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Introduction Robotic assistance may provide for distinct technical advantages over conventional laparoscopic technique. The goals of this study were (1) to objectively evaluate the difference in the learning curves by novice and expert surgeons in performing fundamental laparoscopic skills using conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) and robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) and (2) to evaluate the surgeons’ frustration level in performing these tasks. Methods Twelve experienced and 31 novices in laparoscopy were prospectively evaluated in performing three standardized laparoscopic tasks in five consecutive, weekly training sessions. Analysis of the learning curves was based on the magnitude, rate, and quickness in performance improvement. The participant’s frustration and mood were also evaluated during and after every session. Results For the novice participants, RALS allowed for shorter time to task completion and greater accuracy. However, significant and rapid improvement in performance as measured by magnitude, rate, and quickness at each session was also seen with CLS. For the experienced surgeons, RALS only provided a slight improvement in performance. For all participants, the use of RALS was associated with less number of sessions in which they felt frustrated, less number of frustration episodes during a session, lower frustration score during and after the session, and higher good mood score. Conclusion The advantages of RALS may be of most benefit when doing more complex tasks and by less experienced surgeons. RALS should not be used as a replacement for CLS but rather in specific situations in which it has the greatest advantages.

Background The ability to metastasize is one of the most important characteristics of neoplastic cells. An imbalance between the action of some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs drives the invasion process. Some studies have suggested that MMP-2 is involved in metastasis, while other studies have reported that collagen production by cancer cells might also contribute to motility. However, decreased expression of microRNA-29b (miR-29b), which may control MMP-2 and collagen gene expression, has been shown in prostate cancer (PCa). The objectives of the present study were to clarify whether MMP-2 as well as collagens I and III (encoded by COL1A1 and COL3A1, respectively) are controlled by miR-29b and to determine whether metastasis is altered by this relationship. Methods PCa DU145 and PC-3 cells were transfected with 100 μL of OPTI-MEM I containing 100 nmol of miR-29b (or its inhibitor) along with 1.5 μL of lipofectamine. Positive and negative controls were prepared using the same protocol. MMP-2, COL1A1 and COL3A1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were evaluated via real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). For qRT-PCR, 6 × 10 4  cells were used. Invasion studies were conducted with Matrigel assays, which simulate invasion of the extracellular matrix by neoplastic cells. After transfection of 3 × 10 4 cells, invasion was allowed to proceed for 48 h. Invasive cells were counted under an optical microscope. Each experiment was performed in triplicate. Results MMP-2 mRNA was not expressed in DU145 cells after transfection with miR-29b. After transfection of cells with the miR-29b inhibitor, COL1A1 (p = 0.02) and COL3A1 (p = 0.06) mRNA expression was increased in DU145 cells, and a large number of transfected DU145 and PC3 cells invaded the Matrigel membrane. Conclusions In vitro studies showed that reducing the amount of miR-29b may lead to higher PCa cell invasion via a process that is independent of MMP-2. Collagen expression, controlled by miR-29b, may facilitate this motility process. Thus, the present study suggests that collagen production plays an active role in metastasis control and restoration of miR-29b levels may decrease metastasis. Altogether, these findings support further exploration of drug therapy targeting this aspect of the metastasis circuit.

Obtaining “hard” and “crack-resistant” glasses have always been of great important in glass science and glass technology. However, in most commercial glasses both properties are not compatible. In this work, colorless and transparent x Al 2 O 3 –(100– x )SiO 2 glasses (30 ≤  x  ≤ 60) were fabricated by the aerodynamic levitation technique. The elastic moduli and Vickers hardness monotonically increased with an increase in the atomic packing density as the Al 2 O 3 content increased. Although a higher atomic packing density generally enhances crack formation in conventional oxide glasses, the indentation cracking resistance increased by approximately seven times with an increase in atomic packing density in binary Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 glasses. In particular, the composition of 60Al 2 O 3 •40SiO 2 glass, which is identical to that of mullite, has extraordinary high cracking resistance with high elastic moduli and Vickers hardness. The results indicate that there exist aluminosilicate compositions that can produce hard and damage-tolerant glasses.

