Evolution of rod bipolar cells and rod vision.

Bipolar cells are vertebrate retinal interneurons conveying signals from rod and cone photoreceptors to amacrine and ganglion cells. Bipolar cells are found in all vertebrates and have many structural and molecular affinities with photoreceptors; they probably appeared very early during vertebrate evolution in conjunction with rod and cone progenitors. There are two types of bipolar cells, responding to central illumination with depolarization (ON) or hyperpolarization (OFF).

Molecular characterization of the sea lamprey retina illuminates the evolutionary origin of retinal cell types.

The lamprey, a primitive jawless vertebrate whose ancestors diverged from all other vertebrates over 500 million years ago, offers a unique window into the ancient formation of the retina. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, we characterize retinal cell types in the lamprey and compare them to those in mouse, chicken, and zebrafish. We find six cell classes and 74 distinct cell types, many shared with other vertebrate species.

Training Needs Analysis for Medical Students in Assessing Cognitive Functioning: An Observational Study.

Backgrounds: Research shows that medical students' knowledge and skills concerning the assessment of cognition in various neuropsychiatric conditions (e.g., Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia) are unsatisfactory.

Comparative Evaluation of Hearing and Salivary Flow Rate in Smokers and Non-smokers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Smoking is a major global health issue that is linked to various health conditions, including hearing loss and reduced salivary flow. This study aims to explore the relationship between smoking, hearing loss, and salivary flow rate. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted over two months at a tertiary healthcare institute in Central India, involving 100 participants (50 smokers and 50 non-smokers) aged 18-55 years.

A new mouse model for PRPH2 pattern dystrophy exhibits functional compensation prior and subsequent to retinal degeneration.

Mutations in PRPH2 are a relatively common cause of sight-robbing inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs). Peripherin-2 (PRPH2) is a photoreceptor-specific tetraspanin protein that structures the disk rim membranes of rod and cone outer segment (OS) organelles, and is required for OS morphogenesis. PRPH2 is noteworthy for its broad spectrum of disease phenotypes; both inter- and intra-familial heterogeneity have been widely observed and this variability in disease expression and penetrance confounds efforts to understand genotype-phenotype correlations and pathophysiology.

RDH12 allows cone photoreceptors to regenerate opsin visual pigments from a chromophore precursor to escape competition with rods.

Capture of a photon by an opsin visual pigment isomerizes its 11-cis-retinaldehyde (11cRAL) chromophore to all-trans-retinaldehyde (atRAL), which subsequently dissociates. To restore light sensitivity, the unliganded apo-opsin combines with another 11cRAL to make a new visual pigment. Two enzyme pathways supply chromophore to photoreceptors.

Standardized Protocols for Clinical and Histopathological Characterization of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Tissue Specimens.

Methods for describing and reporting the clinical and histologic characteristics of cutaneous tissue samples from patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are not currently standardized, limiting clinicians' and scientists' ability to uniformly record, report, and communicate about the characteristics of tissue used in translational experiments. A recently published consensus statement outlined morphological definitions of typical HS lesions, but no consensus has been reached regarding clinical characterization and examination of HS tissue samples. In this study, we aimed to establish a protocol for reporting histopathologic and clinical characteristics of HS tissue specimens.

The Post-COVID-19 Haul on Pulmonary Function: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Long COVID syndrome, characterized by symptoms like dyspnea, fatigue, and cough, persisting for weeks to months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, poses significant challenges globally. Studies suggest a potential higher risk among females aged 40-50, with symptoms affecting individuals regardless of initial COVID-19 severity, underscoring the need for comprehensive understanding and management.

Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted at a teaching tertiary care institute in Central India, involving COVID-19 patients from May 2020 to September 2021.

Unravelling Streptococcus agalactiae: Serotype distribution, virulence factors, obstetrics history and clinical presentation correlations in tertiary care hospitals of the western province of Sri Lanka.

Purpose: This study investigated to detect serotypes and virulence genes of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) isolated from pregnant women.

Methods: Forty-five samples of GBS isolates from January to August 2019 at antenatal clinics of 4 teaching hospitals in Western Province, Sri Lanka were included. Isolated GBS were carried to identify 9 serotypes by multiplex PCR.

Genetic manipulation of rod-cone differences in mouse retina.

Though rod and cone photoreceptors use similar phototransduction mechanisms, previous model calculations have indicated that the most important differences in their light responses are likely to be differences in amplification of the G-protein cascade, different decay rates of phosphodiesterase (PDE) and pigment phosphorylation, and different rates of turnover of cGMP in darkness. To test this hypothesis, we constructed TrUx;GapOx rods by crossing mice with decreased transduction gain from decreased transducin expression, with mice displaying an increased rate of PDE decay from increased expression of GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). These two manipulations brought the sensitivity of TrUx;GapOx rods to within a factor of 2 of WT cone sensitivity, after correcting for outer-segment dimensions.

Comparison of Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Values Estimated by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Spectrophotometry: A Pilot Study.

Background Invasive blood sample collection followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based analysis is the gold standard for estimating glycated hemoglobin level or HbA1c currently. Spectrophotometry could be an alternative that holds the potential to be translated into a portable, non-invasive device for glycated hemoglobin level estimation. This study compares HbA1c values obtained from HPLC and spectrophotometry.

Distinct Site Motifs Activate O and H on Supported Au Nanoparticles in Liquid Water.

