Full-Face Mask Use during SCUBA Diving Counters Related Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Dysfunction

Impaired flow mediated dilation (FMD), an index of vascular stress, is known after SCUBA diving. This is related to a dysfunction of nitric oxide (NO) availability and a disturbance of the redox status, possibly induced by hyperoxic/hyperbaric gas breathing. SCUBA diving is usually performed with a mask only covering “half face” (HF) and therefore forcing oral breathing. Nasal NO production is involved in vascular homeostasis and, as consequence, can significantly reduce NO possibly promoting vascular dysfunction. More recently, the utilization of “full-face” (FF) mask, allowing nasal breathing, became more frequent, but no reports are available describing their effects on vascular functions in comparison with HF masks. In this study we assessed and compared the effects of a standard shallow dive (20 min at 10 m) wearing either FF or a HF mask on different markers of vascular function (FMD), oxidative stress (ROS, 8-iso-PGF2α) and NO availability and metabolism (NO2, NOx and 3-NT and iNOS expression). Data from a dive breathing a hypoxic (16% O2 at depth) gas mixture with HF mask are shown allowing hyperoxic/hypoxic exposure. Our data suggest that nasal breathing might significantly reduce the occurrence of vascular dysfunction possibly due to better maintenance of NO production and bioavailability, resulting in a better ability to counter reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Besides the obvious outcomes in terms of SCUBA diving safety, our data permit a better understanding of the effects of oxygen concentrations, either in normal conditions or as a strategy to induce selected responses in health and disease.

Analysis of conductive olfactory dysfunction using computational fluid dynamics

Conductive olfactory dysfunction (COD) is caused by an obstruction in the nasal cavity and is characterized by changeable olfaction. COD can occur even when the olfactory cleft is anatomically normal, and therefore, the cause in these cases remains unclear. Herein, we used computational fluid dynamics to examine olfactory cleft airflow with a retrospective cohort study utilizing the cone beam computed tomography scan data of COD patients. By measuring nasal–nasopharynx pressure at maximum flow, we established a cut-off value at which nasal breathing can be differentiated from combined mouth breathing in COD patients. We found that increased nasal resistance led to mouth breathing and that the velocity and flow rate in the olfactory cleft at maximum flow were significantly reduced in COD patients with nasal breathing only compared to healthy olfactory subjects. In addition, we performed a detailed analysis of common morphological abnormalities associated with concha bullosa. Our study provides novel insights into the causes of COD, and therefore, it has important implications for surgical planning of COD, sleep apnea research, assessment of adenoid hyperplasia in children, and sports respiratory physiology.

EEG signatures change during unilateral Yogi nasal breathing

Airflow through the left-and-right nostrils is said to be entrained by an endogenous nasal cycle paced by both poles of the hypothalamus. Yogic practices suggest, and scientific evidence demonstrates, that right-nostril breathing is involved with relatively higher sympathetic activity (arousal states), while left-nostril breathing is associated with a relatively more parasympathetic activity (stress alleviating state). The objective of this study was to further explore this laterality by controlling nasal airflow and observing patterns of cortical activity through encephalographic (EEG) recordings. Thirty subjects participated in this crossover study. The experimental session consisted of a resting phase (baseline), then a period of unilateral nostril breathing (UNB) using the dominant nasal airway, followed by UNB using the non-dominant nasal airway. A 64-channel EEG was recorded throughout the whole session. The effects of nostril-dominance, and nostril-lateralization were assessed using the power spectral density of the neural activity. The differences in power-spectra and source localization were calculated between EEG recorded during UNB and baseline for delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma bands. Cluster-based permutation tests showed that compared to baseline, EEG spectral power was significantly (1) decreased in all frequency bands for non-dominant nostril UNB, (2) decreased in alpha, beta and gamma bands for dominant nostril UNB, (3) decreased in all bands for left nostril UNB, and (4) decreased in all bands except delta for right nostril UNB. The beta band showed the most widely distributed changes across the scalp. our source localisation results show that breathing with the dominant nostril breathing increases EEG power in the left inferior frontal (alpha band) and left parietal lobule (beta band), whereas non-dominant nostril breathing is related to more diffuse and bilateral effects in posterior areas of the brain.These preliminary findings may stimulate further research in the area, with potential applications to tailored treatment of brain disorders associated with disruption of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity.

