The NR4A nuclear receptor family (NR4A1, NR4A2, and NR4A3) comprises stimulus-responsive orphan nuclear receptors expressed in endocrine tissues, including the anterior pituitary gland. However, their functional roles in lactotrophs remain poorly understood. Because prolactin (PRL) secretion varies markedly across reproductive states, it provides a useful physiological model for investigating gene expression changes associated with distinct secretory conditions. In this study, we examined the expression patterns of the three Nr4a genes in the rat pituitary under physiological and pharmacological conditions associated with altered PRL secretion and evaluated the contribution of each NR4A family member to PRL secretion. Pituitary Nr4a gene expression increased in parallel with elevated PRL secretion during pregnancy and lactation. In contrast, Nr4a expression declined after weaning as PRL secretion decreased, and the nocturnal increase in Nr4a expression observed during early pseudopregnancy was absent after mid-pregnancy. Pseudopregnancy was also associated with an overnight increase in PRL secretion accompanied by increased pituitary Nr4a expression. These coordinated changes in PRL secretion and Nr4a expression were suppressed by dopaminergic inhibition in vivo and in primary pituitary cultures, whereas oxytocin transiently enhanced PRL secretion and Nr4a expression. Importantly, knockdown of Nr4a2, but not Nr4a1 or Nr4a3, significantly reduced PRL secretion without affecting Prl mRNA expression. These findings demonstrated that NR4A family members were associated with physiological PRL secretory states and identified NR4A2 as a selective regulator of PRL secretion at the level of hormone release rather than transcription.

Guinea pig production contributes to food security and income in Latin America. Traditional floor pens are increasingly being replaced by wire cages. However, the choice between housing systems is often based on subjective preferences rather than performance data. This study is based on a comparison of two housing systems to evaluate the effects of pens versus cages on the reproductive and preweaning performance of guinea pigs. A total of 220 pregnant females were randomly assigned in groups of 10 in different cages and pens, remaining in the same location throughout the study to minimize stress. Differences between housing systems were obtained by Generalized Linear ModelDuring gestation, no significant differences were found in body weight, average daily gain, solid feed intake, forage dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, litter size, or litter weight. After parturition, the same parameters were measured in both dams and offspring during the preweaning phase, again showing no significant differences between housing systems. Additional welfare indicators such as mortality, skin lesions, leg fractures, and ear injuries were also evaluated by Fisher's exact test. A higher incidence of ear lesions was recorded in cages due to ear tags becoming caught in the bars-a problem not observed under commercial conditions where ear tagging is uncommon. No significant differences were observed for the remaining welfare traits. Overall, both systems proved suitable during gestation and lactation. However, cages offered advantages in ease of cleaning and animal handling, as they eliminated the need for workers to bend to ground level.

Extubation failure may occur despite a successful spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), suggesting that conventional SBT criteria may not fully capture respiratory reserve. The Flow index (FI), derived from inspiratory flow time waveform morphology, reflects inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation. We investigated whether FI trajectories during SBT were associated with extubation failure. In this retrospective cohort study, FI values during the final 10 min of SBT were summarized within six prespecified 2 min windows using patient level medians. Latent class trajectory modeling was used to identify FI patterns, followed by clinically and statistically justified consolidation into three trajectory groups. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association between FI trajectory and extubation failure. Mean based trajectories and machine learning analyses were performed as exploratory supplementary analyses. Among 432 screened patients, 123 were included, and 27 (22.0%) experienced extubation failure. The consolidated groups were Traj1, stable/moderate reserve (n = 89; failures, 12.4%); Traj2, depleted/low effort (n = 18; failures, 50.0%); and Traj3, escalating/high effort (n = 16; failures, 43.8%). Compared with Traj1, Traj2 (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 8.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-39.98; p = 0.009) and Traj3 (adjusted OR, 16.06; 95% CI, 3.02-85.40; p = 0.001) were associated with higher odds of extubation failure after adjustment for age, sex, SOFA score, and dynamic compliance. Median based FI trajectories during SBT identified distinct patterns associated with extubation failure and may provide complementary post SBT risk stratification information. Prospective external validation is required before clinical implementation.

During aortic valve replacement, after weaning from the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), systemic vascular resistance, which constitutes the left ventricular afterload, fluctuates significantly due to systemic inflammatory responses, changes in body temperature, and the use of vasoconstrictors. Particularly in hypertrophic hearts that have adapted to increased afterload for a long time, a sudden increase in afterload following weaning from CPB carries a risk of inducing left heart failure or prosthetic valve failure. With mechanical prosthetic valves, a slight physiological regurgitation is observed during valve closure. In this case, by using pulse Doppler echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography to monitor this physiological regurgitation in real time, we were able to rapidly assess changes in left ventricular afterload and accurately manage the administration of vasoactive agents; we therefore report on the clinical course of this case.

