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Inflammatory pain, an important form of common pain, negatively influences the quality of life. Pathway-selective optogenetic control is a popular tool in neuronal function research; however, attempts to modulate rodent behavior using pathway-selective optogenetics remain unverified. We developed a methodology for pathway-selective optogenetics in rats, focusing on the delivery of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) containing channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) injected at the "Zusanli" acupoints to the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and toes, which is a part of the complex neuron network. Optogenetic stimulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) projections to the "Zusanli" acupoints delivered several rAAV9-GAD1-ChR2-mcherry particles to the spinal cord horn (SCDH) and DRG and few rAAV9-GAD1-ChR2-mcherry particles to toes, thereby evoking an analgesic effect in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) rats similar to those of acupuncture. Furthermore, blue light stimulation (LED) and electroacupuncture (EA) reduced inflammatory pain in CFA rats, as evidenced by the changes in the paw edema, paw withdrawal latency (PWL), and paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) values. Further exploration of the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon revealed that optogenetic stimulation upregulates the decarboxylase-65 (GAD65) and decarboxylase-67 (GAD67) protein levels and downregulates the levels of GABA transporter-1 (GAT1) and GABA transporter-3 (GAT3) to alleviate inflammatory pain. The activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and Wnt signal transduction pathways decreased the release of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα). These findings indicate that optogenetic stimulation of the "Zusanli" acupoint alleviated inflammatory pain.

Donkey milk has garnered increasing attention due to its potential health benefits and nutritional properties, positioning it as a valuable alternative to cow's milk for specific consumer groups, such as individuals with allergies, young children, elderly populations, and those with compromised immune systems. However, the presence of chemical contaminants in donkey milk presents a significant concern for food safety and public health. This review aims to provide an assessment of the types and sources of chemical contaminants in donkey milk, including heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and antimicrobial and antiparasitic veterinary drugs. Through a comprehensive analysis of available literature, we examine the routes and pathways through which these contaminants enter the milk, their prevalence, and the associated health risks. The review also briefly discusses analytical methods for detecting these contaminants and the existing legislative framework that regulates these contaminants, underscoring its critical role in safeguarding public health and promoting safe consumption of donkey milk products. By identifying gaps in existing research and suggesting areas for further study, this review seeks to contribute to the development of more effective strategies for monitoring and mitigating chemical contamination in donkey milk, ultimately safeguarding consumer health and supporting the sustainable production of this niche dairy product.

Animals' fitness is determined in a large proportion by the balance in energetic requirements maintained during daily activities, in response to environmental factors. Predation is a major environmental factor influencing the activity patterns of prey, and the deployment of adaptive responses to predation represents a significant cost to prey populations and communities. Experimental removal of predators to study the effect on activity patterns of prey is impractical for vertebrate species. However, islands are often deprived of predators and provide an excellent arena to study prey's responses in the absence of any cue related to predation risk. Here, we investigated whether natural absence of predators in islands has influenced the activity patterns of diurnal agoutis in Panama, by monitoring activity in three sites in each habitat type (predator-free vs predator). We predicted that agoutis in predator-free sites can expand their activity patterns towards the night, which is the period of highest predation risk, in sites with predators. One of our predator-free sites showed relative high activity at night, with no evidence of nocturnality in sites with predators. A clear pattern across our three predator-free sites was that agoutis started their daily activity earlier, before sunrise, which is a period with significant predation risk as well. Our study highlights the role that felids play in regulating agoutis' daily activity patterns and we discuss the implications of our finding. Finally, we also offer a review on agoutis' activity pattern in the Neotropics.

Background: The global rise in the aging population necessitates a proactive approach to palliative care, with a substantial gap between the demand for and access to such care. The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT) has emerged as a valuable instrument for identifying patients at risk of deterioration and death, enhancing the timely initiation of palliative care. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of patients aged 60 and above who got intubated in the emergency department (ED), with and without fulfilling SPICT criteria.

