Iberian ribbed newts.

Matheson et al. introduce the Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), a species of salamander that lives some of its adult life on land and some in water, requiring remarkable physiological and behavioral plasticity to adapt to these very different environments.

Do Posterior Neck Lumps Need Ultrasound Evaluation: A Case Series of 623 Neck Ultrasound Studies at a Single Institution.

Introduction/objectives: Neck lumps are a common presentation to primary care services. The aetiology of posterior neck lumps is poorly explored in the literature, and therefore remain a concern to patients and clinicians. This often results in an urgent referral for ultrasound assessment.

Dendrite architecture determines mitochondrial distribution patterns in vivo.

Neuronal morphology influences synaptic connectivity and neuronal signal processing. However, it remains unclear how neuronal shape affects steady-state distributions of organelles like mitochondria. In this work, we investigated the link between mitochondrial transport and dendrite branching patterns by combining mathematical modeling with in vivo measurements of dendrite architecture, mitochondrial motility, and mitochondrial localization patterns in Drosophila HS (horizontal system) neurons.

A sweeter future: Using protein language models for exploring sweeter brazzein homologs.

With growing concerns over the health impact of sugar, brazzein offers a viable alternative due to its sweetness, thermostability, and low risk profile. Here, we demonstrated the ability of protein language models to design new brazzein homologs with improved thermostability and potentially higher sweetness, resulting in new diverse optimized amino acid sequences that improve structural and functional features beyond what conventional methods could achieve. This innovative approach resulted in the identification of unexpected mutations, thereby generating new possibilities for protein engineering.

Can contrast enhanced ultrasound differentiate benign cystic nephroma from malignant multicystic renal lesions? A case report.

Multicystic renal lesions pose a diagnostic dilemma and standard imaging may not be able to differentiate between benign or malignant lesions. Adult cystic nephroma and multicystic renal cell carcinoma are two such cystic renal lesions. We describe the appearance of cystic nephroma using contrast enhanced ultrasound.

Sleep oscillation-specific associations with Alzheimer's disease CSF biomarkers: novel roles for sleep spindles and tau.

Background: Based on associations between sleep spindles, cognition, and sleep-dependent memory processing, here we evaluated potential relationships between levels of CSF Aβ, P-tau, and T-tau with sleep spindle density and other biophysical properties of sleep spindles in a sample of cognitively normal elderly individuals.

Methods: One-night in-lab nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) and morning to early afternoon CSF collection were performed to measure CSF Aβ, P-tau and T-tau. Seven days of actigraphy were collected to assess habitual total sleep time.

Triparametric ultrasound in differentiating multicystic renal masses: a rare presentation of unilateral focal renal lymphangioma.

We describe a rare case of renal lymphangioma presenting as a focal unilateral multicystic renal mass and document the first reported use of triparametric ultrasound (B-mode, Doppler, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound) in its diagnosis and discrimination from other focal multicystic lesions. Renal lymphangiomas are rare, benign, typically developmental lesions composed of cystic dilatation of the lymphatic ducts, usually occurring bilaterally as perinephric collections or parapelvic cysts mimicking hydronephrosis. Radiologists have an important role in suggesting the diagnosis, as clinical presentation can be nonspecific.

Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the Malaysian communities.

Background And Aim: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. The REDISCOVER (sponing to ncreaing ardiascular disase pevalence) study is an observational longitudinal community-based study that tracks changing lifestyles, risk factors and chronic disease in urban and rural areas of Malaysia. In this study, we aim to study the prevalence of AF and its associated risk factors.

Percutaneous Disc Decompression for Lumbar Radicular Pain: A Review Article.

Background: Open discectomy remains the standard of treatment for patients with lumbar radicular pain secondary to a prolapsed intervertebral disc. Open discectomy performed in patients with small, contained herniations may result in poor outcomes. The various techniques of percutaneous disc decompression (PDD) have been developed to address this population.

Evidence-based guidelines on the use of opioids in chronic non-cancer pain--a consensus statement by the Pain Association of Singapore Task Force.

Introduction: While opioids are effective in carefully selected patients with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), they are associated with potential risks. Therefore, treatment recommendations for the safe and effective use of opioids in this patient population are needed.

Materials And Methods: A multidisciplinary expert panel was convened by the Pain Association of Singapore to develop practical evidence-based recommendations on the use of opioids in the management of CNCP in the local population.

