Evaluating AI Methods for Pulse Oximetry: Performance, Clinical Accuracy, and Comprehensive Bias Analysis.

Blood oxygen saturation (SpO) is vital for patient monitoring, particularly in clinical settings. Traditional SpO estimation methods have limitations, which can be addressed by analyzing photoplethysmography (PPG) signals with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. This systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, analyzed 183 unique references from WOS, PubMed, and Scopus, with 26 studies meeting the inclusion criteria.

Sustainable Development versus Extractivist Deforestation in Tropical, Subtropical, and Boreal Forest Ecosystems: Repercussions and Controversies about the Mother Tree and the Mycorrhizal Network Hypothesis.

This research reviews the phenomenon of extractive deforestation as a possible trigger for cascade reactions that could affect part of the forest ecosystem and its biodiversity (surface, aerial, and underground) in tropical, subtropical, and boreal forests. The controversy and disparities in criteria generated in the international scientific community around the hypothesis of a possible link between "mother trees" and mycorrhizal networks in coopetition for nutrients, nitrogen, and carbon are analyzed. The objective is to promote awareness to generate more scientific knowledge about the eventual impacts of forest extraction.

Hi1a Improves Sensorimotor Deficit following Endothelin-1-Induced Stroke in Rats but Does Not Improve Functional Outcomes following Filament-Induced Stroke in Mice.

Activation of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) plays a major role in mediating acidosis-induced neuronal injury following a stroke. Therefore, the inhibition of ASIC1a is a potential therapeutic avenue for the treatment of stroke. Venom-peptide Hi1a, a selective and highly potent ASIC1a inhibitor, reduces the infarct size and functional deficits when injected into the brain after stroke in rodents.

Exploring the Hidden Complexity: Entropy Analysis in Pulse Oximetry of Female Athletes.

This study examines the relationship between physiological complexity, as measured by Approximate Entropy (ApEn) and Sample Entropy (SampEn), and fitness levels in female athletes. Our focus is on their association with maximal oxygen consumption (VO2,max). Our findings reveal a complex relationship between entropy metrics and fitness levels, indicating that higher fitness typically, though not invariably, correlates with greater entropy in physiological time series data; however, this is not consistent for all individuals.

Acute inhibition of acid sensing ion channel 1a after spinal cord injury selectively affects excitatory synaptic transmission, but not intrinsic membrane properties, in deep dorsal horn interneurons.

Following a spinal cord injury (SCI), secondary damage mechanisms are triggered that cause inflammation and cell death. A key component of this secondary damage is a reduction in local blood flow that initiates a well-characterised ischemic cascade. Downstream hypoxia and acidosis activate acid sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) to trigger cell death.

Evaluation of Peptide Ligation Strategies for the Synthesis of the Bivalent Acid-Sensing Ion Channel Inhibitor Hi1a.

Hi1a is a naturally occurring bivalent spider-venom peptide that is being investigated as a promising molecule for limiting ischemic damage in strokes, myocardial infarction, and organ transplantation. However, the challenges associated with the synthesis and production of the peptide in large quantities have slowed the progress in this area; hence, access to synthetic Hi1a is an essential milestone for the development of Hi1a as a pharmacological tool and potential therapeutic.

Genetic or Pharmacological Ablation of Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a (ASIC1a) Is Not Neuroprotective in a Mouse Model of Spinal Cord Injury.

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) is a proton-activated channel that is expressed ubiquitously throughout the central nervous system and in various types of immune cells. Its role in spinal cord injury (SCI) is controversial; inhibition of ASIC1a has been reported to improve SCI pathology but conversely, gene ablation increased kainite-mediated excitotoxic cell death . Here, we re-examined the role of ASIC1a in a mouse model of SCI.

The role of pre-treatment paraaortic surgical staging for cervical cancer in the EMBRACE criteria.