Methods: This retrospective single-center study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Thailand. The research involved 408 adults aged 60 and older who underwent ED intubation and subsequent admission. Baseline characteristics and follow-up data were collected, encompassing vital signs, comorbidities, and SPICT criteria. Mortality rates between SPICT criteria-fulfilled and non-fulfilled groups were compared.

Results: Out of 408 analyzed patients, SPICT criteria were met by 39.7 % of patients, exhibiting distinctive features such as a higher respiratory rate and lower diastolic blood pressure. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were most prevalent comorbidities. Respiratory and neurological disorders were the leading final diagnoses. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 28 %, significantly higher in the SPICT criteria-fulfilled group compared to the non-fulfilled group (34.0 % vs 23.6 %, P = 0.022). SPICT criteria demonstrated moderate sensitivity (48.7 %) and specificity (63.7 %) for predicting mortality.

Conclusion: SPICT criteria identified elderly patients at an elevated mortality risk following intubation in the emergency setting. The early implementation of SPICT as a screening tool for identifying palliative care candidates is advocated for more effective advance care planning.

This article discusses and summarizes some fascinating outcomes and applications of cyclodextrins (CDs) and their derivatives in drug delivery. These applications include the administration of protein, peptide medications, and gene delivery. Several innovative drug delivery systems, including NPs, microspheres, microcapsules, and liposomes, are designed with the help of CD, which is highlighted in this article. The use of these compounds as excipients in medicine formulation is reviewed, in addition to their well-known effects on drug solubility and dissolution, as well as their bioavailability, safety, and stability. Furthermore, the article focuses on many factors that influence the development of inclusion complexes, as having this information is necessary to manage these diverse materials effectively. An overview of the commercial availability, regulatory status, and patent status of CDs for pharmaceutical formulation is also presented. Due to the fact that CDs can discover new uses in drug delivery consistently, it is predicted that they will solve a wide range of issues related to the distribution of a variety of unique medications through various delivery channels.

This study combines high-throughput screening and virtual molecular docking to identify natural compounds targeting PKC in skin aging. Go 6983, a PKC inhibitor, showed potent suppression of MMP-1 transcription. EGCG was one of the candidates that showed it could significantly lower UVB-induced MMP-1 expression in HaCaT cells, and it had a strong affinity for PKCα. Interestingly, EGCG is exclusively bound to PKCα, not the δ and ζ isoforms. Blocking PKCα did not elevate UVB-induced MMP-1 expression in HaCaT cells. In a model of human skin, EGCG stopped collagen breakdown and changes in epidermal thickness that were caused by UV light from the sun. This suggests that EGCG could be useful in dermatology and drug development. These findings highlight the role of structure-based screening in identifying candidate compounds with applications in the cosmetic, dermatological, preventive health, and pharmaceutical fields.

The worldwide economic scene faces the dual challenges of rising sea levels and escalating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Environmental contamination impedes sustainable growth, increasing the demand for sustainable energy resources as a fundamental aspect of sustainable economies. The present research uses an analytical model to examine the elements influencing carbon dioxide output in six economically developed Asian nations, intending to assist in realizing the UNSDG- United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The manuscript applies the fixed effect model- FEM and the random effects approach- REM method. The research contributes to the science of the environment, climate research, and long-term environmental growth. Data for this investigation were sourced from the World Bank, covering the period from 2000 to 2020, about Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and China. This paper investigates the nexus between power usage (ECO), fossil fuel use (FFU), sustainable energy adoption (REC), foreign direct investment (FDI), imports, exports, economic development, population, and ecological contamination across six developed Asian countries. The study uses panel data regression analysis to examine how these factors influence carbon dioxide output, aiming to provide insights for long-term environmental growth policies. Key findings highlight the considerable effect of energy consumption patterns and economic activities on pollution levels, emphasizing the need for enhancements in energy conservation, a shift towards sustainable energy sources, and practical rules protecting the environment to mitigate environmental degradation. The empirical findings indicate that various factors, such as power usage, fossil fuel-based energy, sustainable energy usage, foreign direct investment (FDI), import and export activities, economic development, and population size, impact ecological contamination within these six nations. Specifically, FDI, economic development, and green energy influenced environmental degradation negatively. Conversely, factors such as power usage, energy from fossil sources usage, imports, exports, and population size correlate positively with ecological contamination. The research consequently advocates for developing green, circular, and sustainable economic frameworks within these six developed Asian countries in the foreseeable future.

