Oncogenic transformation and Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc (OSKM)-mediated induction of pluripotency are two independent and incompatible cellular fates. While continuous expression of OSKM can convert normal somatic cells into teratogenic pluripotent cells, it remains speculative what is the impact of transient OSKM expression in cancer cells. Here, we find that OSKM expression limits the growth of transformed lung cells by inducing apoptosis and senescence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhonon polaritons (PhPs), light coupled to lattice vibrations, in the highly anisotropic polar layered material molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO) are currently the focus of intense research efforts due to their extreme subwavelength field confinement, directional propagation, and unprecedented low losses. Nevertheless, prior research has primarily concentrated on exploiting the squeezing and steering capabilities of α-MoO PhPs, without inquiring much into the dominant microscopic mechanism that determines their long lifetimes, which is key for their implementation in nanophotonic applications. This study delves into the fundamental processes that govern PhP damping in α-MoO by combining calculations with scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements across a broad temperature range (8-300 K).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasites impact host fitness and constitute an important selective pressure on the host's life history. According to parasite-mediated sexual selection, ornaments are presumed to honestly indicate immune capacity or resistance against parasites, and the chooser sex (typically females) obtains an advantage by selecting more ornamented, thus more immunocompetent mates. Therefore, signalers mounting an immune response must allocate resources from the sexual signal to the immune system, hence reducing the expression of the ornament and becoming less attractive to the choosing sex.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFemale and male hosts may maximise their fitness by evolving different strategies to compensate for the costs of parasite infections. The resulting sexual dimorphism might be apparent in differential relationships between parasite load and body condition, potentially reflecting differences in energy allocation to anti-parasitic defences. For example, male lacertids with high body condition may produce many offspring while being intensely parasitised.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this proof-of-concept study, spatial transcriptomics combined with public single-cell ribonucleic acid-sequencing data were used to explore the potential of this technology to study kidney allograft rejection. We aimed to map gene expression patterns within diverse pathologic states by examining biopsies classified across nonrejection, T cell-mediated acute rejection, interstitial fibrosis, and tubular atrophy. Our results revealed distinct immune cell signatures, including those of T and B lymphocytes, monocytes, mast cells, and plasma cells, and their spatial organization within the renal interstitium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuctal adenocarcinoma of the prostate (DAP) is an uncommon variant of prostate cancer associated with aggressive disease and poor outcome. It presents most frequently as a mixed tumor combined with acinar adenocarcinoma. Although the histopathological features of DAP are well known, its genomic characteristics are still evolving, prompting the suggestion that all DAP would benefit from molecular analysis with the purpose of improving tumor recognition, genetic classification, and, ultimately, personalized therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe initial exposure to pathogens and commensals confers innate immune cells the capacity to respond distinctively upon a second stimulus. This training capacity might play key functions in developing an adequate innate immune response to the continuous exposure to bacteria. However, the mechanisms involved in induction of trained immunity by commensals remain mostly unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe tumor microenvironment (TME) is a dynamic pseudoorgan that shapes the development and progression of cancers. It is a complex ecosystem shaped by interactions between tumor and stromal cells. Although the traditional focus has been on the paracrine communication mediated by protein messengers, recent attention has turned to the metabolic secretome in tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To identify and highlight pertinent US features that could serve as imaging biomarkers to describe different patient phenotypes, within Great Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS) clinical diagnosis.
Materials And Methods: Using ultrasound we evaluated eighty-eight clinically diagnosed patients with GTPS, for tendon matrix changes and calcium deposits in the gluteus medius (superoposterior and lateral aspects) and in the gluteus minimus. Peritrochanteric examination included fascia lata, trochanteric bursa, cortical irregularities and the presence of enthesophytes.
Climate change affects all ecosystems, but subterranean ecosystems are repeatedly neglected from political and public agendas. Cave habitats are home to unknown and endangered species, with low trait variability and intrinsic vulnerability to recover from human-induced disturbances. We studied the annual variability and cyclicity of temperatures in caves vis-à-vis surface in different climatic areas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShrimp production is an important industry for many countries and shrimp consumption is increasing worldwide. Shrimps are a highly nutritional food, but can pose a risk for human health if subject to high levels of environmental contaminants. This work studies the presence of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn in shrimps from Ecuador and compares them to such contents noted in other shrimp-production areas in the world to evaluate the possible risks associated with these elements for consumer health, and to relate them to potentially toxic element (PTE) contents in water, sediments and diets, and also to animal biometric parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alcohol and tobacco are important risk factors for chronic pancreatitis (CP).
Aim: To analyze the effect of etiological factors such as tobacco and alcohol and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) in the progression of CP.
Material And Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of CP were recruited and grouped according to variables such as tobacco, alcohol and PERT.
Myofibroblastoma (MFB) is a rare but benign mesenchymal tumor most commonly appearing within breast tissue. Most cases of MFB occur in postmenopausal women and are treated by surgical excision. The diagnosis of MFB is made through immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis, with the most common biomarkers being CD34+, desmin+, smooth muscle actin+, and vimentin+.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHabitat selection is a dynamic process that depends on many environmental variables that can vary with weather conditions. This is important because, within a context of global change, extreme weather events, such as severe droughts, are predicted to become more frequent. We examined the patterns of microhabitat selection and underground movements (using PIT-tag telemetry) of a strictly fossorial reptile, the North African checkboard amphisbaenian , during the summer drought period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF