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There are several psychosocial and ethical issues surrounding the decision making of living kidney transplant donors. This study aimed to determine what health care professionals (HPs) consider in their clinical practice and their attitudes toward donors' decision-making processes.Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 HPs. A thematic analysis was performed to categorize the thematic elements of the transcripts. All procedures were approved by the relevant review board and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.Six main categories-maintaining family relationships, improving donor understanding, supporting voluntary decision making, setting the environment for the examination, having different attitudes toward the donor's intentions, and resisting confirmation of intent-were identified. The HPs provided diverse considerations to respect the donors' autonomy.In clinical practice, there is a lack of practical methods to confirm living donors' levels of understanding and spontaneity, suggesting that these methods need to be established. Factors related to family functioning may reflect the unique culture of Japan, and this may be indicative of the need to consider treatment based on cultural values.

A novel axially chiral biphenyl-based amino triflamide has been designed and successfully synthesized from 1-nitropyrene in 6 steps. This chiral amino triflamide functions as effective catalyst for asymmetric Mannich reaction through enamine intermediates.

Background Despite a growing need for everolimus (EVR) to reduce calcineurin inhibitor toxicity in kidney transplantation (KTx), the influence of EVR on the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA), a mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) active metabolite, is obscure, and no suitable limited sampling strategy (LSS) for MPA when EVR is concomitantly present exists. We aimed to investigate the influence of EVR on MPA pharmacokinetics in KTx. Materials and Methods This study complied with all principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Twenty patients were initially administered tacrolimus, MMF, and methylprednisolone and then received EVR 4 months after KTx. Approximately 4 weeks before and after EVR administration, the estimated value of the area under the concentration-time curve for MPA from 0 to 12 hours (MPA-AUC0-12) was calculated using MPA blood concentration just before and 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours after MMF administration. We compared several MPA pharmacokinetics parameters before and after EVR addition and determined the best estimation equation for LSS of MPA-AUC0-12. Results Although MPA-C6 per dose (MPA-C6/D) significantly decreased after EVR addition (from 3.4 [±2.2] ng/mL/g to 2.5 [±0.9] ng/mL/g), MPA-C0/D, -C1/D, -C2/D, -C4/D, and MPA-AUC0-12/D showed no significant change. MPA-AUC0-12/D did not correlate with EVR-AUC0-12/D. The best estimation equation for LSS of MPA-AUC0-12 by 2 time points was [(2.94 x C2) + (5.09 x C4) + 5.32] (R² = 0.73) and [(5.70 x C0) + (1.39 x C1) + 22.45] (R² = 0.72) before and after EVR addition, respectively. Conclusions EVR can be safely combined with MMF after KTx once our results have been reevaluated.

A unique design of our ultracompact microcavity wavelength conversion device exploits the simple principle that the wavelength conversion efficiency is proportional to the square of the electric field amplitude of enhanced pump light in the microcavity, and expands the range of suitable device materials to include crystals that do not exhibit birefringence or ferroelectricity. Here, as a first step toward practical applications of all-solid-state ultracompact deep-ultraviolet coherent light sources, we adopted a low-birefringence paraelectric SrB4O7 crystal with great potential for wavelength conversion and high transparency down to 130 nm as our device material, and demonstrated 234 nm deep-ultraviolet coherent light generation, whose wavelength band is expected to be used for on-demand disinfection tools that can irradiate the human body.

A nitronyl nitroxide unit (NN) was linked with a triphenylamine-based condensed polycyclic skeleton DOTT to form a radical substituted donor NN-DOTT. X-ray crystal structure analysis demonstrated a flat bowl shape of the DOTT unit. EPR spectra showed the localization of electron spin on the NN unit. Chemical oxidation of the DOTT unit produced radical-substituted radical cation salts NN-DOTT+ ⋅ SbF6 - and NN-DOTT+ ⋅ FeBr4 - that are stable under ambient conditions. The magnetic behavior of NN-DOTT+ ⋅ SbF6 - is characterized by the strong intramolecular ferromagnetic interaction between NN and DOTT+ . The X-ray structural analysis of NN-DOTT+ ⋅ FeBr4 - shows planar structure of DOTT and 1D mixed-stack column of NN-DOTT+ and FeBr4 - . Magnetic measurements established that NN-DOTT+ ⋅ FeBr4 - undergoes magnetic phase transition into a weak ferromagnet at 7 K.

