Peripheral Nerve Stimulation in Postoperative Analgesia: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: Recent research has shown the effectiveness of peripheral nerve stimulators (PNS) in managing chronic pain conditions. Ongoing studies aim to explore its potential application in treating acute postoperative pain states. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the role of PNS in providing relief for postoperative pain.

Moulded Osteomyofascial Pedicled Split (MOPS) Craniotomy Flap in Reconstruction of Anterior Cranial Fossa Defects: Pilot Study of a Novel Technique.

Introduction: Anterior cranial fossa (ACF) defects still remains a reconstructive challenge to neurosurgeons due to the difficult location, inaccessibility, and unfavorable vascular anatomy. Usual reconstructive methods reported complications such as recurrent cerebrospinal fluid leak due to bone resorption and tissue breakdown. This is mainly due to the avascularity of the bone graft and inability to provide bony structural support for the skull base.

Differential expression of laminin isoforms in diabetic nephropathy and other renal diseases.

Laminin a non-collagenous glycoprotein is a major component of the renal glomerular basement membrane and mesangium. Thus far eleven distinct chains have been described, permutations of which make up 15 laminin isoforms. Laminin molecules interact with cells and other matrix molecules during organ development and differentiation.

Design, development, and evaluation of a second generation interactive Simulator for Engineering Ethics Education (SEEE2).

This paper describes a second generation Simulator for Engineering Ethics Education. Details describing the first generation activities of this overall effort are published in Chung and Alfred (Sci Eng Ethics 15:189-199, 2009). The second generation research effort represents a major development in the interactive simulator educational approach.

Design, development, and evaluation of an interactive simulator for engineering ethics education (SEEE).

Societal pressures, accreditation organizations, and licensing agencies are emphasizing the importance of ethics in the engineering curriculum. Traditionally, this subject has been taught using dogma, heuristics, and case study approaches. Most recently a number of organizations have sought to increase the utility of these approaches by utilizing the Internet.

Glucose-induced changes in integrins and matrix-related functions in cultured human glomerular epithelial cells.

In cultured human glomerular epithelial cells (HGEC), 25 mM glucose resulted in decreased expression of alpha(3)-, alpha(2)-, and beta(1)-integrins and increased expression of alpha(5)- and alpha(v)beta(3)-integrins. This change was accompanied by decreased binding of HGEC to type IV collagen. In the presence of normal (5 mM) glucose concentration, cell binding to type IV collagen was primarily mediated by alpha(2)beta(1)- and alpha(5)beta(1)-integrins, as indicated by experiments in which cell adhesion to type IV collagen was competed by specific anti-integrin monoclonal antibodies.

Proximal tubular epithelial cell integrins respond to high glucose by altered cell-matrix interactions and differentially regulate matrixin expression.

Thickening of the tubular basement membrane (TBM) occurs in diabetic nephropathy, but the effects of high glucose on the functional aspects of proximal tubular epithelial cells are not clearly understood. In the present study, we examined the effects of elevated glucose concentrations on (a) integrin expression by human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and integrin-mediated interactions with type IV collagen (colIV) and laminin, major components of TBM; (b) the expression of matrixins/matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which is regulated by integrins; and (c) the expression of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). HK-2 cells cultured in 25 mM glucose underwent a reduction of the expression of alpha3, beta1, alpha(v)beta3, and alpha5 integrin subunits, with a concomitant increase of the alpha2 subunit, compared with cells grown in 5 mM glucose.

Puromycin aminonucleoside suppresses integrin expression in cultured glomerular epithelial cells.

Puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN)-induced nephrosis is a well-described model of human idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, but the mechanism of PAN's effect is not completely understood. Because PAN injection into rats results in retraction of glomerular epithelial cell foot processes and glomerular epithelial cell detachment, it was hypothesized that PAN might alter the contacts between these cells and the glomerular basement membrane. The major integrin expressed by glomerular epithelial cells is alpha3beta1, which mediates attachment of these cells to extracellular matrix proteins including type IV collagen.

Identification of two alternatively spliced forms of human tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen (TIN-Ag).

Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen (TIN-Ag) is a recently described basement membrane glycoprotein reactive with autoantibodies in some forms of immunologically mediated human tubulointerstitial nephritis. This report presents the complete cDNA and predicted amino acid sequences of two human TIN-Ag mRNA species referred to as TIN1 and TIN2. Translation through the open reading frames of these clones indicates the presence of a signal peptide and putative pre-propeptide.