Search Results (31,330)

Background/Objectives: The trigeminal (CN V) and facial (CN VII) nerves are conventionally taught as separate pathways, yet extensive peripheral anastomoses form sensorimotor plexuses throughout the face. These communications provide the anatomical substrate for proprioception in facial muscles that paradoxically lack muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs. This review aims to synthesise the anatomical, histological, and clinical evidence on these interconnections and to evaluate their implications across surgery, radiology, neurology, and dentistry. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for cadaveric dissection studies, Sihler whole-mount staining investigations, immunohistochemical analyses, quantitative axonal mapping studies, and clinical case series addressing trigeminal–facial communications and their diagnostic significance. Results: Twenty peripheral anastomoses were systematically identified and mapped, with prevalence ranging from reported-constant in multiple cadaveric series (auriculotemporal–facial trunk; mental–marginal mandibular) to variable (29–86%, depending on trigeminal division and method; V2 by cadaveric dissection, V1 by Sihler staining). Immunohistochemical evidence supports sensorimotor fibre interchange, and recent axonal mapping has revealed that the extracranial facial nerve is a mixed nerve containing motor, sympathetic, and afferent components. Clinically, these anastomoses are implicated in spontaneous facial recovery, trigeminal motor branch transfers, perineural tumour spread, local anaesthesia effects, synkinesis, and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Conclusions: Available anatomical and histological evidence is consistent with the view that the trigeminal and facial nerves form a functionally integrated unit, though the functional significance of specific communications remains method-dependent. Recognition of these communications is relevant for surgeons, radiologists, neurologists, and dental practitioners managing facial conditions. Full article

Iron is essential for life, but its safe use by the body depends on it being kept within tightly controlled compartments. When this compartmentalisation is disrupted—through haemolysis, saturation of scavenger proteins, or dysregulation of the hepcidin–ferroportin axis—damaging iron species accumulate in the circulation and within vascular cells, with potentially serious consequences for endothelial function. This review explores the mechanisms by which iron dysregulation compromises vascular endothelial cell biology across a range of disease states, including haemolytic anaemias, atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, extracorporeal circulatory support, and iatrogenic iron loading. Common pathological themes emerge: depletion of nitric oxide bioavailability, oxidative stress, endothelial activation, and in chronic settings, vascular remodelling. The review subsequently focuses in depth on the pulmonary vasculature, where dysregulated iron compartmentalisation has emerged as a key contributor to the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Here, iron-driven mitochondrial dysfunction, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation via ferroptosis are discussed as mechanistic drivers of pulmonary vascular remodelling. The therapeutic implications of targeting iron handling in pulmonary hypertension are considered, including modulation of the hepcidin–ferroportin axis. Together, the evidence presented highlights disordered iron compartmentalisation as a unifying pathological thread across vascular disease and a compelling target for intervention. Full article

Microplastic (MP) contamination is an emerging threat to aquatic ecosystems. However, species-specific bioaccumulation patterns across trophic guilds in tropical river ecosystems remain scarcely understood. This study assessed the occurrence, organ-level distribution, polymer composition, and ecological risk of MPs in 220 fish representing 12 species, spanning across multiple trophic guilds, sampled from four sites along a pollution gradient of the river Yamuna, India. MPs were detected in all examined species, confirming extensive distribution across the river ecosystem. A total 1678 MPs were recovered, with significantly higher abundance in fish from the highly urban Delhi stretch than in those from upstream regions (Kruskal–Wallis, H = 11.03, p = 0.011). The highest species-specific MP load was recorded in omnivorous Oreochromis niloticus from Sonia Vihar (436 MPs), whereas the carnivorous species Xenentodon cancila exhibited the lowest accumulation (37 MPs). Surface- and mid-water herbivores and omnivores accumulated more MPs than benthic carnivores and detritivores. Nonetheless, spatial pollution gradients exerted a stronger influence on MP accumulation, compared to trophic guilds. The gastrointestinal tract exhibited the highest MP abundance (751 MP particles), followed by gills (605) and muscle tissues (322), confirming ingestion as primary uptake route, and suggesting possible tissue translocation. Fibers dominated in the assemblage (77.8%), while transparent (44%) and blue (19.5%) were most abundant colors. ATR–FTIR analysis confirmed 10 diverse polymers, with polyethylene (≈24%) and polypropylene (≈21%) together accounting for nearly half of the identified particles. The Polymer Hazard Index analysis classified the recovered MP mix as Category IV (high ecological hazard). These findings identify the Delhi stretch of the Yamuna as a high MP contamination zone and highlight the combined influence of urban pollution and fish ecology on MP bioaccumulation. Full article

