FRET-based mesoporous organosilica nanoplatforms for and anticancer two-photon photodynamic therapy.

We report the synthesis of multifunctional periodic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (PMO NPs) with substantial two-photon absorption properties and targeting capability for two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) and photodynamic therapy (TPE-PDT). Prepared using an adapted sol-gel synthesis, the nanoplatforms integrated two silylated chromophores in their three-dimensional matrix to maximize non-radiative Förster resonance energy transfer from a high two-photon absorption fluorophore donor to a porphyrin derivative acceptor, leading to an enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species. Combinations of biodegradable and non-biodegradable bis(triethoxysilyl)alkoxysilanes were employed for the synthesis of the NPs, and the corresponding photophysical studies revealed high efficiency levels of FRET.

Slaughter of cattle without stunning: Questions related to pain, stress and endorphins.

EEG studies have suggested that cattle perceive pain when bled without stunning. The present study on bleeding without stunning, compared cows that had received a local anaesthetic on the site of the bleeding cut (Lurocaine; Luro cows) one hour before bleeding with a 35 cm knife, with cows that had not (saline: Placebo cows). Various physiological indicators potentially related to pain or stress were evaluated.

Low-frequency stimulation of corpus callosum suppresses epileptiform activity in the cortex through γ-aminobutyric acid type B receptor and slow afterhyperpolarization-mediated reduction in tissue excitability.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation, particularly low-frequency stimulation (LFS) targeting fiber tracts, has emerged as a potential therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and for generalized epilepsy, both of which pose significant treatment challenges. LFS diffusely suppresses seizures in the cortex when applied to fiber tracts like the corpus callosum (CC). Nevertheless, the specific processes responsible for suppressing epileptic activity in the cortex induced by LFS remain unclear.

Liver transcriptome and proteome are modulated by nutrient restriction in early lactation cows challenged with intramammary lipopolysaccharide.

The objective was to evaluate the effects of nutrient restriction on liver function 24 h after an intramammary lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in early lactation cows using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Multiparous Holstein cows were fed a lactation diet (CONT, n = 8) throughout the study or were switched to a diet diluted with barley straw (48 % DM) for 96 h (REST, n = 8) starting at 24 (18 to 30) days in milk. At 72 h, a healthy rear mammary quarter was infused with 50 μg of LPS in all cows.

Effect of free liquid layer quantity on bacteria and protein adhesion to liquid infused polymers.

Liquid-infused polymers are recognized for their ability to repel foulants, making them promising for biomedical applications including catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). However, the impact of the quantity of free liquid layer covering the surface on protein and bacterial adhesion is not well understood. Here, we explore how the amount of free silicone liquid layer in infused silicone catheter materials influences the adhesion of bacteria and proteins relevant to CAUTIs.

Melanocortin-receptor 4 activation modulates proliferation and differentiation of rat postnatal hippocampal neural precursor cells.

Postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis is essential for learning and memory. Hippocampal neural precursor cells (NPCs) can be induced to proliferate and differentiate into either glial cells or dentate granule cells. Notably, hippocampal neurogenesis decreases dramatically with age, partly due to a reduction in the NPC pool and a decrease in their proliferative activity.

Nanoencapsulation of a Far-Red Absorbing Phthalocyanine into Poly(benzylmalate) Biopolymers and Modulation of Their Photodynamic Efficiency.

Two different poly(benzylmalate) biopolymers, a hydrophobic non-PEGylated () and an amphiphilic PEGylated derivative (), have been used to encapsulate a phthalocyanine chosen for its substitution pattern that is highly suitable for photodynamic therapy. Different phthalocyanine/(co)polymers ratios have been used for the nanoprecipitation. A set of six nanoparticles has been obtained.

Effects of Combining Music Therapy, Light Therapy, and Chromotherapy in the Treatment of Chronic Pain Patients: A Pilot Study.

Background: It is currently considered that around 30% of chronic pain patients are totally refractory to medical treatment. Among patients who remain responsive to medical treatment, it is estimated that between 20% and 50% are likely to discontinue treatment due to severe side effects. Given these therapeutic difficulties, a significant number of patients turn to complementary therapies.

Neural recordings can differentiate between spontaneously metastasizing melanomas and melanomas with low metastatic potential.

Multiple studies report that melanomas are innervated tumors with sensory and sympathetic fibers where these neural fibers play crucial functional roles in tumor growth and metastasis with branch specificity. Yet there is no study which reports the direct neural recording and its pattern during in-vivo progression of the cancer. We performed daily neural recordings from male and female mice bearing orthotopic metastasizing- melanomas and melanomas with low metastatic poential, derived from B16-F10 and B16-F1 cells, respectively.

Novel Antifouling Coatings by Zwitterionic Silica Grafting on Glass Substrates.

Zwitterionic silica coatings for surface functionalization are greatly prominent because of their simple and fast preparation, high availability, and effective antifouling properties. In this work, two zwitterionic sulfobetaine silane coatings, , -SBSi and -SBSi, were deposited on glass surfaces and tested for antifouling of biological material and biofilm using human cancer cell and seawater, respectively. The used zwitterionic precursors -SBSi and -SBSi differ by the number of hydrolyzable silane groups: -SBSi contains one trimethoxysilane group, whereas -SBSi contains three of these functions.

Selective chronic recording in small nerve fascicles of sciatic nerve with carbon nanotube yarns in rats.

. The primary challenge faced in the field of neural rehabilitation engineering is the limited advancement in nerve interface technology, which currently fails to match the mechanical properties of small-diameter nerve fascicles. Novel developments are necessary to enable long-term, chronic recording from a multitude of small fascicles, allowing for the recovery of motor intent and sensory signals.

