Streptococcus agalactiaeInfection of a Reconstructed Human Respiratory Epithelium Revealed Infection and Host Response Characteristics by Different Serotypes.

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae poses a significant threat to neonatal health, causing morbidity and mortality when transmitted from the maternal vagina to the newborn's respiratory tract. Among its various strains, serotype III is predominant in severe neonatal infections in Asia. However, the mechanisms of pathogenesis and host responses underlying serotype-specific disease outcomes remain poorly understood.

Global versus local matrix remodeling drives rotational versus invasive collective migration of epithelial cells.

The coordinated movement of cell collectives is essential for normal epithelial tissue development, maintenance, and cancer progression. Here, we report on a minimal 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) system wherein both invasive collective migration (ICM) and rotational collective migration (RCM) arise spontaneously from individually seeded epithelial cells of mammary and hepatic origin, regardless of whether they express adherens junctions, and lead to ductal-like and acinar-like structures, respectively. Quantitative microscopy and cellular Potts modeling reveal that initial differences in cell protrusion dynamics and matrix-remodeling localization generate RCM and ICM behavior in confining 3D ECM.

Synthesis and Properties of Thermostable Energetic Benzotriazines.

In an effort to balance energy and molecular stability effectively, several energetic compounds (-) based on benzotriazine were designed and synthesized. These structures were comprehensively characterized using NMR, IR, and elemental analysis, with compounds , , and further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Notably, 3-amino-5,7-dinitrobenzo[][1,2,4]triazine 1-oxide (), which features a face-to-face crystal stacking arrangement, exhibits good detonation velocity ( = 8050 m/s), a high thermal decomposition temperature ( = 290 °C), and low sensitivities (impact sensitivity >40 J, friction sensitivity >360 N).

Physiological traits, gene expression responses, and proteomics of rice varieties varying in heat stress tolerance at the flowering stage.

Introduction/background: Global warming greatly limits the productivity of rice. Rice plants are highly sensitive to heat stress at the flowering stage. The selection of heat-tolerant varieties is considered the most effective approach for ensuring global food security in the coming decades.