The liberal group was allowed to resume activity at their discretion. Our primary outcome was satisfaction with postoperative instruction at 2 weeks. Secondary outcomes included surgical failure, mesh exposure rates, and other adverse events. In total, 158 patients were randomized with 80 to the liberal group and 78 to the restricted group. At 2 weeks, 54 (80.6%) of patients in the liberal group and 48 (73.9%) of patients in the restricted group were satisfied. We found statistical evidence supporting the hypothesis that postoperative liberal activity instruction is noninferior to activity restriction with regard to patient satisfaction (P = 0.0281). There was no significant difference in strenuous activity at 2 weeks (P = 0.0824). The liberal group reported significantly more moderate activity at 2 weeks (P = 0.0384) and more strenuous activity at 6 weeks and 6 months (P = 0.0171, P = 0.0118, respectively). The rate of recurrent or persistent stress incontinence for liberal versus restricted groups was 18.52% versus 23.53% (P = 0.635). There were no statistically significant differences in complication rates. Postoperative liberal activity was noninferior to activity restriction with regard to patients' satisfaction. There was no evidence supporting a statistically significant association between postoperative instruction and negative surgical outcomes.

Prefrontal cortical activity during uneven terrain walking in younger and older adults.

Walking in complex environments increases the cognitive demand of locomotor control; however, our understanding of the neural mechanisms contributing to walking on uneven terrain is limited. We used a novel method for altering terrain unevenness on a treadmill to investigate the association between terrain unevenness and cortical activity in the prefrontal cortex, a region known to be involved in various cognitive functions. Prefrontal cortical activity was measured with functional near infrared spectroscopy while participants walked on a novel custom-made terrain treadmill surface across four different terrains: flat, low, medium, and high levels of unevenness. The assessments were conducted in younger adults, older adults with better mobility function and older adults with worse mobility function. Mobility function was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery. The primary hypothesis was that increasing the unevenness of the terrain would result in greater prefrontal cortical activation in all groups. Secondary hypotheses were that heightened prefrontal cortical activation would be observed in the older groups relative to the younger group, and that prefrontal cortical activation would plateau at higher levels of terrain unevenness for the older adults with worse mobility function, as predicted by the Compensation Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis. The results revealed a significant main effect of terrain, indicating a significant increase in prefrontal cortical activation with increasing terrain unevenness during walking in all groups. A significant main effect of group revealed that prefrontal cortical activation was higher in older adults with better mobility function compared to younger adults and older adults with worse mobility function in all pooled terrains, but there was no significant difference in prefrontal cortical activation between older adults with worse mobility function and younger adults. Contrary to our hypothesis, the older group with better mobility function displayed a sustained increase in activation but the other groups did not, suggestive of neural compensation. Additional findings were that task-related increases in prefrontal cortical activation during walking were lateralized to the right hemisphere in older adults with better mobility function but were bilateral in older adults with worse mobility function and younger adults. These findings support that compared to walking on a flat surface, walking on uneven terrain surfaces increases demand on cognitive control resources as measured by prefrontal cortical activation.

Physical Activity of Undergraduate Students in Medicine and Physiotherapy Programmes in a Nigerian Medical University

Background: There appears to be dearth of empirical data to ascertain the physical activity level of Nigerian undergraduate students, especially among medical students. Hence, there would be need to investigate the physical activity level of students in a Nigeria university community. Aim: The aims of the study were to assess and compare the physical activity of undergraduate students studying Medicine and Physiotherapy. Methods: Two hundred and sixteen undergraduate students studying Medicine and Physiotherapy were recruited using Stratified sampling technique. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered to each student and the data generated was used to compute the Physical activity scores of each participant. Descriptive statistics and Inferential statistics of ANOVA and Independent t-test (student) were used to compare physical activity of the students. Results: The results obtained from this study showed skewness in the mean Physical Activity of students at different studying levels due to some that are physically hyperactive. There was no significant difference in the overall Physical Activity of students studying medicine and physiotherapy. However, there were significant differences in the vigorous physical activity of the students (F= 2.54, p = 0.04). The mean vigorous physical activity of 500 level students studying physiotherapy was significantly higher than that of the 400 level students studying in both programmes (p=0.003 and p = 0.032 respectively). There were no significant differences between in the vigorous activity of the final year students in physiotherapy and medicines; and between male and female, although, the sitting PA of female undergraduate students was significantly higher that of male. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the total physical activity of students studying medicine and physiotherapy. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the physical activity of male and female students, excluding that of sitting component of physical activity score which was higher for the later.

Evaluation of a method to fluorescently label platelets for in-human recovery and survival studies.

