Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-α is necessary for high fat diet-induced pancreatic β-cell mass expansion and metabolic compensations.

Aims: This study investigates the role of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α (HNF4α) in the adaptation of pancreatic β-cells to an HFD-induced obesogenic environment, focusing on β cell mass expansion and metabolic adaptations.

Main Methods: We utilized an HNF4α knockout (KO) mouse model, with CRE-recombinase enzyme activation confirmed through tamoxifen administration. KO and Control (CTL) mice were fed an HFD for 20 weeks.

Spatial transcriptomic analysis drives PET imaging of tight junction protein expression in pancreatic cancer theranostics.

Molecular imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) provides sensitive detection and mapping of molecular targets. While cancer-associated fibroblasts and integrins have been proposed as targets for imaging of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), herein, spatial transcriptomics and proteomics of human surgical samples are applied to select PDAC targets. We find that selected cancer cell surface markers are spatially correlated and provide specific cancer localization, whereas the spatial correlation between cancer markers and immune-related or fibroblast markers is low.

From plastic waste to bioprocesses: Using ethylene glycol from polyethylene terephthalate biodegradation to fuel metabolism and produce value-added compounds.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a petroleum-based plastic polymer that, by design, can last decades, if not hundreds of years, when released into the environment through plastic waste leakage. In the pursuit of sustainable solutions to plastic waste recycling and repurposing, the enzymatic depolymerization of PET has emerged as a promising green alternative. However, the metabolic potential of the resulting PET breakdown molecules, such as the two-carbon (C2) molecule ethylene glycol (EG), remains largely untapped.

Shades of red: A chemical exploration of pigments and dyes in 19th century postage stamps by a multi-analytical methodology.

A total of 57 European, Canadian and North American postage stamps, all in red shades, were analyzed with the main goal of unraveling which pigments or dyes were used to produce the red color in the period dated from 1841 to 1899. Both non-destructive techniques, including X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectra (FORS), and Steady State Fluorescence Spectroscopy, and destructive methods such as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Diode-Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) and Electrospray Ionization High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (ESI-HRMS), were utilized for a comprehensive analysis. The examined red shades were identified as originating from either a single pigment or dye, or a combination of both.

A modelling framework to characterize the impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiota diversity.

Metagenomic sequencing deepened our knowledge about the role of the intestinal microbiota in human health, and several studies with various methodologies explored its dynamics during antibiotic treatments. We compared the impact of four widely used antibiotics on the gut bacterial diversity. We used plasma and fecal samples collected during and after treatment from healthy volunteers assigned to a 5-day treatment either by ceftriaxone (1 g every 24 h through IV route), ceftazidime/avibactam (2 g/500 mg every 8 h through IV route), piperacillin/tazobactam (1 g/500 mg every 8 h through IV route) or moxifloxacin (400 mg every 24 h through oral route).