Production and Characterization of k-Carrageenan Films Incorporating Essential Oil as New Food Packaging Materials.

The global production of synthetic plastics from petroleum-based raw ingredients exceeds 150 million metric tons. The environment is threatened by tons of plastic waste, thus endangering wildlife and the public's health. These consequences increased the interest in biodegradable polymers as potential substitutes for traditional packaging materials.

Computational Simulation Tools to Support the Tissue Paper Furnish Management: Case Studies for the Optimization of Micro/Nano Cellulose Fibers and Polymer-Based Additives.

Tissue paper production frequently combines two main types of raw materials: cellulose fibers from renewable sources and polymer-based additives. The development of premium products with improved properties and functionalities depends on the optimization of both. This work focused on the combination of innovative experimental and computational strategies to optimize furnish.

An Innovative Computational Strategy to Optimize Different Furnish Compositions of Tissue Materials Using Micro/Nanofibrillated Cellulose and Biopolymer as Additives.

The furnish management of tissue materials is fundamental to obtain maximum quality products with a minimum cost. The key fiber properties and fiber modification process steps have a significant influence on the structural and functional properties of tissue paper. In this work, two types of additives, a commercial biopolymer additive (CBA) that replaces the traditional cationic starch and micro/nanofibrillated cellulose (CMF), were investigated.

Experimental 3D fibre data for tissue papers applications.

Tissue paper consumption has been growing for the past years, with a forecasted increase in demand for premium products. Premium tissue paper products are obtained with a balance among softness, strength, and absorption properties, optimized for each kind of tissue paper. These properties are influenced by the three-dimensional structure, made from the spatial distribution of cellulose fibres.

ARHGAP21 deficiency impairs hepatic lipid metabolism and improves insulin signaling in lean and obese mice.

ARHGAP21 is a Rho-GAP that controls GTPases activity in several tissues, but its role on liver lipid metabolism is unknown. Thus, to achieve the Rho-GAP role in the liver, control and ARHGAP21-haplodeficient mice were fed chow (Ctl and Het) or high-fat diet (Ctl-HFD and Het-HFD) for 12 weeks, and pyruvate and insulin tolerance tests, insulin signaling, liver glycogen and triglycerides content, gene and protein expression, and very-low-density lipoprotein secretion were measured. Het mice displayed reduced body weight and plasma triglycerides levels, and increased liver insulin signaling.

Importance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the diagnosis and prognosis of pediatric hypertension.

The prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) at pediatric age has increased progressively, one of the causes of which is obesity. However, the dominant etiology in this age group is renal and/or cardiovascular pathology. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is the method of choice for the diagnosis of hypertension, especially in children at high cardiovascular risk.

Unusual cause of left ventricular dysfunction in a child.

Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery is a rare congenital heart disease and a cause of myocardial ischemia during childhood. Most undiagnosed cases die in the first year of life as an extensive collateral network is essential for survival. The diagnosis requires a high index of clinical suspicion.

Abdominal pain of cardiovascular origin.

Infective endocarditis is a microbial infection of the endocardium and it is rare in the pediatric population. In children, congenital heart disease is one of the most important risk factors for developing infective endocarditis and can involve other structures in addition to cardiac valves. The prognosis is generally better than in other forms of endocarditis, although the average mortality rate in the pediatric population is 15-25%.

Free-breathing whole-heart 3D cine magnetic resonance imaging with prospective respiratory motion compensation.

Purpose: To develop and validate a new prospective respiratory motion compensation algorithm for free-breathing whole-heart 3D cine steady-state free precession (SSFP) imaging.

Methods: In a 3D cine SSFP sequence, 4 excitations per cardiac cycle are re-purposed to prospectively track heart position. Specifically, their 1D image is reconstructed and routed into the scanner's standard diaphragmatic navigator processing system.

Liver metabolic changes induced by conjugated linoleic acid in calorie-restricted rats.

Objective: Complexes like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduce the percentage of body fat by increasing energy expenditure, fat oxidation, or both. The aim of this study was to verify if CLA is able to mimic caloric restriction (CR), and determine the effects of CLA on liver metabolic profile of young adult male Wistar rats.

Materials And Methods: We divided 36 animals into the following groups: 1) Control; 2) CLA (1% of daily food intake, 21 days, orogastric intubation); 3) Restr (fed 60% of the diet offered to controls); and 4) CLA Restr.

Reduced AMPKα2 protein expression restores glucose-induced insulin secretion in islets from calorie-restricted rats.

In a state of caloric restriction (CR), improved insulin action was associated with the activation of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK). Here, we verified whether AMPK was involved in impaired β-cell function in islets from rats subjected to CR for 21 days. Eight-week-old male rats were distributed into a control (CTL) group that was fed an isocaloric diet ad libitum or a CR group that received 60% of the food consumed by the CTL group.

