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Purpose. To study the influence of steppe and forest-steppe climatic conditions on the yield, oil content in seeds and fatty acid composition of oil in new sunflower varieties of high oleic and oilseed use. Methods. The research was conducted in accordance with "Methods of qualification examination of plant varieties for their suitability for distribution in Ukraine (general part)" and "Methods of qualification examination of plant varieties for their suitability for distribution. Methods of determining quality indicators of plant production". The following methods were used in the research: laboratory, comparison, generalisation, mathematical statistics, analysis and synthesis to draw conclusions. Results. The fatty acid composition of the seeds of new varieties of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) of high oleic and oilseed use, grown in different soil and climatic conditions, was studied. According to the results of the analysis in the steppe zone, the variety 'LG50648' has the highest economic and value characteristics: oil content (51,0%), oleic acid (85.1%), yield (3.11 t/ha); varieties 'SULIANO' and 'MAS 908HOCP' - yield (3.40 and 3.91 t/ha) and oleic acid content (85.8 and 86.1%) regardless of the growing conditions. It was found that high oleic sunflower varieties 'MAS 908HOCP', 'LG50648', 'SULIANO' grown under steppe and forest-steppe conditions yielded higher quality oil. The maximum content of oleic acid in 2022-2023 was characteristic of the seeds of the varieties 'MAS 908HOCP' (86.1% in the steppe and 85.8% in the forest steppe) and 'SULIANO'. The hi ghest linoleic acid content was obtained in the seeds of the oilseed use varieties 'STK104' (62.9% in the steppe and 58.5% in the forest steppe) and 'STK103' (61.2% in the forest steppe). Among the high oleic varieties, the best results were obtained with 'LG50648' (5.7% in the steppe and 5.9% in the forest steppe). Conclusions. Oil content of sunflower varieties and fatty acid composition are determined by varietal characteristics of sunflower and environmental conditions. Modern sunflower varieties, which are included in the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine, have high yield potential and can provide a large yield of vegetable oil per unit area. Agroclimatic conditions have different effects on the gross seed yield and oil quality in the conditions of the forest steppe and steppe of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Pacific peoples experience inequity in accessing hearing health care and are disproportionately exposed to the underlying determinants impacting ear and hearing health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Understanding community members' worldviews, including perspectives, beliefs and values, is essential in developing appropriate and responsive hearing healthcare services to meet the needs of Pacific peoples. Aim The purpose of this paper is to understand the worldviews, knowledge and beliefs held by Pacific peoples regarding hearing health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used. Twelve semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with Pacific community members. Twenty-five participants completed an online questionnaire. A simultaneous, integrated mixed-methods approach was used to analyse the qualitative and quantitative data. Results Five main themes were established, which were: The Meaning of Hearing; Causes of hearing loss; Consequences of hearing loss and Disability; and Improving health care for ear disease and hearing loss. Discussion Pacific peoples value hearing health to communicate and connect with their families and communities. Participants highlighted the importance of hearing health across the life course. Although the study findings revealed there is potentially less stigma and shame around hearing loss in New Zealand, denial and fatalistic attitudes towards hearing loss may delay some people from seeking healthcare services. Participants expressed key ways in which the health system can be more responsive to the hearing health needs of Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Objective: Traditional pain management pathways following craniotomy are predicated on opioids. However, narcotics can confound critical neurological examination, contribute to respiratory depression, lower the seizure threshold, and lead to medication habituation, dependence, and/or abuse. Alternative