Prenatal cocaine exposure and its influence on pediatric epigenetic clocks and epigenetic scores in humans.

The investigation of the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on offspring has been inconsistent, with few studies investigating biological outcomes in humans. We profiled genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) of umbilical cord blood (UCB) from newborns with (n = 35) and without (n = 47) PCE. We used DNAm data to (1) assess pediatric epigenetic clocks at birth and (2) to estimate epigenetic scores (ES) for lifetime disorders.

Manipulation of microvillar proteins during invasion results in brush border effacement and actin remodeling.

Enterocyte invasion by the gastrointestinal pathogen is accompanied by loss of brush border and massive remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, leading to microvilli effacement and formation of membrane ruffles. These manipulations are mediated by effector proteins translocated by the Pathogenicity Island 1-encoded type III secretion system (SPI1-T3SS). To unravel the mechanisms of microvilli effacement and contribution of SPI1-T3SS effector proteins, the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions was analyzed using live cell imaging (LCI) of polarized epithelial cells (PEC) expressing LifeAct-GFP.

Must Clinics Replace 2D by 3D Environments for an Efficient Training of Laparoscopic Novices? A Critical Analysis of the Learning Curve for Basic Skills.

Background And Aims: Published studies repeatedly demonstrate an advantage of three-dimensional (3D) laparoscopic surgery over two-dimensional (2D) systems but with quite heterogeneous results. This raises the question whether clinics must replace 2D technologies to ensure effective training of future surgeons.

Methods: We recruited 45 students with no experience in laparoscopic surgery and comparable characteristics in terms of vision and frequency of video game usage.

Immature murine hippocampal neurones do not develop long-term structural changes after a single isoflurane exposure.

Background: Studies in developing animals show that a clinically relevant anaesthesia exposure increases neuronal death and alters brain structure. In the hippocampal dentate gyrus, the anaesthetic isoflurane induces selective apoptosis among roughly 10% of 2-week-old hippocampal granule cells in 21-day-old mice. In this work, we queried whether the 90% of granule cells surviving the exposure might be 'injured' and integrate abnormally into the brain.