Glasses with high elastic moduli have been in demand for many years because the thickness of such glasses can be reduced while maintaining its strength. Moreover, thinner and lighter glasses are desired for the fabrication of windows in buildings and cars, cover glasses for smart-phones and substrates in Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) displays. In this work, we report a 54Al 2 O 3 -46Ta 2 O 5 glass fabricated by aerodynamic levitation which possesses one of the highest elastic moduli and hardness for oxide glasses also displaying excellent optical properties. The glass was colorless and transparent in the visible region and its refractive index n d was as high as 1.94. The measured Young’s modulus and Vickers hardness were 158.3 GPa and 9.1 GPa, respectively, which are comparable to the previously reported highest values for oxide glasses. Analysis made using 27 Al Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy revealed the presence of a significantly large fraction of high-coordinated Al in addition to four-coordinated Al in the glass. The high elastic modulus and hardness are attributed to both the large cationic field strength of Ta 5+ ions and the large dissociation energies per unit volume of Al 2 O 3 and Ta 2 O 5 .

Preys use their memory – where they sensed a predatory threat and whether a safe shelter is nearby – to dynamically control their survival instinct to avoid harm and reach safety. However, it remains unknown which brain regions are involved, and how such top-down control of innate behavior is implemented at the circuit level. Here, using adult male mice, we show that the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN) is best positioned to control this task as an exclusive target of the hippocampus (HPC) within the medial hypothalamic defense system. Selective optogenetic stimulation and inhibition of hippocampal inputs to the AHN revealed that the HPC→AHN pathway not only mediates the contextual memory of predator threats but also controls the goal-directed escape by transmitting information about the surrounding environment. These results reveal a new mechanism for experience-dependent, top-down control of innate defensive behaviors.

Lactogenic immunity transferred to piglets after inoculation of a live vaccine to pregnant sows was proved limited to control porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED). Hence, here we evaluated the efficacy of administration of a probiotic compound containing , and together with a commercial live-attenuated PED vaccine (Nisseiken PED Live Vaccine, Nisseiken, Tokyo, Japan) to improve the health and reproductive performance of PED-infected sows. Twenty pregnant sows in a PED-positive farm were equally divided into probiotics-administered (VP) and control (VC) sow groups. A commercial live-attenuated vaccine was injected as per the manufacturer's instruction. The probiotic compound (15 g/day) was orally administered to VP from 6 weeks pre-parturition to 7 days post-parturition (ppd7). VP had a significantly higher body weight at ppd7 than VC (191 vs 186 kg;  < 0.05). At day 3 post-parturition (ppd3) (4.18 vs 3.63 kg/day) and ppd7 (5.14 vs 4.34 kg/day), milk produced by VP was significantly (  < 0.05) greater than that by VC. Total immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG concentrations at day 0 were significantly (  < 0.05) higher in whey of VP (1.9 and 6.6 g/dL, respectively) than in that of VC (1.7 and 6.1 g/dL, respectively). However, total IgG concentration in whey of VP and VC at ppd3 and ppd7 did not differ. Antibody titer was significantly higher at day 0 in serum of VP than it was that of VC (60 vs 37 in geometric mean;  < 0.05). Likewise, the antibody titer in whey of VP and VC was found to be similar at day 0 (416 vs 208 in geometric mean;  = 0.13). Consequently, VP had fewer days between weaning and return to estrus than did VC (7 vs 10 days;  < 0.05). Moreover, piglets of VP had a significantly (  < 0.05) higher litter weight at birth (9,252 g/litter) and a lower mortality (12%) during suckling than those of VC (8,686 g/litter and 28%, respectively). In summary, probiotic-supplemented, PED-vaccinated sows were healthier, transferred PED-specific antibodies colostrum to piglets, had greater litter weight at birth, and reduced mortality during suckling.

Although rehydration therapy (RT) has been used to treat animals suffering from viral diarrhea, mortality among farm animals still remains high, as RT alone neither significantly minimizes the duration of the illness nor reduces the looseness of stools. As porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a viral disease and PED treatments are still very limited, vaccination is the common strategy to prevent it. Thus, the aim of the present study was to test whether a combination of RT and probiotics supplementation could help to improve the mortality of suckling piglets kept in a commercial farm and naturally infected with PED virus. Piglets receiving a combination of probiotic supplementation and RT showed improved (p < 0.01) blood parameters such as base excess and bicarbonate ion concentration when compared with untreated control piglets and piglets administered with RT alone. When compared with that of control piglets, mortality during the suckling period was the lowest (p < 0.05) in piglets receiving the combined therapy, but statistically unchanged between piglets receiving either RT or RT and probiotics. Our preliminary results should motivate further research on the use of a combined rehydration and probiotics therapy to reduce mortality in piglets suffering from acute diarrhea.

Influenza is a major cause of respiratory tract infection. Although most cases do not require further hospitalization, influenza periodically causes epidemics in humans that can potentially infect and kill millions of people. To countermeasure this threat, new vaccines need to be developed annually to match emerging influenza viral strains with increased resistance to existing vaccines. Thus, there is a need for finding and developing new anti-influenza viral agents as alternatives to current treatments. Here, we tested the antiviral effects of an extract from the stems and roots of Salacia reticulata (SSRE), a plant rich in phytochemicals, such as salacinol, kotalanol, and catechins, on H1N1 influenza virus-infected mice. Following oral administration of 0.6 mg/day of SSRE, the incidence of coughing decreased in 80% of mice, and only one case of severe pulmonary inflammation was detected. Moreover, when compared with mice given Lactobacillus casei JCM1134, a strain previously shown to help increase in vitro natural killer (NK) cell activity, SSRE-administered mice showed greater and equal NK cell activity in splenocytes and pulmonary cells, respectively, at high effector cell:target cell ratios. Next, to test whether or not SSRE would exert protective effects against influenza in the absence of gut microbiota, mice were given antibiotics before being inoculated influenza virus and subsequently administered SSRE. SSRE administration induced an increase in NK cell activity in splenocytes and pulmonary cells at levels similar to those detected in mice not treated with antibiotics. Based on our results, it can be concluded that phytochemicals in the SSRE exerted protective effects against influenza infection putatively via modulation of the immune response, including enhancement of NK cell activity, although some protective effects were not necessarily through modulation of gut microbiota. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of SSRE against influenza infection.

Transcriptome analyses were conducted on the ileal mucosa of 14- to 35-day-old piglets to investigate postnatal gut development during suckling and postweaning. The transcriptome profiles of 14-day-old suckling piglets showed a considerably higher number of differentially expressed genes than did those of 21-, 28-, and 35-day olds, indicating an intensive gut development during the first 14-21 postnatal days. In addition, the analysis of biological pathways indicated that Chemotaxis Leucocyte chemotaxis was the most significantly affected pathway in suckling piglets between 14 and 21 days of age. Weaning negatively affected pathways associated with acquired immunity, but positively affected those associated with innate immunity. Interestingly, pathway Chemotaxis Leucocyte chemotaxis was found positively affected when comparing 14- and 21-day-old suckling piglets, but negatively affected in 28-day-old piglets weaned at 21 days of age, when compared with 28-day-old suckling piglets. Genes CXCL13, SLA-DOA (MHC class II), ICAM1, VAV1, and VCAM1 were involved in the pathway Chemotaxis Leukocyte chemotaxis and they were found to significantly change between 14- and 21-day-old suckling piglets and between groups of suckling and weaned piglets. The expression of these genes significantly declined after weaning at 14, 21, and 28 days of age. This decline indicated that CXCL13, SLA-DOA, ICAM1, VAV1, and VCAM1 may be involved in the development of Peyer's patches (PP) because lower gene expression clearly corresponded with smaller areas of PP in the ileal mucosa of piglets. Moreover, weaning piglets prior to a period of intensive gut development, i.e., 14 days of age, caused significant adverse effects on the size of PP, which were not reverted even 14 days postweaning.