Microsurgical anatomy of the facial nerve.

The facial nerve connections and pathways from the cortex to the brainstem are intricate and complicated. The extra-axial part of the facial nerve leaves the lateral part of the pontomedullary sulcus and enters the temporal bone through the internal acoustic meatus. In the temporal bone, the facial nerve branches into fibers innervating the glands and tongue. After it emerges from the temporal bone it supplies various facial muscles. It contains a motor, general sensory, special sensory, and autonomic components. The physician needs comprehensive knowledge of the anatomy and courses of the facial nerve to diagnose and treat lesions and diseases of it so that surgical complications due to facial nerve injury can be avoided. This review describes the microsurgical anatomy of the facial nerve and illustrates its anatomy in relation to the surrounding bone, connective, and neurovascular structures.

Humic Substances: Determining Potential Molecular Regulatory Processes in Plants.

Humic substances (HSs) have considerable effects on soil fertility and crop productivity owing to their unique physiochemical and biochemical properties, and play a vital role in establishing biotic and abiotic interactions within the plant rhizosphere. A comprehensive understanding of the mode of action and tissue distribution of HS is, however, required, as this knowledge could be useful for devising advanced rhizospheric management practices. These substances trigger various molecular processes in plant cells, and can strengthen the plant's tolerance to various kinds of abiotic stresses. HS manifest their effects in cells through genetic, post-transcriptional, and post-translational modifications of signaling entities that trigger different molecular, biochemical, and physiological processes. Understanding of such fundamental mechanisms will provide a better perspective for defining the cues and signaling crosstalk of HS that mediate various metabolic and hormonal networks operating in plant systems. Various regulatory activities and distribution strategies of HS have been discussed in this review.

Blood pressure management and progression of chronic kidney disease in a canine remnant kidney model.

The canine remnant kidney model is fundamental to understanding the relationship between hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to create a 1/16 remnant kidney model and to determine whether blood pressure (BP) control affects the progression of CKD. A group of dogs received BP treatment (group A) and another received BP treatment except for the first 2 weeks (group B). The remnant kidney model was induced using a two-step subtotal nephrectomy method; dogs received antihypertensive therapy. Systolic BP, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, urinary protein, and creatinine levels were measured weekly. Kidney tissues were obtained at the conclusion of the study. Systolic BP was controlled to <160 mmHg in both groups for 18 weeks, except for the first 2 weeks in group B. Proteinuria was elevated after renal ligation in both groups, but gradually increased in group B and decreased in group A (p = 0.009). Blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.014) and creatinine (p = 0.020) levels were higher in group B than in group A. More histological damage was observed in group B than in group A. Induction of 1/16 nephrectomy successfully established CKD. Control of BP may be important to prevent or control the progression of CKD in dogs.

Redox and Ionic Homeostasis Regulations against Oxidative, Salinity and Drought Stress in Wheat (A Systems Biology Approach).

Systems biology and omics has provided a comprehensive understanding about the dynamics of the genome, metabolome, transcriptome, and proteome under stress. In wheat, abiotic stresses trigger specific networks of pathways involved in redox and ionic homeostasis as well as osmotic balance. These networks are considerably more complicated than those in model plants, and therefore, counter models are proposed by unifying the approaches of omics and stress systems biology. Furthermore, crosstalk among these pathways is monitored by the regulation and streaming of transcripts and genes. In this review, we discuss systems biology and omics as a promising tool to study responses to oxidative, salinity, and drought stress in wheat.

Circulating TNF receptors predict cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main public health problem in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, there is no established biomarker for predicting CVD morbidity and mortality in CKD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of circulating tumor necrosis factor receptors (cTNFRs) in predicting CVD risk in CKD patients.We prospectively recruited 984 patients with CKD from 11 centers between 2006 and 2012. The levels of cTNFR1 and cTNFR2 were determined by performing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. During the mean follow-up period of 4 years, 36 patients experienced a CVD event. The median serum concentrations of cTNFR1 and cTNFR2 were 2703.4 (225.6-13,057.7) and 5661.0 (634.9-30,599.6) pg/mL, respectively, and the cTNFR1 level was closely correlated with the cTNFR2 level (r = 0.86, P < .0001). The urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were significantly correlated with the cTNFR2 level (r = 0.21 for UPCR, r = -0.67 for eGFR; P < .001 for all). Similar correlations were observed for serum cTNFR1 (r = 0.21 for UPCR, r = -0.75 for eGFR; P < .001 for all). In the Cox proportional hazard analyses, cTNFR1 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.506, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.186-5.295, P = .016) and cTNFR2 (HR 4.156, 95% CI 1.913-9.030, P < .001) predicted CVD risk even after adjustment for clinical covariates, such as UPCR, eGFR, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. cTNFR1 and 2 are associated with CVD and other risk factors in CKD, independently of eGFR and UPCR. Furthermore, cTNFRs could be relevant predictors of CVD in CKD patients.

Free vibration analysis of patch repaired plates with a through crack by p-convergent layerwise element.

The high-order layerwise element models have been used for damaged plates and shells in the presence of singularities such as crack, cutout, and delamination. In this study, the extension of a proposed finite element model has been tested for free vibration analysis of composite laminated systems. For the elements, three-dimensional displacement fields can be captured by layer-by-layer representation. For the elements, higher-order shape functions are derived by combination of one- and two-dimensional shape functions based on higher-order Lobatto shape functions, not using pure higher-order three-dimensional shape functions. The present model can relieve difficulty of aspect ratios in modeling very thin thickness of bonding layer. For verification of the model, natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes are calculated and then compared with reference values for uncracked and cracked plates. Also, the vibration characteristics of one-sided patch repaired plates with a through internal crack are investigated with respect to variation of crack length, size and thickness of patch, and shear modulus of adhesive, respectively.

Upregulation of an Arabidopsis RING-H2 gene, XERICO, confers drought tolerance through increased abscisic acid biosynthesis.

RING (really interesting new gene) zinc-finger proteins have important regulatory roles in the development of a variety of organisms. The XERICO gene encodes a small protein (162 amino acids) with an N-terminal trans-membrane domain and a RING-H2 zinc-finger motif located at the C-terminus. In silico gene-expression analysis indicated that XERICO is induced by salt and osmotic stress. Compared with wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis plants, transgenic plants overexpressing XERICO (35S::XERICO) exhibited hypersensitivity to salt and osmotic stress and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) during germination and early seedling growth. When subjected to a drought treatment, transcriptional upregulation of a key ABA-biosynthesis gene, AtNCED3, was much faster and stronger in 35S::XERICO plants compared with WT plants. Further, upregulation of XERICO substantially increased cellular ABA levels. The adult 35S::XERICO plants, in contrast to early seedling growth, showed a marked increase in their tolerance to drought stress. Yeast two-hybrid screening indicated that XERICO interacts with an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (AtUBC8) and ASK1-interacting F-box protein (AtTLP9), which is involved in the ABA-signaling pathway. Affymetrix GeneChip array analysis showed that the expressions of many of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of plant hormones (e.g. ethylene, brassinosteroid, gibberellic acid) were significantly changed in the 35S::XERICO plants. These results suggest that the homeostasis of various plant hormones might be altered in 35S::XERICO plants, possibly by overaccumulation of ABA.