Comparative analysis of FBS containing media and serum free chemically defined media, CellCor for adipose derived stem cells production

Background: As a result of the aging society, the average OECD life expectancy has grown to about 80 years, yet the average health life still remains at only 65 years, leaving more than 15 years of life in an uncertain health state. Regenerative medicine is a new concept of medicine that combines cells and biomaterials to restore the functions of aged or damaged tissues or organs. It is also a good treatment for chronic diseases and incurable diseases, receiving attention as a new paradigm for treating diseases. Problems: As the market for regenerative medicine grows, mass production of consistent quality cells is required. Media is the most important thing in mass production of consistent quality cells. However, the fetal bovine serum (FBS) containing media that is currently wide used has many problems, such as unidentified viral infection, immunogenicity, lot variations, unstable supply, and ethical issues. To solve these problems and make rapid progress in regenerative medicine, a high-performance serum free chemically defined media (CDM) is needed. Solution: CellCor is a serum free CDM that provides excellent performance, safety, economy and consistency in stem cell production. CellCor allows higher-speed cell production rate than current FBS containing culture media (Figure 1). Compared to the FBS containing media, CellCor is able to maintain stem cell markers, higher population homogeneity, genetic stability, and excellent differentiation potency even at later passage. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Victim, Aggressor, and Leader: Hierarchy, War Memory, and Foreign Policy of Postwar Japan

How can a country remembered as an aggressor see itself as a victimized country? How do state leaders reconcile tensions between the competing war memories of victimization and aggression with the state\u27s aspirations for international leadership? Analyzing archival documents, history textbooks, and leaders\u27 speeches, I examine the content and contestation of Japan\u27s collective memories of World War II and their effects on its three foreign policy cases: (1) UN diplomacy at the global level, (2) foreign aid policy toward Southeast Asia at the regional level, and (3) foreign policy regarding war responsibility and an apology for comfort women at the bilateral level with South Korea. I find that the boundaries of Japanese war memory, influenced by international hierarchy, have never been fixed, and vary over time. I argue that variations in the content and contestation of war memory, mediated by multiple relationships, define a range of legitimate foreign policy options. My findings suggest that the notions of international hierarchy and meanings help our understanding of the workings of power in international politics

In Situ Growth of Cyclodextrin‐Based Metal Organic Framework Air Filters for Reusable SO2 Adsorbent Applications

Abstract In situ growth of cyclodextrin‐based metal‐organic frameworks (CD‐MOFs) is investigated for the effective fabrication of MOF composites through the vapor diffusion method combined with O2 plasma treatment. The growth rate of γ‐CD‐MOFs on poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers (CD‐MOFs–PET) is determined for 136 h, and the CD‐MOFs‐PET with 24 h growth time shows the highest surface area without crystal deformation. The specific surface area of the CD‐MOFs‐PET with 24 h growth time is 142.88 m2 g−1, which is 235 times higher than the pristine PET fibers. The 24 h CD‐MOFs‐PET shows removal efficiencies higher than 99% for PM0.1 and higher than 95% for SO2 gas. The CD‐MOFs‐PET demonstrates high recovery of SO2 adsorption ability by the repeated adsorption‐desorption cycles, maintaining up to 90% of initial adsorption performance. This study intends to provide an informative discussion of the applicability of textile‐based CD‐MOFs and the development of reusable filters for the removal of SO2

Tetrazolium-based visually indicating bacteria sensor for colorimetric detection of point-of-contamination

Protective equipment for detecting bacterial contamination has been in high demand with increasing interest in public health and hygiene. Herein, a fiber-based visually indicating bacteria sensor (VIBS) embedded with iodonitrote-trazolium chloride is developed for the general purpose of detecting live bacteria, and its chromogenic effectiveness is investigated for Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Micrococcus luteus. The developed color intensity is measured by the light absorption coefficient to the scattering coefficient (K/S) based on the Kubelka-Munk equation, and the colorimetric sensitivities of different membranes are examined by calculating the limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQJ. The results demonstrate that the interactions between VIBS and bacteria depend on the wetting properties of membranes. A hydrophobic membrane shows excessive interactions at high concentrations of Gram-negative E. coli bacteria, whose cell membrane is lipophilic. The membrane blended with hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymers displays linear colorimetric responses for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria strains, demonstrating a reliable sensing capability in the range of the tested bacteria concentration. This study is significant in that explorative experimentations are performed to conceive a proof of concept of a fiber-based bacteria sensor, which is readily applicable in various fields where bacteria pose a threat.N

