Coordination Between Respiration and Swallowing in Patients With Dysphagia After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: An Observational Case-Control Study.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to characterize the differences between respiration and swallowing in patients with dysphagia after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) and to explore the underlying physiological changes.

Method: A total of 95 participants were recruited for bedside swallowing evaluation followed by a flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and surface electromyography with a thermocouple nasal airflow sensor examination: 32 with dysphagia, 33 without dysphagia, and 30 healthy controls. The differences in respiratory patterns, swallowing apnea duration (SAD), inspiratory-expiratory ratio, and swallowing efficiency were observed among healthy adults, CSCI patients with and without dysphagia after CSCI.

Gestational valproic acid exposure enhances facial stimulation-evoked cerebellar mossy fiber-granule cell transmission via GluN2A subunit-containing NMDA receptor in offspring mice.

Valproic acid (VPA) is one of the most effective antiepileptic drugs, and exposing animals to VPA during gestation has been used as a model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Numerous studies have shown that impaired synaptic transmission in the cerebellar cortical circuits is one of the reasons for the social deficits and repetitive behavior seen in ASD. In this study, we investigated the effect of VPA exposure during pregnancy on tactile stimulation-evoked cerebellar mossy fiber-granule cell (MF-GC) synaptic transmission in mice anesthetized with urethane.

Promoting effect of low concentration strontium on photosynthetic performance of Chinese cabbage seedlings: Combined leaf characteristics, photosynthetic carbon assimilation and chlorophyll fluorescence.

Low concentration strontium (LC-Sr) can promote the growth of plants. In order to explore its promoting mechanism from the aspect of photosynthesis, the leaf characteristics, CO assimilation and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence kinetics were investigated with hydroponically LC-Sr-treated Chinese cabbage seedlings. After a 28-d treatment to SrCl at different concentrations (0.

Promotion of osteogenesis by bioactive glass-ceramic coating: Possible involvement of the Hedgehog signaling pathway.

Purpose: Bioactive glass-ceramic (BGC) coatings have been extensively studied and clinically used as bone substitute materials because of their osteogenesis, osteoinduction, and osteoconduction characteristics. Although the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays an important role in skeletal development, the relationship between BGC coatings and the Hh signaling pathway is unknown.

Methods: In this study, a BGC coating is fabricated by furnace sintering, and its surface is investigated by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM).