Nonlinear Optical Response in Layer-Stacked Gallenene with Ferroelectric Polarization.

Polar metals are very rare and challenging to realize due to the incompatibility of ferroelectricity and metallicity. Mobile electrons in polar metals effectively screen the static electric field and dipoles. Recent studies show that 2D van der Waals metals without an inversion center can have polar order due to specific layer stacking.

Angularly Resolved Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Despite intensive research in tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), the angular distribution of Raman scattering in the TERS gap remains experimentally unreported leaving its relevance to the TERS signal formation to be seldomly discussed. Here, we investigate the angular distribution of the tip-enhanced Raman signal in the Fourier plane using a model system composed of flat-lying cobalt (II) hexadecafluoro-phthalocyanine (CoPcF) molecules physically adsorbed on a smooth gold surface. Both in-plane and out-of-plane vibrational modes are observed, where the out-of-plane Raman modes at about 678 and 740 cm have different angular intensity distributions than those of in-plane Raman modes at 1309 and 1373 cm.

Correlated crustal and mantle melting documents proto-Tibetan Plateau growth.

The mechanism that causes the rapid uplift and active magmatism of the Hoh-Xil Basin in the northern Tibetan Plateau and hence the outward growth of the proto-plateau is highly debated, more specifically, over the relationship between deep dynamics and surface uplift. Until recently the Hoh-Xil Basin remained uncovered by seismic networks due to inaccessibility. Here, based on linear seismic arrays across the Hoh-Xil Basin, we present a three-dimensional S-wave velocity (V) model of the crust and uppermost mantle structure beneath the Tibetan Plateau from ambient noise tomography.

Immune landscape of renal cell carcinoma with metastasis to the pancreas.

Introduction: Clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) has a poor prognosis once metastatic. However, certain metastatic sites have been reported to have a different impact on the patient prognosis. For example, patients with pancreatic metastases have a much more favorable prognosis than those with metastases to other organs.

Digital Spatial Profiling Identifies the Tumor Periphery as a Highly Active Biological Niche in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterized by a high degree of intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH). Besides genomic ITH, there is considerable functional ITH, which encompasses spatial niches with distinct proliferative and signaling activities. The full extent of functional spatial heterogeneity in ccRCC is incompletely understood.

Growth and characterization of thorium-doped calcium fluoride single crystals.

We have grown [Formula: see text]Th:CaF[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]Th:CaF[Formula: see text] single crystals for investigations on the VUV laser-accessible first nuclear excited state of [Formula: see text]Th, with the aim of building a solid-state nuclear clock. To reach high doping concentrations despite the extreme scarcity (and radioactivity) of [Formula: see text]Th, we have scaled down the crystal volume by a factor 100 compared to established commercial or scientific growth processes. We use the vertical gradient freeze method on 3.

BAP1 and PTEN mutations shape the immunological landscape of clear cell renal cell carcinoma and reveal the intertumoral heterogeneity of T cell suppression: a proof-of-concept study.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is an immunologically vulnerable tumor entity, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are now widely used to treat patients with advanced disease. Whether and to what extent immune responses in ccRCC are shaped by genetic alterations, however, is only beginning to emerge. In this proof-of-concept study, we performed a detailed correlative analysis of the mutational and immunological landscapes in a series of 23 consecutive kidney cancer patients.

Regulation of actin filament assembly and disassembly in growth cone motility and axon guidance.

Directed outgrowth of axons is fundamental for the establishment of neuronal networks. Axon outgrowth is guided by growth cones, highly motile structures enriched in filamentous actin (F-actin) located at the axons' distal tips. Growth cones exploit F-actin-based protrusions to scan the environment for guidance cues, and they contain the sensory apparatus to translate guidance cue information into intracellular signaling cascades.

An Advanced Bioreactor Simulating Dynamic Physiological Conditions in the Human Ascending Colon: MimiCol.

In recent years, the colon has become a hot topic in biopharmaceutical research as several in vitro models of the human colon have been presented. A major focus is on the characterization of the microbiota and its capabilities. The aim of the present study was to further develop the MimiCol, preserving its properties and accelerating data acquisition.

Kidney Cancer Models for Pre-Clinical Drug Discovery: Challenges and Opportunities.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the most lethal urological malignancies once metastatic. The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of metastatic RCC, nevertheless, a significant proportion of patients will experience disease progression. Novel treatment options are therefore still needed and and model systems are crucial to ultimately improve disease control.

Targeting the translational machinery in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST): a new therapeutic vulnerability.

Although KIT-mutant GISTs can be effectively treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), many patients develop resistance to imatinib mesylate (IM) as well as the FDA-approved later-line agents sunitinib, regorafenib and ripretinib. Resistance mechanisms mainly involve secondary mutations in the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase gene indicating continued dependency on the KIT signaling pathway. The fact that the type of secondary mutation confers either sensitivity or resistance towards TKIs and the notion that secondary mutations exhibit intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity complicates the optimal choice of treatment in the imatinib-resistant setting.

