Similar Effects Research Articles

(169) New Findings Regarding the Degree of Penile Curvature Correction with IPP Alone

Abstract Introduction Inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) insertion is an effective treatment for men with erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s disease. Most literature on this subject focuses on the utility of adjunct curvature correction maneuvers after IPP placement. There has been little investigation regarding the degree to which the implant alone improves penile curvature prior to the implementation of adjunct curvature correction maneuvers. Objective The primary objective was assessing the impact of IPP on known penile curvature immediately after insertion. Secondary objectives were changes in penile curvature after adjunct curvature correction maneuvers and postoperatively. Methods This is an IRB-approved (IRB 00031589) retrospective series of all IPP patients with known preoperative penile curvature undergoing IPP placement with a single surgeon from January 2017 to June 2023. Extensive investigation of available patient chart information was conducted. All patients had a 3-piece Coloplast Titan Touch IPP (Coloplast, Minneapolis, MN, USA) ranging 16-24cm in length (mean 19.8 ± 1.9cm) with 0-3cm rear tips (mean 1.4 ± 0.9cm). Goniometer was used to assess curvature during preoperative intracavernosal injection and duplex Doppler ultrasound, at multiple points intraoperatively, and postoperatively at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 6 months. Biplanar curvatures were recorded as primary and secondary values. SPSS (IBM, Armonk, NY, UA) was used for statistical analyses, which included t-tests, chi-squared tests, and ANOVA. Results Sixty-one patients were included. Mean known primary preoperative curvature was 40° ± 16° (10 to 80°). IPP placement prior to adjunctive maneuvers resulted in 21° ± 10° absolute reduction in primary penile curvatures, corresponding to a 52% ± 26% improvement (50° reduction to 5° worsening). Dorsal curvatures improved by 21° ± 8° (51% ± 17%, 40° to 5° reduction) with IPP alone. Ventral curvatures improved by 24° ± 18° (49% ± 51%, 50° reduction to 5° worsening) with IPP alone. Lateral curvatures improved by 19° ± 10° (54% ± 24%, 40° to 0° reduction) with IPP alone. Eight patients had resolution of primary curvature with IPP alone, with mean preop curves 32° ± 11° (range 15° to 50°). Three of these needed modeling for secondary curvatures, leaving five total who did not require adjunct curvature correction maneuvers. Subsequent modeling for all patients resulted in 14° ± 9° absolute reduction in primary penile curvatures and up to 68% further improvement. Sample size precluded assessment of statistical significance among groups. Conclusions IPP placement appears to correct approximately 20° of penile curvature in this series, with similar effect on all curvature directions. These data may help clarify patient preoperative counseling and guide surgical planning. Further multicenter studies incorporating more patients and additional IPP types are warranted. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Coloplast, MenMD.

Dynamic tension control for warp beams on sizing machine based on unwinding length monitoring

The traditional tension control method with tension as the control target is to uniformly control multiple warp beams and has low control accuracy. Simultaneously, it is difficult to install an independent sensor for a single warp beam to achieve a closed-loop control, due to the space limitation. Combined with the theoretical model, this paper proposes a novel method to achieve the closed-loop unwinding tension control of warp beams by taking the unwinding length as the control target and using the self-developed turns measuring device. First, the dynamic model between different factors and unwinding tension was established in this study. Furthermore, the influence of unwinding radius, unwinding speed and winding density on the tension was investigated to clarify the fluctuation mechanism. Based on these, simulation experiments were conducted for verifying the control effect of the proposed method. The results showed that the proposed single warp beam unwinding tension control method can achieve constant tension throughout the unwinding process, which is superior to the empirical open-loop control method that adjusts the tension according to the linear proportional change of the braking torque. Meanwhile, it has the similar control effect as the ideal closed-loop tension control method, maintaining stability under different reference tensions and disturbances. In addition, the proposed multiple warp beams unwinding tension control method also outperformed the traditional unified tension control method. Our measuring device can be easily installed on the single warp beam for control, resulting in consistent tension between multiple warp beams. Therefore, the proposed methods have a certain control effect and application value.

Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on the human brain recorded with intracranial electrocorticography.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is increasingly used as a noninvasive technique for neuromodulation in research and clinical applications, yet its mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we present the neurophysiological effects of TMS using intracranial electrocorticography (iEEG) in neurosurgical patients. We first evaluated safety in a gel-based phantom. We then performed TMS-iEEG in 22 neurosurgical participants with no adverse events. We next evaluated intracranial responses to single pulses of TMS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) (N = 10,1414 electrodes). We demonstrate that TMS is capable of inducing evoked potentials both locally within the dlPFC and in downstream regions functionally connected to the dlPFC, including the anterior cingulate and insular cortex. These downstream effects were not observed when stimulating other distant brain regions. Intracranial dlPFC electrical stimulation had similar timing and downstream effects as TMS. These findings support the safety and promise of TMS-iEEG in humans to examine local and network-level effects of TMS with higher spatiotemporal resolution than currently available methods.

Colistin monotherapy or combination for the treatment of bloodstream infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bloodstream infection of Klebsiella pneumoniae (BSI-KP) were associated with increased mortality. Klebsiella pneumoniae was tested to susceptible to colistin by E-test and broth microdilution method in clinical laboratory. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of colistin versus tigecycline, carbapenem monotherapy and combination in the treatment of BSI-KP. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were searched. The last search was in November 24th, 2022, addressing the colistin, carbapenems and tigecycline monotherapy and combination treatments in patients with BSI-KP. The primary outcomes were 30-day or 28-day mortality. OR where available with 95% CI were pooled in random-effects meta-analysis. Following the outlined search strategy, a total of 658 articles were identified from the initial database searching. Six studies, 17 comparisons were included. However, they all were observational design, lacking high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Moderate or low-quality evidences suggested that colistin monotherapy was associated with an OR = 1.35 (95% CI = 0.62-2.97, P = 0.45, Tau2 = 0.00, I2 = 0%) compared with tigecycline monotherapy, OR = 0.81 (95% CI = 0.27-2.45, P = 0.71, Tau2 = 0.00, I2 = 0%) compared with carbapenem monotherapy. Compared with combination with tigecycline or carbapenem, Colistin monotherapy resulted in OR of 3.07 (95% CI = 1.34-7.04, P = 0.008, Tau2 = 0.00, I2 = 0%) and 0.98 (95%CI = 0.29-3.31, P = 0.98, Tau2 = 0.00, I2 = 0% ), respectively. Colistin, carbapenem and tigecycline monotherapy showed similar treatment effects in patients who suffered from BSI-KP. Compared with colistin monotherapy, colistin combined tigecycline therapy might play the synergism effects. retrospectively registered.

TRIM6 Promotes ROS-Mediated Inflammasome Activation and Pyroptosis in Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells via Ubiquitination and Degradation of GPX3 Protein.

Pyroptosis is a critical form of cell death during the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Tripartite motif 6 (TRIM6) is an E3-ubiquitin ligase that participates in the progression renal fibrosis (RF). The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of TRIM6 and Glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) in oxidative stress-induced inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in Ang-II treated renal tubular epithelial cells. To study its role in RF, TRIM6 expression was either reduced or increased in human kidney-2 (HK2) cells using lentivirus, and Ang-II, NAC and BMS-986299 were served as reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducer, ROS scavenger and NLRP3 agonist respectively. Pyroptosis and mitochondrial ROS were measured by flow cytometry. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined using commercial kits, while the levels of IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay was used to evaluate the interaction between TRIM6 and GPX3. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot were used to measure mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Treatment with Angiotensin II (Ang II) increased the protein and mRNA levels of TRIM6 in HK2 cells. Ang II also increased mitochondrial ROS production and the malondialdehyde (MDA) level, but decreased the levels of GSH and SOD. In addition, Ang II enhanced HK2 cell pyroptosis, increased the levels of IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and TNF-α, and promoted the expression of active IL-1β, NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD-N proteins. These effects were reversed by knockdown of TRIM6 and by treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger. BMS-986299, an NLRP3 agonist treatment, did not affect ROS production in HK2 cells exposed to Ang II combined with NAC, but cell pyroptosis and inflammation were aggravated. Moreover, the overexpression of TRIM6 in HK2 cells resulted in similar effects to Ang II. NAC and GPX3 overexpression in HK2 cells could reverse ROS production, inflammation, and pyroptosis induced by TRIM6 overexpression. TRIM6 overexpression decreased the GPX3 protein level by promoting its ubiquitination, without affecting the GPX3 mRNA level. Thus, TRIM6 facilitates GPX3 ubiquitination, contributing to increased ROS levels and pyroptosis in HK2 cells. TRIM6 increases oxidative stress and promotes the pyroptosis of HK2 cells by regulating GPX3 ubiquitination. These findings could contribute to the development of novel drugs for the treatment of RF.