medications to better address postoperative pain while mitigating opioid-related adverse effects remain insufficiently studied. Preliminary studies suggest sumatriptan, a 5-HT (1B/1D) receptor agonist known to regulate dural vasoactivity and inflammation, may moderate pain following trigeminal microvascular decompression and chronic postcraniotomy headache. In this study, the authors evaluated the efficacy of sumatriptan to modulate pain and opioid requirements following craniotomy surgery., Methods: This was a single academic center, retrospective cohort study of 300 consecutive adult patients who underwent elective craniotomy surgery between 2015 and 2022. Patients were equally divided between a control and a sumatriptan cohort contingent upon administration of 6 mg of subcutaneous sumatriptan within 1 hour of surgery completion and prior to opioid administration. Postoperative opioid consumption at 6, 12, and 24 hours, as well as admission total, inpatient length of stay, and 30-day global reevaluation, were assessed., Results: Three hundred patients were included for analysis. Significant differences were seen in baseline hypertension (p < 0.01), hyperlipemia (p < 0.01), anxiety (p = 0.04), and operative time (p = 0.02). A significant reduction of mean postoperative pain scores at 12 (p = 0.03) and 24 (p < 0.01) hours and total opioid consumption (p = 0.04) was observed in the sumatriptan cohort. Subgroup analysis revealed significantly lower postoperative pain scores at 6 (p = 0.05), 12 (p < 0.01), and 24 (p < 0.01) hours in patients who underwent burr hole placement in the sumatriptan cohort as compared with controls; however, no significant difference in opioid consumption was noted. No adverse events related to sumatriptan administration were noted throughout the study., Conclusions: Postoperative single-dose subcutaneous sumatriptan following elective craniotomy may reduce pain scores and opioid requirements. Additional studies are needed to better understand nuanced differences in opioid modulation and optimal patient selection.

Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and disclose no relevant interests.

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to substantially alter previously established clinical practice patterns and has transformed patient care in American healthcare. However, studies to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on neuroemergent patient care and associated clinical outcomes are limited. Herein, we describe the impact of COVID-19 on the Neuroemergency Transfer Program (NTP) - a novel, urban, high volume interhospital patient transfer program., Objective: To evaluate and describe the clinical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the NTP., Study Design: A single-center retrospective study of prospectively collected consecutive neuroemergent patient transfer data between 2018-2021 was analyzed. Adult patients were divided based upon transfer date into a Pre-COVID (PCOV) or COVID cohort. Patient demographics, transfer characteristics and clinical data and outcomes were analyzed., Results: 3,096 patients were included for analysis. Mean age at transfer in the PCOV and COVID cohorts were 62.4 ± 0.36 and 61.1 ± 0.6 years. A significant decrease in mean transfers per month was observed between cohorts (PCOV = 97.8 vs. COV = 68.2 transfers/month, p  < 0.01). Total transfer time in the PCOV cohort was 155.1 ± 3.4 min which increased to 169.3 ± 12.8 min in the COVID cohort ( p  = 0.13). Overall mean transfer distance was significantly longer in the PCOV cohort at 22.0 ± 0.4 miles vs. 20.3 ± 0.67 miles in the COV cohort ( p  = 0.03). The relative frequency of transfer diagnoses was unchanged between cohorts. A significant increase in mean inpatient length of stay was noted, 7.9 ± 0.15 days to 9.6 ± 0.33 days in the PCOV vs. COVID cohorts ( p  < 0.01). Ultimately, no difference in the frequency of good vs. poor clinical outcome were noted between the PCOV (79.8% and 19.4%) vs. COV (78.8% and 20.4%) cohorts., Conclusion: The impact of COVID-19 on current healthcare dynamics are far reaching. Here, we show a significant decrease in interhospital patient transfers and increased length of stay between a Pre-COVID and COVID cohort. Further work to better elucidate the specific interplay of clinical contributors to account for these changes is indicated., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Woodward, Meza, Richards, Koro, Keegan, Joshi, Munoz, Byrne and John.)