Unconventional structure and mechanisms for membrane interaction and translocation of the NF-κB-targeting toxin AIP56.

Bacterial AB toxins are secreted key virulence factors that are internalized by target cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis, translocating their enzymatic domain to the cytosol from endosomes (short-trip) or the endoplasmic reticulum (long-trip). To accomplish this, bacterial AB toxins evolved a multidomain structure organized into either a single polypeptide chain or non-covalently associated polypeptide chains. The prototypical short-trip single-chain toxin is characterized by a receptor-binding domain that confers cellular specificity and a translocation domain responsible for pore formation whereby the catalytic domain translocates to the cytosol in an endosomal acidification-dependent way.

Spatial and amplitude dynamics of neurostimulation: Insights from the acute intrahippocampal kainate seizure mouse model.

Objective: Neurostimulation is an emerging treatment for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, which is used to suppress, prevent, and terminate seizure activity. Unfortunately, after implantation and despite best clinical practice, most patients continue to have persistent seizures even after years of empirical optimization. The objective of this study is to determine optimal spatial and amplitude properties of neurostimulation in inhibiting epileptiform activity in an acute hippocampal seizure model.

The Essential Role of Astrocytes in Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection.

Astrocytes are glial cells that perform several fundamental physiological functions within the brain. They can control neuronal activity and levels of ions and neurotransmitters, and release several factors that modulate the brain environment. Over the past few decades, our knowledge of astrocytes and their functions has rapidly evolved.

Mechanisms of Neurostimulation for Epilepsy.

This review discusses the use of neurostimulation therapies for epilepsy treatment, including vagal nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation, and deep brain stimulation. Different therapeutic strategies and their underlying mechanisms are explored, with a focus on optimizing parameters for seizure reduction. The review also highlights the paradigm shift toward a more diverse and multimodal approach to deep brain neuromodulation.

Removal of Free Liquid Layer from Liquid-Infused Catheters Reduces Silicone Loss into the Environment while Maintaining Adhesion Resistance.

Silicone urinary catheters infused with silicone liquid offer an effective alternative to antibiotic coatings, reducing microbial adhesion while decreasing bladder colonization and systemic dissemination. However, loss of free silicone liquid from the surface into the host system is undesirable. To reduce the potential for liquid loss, free silicone liquid was removed from the surface of liquid-infused catheters by either removing excess liquid from fully infused samples or by partial infusion.

A multicentre neonatal interventional randomised controlled trial of nebulized surfactant for preterm infants with respiratory distress: Neo-INSPIRe trial protocol.

Introduction: Respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Less invasive methods of surfactant administration, along with the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), have improved outcomes of preterm infants. Aerosolized surfactant can be given without the need for airway instrumentation and may be employed in areas where these skills are scarce.

Cryptosporidium infection and associated risk factors among children from rural areas in Peru: a nested case-control study.

This study aimed to detect the frequency of Cryptosporidium infection and associated risk factors among children from rural areas in Peru. A case-control study was conducted, nested in a cohort in two rural communities that included children between 6 and 13 months who were followed for 6 months. Cases were children whose fecal samples tested positive for Cryptosporidium infection using an immunochromatography test.

Using behavioral observations in freestalls and at milking to improve pain detection in dairy cows after lipopolysaccharide-induced clinical mastitis.

This study aimed to determine the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis with or without nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on dairy cows' clinical, physiological, and behavioral responses in the milking parlor and freestalls as well as the specificity (Sp) and sensitivity (Se) of behavioral responses in detecting cows with LPS-induced mastitis. Twenty-seven cows received an intramammary infusion of 25 µg of Escherichia coli LPS in 1 healthy quarter. Following LPS infusion, 14 cows received a placebo (LPS cows), and 13 cows received 3 mg/kg of body weight of ketoprofen i.

Human atlastin-3 is a constitutive ER membrane fusion catalyst.

Homotypic membrane fusion catalyzed by the atlastin (ATL) GTPase sustains the branched endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network in metazoans. Our recent discovery that two of the three human ATL paralogs (ATL1/2) are C-terminally autoinhibited implied that relief of autoinhibition would be integral to the ATL fusion mechanism. An alternative hypothesis is that the third paralog ATL3 promotes constitutive ER fusion with relief of ATL1/2 autoinhibition used conditionally.

Spatial and Amplitude Dynamics of Neurostimulation: Insights from the Acute Intrahippocampal Kainate Seizure Mouse Model.

Objective: Neurostimulation is an emerging treatment for patients with medically refractory epilepsy, which is used to suppress, prevent, and terminate seizure activity. Unfortunately, after implantation and despite best clinical practice, most patients continue to have persistent seizures even after years of empirical optimization. The objective of this study is to determine optimal spatial and amplitude properties of neurostimulation in inhibiting epileptiform activity in an acute hippocampal seizure model.

Selective disruption of NRF2-KEAP1 interaction leads to NASH resolution and reduction of liver fibrosis in mice.

Background & Aims: Oxidative stress is recognized as a major driver of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progression. The transcription factor NRF2 and its negative regulator KEAP1 are master regulators of redox, metabolic and protein homeostasis, as well as detoxification, and thus appear to be attractive targets for the treatment of NASH.

Methods: Molecular modeling and X-ray crystallography were used to design S217879 - a small molecule that could disrupt the KEAP1-NRF2 interaction.

Subthreshold Oscillating Waves in Neural Tissue Propagate by Volume Conduction and Generate Interference.

Subthreshold neural oscillations have been observed in several brain regions and can influence the timing of neural spikes. However, the spatial extent and function of these spontaneous oscillations remain unclear. To study the mechanisms underlying these oscillations, we use optogenetic stimulation to generate oscillating waves in the longitudinal hippocampal slice expressing optopatch proteins.