A wavelength conversion device with an input grating coupler that enables easy alignment was fabricated using a vertically polarity inverted GaN layer. The device was excited with a femtosecond laser, and a second harmonic wave with a peak wavelength of 438.4 nm was obtained. A normalized wavelength conversion efficiency of 4.7 × 10−4% W−1 and a spectral bandwidth of the second harmonic wave of 2.9 nm were comparable to the theoretical estimations taking into account serious walk-off and waveguide losses. High efficiency of 33%–34% W−1 can be expected under continuous-wave excitation.

A GaN crystal comprises two polar structures along the c-axis direction, and functions as a quasi-phase-matching (QPM) crystal by fabricating a periodic inversion structure. We fabricated GaN-QPM crystals to design rib-waveguide-type devices for achieving highly efficient wavelength conversion. The QPM period required for wavelength conversion was calculated in the design phase of the device structure. GaN-QPM crystals with the obtained period were fabricated using double-polarity selective-area growth (DP-SAG). The GaN-QPM crystal was then used to fabricate a second-harmonic generation (SHG) device with a rib waveguide structure. Optical measurements revealed that the device achieved wavelength conversion from 840 to 420 nm. Further, the SHG device exhibited a wavelength conversion efficiency of 1.5 × 10–4% W−1. These results indicated that GaN-QPM crystals fabricated by DP-SAG can be used for wavelength conversion.

We proposed a nitride semiconductor transverse quasi-phase-matched wavelength conversion device with a polarity inverted structure along the vertical direction formed by surface-activated bonding and etching processes. Inductively coupled plasma etching of a GaN layer with maintaining a root mean square roughness of less than 2 nm in a 100 μm square area was achieved even after deep etching of 1 μm using Cl2/Ar mixture gas and optimizing the antenna and bias powers. This smooth etching enabled surface-activated bonding of the ultrathin GaN layer with designed thickness. The fabrication process of the GaN polarity inverted channel waveguide was established.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of death after kidney transplantation (KTx). Everolimus (EVR) is an immunosuppressive agent now widely used in KTx that is...

Periodontal disease is one of the most common infectious diseases in adults and is characterized by the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) comprise the mesoderm-originating stem cell population, which has been studied and used for cell therapy. However, because of the lower rate of cell survival after MSC transplantation in various disease models, paracrine functions of MSCs have been receiving increased attention as a regenerative mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate the regenerative potential of transplanted conditioned medium (CM) obtained from cultured periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), the adult stem cell population in tooth-supporting tissues, using a rat periodontal defect model. Cell-free CM was collected from PDLSCs and fibroblasts, using ultrafiltration and transplanted into surgically created periodontal defects. Protein content of CM was examined by antibody arrays. Formation of new periodontal tissues was analyzed using microcomputed tomography and histological sections. PDLSC-CM transplantation enhanced periodontal tissue regeneration in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas fibroblast-CM did not show any regenerative function. Proteomic analysis revealed that extracellular matrix proteins, enzymes, angiogenic factors, growth factors and cytokines were contained in PDLSC-CM. Furthermore, PDLSC-CM transplantation resulted in the decreased mRNA level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in healing periodontal tissues. In addition, we found that PDLSC-CM suppressed the mRNA level of TNF-α in the monocyte/macrophage cell line, RAW cells, stimulated with IFN-γ. Our findings suggested that PDLSC-CM enhanced periodontal regeneration by suppressing the inflammatory response through TNF-α production, and transplantation of PDLSC-CM could be a novel approach for periodontal regenerative therapy.

Assistive service robots have a great potential for helping elderly or motor-impaired people in everyday tasks. Specifically, enabling robots to manipulate objects in home environments is a critical step towards independent life. In this work, we focus on developing a complete system for autonomous mobile manipulation. We describe our system, which consists of natural language processing, perception, navigation, and integrated motion and grasp planning modules.