The aim of this study was to characterize the educational quality and reliability of YouTube videos related to low back pain (LBP) as well as to identify factors associated with the overall video quality. A review of YouTube was performed using two separate search strings. Video-specific characteristics were analyzed for the first 50 videos of each string. Seventy-seven eligible videos were identified as a result. The mean Journal of the American Medical Association score was 2.25 ± 1.09 (range: 0-4) out of 4. The mean Global Quality Score (GQS) score was 2.29 ± 1.37 (range: 1-4) out of 5. The mean LBP score (LPS) score was 3.83 ± 2.23 (range: 0-11) out of 15. Video power index was a predictor of GQS score (β = 55.78, p = 0.048), whereas the number of likes (β = -2.49, p = 0.047) and view ratio (β = -55.62, p = 0.049) were associated with lower quality scores. Days since initial upload (β = 0.32, p = 0.042) as well as like ratio (β = 0.37, p = 0.019) were independent predictors of higher LPS scores. The results of this study suggest that the overall reliability and educational quality of videos uploaded to YouTube concerning LBP are unsatisfactory. More popular videos demonstrated poorer educational quality than their less popular counterparts. As the prevalence of LBP rises, more accurate and thorough educational videos are necessary to ensure accurate information is available to patients., (© 2021 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: Expandable transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) cages capable of multidirectional in situ expansion have gained popularity as they increase axial surface area for fusion and may enhance lordotic correction through a traditional minimally invasive surgery (MIS) surgical corridor. We evaluated and compared the radiographic and clinical outcomes between a novel expandable versus static minimally invasive surgery TLIF cage for the treatment of degenerative disk disease., Methods: A single-center retrospective review of 120 consecutive adult patients undergoing 1- or 2-level MIS TLIF with an expandable (n = 60) or static cage was performed between 2015 and 2019. Preoperative and 1-year postoperative radiographic and clinical outcomes were assessed by upright flexion/extension radiographs and serial confidential surveys., Results: One-hundred twenty patients (mean age 63.5 years, 60.0% female) undergoing 1- and 2-level MIS TLIF met inclusion criteria. A statistically significant reduction of spondylolisthesis, restoration of foraminal height as well as anterior and posterior disk height was achieved in both cohorts, however was greater in the expandable cage cohort (ECC) (all P < 0.05). Comparable rates of fusion, 93% and 91%, were observed in the ECC and static cage cohort. A significant reduction in Numeric Pain Rating Scale back and Oswestry Disability Index scores were observed in both cohorts but were more pronounced in the ECC (5.9 ± 2.4 to 2.2 ± 1.9 and 37.3 ± 16.2 to 17.1 ± 15.2) versus static cage cohort (6.2 ± 2.8 to 3.2 ± 2.5 and 41.8 ± 16.1 to 24.3 ± 17.5) (P < 0.05). One instance of cage migration requiring reoperation occurred in the ECC., Conclusions: Taken together, these radiographic and clinical findings suggest an expandable cage placed through an MIS corridor represents a safe, equitable, and efficacious alternative to a static TLIF in adults with degenerative lumbar pathology., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although spinal involvement by gout is not uncommon, spinal gout leading to symptomatic spinal cord compression in the thoracic spine is very rare and poses a diagnostic challenge by mimicking symptoms of more common diagnoses such as epidural abscess and malignancy. An even more unique presentation is spinal gout causing thoracic cord compression leading to acute paraplegia., Observations: The authors present an illustrative case of a 35-year-old man with thoracic spinal compression by tophaceous gout who developed rapid progression to complete paraplegia over a 5-day period. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spine revealed a cystic-appearing lesion within the dorsal extradural space of the lower thoracic spine extending from T8 to T10 accompanied by compression of the spinal cord. An emergent T9-10 laminectomy was performed, and the occupying lesion in the thoracic spine was resected. The diagnosis of spinal tophaceous gout was made by pathological examination., Lessons: Although varying clinical manifestations of spinal gout have been reported in the literature, the patient's age and the rapid progression to complete paraplegia over a 5-day period reveals a unique presentation that broadens understanding of the manner in which this condition can present and allow more rapid diagnosis and treatment., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper., (© 2021 The authors.)