The use of intranasal glucocorticosteroids in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis in the preoperative period

Introduction. Chronic rhinosinusitis is a disease that occurs everywhere, characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity. If it is impossible to eliminate the causes of the recurrent disease with medical therapy, the use of surgical treatment help to recover the normal functioning of the ostium, including the ostiomeatal complex to improve ventilation and drainage of the paranasal sinuses and recover nasal breathing to relieve chronic inflammation.Purpose of the study. Assessment of the degree of intraoperative bleeding in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.Materials and methods. On the basis of the FGBU SPB Research Institute of ENT of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in the period from 2020 to 2021. the study of the effect of local intranasal glucocorticosteroids (INGKS) in the intraoperative period in patients with chronic polypous rhinosinusitis was carried out. The total amount of blood loss during surgery for chronic polypous rhinosinusitis in patients who used mometasone furoate preoperatively and in patients not taking topical hormonal drugs was analyzed.Results. In the study group, the average blood loss per operation was 257 ml, in the control group – 401 ml. In patients who took intranasal glucocorticosteroids during surgery, the intensity of bleeding is less pronounced. Undoubtedly, there are many reasons that affect the intensity of bleeding in general, however, a decrease in the inflammatory response in the nasal cavity and a decrease in inflammatory metabolites have a beneficial effect on the state of the nasal mucosa.Conclusion. The use of intranasal glucocorticosteroids in the preoperative period has a positive effect on reducing the inflammatory process in the nasal cavity, which helps to reduce the intensity of intraoperative bleeding.

SOCIAL STRESS IN CHILDREN AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF BAD HABITS

Learning for children is a necessary stage in the development of personality, which helps the child to more easily acquire the necessary knowledge to further establish the individual. Оn the other hand it is a difficult stage in life of young people who lose the ability to communicate offline, especially during distance learning. It is difficult for children to adapt to the constant stay at home, to communicate with classmates and friends online, to adapt to the new rhythm of life and the dynamics of learning. Staying more than half of the time at the computer with a layer of psychological difficulties in the conditions of distance learning leads to constant stress and chronic stress. The modern educational system has changed so much in the last two years that the student must constantly adapt to new learning platforms and innovations. And the inability to clearly see and do laboratory classes in many subjects, self-study, even physical education classes leads to chronic stress. Stress is becoming an increasingly global problem, especially among children, because it negatively affects their lives and health, the progression of bad habits, and in turn, disorders of the dental system. Therefore, it is important to study the problem of social emotional chronic stress in the educational activities of students in terms of distance learning and its impact on the formation of disorders of the dental system. To reduce the impact of stressors, children use bad habits: sucking fingers, biting nails, pencils or pens, sitting in front of a monitor with his mouth open, despite a positive breath test (presence of nasal breathing), in the same position resting his head on his hands, causing chronic injury in this area. According to many studies, this may be the result of a person's adaptation to existing chronic stress. Our study was based on a quantitative study conducted among school-age patients who have bad habits (sucking a finger or other objects, breathing through their mouths, resting their heads on their hands while listening to an online lesson) through a secret questionnaire that collected information on the most stressful areas of life and distance learning under quarantine. The article presents the results of an anonymous survey of 60 patients, which includes periods of onset and progression of a chronic habit, the presence of various stressors, the reasons for poor performance. Our results of a secret survey indicate the state of chronic stress of students, their being in a state of social stress due to new living conditions, frequent changes between periods of live communication and distance learning, psychological problems in the family, emotional relief during the habit. Due to the fact that children live in conditions of chronic stress, they lose motivation to learn. They do not get pleasure from it, but in turn seek help in habits that, according to our patients, help reduce the impact of stress on quality of life and their own emotional state. The results of the study explain the formation of adaptive responses of the body to the stress factor (E. Gelgorn, W. Canon) and confirm the relationship between chronic bad habits in children under social stress.

