Effects of gestational intermittent hypoxia on the respiratory system: A tale of the placenta, fetus, and developing offspring.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that is associated with a wide variety of health conditions, including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, metabolic, neoplastic, and neurocognitive manifestations. OSA, as a chronic condition, is mainly characterised by repeated upper airway obstructions during sleep that cause episodes of intermittent hypoxia (IH), resulting in tissue hypoxia-reoxygenation cycles. Decreased arterial oxygen pressure (PaO) and haemoglobin saturation (SatO) stimulate reflex responses to overcome the obstruction.

The prevalence of hand pathology in regional orthopaedic hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Pathology of the hand causes functional impairment, with downstream effects for patient occupation, and consequently presents a socioeconomic burden. Investigation of the epidemiology of hand pathology in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) can help reduce the burden of disease. Identifying where the greatest need is can direct patient awareness initiatives, medical training and appropriate allocation of resources.

Pulmonary Vascular Responses to Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia in a Guinea Pig Model of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Experimental evidence suggests that chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), a major hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), boosts carotid body (CB) responsiveness, thereby causing increased sympathetic activity, arterial and pulmonary hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. An enhanced circulatory chemoreflex, oxidative stress, and NO signaling appear to play important roles in these responses to CIH in rodents. Since the guinea pig has a hypofunctional CB (i.

Wheat dwarfing reshapes plant and fungal development in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.

The introduction of Reduced height (Rht) dwarfing genes into elite wheat varieties has contributed to enhanced yield gain in high input agrosystems by preventing lodging. Yet, how modern selection for dwarfing has affected symbiosis remains poorly documented. In this study, we evaluated the response of both the plant and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus to plant genetic variation at a major Quantitative Trait Locus called QTL 4B2, known to harbor a Rht dwarfing gene, when forming the symbiosis.

ACE2 acts as a novel regulator of TMPRSS2-catalyzed proteolytic activation of influenza A virus in airway cells.

The transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) activates the outer structural proteins of a number of respiratory viruses including influenza A virus (IAV), parainfluenza viruses, and various coronaviruses for membrane fusion. Previous studies showed that TMPRSS2 interacts with the carboxypeptidase angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a cell surface protein that serves as an entry receptor for some coronaviruses. Here, by using protease activity assays, we determine that ACE2 increases the enzymatic activity of TMPRSS2 in a non-catalytic manner.

[Intraoperative opacification of a scleral-fixated Carlevale (Soleko®) intraocular lens].

Thermal shock can cause intraoperative opacification of a Carlevale (Soleko®) implant. This is a rare phenomenon which resolves spontaneously. It is crucial to recognise this phenomenon in order to avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful explantation decisions for the patient.

Outcomes of surgically managed adult traumatic brachial plexus injuries in an upper-middle-income country.

Background: Traumatic brachial plexus injuries (TBPIs) are debilitating and complex to treat. The last five decades have seen advances in surgical management, and consequently improved functional outcomes in patients with these injuries. There is limited data available describing the outcomes of surgically managed TBPIs within the South African context.

Plant trait relationships are maintained within a major crop species: lack of artificial selection signal and potential for improved agronomic performance.

The exploration of phenotypic spaces of large sets of plant species has considerably increased our understanding of diversification processes in the plant kingdom. Nevertheless, such advances have predominantly relied on interspecific comparisons that hold several limitations. Here, we grew in the field a unique set of 179 inbred lines of durum wheat, Triticum turgidum spp.

Intermittent Hypoxia and Diet-Induced Obesity on the Intestinal Wall Morphology in a Murine Model of Sleep Apnea.

This work analyzes the impact of two conditions, intermittent hypoxia exposure and high-fat diet in rats as models of sleep apnea. We studied the autonomic activity and histological structure of the rat jejunum and whether the overlapping of both conditions, as often observed in patients, induces more deleterious effects on the intestinal barrier. We found alterations in jejunum wall histology, predominantly in HF rats, based on increased crypt depth and submucosal thickness, as well as decreased muscularis propria thickness.

Effects of Gestational Intermittent Hypoxia on Placental Morphology and Fetal Development in a Murine Model of Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during pregnancy is characterized by episodes of intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep, resulting in adverse health outcomes for mother and offspring. Despite a prevalence of 8-20% in pregnant women, this disorder is often underdiagnosed.We have developed a murine model of gestational OSA to study IH effects on pregnant mothers, placentas, fetuses, and offspring.

Detection and Prevention of Medication Errors by the Network of Sentinel Pharmacies in a Southern European Region.

