3D Culture of MSCs for Clinical Application.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play an important role in regenerative medicine and drug discovery due to their multipotential differentiation capabilities and immunomodulatory effects. Compared with traditional 2D cultures of MSCs, 3D cultures of MSCs have emerged as an effective approach to enhance cell viability, proliferation, and functionality, and provide a more relevant physiological environment. Here, we review the therapeutic potential of 3D-cultured MSCs, highlighting their roles in tissue regeneration and repair and drug screening.

Metformin Modulates Cell Oxidative Stress to Mitigate Corticosteroid-Induced Suppression of Osteogenesis in a 3D Model.

Background: Corticosteroids provide well-established therapeutic benefits; however, they are also accompanied by adverse effects on bone. Metformin is a widely used medication for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have highlighted additional therapeutic benefits of metformin, particularly concerning bone health and oxidative stress.

The Ni isotopic composition of Ryugu reveals a common accretion region for carbonaceous chondrites.

The isotopic compositions of samples returned from Cb-type asteroid Ryugu and Ivuna-type (CI) chondrites are distinct from other carbonaceous chondrites, which has led to the suggestion that Ryugu/CI chondrites formed in a different region of the accretion disk, possibly around the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. We show that, like for Fe, Ryugu and CI chondrites also have indistinguishable Ni isotope anomalies, which differ from those of other carbonaceous chondrites. We propose that this unique Fe and Ni isotopic composition reflects different accretion efficiencies of small FeNi metal grains among the carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies.

Breunnerite grain and magnesium isotope chemistry reveal cation partitioning during aqueous alteration of asteroid Ryugu.

Returned samples from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu provide pristine information on the original aqueous alteration history of the Solar System. Secondary precipitates, such as carbonates and phyllosilicates, reveal elemental partitioning of the major component ions linked to the primordial brine composition of the asteroid. Here, we report on the elemental partitioning and Mg isotopic composition (Mg/Mg) of breunnerite [(Mg, Fe, Mn)CO] from the Ryugu C0002 sample and the A0106 and C0107 aggregates by sequential leaching extraction of salts, exchangeable ions, carbonates, and silicates.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Cumulative Microscopic Damage in a Thermosetting Polymer under Cyclic Loading.

To develop durable composite materials, it is crucial to elucidate the correlation between nanoscale damage in thermosetting resins and the degradation of their mechanical properties. This study aims to investigate this correlation by performing cyclic loading tests on the cross-linked structure of diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (44-DDS) using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. To accurately represent the nanoscale damage in MD simulations, a bond dissociation algorithm based on interatomic distance criteria is applied, and three characteristics are used to quantify the microscopic damage: stress-strain curves, entropy generation, and the formation of voids.

Validation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Flow Cytometry Analysis for Immunological Disorders.

Flow cytometry is a vital diagnostic tool for hematologic and immunologic disorders, but manual analysis is prone to variation and time-consuming. Over the last decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced significantly. In this study, we developed and validated an AI-assisted flow cytometry workflow using 379 clinical cases from 2021, employing a 3-tube, 10-color flow panel with 21 antibodies for primary immunodeficiency diseases and related immunological disorders.

Analysis of Cation Composition in Dolomites on the Intact Particles Sampled from Asteroid Ryugu.

Characterization of the elemental distribution of samples with rough surfaces has been strongly desired for the analysis of various natural and artificial materials. Particularly for pristine and rare analytes with micrometer sizes embedded on specimen surfaces, non-invasive and matrix effect-free analysis is required without surface polishing treatment. To satisfy these requirements, we proposed a new method employing the sequential combination of two imaging modalities, i.

Water circulation in Ryugu asteroid affected the distribution of nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies in returned sample.

Studies of material returned from Cb asteroid Ryugu have revealed considerable mineralogical and chemical heterogeneity, stemming primarily from brecciation and aqueous alteration. Isotopic anomalies could have also been affected by delivery of exogenous clasts and aqueous mobilization of soluble elements. Here, we show that isotopic anomalies for mildly soluble Cr are highly variable in Ryugu and CI chondrites, whereas those of Ti are relatively uniform.

CO formation from glucose and cellulose as treated in ionic liquids.

The formation of carbon monoxide (CO) from glucose and cellulose by the treatment with various ionic liquids was studied. Ionic liquids with an imidazolium structure as cation and the chloride or acetate as anion were used. Additionally, 1,8-diazabicyclo [5.

Abundant presolar grains and primordial organics preserved in carbon-rich exogenous clasts in asteroid Ryugu.

Preliminary analyses of asteroid Ryugu samples show kinship to aqueously altered CI (Ivuna-type) chondrites, suggesting similar origins. We report identification of C-rich, particularly primitive clasts in Ryugu samples that contain preserved presolar silicate grains and exceptional abundances of presolar SiC and isotopically anomalous organic matter. The high presolar silicate abundance (104 ppm) indicates that the clast escaped extensive alteration.

Extracellular vesicles in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a chronic pediatric inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, characterized by fever, rash, hepatosplenomegaly, serositis, and arthritis. We hypothesized that intercellular communication, mediated by extracellular vesicles, contributes to systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis pathogenesis and that the number and cellular sources of extracellular vesicles would differ between inactive and active states of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and healthy controls. We evaluated plasma from healthy pediatric controls and patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis with active systemic flare or inactive disease.

New analytical method for the evaluation of heterogeneity in cation compositions of dolomites by micro-XRF and Raman spectroscopies.