Backgrounds: The rapid expansion of an intraparenchymal hematoma following cerebral contusion often results in high mortality rates and a poor prognosis. Effective tools are essential for predicting and monitoring the incidence of traumatic intraparenchymal hematoma (tICH) and identifying patients at high risk of tICH expansion. This enables timely surgical interventions and appropriate medical management. Recently, numerous novel predictive tools have been developed and employed to predict tICH progression. Therefore, this review aims to outline the latest advancements in predicting tICH expansion.

Methods: To find relevant studies, a search was conducted on PubMed and Google Scholar for articles published from January 2020 to April 2024. The search string used was (Cerebral Contusion) AND (Intraparenchymal Hematoma Progression OR Parenchymal Hematoma Expansion OR Intracerebral Hemorrhage Progression) AND (Predictor or Forecasting Tool).

Results: In this narrative review, we focused on various radiological, clinical, and innovative indicators of acute tICH progression that have been developed and/or validated in recently years. Additionally, we explore the impact of tICH progression on long-term outcomes, suggesting potential avenues for future research. The spread of depolarization in the cortex could be a key factor in forecasting and controlling the growth of tICH in the times ahead.

Conclusions: This study offers a comprehensive look at various cutting-edge imaging predictors, inflammatory indices, and integrated predictors that can aid neurosurgeons in categorizing, handling, and treating high-risk patients with acute tICH expansion.

Background: The common femoral artery is most frequently accessed for neuroendovascular procedures. Occasionally, postoperative hemostasis is difficult to attain. We comparatively analyzed the vascular closure devices, Angioseal and Perclose, and evaluated the puncture-site complications.

Methods: 357 patients who underwent endovascular treatment via femoral artery puncture and achieved hemostasis using a device were included. We studied the hemostatic method and associated puncture-site complications for various conditions. Ordinal logistic multiple regression analysis was performed for age, sex, sheath diameter, hemostatic method, number of antiplatelet agents, and object disease to identify the factors associated with puncture-site complications.

Results: Angioseal was used in 233 cases, and Perclose in 124 cases. Non-surgical complications were observed in 7.3 % and 0.8 % patients respectively. Complications requiring surgery occurred in 0.9 % of Angioseal, while none of Perclose. The complication rate at the puncture site was 10 % for unruptured aneurysms, 2.3 % for ruptured aneurysms, 3.5 % for carotid artery stenosis, and 4.0 % for acute arterial occlusive disease. Complication-related factors (P < 0.05) were fewer for Perclose (P = 0.0013,OR = 0.09) and higher for unruptured aneurysms (P = 0.0085, OR = 3.62).

Conclusions: Perclose is a vascular closure device with rare puncture-site complications for neurosurgical diseases. Unruptured aneurysm cases require careful attention to puncture-site complications.

The ongoing transition from a supply chain (SC) to net-zero emission (NZE) in SC performance must align with Sustainable Development Goal 13 to address climate change using life cycle assessment (LCA). Effective management of LCA significantly impacts an organization's competitiveness. With a lack of technology oversight and its connections with other enabling parameters that increase competitiveness, practices in the manufacturing industry remain limited. This study identifies and evaluates key enablers for LCA adoption in the manufacturing industry to achieve NZE in SC. Based on 123 responses, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed, followed by the Best-Worst Method (BWM). Further, a Fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Fuzzy-DEMATEL) was used. The results revealed 'organizational integration', 'data availability and quality, and 'policy and regulation' as significant group enablers that support NZSC to compete in the market. It provides insights for industry practitioners and policymakers on optimizing sustainable SC practices. The essential practical recommendations for resource optimization and carbon footprint reduction are also suggested.