Publications by authors named "B I Alo"

Article Synopsis
  • - Coagulation factor XII (FXII) is linked to thrombosis and inflammation and is found in increased levels in diabetes and diabetic kidney disease (DKD), but its specific role in DKD was unclear until now.
  • - The study reveals that FXII is present in kidney tubular cells, correlating with kidney dysfunction in DKD patients; mice lacking FXII showed protection against kidney damage from high blood sugar.
  • - FXII promotes cell damage through a signaling pathway involving uPAR and integrin β1, leading to oxidative stress and cell aging; blocking these pathways may provide new diagnostic and treatment options for DKD and similar diseases.
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We present a spectroscopic investigation of the vibrational and optoelectronic properties of WS domes in the 0-0.65 GPa range. The pressure evolution of the system morphology, deduced by the combined analysis of Raman and photoluminescence spectra, revealed a significant variation in the dome's aspect ratio.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the role of Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) in kidney function, particularly in podocytes, and finds that its absence leads to increased albuminuria and varying levels of glomerular and tubular damage in mice.* -
  • YBX1 is shown to inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and reduce inflammatory responses in tubular cells by interacting with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).* -
  • The research concludes that YBX1 is secreted from podocytes and plays a protective role against tubular inflammation, highlighting its importance in the crosstalk between glomerular and tubular compartments of the kidney.*
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We present a high-pressure investigation of the semiconductor-to-metal transition in MoS and WS carried out by synchrotron-based far-infrared spectroscopy, to reconcile the controversial estimates of the metallization pressure found in the literature and gain new insight into the mechanisms ruling this electronic transition. Two spectral descriptors are found indicative of the onset of metallicity and of the origin of the free carriers in the metallic state: the absorbance spectral weight, whose abrupt increase defines the metallization pressure threshold, and the asymmetric line shape of the E peak, whose pressure evolution, interpreted within the Fano model, suggests the electrons in the metallic state originate from n-type doping levels. Combining our results with those reported in the literature, we hypothesize a two-step mechanism is at work in the metallization process, in which the pressure-induced hybridization between doping and conduction band states drives an early metallic behavior, while the band gap closes at higher pressures.

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The occurrence of mercury (Hg) in the environment globally has been linked largely to its use for gold processing. In this research, ore samples, agricultural soil and mine wastes were taken within the vicinity of an artisanal gold mine and processing sites in Niger state, a north-central part of Nigeria to determine Hg contamination in the environment and estimate the potential hazard to health. The values of Hg measured in ore, agricultural soil and mine wastes ranged between 0.

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