Osteogenic-Like Microenvironment of Renal Interstitium Induced by Osteomodulin Contributes to Randall's Plaque Formation.

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) kidney stones are common and recurrent, lacking pharmacological prevention. Randall's plaques (RPs), calcium deposits in renal papillae, serve as niduses for some CaOx stones. This study explores the role of osteogenic-like cells in RP formation resembling ossification.

Novel Supramolecular Hydrogel for Infected Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment.

Multifunctional responsive hydrogels hold significant promise for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) treatment, though their complex design and manufacturing present challenges. This study introduces a novel supramolecular guanosine-phenylboronic-chlorogenic acid (GBC) hydrogel developed using a dynamic covalent strategy. The hydrogel forms through guanosine quadruplex assembly in the presence of potassium ions and chlorogenic acid (CA) linkage via dynamic borate bonds.

11 cases of peritoneal dialysis catheter penetrating into the intestinal cavity: case series.

The penetration of a peritoneal dialysis catheter into the intestinal cavity is a clinically rare complication. In the present retrospective clinical case series, 11 patients with uraemia who received continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and attended hospital between 2019 and 2023 are described. The median patient age was 61.

Effect of heat-treated flaxseed lignan macromolecules on the interfacial properties and physicochemical stability of α-linolenic acid-enriched O/W emulsions.

Flaxseed lignan macromolecules (FLMs) are important polyphenols present in flaxseeds with interfacial adsorption behavior. However, FLMs are easily degraded during thermal treatment in emulsions, which further influences their interfacial properties and application. In this work, the interfacial properties of FLMs between oil and water were evaluated using compression isotherms and interfacial tension to investigate the regulation mechanism of FLMs and their heat-treated products on the stability of O/W emulsions.

Molecular recognition of an odorant by the murine trace amine-associated receptor TAAR7f.

There are two main families of G protein-coupled receptors that detect odours in humans, the odorant receptors (ORs) and the trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). Their amino acid sequences are distinct, with the TAARs being most similar to the aminergic receptors such as those activated by adrenaline, serotonin, dopamine and histamine. To elucidate the structural determinants of ligand recognition by TAARs, we have determined the cryo-EM structure of a murine receptor, mTAAR7f, coupled to the heterotrimeric G protein G and bound to the odorant N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA) to an overall resolution of 2.

Impaired Experience-Dependent Theta Oscillation Synchronization and Inter-Areal Synaptic Connectivity in the Visual Cortex of Fmr1 KO Mice.

Fragile X syndrome (FX) is the most prevalent inheritable form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by hypersensitivity, difficulty in habituating to new sensory stimuli, and intellectual disability. Individuals with FX often experience visual perception and learning deficits. Visual experience leads to the emergence of the familiarity-evoked theta band oscillations in the primary visual cortex (V1) and the lateromedial area (LM) of mice.

Multifunctional hydrogels for the healing of oral ulcers.

Oral ulcers are one of the most common oral diseases in clinical practice. Its etiology is complex and varied. Due to the dynamic nature of the oral environment, the wound surface is painful due to contact and wear, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients.

Aluminum Corrosion Chemistry in High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries with LiFSI-Based Ether Electrolytes.

High-voltage Li metal batteries (LMBs) based on ether electrolytes hold potential for achieving high energy densities exceeding 500 Wh kg, but face challenges with electrolyte oxidative stability, particularly concerning aluminum (Al) current collector corrosion. However, the specific chemistry behind Al corrosion and its effect on electrolyte components remains unexplored. Here, our study delves into Al corrosion in the representative LiFSI-DME electrolyte system, revealing that low-concentration electrolytes exacerbate Al current collector corrosion and solvent decomposition.

A Versatile Strategy toward Donor-Acceptor Nanofibers with Tunable Length/Composition and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity.

Living crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) has emerged as an efficient strategy to generate nanofibers of π-conjugated polymers (CPNFs) in a controlled fashion. However, reports of donor-acceptor (D-A) heterojunction CPNFs are extremely rare. The preparation of these materials remains a challenge due to the lack of rational design guidelines for the D-A π-conjugated units.

