Preparation of Alginate Hydrogel Beads on a Superhydrophobic Surface with Calcium Salt Powder to Enhance the Mechanical Strength and Encapsulation Efficiency of Ingredients.

Calcium alginate hydrogel is one of the most widely used materials for drug-carrier beads used in drug-delivery systems. In this study, we developed a new method to improve the encapsulation efficiency of ingredients, such as medicines, in calcium alginate hydrogel beads. In the gold standard method, the hydrogel beads are prepared in the liquid phase.

A Case of Ossified Tissue Misdiagnosed as Amyloid Deposits by Congo Red Stain and Birefringence.

Pulmonary amyloidosis is diagnosed by identifying amyloid deposits using Congo red stain (CR) and birefringence under polarized light. However, collagen fibers can also produce similar staining results, complicating diagnosis. We report a case of a 55-year-old male patient with lung opacities, initially suspected to have amyloidosis based on CR positivity and green birefringence.

piRNA processing within non-membrane structures is governed by constituent proteins and their functional motifs.

Discovered two decades ago, PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are crucial for silencing transposable elements (TEs) in animal gonads, thereby protecting the germline genome from harmful transposition, and ensuring species continuity. Silencing of TEs is achieved through transcriptional and post-transcriptional suppression by piRNAs and the PIWI clade of Argonaute proteins within non-membrane structured organelle. These structures are composed of proteins involved in piRNA processing, including PIWIs and other proteins by distinct functional motifs such as the Tudor domain, LOTUS, and intrinsic disordered regions (IDRs).