Passive accumulation of alkaloids in inconspicuously colored frogs refines the evolutionary paradigm of acquired chemical defenses.

Understanding the origins of novel, complex phenotypes is a major goal in evolutionary biology. Poison frogs of the family Dendrobatidae have evolved the novel ability to acquire alkaloids from their diet for chemical defense at least three times. However, taxon sampling for alkaloids has been biased towards colorful species, without similar attention paid to inconspicuous ones that are often assumed to be undefended.

The role of neoadjuvant systemic therapy for high grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma: Results from the upper tract collaborative network (UCAN).

Introduction: Utilization of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT) prior to radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is inconsistent, and optimal patient selection for NAT is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical benefit of NAT in high grade UTUC undergoing RNU.

Materials And Methods: The UTUC Collaborative Network (UCAN) identified patients who underwent RNU for high grade UTUC between 2000 and 2022.

Effect of Transforming Growth Factor-β Inhibition on Ureteral and Renal Scarring in a Rat Model of Upper Urinary Tract Ablation with Irreversible Electroporation.

Objective: To determine whether adjuvant transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) inhibition with pirfenidone (PFD) can mitigate ureteral wall scarring and related complications in a rat model of upper urinary tract ablation with irreversible electroporation (IRE).

Methods: Transmural ablation of the ureter was performed with IRE in 24 rats. Post-IRE, animals were randomly assigned to receive PFD or no drug, followed by euthanasia at 2-, 5-, or 10-days.

Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy to Separately Quantify the Effect of Strain on Nanosheet and Junction Resistance in Printed Nanosheet Networks.

Many printed electronic applications require strain-independent electrical properties to ensure deformation-independent performance. Thus, developing printed, flexible devices using 2D and other nanomaterials will require an understanding of the effect of strain on the electrical properties of nano-networks. Here, novel AC electrical techniques are introduced to fully characterize the effect of strain on the resistance of high-mobility printed networks, fabricated from of electrochemically exfoliated MoS nanosheets.