Abstract: Provided are methods to increase the nephron yield and control over nephron locations in kidney organoids and kidney replacement tissues; the methods achieve spatiotemporal control over the mechanical microenvironment to engineer favorable environments for nephron formation within kidney organoids. This engineered control can be created using microdevices that impose mechanical stress at defined intervals synchronized with cyclical nephron development in vivo, agonists/antagonists of tension-generating biochemical pathways in whole organoids or cells, optogenetic control over tension in stem cell collectives, and/or cell-cell junction mediated transfer of mechanical information between cells, or similar approaches.

Abstract: A brush assembly apparatus for cooperation with a snow plow mounting apparatus which includes apparatus for attachment to the associated snow plow mounting apparatus and an elongated main body. A plurality of bristles mounted in the main body extend generally downwardly during normal operation and apparatus is provided to bias the main body downwardly to insure thorough sweeping. In some form of the invention the apparatus also includes at least a first generally L-shaped axial extremity for the main body. Other forms of the invention may also include a second generally L-shaped axial extremity for the main body.