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Abstract Background Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) and human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (hBM-MSCs) have been thoroughly studied for research and translational bone regeneration purposes. rhBMP-2 induces bone formation in vivo, and hBM-MSCs are its target, bone-forming cells. In this article, we studied how rhBMP-2 drives the multilineage differentiation of hBM-MSCs both in vivo and in vitro. Methods rhBMP-2 and hBM-MSCs were tested in an in vivo subcutaneous implantation model to assess their ability to form mature bone and undergo multilineage differentiation. Then, the hBM-MSCs were treated in vitro with rhBMP-2 for short-term or long-term cell-culture periods, alone or in combination with osteogenic, adipogenic or chondrogenic media, aiming to determine the role of rhBMP-2 in these differentiation processes. Results The data indicate that hBM-MSCs respond to rhBMP-2 in the short term but fail to differentiate in long-term culture conditions; these cells overexpress the rhBMP-2 target genes DKK1, HEY-1 and SOST osteogenesis inhibitors. However, in combination with other differentiation signals, rhBMP-2 acts as a potentiator of multilineage differentiation, not only of osteogenesis but also of adipogenesis and chondrogenesis, both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Altogether, our data indicate that rhBMP-2 alone is unable to induce in vitro osteogenic terminal differentiation of hBM-MSCs, but synergizes with other signals to potentiate multiple differentiation phenotypes. Therefore, rhBMP-2 triggers on hBM-MSCs different specific phenotype differentiation depending on the signalling environment.

The generation of large spin currents, and the associated spin torques, which are at the heart of modern spintronics, has long been achieved by charge-to-spin conversion mechanisms, i.e., the spin Hall effect and/or the Rashba–Edelstein effect, intrinsically linked to strong spin–orbit coupling. Recently, a novel path has been predicted and observed for achieving significant current-induced torques originating from light elements, hence possessing weak spin–orbit interaction. These findings point out to the potential involvement of the orbital counterpart of electrons, namely the orbital Hall and orbital Rashba–Edelstein effects. In this study, we aim at quantifying these orbital-related contributions to the effective torques acting on a thin Co layer in different systems. First, we demonstrate in Pt|Co|Cu|AlOx stacking a comparable torque strength coming from the conversion due to the orbital Rashba–Edelstein effect at the Cu|AlOx interface and the one from the effective spin Hall effect in the bottom Pt|Co system. Second, in order to amplify the orbital-to-spin conversion, we investigate the impact of an intermediate Pt layer in Co|Pt|Cu|CuOx. From the Pt thickness dependence of the effective torques determined by harmonic Hall measurements complemented by spin Hall magneto-resistance and THz spectroscopy experiments, we demonstrate that a large orbital Rashba–Edelstein effect is present at the Cu|CuOx interface, leading to a twofold enhancement of the net torques on Co for the optimal Pt thickness. Our findings not only demonstrate the crucial role that orbital currents can play in low-dimensional systems with weak spin–orbit coupling but also reveal that they enable more energy efficient manipulation of magnetization in spintronic devices.

Abstract The versatility of properties displayed by two‐dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at oxide interfaces has fostered intense research in hope of achieving exotic electromagnetic effects in confined systems. Of particular interest is the recently discovered superconducting state appearing in (111)‐oriented KTaO3 interfaces, with a critical temperature Tc≈2 K, almost 10 times higher than that of SrTiO3‐based 2DEGs. Just as in SrTiO3‐based 2DEGs, fabricating devices in this new system is a technical challenge due to the fragility of the 2DEG and the propensity of bulk KTaO3 to become conducting outside the devices upon adventitious oxygen vacancy doping. Here, three different techniques are presented for patterning Hall bars in AlOx/KTaO3 (111) heterostructures. The devices show superconducting transitions ranging from 1.3 to 1.78 K, with limited degradation from the unpatterned thin film, and enable an efficient tuning of the carrier density by electric field effect. The array of techniques allows for the definition of channels with a large range of dimensions for the design of various kinds of devices to explore the properties of this system down to the nanoscale.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) control adaptive immunity and restrain type 2 inflammation in allergic disease. Interleukin-33 promotes the expansion of tissue-resident Tregs and group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s); however, how Tregs locally coordinate their function within the inflammatory niche is not understood. Here, we show that ILC2s are critical orchestrators of Treg function. Using spatial, cellular, and molecular profiling of the type 2 inflamed niche, we found that ILC2s and Tregs engage in a direct (OX40L-OX40) and chemotaxis-dependent (CCL1-CCR8) cellular dialogue that enforces the local accumulation of Gata3high Tregs, which are transcriptionally and functionally adapted to the type 2 environment. Genetic interruption of ILC2-Treg communication resulted in uncontrolled type 2 lung inflammation after allergen exposure. Mechanistically, we found that Gata3high Tregs can modulate the local bioavailability of the costimulatory molecule OX40L, which subsequently controlled effector memory T helper 2 cell numbers. Hence, ILC2-Treg interactions represent a critical feedback mechanism to control adaptive type 2 immunity. Editor's summary: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain the balance between protective and harmful inflammation, yet the mechanisms underlying Treg-mediated restraint of type 2 immunity remain to be determined. Stockis et al. investigate how cross-talk between ILC2) and Tregs constrains adaptive type 2 immunity in mice. ILC2 were required for the expansion of tissue-resident Gata3high Tregs after IL-33 exposure. These Gata3high Tregs directly controlled the availability of the costimulatory molecule OX40L on ILC2, which facilitated the expansion of effector memory TH2 cells and promoted type 2 airway inflammation. These findings identify that ILC2 locally regulate both effector and regulatory T cells during type 2 inflammation. —Hannah Isles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of convolutional neuronal networks (CNN) for the treatment of interferometric fringes has been introduced in recent years. In this paper, we optimize and build a CNN model, based U-NET architecture, to maximize its performance processing electronic speckle interferometry fringes (ESPI). The proposed approach is based on quick and light trainings to select the architecture parameters (network depth and kernel sizes) to maximize the performance of the neural network improving the visibility of ESPI images. To measure the performance, the structural similarity index (SSMI) will be the lead indicator, and the need for large datasets to train neural networks, unavailable for ESPI images, forces the use of a simulated ESPI image dataset along the process. This dataset is computed using Zernike polynomials to simulate local surface deformations in the specimen under test and simulated true speckle fields for the reference and object field involved in ESPI techniques.