Influencing Factors and Their Spatial–Temporal Heterogeneity of Urban Transport Carbon Emissions in China

Based on the panel data of China’s 284 prefecture-level cities from 2006 to 2020, this study employs spatial econometric and geographically weighted regression models to systematically analyze the influencing factors and their spatial–temporal heterogeneity of urban transport carbon emissions. The findings reveal the following: (1) GDP per capita, population, urban road area, and private car per capita are important factors causing the increase in urban transport carbon emissions, while the improvement of urban density, public transportation effectiveness, and government environmental protection can mitigate emissions and promote low-carbon development in urban transportation. (2) The worsening impact of GDP per capita on urban transport carbon emissions shows a decreasing trend over time, forming a spatial gradient pattern of gradually increasing from southwest to northeast. However, a similar effect of population increase during the research period, which currently displays an increasing spatial differentiation from north to south in sequence. (3) As another key deteriorating urban transport carbon emission, the influencing degree of private car per capita has gradually decreased from 2006 to 2020 and represented certain spatial gradient patterns. (4) Although the urban road area is favorable to urban transport carbon reduction in the early stage, it gradually begins to change in an unfavorable direction. The urban density is the contrary, i.e., the increase in that begins to play a positive role in promoting the development of low-carbon transportation among more cities. In addition, the influence coefficient of the former also presents an increasing distribution characteristic from south to north. (5) The reduction effect of public transportation effectiveness and government environmental protection on transport carbon emissions are both gradually prominent, where the former also shows space inertia of “increasing gradient from north to south and from north to northeast”.

Comparison of Protective Effect of Tri-circulator and Coenzyme Q10 on Myocardial Injury and the Mechanism Study by Zebrafish Model.

Tri-Circulator (TC) is a product comprising coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Panax notoginseng. Individually, each of these constituents has demonstrated protective effects on myocardial injury. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the protective efficacy of TC on heart function and compare the differential effects between CoQ10 and TC. Two myocardial injury models of zebrafish, the hypoxia-reoxygenation model (H/R) and the isoproterenol (ISO, a β-receptor agonist) model, were used in this experiment. The zebrafish subjects were divided into 4 groups: control, H/R, TC, and CoQ10. Heart rate, stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), ejection fraction (EF), fractional area change (FAC), and pericardial height were monitored to assess changes in heart function. The gene expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was studied as markers of injury/stress. TC significantly suppresses elevated heart rate induced by H/R and prevents the decrease of heart rate induced by ISO. It alleviates the pericardial infusion induced by ISO, whereas CoQ10 does not possess a similar effect. Both TC and CoQ10 significantly inhibit the decline in SV, CO, EF, and FAC induced by H/R and ISO, and suppress the expression of ANP and BNP in cardiomyocytes induced by ISO. It is noteworthy that TC demonstrates a more pronounced effect on EF, FAC, ANP, and BNP gene expression compared to CoQ10. Both TC and CoQ10 have a protective effect on myocardial injury of zebrafish. However, TC exhibits a greater efficacy compared to CoQ10 alone in mitigating myocardial injury.

