Modification of Living Diatom, , with a Calcium Precursor through a Calcium Uptake Mechanism: A Next Generation Biomaterial for Advanced Delivery Systems.

The diatom's frustule, characterized by its rugged and porous exterior, exhibits a remarkable biomimetic morphology attributable to its highly ordered pores, extensive surface area, and unique architecture. Despite these advantages, the toxicity and nonbiodegradable nature of silica-based organisms pose a significant challenge when attempting to utilize these organisms as nanotopographically functionalized microparticles in the realm of biomedicine. In this study, we addressed this limitation by modulating the chemical composition of diatom microparticles by modulating the active silica metabolic uptake mechanism while maintaining their intricate three-dimensional architecture through calcium incorporation into living diatoms.

Lithium batteries safety, wider perspective.

Energy production and storage has become a pressing issue in recent decades and its solutions bring new problems. This paper reviews the literature on the human and environmental risks associated with the production, use, and disposal of increasingly common lithium-ion batteries. Popular electronic databases were used for this purpose focused on the period since 2000.

Temporal changes guided by mesenchymal stem cells on a 3D microgel platform enhance angiogenesis in vivo at a low-cell dose.

Therapeutic factors secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote angiogenesis in vivo. However, delivery of MSCs in the absence of a cytoprotective environment offers limited efficacy due to low cell retention, poor graft survival, and the nonmaintenance of a physiologically relevant dose of growth factors at the injury site. The delivery of stem cells on an extracellular matrix (ECM)-based platform alters cell behavior, including migration, proliferation, and paracrine activity, which are essential for angiogenesis.

[The health effects of environmental and occupational exposure to aluminum].

This work features a review of literature discussing the health effects of environmental and occupational exposure to aluminum (Al) and its compounds. The sources of exposure, absorption routes and metabolism are discussed in detail. The role of Al and its compounds in the etiology of some diseases, related to both environmental exposure and exposure in the work environment, is also presented.

Increased Substrate Stiffness Elicits a Myofibroblastic Phenotype in Human Lamina Cribrosa Cells.

Purpose: Alteration in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the optic nerve head (ONH) causes lamina cribrosa (LC) fibrosis and affects the mechanical integrity of the ONH. Increased ECM tissue stiffness drives myofibroblast activation leading to tissue fibrosis throughout the body. Here using primary human LC cells, we investigate the effect of substrate stiffness on profibrotic changes, which might be a key molecular mechanism driving ECM remodeling of the LC in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) glaucoma.

Peripubertal viral-like challenge and social isolation mediate overlapping but distinct effects on behaviour and brain interferon regulatory factor 7 expression in the adult Wistar rat.

A range of adverse, early life environmental influences such as viral infection and social deprivation are thought to increase risk of psychiatric illness later in life. Here, we used peripheral administration of the viral infection mimic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (polyI:C) to compare the consequences of peripubertal infection and isolation rearing. Isolation rearing induced deficits in sensorimotor gating and recognition memory while no changes in social interaction or spatial learning were observed.

Temporal dysregulation of cortical gene expression in the isolation reared Wistar rat.

The critical sequence of molecular, neurotransmission and synaptic disruptions that underpin the emergence of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia remain to be established with progress only likely using animal models that capture key features of such disorders. We have related the emergence of behavioural, neurochemical and synapse ultrastructure deficits to transcriptional dysregulation in the medial prefrontal cortex of Wistar rats reared in isolation. Isolation reared animals developed sensorimotor deficits at postnatal day 60 which persisted into adulthood.