Dual-angle light scattering spectroscopy for calibration-free measurements of scatterer suspensions.

It can be difficult to employ optical techniques for analyzing biological structures smaller than or comparable to the wavelength of light, such as extracellular vesicles or some types of bacteria. Biological light scattering spectroscopy (LSS), developed to address this problem, has been successfully used for characterizing tissue on cellular and subcellular scales. At the same time, calibration with a reference sample of known optical properties can complicate LSS measurements.

Turning garbage into gold: Autophagy in synaptic function.

Trillions of synapses in the human brain enable thought and behavior. Synaptic connections must be established and maintained, while retaining dynamic flexibility to respond to experiences. These processes require active remodeling of the synapse to control the composition and integrity of proteins and organelles.

Respiratory symptoms among e-cigarette users without an established smoking history in the VERITAS cohort.

Prior research on e-cigarettes' health impacts is inconclusive due to confounding by previous tobacco smoking. Studies of e-cigarette use among people without an established smoking history are informative for this question. A cross-sectional survey was administered across six geopolitical world regions to adults aged 18+ without a history of established cigarette smoking or regular use of other nicotine/tobacco products.

High-throughput transcriptomics toxicity assessment of eleven data-poor bisphenol A alternatives.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a widely used chemical in the production of plastics and epoxy resins, has garnered significant attention due to its association with adverse health effects, particularly its endocrine-disrupting properties. Regulatory measures aimed at reducing human exposure to BPA have led to a proliferation of alternative chemicals used in various consumer and industrial products. While these alternatives serve to reduce BPA exposure, concerns have arisen regarding their safety and potential toxicity as regrettable substitutes.

Motivating parents to protect their children from wildfire smoke: the impact of air quality index infographics.

. Wildfire smoke events are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Children are especially vulnerable to health effects even at moderate smoke levels.

Dietary resistant starch enhances immune health of the kidney in diabetes via promoting microbially-derived metabolites and dampening neutrophil recruitment.

Background: Dietary-resistant starch is emerging as a potential therapeutic tool to limit the negative effects of diabetes on the kidneys. However, its metabolic and immunomodulatory effects have not yet been fully elucidated.

Methods: Six-week-old db/db mice were fed a diet containing 12.

"Can I Play Too?" A Qualitative Study of Outdoor Play and Participation Among Autistic Preschoolers.

Importance: Outdoor play in homes, schools, and communities provides children with unique opportunities to explore their worlds, develop fundamental life skills, and experience belonging. However, few studies have explored outdoor free play among autistic preschoolers in natural settings from a neurodivergent-informed perspective.

Objective: To explore the play preferences, opportunities, and challenges in outdoor play for autistic preschoolers.

The AMPK activator ATX-304 alters cellular metabolism to protect against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) disrupts energy metabolism. Targeting metabolism through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may alleviate AKI. ATX-304, a pan-AMPK activator, was evaluated in C57Bl/6 mice and tubular epithelial cell (TEC) cultures.

A Global Health Survey of People Who Vape but Never Smoked: Protocol for the VERITAS (Vaping Effects: Real-World International Surveillance) Study.

Background: There is only limited information about the health effects of regular vaping. Research on the health status of people who used to smoke faces the challenge that previous smoking may have caused unknown health effects. Only studies of people who vape but have never smoked combustible cigarettes can enable the detection of harms attributable to vaping.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor signaling modifies the extent of diabetic kidney disease through dampening the receptor for advanced glycation end products-induced inflammation.

Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone produced and released by cells of the gastrointestinal tract following meal ingestion. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) exhibit kidney-protective actions through poorly understood mechanisms. Here we interrogated whether the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays a role in mediating the actions of GLP-1 on inflammation and diabetic kidney disease.

Therapeutic Potential of Targeting Complement C5a Receptors in Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) affects 30-40% of patients with diabetes and is currently the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The activation of the complement cascade, a highly conserved element of the innate immune system, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. The potent anaphylatoxin C5a is a critical effector of complement-mediated inflammation.

