Our findings point towards an improved definition of thermal dose in concordance with the thermodynamics of protein denaturation. Our predictions well reproduce experimental in vitro and in vivo data, explaining the thermal modulation of cellular radioresponse for simultaneous thermoradiotherapy.To elucidate factors underlying the evolution of large brains in cetaceans, we examined 16 brains from 14 cetartiodactyl species, with immunohistochemical techniques, for evidence of non-shivering thermogenesis. We show that, in comparison to the 11 artiodactyl brains studied (from 11 species), the 5 cetacean brains (from 3 species), exhibit an expanded expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1, UCPs being mitochondrial inner membrane proteins that dissipate the proton gradient to generate heat) in cortical neurons, immunolocalization of UCP4 within a substantial proportion of glia throughout the brain, and an increased density of noradrenergic axonal boutons (noradrenaline functioning to control concentrations of and activate UCPs). Thus, cetacean brains studied possess multiple characteristics indicative of intensified thermogenetic functionality that can be related to their current and historical obligatory aquatic niche. These findings necessitate reassessment of our concepts regarding the reasons for large brain evolution and associated functional capacities in cetaceans.Although incompletely understood, microbiota-host interactions are assumed to be altered in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We, therefore, aimed to develop a novel analysis pipeline tailored for the integrative analysis of microbiota-host interactions and association to symptoms and prove its utility in a pilot cohort. A multilayer stepwise integrative analysis pipeline was developed to visualize complex variable associations. Application of the pipeline was demonstrated on a dataset of IBS patients and healthy controls (HC), using the R software package to analyze colonic host mRNA and mucosal microbiota (16S rRNA gene sequencing), as well as gastrointestinal (GI) and psychological symptoms. In total, 42 IBS patients (57% female, mean age 33.6 (range 18-58)) and 20 HC (60% female, mean age 26.8 (range 23-41)) were included. Only in IBS patients, mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 4 and genes associated with barrier function (PAR2, OCLN, TJP1) intercorrelated closely, suggesting potential functional relationships. This host genes-based "permeability cluster" was associated to mucosa-adjacent Chlamydiae and Lentisphaerae, and furthermore associated to satiety as well as to anxiety, depression and fatigue. In both IBS patients and HC, chromogranins, secretogranins and TLRs clustered together. In IBS patients, this host genes-based "immune-enteroendocrine cluster" was associated to specific members of Firmicutes, and to depression and fatigue, whereas in HC no significant association to microbiota was identified. We have developed a stepwise integrative analysis pipeline that allowed identification of unique host-microbiota intercorrelation patterns and association to symptoms in IBS patients. This analysis pipeline may aid in advancing the understanding of complex variable associations in health and disease.It was reported that histopathologic lesions are risk factors for the progression of IgA Nephropathy (IgAN). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between mesangial deposition of C1q and renal outcomes in IgAN. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ins018-055-ism001-055.html 1071 patients with primary IgAN diagnosed by renal biopsy were enrolled in multiple study centers form January 2013 to January 2017. Patients were divided into two groups C1q-positive and C1q-negative. Using a 1 4 propensity score matching (PSM) method identifying age, gender, and treatment modality to minimize confounding factors, 580 matched (out of 926) C1q-negative patients were compared with 145 C1q-positive patients to evaluate severity of baseline clinicopathological features and renal outcome. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to determine whether mesangial C1q deposition is associated with renal outcomes in IgAN. During the follow-up period (41.89 ± 22.85 months), 54 (9.31%) patients in the C1q negative group and 23 (15.86%) patients in C1q positive group reached the endpoint (50% decline of eGFR and/or ESRD or death) respectively (p = 0.01) in the matched cohort. Significantly more patients in C1q negative group achieved complete or partial remission during the follow up period (P = 0.003) both before and after PSM. Three, 5 and 7-year renal survival rates in C1q-positive patients were significantly lower than C1q-negative patients in either unmatched cohort or matched cohort (all p  less then  0.05). Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that independent risk factors influencing renal survival included Scr, urinary protein, T1-T2 lesion and C1q deposition. Mesangial C1q deposition is a predictor of poor renal survival in IgA nephropathy.Trial registration TCTR, TCTR20140515001. Registered May 15, 2014, http//www.clinicaltrials.in.th/index.php?tp=regtrials&menu=trialsearch&smenu=fulltext&task=search&task2=view1&id=1074 .Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by marked desmoplasia and drug resistance due, in part, to poor drug delivery to extravascular tumor tissue. Here, we report that carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) induce β5 integrin expression in tumor cells in a TGF-β dependent manner, making them an efficient drug delivery target for the tumor-penetrating peptide iRGD. The capacity of iRGD to deliver conjugated and co-injected payloads is markedly suppressed when β5 integrins are knocked out in the tumor cells. Of note, β5 integrin knock-out in tumor cells leads to reduced disease burden and prolonged survival of the mice, demonstrating its contribution to PDAC progression. iRGD significantly potentiates co-injected chemotherapy in KPC mice with high β5 integrin expression and may be a powerful strategy to target an aggressive PDAC subpopulation.Exchange bias properties of MnFe[Formula see text]O[Formula see text]@[Formula see text]-Fe[Formula see text]O[Formula see text] core-shell nanoparticles are investigated. The measured field and temperature dependencies of the magnetization point out a well-ordered ferrimagnetic core surrounded by a layer with spin glass-like arrangement. Quasi-static SQUID magnetization measurements are presented along with high-amplitude pulse ones and are cross-analyzed by comparison against ferromagnetic resonance experiments at 9 GHz. These measurements allow one to discern three types of magnetic anisotropies affecting the dynamics of the magnetic moment of the well-ordered ferrimagnetic NP's core viz. the easy-axis (uniaxial) anisotropy, the unidirectional exchange-bias anisotropy and the rotatable anisotropy. The uniaxial anisotropy originates from the structural core-shell interface. The unidirectional exchange-bias anisotropy is associated with the spin-coupling at the ferrimagnetic/spin glass-like interface; it is observable only at low temperatures after a field-cooling process.