Periodontal disease is chronic inflammation that leads to the destruction of tooth-supporting periodontal tissues. We devised a novel method (&ldquo, cell transfer technology&rdquo, ) to transfer cells onto a scaffold surface and reported the potential of the technique for regenerative medicine. The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of this technique in periodontal regeneration and the fate of transplanted cells. Human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) were transferred to decellularized amniotic membrane and transplanted into periodontal defects in rats. Regeneration of tissues was examined by microcomputed tomography and histological observation. The fate of transplanted PDLSCs was traced using PKH26 and human Alu sequence detection by PCR. Imaging showed more bone in PDLSC-transplanted defects than those in control (amnion only). Histological examination confirmed the enhanced periodontal tissue formation in PDLSC defects. New formation of cementum, periodontal ligament, and bone were prominently observed in PDLSC defects. PKH26-labeled PDLSCs were found at limited areas in regenerated periodontal tissues. Human Alu sequence detection revealed that the level of Alu sequence was not increased, but rather decreased. This study describes a novel stem cell transplantation strategy for periodontal disease using the cell transfer technology and offers new insight for cell-based periodontal regeneration.

BACKGROUND Although renoprotective effects of everolimus (EVR) in kidney transplantation (KTx) have been widely reported, its pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS We compared changes in eGFR (ΔGFR, ml/min/1.73 m²) and the ratio of the fibrotic area in biopsy specimens (ΔFI,%) from 3 months to 3 years after KTx between the EVR+ group (EVR addition and Tac reduction early after KTx, n=32), and the EVR- group (normal Tac without EVR, n=28). We also immunohistochemically evaluated mTOR-related protein expression. RESULTS ΔGFR and ΔFI in the EVR+ vs. EVR- groups were -0.27±6.8 vs. -9.8±12.8 (p

This work proposes practically useful novel coating-type cover layer materials. A copolyimide (PI) system derived from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA, 50 mol%), 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (s-BPDA, 50 mol%) with 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine (TFMB) showed a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) by thermal imidization. However, this system was not compatible to chemical imidization process because of gelation. A structural modification of this copolymer by 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)dianiline (HFIDA) significantly improved the solubility, as a result, allowed for chemical imidization in a homogeneous state and the formation of a stable PI solution from less hygroscopic solvents such as triglyme (TriGL). The TriGL-cast PI film at an HFIDA content of 25 mol% displayed excellent combined properties; a low CTE (22.9 ppm K −1 ), a very high T g (327 °C), and a common level of tensile properties [modulus ( E ) = 3.6 GPa and the elongation at break ( e b max ) = 10.4%]. The PMDA(50);s-BPDA(50)/TFMB copolymer system was also modified with other ether-linked fluorinated diamines; i.e., 2-trifluoromethyl-4,4′-diaminodiphenylether (3FODA) and 4,4′-bis(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)biphenyl (6FBAPB). At a 3FODA content of 25 mol%, the NMP-cast PI film displayed the lowest CTE (20.7 ppm K −1 ) among the PIs examined in this work. The modification using 6FBAPB was most effective to enhance the solubility. Thus, the structural modifications of PMDA(50);s-BPDA(50)/TFMB copolymer by these fluorinated diamines (HFIDA, 3FODA, and 6FBAPB) were an effective way to obtain almost satisfying target properties except for a high level of e b . A mechanism was proposed for explaining why the effect of the CF 3 -substituted ether-linked diamines on the toughness improvement was not so prominent. The approach simultaneously using some CF 3 -free ether-linked monomers enabled us to significantly enhance the film toughness ( e b max > 50%) while maintaining low CTE characteristics and good solution-processability. Thus, some of the PI systems can be promising candidates as novel coating-type cover layer materials.