Heterostructured Photocatalytic Fabric Composed of Ag₃PO₄ Nanoparticle-Decorated NH₂‑MIL-88B (Co/Fe) Crystalline Wires for Rhodamine B Adsorption and Degradation

As an effective and robust wastewater treatment method, a photocatalytic fabric featuring the Z-scheme heterojunction was developed by combining a Co/Fe bimetallic metal–organic framework (NH2-MIL-88B) and Ag3PO4 catalysts. This study reveals that by controlling the Co/Fe molar ratio of NH2-MIL-88B (Co/Fe) (noted as MILx), the nanocrystal structures of the bimetallic MILx and the associated heterojunction with Ag3PO4 (noted as Ag/MILx) were manipulated to perform higher adsorption and accelerated photocatalytic reaction for removing Rhodamine B (RhB) pollutant in water. Photoelectrochemical investigation and scavenging experiments revealed that heterojunction catalysts with bimetallic MILx (Ag/MILx) followed the charge transfer pathways of the Z-scheme, facilitating the generation of •O2– by increasing the conduction band energy position. As a result, at the optimal Co/Fe molar ratio of 0.2 in the heterojunction cocatalyst, RhB adsorption performance was improved by 28% and the RhB degradation was accelerated by 1.5 times compared to the heterojunction formed with Ag3PO4 and single-metal NH2-MIL-88B (Fe). The material developed in this study offers a unique advantage compared to other catalytic materials by strategically utilizing both crystal defects and heterojunction design to enhance the photocatalytic performance. This study is significant in providing crucial empirical evidence that is insightful for designing an effective photocatalytic self-cleaning material composed of complex cocatalytic nanocrystals for enhanced wastewater remediation

Environmental storage conditions influencing the filtration behavior of electret filters with repeated use

© The Author(s) 2022.Worldwide attention has been paid to effective protection strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic. Filtering masks are generally kept for a certain period of shelf-life before being used, and frequently, they are used repeatedly with recurrent storages. This study investigates the effect of storage temperature and humidity on the structural characteristics and charges of an electret filter, associating with the filtration performance in terms of efficiency and pressure drop based on a practical use-storage scenario. For the repeated use conditions with recurrent storage, humid storage conditions significantly deteriorated the filtration efficiency as hygroscopic particles quickly wetted the surface and masked the surface charges. The high temperature rapidly deteriorated the filter charges and caused a lowered electrostatic filtration efficiency. In a heated condition, the web became fluffier, yet it did not directly affect the pressure drop or mechanical filtration efficiency. The approach of this study is progressive in that rigorous analysis was performed on examining the particle morphology and internal structure of filter media with varied storage conditions to link with the filtration performance and the effective lifetime. This study intends to provide a scientific reference guiding a desirable storage condition and replacement cycle of filtering masks considering the actual use habits and storage environment.Y

Bacteria Adhesion of Textiles Influenced by Wettability and Pore Characteristics of Fibrous Substrates

Bacteria adhesion on the surface is an initial step to create biofouling, which may lead to a severe infection of living organisms and humans. This study is concerned with investigating the textile properties including wettability, porosity, total pore volume, and pore size in association with bacteria adhesion. As model bacteria, Gram-negative, rod-shaped Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive, spherical-shaped Staphylococcus aureus were used to analyze the adhesion tendency. Electrospun webs made from polystyrene and poly(lactic acid) were used as substrates, with modification of wettability by the plasma process using either O2 or C4F8 gas. The pore and morphological characteristics of fibrous webs were analyzed by the capillary flow porometer and scanning electron microscopy. The substrate’s wettability appeared to be the primary factor influencing the cell adhesion, where the hydrophilic surface resulted in considerably higher adhesion. The pore volume and the pore size, rather than the porosity itself, were other important factors affecting the bacteria adherence and retention. In addition, the compact spatial distribution of fibers limited the cell intrusion into the pores, reducing the total amount of adherence. Thus, superhydrophobic textiles with the reduced total pore volume and smaller pore size would circumvent the adhesion. The findings of this study provide informative discussion on the characteristics of fibrous webs affecting the bacteria adhesion, which can be used as a fundamental design guide of anti-biofouling textiles