Sound and hearing play an important role in the lives of many birds, and studies have been published on the acoustic habitat of various species, as well as on various aspects of their hearing system. However the function of the middle ear remains largely unexplored, with existing studies focusing on either single species, or a very narrow range of species. In this article we report measurements of the middle ear transfer function in 39 taxonomically diverse avian species. We used laser vibrometry to measure the vibrations of the columellar footplate in response to tones played in each animal's ear canal, and calculated the middle ear transfer functions. Transfer functions varied substantially across species, but appeared to follow common trends. Comparisons between the peak frequency in the transfer function and length/mass of the columella reveal a correlation between the three, however statistical analysis suggests that columellar length is a primary indicator of the peak frequency. These results provide a broad survey of avian middle ear function, and the observed trends provide a method with which to begin to predict the response of single ossicle middle ear systems.
  ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a fatal cardiovascular emergency requiring rapid reperfusion treatment. During the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, medical professionals need to strike a balance between providing timely treatment for STEMI patients and implementing infection control procedures to prevent nosocomial spread of COVID-19 among health care workers and other vulnerable cardiovascular patients.
 
  This study evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and China Chest Pain Center's modified STEMI protocol on the treatment and prognosis of STEMI patients in China.
 
  Based on the data of 28,189 STEMI patients admitted to 1,372 Chest Pain Centers in China between December 27, 2019 and February 20, 2020, the study analyzed how the COVID-19 outbreak and China Chest Pain Center's modified STEMI protocol influenced the number of admitted STEMI cases, reperfusion strategy, key treatment time points, and in-hospital mortality and heart failure for STEMI patients.
 
  The COVID-19 outbreak reduced the number of STEMI cases reported to China Chest Pain Centers. Consistent with China Chest Pain Center's modified STEMI protocol, the percentage of patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention declined while the percentage of patients undergoing thrombolysis increased. With an average delay of approximately 20min for reperfusion therapy, the rate of in-hospital mortality and in-hospital heart failure increased during the outbreak, but the rate of in-hospital hemorrhage remained stable.
 
  There were reductions in STEMI patients' access to care, delays in treatment timelines, changes in reperfusion strategies, and an increase of in-hospital mortality and heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
 There were reductions in STEMI patients' access to care, delays in treatment timelines, changes in reperfusion strategies, and an increase of in-hospital mortality and heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
  Psychosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are commonly comorbid and may share pathophysiologic mechanisms. To investigate shared genetic variation and inflammation as potential common mechanisms, we tested (i) associations between genetic predisposition for T2DM and psychotic experiences and psychotic disorder in young adults; (ii) the association between genetic predisposition for schizophrenia and insulin resistance (IR), a precursor of T2DM; and (iii) whether these associations are mediated by childhood inflammation.
 
  Psychotic experiences (PEs), psychotic disorder and IR were assessed at age 18. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for T2DM and schizophrenia were derived based on large genome-wide association studies. Associations between PRS and psychotic/IR outcomes were assessed using regression analysis based on 3768 ALSPAC birth cohort participants with complete data. Inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) measured at age 9 were used in regression and mediation analyses.g physiologic changes, such as low-grade inflammation, detectable as early as childhood.
  This is a systematic review performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards.
 
  Diverse approaches based on tactile stimulation are used in hand rehabilitation settings to treat touch-evoked dysesthesias. However, there is a lack of literature synthesis on the description and the effectiveness of the various approaches based on tactile stimulation that can be used for treating hand dysesthesia after nerve injury.
 
  The purpose of the study was to summarize the current evidence on tactile stimulation programs for managing touch-evoked hand dysesthesia due to nerve injury.
 
  The search was carried out on Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases. The selected studies had to present patients with touch-evoked dysesthesia after nerve injury who were treated with tactile stimulation approaches to reduce pain.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/inx-315.html  The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the methodological index for nonrandomized studies scale, as well as the risk of bias.
 
  Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies present tactile stimulation interventions that are heterogeneous relative to the target populations and the intervention itself (desensitization versus somatosensory rehabilitation method). Painful symptoms appear to diminish in patients with touch-evoked hand dysesthesia, regardless of the tactile stimulation program used. However, the included studies present significant risks of bias that limit the confidence in these results.
 
  The evidence does not unequivocally support the beneficial effects of tactile stimulation to treat touch-evoked hand dysesthesia.
 
  Future studies with more rigorous methodological designs, such as randomized controlled trials, are required to verify the potential benefits of these approaches.
 Future studies with more rigorous methodological designs, such as randomized controlled trials, are required to verify the potential benefits of these approaches.