Comparing the analgesia effects of single-injection and continuous femoral nerve blocks with patient controlled analgesia after total knee arthroplasty.

We compared the analgesic effects of single-injection or continuous femoral nerve block (FNB) with intravenous patient controlled analgesia (PCA) opioids. Two hundred patients undergoing knee arthroplasty were randomized to one of the three regimens. Significant knee pain on movement at postoperative 24h was reduced with single-injection (OR 0.

The long-term efficacy and safety of percutaneous cervical nucleoplasty in patients with a contained herniated disk.

Background: Percutaneous cervical nucleoplasty (PCN) is a safe and effective treatment in symptomatic patients with contained cervical herniated disks. It provides simple and efficient disk decompression, using a controlled and highly localized ablation, but evidence regarding long-term efficacy is limited. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of PCN, and the influence of ideal selection settings.

Understanding cervicogenic headache.

The purported mechanism underlying the development and progression of cervicogenic headache (CEH) is the convergence of sensory inputs at the trigeminocervical nucleus. This mechanism explains the radiation of pain from the neck or the occipitonuchal area and its spread to the oculo-fronto-temporal region; it also explains the recurrent headaches caused by improper neck postures or external pressure to the structures in the neck and the occipital region. These neural connectivity mechanisms involving the trigeminal nucleus are also evident from the eyeblink reflex and findings of quantitative sensory testing (QST).

Pulsed radiofrequency treatment for trigeminal neuralgia.

Background: Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment is defined as the delivery of short pulses of radiofrequency via a needle tip, which does not result in an actual thermal lesions. There are mixed views regarding the use of PRF for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). In our opinion, one of the main reasons for the contrasting views is the insufficient PRF dose employed in previous studies.

Postoperative pain control for total knee arthroplasty: continuous femoral nerve block versus intravenous patient controlled analgesia.

Background: Pain after total knee arthroplasty is severe and impacts functional recovery.

Objectives: We performed a retrospective study, comparing conventional patient control analgesia (PCA) modalities versus continuous femoral nerve blockade (CFNB) for 1582 post-TKA (total knee arthroplasty) patients.

Patients And Methods: Using our electronic acute pain service (APS) database, we reviewed the data of 579 patients who had received CFNBs compared with 1003 patients with intravenous PCA over 4 years.

Whiplash patients with cervicogenic headache after lateral atlanto-axial joint pulsed radiofrequency treatment.

Background: Whiplash patients regard cervicogenic headache (CEH) as the most burdensome symptom of their condition. Sufferers experience a significant degree of disability from headache, associated neck pain and disability, and sleep disturbance. Lateral C1/2 joint pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment has been shown to produce significant relief from headache in patients with CEH.

Do diagnostic blocks have beneficial effects on pain processing?

Background And Objectives: Diagnostic blocks of cervical zygapophysial joints have been used as part of the management strategy for patients with chronic neck pain. Little information is available regarding the sensory processing changes that occur after these common procedures. In a hypothesis-generating prospective study, the pressure-pain thresholds, electrical pain thresholds, and descending inhibitory modulation response using the conditioned pain modulation paradigm are described for 9 patients with cervical zygapophysial joint pain that underwent successful comparative diagnostic blocks.

Differences in sensory processing between chronic cervical zygapophysial joint pain patients with and without cervicogenic headache.

Background: It is not known why some patients with underlying chronic nociceptive sources in the neck develop cervicogenic headache (CEH) and why others do not. This quantitative sensory testing (QST) study systematically explores the differences in sensory pain processing in 17 CEH patients with underlying chronic cervical zygapophysial joint pain compared to 10 patients with chronic cervical zygapophysial joint pain but without CEH.

Methods: The QST protocol comprises pressure pain threshold testing, thermal detection threshold testing, electrical pain threshold testing and measurement of descending inhibitory modulation using the conditioned pain modulation (CPM) paradigm.

Quantitative sensory testing may predict response to sphenopalatine ganglion pulsed radiofrequency treatment in cluster headaches: a case series.

Pulsed radiofrequency treatment has been described as a nonablative alternative to radiofrequency thermocoagulation for the management of certain chronic pain syndromes. We present our first three patients with long-standing cluster headaches who were treated with pulsed radiofrequency to the sphenopalatine ganglion. All three patients have had cluster headaches for more than 10 years' duration and experienced minimal relief with conservative treatment.