(402) Peyronie's Disease Treatment- Active Vs. Stable Phase- Retrospective Review of Cases

Abstract Introduction Peyronie's disease (PD) may be treated with collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) during the stable phase. However, the effectiveness and safety of this treatment during the active phase remain unclear. To address this, we investigated and compared the outcomes of patients receiving treatment in the active phase versus the stable phase of PD. Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of CCH treatment in patients diagnosed with PD during the active phase. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on men who underwent at least one cycle of CCH injections for PD with a single fellowship-trained urologist between 2017 and 2023. Active PD was defined as occurring within one year from the onset of symptoms. The severity of penile curvature was measured at the point of maximal curvature and assessed at baseline and after each CCH cycle. In addition to the CCH treatment, patients were prescribed daily phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEi) and coenzyme-Q10 (CoQ-10). The treatment response was defined as any improvement in curvature from baseline to the final assessment. The characteristics and outcomes of patients were compared between those with active and stable PD. Results Of 107 patients who underwent CCH treatment, 75 were diagnosed with stable PD and 32 with active PD. There were no significant differences observed between the two groups in terms of age (58.1 vs. 57.9 years, p = 0.89), baseline curvature (58.4 vs. 60.5 degrees, p = 0.60), or the number of CCH cycles received (6.6 vs. 6.3 cycles, p = 0.57). Among the active PD patients, 26 (81.2%) experienced an improvement in curvature, which was comparable to the stable PD group (58 (77.3%), p = 0.85). There were no significant differences in the degree of curvature improvement (14.4 vs. 14.0 degrees, p = 0.91) or the percentage of improvement from baseline (22.67% vs. 24.05%, p = 0.86) between the active and stable PD patients. In the subset of patients who showed an improvement in curvature angle, there was no notable distinction in the percentage of improvement from baseline between the stable and active phases (37.4% vs 34.8%, p=0.63). Among the treated patients, we observed two cases of potential penile fractures in the stable phase. All adverse events were conservatively managed. Conclusions Patients treated with CCH during the active phase achieved comparable outcomes to those in the stable phase. There were no additional adverse events in the active phase treatment group. These data suggest that early active phase treatment yields similar effectiveness as treatment administered during the stable phase. Treatment during the active phase could be a disease modifier and may change the course of progression. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Endo, Roman Health.

Subthreshold micropulse diode laser treatment in diabetic macular edema: biological impact, therapeutic effects, and safety.

To introduce the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) with subthreshold micropulse diode laser (SMPL), to summarize the biological impact, therapeutic effects, and safety of this treatment, and to discuss the response to DME when SMPL is combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) or steroid. The literature search was performed on the PubMed database, with a selection of English-language articles published from 2000 to 2023 with the following combinations of search terms: diabetes macular (o) edema, micropulse laser or subthreshold micropulse laser, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, and steroid. SMPL is a popular, invisible retinal laser phototherapy that is inexpensive, safe, and effective in the treatment of DME. It can selectively target the retinal pigment epithelium, reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, promote the absorption of macular edema, and exert a similar and lasting clinical effect to traditional lasers. No significant difference was found in the therapeutic effects of SMPL between different wavelengths. However, HbA1c level and pretreatment central macular thickness (CMT) may affect the therapeutic outcomes of SMPL. SMPL has a slow onset and produces lasting clinical effects similar to conventional photocoagulation. It has been reported that SMPL combined with the intravitreal anti-VEGF injection can significantly reduce the number of injections without influencing the therapeutic effect, which is essential for clinical applications and research. Although 577nm SMPL is widely used clinically, there are no standardized protocols for SMPL. Additionally, some important problems regarding the treatment of SMPL require further discussion and exploration.