A female infant born at 36 weeks gestational age with birthweight 2135 g, and who developed respiratory disorder, hyperlactacidemia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after birth, was admitted to hospital at 3 days of age. After admission, bilious emesis, abdominal distention, and passage disorder of the gastrointestinal tract were resistant to various drugs. Exploratory laparotomy was performed at 93 days of age, but no organic lesions were identified and normal Meissner/Auerbach nerve plexus was confirmed, which led to a clinical diagnosis of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO). She was diagnosed with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex IV deficiency on histopathology of the abdominal rectus muscle and enzyme activity measurement. This is the first report of a neonate with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex deficiency with intractable CIPO. CIPO can occur in neonates with mitochondrial respiratory chain disorder, necessitating differential diagnosis from Hirschsprung disease.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-conditioned medium (MSC-CM) has been reported to enhance wound healing. Exosomes contain nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, and function as an intercellular communication vehicle for mediating some paracrine effects. However, the function of MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-exo) remains elusive. In this study, we isolated human placenta MSC (PlaMSC)-derived exosomes (PlaMSC-exo) and examined their function in vitro. PlaMSCs were isolated from human term placenta using enzymatic digestion. PlaMSC-exo were prepared from the conditioned medium of PlaMSC (PlaMSC-CM) by ultracentrifugation. The expression of stemness-related genes, such as OCT4 and NANOG, in normal adult human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) after incubation with PlaMSC-exo was measured by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR analysis (real-time PCR). The effect of PlaMSC-exo on OCT4 transcription activity was assessed using Oct4-EGFP reporter mice-derived dermal fibroblasts. The stimulating effects of PlaMSC-exo on osteoblastic and adipocyte-differentiation of NHDF were evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and Alizarin red S- and oil red O-staining, respectively. The expression of osteoblast- and adipocyte-related genes was also assessed by real-time PCR. The treatment of NHDF with PlaMSC-exo significantly upregulated OCT4 and NANOG mRNA expression. PlaMSC-exo also enhanced OCT4 transcription. The NHDF treated with PlaMSC-exo exhibited osteoblastic and adipocyte-differentiation in osteogenic and adipogenic induction media. PlaMSC-exo increase the expression of OCT4 and NANOG mRNA in fibroblasts. As a result, PlaMSC-exo influence the differentiation competence of fibroblasts to both osteoblastic and adipocyte-differentiation. It shows a new feature of MSCs and the possibility of clinical application of MSC-exo. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1658-1670, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Although several clinical studies have reported that everolimus (EVR) has a favorable effect on kidney allografts, the pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. In th...

Background New-onset diabetes mellitus after transplantation (NODAT) is a risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and poor graft survival after kidney transplantation (KTx). In this study, we identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in glucose metabolism and examined the correlation between these SNPs and glucose intolerance after KTx. Methods Thirty-eight patients with normal glucose tolerance before KTx were included in this study. Patients with plasma glucose levels of >140 mg/dL at 120 minutes on the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at 1 year after KTx were classified as having new-onset impaired glucose tolerance (NIGT). We identified 8 SNPs in 7 genes that are involved in glucose metabolism among the patients included in this study, and compared the prevalence rate of NIGT among SNPs in each gene. Results Of the 38 patients, 11 (28.9%) were diagnosed with NIGT. For rs4982856 in the PCK2 gene, the distribution of genotypes among the total patient population was as follows: T/T, 12 (31.6%); T/C, 22 (57.9%); and C/C, 4 (10.5%). Seven of 11 patients with NIGT had the T/T genotype of rs4982856, whereas only 5 of 27 patients with normal glucose tolerance had this genotype. The T allele frequency of the rs4982856 was significantly higher in the NIGT group than in the normal group (81.8 vs 52.8%, respectively; P = .015). Conclusion Our study indicates that the T allele of the rs4982856 SNP in the PCK2 gene may be a risk factor for glucose intolerance after KTx.

Clinical kernicterus in preterm infants has recently been reported in Japan, diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings during the neonatal and infancy periods. We investigated the incidence of clinical kernicterus in preterm infants

Chemical vapor deposition of graphene on Cu foil was performed to clarify the origin of the characteristic domain structure within individual graphene islands grown on variously oriented Cu grain surfaces. While the domain structure strongly affected island shapes on Cu(111) and (101), islands grown on Cu(001) showed that they always had a four-lobed shape regardless of whether they consisted of a single domain or multiple domains. The formation of the specific shape is related to the fact that there are edges in two fast growth directions that were found to have equivalent atomic configurations for the oriented domain. Furthermore, hydrogen etching was found to preferentially act to misoriented domains within the island on Cu(001), leading to single-crystalline four-lobed island formation. Finally, we found an interesting feature in that the ratio of single-crystalline islands increased on the vicinal Cu(001) surface compared with that on the Cu(001) basal plane. Cu(111) microfacets existing on the vicin...

