The morphology, somatotopy and plasticity of hindlimb low threshold cutaneous primary afferents in the dorsal horn of the rat lumbar spinal cord

The morphology of the collateral arborizations of hair follicle, (HFA's, n=38), rapidly adapting, (RA, n=14) and slowly adapting type-I, (SAI, n=6) afferents innervating hindlimb skin were studied by intraaxonal injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in adult rats. Each physiological class of afferent possessed complex, simple and blind-ending collaterals based on numbers of boutons and terminal branch pattern. Each afferent had a distinct morphology, laminar location and dimensions depending on their peripheral receptive field (RF) location. The location of the central terminal field of each afferent was reconstructed and somatotopic maps constructed for each afferent type. Overlap of central terminal fields was extensive between afferents within the same cutaneous nerve but it was restricted to blind, and on some occasions simple, collaterals between afferents from different cutaneous nerves. The spatial organization of the central terminals of cutaneous primary afferents formed a coarse somatotopic map of overlapping terminals whereby a region of dorsal horn had a maximal, but not exclusive, input from a particular skin area. This data was used to test the morphological and somatotopic consequences of neonatal deafferentation. Neonatal administration of capsaicin on the day of birth resulted in dorsally directed sprouting of HFA's, but not RA afferents, into lamina II without altering the gross morphology or somatotopic organization of primary afferent collaterals. Neonatal peripheral nerve section also resulted in sprouting, more complex than that following capsaicin treatment. Intact afferents adjacent to a denervated region sprouted from their normal terminal areas into denervated regions. When a particular functional class of afferent sprouted into an area containing terminals from another afferent class, the morphology of the sprouted terminal was appropriate to the new target area, rather than to its own functional class. This indicates that the central rather than the peripheral target determines the terminal growth pattern. In conclusion, the pattern and morphology of low threshold primary afferents is not fixed but can be altered by peripheral manipulations at birth

Perfusion assessment in rat spinal cord tissue using photoplethysmography and laser Doppler flux measurements

Animal models are widely used to investigate the pathological mechanisms of spinal cord injury (SCI), most commonly in rats. It is well known that compromised blood flow caused by mechanical disruption of the vasculature can produce irreversible damage and cell death in hypoperfused tissue regions and spinal cord tissue is particularly susceptible to such damage. A fiberoptic photoplethysmography (PPG) probe and instrumentation system were used to investigate the practical considerations of making measurements from rat spinal cord and to assess its suitability for use in SCI models. Experiments to assess the regional perfusion of exposed spinal cord in anesthetized adult rats using both PPG and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) were performed. It was found that signals could be obtained reliably from all subjects, although considerable intersite and intersubject variability was seen in the PPG signal amplitude compared to LDF. We present results from 30 measurements in five subjects, the two methods are compared, and practical application to SCI animal models is discussed

Intramuscular fat in ambulant young adults with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND: It is known that individuals with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (BSCP) have small and weak muscles. However, no studies to date have investigated intramuscular fat infiltration in this group. The objective of this study is to determine whether adults with BSCP have greater adiposity in and around their skeletal muscles than their typically developing (TD) peers as this may have significant functional and cardio-metabolic implications for this patient group. METHODS: 10 young adults with BSCP (7 male, mean age 22.5 years, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III), and 10 TD young adults (6 male, mean age 22.8 years) took part in this study. 11 cm sections of the left leg of all subjects were imaged using multi-echo gradient echo chemical shift imaging (mDixon). Percentage intermuscular fat (IMAT), intramuscular fat (IntraMF) and a subcutaneous fat to muscle volume ratio (SF/M) were calculated. RESULTS: IntraMF was higher with BSCP for all muscles (p = 0.001-0.013) and was significantly different between GMFCS levels (p < 0.001), with GMFCS level III having the highest IntraMF content. IMAT was also higher with BSCP p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in SF/M between groups. CONCLUSION: Young adults with BSCP have increased intermuscular and intramuscular fat compared to their TD peers. The relationship between these findings and potential cardio-metabolic and functional sequelae are yet to be investigated

Landscapes of support for farming mental health: adaptability in the face of crisis