Inhibition of Macrophage Recruitment to Heart Valves Mediated by the C-C Chemokine Receptor Type 2 Attenuates Valvular Inflammation Induced by Group A Streptococcus in Lewis Rats.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an autoimmune disease caused by recurrent infections of Group A streptococcus (GAS), ultimately leading to inflammation and the fibrosis of heart valves. Recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of C-C chemokine receptor type 2-positive (CCR2) macrophages in autoimmune diseases and tissue fibrosis. However, the specific involvement of CCR2 macrophages in RHD remains unclear.

Seawater barium and sulfide removal improved marine habitability for the Cambrian Explosion of early animals.

An increase in atmospheric O has been proposed as a trigger for the Cambrian Explosion at ∼539-514 Ma but the mechanistic linkage remains unclear. To gain insights into marine habitability for the Cambrian Explosion, we analysed excess Ba contents (Ba) and isotope compositions (δBa) of ∼521-Myr-old metalliferous black shales in South China. The δBa values vary within a large range and show a negative logarithmic correlation with Ba, suggesting a major (>99%) drawdown of oceanic Ba inventory via barite precipitation.

IL-2-armored peptide-major histocompatibility class I bispecific antibodies redirect antiviral effector memory CD8+ T cells to induce potent anti-cancer cytotoxic activity with limited cytokine release.

T cell engagers (TCEs) are becoming an integral class of biological therapeutic owing to their highly potent ability to eradicate cancer cells. Nevertheless, the widespread utility of classical CD3-targeted TCEs has been limited by narrow therapeutic index (TI) linked to systemic CD4+ T cell activation and aberrant cytokine release. One attractive approach to circumvent the systemic activation of pan CD3+ T cells and reduce the risk of cytokine release syndrome is to redirect specific subsets of T cells.

Design and Validation of Single-Axis 3D-Printed Force Sensor Based on Three Nested Flexible Rings.

Force measurement is crucial in numerous engineering applications, while traditional force sensors often face problems such as elevated expenses or significant measurement errors. To tackle this issue, we propose an innovative force sensor employing three nested flexible rings fabricated through 3D additive manufacturing, which detects external forces through the displacement variations of flexible rings. An analytical model on the basis of the minimal energy method is developed to elucidate the force-displacement correlation with nonlinearity.

Characterization of a Novel Oxidative Stress Responsive Transcription Regulator in .

The antioxidant defense is critical for the survival of intracellular pathogens such as complex (MTBC) species, including which are often exposed to an oxidative environment caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hosts. However, the signaling pathway in mycobacteria for sensing and responding to oxidative stress remains largely unclear. In this study, we characterize a TetR-type transcription regulator BCG_3893c, designated AotM, as a novel redox sensor in that increases mycobacterial tolerance to oxidative stress.

Bioinformatics Analysis of the Expression and Prognostic Value of PLAU Gene in Wilms' Tumor.

Background/aim: Autophagy and immunity play important roles in the growth of malignant tumors and are promising targets for tumor therapy. This study was conducted to identify differentially expressed immune genes related to autophagy in Wilms' tumor (WT) and analyze their correlation with the disease prognosis.

Materials And Methods: The public data of WT and normal kidney tissues were downloaded from TCGA, ImmPort, and GeneCards databases to obtain differentially expressed immune genes associated with autophagy.

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Infections after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Early and accurate identification of pathogens in pulmonary infections after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is critically important. The clinical usefulness of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of pulmonary infections after allo-HSCT remains under discussion. This multicenter retrospective study was conducted to compare mNGS and conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) in identifying the pathogens of pulmonary infections in allo-HSCT recipients.

A high-calcium environment induced ectopic calcification of renal interstitial fibroblasts via TFPI-2-DCHS1-ALP/ENPP1 axis to participate in Randall's plaque formation.

Randall's plaques (RP) serve as anchoring sites for calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Renal interstitium with a high-calcium environment is identified as pathogenesis of RP formation where the role of human renal interstitial fibroblasts (hRIFs) was highlighted. Our study aims to elucidate the potential mechanism by which a high-calcium environment drives ectopic calcification of hRIFs to participate in RP formation.

Above-Room-Temperature Ferroelectricity and Giant Second Harmonic Generation in 1D vdW NbOI.

The realization of spontaneous ferroelectricity down to the one-dimensional (1D) limit is both fundamentally intriguing and practically appealing for high-density ferroelectric and nonlinear photonics. However, the 1D vdW ferroelectric materials are not discovered experimentally yet. Here, the first 1D vdW ferroelectric compound NbOI with a high Curie temperature T > 450 K and giant second harmonic generation (SHG) is reported.