Fentanyl blockade of K channels contribute to Wooden Chest Syndrome.

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid widely used perioperatively and illicitly as a drug of abuse . It is well established that fentanyl acts as a μ-opioid receptor agonist, signaling through Gα intracellular pathways to inhibit electrical excitability, resulting in analgesia and respiratory depression . However, fentanyl uniquely also triggers muscle rigidity, including respiratory muscles, hindering the ability to execute central respiratory commands or to receive external resuscitation.

Necrotizing enterocolitis causes increased ileal goblet cell loss in KO mice.

WNT2B is Wnt ligand which is able to support intestinal stem cells (ISC) in culture and support the intestinal epithelium in vivo. We have previously shown that WNT2B is critical for resistance to colitis, but not small intestinal injury, in the adult mouse. WNT2B is thought to coordinate with WNT3 in supporting ISC, and we have also shown that WNT3 expression is low in the early postnatal ileum in mice.

CHONDROITIN SULFATE AND GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE AS PROTECTIVE AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS IN THE ULCERATIVE COLITIS DSS MODEL IN RATS.

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine (GlcN) are indicated for the treatment of some inflammatory diseases, such as osteoarthritis, mainly because of the anti-inflammatory effects in reducing metalloproteinases activities (MMP), and other inflammatory mediators. Herein, we reported the structure of the CS, the anti-inflammatory and protective effects of the CS, and GlcN administration in ulcerative colitis model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in rats. Experimental data indicated that CS disaccharide composition is very similar to the C4S standard, with modal molecular weight at 30.

Ndufs4 inactivation in glutamatergic neurons reveals swallow-breathing discoordination in a mouse model of Leigh syndrome.

Swallowing, both nutritive and non-nutritive, is highly dysfunctional in children with Leigh Syndrome (LS) and contributes to the need for both gastrostomy and tracheostomy tube placement. Without these interventions aspiration of food, liquid, and mucus occur resulting in repeated bouts of respiratory infection. No study has investigated whether mouse models of LS, a neurometabolic disorder, exhibit dysfunctions in neuromuscular activity of swallow and breathing integration.

Predicting hospitalization with LLMs from health insurance data.

Predictions of hospitalizations can help in the development of applications for health insurance, hospitals, and medicine. The data collected by health insurance has potential that is not always explored, and extracting features from it for use in machine learning applications requires demanding processes and specialized knowledge. With the emergence of large language models (LLM) there are possibilities to use this data for a wide range of applications requiring little specialized knowledge.

Cotton cellulose nanofiber/chitosan scaffolds for skin tissue engineering and wound healing applications.

Chitosan (CS) is a promising polymeric biomaterial for use in scaffolds forskin models and wound dressings, owing to its non-antigenic and antimicrobial properties. However, CS often exhibits insufficient physicochemical properties, mechanical strength, and bioactivity, limiting its efficacy in demanding applications. To address these challenges, cotton cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) represent a promising nanomaterial for enhancing CS-based scaffolds in tissue engineering.

Arginine-Biofunctionalized Ternary Hydrogel Scaffolds of Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Chitosan-Polyvinyl Alcohol to Deliver Cell Therapy for Wound Healing.

Wound healing is important for skin after deep injuries or burns, which can lead to hospitalization, long-term morbidity, and mortality. In this field, tissue-engineered skin substitutes have therapy potential to assist in the treatment of acute and chronic skin wounds, where many requirements are still unmet. Hence, in this study, a novel type of biocompatible ternary polymer hybrid hydrogel scaffold was designed and produced through an entirely eco-friendly aqueous process composed of carboxymethyl cellulose, chitosan, and polyvinyl alcohol and chemically cross-linked by citric acid, forming three-dimensional (3D) matrices, which were biofunctionalized with L-arginine (L-Arg) to enhance cellular adhesion.

CFAM 521 Isolated From the Amazon Region: A Novel Source of a Fibrinolytic Enzyme.

Fibrinolytic agents are essential in treating thrombosis, playing a critical role in improving survival rates in cardiovascular diseases. Microbial fibrinolytic proteases have emerged as promising alternatives due to their affordability, specificity, lower toxicity, and reduced side effects. Consequently, the search for microorganisms capable of producing these enzymes has gained significant economic importance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Afferent and Efferent Connections of the Postinspiratory Complex (PiCo) Revealed by AAV and Monosynaptic Rabies Viral Tracing.

The control of the respiratory rhythm and airway motor activity is essential for life. Accumulating evidence indicates that the postinspiratory complex (PiCo) is crucial for generating behaviors that occur during the postinspiratory phase, including expiratory laryngeal activity and swallowing. Located in the ventromedial medulla, PiCo is defined by neurons co-expressing two neurotransmitter markers (ChAT and Vglut2/Slc17a6).