Poor mental health is an important and increasingly prevalent issue facing the farming industry. The adaptability of what we, in this article, describe as ‘landscapes of support’ for farming mental health is important to allow support systems to adapt successfully in times of crisis. The term ‘landscapes of support’ refers to the range of support sources available to farmers, including government, third sector bodies and farming/community groups. This article seeks to understand the factors influencing the adaptability of these landscapes of support, especially at a time of crisis. Using a case study of the UK, we undertook a literature review, interviews with 22 mental health support providers and an online survey of people within landscapes of support (93) and farmers themselves (207). We also held an end-of-project workshop. Using an adapted three-point framework to assess adaptability, we found that support-giving organisations adapted during the pandemic using a range of interventions (e.g., enhanced digital offering, use of media), but implementation was affected by organisational challenges (e.g., limited digital training, funding shortfalls, staff trauma) and operational constraints (e.g., lack of capacity, rural digital divide, tension between providers, stigma). We discuss how landscapes of support for farming mental health can be made more sustainable to deal with future shocks

The impact of COVID-19 on farmers’ mental health: a case study of the UK

In this paper, we use a UK case study to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health (emotional, psychological, social wellbeing) of farmers. We outline the drivers of poor farming mental health, the manifold impacts of the pandemic at a time of policy and environmental change, and identify lessons that can be learned to develop resilience in farming communities against future shocks

The investigation and provenance of glass vessel fragments attributed to the tomb of Amenhotep II, KV35, Valley of the Kings

Four polychrome glass fragments, excavated from tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings, attributed to Amenhotep II, were analysed to further investigate the composition and provenance of early Late Bronze Age glasses. An additional fragment, EA64163, cited by the British Museum as being stylistically analogous to the fragments from KV35, although with a findspot simply recorded as "Thebes", was also analysed. LA-ICP-MS analysis was used to analyse multiple colours on the fragments to determine the major element composition, the colouring strategies and establish provenance using trace element analysis. The resulting data obtained was compared with four polychrome fragments of standard LBA Egyptian composition, excavated from the palace of Amenhotep III at Malkata, previously analysed by SEM-WDS. Analysis showed that the glasses excavated from KV35 are standard LBA glass of Egyptian composition and were most likely produced in Egypt in the 18th Dynasty. The fragment EA64163 is a low magnesia, low potash glass, comparable with Iron Age composition, therefore should be reconsidered as a later glass. The analysis of glasses, excavated from a reliable, early Egyptian context supports the proposition that glass technology for multiple colours was established in Egypt at least as early as 1400 BCE

Critical assessment of the elemental composition of Corning archeological reference glasses by LA-ICP-MS

Corning archeological reference glasses A, B, C, and D have been made to simulate different historic technologies of glass production and are used as standards in historic glass investigations. In this work, nanoseconds (193, 266 nm) and femtosecond (800 nm) laser ablation were used to study the elemental composition of Corning glasses using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The determined concentrations of 26 oxides (Li2O, B2O3, Na2O, MgO, Al2O3, SiO2, P2O5, K2O, CaO, TiO2, V2O5, Cr2O3, MnO, Fe2O3, CoO, NiO, CuO, ZnO, Rb2O, SrO, ZrO2, SnO2, Sb2O5, BaO, PbO, Bi2O3) are compared with values reported in the literature. Results show variable discrepancies between the data, with the largest differences found for Cr2O3 in Corning A; Li2O, B2O3, and Cr2O3 in Corning B; and MnO, Sb2O5, Cr2O3, and Bi2O3 in Corning C. The best agreement between the measured and literature values was found for Corning D. However, even for this reference, glass re-evaluation of the data was necessary and new values for PbO, BaO, and Bi2O3 are proposed

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Which Is the Most Convincing of Them All? Exploring Anti-Domestic Violence Posters.

Although domestic abuse of women by men has received significant media, police, and research attention, domestic violence directed toward men has been marginalized across the board and is still rarely treated seriously. The purpose of this research, then, is to examine and compare different anti-domestic violence messages in which the abuser's gender is not always clear. In Study 1, 200 U.K. participants (100 females and 100 males, aged 18-67, M = 28.98, SD = 9.613) evaluated posters that varied across three levels; in that the subject (male or female) was depicted as being silenced, bruised, or experiencing live abuse. The results showed that the posters featuring female victims were all rated as more effective than posters showing male victims. In Study 2, 140 different U.K. participants (95 females; 45 males) aged 18 to 59 (M = 27.27, SD = 10.662) evaluated the cartoon facial images of Disney characters who had been altered to look like victims of violence and real-life corresponding photos of human models. The results showed that the realistic posters were found to be more believable, emotional, and effective than the cartoons. The implications of such perceptions are discussed