Can a Large Number of Transplanted Mesenchymal Stem Cells Have an Optimal Therapeutic Effect on Improving Ovarian Function?

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are next-generation treatment in degenerative diseases. For the application of mesenchymal stem cell therapy to degenerative disease, transplantation conditions (e.g., optimized dose, delivery route and regenerating efficacy) should be considered. Recently, researchers have studied the mode of action of MSC in the treatment of ovarian degenerative disease. However, the evidence for the optimal number of cells for the developing stem cell therapeutics is insufficient. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy in ovarian dysfunction, depends on cell dose. By intraovarian transplantation of low (1 × 10⁵) and high (5 × 10⁵) doses of placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PD-MSCs) into thioacetamide (TAA)-injured rats, we compared the levels of apoptosis and oxidative stress that depend on different cell doses. Apoptosis and oxidative stress were significantly decreased in the transplanted (Tx) group compared to the non-transplanted (NTx) group in ovarian tissues from TAA-injured rats (* p < 0.05). In addition, we confirmed that follicular development was significantly increased in the Tx groups compared to the NTx group (* p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the apoptosis, antioxidant or follicular development of injured ovarian tissues between the low and high doses PD-MSCs group. These findings provide new insights into the understanding and evidence obtained from clinical trials for stem cell therapy in reproductive systems.     

Distributed Virtual Inertia Based Control of Multiple Photovoltaic Systems in Autonomous Microgrid

The large inertia of a traditional power system slows down system's frequency response but also allows decent time for controlling the system. Since an autonomous renewable microgrid usually has much smaller inertia, the control system must be very fast and accurate to fight against the small inertia and uncertainties. To reduce the demanding requirements on control, this paper proposes to increase the inertia of photovoltaic (PV) system through inertia emulation. The inertia emulation is realized by controlling the charging/discharging of the direct current (DC)-link capacitor over a certain range and adjusting the PV generation when it is feasible and/or necessary. By well designing the inertia, the DC-link capacitor parameters and the control range, the negative impact of inertia emulation on energy efficiency can be reduced. The proposed algorithm can be integrated with distributed generation setting algorithms to improve dynamic performance and lower implementation requirements. Simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution.      

Switchable diurnal radiative cooling by doped VO2

This paper presents design and simulation of a switchable radiative cooler that exploits phase transition in vanadium di-oxide to turn on and off in response to...     

Friction and wear behavior of graphite fiber-reinforced composites

Friction and wear behavior of continuous graphite fiber composites was studied for different fiber orientations against the sliding direction. The effect of fiber orientation on friction and wear of the composite and on deformation of the counterface was investigated experimentally. A pin on disk type testing machine was built and employed to generate friction and wear data. A graphite fiber composite plate was produced by the bleeder ply molding in an autoclave and machined into rectangular pin specimens with specific fiber orientations, i.e., normal, transverse, and longitudinal directions. Three different wear conditions were employed for two different periods of time, 24 and 48 hours. The wear track of the worn specimens and the metal counterface was examined and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the damaged fibers on the sliding surface of the specimen and wear film generation on the counterface. A wear mechanism of the continuous graphite fiber composite during sliding wear is proposed based on the experimental results.     

A Reaction Between High Mn–High Al Steel and CaO-SiO2-Type Molten Mold Flux: Reduction of Additive Oxide Components in Mold Flux by Al in Steel

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - The interfacial reaction between high-Mn–high-Al steel and CaO-SiO2-type mold flux was investigated, with particular emphasis on the reduction of...     

Therapeutic Potential of Human Fetal Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Narrative Review

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for diverse diseases and injuries. The biological and clinical advantages of human fetal MSCs (hfMSCs) have recently been reported. In terms of promising therapeutic approaches for diverse diseases and injuries, hfMSCs have gained prominence as healing tools for clinical therapies. Therefore, this review assesses not the only biological advantages of hfMSCs for healing human diseases and regeneration, but also the research evidence for the engraftment and immunomodulation of hfMSCs based on their sources and biological components. Of particular clinical relevance, the present review also suggests the potential therapeutic feasibilities of hfMSCs for musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and osteogenesis imperfecta.     

Activatable Peptides for Rapid and Simple Visualization of Protease Activity Secreted in Living Cells

Activity-based monitoring of cell-secreted proteases has gained significant interest due to the implication of these substances in diverse cellular functions. Here, we demonstrated a cell-based method of monitoring protease activity using fluorescent cell-permeable peptides. The activatable peptide consists of anionic (EEEE), cleavable, and cationic sequences (RRRR) that enable intracellular delivery by matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), which is secreted by living cancer cells. Compared to HT-29 cells (MMP2-negative), HT-1080 cells (MMP2-positive) showed a strong fluorescence response to the short fluorescent peptide via cell-secreted protease activation. Our approach is expected to find applications for the rapid visualization of protease activity in living cells.