Chirality generation on carbon nanosheets by chemical modification.

Chirality is an intriguing property of molecules, and an exciting area of study involves the generation of chirality in nanographenes (NGs), also known as graphene quantum dots. Unlike those synthesized through stepwise carbon-carbon bond formation by organic reactions (bottom-up method), NGs obtained by cutting parent carbons (top-down method) pose challenges in precisely regulating their three-dimensional structures by post-synthesis. This includes the incorporation of non-hexagonal rings and helicene-like structures in carbon frameworks.

Transplantable cell-encapsulation device using a semipermeable ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer membrane in a mouse diabetic model.

Cell-based therapy is an attractive approach, and encapsulation of therapeutic cells is a promising strategy because it prevents immune responses and allows transplanted cells to be retrieved in case of dysfunction. Bioartificial pancreas, in which insulin-secreting cells are encapsulated in a semipermeable membrane bag, is a new class of medical device for treating type-I diabetes. In this study, we developed a macroencapsulation device in which the pancreatic beta cell line MIN6 was encapsulated in a semipermeable bag made of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer membrane.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on the physique of school-age children in Japan.

Purpose: Schools in Japan were closed nationwide from March to May 2020 because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many suspect that this school closure affected children's mental and physical health. We investigated changes in school-age children's physiques to determine the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions on their health.

Substituent-Induced Supramolecular Aggregates of Edge Functionalized Nanographenes.

Precisely controlled molecular assemblies often display intriguing morphologies and/or functions arising from their structures. The application of the concept of the self-assembly for controlling the aggregation of nanographenes (NGs) is challenging. The title NGs are those carrying both long alkyl chains and tris(phenylisoxazolyl)benzene (TPIB) on the edge.

Usefulness of a humanized tricellular static transwell blood-brain barrier model as a microphysiological system for drug development applications. - A case study based on the benchmark evaluations of blood-brain barrier microphysiological system.

Microphysiological system (MPS), a new technology for in vitro testing platforms, have been acknowledged as a strong tool for drug development. In the central nervous system (CNS), the blood‒brain barrier (BBB) limits the permeation of circulating substances from the blood vessels to the brain, thereby protecting the CNS from circulating xenobiotic compounds. At the same time, the BBB hinders drug development by introducing challenges at various stages, such as pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), safety assessment, and efficacy assessment.