Whitening efficacy of activated charcoal-based products: A single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial

ObjectiveThis randomized controlled clinical trial evaluated the whitening efficacy, tooth sensitivity (TS), and volunteers’ satisfaction following the use of activated charcoal powder and toothpaste. MethodsFifty-six volunteers were randomly allocated into 4 groups (n = 14) according to a 14-day toothbrushing or whitening treatment with activated charcoal powder (ACPW), activated charcoal toothpaste (ACT), regular fluoridated toothpaste (RT), and 10 % carbamide peroxide (CP). Objective (ΔE00) and subjective (ΔSGU) color and whiteness index (ΔWID) changes were calculated. Patients self-reported the risk and intensity of TS using a visual analogue scale and the volunteer's satisfaction was determined by a questionnaire. Color assessments were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis followed by Dwas-Steel-Crithlow-Fligner, and absolute TS risk and volunteer's satisfaction by Fisher exact test (p < 0.05). ResultsACPW and ACT promoted similar effects in ΔE00, ΔSGU, and ΔWID to that observed for RT. No significant difference was found in terms of TS risk intensity. TS risk became high after 7 and 14 days, with higher TS prevalence in CP. Volunteers reported that ACPW exhibited the lowest ease-of-use, comfort, and whitening satisfaction among groups (p < 0.05). ConclusionActivated charcoal-based products presented a minor and unsatisfactory whitening effect while CP resulted in optimal tooth whitening and the highest level of satisfaction among volunteers. Risk was higher from 7 days onwards and was more pronounced in the CP. Clinical relevanceBased on the whitening effect and patient satisfaction, this controlled-randomized clinical evidence supports that the use of activated charcoal-based products should be discouraged.

Comparison of the Effects of Anaesthesia Methods Used in Caesarean Delivery on Neonatal Cerebral and Renal Oxygenation: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Background: During a newborn’s adaptation to extrauterine life, many changes take place that are influenced by various factors. The type of delivery and anaesthesia strategy utilised during labour can modify these adaptive modifications. In this regard, this study was designed to compare the effects of general and spinal anaesthesia on cerebral and renal oxygenation after elective caesarean deliveries. Methods: This randomised controlled study comprised sixty parturient women who were over 18 years old and had a gestational age between 37 and 41 weeks. All participants had an ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) classification of II. Neonatal cerebral (CrSO2) and renal (RrSO2) regional oxygen saturations were assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy. Additionally, the 1st–5th min Apgar scores, preductal and postductal peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), and perfusion index were recorded in both the general anaesthesia and spinal anaesthesia groups. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of CrSO2 or RrSO2 values. The values of CrSO2 and RrSO2 in both groups showed a significant rise from the 10th to the 15th min, respectively. Conclusions: General and spinal anaesthesia techniques used for cesarean delivery have similar effects on neonatal cerebral and renal oxygenation.

Challenges and Coping Strategies: A Study of Occupational Stress Among Pune's University Instructors

Work stress among teaching staff in higher education can have significant impacts on their well-being, job satisfaction, and overall effectiveness as educators. Pune city, known for its educational institutions and academic excellence, would likely see similar effects as in other places (Siu 2002; Winefield et al. 2003). The objective of these study was to determine the impact of work load of teaching staff in higher education institutions in Pune city. This study tries to shows the potential relationship among various factors like physical and mental health, job satisfaction, reduced performance, student learning, higher turnover rates, work life balance, quality of research and publications, institutional reputation, long term career impact and organisational outcomes (HSC 2002). Closed and open ended questions were administered for this study with respect to Pune city. Results shows that to mitigate the impact of work stress on teaching staff in higher education, institutions can consider implementing supportive measures such as providing resources for mental health support, offering training in stress management and time management, encouraging a healthy work-life balance, and addressing systemic issues related to workload distribution and administrative support (Siu 2002; Windfield et al 2001).