Zellweger syndrome with severe malnutrition, immunocompromised state and opportunistic infections.

Peroxisome biogenesis disorders are related to a spectrum of genetic diseases that range from severe Zellweger syndrome to milder infantile Refsum disease. Zellweger syndrome is characterised by dysmorphic features, severe hypotonia, seizures, failure to thrive, liver dysfunction and skeletal defects. Increased levels of very long chain fatty acids are the biochemical hallmark and the most common mutations found in the PEX1 gene.

Electrical stimulation enhances tissue reorganization during orthodontic tooth movement in rats.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of a low-intensity electric current on tissue reorganization during experimental orthodontic tooth movement.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-two animals were divided into two groups evaluated on days 3 and 7: OTM-orthodontic tooth movement and OTM + MC-orthodontic tooth movement and microcurrent application (10 μA/5 min). The samples were processed for histological, morphometric, and Western blotting analysis.

A puzzle used to teach the cardiac cycle.

The aim of the present article is to describe a puzzle developed for use in teaching cardiac physiology classes. The puzzle presents figures of phases of the cardiac cycle and a table with five columns: phases of cardiac cycle, atrial state, ventricular state, state of atrioventricular valves, and pulmonary and aortic valves. Chips are provided for use to complete the table.

Effect of glutamine supplementation on left colon healing in rats with extrahepatic biliary obstruction.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of glutamine and obstructive jaundice on left colon healing in rats.

Methods: Sixteen male rats were allocated across four groups: LG--Common bile duct ligation followed by colotomy and bowel suture on postoperative day 7. Supplementation with glutamine 2% from day 4 after duct ligation until euthanasia.

InGaP 670-nm laser therapy combined with a hydroalcoholic extract of Solidago chilensis Meyen in burn injuries.

Therapies that accelerate the healing of burn injuries, improving the quality of life of the patient and reducing the cost of treatment are important. This study evaluated the effects of InGaP 670-nm laser therapy combined with a hydroalcoholic extract of Solidago chilensis leaves on burn wound healing in rats. Seventy-two rats were divided randomly into four groups: control untreated (C), treated with InGaP 670-nm laser with power density of 0.

Effect of vitamin K1 supplementation on left colon healing in rats with extrahepatic biliary obstruction.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of vitamin K1 on wound healing in the left colon of rats with experimental biliary obstruction.

Methods: Sixteen male rats, divided into four groups of four animals each (L, M, LK, and MK), underwent colostomy followed by bowel suture in the left colon. Seven days before, animals in the L and LK groups had undergone common bile duct ligation.

Effect of maternal protein restriction on liver metabolism in rat offspring.

Consequences of gestational protein restriction (GPR) on liver metabolism in rat offspring were investigated. Pregnant dams were divided into groups: normal (NP, 17% casein) or low-protein diet (LP, 6% casein). Livers were collected from 30-day-old offspring (d30) for analysis or isolation of mitochondria.

Effect of atorvastatin on wound healing in rats.

Skin-wound healing is a complex and dynamic biological process involving inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Recent studies have shown that statins are new therapeutical options because of their actions, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, on vasodilation, endothelial dysfunction and neoangiogenesis, which are independent of their lipid-lowering action. Our aim was to investigate the effect of atorvastatin on tissue repair after acute injury in healthy animals.

Short-term calorie restriction improves glucose homeostasis in old rats: involvement of AMPK.

The occurrence of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, and hypertension, increases with age. Inappropriate food intake, when combined with genetic and hormonal factors, can trigger the occurrence of these diseases in aged organisms. This study investigated whether short-term calorie restriction (CR; 40% of the intake of control animals (CTL) for 21 days) benefits 1-year-old (CR1yr) and 2-year-old (CR2yr) Wistar rats, with regard to insulin secretion and action.

Effects of laser irradiation (670-nm InGaP and 830-nm GaAlAs) on burn of second-degree in rats.

This study investigated the effects of 670-nm indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) and 830-nm gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) laser therapy on second-degree burns induced on the back of Wistar rats. Sixty-three male Wistar rats were anesthetized, and second-degree burns were made on their back. The animals were then divided randomly into three groups: control (C), animals treated with 670-nm InGaP laser (LIn), and animals treated with 830-nm GaAlAs laser (LGa).

Gestational protein restriction induces alterations in placental morphology and mitochondrial function in rats during late pregnancy.

The placenta acts a regulator of nutrient composition and supply from mother to fetus and is the source of hormonal signals that affect maternal and fetal metabolism. Thus, appropriate development of the placenta is crucial for normal fetal development. We investigated the effect of gestational protein restriction (GPR) on placental morphology and mitochondrial function on day 19 of gestation.