Background: The State-of-the-Art Treatment for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer (LACC) is Definite Radio-Chemotherapy based on the Image-guided intensity modulated External beam radiochemotherapy and MRI-based adaptive BRAchytherapy (EMBRACE) trial, according to the FIGO staging. This staging is based on clinical examination and imaging studies; however, there are limitations of imaging techniques which may result in adverse events or death due to insufficient or overtreatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of surgical staging in LACC prior to radiotherapy (RT) to personalise target volumes for radiotherapy.

Brain correlates of impaired goal management in bipolar mania.

Background: Although executive impairment has been reported in mania, its brain functional correlates have been relatively little studied. This study examined goal management, believed to be more closely related to executive impairment in daily life than other executive tasks, using a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm in patients in this illness phase.

Methods: Twenty-one currently manic patients with bipolar disorder and 30 matched healthy controls were scanned while performing the Computerized Multiple Elements Test (CMET).

Auditory Brainstem Response Wave I Amplitude Has Limited Clinical Utility in Diagnosing Tinnitus in Humans.

Animal studies have discovered that noise, even at levels that produce no permanent threshold shift, may cause cochlear damage and selective nerve degeneration. A hallmark of such damage, or synaptopathy, is recovered threshold but reduced suprathreshold amplitude for the auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I. The objective of the present study is to evaluate whether the ABR wave I amplitude or slope can be used to diagnose tinnitus in humans.

A peptide toxin in ant venom mimics vertebrate EGF-like hormones to cause long-lasting hypersensitivity in mammals.

Venoms are excellent model systems for studying evolutionary processes associated with predator-prey interactions. Here, we present the discovery of a peptide toxin, MIITX-Mg1a, which is a major component of the venom of the Australian giant red bull ant and has evolved to mimic, both structurally and functionally, vertebrate epidermal growth factor (EGF) peptide hormones. We show that Mg1a is a potent agonist of the mammalian EGF receptor ErbB1, and that intraplantar injection in mice causes long-lasting hypersensitivity of the injected paw.

Strategies for Heterologous Expression, Synthesis, and Purification of Animal Venom Toxins.

Animal venoms are complex mixtures containing peptides and proteins known as toxins, which are responsible for the deleterious effect of envenomations. Across the animal Kingdom, toxin diversity is enormous, and the ability to understand the biochemical mechanisms governing toxicity is not only relevant for the development of better envenomation therapies, but also for exploiting toxin bioactivities for therapeutic or biotechnological purposes. Most of toxinology research has relied on obtaining the toxins from crude venoms; however, some toxins are difficult to obtain because the venomous animal is endangered, does not thrive in captivity, produces only a small amount of venom, is difficult to milk, or only produces low amounts of the toxin of interest.

Total Synthesis of the Spider-Venom Peptide Hi1a.

Hi1a is a venom peptide from the Australian funnel-web spider with a complex tertiary structure. Hi1a has neuroprotective and cardioprotective properties due to its potent inhibition of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) and is currently being pursued as a novel therapy for acute ischemic events. Herein, we describe the total synthesis of Hi1a using native chemical ligation.

Therapeutic Inhibition of Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a Recovers Heart Function After Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the major risk factors implicated in morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. During cardiac ischemia, the buildup of acidic metabolites results in decreased intracellular and extracellular pH, which can reach as low as 6.0 to 6.

A Venomics Approach Coupled to High-Throughput Toxin Production Strategies Identifies the First Venom-Derived Melanocortin Receptor Agonists.

Animal venoms are rich in hundreds of toxins with extraordinary biological activities. Their exploitation is difficult due to their complexity and the small quantities of venom available from most venomous species. We developed a Venomics approach combining transcriptomic and proteomic characterization of 191 species and identified 20,206 venom toxin sequences.

High-Throughput Production of Oxidized Animal Toxins in Escherichia coli.

High-throughput production (HTP) of synthetic genes is becoming an important tool to explore the biological function of the extensive genomic and meta-genomic information currently available from various sources. One such source is animal venom, which contains thousands of novel bioactive peptides with potential uses as novel therapeutics to treat a plethora of diseases as well as in environmentally benign bioinsecticide formulations. Here, we describe a HTP platform for recombinant bacterial production of oxidized disulfide-rich proteins and peptides from animal venoms.