Introduction: Population aging is a growing and challenging phenomenon, primarily due to its association with functional decline and sarcopenia, which increase the risk of falls. These events have significant impacts on public health and the quality of life of older adults. Regular physical activity has shown benefits in reducing falls and their consequences, with systemic vibratory therapy (SVT) emerging as a promising strategy to mitigate these adverse outcomes. However, evidence on the actual effectiveness of this therapeutic approach remains limited, as does clarity regarding optimal body position, protocol parameters, and equipment when combined with physical activity programs. Objectives: To compare the effect of systemic vibratory therapy (SVT) associated with a physical activity program on the perception of fear of falling in older adults (M01.060.116.100). As secondary outcomes, the study will assess functional physical conditioning, electromyographic activity, muscular synergy, and center of pressure oscillation in this population. Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial with blinded outcome assessors and blinded statistical analysis will be conducted with 192 older adults participating in the UNATI/UNISUAM program. Participants will be allocated into three groups: (A) usual physical activity; (B) usual physical activity + SVT in a semi-squat position; and (C) usual physical activity + SVT in a seated position. Assessments will include sociodemographic data, concern about falling assessed using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), physical performance (2 min stationary march test), surface electromyography of the tibialis anterior and medial gastrocnemius muscles, along with posturography using a force platform. Results: This study will provide information on outcomes related to fall risk, balance, physical fitness, and neuromuscular variables in older adults undergoing two distinct SVT protocols. Clinical Trials Registration: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials RBR-68pry5j. Registered on 8 December 2025. Full article

Background: Carotid body tumors (CBTs) are rare neuroendocrine neoplasms whose hardness (soft vs. hard) correlates with surgical complexity and perioperative complications. This study aimed to identify predictive multimodal imaging biomarkers of CBTs’ hardness. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 82 patients with CBTs who underwent surgical resection. Preoperative multimodal imaging and clinical data were analyzed; tumor hardness was assessed via Masson-stained fibrous proportion. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors. Results: The mean age of the 82 patients was 46 ± 13 years, including 37 males, with no significant intergroup differences in age or gender. Hard CBTs were associated with longer operative durations and a higher incidence of perioperative complications including pre-, intra-, and postoperative nerve and vascular injury. Multimodal imaging analysis revealed differences in signal homogeneity on T1WI and T1WI-CE sequences of MRI between soft and hard CBTs. The CBT-to-sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) value on T2WI (OR 0.329; 95% CI 0.151–0.591, p < 0.001) and the erosion of perivascular fat space (PFS) (OR 19.2; 95% CI 4.390–115.884, p < 0.001) were associated with the hardness of CBTs. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that an optimal cutoff value of 2.44 for the CBT/SCM ratio on T2WI predicted hard CBTs with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 67.7% (PPV 100%, NPV 83.6%, AUC = 0.892). Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest that CBT/SCM value on T2WI and PFS erosion are promising imaging biomarkers for predicting hardness. These parameters may facilitate preoperative risk prediction, though further prospective validation is required. Full article

Background and Objectives: Breast cancer remains one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and early detection plays a crucial role in improving treatment outcomes and reducing mortality. Several experimental studies using animal models of breast cancer have explored the potential of terahertz-based technologies in this field. However, their preclinical evidence base in breast cancer remains heterogeneous and has not been systematically synthesized with a focus on experimental models, imaging protocols, and barriers to translation. Methods: We conducted a descriptive systematic review, according to PRISMA guidelines, of 10 articles selected from a total of 372 identified across four databases—PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane—regarding the diagnostic performance of terahertz (THz) imaging in breast cancer animal models. We included studies that used rodent models diagnosed with breast cancer, subsequently confirmed through histological examination, and extracted relevant data. Results: The results were synthesized using a narrative approach. Most studies used C57BL/6J mice with E0771 cell line-induced breast tumors, with histopathology as the reference standard. In the reflection mode, at frequencies between 0.1 and 4 THz, the identification of tumoral, fibrous, fat, and muscle tissues was possible. Conclusions: Overall, the available preclinical evidence supports THz imaging as a promising proof-of-concept approach for breast tissue characterization, but not yet as a standardized or clinically translatable diagnostic platform. Future studies should use harmonized animal models, standardized acquisition and specimen-handling protocols, transparent reporting of classification workflows, and consistent outcome metrics to enable comparison across studies and to clarify the biological and biophysical determinants of THz contrast in breast cancer. Full article