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a novel multidirectional in situ expandable minimally invasive surgery (MIS) transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) cage., Methods: A retrospective analysis of 69 consecutive patients undergoing a 1- or 2-level MIS TLIF using an expandable cage was performed over a 2-year period. Standard MIS techniques with pedicle screw fixation were used in all cases. Upright lateral dynamic flexion/extension radiographs were reviewed prior to and at 1 year after surgery. Clinical metrics included numeric rating scale for back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index, and the SF-12 and VR-12 physical and mental health surveys. Radiographic parameters included anterior and posterior disc height, neuroforaminal height, spondylolisthesis, segmental lordosis, lumbar lordosis, and fusion rate., Results: A total of 69 patients representing 75 operative levels met study inclusion criteria. The mean patient age at surgery was 63.4 ± 1.2 years, with a female predominance of 51%. The average radiographic and clinical follow-ups were 372 and 368 days, respectively. A total of 63 patients (91%) underwent 1-level surgery and 6 patients (9%) underwent 2-level surgery. Significant reductions of numeric rating scale scores for back and leg pain were observed-from 6.1 ± 0.7 to 2.5 ± 0.3 (p < 0.0001) and 4.9 ± 0.6 to 1.9 ± 0.2 (p < 0.0001), respectively. A similar reduction in Oswestry Disability Index from 38.0 ± 4.6 to 20.0 ± 2.3 (p < 0.0001) was noted. Likewise, SF-12 and VR-12 scores all showed statistically significant improvement from baseline (p < 0.001). The mean anterior and posterior disc heights improved from 8.7 ± 1.0 mm to 13.4 ± 1.5 mm (p = 0.0001) and 6.5 ± 0.8 mm to 9.6 ± 1.1 mm (p = 0.0001), respectively. Neuroforaminal height improved from 17.6 ± 2.0 mm to 21.9 ± 2.5 mm (p = 0.0001). When present, spondylolisthesis was, on average, reduced from 4.3 ± 0.5 mm to 1.9 ± 0.2 mm (p = 0.0001). Lumbar lordosis improved from 47.8° ± 5.5° to 58.5° ± 6.8° (p = 0.2687), and no significant change in segmental lordosis was observed. The overall rate of radiographic fusion was 93.3% at 1 year. No perioperative complications requiring operative revision were encountered., Conclusions: In this series of MIS TLIFs, use of this novel interbody cage was shown to be safe and effective. Significant improvements in pain and disability were observed. Effective and durable restoration of disc height and neuroforaminal height and reduction of spondylolisthesis were obtained, with concurrent gains in lumbar lordosis. Taken together, this device offers excellent clinical and radiographic outcomes via an MIS approach.

The Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) is one of causative genes of familial Parkinson's disease (PD). The M2397T polymorphism in LRRK2 is genetically associated with sporadic Crohn's disease (CD). LRRK2 is expressed in human CD14 + monocytes, induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and suppresses inflammatory activation. We hypothesize that IFN-γ-induced LRRK2 and inflammatory gene expression is altered by LRRK2 genetic polymorphism found in CD and PD cases. A total of 46 CD and 51 control cases, and 16 PD cases and 16 PD-linked LRRK2 mutation cases were recruited. Live human CD14 + monocytes were isolated from donors for ex vivo IFN-γ stimulation and gene expression analysis. IFN-γ potently enhanced TNFA, IL12, HLADRA1 and LRRK2 expression, which was suppressed by FK506, a calcineurin-specific inhibitor, but further enhanced by LRRK2-specific kinase inhibitor (GSK2578215A). The 2397-M/M CD risk allele enhanced IFN-γ responses of CD14 + cells in CD but not in control group. CD14 + monocytes from G2019S and R1441C LRRK2 mutated PD cases and carriers show no changes in IFN-γ responses for TNFA or IL12, reduced response for HLADRA1, and enhanced responses for LRRK2 in FK506-sensitive manner. These data demonstrate that CD-associated LRRK2 mutations are significant modifiers of innate immune response in CD14 + monocytes, and PD-associated LRRK2 mutation may contribute to reduced antigen presentation response. Graphical Abstract.