Research Active Posterior Rhinomanometry Tomography Method for Nasal Breathing Determining Violations

This study analyzes the existing methods for studying nasal breathing. The aspects of verifying the results of rhinomanometric diagnostics according to the data of spiral computed tomography are considered, and the methodological features of dynamic posterior active rhinomanometry and the main indicators of respiration are also analyzed. The possibilities of testing respiratory olfactory disorders are considered, the analysis of errors in rhinomanometric measurements is carried out. In the conclusions, practical recommendations are given that have been developed for the design and operation of tools for functional diagnostics of nasal breathing disorders. It is advisable, according to the data of dynamic rhinomanometry, to assess the functioning of the nasal valve by the shape of the air flow rate signals during forced breathing and the structures of the soft palate by the residual nasopharyngeal pressure drop. It is imperative to take into account not only the maximum coefficient of aerodynamic nose drag, but also the values of the pressure drop and air flow rate in the area of transition to the turbulent quadratic flow regime. From the point of view of the physiology of the nasal response, it is necessary to look at the dynamic change to the current mode, given the hour of the forced response, so that it will ensure the maximum possible acidity in the legend. When planning functional rhinosurgical operations, it is necessary to apply the calculation method using computed tomography, which makes it possible to predict the functional result of surgery.

Effect of Sensory Deprivation of Nasal Respiratory on Behavior of C57BL/6J Mice

Nasal breathing is a dynamic cortical organizer involved in various behaviors and states, such as locomotion, exploration, memory, emotion, introspection. However, the effect of sensory deprivation of nasal respiratory breath (NRD) on behavior remain poorly understood. Herein, general locomotor activity, emotion, learning and memory, social interaction, and mechanical pain were evaluated using a zinc sulfate nasal irrigation induced nasal respiratory sensory deprivation animal model (ZnSO4-induced mouse model). In the open field test, the elevated O-maze test, and forced swim test, NRD mice exhibited depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. In memory-associated tests, NRD mice showed cognitive impairments in the hippocampal-dependent memory (Y maze, object recognition task, and contextual fear conditioning (CFC)) and amygdala-dependent memory (the tone-cued fear conditioning test (TFC)). Surprisingly, NRD mice did not display deficits in the acquisition of conditional fear in both CFC and TFC tests. Still, they showed significant memory retrieval impairment in TFC and enhanced memory retrieval in CFC. At the same time, in the social novelty test using a three-chamber setting, NRD mice showed impaired social and social novelty behavior. Lastly, in the von Frey filaments test, we found that the pain sensitivity of NRD mice was reduced. In conclusion, this NRD mouse model showed a variety of behavioral phenotypic changes, which could offer an important insight into the behavioral impacts of patients with anosmia or those with an impaired olfactory bulb (OB) (e.g., in COVID-19, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.).

