ZnSTe coherently grown onto GaP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using ZnS buffer layers

ZnS1-xTex epitaxial layers with x ~ 0.06, nearly lattice-matched to GaP substrates, have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Direct growth of the layers onto the substrates results in poor crystal quality, showing no sign of coherent growth. This seems to be due to alloy composition deviation at the initial stage of the growth. To avoid the problem, a thin coherent ZnS buffer layer has been inserted at the ZnSTe/GaP interface. With the buffer layers, coherent growth of ZnSTe layers is achieved and the crystal quality has been improved

Ethane-1,2-diyl bis­(benzene­dithio­ate)

In the crystal structure, the title compound, C16H14S4, is located on an inversion center and exhibits a gauche+–trans–gauche− conformation in the S—CH2—CH2—S bond sequence. The S—C=S plane makes a dihedral angle of 30.63 (17)° with the phenyl ring. An inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­action is observed

The Rapeseed Project for Restoring Tsunami-Salt-Damaged Farmland after the GEJE

Oral Presentatio

Basal insulin ratio of type 1 diabetes

Aims/Introduction: To investigate the basal insulin requirement in patients with type 1 diabetes who are on multiple daily injections (MDI) and to assess the patient characteristics that affect the percent of total daily basal insulin dose to the total daily insulin dose (%TBD/TDD). Materials and Methods: The subjects of this study were 67 inpatients with type 1 diabetes who were served diabetic meals of 25–30 kcal/kg standard body weight during several weeks of hospitalization. The basal insulin requirement was adjusted to keep the blood glucose level from bedtime to before breakfast within a 30 mg/dL difference. The bolus insulin dose before the meal was adjusted to keep the blood glucose level below 140 and 200 mg/dL before and 2 h after each meal, respectively. The total daily insulin dose (TDD), the percent of total daily basal insulin dose (TBD) to TDD (%TBD/TDD), and clinical characteristics were collected. Results: The median (Q1, Q3) of TDD was 33.0 (26.0, 49.0) units, and the %TBD/TDD was 24.1 ± 9.8%. The %TBD/TDD was positively correlated with the body mass index (BMI) and negatively correlated with the age at the onset and at the examination according to a univariate analysis. However, the %TBD/TDD was dependent on the BMI (β = 0.340, P = 0.004) and the age at examination (β = −0.288, P = 0.012) according to the multiple regression analysis. Conclusions: The average %TBD/TDD in patients with type 1 diabetes on MDI was approximately 24% under inpatient conditions. The basal insulin requirement was dependent on the BMI and the age at examination

Safety of Silk-elastin Sponges in Patients with Chronic Skin Ulcers: A Phase I/II, Single-center, Open-label, Single-arm Clinical Trial

Background: Although traditional wound dressings such as collagen scaffolds promote granulation tissue formation, the efficacy of these dressings in chronic wounds is limited because of high susceptibility to bacterial growth. Biomaterials that can be applied to chronic wounds should have an anti-bacterial function. We previously reported that administering a silk-elastin solution that forms moisturizing hydrogels to wound surfaces of diabetic mice reduced bacterial growth and promoted granulation tissue formation compared with control or carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels. We hypothesized that silk-elastin promotes wound healing in human chronic wounds by suppressing bacterial growth. Methods: An open-label, clinical case series was conducted with a prospective, single-arm design at Kyoto University Hospital in Kyoto, Japan. In this study, 6 patients with chronic skin ulcers of any origin (2 < ulcer area (cm2) < 25) on their lower extremities were included; patients with critical ischemia were excluded. Silk-elastin sponges were applied and covered with a polyurethane film without changing the dressing for 14 days. Inflammation triggered treatment discontinuation due to fear of infection. The primary study endpoint was adverse events, including inflammation and infection. Results: Poor hydrogel formation, possibly due to continuous exudation, was observed. No serious adverse events were noted. Two patients discontinued treatment on day 6 and day 7, respectively, due to inflammation, but they were not infected. The other 4 patients completed the 14-day silk-elastin sponge treatment without infection. Conclusion: Silk-elastin sponge is safe for chronic skin ulcers, and its ability to promote wound healing should be determined by confirmatory clinical trials

Anti-fibrotic efficacy of nintedanib in pulmonary fibrosis via the inhibition of fibrocyte activity

Background: Nintedanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is specific for platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFR), fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR), has recently been approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Fibrocytes are bone marrow-derived progenitor cells that produce growth factors and contribute to fibrogenesis in the lungs. However, the effects of nintedanib on the functions of fibrocytes remain unclear. Methods: Human monocytes were isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy volunteers. The expression of growth factors and their receptors in fibrocytes was analyzed using ELISA and Western blotting. The effects of nintedanib on the ability of fibrocytes to stimulate lung fibroblasts were examined in terms of their proliferation. The direct effects of nintedanib on the differentiation and migration of fibrocytes were also assessed. We investigated whether nintedanib affected the accumulation of fibrocytes in mouse lungs treated with bleomycin. Results: Human fibrocytes produced PDGF, FGF2, and VEGF-A. Nintedanib and specific inhibitors for each growth factor receptor significantly inhibited the proliferation of lung fibroblasts stimulated by the supernatant of fibrocytes. Nintedanib inhibited the migration and differentiation of fibrocytes induced by growth factors in vitro. The number of fibrocytes in the bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model was reduced by the administration of nintedanib, and this was associated with anti-fibrotic effects. Conclusions: These results support the role of fibrocytes as producers of and responders to growth factors, and suggest that the anti-fibrotic effects of nintedanib are at least partly mediated by suppression of fibrocyte function

Vasculature-driven stem cell population coordinates tissue scaling in dynamic organs

Stem cell (SC) proliferation and differentiation organize tissue homeostasis. However, how SCs regulate coordinate tissue scaling in dynamic organs remain unknown. Here, we delineate SC regulations in dynamic skin. We found that interfollicular epidermal SCs (IFESCs) shape basal epidermal proliferating clusters (EPCs) in expanding abdominal epidermis of pregnant mice and proliferating plantar epidermis. EPCs consist of IFESC-derived Tbx3⁺–basal cells (Tbx3⁺-BCs) and their neighboring cells where Adam8–extracellular signal–regulated kinase signaling is activated. Clonal lineage tracing revealed that Tbx3⁺-BC clones emerge in the abdominal epidermis during pregnancy, followed by differentiation after parturition. In the plantar epidermis, Tbx3⁺-BCs are sustained as long-lived SCs to maintain EPCs invariably. We showed that Tbx3⁺-BCs are vasculature-dependent IFESCs and identified mechanical stretch as an external cue for the vasculature-driven EPC formation. Our results uncover vasculature-mediated IFESC regulations, which explain how the epidermis adjusts its size in orchestration with dermal constituents in dynamic skin