Heat-Killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 Induces Human Dermal Papilla Cell Proliferation and Hair Regrowth in C57BL/6 Mice

Minoxidil is the most widely used treatment for hair growth, but has been associated with several side effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 on hair loss prevention and regrowth using human dermal papilla cells and male C57BL/6 mice. To examine the effects of EF-2001, we used minoxidil as the positive control. In the in vitro experiments, EF-2001 treatment (75–500 μg/mL) led to the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In the in vivo experiment, the topical application of 200 µL EF-2001 on the dorsal surface of C57BL/6 male mice led to hair growth. Changes in hair regrowth were examined by visual comparison and hematoxylin and eosin staining of skin sections. We also determined the expression levels of marker genes (Wnt) and growth factors (fibroblast growth factor, insulin growth factor 1, and vascular endothelial growth factor) in the skin tissues of the back of each mouse using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. EF-2001 accelerated the progression of hair regrowth in mice and promoted hair-follicle conversion from telogen to anagen, likely by increasing the expression levels of growth factors and marker genes.     

Structural Insights into Iron Ions Accumulation in Dps Nanocage

Dps (DNA-binding protein from starved cells) is well known for the structural protection of bacterial DNA by the formation of highly ordered intracellular assemblies under stress conditions. Moreover, this ferritin-like protein can perform fast oxidation of ferrous ions and subsequently accumulate clusters of ferric ions in its nanocages, thus providing the bacterium with physical and chemical protection. Here, cryo-electron microscopy was used to study the accumulation of iron ions in the nanocage of a Dps protein from Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that Fe²⁺ concentration in the solution and incubation time have an insignificant effect on the volume and the morphology of iron minerals formed in Dps nanocages. However, an increase in the Fe²⁺ level leads to an increase in the proportion of larger clusters and the clusters themselves are composed of discrete ~1–1.5 nm subunits.     

Proteomics and Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Biomarker Sources in Peritoneal Dialysis in Children

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) represents the dialysis modality of choice for pediatric patients with end-stage kidney disease. Indeed, compared with hemodialysis (HD), it offers many advantages, including more flexibility, reduction of the risk of hospital-acquired infections, preservation of residual kidney function, and a better quality of life. However, despite these positive aspects, PD may be associated with several long-term complications that may impair both patient’s general health and PD adequacy. In this view, chronic inflammation, caused by different factors, has a detrimental impact on the structure and function of the peritoneal membrane, leading to sclerosis and consequent PD failure both in adults and children. Although several studies investigated the complex pathogenic pathways underlying peritoneal membrane alterations, these processes remain still to explore. Understanding these mechanisms may provide novel approaches to improve the clinical outcome of pediatric PD patients through the identification of subjects at high risk of complications and the implementation of personalized interventions. In this review, we discuss the main experimental and clinical experiences exploring the potentiality of the proteomic analysis of peritoneal fluids and extracellular vesicles as a source of novel biomarkers in pediatric peritoneal dialysis.     

T型发射区单晶硅太阳电池的输出特性研究

利用TCAD半导体器件仿真软件对具有T型发射区结构的单晶硅太阳电池进行了仿真研究。全面系统地分析了在不同衬底少子寿命情况下,不同T型发射区深度对太阳电池外量子效率、短路电流密度、开路电压、填充因子及转换效率的影响。仿真结果表明:采用T型发射区结构可在一定程度上提高常规均匀发射区太阳电池的电学性能;T型发射区结构对700~1200nm长波段入射光的外量子效率具有明显的改善作用;当衬底少子寿命一定时,太阳电池短路电流密度、填充因子均随T型发射区深度的增大而增大,而开路电压随T型发射区深度的增大而减小;当T型发射区深度大于80μm时,对于低衬底少子寿命的单晶硅太阳电池,T型发射区结构对其转换效率的改善效果最为显著。     

NKG2C+ NK Cells for Immunotherapy of Glioblastoma Multiforme

In glioblastoma, non-classical human leucocyte antigen E (HLA-E) and HLA-G are frequently overexpressed. HLA-E loaded with peptides derived from HLA class I and from HLA-G contributes to inhibition of natural killer (NK) cells with expression of the inhibitory receptor CD94/NKG2A. We investigated whether NK cells expressing the activating CD94/NKG2C receptor counterpart were able to exert anti-glioma effects. NKG2C+ subsets were preferentially expanded by a feeder cell line engineered to express an artificial disulfide-stabilized trimeric HLA-E ligand (HLA-E*spG). NK cells expanded by a feeder cell line, which facilitates outgrowth of conventional NKG2A+, and fresh NK cells, were included for comparison. Expansion via the HLA-E*spG feeder cells selectively increased the fraction of NKG2C+ NK cells, which displayed a higher frequency of KIR2DL2/L3/S2 and CD16 when compared to expanded NKG2A+ NK cells. NKG2C+ NK cells exhibited increased cytotoxicity against K562 and KIR:HLA-matched and -mismatched primary glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells when compared to NKG2A+ NK cells and corresponding fresh NK cells. Cytotoxic responses of NKG2C+ NK cells were even more pronounced when utilizing target cells engineered with HLA-E*spG. These findings support the notion that NKG2C+ NK cells have potential therapeutic value for treating gliomas.     

Grain‐Boundary “Patches” by In Situ Conversion to Enhance Perovskite Solar Cells Stability

The power conversion efficiency of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells has increased rapidly, but the device stability remains a big challenge. Previous studies show the grain boundary (GB) can facilitate ion migration and initiate device degradation. Herein, methimazole (MMI) is employed for the first time to construct a surface “patch” by in situ converting residual PbI₂ at GBs. The resultant MMI–PbI₂ complex can effectively suppress ion migration and inhibit diffusion of the metal electrodes. The origin of the surface “patch” effect and their working mechanisms are investigated experimentally and theoretically at the microscopic level. It hence demonstrates a simple and effective method to prolong the device stability in the context of GB engineering, which could be extensively applied to perovskite‐based optoelectronics.     

Cobalt Ferrite Magnetic Nanoparticles for Tracing Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Tissue: A Preliminary Study

Therapy with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is promising in many diseases. Evaluation of their efficacy depends on adequate follow-up of MSCs after transplantation. Several studies have shown that MSCs can be labeled and subsequently visualized with magnetic nanoparticles (NPs). We investigated the homing of MSCs labeled with magnetic cobalt ferrite NPs in experimentally induced acute kidney injury in mice. To explore the homing of MSCs after systemic infusion into mice, we developed a pre-infusion strategy for optimal tracing and identification of MSCs with polyacrylic acid-coated cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) NPs by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in various organs of mice with cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury and control mice. By correlative microscopy, we detected MSCs labeled with NPs in the lungs, spleen, kidney, and intestine of cisplatin-treated mice and in the lungs and spleen of control mice. Our results confirm that labeling MSCs with metal NPs did not affect the ultrastructure of MSCs and their ability to settle in various organs. This study demonstrates the usefulness of cobalt ferrite NPs in ex vivo visualization of MSCs and offers correlative microscopy as a useful method in routine histopathology laboratories for tracing MSCs in paraffin-embedded tissue.