The accumulation of phosphorylated tau protein (pTau) in the entorhinal cortex (EC) is the earliest tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau tubulin kinase-1 (TTBK1) is a neuron-specific tau kinase and expressed in the EC and hippocampal regions in both human and mouse brains. Here we report that collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2), a critical mediator of growth cone collapse, is a new downstream target of TTBK1 and is accumulated in the EC region of early stage AD brains. TTBK1 transgenic mice show severe axonal degeneration in the perforant path, which is exacerbated by crossing with Tg2576 mice expressing Swedish familial AD mutant of amyloid precursor protein (APP). TTBK1 mice show accumulation of phosphorylated CRMP2 (pCRMP2), in the EC at 10 months of age, whereas age-matched APP/TTBK1 bigenic mice show pCRMP2 accumulation in both the EC and hippocampal regions. Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and TTBK1 suppress the kinetics of microtubule polymerization and TTBK1 reduces the neurite length of primary cultured neurons in Rho kinase-dependent manner in vitro. Silencing of TTBK1 or expression of dominant-negative Rho kinase demonstrates that Aβ induces CRMP2 phosphorylation at threonine 514 in a TTBK1-dependent manner, and TTBK1 enhances Aβ-induced CRMP2 phosphorylation in Rho kinase-dependent manner in vitro. Furthermore, TTBK1 expression induces pCRMP2 complex formation with pTau in vitro, which is enhanced upon Aβ stimulation in vitro. Finally, pCRMP2 forms a complex with pTau in the EC tissue of TTBK1 mice in vivo, which is exacerbated in both the EC and hippocampal tissues in APP/TTBK1 mice. These results suggest that TTBK1 and Aβ induce phosphorylation of CRMP2, which may be causative for the neurite degeneration and somal accumulation of pTau in the EC neurons, indicating critical involvement of TTBK1 and pCRMP2 in the early AD pathology.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the FMR1 gene. It is a leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder and inherited intellectual disability and is often comorbid with attention deficits. Most FXS cases are due to an expansion of CGG repeats leading to suppressed expression of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein involved in mRNA metabolism. We found that the previously published Fmr1 knockout rat model of FXS expresses an Fmr1 transcript with an in-frame deletion of exon 8, which encodes for the K-homology (KH) RNA-binding domain, KH1. Notably, 3 pathogenic missense mutations associated with FXS lie in the KH domains. We observed that the deletion of exon 8 in rats leads to attention deficits and to alterations in transcriptional profiles within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which map to 2 weighted gene coexpression network modules. These modules are conserved in human frontal cortex and enriched for known FMRP targets. Hub genes in these modules represent potential therapeutic targets for FXS. Taken together, these findings indicate that attentional testing might be a reliable cross-species tool for investigating FXS and identify dysregulated conserved gene networks in a relevant brain region., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a single transmembrane molecule uniquely expressed in microglia. TREM2 mutations are genetically linked to Nasu-Hakola disease and associated with multiple neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. TREM2 may regulate microglial inflammation and phagocytosis through coupling to the adaptor protein TYRO protein-tyrosine kinase-binding protein (TYROBP). However, there is no functional system for monitoring this protein-protein interaction. We developed a luciferase-based modality for real-time monitoring of TREM2-TYROBP coupling in live cells that utilizes split-luciferase complementation technology based on TREM2 and TYROBP fusion to the C- or N-terminal portion of the Renilla luciferase gene. Transient transfection of human embryonic kidney 293 cells with this reporter vector increased luciferase activity upon stimulation with an anti-TREM2 antibody, which induces their homodimerization. This was confirmed by ELISA-based analysis of the TREM2-TYROBP interaction. Antibody-mediated TREM2 stimulation enhanced spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) activity