Gut microbiota in preterm infants receiving breast milk or mixed feeding.

Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of mortality in newborns, with very-low-birth-weight infants usually experiencing several complications. Breast milk is considered the gold standard of nutrition, especially for preterm infants with delayed gut colonization, because it contains beneficial microorganisms, such as and .

Aim: To analyze the gut microbiota of breastfed preterm infants with a birth weight of 1500 g or less.

Evidences of the Effect of GO and rGO in PCL Membranes on the Differentiation and Maturation of Human Neural Progenitor Cells.

The effect of doping graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) membranes prepared by solvent induced phase separation is evaluated in terms of nanomaterial distribution and compatibility with neural stem cell growth and functional differentiation. Raman spectra analyses demonstrate the homogeneous distribution of GO on the membrane surface while rGO concentration increases gradually toward the center of the membrane thickness. This behavior is associated with electrostatic repulsion that PCL exerted toward the polar GO and its affinity for the non-polar rGO.

Schwann Cell Precursor Transplant in a Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model.

Background: Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into Schwann cell precursors could reverse established lesions and sequelae of medullary transection.

Objective: The objective of this study was to study the clinical response of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation with Schwann precursor cell transplantation in a rat spinal cord injury model, using motor function and histopathologic studies.

Materials And Methods: A total of 28 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided among four groups (n = 7 in each): sham group, control group, mesenchymal stem cell transplant group, and Schwann cell precursor transplant group.

Hydrolytic Degradation and Mechanical Stability of Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Reduced Graphene Oxide Membranes as Scaffolds for In Vitro Neural Tissue Regeneration.

The present work studies the functional behavior of novel poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) membranes functionalized with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoplatelets under simulated in vitro culture conditions (phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at 37 °C) during 1 year, in order to elucidate their applicability as scaffolds for in vitro neural regeneration. The morphological, chemical, and DSC results demonstrated that high internal porosity of the membranes facilitated water permeation and procured an accelerated hydrolytic degradation throughout the bulk pathway. Therefore, similar molecular weight reduction, from 80 kDa to 33 kDa for the control PCL, and to 27 kDa for PCL/rGO membranes, at the end of the study, was observed.