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Graphene, as a highly conducting material, incorporated into silk fibroin (SF) substrates is promising to fabricate an electroactive flexible scaffold toward neural tissue engineering. It is well known that aligned morphology could promote cell adhesion and directional growth. The purpose of this study was to develop aligned conductive scaffolds made of graphene and SF (G/SF) by electrospinning technique for neural tissue engineering applications. The physicochemical characterization of scaffolds revealed that the mechanical and electrochemical property of aligned G/SF scaffolds continually raised with the increasing contents of graphene (A0% G/SF, A1% G/SF, A2% G/SF, and A3% G/SF), but the mechanical property descended when the graphene concentration reached to 4% (the A4% G/SF group). The results of the cell experiment in vitro indicated that all the aligned G/SF scaffolds were no neurotoxic to primary cultured spinal cord neurons. In addition, the neurite elongation in all aligned groups was significantly enhanced by the upregulation of Netrin‐1 expression compared to them in the control group. Thus, A3% G/SF scaffolds not only possessed the optimal property based on the mechanical and electrochemical performances but also displayed the beneficial capability to neurite outgrowth, which might perform a suitable candidate to successfully scaffold electrically active tissues during neural regeneration or engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital chloride diarrhea (CCD) is a rare but significant genetic disorder characterized by severe electrolyte imbalances resulting from impaired intestinal chloride absorption. Affected children experience persistent diarrhea, dehydration, and malnutrition, complicating medical and developmental care. The enhancement of prenatal detection is crucial for improved patient management, early interventions, and informed genetic counseling. However, despite advancements in medicine, the complex nature and rarity of CCD make prenatal detection challenging. In this study, we report a fetal case where prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) effectively identified the distinctive characteristics of CCD, providing insights into the complexities of diagnosis and suggesting avenues for enhanced early detection strategies., (Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.)

Background: This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of pelvic anatomical and clinical-pathological parameters that influence the success of sphincter preservation procedure (SPP)., Methods: We studied 42 consecutive patients who underwent low anterior resection (LAR) with double stapling technique (DST) anastomosis or abdominoperineal resection (APR) for mid-low rectal cancer between June 2009 and April 2014. The surgical procedures were performed by the same surgeon and surgical team at the Department of Surgery of Wenzhou Central Hospital. Pelvic dimensions and angles were measured using three-dimensional reconstruction of spiral computed tomography (CT) images. A number of clinical-pathological parameters were also examined. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the predictive significance of these variables that might affect a successful SPP for mid-low rectal cancer., Results: Body mass index (BMI), distance of tumor from anal verge, and diameter of upper pubis to coccyx affected the success of SPP. It was the higher distance of tumor from anal verge, the higher BMI, and the larger diameter of upper pubis to coccyx contributed most to the success of SPP., Conclusions: Diameter of upper pubis to coccyx is the only one of the pelvic anatomical parameters that could affect the success of SPP for mid-low rectal cancer patients. Furthermore, within the normal BMI range, higher BMI seemed to be a favorable factor for the success of SPP.