Dolomite (CaMg(CO)) is an abundant carbonate mineral contained in sedimentary rocks and plays significant roles in water and carbon cycle in geo/cosmochemical environments. Since the cation compositions of carbonates are sensitive to the aqueous environment where they were precipitated and persisted, quantitative analysis of their cation compositions provides valuable information on the aqueous environments and their changes. The difficulty for the analysis of natural dolomite is that Mg is continuously substituted by Fe or Mn, and hence they sometimes possess micrometer-scale heterogeneity.

Non-destructive estimation of the cation composition of natural carbonates by micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Carbonates play a crucial role in the water and carbon cycles of both geochemical and cosmochemical environments. As carbonates do not exist homogeneously with other minerals in rocks and sands of various sizes, an analytical method that simultaneously satisfies non-destructivity and high spatial resolution has been desired. Further, the ability of semi-quantitative analysis with carbonates-selectivity and without any pre-treatments is added, for its applicability would be extended to remote sensing for deep sea and outer spaces.

Oxygen isotopes of anhydrous primary minerals show kinship between asteroid Ryugu and comet 81P/Wild2.

The extraterrestrial materials returned from asteroid (162173) Ryugu consist predominantly of low-temperature aqueously formed secondary minerals and are chemically and mineralogically similar to CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites. Here, we show that high-temperature anhydrous primary minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites exhibit a bimodal distribution of oxygen isotopic compositions: O-rich (associated with refractory inclusions) and O-poor (associated with chondrules). Both the O-rich and O-poor minerals probably formed in the inner solar protoplanetary disk and were subsequently transported outward.

Contribution of Ryugu-like material to Earth's volatile inventory by Cu and Zn isotopic analysis.

Initial analyses showed that asteroid Ryugu's composition is close to CI (Ivuna-like) carbonaceous chondrites -the chemically most primitive meteorites, characterized by near-solar abundances for most elements. However, some isotopic signatures (e.g.

An ionic silver coating prevents implant-associated infection by anaerobic bacteria in vitro and in vivo in mice.

Currently, implants are utilized clinically for bone transplant procedures. However, if infectious osteomyelitis occurs at implant sites, removal of bacteria can be challenging. Moreover, altered blood flow at peri-implant infectious sites can create an anaerobic environment, making it more difficult to treat infection with antibiotics.

Ryugu's nucleosynthetic heritage from the outskirts of the Solar System.

Little is known about the origin of the spectral diversity of asteroids and what it says about conditions in the protoplanetary disk. Here, we show that samples returned from Cb-type asteroid Ryugu have Fe isotopic anomalies indistinguishable from Ivuna-type (CI) chondrites, which are distinct from all other carbonaceous chondrites. Iron isotopes, therefore, demonstrate that Ryugu and CI chondrites formed in a reservoir that was different from the source regions of other carbonaceous asteroids.

IMP1/IGF2BP1 in human colorectal cancer extracellular vesicles.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. There is an urgent need for new methods of early CRC detection and monitoring to improve patient outcomes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted, lipid-bilayer bound, nanoparticles that carry biological cargo throughout the body and in turn exhibit cancer-related biomarker potential.

Effect of Electrostatic Interactions on the Interfacial Energy between Thermoplastic Polymers and Graphene Oxide: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

In this study, the atomistic-scale mechanisms affecting the interfacial stability of a thermoplastic polymer/graphene oxide interface are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Different combinations of thermoplastic polymers (polyethersulfone (PES) and polyetherimide (PEI)) and graphene oxides modified with -O-, -OH, and -COOH are prepared. PES is found to be more strongly stabilized with modified/functionalized graphene oxide in the order of -COOH, -OH, -O-, which is opposite to the stability order of PEI.

Samples returned from the asteroid Ryugu are similar to Ivuna-type carbonaceous meteorites.

Carbonaceous meteorites are thought to be fragments of C-type (carbonaceous) asteroids. Samples of the C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu were retrieved by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We measured the mineralogy and bulk chemical and isotopic compositions of Ryugu samples.

Irreversible alteration of extracellular vesicle and cell-free messenger RNA profiles in human plasma associated with blood processing and storage.

The discovery and utility of clinically relevant circulating biomarkers depend on standardized methods that minimize preanalytical errors. Despite growing interest in studying extracellular vesicles (EVs) and cell-free messenger RNA (cf-mRNA) as potential biomarkers, how blood processing and freeze/thaw impacts the profiles of these analytes in plasma was not thoroughly understood. We utilized flow cytometric analysis to examine the effect of differential centrifugation and a freeze/thaw cycle on EV profiles.

Osteonecrosis development by tooth extraction in zoledronate treated mice is inhibited by active vitamin D analogues, anti-inflammatory agents or antibiotics.

Invasive dental treatment such as tooth extraction following treatment with strong anti-bone resorptive agents, including bisphosphonates and denosumab, reportedly promotes osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) at the extraction site, but strategies to prevent ONJ remain unclear. Here we show that in mice, administration of either active vitamin D analogues, antibiotics or anti-inflammatory agents can prevent ONJ development induced by tooth extraction during treatment with the bisphosphonate zoledronate. Specifically, tooth extraction during treatment with zoledronate induced osteonecrosis in mice, but administration of either 1,25(OH)D or ED71, both active vitamin D analogues, significantly antagonized osteonecrosis development, even under continuous zoledronate treatment.