Platelets for transfusion are evaluated for in vivo quality using recovery and survival measurements in healthy human subjects. Radiolabelling is the standard for tracing platelets post-transfusion but imposes logistical and technical limitations. This study investigates the in vitro feasibility of labelling platelets with the calcein family of fluorescent dyes as an alternative to radioisotopes or biotin. Protocols for radiolabelling were adapted for use with calcein acetoxymethyl ester (CAM) and biotin. Labelled platelets were analysed by flow cytometry and evaluated for activation and function. We tested feasibility for labelling without manipulation of platelets and for multiplexing of samples. Labelling at 2 μg CAM/1010 platelets resulted in >99% of CAM+ platelets. There was no significant difference in activation or aggregation between CAM-labelled or biotinylated platelets and vehicle controls although %CD62P+ was significantly lower in platelets that were not processed for labelling. Addition of CAM to the platelet storage bag labelled >95% of platelets. Platelet populations labelled with different dyes could be distinguished by flow cytometry. These data provide a rationale for further development of CAM and other fluorescent dyes as tools for measuring post-transfusion kinetics of platelets.

Abstract PO1-03-06: Older patients with Early Stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer: The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experience

Abstract INTRODUCTION Approximately 15% cases of TNBC are diagnosed in individuals over the age of 70. Older patients remain under-represented in clinical trials. We conducted a retrospective review of patients 70 years of age and older with stage I-III TNBC who were treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), with the goal of describing the clinical practice patterns and outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective record review of patients 70 years of age and older with a diagnosis of stage I-III TNBC between January 2015-December 2019 was performed. We report the data on the utilization of systemic chemotherapy and survival analyses. We compared patient characteristics by chemotherapy type using Wilcoxon rank sum test, Pearson’s Chi-squared test, and Fisher’s exact test. Overall Survival (OS), Breast Cancer Specific Survival (BCSS), and Recurrence Free BCSS (RF-BCSS) were examined using Cox proportional hazards models. All statistical analyses were conducted using R. RESULTS A total of 147 patients were included. The median age was 75 years (range 70-96). The number of patients with stage I, II, and III disease was 64 (44%), 66 (45%), 17 (12%), respectively. Twenty-five (18%) patients underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment. Out of total patients, 93 (63%) patients received systemic Chemotherapy (C) while 54 (37%) received no chemotherapy (NC). Patients receiving C were younger (median age 74 years with C vs. 78 years with NC, p&amp;lt; 0.001) and had a higher disease stage (Stage II-III: 66% (C) vs. 41% (NC), p=0.005). There were no significant differences in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) difficulty between both arms. Amongst, Instrumental ADL (IADL) assessment, patients in the NC group reported statistically significant greater difficulty with meal preparation (17% in NC and 4.3% in C, p=0.016). The most common reasons for not receiving chemotherapy were low-risk disease i.e. pT1aN0 or microinvasive (33%), patient preference (29%), and frailty per the treating oncologist (19%). Rate of mastectomy was higher in the NC group (35% in NC vs. 20% in C, p=0.029). Among the 32 patients who had radiation data, breast irradiation rates were higher in the C group (70% in C and 17% in NC, p=0.003). Thirty patients (20%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and 65 (44%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy was the most common NAC (n=17, 57%). Patients who received Cyclophosphamide-Methotrexate-5-Fluorouracil (CMF) were older (age ≥75 years: 51% (CMF) vs. 17% (ACT),p=0.010), more likely treated in an adjuvant setting (87% CMF vs. 61% ACT, p=0.017), had earlier-stage disease (Stage 1: 54% (CMF) vs. 26% (ACT), p=0.028), and reported more ADL (31% in CMF vs. 0% in ACT, p=0.002) and IADL difficulties (31% CMF vs 4.3% in ACT, p=0.021). The use of Docetaxel/Cyclophosphamide (TC) and platinum-based regimens was low (8% and 5%, respectively). In the univariate analysis between the C and NC groups, there was no difference in OS (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.78, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.42-1.43; p=0.4), BCSS (HR 1.39, 95% CI 0.57-3.39; p=0.5), and RF-BCSS (HR 1.60, 95% CI 0.67-3.83; p=0.3). There was no difference in OS (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.23-1.55; p=0.3), BCSS (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.17-1.32; p=0.2), and RF-BCSS (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.30-1.73; p=0.5) in patients receiving CMF vs. ACT. CONCLUSIONS In our single institutional experience, we observed that two-thirds of older patients with early-stage TNBC received systemic polychemotherapy. A third of patients with NC were very low risk (pT1a or microinvasive disease) which could explain lack of chemotherapy benefit in our study population. Use of CMF was more prevalent in patients aged ≥75, stage I disease, ADL/IADL difficulties, and in the adjuvant setting. We observed no difference in survival outcomes between the two chemotherapy regimens. CMF remains an efficacious option and a potentially viable alternative to ACT in TNBC, especially in the setting of early stage and advanced age. Citation Format: Jasmeet Singh, Diana Lake, West Dente-Ferguson, Yuan Chen, Fiona Erlich, Beatriz Korc-Grodzicki, Mark Robson, Larry Norton, W. Iris Zhi. Older patients with Early Stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer: The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experience [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-03-06.