The antitrypanosomal diarylamidines, diminazene and pentamidine, show anthelmintic activity against Haemonchus contortus in vitro.

Parasitic nematodes pose a major threat to livestock production worldwide. The blood-feeding parasite Haemonchus contortus is a key small-ruminant pathogen that causes anaemia, and thereby seriously impacts animal health and production. Control of this parasite relies largely upon broad-spectrum anthelmintics, but new drugs are urgently needed to combat the threat of widespread multidrug resistance.

The modulation of acid-sensing ion channel 1 by PcTx1 is pH-, subtype- and species-dependent: Importance of interactions at the channel subunit interface and potential for engineering selective analogues.

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are primary acid sensors in the mammalian nervous system that are activated by protons under conditions of local acidosis. They have been implicated in a range of pathologies including ischemic stroke (ASIC1a subtype) and peripheral pain (ASIC1b and ASIC3). Although the spider venom peptide PcTx1 is the best-studied ASIC modulator and is neuroprotective in rodent models of ischemic stroke, little experimental work has been done to examine its molecular interaction with human ASIC1a or the off-target ASIC1b.

Versatile spider venom peptides and their medical and agricultural applications.

Spiders have been evolving complex and diverse repertoires of peptides in their venoms with vast pharmacological activities for more than 300 million years. Spiders use their venoms for prey capture and defense, hence they contain peptides that target both prey (mainly arthropods) and predators (other arthropods or vertebrates). This includes peptides that potently and selectively modulate a range of targets such as ion channels, receptors and signaling pathways involved in physiological processes.

Solid Variant of Aneurysmal Bone Cyst of the Temporal Bone.

Objectives: Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are benign, rapidly growing osteolytic lesions. Solid variant of ABC (SVABC) is a rare subtype of ABC that has not been reported in the temporal bone.

Methods: We report the case of a 6-year-old boy presenting with a slowly enlarging bony protuberance over the right zygomatic/malar eminence region.

Inhibition of acid-sensing ion channels by diminazene and APETx2 evoke partial and highly variable antihyperalgesia in a rat model of inflammatory pain.

Background And Purpose: Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are primary acid sensors in mammals, with the ASIC1b and ASIC3 subtypes being involved in peripheral nociception. The antiprotozoal drug diminazene is a moderately potent ASIC inhibitor, but its analgesic activity has not been assessed.

Experimental Approach: We determined the ASIC subtype selectivity of diminazene and the mechanism by which it inhibits ASICs using voltage-clamp electrophysiology of Xenopus oocytes expressing ASICs 1-3.

ArachnoServer 3.0: an online resource for automated discovery, analysis and annotation of spider toxins.

Summary: ArachnoServer is a manually curated database that consolidates information on the sequence, structure, function and pharmacology of spider-venom toxins. Although spider venoms are complex chemical arsenals, the primary constituents are small disulfide-bridged peptides that target neuronal ion channels and receptors. Due to their high potency and selectivity, these peptides have been developed as pharmacological tools, bioinsecticides and drug leads.

A Strategy for Production of Correctly Folded Disulfide-Rich Peptides in the Periplasm of E. coli.

Recombinant expression of disulfide-reticulated peptides and proteins is often challenging. We describe a method that exploits the periplasmic disulfide-bond forming machinery of Escherichia coli and combines this with a cleavable, solubility-enhancing fusion tag to obtain higher yields of correctly folded target protein than is achievable via cytoplasmic expression. The protocols provided herein cover all aspects of this approach, from vector construction and transformation to purification of the cleaved target protein and subsequent quality control.

High-throughput expression of animal venom toxins in Escherichia coli to generate a large library of oxidized disulphide-reticulated peptides for drug discovery.

Background: Animal venoms are complex molecular cocktails containing a wide range of biologically active disulphide-reticulated peptides that target, with high selectivity and efficacy, a variety of membrane receptors. Disulphide-reticulated peptides have evolved to display improved specificity, low immunogenicity and to show much higher resistance to degradation than linear peptides. These properties make venom peptides attractive candidates for drug development.