Distraction enterogenesis in the murine colon.

Background/purpose: Distraction enterogenesis with intraluminal spring technology has been successfully used to lengthen segments of murine small intestine. We hypothesized that biocompatible springs could also be used to lengthen murine large intestine.

Methods: Age and weight matched C57BL/6 mice underwent surgical insertion of nitinol spring-loaded capsules into the cecum.

Sutureless closure for the management of gastroschisis.

Gastroschisis is a common congenital anomaly in which the midgut fails to return to the abdominal cavity resulting in exposed intestines, which are not covered by a membrane in a neonate. The incidence of gastroschisis has been increasing worldwide resulting in an evolving medical and surgical management. Gastroschisis can be either simple or complicated.

Mechanical lengthening of porcine small intestine with decreased forces.

Introduction: short bowel syndrome is marked by inadequate intestinal surface area to absorb nutrients. Current treatments are focused on medical management and surgical reconfiguration of the dilated intestine. We propose the use of spring-mediated distraction enterogenesis as a novel intervention to increase intestinal length.

Mesenteric neovascularization during spring-mediated intestinal lengthening.

Background: Short gut syndrome, a condition characterized by inadequate absorption of nutrients owing to decreased bowel length, has minimal avenues for treatment. We have proposed spring-mediated distraction enterogenesis to lengthen bowel in porcine jejunum as a treatment for short gut. We aim to evaluate the extent of mesenteric neovascularization in segments of lengthened bowel via spring-mediated enterogenesis.

Treating children with achalasia using per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM): Twenty-one cases in review.

Background: Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), a modern treatment for achalasia, has only recently emerged as an option for pediatric patients. Here we describe and characterize the success of POEM in children with achalasia.

Methods: A single-institution prospective cohort study was performed of patients <18 years old who underwent POEM from 2014 to 2019.

Methotrexate Chemotherapy Induces Persistent Tri-glial Dysregulation that Underlies Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment.

Chemotherapy results in a frequent yet poorly understood syndrome of long-term neurological deficits. Neural precursor cell dysfunction and white matter dysfunction are thought to contribute to this debilitating syndrome. Here, we demonstrate persistent depletion of oligodendrocyte lineage cells in humans who received chemotherapy.

Endoscopic Division of Duodenal Web Causing Near Obstruction in 2-Year-Old with Trisomy 21.

Introduction: Surgical intervention for duodenal atresia most commonly entails duodenoduodenostomy in the neonatal period. Occasionally, type I duodenal atresia with incomplete obstruction may go undiagnosed until later in life. Endoscopic approach to dividing intestinal webs has been reported as successful in patients as young as 7 days of age, and can be a useful modality particularly in patients with comorbidities who may not tolerate open or laparoscopic surgery.

Neuronal activity promotes oligodendrogenesis and adaptive myelination in the mammalian brain.

Myelination of the central nervous system requires the generation of functionally mature oligodendrocytes from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Electrically active neurons may influence OPC function and selectively instruct myelination of an active neural circuit. In this work, we use optogenetic stimulation of the premotor cortex in awake, behaving mice to demonstrate that neuronal activity elicits a mitogenic response of neural progenitor cells and OPCs, promotes oligodendrogenesis, and increases myelination within the deep layers of the premotor cortex and subcortical white matter.

Effects of stress and motivation on performing a spatial task.

Learning is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom but has been studied extensively in only a handful of species. Moreover, learning studied under laboratory conditions is typically unrelated to the animal's natural environment or life history. Here, we designed a task relevant to the natural behavior of male African cichlid fish (Astatotilapia burtoni), to determine if they could be trained on a spatial task to gain access to females and shelter.