Effects of Cannabis Use on Sedation Requirements for Endoscopic Procedures: A Replication Study.

On July 1, 2021, cannabis became legal in Virginia for adults 21 years of age and older. Cannabis consumption may have significant implications for outcomes related to medical care, including procedural sedation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported cannabis consumption has any relationship to sedation medication requirements during endoscopic procedures.

Equations of motion for weakly compressible point vortices.

Equations of motion for compressible point vortices in the plane are obtained in the limit of small Mach number, , using a Rayleigh-Jansen expansion and the method of Matched Asymptotic Expansions. The solution in the region between vortices is matched to solutions around each vortex core. The motion of the vortices is modified over long time scales [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].

Contribution of dorsal horn CGRP-expressing interneurons to mechanical sensitivity.

Primary sensory neurons are generally considered the only source of dorsal horn calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neuropeptide critical to the transmission of pain messages. Using a tamoxifen-inducible transgenic mouse, here we identified a distinct population of CGRP-expressing excitatory interneurons in lamina III of the spinal cord dorsal horn and trigeminal nucleus caudalis. These interneurons have spine-laden, dorsally directed, dendrites, and ventrally directed axons.

Subregional differences in GABA receptor subunit expression in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of sedentary versus physically active rats.

Neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) regulate blood pressure through direct projections to spinal sympathetic preganglionic neurons. Only some RVLM neurons are active under resting conditions due to significant, tonic inhibition by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Withdrawal of GABA receptor-mediated inhibition of the RVLM increases sympathetic outflow and blood pressure substantially, providing a mechanism by which the RVLM could contribute chronically to cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Numerical solution of scattering problems using a Riemann-Hilbert formulation.

A fast and accurate numerical method for the solution of scalar and matrix Wiener-Hopf (WH) problems is presented. The WH problems are formulated as Riemann-Hilbert problems on the real line, and a numerical approach developed for these problems is used. It is shown that the known far-field behaviour of the solutions can be exploited to construct numerical schemes providing spectrally accurate results.

Insulin-responsive autonomic neurons in rat medulla oblongata.

Low blood glucose activates brainstem adrenergic and cholinergic neurons, driving adrenaline secretion from the adrenal medulla and glucagon release from the pancreas. Despite their roles in maintaining glucose homeostasis, the distributions of insulin-responsive adrenergic and cholinergic neurons in the medulla are unknown. We fasted rats overnight and gave them insulin (10 U/kg i.

GLP-1 neurons form a local synaptic circuit within the rodent nucleus of the solitary tract.

Glutamatergic neurons that express pre-proglucagon (PPG) and are immunopositive (+) for glucagon-like peptide-1 (i.e., GLP-1+ neurons) are located within the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS) and medullary reticular formation in rats and mice.

Long-term, dynamic synaptic reorganization after GABAergic precursor cell transplantation into adult mouse spinal cord.

Transplanting embryonic precursors of GABAergic neurons from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) into adult mouse spinal cord ameliorates mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in peripheral nerve injury models of neuropathic pain. Although Fos and transneuronal tracing studies strongly suggest that integration of MGE-derived neurons into host spinal cord circuits underlies recovery of function, the extent to which there is synaptic integration of the transplanted cells has not been established. Here, we used electron microscopic immunocytochemistry to assess directly integration of GFP-expressing MGE-derived neuronal precursors into dorsal horn circuitry in intact, adult mice with short- (5-6 weeks) or long-term (4-6 months) transplants.

Serotonergic modulation of the activity of GLP-1 producing neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract in mouse.

Objective: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and 5-HT are potent regulators of food intake within the brain. GLP-1 is expressed by preproglucagon (PPG) neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). We have previously shown that PPG neurons innervate 5-HT neurons in the ventral brainstem.

Functional and neurochemical characterization of angiotensin type 1A receptor-expressing neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract of the mouse.

Angiotensin II acts via two main receptors within the central nervous system, with the type 1A receptor (ATR) most widely expressed in adult neurons. Activation of the ATR in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), the principal nucleus receiving central synapses of viscerosensory afferents, modulates cardiovascular reflexes. Expression of the ATR occurs in high density within the NTS of most mammals, including humans, but the fundamental electrophysiological and neurochemical characteristics of the ATR-expressing NTS neurons are not known.

Polysialic Acid Regulates Sympathetic Outflow by Facilitating Information Transfer within the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract.

Expression of the large extracellular glycan, polysialic acid (polySia), is restricted in the adult, to brain regions exhibiting high levels of plasticity or remodeling, including the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). The NTS, located in the dorsal brainstem, receives constant viscerosensory afferent traffic as well as input from central regions controlling sympathetic nerve activity, respiration, gastrointestinal functions, hormonal release, and behavior. Our aims were to determine the ultrastructural location of polySia in the NTS and the functional effects of enzymatic removal of polySia, both and polySia immunoreactivity was found throughout the adult rat NTS.

Rebuilding CNS inhibitory circuits to control chronic neuropathic pain and itch.

Cell transplantation offers an attractive alternative to pharmacotherapy for the management of a host of clinical conditions. Most importantly, the transplanted cells provide a continuous, local delivery of therapeutic compounds, which avoids many of the adverse side effects associated with systemically administered drugs. Here, we describe the broad therapeutic utility of transplanting precursors of cortical inhibitory interneurons derived from the embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), in a variety of chronic pain and itch models in the mouse.

Dynamics and transport properties of three surface quasigeostrophic point vortices.