Cognitive Control among Primary- and Middle-School Students and Their Associations with Math Achievement

Background: Math achievement is an important predictor of academic success. While many studies have examined math achievement in young children, studies with older children are scarce. This study focused on primary- and middle-school students, examining math achievements and cognitive control. Cognitive control was assessed referring to both domain-specific and domain-general cognitive control mechanisms and eliciting both simple and complex levels of conflict, and their association with math achievements. Methods: One-hundred-and-twenty-two participants performed two versions of a cognitive control task: a numerical Stroop task (NST; manipulating the numerical and physical size of Arabic numerals) and a perceptual Stroop task (PST; manipulating the location and direction of an arrow). For math achievements, participants performed math fluency and math curriculum tests. Results: Overall, the congruency effect was smaller in older students than in younger ones. Moreover, all participants demonstrated a similar congruency effect in the simple conflict task, whereas younger students showed a larger congruency effect in the complex conflict task. In addition, performance on the basic math fluency task was predicted by both Stroop tasks. However, performance on the comprehensive math achievement test was predicted only by the PST. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated enhanced cognitive control abilities of middle-school students and suggest that they can contribute to math achievements. We call for considering the implementation of both domain-specific and domain-general cognitive control activities as a potential approach to support math achievements.

Effectiveness of Oral versus Injectable Semaglutide in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Results from a Retrospective Observational Study in Croatia

Background: The number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing daily, and therefore, effective therapy is needed to successfully regulate glycemia and reduce the risk of associated complications. Recently, an oral formulation of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) semaglutide has become available. Therefore, the aim of our study was to compare the effectiveness of the new oral formulation and the existing injectable formulation of semaglutide in terms of glycemic and body weight control in a real-world setting. Patients and methods: This was a single-center retrospective observational study conducted at the Rijeka Clinical Hospital Centre. A total of 106 patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c ≥ 7%) on different oral or basal insulin supported oral therapy were enrolled in the study, and data from electronic medical records were retrospectively collected and analyzed from May 2021 to November 2022. All subjects were GLP-1 RA-naive and consequently prescribed 0.5 or 1.0 mg of once weekly injectable semaglutide (IS) or 7 mg or 14 mg of once daily oral semaglutide (OS) for at least 6 months. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed prior to semaglutide administration and after a 6-month follow-up period. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in HbA1c, and secondary endpoints were the change in body weight and the proportion of participants with a reduction in body weight of ≥5% and ≥10%, respectively, 6 months after the initiation of semaglutide treatment. Results: At the 6-month follow-up, no significant difference was observed between the two formulations in terms of HbA1c reduction (IS −1.1% vs. OS −1.4%, p = 0.126) and weight loss (IS −6.50 kg vs. OS −5.90 kg, p = 0.714). Exactly the same proportion of participants in both groups achieved a weight loss of ≥5% (56.7%, n = 30). A weight loss ≥ 10% was observed in 20.7% (n = 11) of participants administered IS and 15.1% (n = 8) of participants administered OS, respectively (p = 0.454). Conclusion: In a real-world setting, oral semaglutide as an add-on therapy to ongoing antihyperglycemic treatment in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes who had not previously received GLP-1 RA demonstrated a similar effectiveness as injectable semaglutide in terms of glycemic control and weight loss after 6 months of treatment.

Evaluation of Open Versus Arthroscopic Anterior Talofibular Ligament Reconstruction for Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability With Talar and Subtalar Cartilage MRI T2 Mapping: A 3-Year Prospective Study.

Previous studies have examined patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI) undergoing open and arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) reconstruction, reporting equivalent clinical results between the 2 procedures. However, data on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes on cartilage health after the 2 procedures are limited. To compare the cartilage MRI T2 values of the talar and subtalar joints between patients with CLAI undergoing open and arthroscopic ATFL reconstruction. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. A prospective study was conducted on patients who underwent open or arthroscopic ATFL reconstruction between January 2018 and December 2019, with a mean follow-up duration of 3 years. MRI scans and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and Tegner score estimations were completed by patients ≤1 week before surgery, as a baseline measurement, and at a 3-year follow-up. A total of 21 healthy volunteers were included who underwent MRI at baseline. Cartilage health was evaluated using MRI T2 mapping. The talar and subtalar cartilage regions were segmented into 14 subregions. At baseline, patients with CLAI had substantially higher T2 values in the medial anterior, medial center, medial posterior, and lateral center regions on the talus compared with the healthy controls (P = .009, .003, .001, and .025, respectively). Remarkable increases in T2 values in the lateral posterior region on the talus were observed from baseline to follow-up in the open group (P = .007). Furthermore, T2 values were considerably higher in the medial center, medial posterior, lateral posterior, and lateral posterior calcaneal facets of the posterior subtalar joint at follow-up in the arthroscopic group compared with the baseline values (P = .025, .002, .006, and .044, respectively). No obvious differences in ΔT2 values were noted between the 2 groups at follow-up. The AOFAS and Tegner scores remarkably improved from baseline to follow-up for the 2 groups (open: 3.25 ± 0.58 vs 5.13 ± 0.81, P < .001; arthroscopic: 3.11 ± 0.90 vs 5.11 ± 1.08, P < .001), with no considerable difference between them. The elevated T2 values of cartilage could not be fully recovered after open or arthroscopic ATFL reconstruction. Both arthroscopic and open ATFL reconstruction displayed similar effects on cartilage health concerning ΔT2, but the arthroscopic group demonstrated more degenerative cartilage subregions than the open group.

