Plastic Changes in Glycine and GABA Release and Uptake in Adult Brain Stem Auditory Nuclei after Unilateral Middle Ear Ossicle Removal and Cochlear Ablation

[i] In young adult guinea pigs, the effects of unilateral ossicle removal and unilateral cochlear ablation were determined on [¹⁴C]glycine or [¹⁴C]GABA release and uptake measured in subdivisions of the cochlear nucleus (CN), the superior olivary complex, and the auditory midbrain, after 2 or 5, 59, and 145 postlesion days. Activities were compared to those of age-matched, unlesioned controls. [ii] [¹⁴C]Glycine release declined bilaterally in the anteroventral and dorsal CN after ossicle removal and in the dorsal CN after cochlear ablation. [iii] Transient elevations of release occurred at 59 days in the ipsilateral posteroventral CN ([¹⁴C]glycine) and bilaterally in the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus ([¹⁴C]GABA) after ossicle removal, and bilaterally in the medial superior olive ([¹⁴C]glycine) after cochlear ablation. [iv] In the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, [¹⁴C]GABA release was depressed bilaterally 5 days after ossicle removal, but was elevated at 145 days contralaterally after ossicle removal and ipsilaterally after cochlear ablation. [v] In the contralateral central nucleus of the inferior colliculus, [¹⁴C]GABA release was elevated persistently after ossicle removal. After cochlear ablation, release was elevated at 5 days, near the control at 59 days, and elevated again at 145 days. [vi] After both lesions, [¹⁴C]glycine uptake was elevated bilaterally in the CN and medial superior olive. [¹⁴C]GABA uptake became depressed by 59 or 145 days bilaterally in the auditory midbrain. [vii] These changes may stem from regulation and may contribute to mechanisms that generate symptoms such as loudness recruitment and tinnitus, which often accompany hearing loss.     

Development of a lethal,closed-abdomen,arterial hemorrhage model in noncoagulopathic swine

Background

Prehospital treatment for noncompressible abdominal bleeding, particularly due to large vascular injury, represents a significant unmet medical need on the battlefield and in civilian trauma. To date, few large animal models are available to assess new therapeutic interventions and hemostatic agents for prehospital hemorrhage control.

Methods

We developed a novel, lethal, closed-abdomen injury model in noncoagulopathic swine by strategic placement of a cutting wire around the external iliac artery. The wire was externalized, such that percutaneous distraction would result in vessel transection leading to severe uncontrolled abdominal hemorrhage. Resuscitation boluses were administered at 5 and 12 min.

Results

We demonstrated 86% mortality (12/14 animals) at 60 min, with a median survival time of 32 min. The injury resulted in rapid and massive hypotension and exsanguinating blood loss. The noncoagulopathic animal model incorporated clinically significant resuscitation and ventilation protocols based on best evidenced-based prehospital practices.

Conclusion

A new injury model is presented that enables screening of prehospital interventions designed to control noncompressible arterial hemorrhage.     

Antidyslipidemic effect and antioxidant activity of anthraquinone derivatives from Rheum emodi rhizomes in dyslipidemic rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antidyslipidemic effect of ethanolic extract of Rheum emodi rhizomes and its constituents in Triton-WR-1339 and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced dyslipidemic rats. In preliminary screening, the ethanolic extract showed significant activity in Triton-treated rats. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract resulted in the identification of four anthraquinone derivatives, viz. chrysophanol, emodin, chrysophanol 8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and emodin 8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside as active constituents. All these compounds significantly reduced plasma lipid levels. The most active compound emodin showed significant lipid-lowering activity in the HFD-fed model. In addition, these compounds showed significant antioxidant activity. The effect of emodin on enzymes modulating lipid metabolism confirms and supports the efficiency of emodin as a potent antidyslipidemic agent.     

Respiration: ventilation

The process of external respiration involves the uptake of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide in the lungs by means of ventilation and gas transfer. Ventilation is controlled by neural and chemical regulatory mechanisms, and ventilation changes in response to hypoxia and changes in acid-base balance. The most important muscle for inspiration is the diaphragm with abdominal wall muscles being the most important muscles of expiration. The work of breathing is required to move the lungs and chest wall and facilitate flow of gas through the airways. Resistance to flow of gas through the airway depends on the type of flow: laminar, turbulent or transitional. The compliance curve of the lung explains why ventilation is better at the base of the lungs compared with the apex. Dynamic compression of airways is a feature of forced expiration in healthy individuals; however, it may occur at low expiratory flow rates in certain lung diseases and thus limit exercise tolerance.     

Reversal of Associations Between Spanish Language Use and Mammography and Pap Smear Testing

Latina women are less likely to utilize cancer screening services than are non-Latina White women. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between preferred language (English vs. Spanish) and receipt of mammography and Pap-smear testing among US Latinas and non-Latinas. Cross-sectional analysis of the 2008 and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys. While Latinas responding to the BRFSS in English or in Spanish had unadjusted lower odds of receiving mammography testing, in multivariable analysis Latinas responding-in-Spanish had 2.20 times the odds (OR = 2.20, 95 % CI, 1.90–2.55) of reporting mammography compared to non-Latinas. Similarly, Latinas responding-in- Spanish had lower unadjusted odds of receiving Pap-smear testing. However, Latinas responding-in-Spanish had 2.37 times the odds (OR = 2.37 CI, 2.04–2.75) of reporting having received Pap smear testing compared to non-Latinas in multivariate analysis. The results of this paper further confirm the “reversed associations” among Latinas and mammography and Pap smear testing described in previous studies and suggest that in addition to insurance status, preferred language may be a key variable contributing to the reversal phenomenon observed among Latinas.     

Total ankle replacement for rheumatoid ankle arthritis

This article reviews total ankle replacement for rheumatoid ankle arthritis. The benefits of preserving the mobility of the ankle joint for the patient who has rheumatoid arthritis are undisputed. Recent reports have consistently shown that patient satisfaction following ankle replacement is high and prosthetic survival is more than 90% at five years and in many instances more than 80% at 10 years. Ankle replacement is contraindicated when there is severe coronal plane deformity.     

Dose response explorer: an integrated open-source tool for exploring and modelling radiotherapy dose-volume outcome relationships

Radiotherapy treatment outcome models are a complicated function of treatment, clinical and biological factors. Our objective is to provide clinicians and scientists with an accurate, flexible and user-friendly software tool to explore radiotherapy outcomes data and build statistical tumour control or normal tissue complications models. The software tool, called the dose response explorer system (DREES), is based on Matlab, and uses a named-field structure array data type. DREES/Matlab in combination with another open-source tool (CERR) provides an environment for analysing treatment outcomes. DREES provides many radiotherapy outcome modelling features, including (1) fitting of analytical normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and tumour control probability (TCP) models, (2) combined modelling of multiple dose-volume variables (e.g., mean dose, max dose, etc) and clinical factors (age, gender, stage, etc) using multi-term regression modelling, (3) manual or automated selection of logistic or actuarial model variables using bootstrap statistical resampling, (4) estimation of uncertainty in model parameters, (5) performance assessment of univariate and multivariate analyses using Spearman's rank correlation and chi-square statistics, boxplots, nomograms, Kaplan-Meier survival plots, and receiver operating characteristics curves, and (6) graphical capabilities to visualize NTCP or TCP prediction versus selected variable models using various plots. DREES provides clinical researchers with a tool customized for radiotherapy outcome modelling. DREES is freely distributed. We expect to continue developing DREES based on user feedback.