and uptake of Staphylococcus aureus in microglial cell line BV-2 in a kinase-dependent manner. Interestingly, the TREM2 T66M mutation significantly enhanced luciferase activity without stimulation, indicating constitutive coupling to TYROBP. Finally, flow cytometry analyses indicated significantly lower surface expression of T66M TREM2 variant than wild type or other TREM2 variants. These results demonstrate that our TREM2 reporter vector is a novel tool for monitoring the TREM2-TYROBP interaction in real time., (© 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucose-1-phosphotransferase (Glc-phosphotransferase) catalyzes the transfer of alpha Glc-1-P from UDP-Glc to endoglycosidase H-sensitive oligosaccharides on acceptor glycoproteins. We have previously demonstrated that Glc-phosphotransferase was specific for UDP-Glc as its nucleotide sugar substrate and thus appeared to be distinct from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:glycoprotein N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase (GlcNAc-phosphotransferase), an enzyme specific for lysosomally destined acceptor glycoproteins. Here, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis autoradiographs of endogenous acceptor glycoproteins in embryonic chick neural retina homogenates labeled by the presence of [beta-32P]UDP-Glc were shown to be distinct from those labeled by [beta-32P]UDP-GlcNAc, indicating that the two enzymatic activities recognize different populations of endogenous glycoproteins. To further probe the acceptor specificities of these enzymes, three glycoproteins known to be exogenous acceptors for GlcNAc-phosphotransferase were included in assays for Glc-phosphotransferase from retinal homogenates. Cathepsin D and beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase had no significant effects on phosphoglucose incorporation. Uteroferrin, an acid phosphatase, had a pronounced inhibitory effect on incorporation from UDP-Glc, and subsequent experiments suggested that phosphorylation of the Glc-phosphotransferase or another protein may be necessary for maximal activity to be seen. Also, I-cells, which have previously been shown to possess no GlcNAc-phosphotransferase activity, and control human fibroblasts were assayed for both Glc-phosphotransferase and GlcNAc-phosphotransferase. GlcNAc-phosphotransferase activity was observed only in control cells, whereas Glc-phosphotransferase was observed in both I-cells and controls at similar specific activities.

Ligatin is a filamentous, baseplate protein that binds and localizes peripheral glycoproteins to the external cell surface. Glycoproteins coisolated with ligatin from embryonic chicken neural retina and radiolabeled with 32P are retained by an affinity column containing covalently bound retinal ligatin. Elution is achieved preferentially by alpha-glucose 1-phosphate and, to a limited extent, by mannose 6-phosphate. Treatment with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H prevents the proteins from binding to the column and results in the release of high-mannose-type oligosaccharides containing 32P. The simplest of these oligosaccharides is unaffected by alkaline phosphatase unless the treatment is preceded by mild acid hydrolysis. Enzymatic and chemical analyses suggest that the phosphate is present in phosphodiester bonds linking penultimate mannose residues to terminal glucose residues.

Ligatin is a filamentous plasma membrane protein that serves as a baseplate for the attachment of peripheral glycoproteins to the external cell surface. Ligatin can be released from intact, embryonic chick neural retinal cells by treatment with 20 mM Ca++ without adversely affecting their viability, alpha-Glucose-1-phosphate is also effective in removing ligatin-associated glycoproteins from intact cells. After eight of these treatments, the retinal cells seem not to exhibit Ca++-dependent adhesion for one another. It is thus suggested that ligatin in neural retina may serve as a baseplate for the attachment to the cell surface of glycoproteins active in Ca++-dependent adhesion. The finding that Ca++ serves to protect Ca++-dependent adhesion molecules from digestion by trypsin is discussed in relation to steric constraints on trypsin's accessibility to these adhesion molecules because of their possible binding to arrayed ligatin filaments.