B S Nail's research while affiliated with UNSW Sydney and other places

... This is because it is a type of peripheral stimulation in which mechanical stimuli are applied to the skin and can be detected by vibration-sensitive receptors, such as the mechanoreceptors present in the skin. When stimulated, mechanoreceptors transmit the sensory information to synapse with second-order neurons in the ipsilateral nucleus cuneatus, as shown in Figure 2, which has important projections to the thalamus and the inferior olive [23]. ...

... Animal studies have shown that cortical 66,67 and subcortical areas [68][69][70] are responsible for processing the cortical binding of tactile stimuli presented at similar or different modalities on different skin sites. For example, during synchronous stimulation of fingers, the recorded cerebral potential was less than the simple addition of the potential produced after stimulation of individual fingers. ...

... Comparable results have also been obtained in unanaesthetized fetal sheep from day 104 of gestation (Maloney et al. 1975b). Furthermore, direct current block of the vagal nerves in the mature sheep fetus induces respiratory movements (Bystrzycka, Nail & Purves, 1975). However, Maloney et al. (1975b) argue that because fetal respiratory movements are associated with small changes in lung volume, the vagal nerves probably do not play a major role in determining respiratory patterns in utero. ...

... Although a functional respiratory network is necessary for survival at birth, respiratory-like movements are detectable before birth not only in experimental animals [35,36] but also in humans [17,37]. Thus, an immature neuronal respiratory network is usually active at low frequency in prenatal stages, shortly after the onset of fetal movements. ...

... Previous studies have suggested that C (unmyelinated) fibers are more abundant in sensory nerves in immature newborn mammals (including in the superior laryngeal nerve, SLN) than later in life (Chung et al., 1993), suggesting that C fibers may be specifically involved in the laryngeal chemoreflexes in newborn mammals. Some studies have assessed the involvement of SLN C fibers in cardiorespiratory reflexes elicited from laryngeal stimulation in adult, anesthetized mammals (Jammes et al., 1987; Palecek et al., 1990; Hishida et al., 1996; Naida et al., 1996; Lin et al., 2000; Mutoh et al., 2000a,b). However, to our knowledge, no studies have assessed the function of SLN C fibers in the neonatal period, though their relative abundance suggests that they have the potential to explain, at least in part, the laryngeal chemoreflexes specific to this period. ...

... To address this question, this study systematically examined the longitudinal effect of VTS over a period of 11 weeks, in which people with LD applied VTS at home. Specifically, they received VTS at either 40 Hz or 100 Hz where the lower frequency condition only activated tactile mechanoreceptors of the skin which mimics a sensory trick, while a 100 Hz stimulation would also trigger responses of mechanoreceptors in laryngeal muscles, the mucosa of the epiglottis and sensory corpuscles at the free edge of the vocal cords (26,27). ...

... Further, in the rat TA, EO and 2B MyHCs are downregulated following denervation, replaced by 2X MyHC [294], presumably because of the loss of the very high frequency impulses that regulate EO MyHC [89] and the high frequency, low amount stimuli needed for the expression of 2B MyHC [184]. Laryngeal motoneurons in the rabbit can deliver 200 Hz impulses [296]. In the rat, after a single injection of botulinum toxin to block neuromuscular transmission in laryngeal muscle, a shift of MyHC expression occurs from EO towards 2B and 2X during the recovery period [297], presumably due to the filtering out of the very high frequency neural impulses suggested for the regulation of EO MyHC expression. ...

... A similar modest augmentation of the amplitude of phrenic nerve activity was associated with either mild hypoxia or anoxia in non-denervated, vagotomized, chemo-denervated, decerebrate or anaesthetized animals (Fregosi et al. 1987; St John et al. 1989; St John 1990; Richter et al. 1991; Fukuda, 2000). Also asphyxia augmented phrenic nerve bursting only modestly, but induced a > 10-fold increase in the amplitude of inspiratory-related intercostal nerve activity (Macefield & Nail, 1987). The authors proposed that this difference is due primarily to a greater activation of high-threshold intercostal motoneurons. ...

... Animals in the Bridge Group showed an improvement in respiratory function compared to animals in Transection Group suggesting specific reinnervation by VN-PN anastomosis rather than other reinnervation [34]. Indeed, this was confirmed by enhanced muscle action potential in the diaphragm. ...

... The majority collapsed within 60 s (range 13-60 s) of the O 2 concentration falling to 10%, with respiratory arrest (associated with dilatation and fixation of the pupils) occurring within 120 s after collapse (Quine et al., 1988). Convulsions followed the collapse, with opisthotonos (arching of the back, extension of the forelimbs and flexion of the hindlimbs) occurring subsequently, occasionally accompanied by vocalizations; opisthotonus occurs towards the end of hypoxia-induced apnoea, immediately preceding hypoxic gasping (Davis et al., 1986). ...