Micronutrients are essential for optimal muscle metabolic function. We previously showed that heat-induced skeletal muscle injury is associated with depletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺), and boosting NAD⁺ abundance with the precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) improves skeletal muscle integrity against heat stress in male mice. In this study, we hypothesized that NR supplementation would prevent heat-induced skeletal muscle injury in female mice. Female 6-week-old C57BL/6J mice were orally administered vehicle or NR (185 mg/kg body weight) daily for 10 days. Subsequently, they underwent a single sham or heat exposure experiment. No significant differences in muscle NAD⁺ content were observed between vehicle and NR groups or between sham and heat groups. Heat groups showed significantly lower muscle Mg²⁺ levels compared to sham groups. In vehicle groups, heat exposure caused significant inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial impairment, and apoptosis in skeletal muscle compared to the sham condition. NR treatment significantly reduced these alterations. While neither heat exposure nor NR affected muscle NAD⁺ homeostasis, the protective effects of NR on skeletal muscle against heat stress were similar to those observed in male mice. Together, our results demonstrate the preventive effect of NR on muscle heat injury in female mice. This effect is associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities, mitochondrial protection, and anti-apoptosis without NAD⁺ homeostatic alterations. Full article

Improving tenderness in whole-muscle pork products remains a technological challenge, particularly when natural processing strategies are preferred over conventional additives, as texture is regarded as one of the most important quality attributes influencing consumer perception and acceptance of meat products. This study investigated whether two plant proteases, papain and bromelain, incorporated into a red algae-based brine containing Palmaria palmata could enhance the quality of injected pork loin without compromising microbiological safety or sensory acceptance. Seven batches were produced: a control sample and six enzyme-treated samples containing papain or bromelain at 0.015%, 0.030%, and 0.045%. Overall, the enzymatic treatments had a limited effect on proximate composition. However, a modest decrease in fat content was observed, from 3.09% in the control sample to 2.70–2.82% in the samples treated with the highest concentrations of papain and bromelain (0.045%). In contrast, instrumental color and texture were strongly affected. Enzyme-treated samples became lighter, less red, and less saturated, with redness decreasing from 13.07 in the control to 5.19–6.66 in the highest-dose treatments and total color differences reaching 8.66. The most relevant effect was observed in texture, where papain and bromelain markedly reduced shear force, shear work, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness; shear force decreased from 26.22 N/cm² in the control to 10.78 N/cm² and 9.38 N/cm² in the batches treated with the highest enzyme concentrations. During refrigerated storage, total viable counts increased gradually but remained low, with a maximum of 4.56 × 10² CFU/g, while Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected. Sensory analysis further showed that enzymatic treatment improved perceived tenderness and juiciness without reducing overall acceptability. These findings indicate that papain and bromelain can be used as natural tenderizing tools in injected pork loin, offering a promising route toward cleaner-label meat products with improved texture and preserved microbiological quality. Full article

This study aimed to elucidate the effects of different fattening stages on slaughtering performance, meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics, connective tissue properties, and intramuscular fat deposition in Yanbian cattle. A total of 40 eighteen-month-old castrated male Yanbian cattle were raised together under identical conditions. At 24, 28, 32, and 36 months of age, 10 animals were randomly selected and slaughtered. Increased fattening periods, slaughter performance of Yanbian cattle improved steadily, carcass weight and meat weight increased significantly (p < 0.05). Dressing percentage and lean meat percentage reached their maxima at 32 months, which were 60.09% and 46.96% respectively. Cooking loss and centrifugal loss decreased with fattening time (p < 0.05), with the 32- and 36-month-old groups showing the best water-holding capacity. Intramuscular fat content increased significantly during fattening (p < 0.05), with no significant difference between the 32- and 36-month-old groups (p > 0.05). However, Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was significantly higher at 32 and 36 months than at 24 and 28 months (p < 0.05), indicating reduced tenderness with prolonged fattening. The endomysial collagen network at 32 months maintained a compact yet filamentous structure, whereas by 36 months it had transformed into a dense sheet-like configuration. In conclusion, fattening to 32 months achieves a compromise among marbling, collagen maturity, water-holding capacity, slaughtering efficiency, and the onset of increased toughness. Therefore, 32 months is recommended as the fattening endpoint when balancing meat production and quality traits. Full article