Label-free characterization of organoids with quantitative confocal Raman spectral imaging.

Stem cell-derived organoids have the potential to significantly improve the drug discovery process. However, a key challenge is monitoring the maturation process and drug response. In this issue of , LaLone et al.

The postprandial actions of GLP-1 receptor agonists: The missing link for cardiovascular and kidney protection in type 2 diabetes.

Recent clinical trials in people with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated beneficial actions on heart and kidney outcomes following treatment with GLP-1RAs. In part, these actions are consistent with improved glucose control and significant weight loss. But GLP-1RAs may also have additive benefits by improving postprandial dysmetabolism.

Beyond housekeeping: autophagy regulates PKA signaling at synapses.

Autophagy modulates synaptic function and plasticity, but the molecular basis for this process is largely unknown. A recent tour de force study by Overhoff and colleagues identifies a novel role for autophagy in regulating PKA signaling at synapses to modulate the organization of the postsynaptic proteome and neuronal excitability.

In vivo detection of bile duct pre-cancer with endoscopic light scattering spectroscopy.

Bile duct cancer is the second most common primary liver cancer, with most diagnoses occurring in the advanced stages. This leads to a poor survival rate, which means a technique capable of reliably detecting pre-cancer in the bile duct is urgently required. Unfortunately, radiological imaging lacks adequate accuracy for distinguishing dysplastic and benign biliary ducts, while endoscopic techniques, which can directly assess the bile duct lining, often suffer from insufficient sampling.

Valproic acid attenuates cellular senescence in diabetic kidney disease through the inhibition of complement C5a receptors.

Despite increasing knowledge about the factors involved in the progression of diabetic complications, diabetic kidney disease (DKD) continues to be a major health burden. Current therapies only slow but do not prevent the progression of DKD. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapy to halt the progression of DKD and improve disease prognosis.

Resistant Starch as a Dietary Intervention to Limit the Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, and as the number of individuals with diabetes increases there is a concomitant increase in the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Diabetes contributes to the development of DKD through a number of pathways, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and the gut-kidney axis, which may be amenable to dietary therapy. Resistant starch (RS) is a dietary fibre that alters the gut microbial consortium, leading to an increase in the microbial production of short chain fatty acids.

Outcomes, Including Graft Tears, Contralateral Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears, and All-Cause Ipsilateral Knee Operations, are Similar for Adult-type, Transphyseal, and Partial Transphyseal Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Hamstring Autograft in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients.

Purpose: To compare hamstring autograft primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) techniques including adult-type/anatomic, transphyseal, and transphyseal techniques by (1) ACL graft tear, (2) contralateral ACL tear, and (3) all-cause ipsilateral reoperation.

Methods: A retrospective, single-surgeon review was performed including all ACLR with hamstring autograft in pediatric and adolescent patients from 2011 to 2019. Minimum 2-year follow-up was required for patients unless a tear or reoperation was sustained before that time point.

Biopsy channel of the endoscope as a potential source of infectious droplets during GI endoscopy.

Background And Aims: During endoscopy, droplets with the potential to transmit infectious diseases are known to emanate from a patient's mouth and anus, but they may also be expelled from the biopsy channel of the endoscope. The main goal of our study was to quantify droplets emerging from the biopsy channel during clinical endoscopy.

Methods: A novel light-scattering device was used to measure droplets emanating from the biopsy channel.

Review of potential biomarkers of inflammation and kidney injury in diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetic kidney disease is expected to increase rapidly over the coming decades with rising prevalence of diabetes worldwide. Current measures of kidney function based on albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate do not accurately stratify and predict individuals at risk of declining kidney function in diabetes. As a result, recent attention has turned towards identifying and assessing the utility of biomarkers in diabetic kidney disease.

Microbial influencers: treating diabetes through the gut.

A recently published study by Bell et al. shows altered immunotolerance in people with type 1 diabetes by dietary supplementation of modified resistant starch fibre.