Contaminant-free layer-by-layer annealing to improve the properties of HfO/SiO optical films for the fs laser.

The low laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of HfO/SiO films is an important factor in limiting the further development of high repetition rate femtosecond (fs) laser systems. Conventional whole-layer annealing can effectively improve the properties of SiO films, but it is difficult to improve the properties of HfO films located in the intermediate layer and is also prone to introduce contaminants. In this study, an innovative magnetron sputtering-vacuum tube furnace combined system was presented to deposit and anneal the HfO/SiO films without contaminant.

Ultrahigh oxygen evolution reaction activity in Au doped co-based nanosheets.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has attracted enormous interest as a key process for water electrolysis over the past years. The advance of this process relies on an effective catalyst. Herein, we employed single-atom Au doped Co-based nanosheets (NSs) to theoretically and experimentally evaluate the OER activity and also the interaction between Co and Au.

Preclinical Evaluation of a Single Intravenous Infusion of hUC-MSC (BX-U001) in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease of the joints, which causes severe pain and excessive systemic circulation of harmful inflammatory cytokines. Current treatments are limited, with some patients not responding well, and some experiencing severe and detrimental side effects. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are cell-based therapeutics being evaluated as potent immunomodulators in RA and may provide relief to patients not responding well to drug-based treatments.

Highly Conductive PDMS Composite Mechanically Enhanced with 3D-Graphene Network for High-Performance EMI Shielding Application.

A highly conductive three-dimensional (3D) graphene network (GN) was fabricated by chemical vapor deposition on a 3D nickel fiber network and subsequent etching process. Then a lightweight and flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/GN composite was prepared by a vacuum infiltration method by using the graphene network as a template. The composite showed the superior electrical conductivity of 6100 S/m even at a very low loading level of graphene (1.

NH-Sensing Mechanism Using Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor with AlO(OH) Film.

In this study, AlO(OH) (boehmite) film was deposited onto a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator using a combined sol-gel and spin-coating technology, and prepared and used as a sensitive layer for a high-performance ammonia sensor. The prepared AlO(OH) film has a mesoporous structure and a good affinity to NH (ammonia gas) molecules, and thus can selectively adsorb and react with NH. When exposed to ammonia gases, the SAW sensor shows an initial positive response of the frequency shift, and then a slight decrease of the frequency responses.

Transplantation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood as therapy for type I diabetes.

In recent years, human umbilical cord blood has emerged as a rich source of stem, stromal and immune cells for cell-based therapy. Among the stem cells from umbilical cord blood, CD45+ multipotent stem cells and CD90+ mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to treat type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM), to correct autoimmune dysfunction and replenish β-cell numbers and function. In this review, we compare the general characteristics of umbilical cord blood-derived multipotent stem cells (UCB-SCs) and umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) and introduce their applications in T1DM.

AZGP1 suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and hepatic carcinogenesis by blocking TGFβ1-ERK2 pathways.

Zinc-α2-glycoprotein 1 (AZGP1) has been found to play important roles in TGF-β1 induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the mechanisms of AZGP1 inhibiting EMT and its therapeutic potential remain unknown in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AZGP1, TGF-β1 or ERK2 expressions were examined in liver tissues of HCC patients and rat model.

FOXP1 and SPINK1 reflect the risk of cirrhosis progression to HCC with HBV infection.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) deriving from cirrhosis with HBV infection harbors higher morbidity and poor prognosis. The diagnosis of HCC at its early stage is essential for improving the effect of treatment and survival rate of patients.

Method: Affymetrix GeneChip was practiced to establish gene expression profile and significance analysis of microarray (SAM) as well as prediction analysis of microarray (PAM) was utilized to screen candidate marker genes in tissue of carcinoma and para-cancerous with cirrhosis from 15 hepatitis B virus (HBV) related HCC patients.

Direct Conversion of Cord Blood CD34+ Cells Into Neural Stem Cells by OCT4.

Unlabelled: : Cellular reprogramming or conversion is a promising strategy to generate desired stem cell types from somatic cells. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have the potential to regenerate central nervous system tissue and repair damage in response to injury. However, NSCs are difficult to isolate from human tissues and expand in sufficient quantities for therapy.

Evidence for high translational potential of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy to improve recovery from ischemic stroke.

Although ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, current therapies benefit only a small proportion of patients. Transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC, also known as mesenchymal stem cells or multipotent stromal cells) has attracted attention as a regenerative therapy for numerous diseases, including stroke. Mesenchymal stromal cells may aid in reducing the long-term impact of stroke via multiple mechanisms that include induction of angiogenesis, promotion of neurogenesis, prevention of apoptosis, and immunomodulation.

[Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for treatment of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis in rats].

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UCMSC) transplantation has been widely used in the treatment of a variety of diseases due to their advantages such as abundant resources, low immunogenicity and large ex vivo expansion capacity. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of UCMSC on experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) rats. The distribution of human-derived cells was observed by immunofluorescence method, the effect of MSC on B-cell in situ-secreted antibodies was assayed by ELISPOT, the secreted IFN-γ level was detected by using Transwell test.

Intrapulmonary delivery of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells attenuates acute lung injury by expanding CD4+CD25+ Forkhead Boxp3 (FOXP3)+ regulatory T cells and balancing anti- and pro-inflammatory factors.

Background: Systemic and local inflammatory processes play key, mainly detrimental roles in the pathophysiology of acute lung injury (ALI). The present study was designed to determine whether human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC) are able to act on CD4(+)CD25(+) Foxp3(+)Treg cells and lead to an improvement in ALI.

Methods: Mice were administered intratracheally endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) and received intrapulmonary 1×10(6) UCMSC 4 hours after challenge.

Therapeutic benefit of human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stromal cells in intracerebral hemorrhage rat: implications of anti-inflammation and angiogenesis.

Cell-based therapy represents a promising strategy in the treatment of neurological disorders. Human umbilical cord tissue has recently been recognized as an ideal source of mesenchymal stromal cells due to accessibility, vast abundance and safety. Here, an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) rat model was established by injection of bacterial collagenase VII and CM-DiI labeled human umbilical cord tissue derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSC) were intracerebrally transplanted into rat brain 24 h after ICH.