Light-Mediated Inhibition of Colonic Smooth Muscle Constriction and Colonic Motility Opsin 3.

Opsin photoreceptors outside of the central nervous system have been shown to mediate smooth muscle photorelaxation in several organs. We hypothesized that opsin receptor activation in the colon would have a similar effect and influence colonic motility. We detected Opsin 3 (OPN3) protein expression in the colonic wall and demonstrated that OPN3 was present in enteric neurons in the muscularis propria of the murine colon.

Precise control of mitophagy through ubiquitin proteasome system and deubiquitin proteases and their dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly population and is caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons. PD has been predominantly attributed to mitochondrial dysfunction. The structural alteration of α-synuclein triggers toxic oligomer formation in the neurons, which greatly contributes to PD.

Tympanometry and CT Measurement of Middle Ear Volumes in Patients with Unilateral Chronic Otitis Media.

Objectives: The goals of the study were to compare the middle ear (ME) volumes from both normal and lesioned ears, and these ME volumes were measured by a digital image processing computed tomography (CT) program in patients with unilateral chronic otitis media, and we wanted to compare the ME volumes of the lesioned ears by comparing the ME volumes obtained by tympanometry with those ME volumes measured by the digital image processing CT program.

Methods: Forty-four patients who had unilateral chronic otitis media (COM) and contralateral normal tympanic membranes (TM) and 100 subjects with normal TMs were included in the study. The normal volumes of the external auditory canal (EAC) were measured in the normal group.