We recently developed novel cell transplantation method “cell transfer technology” utilizing photolithography. Using this method, we can transfer ex vivo expanded cells onto scaffold material in desired patterns, like printing of pictures and letters on a paper. We have investigated the possibility of this novel method for cell-based therapy using several disease models. We first transferred endothelial cells in capillary-like patterns on amnion. The transplantation of the endothelial cell-transferred amnion enhanced the reperfusion in mouse ischemic limb model. The fusion of transplanted capillary with host vessel networks was also observed. The osteoblast- and periodontal ligament stem cell-transferred amnion were next transplanted in bone and periodontal defects models. After healing period, both transplantations improved the regeneration of bone and periodontal tissues, respectively. This method was further applicable to transfer of multiple cell types and the transplantation of osteoblasts and periodontal ligament stem cell-transferred amnion resulted in the improved bone regeneration compared with single cell type transplantation. These data suggested the therapeutic potential of the technology in cell-based therapies for reperfusion of ischemic limb and regeneration of bone and periodontal tissues. Cell transfer technology is applicable to wide range of regenerative medicine in the future.

Background The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may be attributed partly to humoral factors such as growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines. Human term placental tissue-derived MSCs (PlaMSCs), or conditioned medium left over from cultures of these cells, have been reported to enhance angiogenesis. Recently, the exosome, which can transport a diverse suite of macromolecules, has gained attention as a novel intercellular communication tool. However, the potential role of the exosome in PlaMSC therapeutic action is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PlaMSC-derived exosome angiogenesis promotion in vitro and in vivo. Methods MSCs were isolated from human term placental tissue by enzymatic digestion. Conditioned medium was collected after 48-h incubation in serum-free medium (PlaMSC-CM). Angiogenic factors present in PlaMSC-CM were screened by a growth factor array. Exosomes were prepared by ultracentrifugation of PlaMSC-CM, and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and western blot analyses. The proangiogenic activity of PlaMSC-derived exosomes (PlaMSC-exo) was assessed using an endothelial tube formation assay, a cell migration assay, and reverse transcription-PCR analysis. The in-vivo angiogenic activity of PlaMSC-exo was evaluated using a murine auricle ischemic injury model. Results PlaMSC-CM contained both angiogenic and angiostatic factors, which enhanced endothelial tube formation. PlaMSC-exo were incorporated into endothelial cells; these exosomes stimulated both endothelial tube formation and migration, and enhanced angiogenesis-related gene expression. Laser Doppler blood flow analysis showed that PlaMSC-exo infusion also enhanced angiogenesis in an in-vivo murine auricle ischemic injury model. Conclusions PlaMSC-exo enhanced angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that exosomes play a role in the proangiogenic activity of PlaMSCs. PlaMSC-exo may be a novel therapeutic approach for treating ischemic diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0660-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Ischemia/reperfusion injury during kidney transplantation (KTx) delays allograft recovery. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is the key regulator of the protective response to ischemia/reperfusion injury. We evaluated the impact of the HIF-1α signaling pathway on allograft recovery during cadaveric KTx. Methods Between 1996 and 2015, 46 patients underwent cadaveric KTx. The expression levels of HIF-1α-related proteins, including phosphoinositide 3-kinase, phosphorylated (p)-Akt, p-mammalian target of rapamycin, p-Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E, p-S6 ribosomal protein, and HIF-1α, were immunohistochemically evaluated and semi-quantitatively scored in graft biopsy specimens after 1 hour of revascularization. Ten kidney biopsy specimens collected during donor nephrectomy for living KTx were used as controls. Delayed graft function (DGF) was defined as the need for dialysis within 1 week of KTx. We compared the staining scores of each protein and several clinical parameters between patients with and those without DGF. Results Expression levels of all six proteins in specimens after revasculization were elevated compared with those in controls. Thirty-five patients had DGF. Expression levels of PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, p-eIF4E, and HIF-1α were significantly higher in patients without DGF than in those with DGF. Univariate analysis identified expression levels of p-Akt, p-S6, and HIF-1α, in addition to donor type (heart beating/non-heart beating), cold ischemic time, and donor age as significant predictors of DGF. Of these, only expression levels of HIF-1α and donor type were independently associated with DGF in multivariate analysis. Conclusions Up-regulation of HIF-1α in allografts after reperfusion may be a predictor of early recovery after cadaveric KTx.