Bactericidal and sterilizing activity of sudapyridine-clofazimine-TB47 combined with linezolid or pyrazinamide in a murine model of tuberculosis.

As an obligate aerobe, Mycobacterium tuberculosis relies on its branched electron transport chain (ETC) for energy production through oxidative phosphorylation. Regimens targeting ETC exhibit promising potential to enhance bactericidal activity against M. tuberculosis and hold the prospect of shortening treatment duration. Our previous research demonstrated that the bacteriostatic drug candidate TB47 (T) inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis by targeting the cytochrome bc1 complex and exhibited synergistic activity with clofazimine (C). Here, we found synergistic activities between C and sudapyridine (S), a structural analog of bedaquiline (B). S has shown similar anti-tuberculosis efficacy and may share a mechanism of action with B, which inhibits ATP synthesis and the energy metabolism of bacteria. We evaluated the efficacy of SCT in combination with linezolid (L) or pyrazinamide (Z) using a well-established murine model of tuberculosis. Compared to the BPa(pretomanid)L regimen, SCT and SCTL demonstrated similar bactericidal and sterilizing activities. There was no significant difference in activity between SCT and SCTL. In contrast, SCZ and SCTZ showed much higher activities, with none of the 15 mice experiencing relapse after 2 months of treatment with either SCZ or SCTZ. However, T did not contribute to the activity of the SCZ. Our findings emphasize the efficacy and the potential clinical significance of combination therapy with ETC inhibitors. Additionally, cross-resistance exists not only between S and B but also between S/B and C. This is supported by our findings, as spontaneous S-resistant mutants exhibited mutations in Rv0678, which are associated with cross-resistance to B and C.

Vagal nerve and sympathetic nerve activity in response to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor stimulation in conscious rats

GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) is a type of gastrointestinal hormone that plays an integral role in regulating glucose homeostasis and appetite control. GLP-1 receptors are expressed throughout the body, and it has been suggested that GLP-1 can be detected by vagal afferent nerve activity, leading to changes in sympathetic nerve activity. However, the details of the effects of GLP-1 receptor stimulation on autonomic nerve activity have not been reported. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of different sites of GLP-1 receptor stimulation on autonomic nerve activity by administering GLP-1 receptor agonists via three routes: intravenous (IV), intraportal vein (iport), and intraperitoneal (iperi). Male Wistar rats were chronically implanted with electrodes, catheters for measuring cervical vagal activity, renal and lumbar sympathetic nerve activity, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, electrocardiogram, arterial pressure, sensors for tissue fluid glucose concentration, and catheters for drug administration in the vein, portal vein, and abdominal cavity. Exendin-4, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, was administered to conscious rats via one of the following routes: intravenous, intra-portal vein, or intra-abdominal. Cervical vagal activity was increased in all routes of Exendin-4 administration. Renal sympathetic nerve activity was rapidly decreased by Exendin-4 administration and gradually recovered to pre-administration levels. There were no significant differences in renal sympathetic nerve activity among the different routes of Exendin-4 administration. On the other hand, lumbar sympathetic nerve activity increased slowly after Exendin-4 administration through the iperi and iport routes, while it decreased initially, then gradually increased following administration through the IV route. These results demonstrate that stimulation of GLP-1 receptors by Exendin-4 increases vagal nerve activity, decreases renal sympathetic nerve activity, and produces regionally different responses in lumbar sympathetic nerve activity depending on the site of stimulation. JST (JPMJMS2023). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Paneth Cell TCF4 Deficiency Alters Gut Microbiota and Host Tissue Gene Expression

