Development of a Clinical Pathway and Technical Aspects of Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disease with high morbidity and related mortality. Narrowing and collapse of the pharyngeal airway during sleep characterize the disease, resulting in a decrease (hypopnea) or a complete cessation (apnea) of oronasal airflow. Upper airway stimulation (UAS), using electrical neurostimulation of the hypoglossal nerve (n.

Perturbation of Auxin Homeostasis and Signaling by Overexpression Induces Stress Responses in Arabidopsis.

Under normal and stress conditions plant growth require a complex interplay between phytohormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, details of the nature of this crosstalk remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that PINOID (PID), a serine threonine kinase of the AGC kinase family, perturbs auxin homeostasis, which in turn modulates rosette growth and induces stress responses in Arabidopsis plants.

Comparison of the Long-Term Effect of Positioning the Cathode in tDCS in Tinnitus Patients.

: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is one of the methods described in the literature to decrease the perceived loudness and distress caused by tinnitus. However, the main effect is not clear and the number of responders to the treatment is variable. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of the placement of the cathode on the outcome measurements.

Dysregulation of Microtubule Stability Impairs Morphofunctional Connectivity in Primary Neuronal Networks.

Functionally related neurons assemble into connected networks that process and transmit electrochemical information. To do this in a coordinated manner, the number and strength of synaptic connections is tightly regulated. Synapse function relies on the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton, the dynamics of which are in turn controlled by a plethora of MT-associated proteins, including the MT-stabilizing protein Tau.

Alteration in Auxin Homeostasis and Signaling by Overexpression Of PINOID Kinase Causes Leaf Growth Defects in .

In plants many developmental processes are regulated by auxin and its directional transport. PINOID (PID) kinase helps to regulate this transport by influencing polar recruitment of PIN efflux proteins on the cellular membranes. We investigated how altered auxin levels affect leaf growth in .

Unconscious Imagination and the Mental Imagery Debate.

Traditionally, philosophers have appealed to the phenomenological similarity between visual experience and visual imagery to support the hypothesis that there is significant overlap between the perceptual and imaginative domains. The current evidence, however, is inconclusive: while evidence from transcranial brain stimulation seems to support this conclusion, neurophysiological evidence from brain lesion studies (e.g.

Virtual Plant Tissue: Building Blocks for Next-Generation Plant Growth Simulation.

Computational modeling of plant developmental processes is becoming increasingly important. Cellular resolution plant tissue simulators have been developed, yet they are typically describing physiological processes in an isolated way, strongly delimited in space and time. With plant systems biology moving toward an integrative perspective on development we have built the Virtual Plant Tissue (VPTissue) package to couple functional modules or models in the same framework and across different frameworks.

and Antidiabetic and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Constituents from ().

(Wall.) Janch (or (Wall.) Betsche is a well-known medicinal plant in Pakistan that is traditionally used in diabetic and inflammatory conditions.

Physiological and Biochemical Analyses Shed Light on the Response of to Ocean Acidification at Different Time Scales.

Studies regarding macroalgal responses to ocean acidification (OA) are mostly limited to short-term experiments in controlled conditions, which hamper the possibility to scale up the observations to long-term effects in the natural environment. To gain a broader perspective, we utilized volcanic CO vents as a "natural laboratory" to study OA effects on at different time scales. We measured photosynthetic rates, oxidative stress levels, antioxidant contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and activities of oxidative metabolic enzymes in growing at a natural acidified site (pH 6.

Facilitatory Effects of Multi-Word Units in Lexical Processing and Word Learning: A Computational Investigation.

Previous studies have suggested that children and adults form cognitive representations of co-occurring word sequences. We propose (1) that the formation of such multi-word unit (MWU) representations precedes and facilitates the formation of single-word representations in children and thus benefits word learning, and (2) that MWU representations facilitate adult word recognition and thus benefit lexical processing. Using a modified version of an existing computational model (McCauley and Christiansen, 2014), we extract MWUs from a corpus of child-directed speech (CDS) and a corpus of conversations among adults.

Characterization of the Heme Pocket Structure and Ligand Binding Kinetics of Non-symbiotic Hemoglobins from the Model Legume .

Plant hemoglobins (Hbs) are found in nodules of legumes and actinorhizal plants but also in non-symbiotic organs of monocots and dicots. Non-symbiotic Hbs (nsHbs) have been classified into two phylogenetic groups. Class 1 nsHbs show an extremely high O affinity and are induced by hypoxia and nitric oxide (NO), whereas class 2 nsHbs have moderate O affinity and are induced by cold and cytokinins.

Compositional Stability of the Bacterial Community in a Climate-Sensitive Sub-Arctic Peatland.

The climate sensitivity of microbe-mediated soil processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycling offers an interesting case for evaluating the corresponding sensitivity of microbial community composition to environmental change. Better understanding of the degree of linkage between functional and compositional stability would contribute to ongoing efforts to build mechanistic models aiming at predicting rates of microbe-mediated processes. We used an amplicon sequencing approach to test if previously observed large effects of experimental soil warming on C and N cycle fluxes (50-100% increases) in a sub-arctic peatland were reflected in changes in the composition of the soil bacterial community.