Background Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a type of multifactorial brain injury that causes cerebral palsy in premature infants. To date, effective therapies for PVL have not been available. In this study, we examined whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess neuroprotective property in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neonatal rat PVL-like brain injury. Methods Human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UCMSCs) were used in this study. Four-day-old rats were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (15 mg/kg) to cause the PVL-like brain injury and were treated immediately after the LPS-injection with UCMSCs, conditioned medium prepared from MSCs (UCMSC-CM) or interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-pretreated MSC (IFN-γ-UCMSC-CM). To assess systemic reaction to LPS-infusion, IFN-γ in sera was measured by ELISA. The brain injury was evaluated by immunostaining of myelin basic protein (MBP) and caspase-3. RT-PCR was used to quantitate pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the brain injury, and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) or indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) to evaluate anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory molecules in UCMSCs, respectively. A cytokine and growth factor array was employed to investigate the cytokine secretion profiles of UCMSCs. Results Elevated serum IFN-γ was observed in LPS-infused rats. The expression of IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-1ß, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were increased in the brain by LPS-infusion in comparison to saline-infused control. LPS-infusion increased caspase-3-positive cells and decreased MBP-positive area in neonatal rat brains. A cytokine and growth factor array demonstrated that UCMSCs secreted various cytokines and growth factors. UCMSCs significantly suppressed IL-1ß expression in the brains and reversed LPS-caused decrease in MBP-positive area. UCMSC-CM did not reverse MBP-positive area in the injured brain, while IFN-γ-UCMSC-CM significantly increased MBP-positive area compared to control (no treatment). IFN-γ-pretreatment increased TSG-6 and IDO expression in UCMSCs. Conclusion We demonstrated that bolus intraperitoneal infusion of LPS caused PVL-like brain injury in neonatal rats and UCMSCs infusion ameliorated dysmyelination in LPS-induced neonatal rat brain injury. Conditioned medium prepared from IFN-γ-pretreated UCMSCs significantly reversed the brain damage in comparison with UCMSC-CM, suggesting that the preconditioning of UCMSCs would improve their neuroprotective effects. The mechanisms underline the therapeutic effects of MSCs on PVL need continued investigation to develop a more effective treatment.

The mechanism of dense vertically aligned carbon nanotube growth achieved by a recently developed thermal chemical vapor deposition method was studied using synchrotron radiation spectroscopic techniques., The mechanism of the one-order-of-magnitude increase in the density of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) achieved by a recently developed thermal chemical vapor deposition process was studied using synchrotron radiation spectroscopic techniques. In the developed process, a Ti film is used as the underlayer for an Fe catalyst film. A characteristic point of this process is that C2H2 feeding for the catalyst starts at a low temperature of 450°C, whereas conventional feeding temperatures are ∼800°C. Photoemission spectroscopy using soft and hard X-rays revealed that the Ti underlayer reduced the initially oxidized Fe layer at 450°C. A photoemission intensity analysis also suggested that the oxidized Ti layer at 450°C behaved as a support for nanoparticle formation of the reduced Fe, which is required for dense CNT growth. In fact, a CNT growth experiment, where the catalyst chemical state was monitored in situ by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, showed that the reduced Fe yielded a CNT forest at 450°C. Contrarily, an Fe layer without the Ti underlayer did not yield such a CNT forest at 450°C. Photoemission electron microscopy showed that catalyst annealing at the conventional feeding temperature of 800°C caused excess catalyst agglomeration, which should lead to sparse CNTs. In conclusion, in the developed growth process, the low-temperature catalyst activation by the Ti underlayer before the excess Fe agglomeration realised the CNT densification.