Introduction: The mucosal immune system is crucial in regulating gut microbiota composition. Paneth cells, the specialized secretory cells in the small intestine, produce α-defensins that regulate gut microbiota. The Wnt signaling pathway with T-cell factor-4 (TCF4) as the terminal signaling molecule regulates Paneth cell differentiation and function. Wnt signaling plays a role in Paneth cell α-defensin expression. TCF4 binds to the α-defensin promoter and increases the transcriptional activity. In this study, we investigated the role of Paneth cell TCF4 in regulating gut microbiota and the host intestinal gene expression. Materials and methods: We generated the Paneth cell-specific TCF4 knockout mice by crossing Tcf4flox/flox mice with the Defa6Cre mice. Tcf4flox/flox-Defa6Cre (KO) were compared with Tcf4flox/flox and Defa6Cre mice (WT). Colonic flushing from these mice was subjected to metatranscriptomics, metagenomics, and proteomics. Colonic tissue was analyzed for transcriptomics. Plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was measured to evaluate endotoxemia. Intestinal mucosal inflammatory response and Paneth cell function were assessed by RT-PCR for cytokines, defensins, and lysozyme. Bioinformatics was applied to assess the taxonomic diversity and functional activity of the gut microbiome, colonic luminal peptides, and colonic mucosal gene expression. Results: The metatranscriptome profile of colonic contents showed an altered microbial diversity in KO mice compared to WT mice. PCoA analyses indicated that the microbial composition in the three strains was distinctly different from each other. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and viruses such as Pisuviricota, Cressdnaviricota, and Artiverviricota were higher in KO mice than in WT mice. LEfSe analyses showed that the abundance of numerous bacterial and viral populations, such as Firmicutes, Clostridia, and Geminiviridae, was high in KO mice. Functional profiling further confirmed the alteration of microbial diversity in the KO mice. The increased abundance of bacteria in KO mice was related to human diseases, infectious diseases, and bacterial toxin production. Proteomic analyses indicated that nearly 36% of proteins identified in the KO mice were significantly altered compared to WT mice. The Reactome analyses indicated that the altered proteins in the KO mice were related to the immune system, cell cycle, cell signaling, and protein metabolism. RT-PCR of intestinal tissue showed that the expression of Defa6, lysozyme, and Reg3γ was low in KO mice compared to WT mice. On the other hand, the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and MCP1 in the intestine was higher in KO mice compared to WT mice. These changes in microbiota and mucosa in the KO mice were associated with increased plasma LPS. Finally, there was a significant sex-dependent differences in the Paneth TCF4 activity on gut microbiota, intestinal gene expression and endotoxemia. Conclusion: This study indicates that the Paneth cell TCF4 is essential in regulating the gut microbial composition and host intestinal gene expression. NIH/NIAID, UO1-AI170019 and U01-AI172991. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Influence of Amputation on Kinetic Chain Musculature Activity During Basic and Modified Core Exercises.

Core strength is vital for athletic performance, and many more exercises that involve the kinetic chain have been designed for able-bodied athletes. Disabilities that impair the kinetic chain can reduce the effectiveness of strength training. However, the impact of amputation on core strength training of people with disabilities and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the muscle activation patterns and levels in athletes with amputation during 4 basic and modified weight-bearing core strength-training exercises. Fifteen elite athletes with unilateral amputation (170.6 [7.3]cm; 63.9 [11.9]kg; 25.9 [5.3]y) volunteered for this study. Surface electromyography was used to measure the muscle activity mainly in the lumbopelvic-hip complex-stabilizing muscles during 4 kinetic chain trunk exercises with and without modifications. The significance level was set at α = .05. The results showed a significant difference in muscle activation between different body sides (P < .05). Specifically, amputation on the support position resulted in a diagonal pattern of muscle activation, and amputation on the free distal segments resulted in a unilateral dominant pattern with higher activation in muscles on the nonamputated side (P < .05). Modifications led to significant decreases in muscle activation asymmetry index (P < .05). Amputation caused muscle activation asymmetry and 2 activation patterns. Modifications by enhancing proximal stability and adjusting distal loading effectively reduced the asymmetry of muscle activation. Coaches and clinicians can use these results to tailor exercises for athletes with disabilities in training and rehabilitation.

Analysis of neurosurgery resident research activity in the United States.