Dietary reduction of crude protein (CP) can alleviate post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets but often limits growth even with crystalline amino acid supplementation. This study evaluated how high- or low-protein diets provided for short (10 d) or long (18 d) duration post-weaning affected growth performance and Lys utilization efficiency. A total of 101 piglets (26-28-d-old; 7.02 ± 0.09 kg) were fed with a high-protein diet (HP; 188 g/kg CP and 12.4 g/kg standardized ileal digestible [SID] Lys) or a low-protein diet (LP; 162 g/kg CP and 10.6 g/kg SID Lys) for 10 or 18 d before transitioning to a common starter diet (179 g/kg CP and 11.8 g/kg SID Lys). Individual feed intake and individual body weight (BW) were continuously monitored using an electronic feeder and weighing station. Individual fecal consistency was assessed on d 6, 10, 14, 18, and 22. The daily SID Lys intake, theoretical SID Lys used for performance, Lys utilization efficiency, and residual SID Lys were calculated or estimated. The effect of protein feeding strategy was analyzed using a mixed model with treatment as a fixed effect and pen as a random effect. Linear and quadratic regressions assessed the relationship of SID Lys intake per metabolic BW (independent variable) with average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency, Lys utilization efficiency, and residual SID Lys intake (dependent variables) across distinct post-weaning phases. Short-term LP feeding (LP10) did not impair growth, whereas long-term LP feeding (LP18) reduced ADG (P = 0.009) and feed efficiency (P = 0.010) during d 0 to 18 without affecting daily feed intake. Long-term HP feeding (HP18) piglets had higher SID Lys intake than LP18 pigs during d 11 to 18 (P = 0.035) and d 0 to 18 (P = 0.051). Lys utilization efficiency did not differ among treatments within 18 d post-weaning but was lower in HP18 than LP18 during d 19 to 39 and d 0 to 39 (P = 0.002), consistent with residual SID Lys intake. Lys utilization efficiency was positively associated with SID Lys intake per metabolic BW during d 0 to 10, but negatively associated thereafter (P < 0.001). Overall, prolonged feeding of a LP diet compromised growth but enhanced Lys utilization efficiency post-weaning.

Understanding mating systems is central to ecology and evolution because reproduction shapes population dynamics, social organization, and species persistence. Interpreting these processes is especially important in rodents because of the key ecological role they play in seed dispersal and terrestrial food webs. The reproductive biology of the blind, echolocating rodent Typhlomys daloushanensis is currently not known, yet this knowledge would provide a unique opportunity to link sensory biology with life history and social organization. Here, we characterize reproduction, neonatal development, and social structure for this species under laboratory conditions. We established a captive breeding colony of T. daloushanensis and quantified key reproductive parameters, including gestation length, litter size, inter-birth interval, and offspring development to puberty. Successful reproduction occurred exclusively in male-female pairs, with no mating behavior observed in group housing. The species exhibited a life history consistent with other small rodents, with gestation lasting 28-30 days, weaning at ∼21-28 days, and maturation at >60 days, contrasting with the slower reproductive schedules of echolocating bats. Litter size ranged from 2 to 5, and offspring remained with parents well beyond weaning, indicating prolonged natal association. These findings link reproduction to social organization in this species. More broadly, our results establish foundational knowledge of reproduction in this echolocating rodent and provide a basis for future work on sensory ecology, social behavior, and the development of Typhlomys as a tractable experimental system.

A neonate with prenatally suspected complex single ventricle physiology was found after birth to have tricuspid atresia with a large ventricular septal defect, double outlet right ventricle, L-malposed great arteries, and severe subpulmonary stenosis. The infant presented at term via cesarean delivery for breech presentation with cyanosis, poor tone, and absent spontaneous respirations, requiring immediate positive pressure ventilation and initiation of prostaglandin E1 to support ductal patency during hemodynamic stabilization. Early transthoracic echocardiography confirmed complex single ventricle anatomy with a hypoplastic right ventricle, L-malposed great arteries, and a restrictive subpulmonary outflow tract, consistent with a Type IIIb tricuspid atresia subtype with reduced pulmonary blood flow. The patient underwent staged surgical palliation beginning with a 3 mm modified Blalock-Taussig shunt via central sternotomy at one month of age, which was complicated by medically managed necrotizing enterocolitis but otherwise followed by a stable interstage period with appropriate oxygen saturations. The patient had low-normal branch pulmonary arteries, and there was no patent ductus arteriosus. At five and a half months, she underwent a hemi-Fontan procedure with bilateral pulmonary artery patch augmentation, atrial septectomy, and shunt takedown, resulting in a patent cavopulmonary connection and adequate systemic output despite transient postoperative ventricular dysfunction. The child was subsequently discharged on standard heart failure and antiplatelet therapy, with gradual weaning of afterload reduction and diuretics as ventricular function improved and oxygen saturation targets were maintained. This case illustrates how detailed anatomical characterization of tricuspid atresia, particularly the relationship of the great arteries and degree of pulmonary outflow obstruction, guides selection and timing of staged palliation. It also underscores the value of coordinated prenatal and postnatal evaluation, early initiation of prostaglandin therapy, and close interstage monitoring in achieving a favorable early outcome in a rare and complex tricuspid atresia subtype that remains eligible for eventual Fontan completion.