Introduction: recurrent furunculosis consists of the sequential appearance of several boils in the patient over a period of months or years. Most cases are attributable to Staphylococcus aureus. Objective: to identify genetic susceptibility in individuals affected by recurrent furunculosis according to the true familial aggregation of the disease in a group of families with affected individuals. Methods: through an analytical study of a cross-sectional reconstructed through a family strategy design, the information obtained from 132 patients aged three to 74 years and 43 healthy adults with no personal history of furunculosis in five municipalities of the Province of Villa Clara was analyzed. 2019 and 2022. Family aggregation was established using two different criteria. The variables were analyzed in accordance with their nature and the objectives of the study. Results: true family aggregation was identified for both criteria, both for all relatives and for specific degrees of relationship, as well as the risk of furunculosis possessed by blood relatives of sick people. Conclusions: the existence of other family members with the disease underlies the susceptibility to recurrent furunculosis in the individuals studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Magnetoelectric Spin‐Orbit (MESO) technology aims to bring logic into memory by combining a ferromagnet with a magnetoelectric (ME) element for information writing, and a spin‐orbit (SO) element for information read‐out through spin‐charge conversion. Among candidate SO materials to achieve a large MESO output signal, oxide Rashba two‐dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) have shown very large spin‐charge conversion efficiencies, albeit mostly in spin‐pumping experiments. Here, all‐electrical spin‐injection and spin‐charge conversion experiments in nanoscale devices harnessing the inverse Edelstein effect of SrTiO3 2DEGs are reported. Nanodevices aredesigned, patterned, and fabricated in which a spin current injected from a cobalt layer into the 2DEG is converted into a charge current. The spin‐charge conversion signal is optimized by applying back‐gate voltages and studied its temperature evolution. It further disentangles the inverse Edelstein contribution from spurious effects such as the planar Hall effect, the anomalous Hall effect, or the anisotropic magnetoresistance. The combination of non‐volatility and high energy efficiency of these devices can potentially lead to new technology paradigms for beyond‐CMOS computing architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the immune-inflammatory response in furunculosis caused by Staphylococcus aureus. It is mentioned that furuncles are forms of deep necrotizing folliculitis and are related to the cytotoxic virulence factor Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). It is reported that in the southwest of the United States, the prevalence of furunculosis is higher than in other areas. Studies conducted in Cuba on S. aureus infections and recurrent multiple furunculosis are also mentioned. In addition, the role of the inflammasome is discussed, and the inflammatory indices used to evaluate the inflammatory response in patients with recurrent furunculosis are mentioned. The text also highlights the active involvement of platelets in S. aureus infection and how they activate macrophages to phagocytize and kill the bacteria. The inflammation indices INL, IPL, and IIIS, used to evaluate the immune response in different clinical scenarios, are mentioned. [Extracted from the article]

Knowledge on the underlying mechanisms and molecular targets for managing the ocular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains incomplete. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of irreversible visual disability worldwide. By using ophthalmological and molecular-genetic approaches, we gathered specific information to build a data network for deciphering the crosslink of oxidative stress (OS) and apoptosis (AP) processes, as well as to identify potential epigenetic modifications related to noncoding RNAs in the eyes of patients with T2DM. A total of 120 participants were recruited, being classified into two groups: individuals with T2MD (T2MDG, n = 67), divided into a group of individuals with (+DR, n = 49) and without (−DR, n = 18) DR, and a control group (CG, n = 53). Analyses of compiled data reflected significantly higher plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and significantly lower total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the +DR patients compared with the −DR and the CG groups. Furthermore, the plasma caspase-3 (CAS3), highly involved in apoptosis (AP), showed significantly higher values in the +DR group than in the −DR patients. The microRNAs (miR) hsa-miR 10a-5p and hsa-miR 15b-5p, as well as the genes BCL2L2 and TP53 involved in these pathways, were identified in relation to DR clinical changes. Our data suggest an interaction between OS and the above players in DR pathogenesis. Furthermore, potential miRNA-regulated target genes were identified in relation to DR. In this concern, we may raise new diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that hold the potential to significantly improve managing the diabetic eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]