The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) as the fundamental treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Twenty four Beagle dogs were used as cranial cruciate ligament transection models. The dogs were divided into four groups (n = 6) according to the intra-articular injection materials: the control group with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), the PRP group with PRP, the MSC group with MSCs emerged in PBS, and the MSC and PRP co-treatment (MP) group with MSCs and PRP. Lameness score, focal compression strength, articular extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, histopathology, and real-time PCR were used to evaluate the effects of PRP and MSCs on canine OA. In the order of MP, PRP, and MSC group, these all showed positive effects on the evaluated categories. The lameness scores were lower, and the focal compression strengths of the affected femoral articular surface cartilages were higher than those in the OA control group. Also, the inflammatory changes, when evaluated with Mankin scoring and histomorphologic examination, were significantly ameliorated with the treatment of PRP and/or MSCs. The glycosaminoglycan and collagen composition of extracellular matrix was more favorable in the test groups. The ECM-related genes significantly increased through the up-regulation, while the protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines were decreased through the inhibitory effects of PRP and MSCs on chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, this study suggests that PRP and MSCs treatments have a beneficial effect on OA via the stimulation of ECM synthesis and chondrocyte proliferation and via the inhibition of inflammatory reaction.

Ce $4d\mathrm{\text{−}}4f$ resonant angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy was carried out to study the electronic structure of strongly correlated Ce $4f$ electrons in a quasi-two-dimensional nonmagnetic heavy-fermion system ${\mathrm{CeCoGe}}_{1.2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{0.8}$. For the first time, dispersive coherent peaks of an $f$ state crossing the Fermi level, the so-called Kondo resonance, are directly observed together with the hybridized conduction band. Moreover, the experimental band dispersion is quantitatively in good agreement with a simple hybridization-band picture based on the periodic Anderson model. The obtained physical quantities, i.e., coherent temperature, Kondo temperature, and mass enhancement, are comparable to the results of thermodynamic measurements. These results manifest an itinerant nature of Ce $4f$ electrons in heavy-fermion systems and clarify their microscopic hybridization mechanism.

Ultraviolet (UV) B exposure induces DNA damage and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which causes skin photoaging through signaling pathways of inflammation and modulation of extracellular matrix remodeling proteins, collagens, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). As low molecular-weight fucoidan (LMF) has potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, we examined the protective effects of LMF against UVB-induced photoaging. A UVB-irradiated mouse model was topically treated with myricetin or LMF at 2.0, 1.0 and 0.2 mg/cm² (LMF2.0, LMF1.0 and LMF0.2, respectively) once a day for 15 weeks. Wrinkle formation, inflammation, oxidative stress, MMP expression, and apoptosis in the treated regions were compared with those in a distilled water-treated photoaging model (UVB control). LMF treatments, particularly LMF2.0 and LMF1.0, significantly inhibited the wrinkle formation, skin edema, and neutrophil recruitment into the photo-damaged lesions, compared with those in the UVB control. While LMF decreased interleukin (IL)-1β release, it increased IL-10. The LMF treatment inhibited the oxidative stresses (malondialdehyde and superoxide anion) and enhanced endogenous antioxidants (glutathione). Additionally, LMF reduced the mRNA expression of MMP-1, 9, and 13. The histopathological analyses revealed the anti-photoaging effects of LMF exerted via its antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and MMP-9-inhibiting effects. These suggest that LMF can be used as a skin-protective remedy for photoaging.

It is generally believed that the spatial periodic variation of a dielectric constant $\epsilon$ or refractive index $\sqrt{\mu \epsilon }$ can give rise to photonic band gaps. However, through microwave experiments of microstrip lines with a periodic array of holes, we demonstrate that the wave impedance, which depends on $\sqrt{\mu /\epsilon }$, is an essential parameter, giving photonic band gaps rather than the refractive index. We explain physically the effect of the magnetic permeability $\mu$ on photonic band gaps, already reported.

The in- and out-of-plane lower critical fields and magnetic penetration depths of LiFeAs were examined. The anisotropy ratio ΓH_c1(0) was smaller than the expected theoretical value, and increased slightly with increasing temperature from 0.6T_c to T_c. The small degree of anisotropy was numerically confirmed by considering the electron correlation effect. The temperature dependence of the penetration depths followed a power law (~Tⁿ) below 0.3T_c, with n>3.5 for both λ_ab and λ_c. Based on theoretical studies of iron-based superconductors, these results suggest that the superconductivity of LiFeAs can be represented by an extended s_±-wave due to the weak impurity scattering effect. And the magnitudes of the two gaps were also evaluated by fitting the superfluid density for both the in- and out-of-plane directions to the two-gap model. The estimated values for the two gaps are consistent with the results from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and specific-heat experiments.

Obesity increases the risks of metabolic syndromes including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetic dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. Dietary krill oil (KO) has shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, thereby being a therapeutic potential for obesity-induced metabolic syndromes. Thus, the effects of KO on lipid metabolic alteration were examined in a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice model. The HFD model (n = 10 per group) received an oral gavage with distilled water as a control, metformin at 250 mg/kg, and KO at 400, 200, and 100 mg/kg for 12 weeks. The HFD-induced weight gain and fat deposition were significantly reduced in the KO treatments compared with the control. Blood levels were lower in parameters for NAFLD (e.g., alanine aminotransferase, and triglyceride), type 2 diabetes (e.g., glucose and insulin), and renal dysfunction (e.g., blood urea nitrogen and creatinine) by the KO treatments. The KO inhibited lipid synthesis through the modification of gene expressions in the liver and adipose tissues and adipokine-mediated pathways. Furthermore, KO showed hepatic antioxidant activities and glucose lowering effects. Histopathological analyses revealed that the KO ameliorated the hepatic steatosis, pancreatic endocrine/exocrine alteration, adipose tissue hypertrophy, and renal steatosis. These analyses suggest that KO may be promising for inhibiting obesity and metabolic syndromes.