Background: Exercise plays a crucial role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. During self-motion, optic flow provides visual information about heading direction and influences postural control. This study investigated postural responses and muscle activation in individuals with type 2 diabetes exposed to optic flow stimuli simulating self-motion, and examined whether these responses varied according to habitual physical activity over 12 months. Methods: Surface electromyographic (EMG) and stabilometric data were collected from 23 individuals during quiet standing under different visual motion conditions. Participants were classified as physically active or inactive based on standardized criteria. EMG activity was recorded bilaterally from the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Center of pressure (COP) displacement was measured using two force platforms. Results: Stabilometric analysis revealed a significant effect of visual stimulus on COP displacement in both antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions, as well as on COP speed, indicating that optic flow modulates postural control. COP speed changes over time differed by sex, while medio-lateral sway showed time-dependent variations across sides and physical activity groups. EMG analysis showed a significant effect of visual stimulus on soleus activation, with no consistent effects for tibialis anterior. Conclusions: Optic flow significantly modulated postural control and lower-limb muscle activation in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Preliminary differences in response profiles associated with habitual physical activity level were observed, though these should be interpreted cautiously given the exploratory nature of the study. Larger, adequately powered studies are warranted to further investigate these associations. Full article

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is frequently accompanied by abnormal muscle tone and spasticity, which impair voluntary motor control, mobility, and quality of life. Although classically defined as velocity-dependent hyperreflexia, tone abnormalities after SCI encompass a broader spectrum, including sustained muscle activation, co-contraction, clonus, and non–velocity-dependent resistance to movement. These manifestations arise from distributed changes across spinal and supraspinal motor systems. At the segmental level, SCI induces maladaptive plasticity involving motoneurons, interneurons, sensory afferents, and muscle, including dysregulated persistent inward currents, altered inhibitory neurotransmission, afferent hyperexcitability, synaptic reorganization, and structural muscle remodeling. In parallel, supraspinal adaptations—including cortical motor map reorganization, reduced intracortical inhibition, corticospinal–reticulospinal imbalance, loss of monoaminergic modulation, and altered brainstem and cerebellar regulation—further amplify spinal circuit gain and impair inhibitory control of tone. Current pharmacologic treatments largely suppress symptoms without addressing these underlying circuit changes, while invasive neuromodulatory strategies are limited by surgical risk or state-dependent effects. This review synthesizes emerging insights into the multilevel mechanisms regulating abnormal tone after SCI and examines neuromodulatory approaches targeting spinal and supraspinal networks. Particular attention is given to transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TcSCS), a non-invasive method capable of modulating segmental reflex circuits and descending control pathways. Advances in transcriptomic and epigenetic profiling may further enable mechanism-based therapies and biomarker-guided strategies for treating spasticity. Full article

Low back pain (LBP) is a major global health problem and can result in a variety of movement impairments. Advances in smart technology have enabled the collection of novel streams of movement data, and machine learning (ML) methods have been increasingly used for data analysis. However, many existing technologies remain expensive and unsuitable for widespread clinical use, and ML approaches have largely focused on distinguishing people with LBP from healthy controls rather than identifying meaningful subgroups within the LBP population. Motion Tape (MT) is a recently developed wearable strain sensor that translates skin deformation from underlying movement and muscle engagement into electrical signals. In this exploratory study involving 10 participants with LBP, we demonstrate that MT data from six sensors applied on the lower back capture rich movement information capable of characterizing movement patterns among participants with LBP. We propose a feature engineering approach based on biomechanical features as well as time-series causal discovery applied to multivariate sensor time-series data to extract directed inter-segment coordination patterns. We further develop an exploratory subgroup discovery pipeline by aggregating clustering coassociation information across diverse movement tasks. Our causal coordination features show promising discriminative information across several movement types, capturing aspects of motor control not reflected in amplitude-based or embedding-based features alone, such as asymmetries and movement restrictions. Preliminary ensemble clustering analysis indicates three potential LBP subgroups distinguished by biomechanical and inter-segment coordination patterns, which may reflect varied strategies under different movement demands. We investigate the differences in clinical characteristics among these LBP subgroups. We show that time-series foundation models are not well suited for LBP subgrouping due to their uninterpretability, which is improved in our feature engineering pipeline. This framework could reveal additional subgroups with larger cohorts and may generalize to other sensor modalities. Full article

Anxiety disorders and chronic stress are the most common types of mental disorder. According to the WHO, more than 359 million people worldwide suffered from these conditions in 2021. The function of mastication and the masticatory muscles undergo significant changes under the influence of a disturbed psychoemotional state. This manifests as their parafunctional activity, accompanied by increased tone and damage to elements of the dentofacial system, including increased tooth wear, chipping, cracks, and fractures. Attention to this problem is growing annually among researchers in both dental and neurological fields. This is evidenced by a wide range of therapeutic and preventive interventions aimed at correcting chronic stress, muscle hypertonia, and pathology of the dentofacial system. Despite the aforementioned measures, it is often only possible to slow down the pathological process rather than completely resolve it. This is because knowledge regarding the biology and pathophysiology of how chronic stress affects muscle activity remains limited. Understanding such mechanisms and establishing precise interrelationships could help identify targets for effective therapeutic interventions and eliminate the problem. This review of the literature systematizes information on how chronic stress and various autonomic stimuli affect changes in the functional activity of the masticatory muscles and the pathology of hard dental tissues. Full article

Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based wearable devices offer non-invasive, continuous monitoring of muscle oxygenation, providing direct microvascular and metabolic information that complements indirect indices of intensity such as heart rate and accelerometry. Their clinical applicability in chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remains under active development. Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore (January 2010–January 2026) using pre-specified search strings combining NIRS, muscle oxygenation, SmO₂, StO₂, wearable, exercise intensity, ventilatory/lactate threshold, and individual chronic disease terms. Eligible studies addressed technical validation of wearable NIRS, NIRS-derived exercise intensity estimation, clinical applications in NCDs, or rehabilitation implementation. Evidence was synthesized thematically; quality of validation studies was appraised against AMSTAR-2-informed, COSMIN-informed, or Cochrane RoB-2 criteria. Results: Wearable continuous-wave NIRS shows acceptable concurrent validity with frequency-domain laboratory systems (r = 0.79; range 0.69–0.88; ±8% SmO₂ agreement in 95% of measurements) and good test–retest reliability for moderate-to-severe domains (ICC 0.72–0.91). NIRS-derived breakpoints align more reliably with the second ventilatory/lactate threshold (ICC = 0.80) than with the first (ICC = 0.53), constraining its use for prescribing lower-intensity domains. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral arterial disease, chronic respiratory failure and selected cardiovascular conditions, wearable NIRS detects disease-specific patterns of muscle deoxygenation and post-exercise reoxygenation that track responses to rehabilitation. Conclusions: Current evidence supports wearable NIRS as a complementary, intensity-aware monitoring tool—particularly for delineating the heavy/severe-intensity boundary and detecting peripheral metabolic limitations—rather than as a stand-alone replacement for ventilatory or lactate thresholds. Because much of the evidence derives from small, single-sex or athlete-only cohorts, these findings should be regarded as a promising basis requiring further validation in broader NCD populations. Implementation in NCDs requires standardized placement and calibration protocols, sex- and body composition-stratified reference values, motion-artifact mitigation, and adequately powered longitudinal trials in clinical populations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) management requires precise patient selection for surgical techniques to balance clinical efficacy and safety. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the role of preoperative 3D/4D transperineal ultrasound in the risk stratification of POP recurrence. We analyzed the impact of levator ani muscle (LAM) injuries, specifically avulsion and ballooning, as identified by ultrasound, on both anatomical and subjective success rates, comparing native tissue repair versus mesh-augmented surgery. Methods: A prospective, multicenter observational study was conducted over a five-year period, January 2021 to December 2024 (recruitment), with follow-up completed in December 2025, ensuring a minimum follow-up of 12 months for all participants. The cohort included 276 women scheduled for primary surgery for symptomatic POP stage ≥ 2. Prior to intervention (116 underwent native tissue repair and 160 received mesh), all patients underwent 3D/4D transperineal ultrasound for standardized volume acquisition. Using this preoperative functional imaging technique, we measured the hiatal area and diagnosed the presence of hiatal ballooning (≥25.0 cm²) or levator muscle avulsion. Results: Ultrasound assessment revealed significant differences in surgical success based on the diagnosed baseline site-specific defects. Hiatal ballooning was the sonographic finding that demonstrated the greatest impact on risk stratification. Among patients with preoperative ballooning, mesh use significantly reduced both subjective recurrence (5.7% vs. 21.4%, p = 0.001) and objective recurrence (21.4% vs. 35.7%, p = 0.040) compared to native tissue repair. Furthermore, in women without ultrasound-documented avulsion, mesh also decreased objective recurrence (17.9% vs. 33.0%, p = 0.024). Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, BMI, menopausal status, and parity, confirmed that, after stratifying by these preoperative ultrasound findings, a native tissue approach remains the primary independent predictor of surgical failure (OR 1.752 for objective recurrence; p = 0.041). Conclusions: In conclusion, native tissue repair was identified as the primary independent predictor of surgical failure. While 3D/4D transperineal ultrasound helps identify high-risk phenotypes such as hiatal ballooning, these sonographic findings did not maintain independent significance in the multivariate model. Therefore, ultrasound should be considered a complementary tool for surgical planning rather than a definitive predictor of recurrence. Full article