A Pilot Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Potential Metabolic Pathways Involved in Tinnitus.

Tinnitus, the perception of an auditory phantom sound in the form of ringing, buzzing, roaring, or hissing in the absence of an external sound source, is perceived by ~15% of the population and 2.5% experiences a severely bothersome tinnitus. The contribution of genes on the development of tinnitus is still under debate.

MicroPET Outperforms Beta-Microprobes in Determining Neuroreceptor Availability under Pharmacological Restriction for Cold Mass Occupancy.

Both non-invasive micro-positron emission tomography (μPET) and beta-microprobes have the ability to determine radiotracer kinetics and neuroreceptor availability . Beta-microprobes were proposed as a cost-effective alternative to μPET, but literature revealed conflicting results most likely due to methodological differences and inflicted tissue damage. The current study has three main objectives: (i) evaluate the theoretical advantages of beta-microprobes; (ii) perform μPET imaging to assess the impact of (beta-micro)probe implantation on relative tracer delivery (R1) and receptor occupancy (non-displaceable binding potential, BP) in the rat brain; and (iii) investigate whether beta-microprobe recordings produce robust results when a pharmacological restriction for cold mass dose (tracer dose condition) is imposed.

Validation of a Method for the Assessment of Urinary Neopterin Levels to Monitor Health Status in Non-human-primate Species.

Determining individual health status is of great importance for a better understanding of life history trade-offs between growth, reproduction, and maintenance. However, existing immunological methods are invasive and therefore not suitable for investigating health status in wild populations. Thus, there is an urgent need for non-invasive methods to assess the immune status of animals.

A Model of Induction of Cerebellar Long-Term Depression Including RKIP Inactivation of Raf and MEK.

We report an updated stochastic model of cerebellar Long Term Depression (LTD) with improved realism. Firstly, we verify experimentally that dissociation of Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) from Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) is required for cerebellar LTD and add this interaction to an earlier published model, along with the known requirement of dissociation of RKIP from Raf kinase. We update Ca dynamics as a constant-rate influx, which captures experimental input profiles accurately.

High Antioxidant Activity Facilitates Maintenance of Cell Division in Leaves of Drought Tolerant Maize Hybrids.

We studied the impact of drought on growth regulation in leaves of 13 maize varieties with different drought sensitivity and geographic origins (Western Europe, Egypt, South Africa) and the inbred line B73. Combining kinematic analysis of the maize leaf growth zone with biochemical measurements at a high spatial resolution allowed us to examine the correlation between the regulation of the cellular processes cell division and elongation, and the molecular redox-regulation in response to drought. Moreover, we demonstrated differences in the response of the maize lines to mild and severe levels of water deficit.

The Effect of Physical Therapy Treatment in Patients with Subjective Tinnitus: A Systematic Review.

Tinnitus is a very common symptom that often causes distress and decreases the patient's quality of life. Apart from the well-known causes, tinnitus can in some cases be elicited by dysfunctions of the cervical spine or the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). To date however, it is unclear whether alleviation of these dysfunctions, by physical therapy treatment, also decreases the tinnitus complaints.

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing Impaired Individuals (RBANS-H) before and after Cochlear Implantation: A Protocol for a Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Currently, an independent relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults is suggested by large prospective studies. In general, cochlear implants improve hearing and the quality of life in severely to profoundly hearing impaired older persons. However, little is known about the effects of cochlear implantation on the cognitive evolution in this population.

Adverse Social Experiences in Adolescent Rats Result in Enduring Effects on Social Competence, Pain Sensitivity and Endocannabinoid Signaling.

Social affiliation is essential for many species and gains significant importance during adolescence. Disturbances in social affiliation, in particular social rejection experiences during adolescence, affect an individual's well-being and are involved in the emergence of psychiatric disorders. The underlying mechanisms are still unknown, partly because of a lack of valid animal models.

Unveiling the Redox Control of Plant Reproductive Development during Abiotic Stress.

Plants being sessile in nature are often challenged to various abiotic stresses including temperature fluctuations, water supply, salinity, and nutrient availability. Exposure of plants to such environmental perturbations result in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. To scavenge ROS, enzymatic and molecular antioxidants are produced at a cellular level.

Future Climate CO2 Levels Mitigate Stress Impact on Plants: Increased Defense or Decreased Challenge?

Elevated atmospheric CO2 can stimulate plant growth by providing additional C (fertilization effect), and is observed to mitigate abiotic stress impact. Although, the mechanisms underlying the stress mitigating effect are not yet clear, increased antioxidant defenses, have been held primarily responsible (antioxidant hypothesis). A systematic literature analysis, including "all" papers [Web of Science (WoS)-cited], addressing elevated CO2 effects on abiotic stress responses and antioxidants (105 papers), confirms the frequent occurrence of the stress mitigation effect.