The surface quasi-geostrophic (SQG) equations are a model for low-Rossby number geophysical flows in which the dynamics are governed by potential temperature dynamics on the boundary. We examine point vortex solutions to this model as well as the chaotic flows induced by three point vortices. The chaotic transport induced by these flows is investigated using techniques of Poincaré maps and the Finite Time Braiding Exponent (FTBE).

Functional Synaptic Integration of Forebrain GABAergic Precursors into the Adult Spinal Cord.

Unlabelled: Spinal cord transplants of embryonic cortical GABAergic progenitor cells derived from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) can reverse mechanical hypersensitivity in the mouse models of peripheral nerve injury- and paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain. Here, we used electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy to examine the extent to which MGE cells integrate into host circuitry and recapitulate endogenous inhibitory circuits. Whether the transplants were performed before or after nerve injury, the MGE cells developed into mature neurons and exhibited firing patterns characteristic of subpopulations of cortical and spinal cord inhibitory interneurons.

The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 increases mitral cell excitability by decreasing conductance of a voltage-dependent potassium channel.

Key Points: The gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a strong moderator of energy homeostasis and communication between the peripheral organs and the brain. GLP-1 signalling occurs in the brain; using a newly developed genetic reporter line of mice, we have discovered GLP-synthesizing cells in the olfactory bulb. GLP-1 increases the firing frequency of neurons (mitral cells) that encode olfactory information by decreasing activity of voltage-dependent K channels (Kv1.

Adrenaline: insights into its metabolic roles in hypoglycaemia and diabetes.

Adrenaline is a hormone that has profound actions on the cardiovascular system and is also a mediator of the fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline is now increasingly recognized as an important metabolic hormone that helps mobilize energy stores in the form of glucose and free fatty acids in preparation for physical activity or for recovery from hypoglycaemia. Recovery from hypoglycaemia is termed counter-regulation and involves the suppression of endogenous insulin secretion, activation of glucagon secretion from pancreatic α-cells and activation of adrenaline secretion.

Activation of Medulla-Projecting Perifornical Neurons Modulates the Adrenal Sympathetic Response to Hypoglycemia: Involvement of Orexin Type 2 (OX2-R) Receptors.

Iatrogenic hypoglycemia in response to insulin treatment is commonly experienced by patients with type 1 diabetes and can be life threatening. The body releases epinephrine in an attempt to counterregulate hypoglycemia, but the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain to be elucidated. Orexin neurons in the perifornical hypothalamus (PeH) project to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and are likely to be involved in epinephrine secretion during hypoglycemia.

(In)activity-related neuroplasticity in brainstem control of sympathetic outflow: unraveling underlying molecular, cellular, and anatomical mechanisms.

More people die as a result of physical inactivity than any other preventable risk factor including smoking, high cholesterol, and obesity. Cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the United States, tops the list of inactivity-related diseases. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Americans continue to make lifestyle choices that are creating a rapidly growing burden of epidemic size and impact on the United States healthcare system.

Combined accurate platelet enumeration and reticulated platelet determination by flow cytometry.

Background: Diagnosing the cause of thrombocytopenia often requires a bone marrow aspiration or biopsy, an invasive procedure. Reticulated platelets (RP) are immature RNA containing platelets, accurate RP enumeration has yet to be achieved, partially due to the lack of a robust reference method.

Goal: To refine previous work and gating strategies distinguishing RP from mature platelets while incorporating accurate platelet enumeration into the analysis.

Primary afferent and spinal cord expression of gastrin-releasing peptide: message, protein, and antibody concerns.

There is continuing controversy relating to the primary afferent neurotransmitter that conveys itch signals to the spinal cord. Here, we investigated the DRG and spinal cord expression of the putative primary afferent-derived "itch" neurotransmitter, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP). Using ISH, qPCR, and immunohistochemistry, we conclude that GRP is expressed abundantly in spinal cord, but not in DRG neurons.

Spinally projecting preproglucagon axons preferentially innervate sympathetic preganglionic neurons.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) affects central autonomic neurons, including those controlling the cardiovascular system, thermogenesis, and energy balance. Preproglucagon (PPG) neurons, located mainly in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and medullary reticular formation, produce GLP-1. In transgenic mice expressing glucagon promoter-driven yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), these brainstem PPG neurons project to many central autonomic regions where GLP-1 receptors are expressed.

Catecholaminergic C3 neurons are sympathoexcitatory and involved in glucose homeostasis.

Brainstem catecholaminergic neurons play key roles in the autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral responses to glucoprivation, yet the functions of the individual groups are not fully understood. Adrenergic C3 neurons project widely throughout the brain, including densely to sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal cord, yet their function is completely unknown. Here we demonstrate in rats that optogenetic stimulation of C3 neurons induces sympathoexcitatory, cardiovasomotor functions.

Epiviz: interactive visual analytics for functional genomics data.

Visualization is an integral aspect of genomics data analysis. Algorithmic-statistical analysis and interactive visualization are most effective when used iteratively. Epiviz (http://epiviz.

Breast cancer risk in older women: results from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.

Background: Divergent risk factors exist for premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancers, but it is unclear whether differences by age exist among postmenopausal women.

Methods: We examined relationships among 190,872 postmenopausal women, ages 50-71 years recruited during 1995-1996 for the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, in whom 7,384 incident invasive breast carcinomas were identified through 2006. Multivariable Cox regression hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for breast cancer risk factors by age (50-59, 60-69, ≥70 years).