Enteral

Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) are reported to be the rare mammal in which the penis enters the uterus in mating. To date, however, only circumstantial evidence supports this assertion. Using female alpacas culled for meat, we determined that the alpaca penis penetrates to the very tips of the uterine horns, abrading the tract and breaking fine blood vessels. All female alpacas sacrificed one hour or 24 hours after mating showed conspicuous bleeding in the epithelium of some region of their reproductive tract, including the hymen, cervix and the tips of each uterine horn, but typically not in the vagina...

The giant honeybee Apis dorsata (Fabricius, 1793) is an evolutionarily ancient species that builds its nests in the open. The nest consists of a single honeycomb covered with the bee curtain which are several layers of worker bees that remain almost motionless with their heads up and abdomens down on the nest surface, except for the mouth area, the hub between inner- and outer-nest activities. A colony may change this semi-quiescence several times a day, depending on its reproductive state and ambient temperature, to enter the state of mass flight activity (MFA), in which nest organisation is restructured and defense ability is likely to be suppressed (predicted by the mass-flight-suspend-defensiveness hypothesis)...

Analyzing and visualizing the tertiary structure and complex interactions of RNA is essential for being able to mechanistically decipher their molecular functions in vivo. Secondary structure visualization software can portray many aspects of RNA; however, these layouts are often unable to preserve topological correspondence since they do not consider tertiary interactions between different regions of an RNA molecule. Likewise, quaternary interactions between two or more interacting RNA molecules are not considered in secondary structure visualization tools...

The human gut houses a diverse and dynamic microbiome critical for digestion, metabolism, and immune development, exerting profound effects on human health. However, these microorganisms pose a potential threat by breaching the gut barrier, entering host tissues, and triggering infections, uncontrolled inflammation, and even sepsis. The intestinal epithelial cells form the primary defense, acting as a frontline barrier against microbial invasion. Antimicrobial proteins (AMPs), produced by these cells, serve as innate immune effectors that regulate the gut microbiome by directly killing or inhibiting microbes...

A highly divergent bovine calicivirus was identified in an Indian calf with enteritis. The whole genome of this virus was sequenced, revealing distinct amino acid motifs in the polyprotein encoded by open reading frame 1 (ORF1) that are unique to caliciviruses. Phylogenetic analysis showed that it was related to members of the genus Nebovirus of the family Caliciviridae. Although it showed only 33.7-34.2% sequence identity in the VP1 protein to the nebovirus prototype strains, it showed 90.6% identity in VP1 to Kirklareli virus, a nebovirus detected in calves with enteritis in Turkey in 2012...

OBJECTIVES: Residential long-term care (LTC) use has declined in many countries over the past years. This study quantifies how changing rates of entry, exit, and mortality have contributed to trends in life expectancy in LTC (i.e., average time spent in LTC after age 65) across sociodemographic groups. METHODS: We analyzed population-register data of all Finns aged ≥65 during 1999-2018 (n=2,016,987) with dates of LTC and death, and sociodemographic characteristics...

Enterococci are common commensal bacteria that colonize the gastrointestinal tracts of most mammals, including humans. Importantly, these bacteria are one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections. This study examined the role of colonic macrophages in facilitating Enterococcus faecalis infections in mice. We determined that depletion of colonic phagocytes resulted in the reduction of E. faecalis dissemination to the gut-draining mesenteric lymph nodes. Furthermore, we established that trafficking of monocyte-derived CX3CR1-expressing macrophages contributed to E...

AIMS: The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of oropharyngeal mother's milk administration on oral microbial colonization in infants fed by gastric tube at different time points. METHODS: Infants (n = 116) with birth weight <1500 g were randomly allocated into two groups which both received breast milk for enteral nutrition. The control group (n = 51) accepted oropharyngeal normal saline administration. The experimental group (n = 53) accepted oropharyngeal mother's milk administration before fed by gastric tube once every 3 h over 21 days after birth...

Difructose anhydride I (DFA-I) can be produced from inulin, with DFA-I-forming inulin fructotransferase (IFTase-I). However, the metabolism of inulin through DFA-I remains unclear. To clarify this pathway, several genes of enzymes related to this pathway in the genome of Microbacterium flavum DSM 18909 were synthesized, and the corresponding enzymes were encoded, purified, and investigated in vitro. After inulin is decomposed to DFA-I by IFTase-I, DFA-I is hydrolyzed to inulobiose by DFA-I hydrolase. Inulobiose is then hydrolyzed by β-fructofuranosidase to form fructose...

To date, there is no general physical model of the mechanism by which unfolded polypeptide chains with different properties are imported into the mitochondria. At the molecular level, it is still unclear how transit polypeptides approach, are captured by the protein translocation machinery in the outer mitochondrial membrane, and how they subsequently cross the entropic barrier of a protein translocation pore to enter the intermembrane space. This deficiency has been due to the lack of detailed structural and dynamic information about the membrane pores...