Au nanoparticles catalyze the activation and conversion of small molecules with rates and kinetic barriers that depend on the dimensions of the nanoparticle, composition of the support, and presence of catalytically culpable water molecules that solvate these interfaces. Here, molecular interpretations of steady-state rate measurements, kinetic isotope effects, and structural characterizations reveal how the interface of Au nanoparticles, liquid water, and metal oxide supports mediate the kinetically relevant activation of H and sequential reduction of O-derived intermediates during the formation of HO and HO. Rates of H consumption are 10-100 fold greater on Au nanoparticles supported on metal oxides (e.

Ilmenite-derived titanic acid species: exploring their outstanding light-independent antibacterial activity.

The emergence of resistance in detrimental pathogenic bacteria towards well-recognized antibiotics has greatly impacted global medicine, consequently exploring potent antibacterial compounds is becoming a potential area of research. Although photocatalytic metal oxides have been extensively explored in this regard, their applicability is diminished due to the requirement of photon energy. Therefore, in our study, we explored the light-independent antibacterial effect of two unexplored titanium species, known as metatitanic acid (MTA) and potassium titanate, against , , and spp.

Investigation of the functional impact of CHED- and FECD4-associated SLC4A11 mutations in human corneal endothelial cells.

Mutations in the solute linked carrier family 4 member 11 (SLC4A11) gene are associated with congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED) and Fuchs corneal endothelial dystrophy type 4 (FECD4), both characterized by corneal endothelial cell (CEnC) dysfunction and/or cell loss leading to corneal edema and visual impairment. In this study, we characterize the impact of CHED-/FECD4-associated SLC4A11 mutations on CEnC function and SLC4A11 protein localization by generating and comparing human CEnC (hCEnC) lines expressing wild type SLC4A11 (SLC4A11WT) or mutant SLC4A11 harboring CHED-/FECD4-associated SLC4A11 mutations (SLC4A11MU). SLC4A11WT and SLC4A11MU hCEnC lines were generated to express either SLC4A11 variant 2 (V2WT and V2MU) or variant 3 (V3WT and V3MU), the two major variants expressed in ex vivo hCEnC.

Late gene therapy limits the restoration of retinal function in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited photoreceptor degeneration that begins with rod loss followed by cone loss. This cell loss greatly diminishes vision, with most patients becoming legally blind. Gene therapies are being developed, but it is unknown how retinal function depends on the time of intervention.

Osseous metaplasia in a rectal polyp.

Rectal polyps are finger-like projections of the mucosal surface that generally present with complaints of bleeding or mass per rectum. Polyps are classified histopathologically as neoplastic and non-neoplastic. Here, we present one such rare case of a middle-childhood boy who presented with complaints of bleeding per-rectum and revealed a 1.

Intersections of climate change, migration, and health: experiences of first-generation migrants from Latin America to the Atlanta-metropolitan area.

Climate change is an important driver of migration, but little research exists on whether migrant communities in the U.S. identify climate change-related factors as reasons for migrating.

Non-coding RNAs, cancer treatment and cardiotoxicity: A triad of new hope.

The global health landscape has experienced a shift towards non-communicable diseases, with cardiovascular diseases and cancer as leading causes of mortality. Although advancements in healthcare have led to an increase in life expectancy, they have concurrently resulted in a greater burden of chronic health conditions. Unintended consequences of anticancer therapies on various tissues, particularly the cardiovascular system, contribute to elevated morbidity and mortality rates that are not directly attributable to cancer.

Retrospective analysis shows the cost of Mohs surgery decreases when adjusted for medical inflation.

Background: Mohs surgery (MS) is the gold standard for treating nonmelanoma skin cancers in cosmetically sensitive areas.

Objective: To investigate MS costs over time when adjusting for medical inflation while considering the perspective of patients, payers, and health care systems.

Methods: A retrospective claim analysis using data from the International Business Machines MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database from 2007 through 2019 was performed.

Possible cerebroprotective effect of citronellal: molecular docking, MD simulation and investigations.

This study focused on molecular docking, dynamic simulation, and approaches to examine the molecular interactions between citronellal (CT) and neurotoxic proteins. In silico studies of CT were performed using proteins involved in the pathophysiology of stroke, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-12 (IL-12), TNF-α, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), to determine the binding affinity based on their interactions. The docking results of CT revealed that, among the targets, NOS had a better binding energy of -6.

Changing Trends in Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Bloodstream Infection (BSI) in Secondary Care Hospitals of India.

Introduction Bloodstream infection (BSI) and subsequent sepsis are life-threatening medical conditions. The onset of antimicrobial resistance and subsequent multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) significantly increase healthcare-associated expenditure with adverse clinical outcomes. The present study was undertaken to identify the trends of BSI in community settings in secondary care hospitals (smaller private hospitals and district hospitals) in the state of Madhya Pradesh in Central India with the support of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Health Mission, Madhya Pradesh.

Light Adaptation of Retinal Rod Bipolar Cells.

The sensitivity of retinal cells is altered in background light to optimize the detection of contrast. For scotopic (rod) vision, substantial adaptation occurs in the first two cells, the rods and rod bipolar cells (RBCs), through sensitivity adjustments in rods and postsynaptic modulation of the transduction cascade in RBCs. To study the mechanisms mediating these components of adaptation, we made whole-cell, voltage-clamp recordings from retinal slices of mice from both sexes.