Semantic representations in inferior frontal and lateral temporal cortex during picture naming, reading, and repetition.

Reading, naming, and repetition are classical neuropsychological tasks widely used in the clinic and psycholinguistic research. While reading and repetition can be accomplished by following a direct or an indirect route, pictures can be named only by means of semantic mediation. By means of fMRI multivariate pattern analysis, we evaluated whether this well-established fundamental difference at the cognitive level is associated at the brain level with a difference in the degree to which semantic representations are activated during these tasks. Semantic similarity between words was estimated based on a word association model. Twenty subjects participated in an event-related fMRI study where the three tasks were presented in pseudo-random order. Linear discriminant analysis of fMRI patterns identified a set of regions that allow to discriminate between words at a high level of word-specificity across tasks. Representational similarity analysis was used to determine whether semantic similarity was represented in these regions and whether this depended on the task performed. The similarity between neural patterns of the left Brodmann area 45 (BA45) and of the superior portion of the left supramarginal gyrus correlated with the similarity in meaning between entities during picture naming. In both regions, no significant effects were seen for repetition or reading. The semantic similarity effect during picture naming was significantly larger than the similarity effect during the two other tasks. In contrast, several regions including left anterior superior temporal gyrus and left ventral BA44/frontal operculum, among others, coded for semantic similarity in a task-independent manner. These findings provide new evidence for the dynamic, task-dependent nature of semantic representations in the left BA45 and a more task-independent nature of the representational activation in the lateral temporal cortex and ventral BA44/frontal operculum.

Inhibitors of gastric acid secretion increase oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity leading to vascular remodeling.

The use of inhibitors of gastric acid secretion (IGAS), especially proton pump inhibitors (PPI), has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. While the mechanisms involved are not known, there is evidence supporting increased oxidative stress, a major activator of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), as an important player in such effect. However, there is no study showing whether other IGAS such as histamine H2-receptor blockers (H2RB) cause similar effects. This study aimed at examining whether treatment with the H2RB ranitidine promotes oxidative stress resulting in vascular MMP activation and corresponding functional and structural alterations in the vasculature, as compared with those found with the PPI omeprazole. Male Wistar rats were treated (4 weeks) with vehicle (2% tween 20), omeprazole (10 mg/Kg/day; i.p.) or ranitidine (100 mg/Kg/day; gavage). Then the aorta was collected to perform functional, biochemical, and morphometric analysis. Both ranitidine and omeprazole increased gastric pH and oxidative stress assessed in situ with the fluorescent dye dihydroethidium (DHE) and with lucigenin chemiluminescence assay. Both IGAS augmented vascular activated MMP-2. These findings were associated with aortic remodeling (increased media/lumen ratio and number of cells/μm2). Both IGAS also impaired the endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine (isolated aortic ring preparation). This study provides evidence that the H2RB ranitidine induces vascular dysfunction, redox alterations, and remodeling similar to those found with the PPI omeprazole. These findings strongly suggest that IGAS increase oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity leading to vascular remodeling, which helps to explain the increased cardiovascular risk associated with the use of those drugs.