Evaluation of the demographic and academic characteristics of current neurosurgery residents may provide prospective students with insight into factors that affect research output. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the research output among neurosurgery residents. US neurosurgery residency programs were abstracted from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons website. Demographic data on 1690 current residents across 119 programs were collected using publicly available institutional websites, Doximity, and LinkedIn. The h-index of each resident was recorded using Scopus and exported into the NIH iCite tool to determine the weighted relative citation ratio (w-RCR) and mean relative citation ratio (m-RCR). The total number of publications, h-index, and w-RCR were used as a proxy for research output, while m-RCR was used to measure research impact. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis H-tests were used to assess the statistical significance of relationships between demographic data and measures of research activity. A total of 1690 residents (25.4% female), representing 119 programs, were evaluated. Neurosurgery residents had an average of 17 publications, h-index of 5.5, m-RCR of 1.4, and w-RCR of 16.9, with an upward trend of research activity by postgraduate year (PGY) class. Male residents on average had a greater total number of publications (p < 0.001), higher h-index (p < 0.001), and higher w-RCR (p = 0.002) compared with their female peers. Significant differences in research activity were also observed by degree (Doctor of Medicine [MD], Doctor of Osteopathy [DO], or other), where those with MD and other degrees had higher metrics than those with DO degrees. International medical graduates (IMGs) also had higher research output than American medical graduates (AMGs) (p < 0.001). Differences in all measures of research activity except impact were also observed in research activity when pre-residency medical school ranks were compared. The authors observed overall high research activity among neurosurgery residents. Factors such as gender, degree, PGY, IMG/AMG status, and medical school rank may therefore be related to the success of matching within neurological surgery. Although large disparities in gender representation have been identified in neurosurgery, newer classes are trending toward shrinking the gap. These data may be used by prospective residents to gauge changes and progress occurring in the neurosurgery match.

Physiological and molecular mechanism of Populus pseudo-cathayana × Populus deltoides response to Hyphantria cunea

Populus pseudo-cathayana × Populus deltoides is a crucial artificial forest tree species in Northeast China. The presence of the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) poses a significant threat to these poplar trees, causing substantial economic and ecological damage. This study conducted an insect-feeding experiment with fall webworm on P. pseudo-cathayana × P. deltoides, examining poplar's physiological indicators, transcriptome, and metabolome under different lengths of feeding times. Results revealed significant differences in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity, total phenolic content, and flavonoids at different feeding durations. Transcriptomic analysis identified numerous differentially expressed genes, including AP2/ERF, MYB, and WRKY transcription factor families exhibiting the highest expression variations. Differential metabolite analysis highlighted flavonoids and phenolic acid compounds of poplar's leaves as the most abundant in our insect-feeding experiment. Enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment in the plant hormone signal transduction and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. The contents of jasmonic acid and jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine increased with prolonged fall webworm feeding. Furthermore, the accumulation of dihydrokaempferol, catechin, kaempferol, and naringenin in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway varied significantly among different samples, suggesting their crucial role in response to pest infestation. These findings provide novel insights into how poplar responds to fall webworm infestation.

Altered effective connectivity among face-processing systems in major depressive disorder.

Neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal functional interaction during the processing of emotional faces in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), thereby enhancing our comprehension of the pathophysiology of MDD. However, it is unclear whether there is abnormal directional interaction among face-processing systems in patients with MDD. A group of patients with MDD and a healthy control group underwent a face-matching task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Dynamic causal modelling (DCM) analysis was used to investigate effective connectivity between 7 regions in the face-processing systems. We used a Parametric Empirical Bayes model to compare effective connectivity between patients with MDD and controls. We included 48 patients and 44 healthy controls in our analyses. Both groups showed higher accuracy and faster reaction time in the shape-matching condition than in the face-matching condition. However, no significant behavioural or brain activation differences were found between the groups. Using DCM, we found that, compared with controls, patients with MDD showed decreased self-connection in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), amygdala, and fusiform face area (FFA) across task conditions; increased intrinsic connectivity from the right amygdala to the bilateral DLPFC, right FFA, and left amygdala, suggesting an increased intrinsic connectivity centred in the amygdala in the right side of the face-processing systems; both increased and decreased positive intrinsic connectivity in the left side of the face-processing systems; and comparable task modulation effect on connectivity. Our study did not include longitudinal neuroimaging data, and there was limited region of interest selection in the DCM analysis. Our findings provide evidence for a complex pattern of alterations in the face-processing systems in patients with MDD, potentially involving the right amygdala to a greater extent. The results confirm some previous findings and highlight the crucial role of the regions on both sides of face-processing systems in the pathophysiology of MDD.

Capital Market Reaction to the Strengthening of the Rupiah Exchange Rate against the US Dollar Exchange Rate

The purpose of this study is to analyze the response of Indonesian capital markets to differences in average abnormal returns and average trading volume activity before and after the strengthening of the IDR/USD exchange rate. This study is a quantitative study using the event study method. The sample used consists of the stocks included in the LQ45 index. the most active stocks with a large daily trading volume. Hypothesis testing and paired t-test. The results of the hypothesis test show that: there is no significant difference in the average abnormal returns before and after the strengthening of the rupiah against the US dollar because are sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.417 &gt; 0.05; there is no significant difference in the average trading volume activity before and after the strengthening of the rupiah against the US dollar because sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.080 &gt;0.05. Keyword: Market Reaction; Event Study; Abnormal Return; Trading Volume Activity; Exchange Rate