Pattern recognition receptors are crucial for autoimmune responses. While C-type lectins play important roles in immune responses, their involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis remains less understood. To investigate this, we utilized Gene Expression Omnibus data for bioinformatics analyses and obtained peripheral blood samples from SLE patients to study the expression, functions, and potential mechanisms of macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle). The results...

Obesity is an established risk factor for invasive breast cancer; however, the specific molecular heterogeneity distinguishing invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) within the obese tumor microenvironment is not well defined. In the current study, spatially resolved transcriptomics was utilized to profile the epithelial, stromal, and immune compartments of DCIS and IDC lesions stratified by host body mass index, categorized as non-obese (≤29.9 kg/m²) or obese (≥30...

KRAS mutations are commonly found in 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases, making it one of the deadliest cancers. Key oncogenic signaling networks, such as KRAS, TP53-MDM2, EGFR, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR, are frequently altered in this invasive disease. These networks function within a dense desmoplastic tumor environment that inhibits drug delivery and fosters therapeutic resistance. Although KRAS mutations are a primary oncogenic driver and occur in approximately 90% of patients with...

Soil microbiomes are increasingly recognized as valuable indicators in forensic investigations, but microbial dynamics in mass graves remain poorly understood. This study investigates differences in microbial succession between individual graves (IG) and mass graves (MG) with human body donors and evaluates the potential of soil microbiome data to predict post-burial interval (PBI). Using ASV-level assessment, we analysed soil samples collected over time from both grave types in a controlled...

Water has strong directional interactions and forms a network of hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) in aqueous solutions. In order to assess the nature of this network as a function of the thermodynamic state, a generalized approach is introduced for enumerating the extended connectivity of H-bonding paths. By identifying and classifying rings formed from H-bonds where the donor-to-acceptor directionality can be considered, a ring summation factor metric can be constructed in a form comparable to the...