A comparison of student perspectives on body donation across healthcare professional programs: From prosection- to dissection-based curricula.

Donor-centered education offers students the opportunity to not only acquire visual and tactile experiences for applying anatomical knowledge but also a chance for students to reflect upon fundamental humanistic principles. The exploration of differences in students' viewpoints on body donation and the utilization of body donors in their education remains unexplored across various healthcare professional programs, which has an impact on student learning and experience. This study aimed to qualitatively examine the similarities and differences in student perspectives regarding body donation across three healthcare professional programs. One-page reflections from nursing (n = 37), physical and occupational therapy (n = 49), and medical students (n = 66) regarding their experiences in the anatomy laboratory at McGill University were collected and analyzed using a deductive approach based on themes and sub-themes outlined by Stephens etal. in 2019. Despite differences in their curricula, there were few discrepancies across the programs' reflections suggesting that donor-based learning had similar effects on each user group. Most students across the healthcare professional programs mentioned that their positive laboratory experiences motivated them to donate their bodies, extending the privilege they had to future generations. Nursing students did not reflect upon the notion that working with body donors provided unique learning experiences in the anatomy laboratory. Likewise, physical and occupational therapy (PT/OT) students did not address the importance of maintaining the privacy of body donors by covering certain body parts during lab. These findings show that prosection- and dissection-based exercises encourage reflective practices associated with these of medical ethics, highlighting an important advantage to including donor-based learning in anatomical education.

Mark Z. Danilevsky's "House of Leaves": the Poetics of Simulacra

The object of research of this article is a novel by Mark Z. Danilevsky's "House of Leaves" in the context of Postmodernism. The subject of the study is the concept of a simulacrum, which appears in the novel "House of Leaves" as one of the funding components of the poetics of the work. The "House of Leaves" is considered from the position of postmodern sensitivity, in which Danilevsky deliberately blurs the boundaries between habitual space and hyperreality, real and unreal, fact and fiction. A similar effect is achieved through the simulacrum based on the novel – the short film "The Nevidson Film" – which was originally programmed by Danilevsky to expand into reality, to capture reality, that is, to limitless expansion of simulation through both material media (books) and the Internet. As a result of the proliferation of simulation within the work, the poetics of the novel text itself undergoes mutation, where genre mixing occurs, and mutually subordinate relations are established for the participants of author-reader communication due to the features of novel poetics. The text based on the simulacrum is absorbed by the simulation and eventually becomes a simulacrum due to the continuous formation and spread of the simulation. As a result, the language environment turns into a means of control, manipulation, subordination, both of the author and the recipient: the totality of simulation replaces reality and includes the perceiving consciousness in its own boundless becoming.

Parasites alter food-web topology of a subarctic lake food web and its pelagic and benthic compartments

We compared three sets of highly resolved food webs with and without parasites for a subarctic lake system corresponding to its pelagic and benthic compartments and the whole-lake food web. Key topological food-web metrics were calculated for each set of compartments to explore the role parasites play in food-web topology in these highly contrasting webs. After controlling for effects from differences in web size, we observed similar responses to the addition of parasites in both the pelagic and benthic compartments demonstrated by increases in trophic levels, linkage density, connectance, generality, and vulnerability despite the contrasting composition of free-living and parasitic species between the two compartments. Similar effects on food-web topology can be expected with the inclusion of parasites, regardless of the physical characteristics and taxonomic community compositions of contrasting environments. Additionally, similar increases in key topological metrics were found in the whole-lake food web that combines the pelagic and benthic webs, effects that are comparable to parasite food-web analyses from other systems. These changes in topological metrics are a result of the unique properties of parasites as infectious agents and the links they participate in. Trematodes were key contributors to these results, as these parasites have distinct characteristics in aquatic systems that introduce new link types and increase the food web’s generality and vulnerability disproportionate to other parasites. Our analysis highlights the importance of incorporating parasites, especially trophically transmitted parasites, into food webs as they significantly alter key topological metrics and are thus essential for understanding an ecosystem’s structure and functioning.