Monitoring of areas in conflict with the Legislation for the Protection of Native Vegetation in Brazil: opportunity for large-scale forest restoration and for the Brazilian global agenda.

Forest restoration, combined with the mitigation of climate change, has attracted significant interest from several stakeholders. This can aid in restoring degraded areas and enhancing carbon storage. Brazil's global environmental commitments, particularly in the state of Minas Gerais (MG), require substantial financial investments to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Cataloguing the postnatal small intestinal transcriptome during the first postnatal month.

In the first postnatal month, the developing mouse intestine shifts from an immature to a mature intestine that will sustain the organism throughout the lifespan. Here, we surveyed the mouse intestine in C57Bl/6 mice by RNA-Seq to evaluate the changes in gene expression over time from the day of birth through 1 month of age in both the duodenum and ileum. We analyzed gene expression for changes in gene families that correlated with the periods of NEC susceptibility or resistance.

Ndufs4 inactivation in glutamatergic neurons reveals swallow-breathing discoordination in a mouse model of Leigh Syndrome.

Swallowing, both nutritive and non-nutritive, is highly dysfunctional in children with Leigh Syndrome (LS) and contributes to the need for both gastrostomy and tracheostomy tube placement. Without these interventions aspiration of food, liquid, and mucus occur resulting in repeated bouts of respiratory infection. No study has investigated whether mouse models of LS, a neurometabolic disorder, exhibit dysfunctions in neuromuscular activity of swallow and breathing integration.

Chronoamperometric flow-cell designed to be unaffected by air bubbles.

In this paper, we present a new design for a chronoamperometric flow cell in which air bubbles do not interfere with the control of potential between the working and reference electrodes. The flow-through dual-detection cell consists of two independent parts: an upper compartment containing a quiescent supporting electrolyte solution and a channel that operates under hydrodynamically controlled conditions. In this system, the working and counter electrodes can be placed directly in contact with both compartments, whereas the reference electrode can be assembled to be either isolated or in contact with the flowing stream channel.

Development of a User-Friendly Self-Screening Tool for Assessing Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Youths from Economically Challenged Regions.

Background: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Early identification and management are crucial, especially in economically challenged regions with limited healthcare access.

Aims: To develop nomograms for individualized risk estimation for metabolic syndrome in young people from low-income regions.

Effects of a 217-km mountain ultramarathon on the gut microbiota of an obese runner: A case report.

Obesity is characterized by specific changes in the composition of the gut microbiota (GM). Exercise can contribute to the modulation of GM. This is the first case study to analyze the composition and metabolism of the GM of an obese runner in a single-stage mountain ultramarathon (MUM) with a mileage of 217 km.

External breast prostheses after mastectomy: production and selection of a low-cost functional model to be performed in developing countries.

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer affecting women. Despite advancements in early diagnosis, neoadjuvant therapy, and various treatment modalities, mastectomy remains a common procedure for many women. Although some women opt for reconstructive surgery (BR), many do not have the indication, desire, or opportunity to undergo this procedure.

Nucleus of the solitary tract neuronal degeneration and impaired hypoxia response in a model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) involves the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SNpc) and manifests with both classic and non-classic motor symptoms, including respiratory failure. Our study aims to investigate the involvement of the commissural and intermediate nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS and iNTS) in the attenuated respiratory response to hypoxia in PD. Using a PD rat model induced by bilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the striatum of male Wistar rats, we explored potential alterations in the population of Phox2b neurons or hypoxia-activated neurons in the NTS projecting to the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN).

16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and antimicrobial resistance profile of intensive care units environment in 41 Brazilian hospitals.

Introduction: Infections acquired during healthcare setting stay pose significant public health threats. These infections are known as Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI), mostly caused by pathogenic bacteria, which exhibit a wide range of antimicrobial resistance. Currently, there is no knowledge about the global cleaning process of hospitals and the bacterial diversity found in ICUs of Brazilian hospitals contributing to HAI.

Postinspiratory and preBötzinger complexes contribute to respiratory-sympathetic coupling in mice before and after chronic intermittent hypoxia.

The sympathetic nervous system modulates arterial blood pressure. Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience numerous nightly hypoxic episodes and exhibit elevated sympathetic activity to the cardiovascular system leading to hypertension. This suggests that OSA disrupts normal respiratory-sympathetic coupling.

WNT2B Deficiency Causes Enhanced Susceptibility to Colitis Due to Increased Inflammatory Cytokine Production.

Background & Aims: Humans with WNT2B deficiency have severe intestinal disease, including significant inflammatory injury, highlighting a critical role for WNT2B. We sought to understand how WNT2B contributes to intestinal homeostasis.

Methods: We investigated the intestinal health of Wnt2b knock out (KO) mice.