THE ANALYSIS OF THE PREVALENCE OF DENTAL ANOMALIES IN UZHHOROD SCHOOLCHILDREN

The health of the oral cavity is an important component of the overall physical, mental and social well- being of each person. It is known that untimely detection and treatment of patients with dentoalveolar anomalies can lead not only to social maladaptation of this category of people but also to an increase in the risk of developing a carious process, periodontal diseases, as well as dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint. The presence of a dentoalveolar anomaly in a child can lead to a social disadvantage of patients among peers, as well as loss of active career growth in young and mature age. The incidence rate may vary considerably depending not only on the country of research but also on its region, as well as sex and age of the studied categories of people. The patients' parents specify the type and duration of feeding, the presence of such bad habits as sucking fingers, lips, or the tongue, respiratory features (sleeping with an open mouth), whether a child was followed up by otolaryngologist or neurologist for adenoids, sinusitis, rhinitis, as well as other diseases that can negatively affect the development of the patient's chewing apparatus. In an objective examination, attention was paid to the disturbance of nasal breathing, visually evaluated the amplitude and TMJ movement range. With an increase in age in the examined children there was a de- crease in the prevalence of deep bite, while the frequency of detecting mesial, open bite, as well as the dis- placement of dental arches from the middle line, increased. Rotated teeth, as well as disturbance of interdental gaps was detected more frequently with age while diastems were detected less frequently. The sharp decrease in the frequency of dental anomalies is observed in the transition from the II period of a variable bite (11-13 years) to the period of a constant bite (14-17 years). The study showed that regular check-ups are the most effective methods for identifying patients with tooth anomalies in schoolchildren and can significantly reduce the number of patients who need this type of treatment with an adequate orthodontic care management. The purpose of the study is to analyze the prevalence of dentoalveolar anomalies in schoolchildren of Uzhgorod. Material and methods. The study involved 339 schoolchildren in Uzhgorod. An analysis of the prevalence of dentoalveolar anomalies was carried out in three age groups: the first period of the mixed bite (6–9 years), the second period of the mixed bite (10–13 years), and the permanent bite (14–17 years). Results. It has been shown that dentoalveolar anomalies occur in the majority (78.6%) of school-age children. The most common anomalies of the teeth position (47.1%) and anomalies are the ratios of dental arches (37.3%). Anomalies in the size of the jaws (11.5%) and dentoalveolar anomalies of functional origin (4.1%) occur less often. However, 70.4% of all dentoalveolar anomalies are combined. Dentofacial anomalies were observed in children aged 10 to 13 years (II period of a shifting bite) more often. A sharp decrease in the frequency of dentoalveolar anomalies is observed during the transition from the II period of a mixed bite (11-13 years) to the I period (14-17 years) of a permanent bite. Conclusion. The study showed that medical examinations and preventive examinations are the most effective methods for identifying patients with dentoalveolar anomalies in schoolchildren and, with the adequate orthodontic care management, can significantly reduce the number of patients requiring this type of treatment.

Radiological study of the nasal septal body

Objectives The nasal septal body (NSB) is the thickened area of the septum located superior to the inferior turbinates and anterior to the middle turbinates. NSB contributes to nasal breathing via functionally and anatomically. The aim of the present study was to analyze NSB size and its association with such variables as age, septal deviation, and nasal turbinate size Material and Methods This retrospective study included 381 randomly selected patients that underwent paranasal sinus CT between 2014 and 2019. NSB size, septal deviation angle, and middle and inferior turbinate size were analyzed. Results NSB, inferior turbinate, middle turbinate, and inferior turbinate-P were significantly smaller on the deviated side. NSB, inferior turbinate, middle turbinate, and inferior turbinate-P size according to nasal septal angle was also significantly smaller on the deviated side. NSB and inferior turbinate size was positively correlated. Conclusion The NSB is an important structure for the regulation of air flow in the nose and should be evaluated in routine examination of the nose especially before the nasal surgery.

Surgical correction of posttraumatic nasal deformities in adolescent athletes

Nasal breathing is of great importance for professional athletes because of the peculiarities of carbon dioxide metabolism in the body. Problems with nasal breathing caused by post-traumatic deformities of the nose can be successfully corrected with the help of rhinoseptoplasty, but the possibility of performing this surgery on patients under 18 years of age is a discussed matter. This study aimed to analyze the results of the effect functional rhinoseptoplasty has on nasal breathing, consider rhinoseptoplasty as the preferred method of treatment for adolescents with post-traumatic deformities of the structures of the nose. The study involved 15 professional athletes aged 15–18 years with post-traumatic deformities of the external nose and troubled nasal breathing. Five of them (33.3%) were female, 10 (66.7%) were male; all underwent open rhinoseptoplasty. The NOSE and SCHNOS questionnaires were used to assess the symptoms of nasal obstruction before and after surgery. Post-surgery, all patients subjectively noted that their nasal breathing improved, which was confirmed by the filled questionnaires. There were no significant complications registered during the follow-up period. Functional rhinoseptoplasty is a viable surgical option for adolescents under 18 years of age.