COVID-19 among children seeking primary paediatric care with signs of an acute infection.

Aim: It can be challenging to distinguish COVID-19 in children from other common infections. We set out to determine the rate at which children consulting a primary care paediatrician with an acute infection are infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to compare distinct findings.

Method: In seven out-patient clinics, children aged 0-13 years with any new respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms and presumed infection were invited to be tested for SARS-CoV-2.

Development of a furosemide-containing expandable system for gastric retention.

More than 50 years ago, the first gastroretentive dosage forms came up. Since then, no practical and at the same time reliable gastroretentive system is available on market. A major obstacle in the development of novel gastroretentive systems is the lack of proper predictive test methods.

Yield estimation of the 2020 Beirut explosion using open access waveform and remote sensing data.

We report on a multi-technique analysis using publicly available data for investigating the huge, accidental explosion that struck the city of Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4, 2020. Its devastating shock wave led to thousands of injured with more than two hundred fatalities and caused immense damage to buildings and infrastructure. Our combined analysis of seismological, hydroacoustic, infrasonic and radar remote sensing data allows us to characterize the source as well as to estimate the explosive yield.

Functional Redundancy of Cyclase-Associated Proteins CAP1 and CAP2 in Differentiating Neurons.

Cyclase-associated proteins (CAPs) are evolutionary-conserved actin-binding proteins with crucial functions in regulating actin dynamics, the spatiotemporally controlled assembly and disassembly of actin filaments (F-actin). Mammals possess two family members (CAP1 and CAP2) with different expression patterns. Unlike most other tissues, both CAPs are expressed in the brain and present in hippocampal neurons.

Neuronal figure-ground responses in primate primary auditory cortex.

Figure-ground segregation, the brain's ability to group related features into stable perceptual entities, is crucial for auditory perception in noisy environments. The neuronal mechanisms for this process are poorly understood in the auditory system. Here, we report figure-ground modulation of multi-unit activity (MUA) in the primary and non-primary auditory cortex of rhesus macaques.

Neuron Replating, a Powerful and Versatile Approach to Study Early Aspects of Neuron Differentiation.

Neuron differentiation includes formation and outgrowth of neurites that differentiate into axons or dendrites. Directed neurite outgrowth is controlled by growth cones that protrude and retract actin-rich structures to sense environmental cues. These cues control local actin filament dynamics, steer growth cones toward attractants and away from repellents, and navigate neurites through the developing brain.

Mutual functional dependence of cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1) and cofilin1 in neuronal actin dynamics and growth cone function.

Neuron connectivity depends on growth cones that navigate axons through the developing brain. Growth cones protrude and retract actin-rich structures to sense guidance cues. These cues control local actin dynamics and steer growth cones towards attractants and away from repellents, thereby directing axon outgrowth.

MRI monitoring of macaque monkeys in neuroscience: Case studies, resource and normative data comparisons.

Information from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is useful for diagnosis and treatment management of human neurological patients. MRI monitoring might also prove useful for non-human animals involved in neuroscience research provided that MRI is available and feasible and that there are no MRI contra-indications precluding scanning. However, MRI monitoring is not established in macaques and a resource is urgently needed that could grow with scientific community contributions.

Design and Optimization of a Novel Strategy for the Local Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infections.

Infections with Helicobacter pylori are a global challenge. Currently, H. pylori infections are treated systemically, but the eradication rates of the different therapy regimens are declining due to the growing number of bacterial strains resistant to major antibiotics.

Characterization of gastrointestinal transit and luminal conditions in pigs using a telemetric motility capsule.

Within preclinical research, the pig has become an important model in regulatory toxicology and pharmacokinetics, to assess oral dosage forms and to compare different formulation strategies. In addition, there are emerging application of the pig model to asses clinical dosing conditions in the fasted and fed state. In this study, the gastrointestinal transit conditions in male landrace pigs were studied with a telemetric motility capsule under fasted and postprandial conditions.

Surface Wave Diffraction Pattern Recorded on AlpArray: Cameroon Volcanic Line Case Study.

Stripe-like patterns of surface wave arrival angle deviations have been observed by several seismological studies around the world, but this phenomenon has not been explained so far. Here we test the hypothesis that systematic arrival angle deviations observed at the AlpArray broadband seismic network in Europe are interference patterns caused by diffraction of surface waves at single small-scaled velocity anomalies. We use the observed pattern of Rayleigh waves from two earthquakes under the Southern Atlantic Ocean, and we fit this pattern with theoretical arrival angles derived by a simple modeling approach describing the interaction of a seismic wavefield with small anomalies.

Abomasal emptying rate of diarrhoeic and healthy suckling calves fed with oral rehydration solutions.

The aim of the study was to determine the abomasal emptying rate (AER) of calves suffering from naturally occurring diarrhoea compared with that of healthy calves. Furthermore, the effects of an oral rehydration solution (ORS) mixed into milk replacer on the AER were determined. Acetaminophen absorption test (APAT) was performed to estimate the AER.