Background: Mother's own milk (MOM) provides health benefits for infants with very low birth weight (VLBW). This study aimed to describe the incidence and factors associated with low volumes of MOM (<50% of total diet volume) at discharge for VLBW infants. Methods: A prospective cohort study of infants with VLBW and gestational age of <30 weeks, who survived to discharge and had no contraindication to MOM. We conducted bivariate analyses to investigate associations with the volume of MOM at discharge, using chi-square, t , and Mann-Whitney tests...

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to report our experience on fetal aortic valvuloplasty (FAV) for critical aortic stenosis (AS) focusing on the postnatal evolution of the patients. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by our local Institutional Review Board (n°2002-0128143827). All fetuses with critical AS who underwent FAV in a single center between 01/2011 and 06/2022 were included. FAV were performed under ultrasound guidance. Technical success was based upon balloon inflation across the aortic valve and improvement of the anterograde aortic flow across the aortic valve...

DOM is the largest reservoir of organic carbon in the world, and it plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles of natural water bodies. A river is a transition area connecting source water and receiving water that controls the DOM exchange between them. Therefore, in this study, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) were used to analyze the spectral characteristics and sources of dissolved organic matter in the Fuhe River, Xiaobai River, Baigouyin River, and Puhe River of Baiyangdian...

Firearm-related injury and mortality prevention strategies are often incompatible with and potentially ineffective for the very populations at risk. Such incompatibility is reflective of a cultural disconnect between investigators and prevention specialists and those who own and use firearms. The current paper describes Project GRIP, a research study that was guided by the principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR). We present the project as a case-example and demonstration of how PAR principles can inform an approach to partner with firearm owners in injury prevention research...

Nanocrystals refer to materials with at least one dimension smaller than 100 nm, composing of atoms arranged in single crystals or polycrystals. Nanocrystals have significant research value as they offer unique advantages over conventional pharmaceutical formulations, such as high bioavailability, enhanced targeting selectivity and controlled release ability and are therefore suitable for the delivery of a wide range of drugs such as insoluble drugs, antitumor drugs and genetic drugs with broad application prospects...

Anaprazole, a newly developed oral proton pump inhibitor, was evaluated for safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in healthy Chinese subjects. This study involved administering either anaprazole sodium enteric-coated tablet or placebo, followed by monitoring the incidence and severity of any adverse events (AEs). The pharmacokinetic parameters of anaprazole, its isomer, and main metabolisms were determined. The results showed that both single-dose (2.5-120 mg) and multiple-dose (20 mg once daily, 40 mg once daily, or 20 mg twice daily) oral administration of anaprazole sodium enteric-coated tablet were safe and well tolerated...

BACKGROUND: There is a growing, global awareness and recognition of the important, interdependent relationships between our natural world and human health. Several contemporary health organizations have placed calls to action and emphasize an urgent need for collaboration and interdisciplinary research, education, and clinical work to address the increasing degradation of our planetary and human health. With more research dedicated to nature's health impacts, health professions schools would benefit by including such training in their programs while also cultivating a comprehensive mind-body health perspective to support both the health of student practitioners and their future patients...

Lupus enteritis denotes inflammation of the intestinal walls resulting from the influence of systemic lupus erythematosus. It represents a rare manifestation associated with notable morbidity and mortality, marked by nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms. In this article, we present two cases of individuals experiencing severe gastrointestinal symptoms. They had a personal or familial history of autoimmunity with intestinal involvement consistent with the presentation of lupus enteritis. Following treatment with glucocorticoids and immunomodulators, both patients exhibited a satisfactory clinical evolution...

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection afflicts hundreds of millions of people and causes nearly one million deaths annually. The high levels of circulating viral surface antigen (HBsAg) that characterize CHB may lead to T-cell exhaustion, resulting in an impaired antiviral immune response in the host. Agents that suppress HBsAg could help invigorate immunity toward infected hepatocytes and facilitate a functional cure. A series of dihydropyridoisoquinolizinone (DHQ) inhibitors of human poly(A) polymerases PAPD5/7 were reported to suppress HBsAg in vitro...

Small-molecule inhibitors targeting programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) interactions can compensate for the shortcomings of antibody-based inhibitors and have attracted considerable attention, some of which have already entered clinical trials. Herein, based on our previous study on small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitors, we reported a series of 8-( o -tolyl)quinazoline derivatives by the skeleton merging strategy. Homogenous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay against PD-1/PD-L1 interaction identified compound A5 , which showed the most potent inhibition with an IC50 value of 23...