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Fe-based multiphase nanocrystallized ribbons (CR-II) prepared by annealing of metallic glasses show unexpected high performance for Orange II degradation.

Elderly NeedsAging-in-place Qualitative approach a b s t r a c t Background: Empty-nest elders have considerable needs for daily living, health care, and

The development of acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex process involving tubular, inflammatory, and vascular components, but less is known about the role of the interstitial microenvironment. We have previously shown that the extracellular matrix glycoprotein tenascin-C (TNC) is induced in fibrotic kidneys. In mouse models of AKI induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) or cisplatin, TNC was induced de novo in the injured sites and localized to the renal interstitium. The circulating level of TNC protein was also elevated in AKI patients after cardiac surgery. Knockdown of TNC by shRNA in vivo aggravated AKI after ischemic or toxic injury. This effect was associated with reduced renal β-catenin expression, suggesting an impact on Wnt signaling. In vitro, TNC protected tubular epithelial cells against apoptosis and augmented Wnt1-mediated β-catenin activation. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that TNC physically interacts with Wnt ligands. Furthermore, a TNC-enriched kidney tissue scaffold prepared from IRI mice was able to recruit and concentrate Wnt ligands from the surrounding milieu ex vivo. The ability to recruit Wnt ligands in this ex vivo model diminished after TNC depletion. These studies indicate that TNC is specifically induced at sites of injury and recruits Wnt ligands, thereby creating a favorable microenvironment for tubular repair and regeneration after AKI.

Metallic glasses (MGs), with high density of low coordination sites and high Gibbs free energy state, are novel promising and competitive candidates in the family of electrochemical catalysts. However, it remains a grand challenge to modify the properties of MGs by control of the disordered atomic structure. Recently, nanostructured metallic glasses (NGs), consisting of amorphous nanometer‐sized grains connected by amorphous interfaces, have been reported to exhibit tunable properties compared to the MGs with identical chemical composition. Here, it is demonstrated that electrodeposited Ni–P NG is characterized by an extremely high energy state due to its heterogeneous structure, which significantly promotes the catalytic performance. Moreover, the Ni–P NG with a heterogeneous structure is a perfect precursor for the fabrication of unique honey‐like nanoporous structure, which displays superior catalytic performance in the urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Specifically, modified Ni–P NG requires a potential of mere 1.36 V at 10 mA cm–2, with a Tafel slope of 13 mV dec–1, which is the best UOR performance in Ni‐based alloys. The present work demonstrates that the nanostructurization of MGs provides a universal and effective pathway to upgrade the energy state of MGs for the design of high‐performance catalysts in energy conversion.

Nanostructured materials with large surface areas are continuing to be at the forefront of catalytic applications.

Tubular injury and peripheral fibroblast activation are the hallmarks of chronic kidney disease (CKD), suggesting intimate communication between the two types of cells. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be determined. Exosomes play a role in shuttling proteins and other materials to recipient cells. In our study, we found that exosomes were aroused by β‐catenin in renal tubular cells. Osteopontin (OPN), especially its N‐terminal fragment (N‐OPN), was encapsulated in β‐catenin‐controlled tubular cell‐derived exosome cargo, and subsequently passed to fibroblasts. Through binding with CD44, exosomal OPN promoted fibroblast proliferation and activation. Gene deletion of β‐catenin in tubular cells (Ksp‐β‐catenin −/− ) or gene ablation of CD44 (CD44 −/− ) greatly ameliorated renal fibrosis. Notably, N‐OPN was carried by exosome and secreted into the urine of patients with CKD, and negatively correlated with kidney function. The urinary exosomes from patients with CKD greatly accelerated renal fibrosis, which was blocked by CD44 deletion. These results suggest that exosome‐mediated activation of the OPN/CD44 axis plays a key role in renal fibrosis, which is controlled by β‐catenin.

Medical staff should realise that the level of self-acceptance among women with breast cancer in China is low and has room to improve. It is important to conduct appropriate interventions to improve self-acceptance among these women, based on an understanding of the factors associated with self-acceptance.