A medication error (ME) is a drug-related problem that has been recognized as a common and serious threat to patient safety. The aim of this study was to detect and analyze ME reports occurring throughout the therapeutic process through the community's pharmacies in order to improve the efficacy and safety of medications and contribute to the prevention of future MEs. This was a three-year descriptive, observational, and prospective study to detect and analyze the different MEs reported by the Catalan sentinel pharmacies network (Catalan SePhaNet).

Overexpression of UCP4 in astrocytic mitochondria prevents multilevel dysfunctions in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. It represents one of the greatest medical challenges as no pharmacologic treatments are available to prevent disease progression. Astrocytes play crucial functions within neuronal circuits by providing metabolic and functional support, regulating interstitial solute composition, and modulating synaptic transmission.

Diversity matters in wheat mixtures: A genomic survey of the impact of genetic diversity on the performance of 12 way durum wheat mixtures grown in two contrasted and controlled environments.

In ecology, an increase in genetic diversity within a community in natural ecosystems increases its productivity, while in evolutionary biology, kinship selection predicts that relatedness on social traits improves fitness. Varietal mixtures, where different genotypes are grown together, show contrasting results, especially for grain yield where both positive and negative effects of mixtures have been reported. To understand the effect of diversity on field performance, we grew 96 independent mixtures each composed with 12 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp.

Kappa Free Light Chain Biomarkers Are Efficient for the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis: A Large Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background And Objectives: Kappa free light chains (KFLC) seem to efficiently diagnose MS. However, extensive cohort studies are lacking to establish consensus cut-offs, notably to rule out non-MS autoimmune CNS disorders. Our objectives were to (1) determine diagnostic performances of CSF KFLC, KFLC index, and KFLC intrathecal fraction (IF) threshold values that allow us to separate MS from different CNS disorder control populations and compare them with oligoclonal bands' (OCB) performances and (2) to identify independent factors associated with KFLC quantification in MS.

Analysis of Bone Histomorphometry in Rat and Guinea Pig Animal Models Subject to Hypoxia.

Hypoxia may be associated with alterations in bone remodeling, but the published results are contradictory. The aim of this study was to characterize the bone morphometry changes subject to hypoxia for a better understanding of the bone response to hypoxia and its possible clinical consequences on the bone metabolism. This study analyzed the bone morphometry parameters by micro-computed tomography (μCT) in rat and guinea pig normobaric hypoxia models.

CARD9 in neutrophils protects from colitis and controls mitochondrial metabolism and cell survival.

Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results from a combination of genetic predisposition, dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and environmental factors, leading to alterations in the gastrointestinal immune response and chronic inflammation. Caspase recruitment domain 9 (), one of the IBD susceptibility genes, has been shown to protect against intestinal inflammation and fungal infection. However, the cell types and mechanisms involved in the CARD9 protective role against inflammation remain unknown.

Oxygen Sensing: Physiology and Pathophysiology.

Oxygen is such an essential element for life that multiple mechanisms have evolved to maintain oxygen homeostasis, including those which detect decreases in arterial O and generate adaptive responses to hypoxia [...

Activation of lactate receptor HCAR1 down-modulates neuronal activity in rodent and human brain tissue.

Lactate can be used by neurons as an energy substrate to support their activity. Evidence suggests that lactate also acts on a metabotropic receptor called HCAR1, first described in the adipose tissue. Whether HCAR1 also modulates neuronal circuits remains unclear.

Reduced production of isoprostanes by peri-pancreatic adipose tissue from Zucker fa/fa rats as a new mechanism for β-cell compensation in insulin resistance and obesity.

During early stages of type 2 diabetes, named prediabetes, pancreatic β-cells compensate for insulin resistance through increased insulin secretion in order to maintain normoglycemia. Obesity leads to the development of ectopic fat deposits, among which peri-pancreatic white adipose tissue (pWAT) can communicate with β-cells through soluble mediators. Thus we investigated whether pWAT produced oxygenated lipids, namely isoprostanes and neuroprostanes and whether they can influence β-cell function in obesity.

Multiparametric Flow Cytometry versus Conventional Cytology in the Study of Leptomeningeal Involvement in Malignant Hematological Diseases.

Background: CNS involvement is a complication in hematologic malignant neoplasms. The advantage of multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) over conventional cytology (CC) in detecting occult leptomeningeal disease in CSF has been proven previously, as reported in the literature. In this study, we reviewed the experience of our laboratory in evaluating CSF specimens by MFC and CC after refinement of technical procedures.

From cultivar mixtures to allelic mixtures: opposite effects of allelic richness between genotypes and genotype richness in wheat.

Agroecosystem diversification through increased crop genetic diversity could provide multiple services such as improved disease control or increased productivity. However, we still poorly understand how genetic diversity affects agronomic performance. We grew 179 inbred lines of durum wheat in pure stands and in 202 binary mixtures in field conditions.