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Calcium alginate hydrogel is one of the most widely used materials for drug-carrier beads used in drug-delivery systems. In this study, we developed a new method to improve the encapsulation efficiency of ingredients, such as medicines, in calcium alginate hydrogel beads. In the gold standard method, the hydrogel beads are prepared in the liquid phase. In contrast, in the new method, to enhance the encapsulation efficiency, the hydrogel beads are prepared in the gas phase using a water-repellent surface. In brief, a droplet of sodium alginate aqueous solution is rolled on a water-repellent surface with CaCl2 powder, a cross-linking agent. This process leads to the direct attachment of CaCl2 powder to the droplet, resulting in the formation of spherical hydrogel beads with high mechanical strength and higher encapsulation efficiency than beads prepared by previous methods. The hydrogel beads exhibit similar permeability for glucose, a model for low-molecular-weight medicines, to those prepared by previous methods. These results show that the new method is promising for the preparation of calcium alginate hydrogel beads for drug-delivery systems.

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Sugarcane molasses, by-product of sugar production, contains potassium at relatively high ratio and it has a high potential for the source of potassium fertilizer. The present study proposed a simple two-step precipitation method for the recovery of potassium-containing solid, syngenite, from sugarcane molasses. The first precipitation with water recovered more than 30% of potassium in the original molasses. The second precipitation with the mixture of calcium acetate and sulfuric acid resulted in about 40% of the original molasses. Totally, more than 70% potassium was successfully recovered. The applicability of this method was examined with eight kinds of molasses obtained from eight factories in Japan. For all the molasses, syngenite was successfully recovered without any difficulties in processing, and the recovery ratio was more than 70%. Thus, the method will satisfy the growing demand of potassium fertilizer and also to enhance the sustainability of sugarcane sugar production.

To establish a new production route of biomass-derived BTX and propylene, the catalytic conversion of oxygen-containing intermediates which are furfural, levulinic acid, acetic acid or butyric acid, obtained by hydrothermal reactions of bagasse or fermentation of molasses was investigated with zeolites, ZSM-5, SAPO-11 and SAPO-34. Levulinic acid and acetic acid were suitable for generating BTX with ZSM-5. On the other hand, the butyric acid was valuable for converting to chemical raw materials with ZSM-5. By using SAPO-11 as the catalyst, butyric acid converted to propylene at high yields. The yield for propylene was the maximum value 58.8C% at 723K, especially the ratio of propylene to gaseous hydrocarbon products increased up to 90.4C%.

Better therapies for motor impairments after stroke are greatly needed. In mice and nonhuman primates, Abe et al. found that edonerpic maleate enhanced synaptic plasticity and functional recovery after a traumatic insult to the brain (see the Perspective by Rumpel). This recovery of motor function was accompanied by functional reorganization of the cortex. Science , this issue p. 50 ; see also p. 30 A small neuroprotective molecule improves motor function after brain injury in mice and macaques. Brain damage such as stroke is a devastating neurological condition that may severely compromise patient quality of life. No effective medication-mediated intervention to accelerate rehabilitation has been established. We found that a small compound, edonerpic maleate, facilitated experience-driven synaptic glutamate AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic-acid) receptor delivery and resulted in the acceleration of motor function recovery after motor cortex cryoinjury in mice in a training-dependent manner through cortical reorganization. Edonerpic bound to collapsin-response-mediator-protein 2 (CRMP2) and failed to augment recovery in CRMP2-deficient mice. Edonerpic maleate enhanced motor function recovery from internal capsule hemorrhage in nonhuman primates. Thus, edonerpic maleate, a neural plasticity enhancer, could be a clinically potent small compound with which to accelerate rehabilitation after brain damage.

Comprehensive autoantibody evaluation is essential for the management of autoimmune disorders. However, conventional methods suffer from poor sensitivity, low throughput, or limited availability. Here, using a proteome-wide human cDNA library, we developed a novel multiplex protein assay (autoantibody array assay; A-Cube) covering 65 antigens of 43 autoantibodies that are associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM). The performance of A-Cube was validated against immunoprecipitation and established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Further, through an evaluation of serum samples from 357 SSc and 172 PM/DM patients, A-Cube meticulously illustrated a diverse autoantibody landscape in these diseases. The wide coverage and high sensitivity of A-Cube also allowed the overlap and correlation analysis between multiple autoantibodies. Lastly, reviewing the cases with distinct autoantibody profiles by A-Cube underscored the importance of thorough autoantibody detection. Together, these data highlighted the utility of A-Cube as well as the clinical relevance of autoantibody profiles in SSc and PM/DM.

Proper orientation of the cell division axis is critical for asymmetric cell divisions that underpin cell differentiation. In animals, centrosomes are the dominant microtubule organizing centers (MTOC) and play a pivotal role in axis determination by orienting the mitotic spindle. In land plants that lack centrosomes, a critical role of a microtubular ring structure, the preprophase band (PPB), has been observed in this process; the PPB is required for orienting (before prophase) and guiding (in telophase) the mitotic apparatus. However, plants must possess additional mechanisms to control the division axis, as certain cell types or mutants do not form PPBs. Here, using live imaging of the gametophore of the moss Physcomitrella patens, we identified acentrosomal MTOCs, which we termed “gametosomes,” appearing de novo and transiently in the prophase cytoplasm independent of PPB formation. We show that gametosomes are dispensable for spindle formation but required for metaphase spindle orientation. In some cells, gametosomes appeared reminiscent of the bipolar MT “polar cap” structure that forms transiently around the prophase nucleus in angiosperms. Specific disruption of the polar caps in tobacco cells misoriented the metaphase spindles and frequently altered the final division plane, indicating that they are functionally analogous to the gametosomes. These results suggest a broad use of transient MTOC structures as the spindle orientation machinery in plants, compensating for the evolutionary loss of centrosomes, to secure the initial orientation of the spindle in a spatial window that allows subsequent fine-tuning of the division plane axis by the guidance machinery.

Deregulated expression of viral E6 and E7 genes often caused by viral genome integration of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) into host DNA and additional host genetic alterations are thought to be required for the development of cervical cancer. However, approximately 15% of invasive cervical cancer specimens contain only episomal HPV genomes. In this study, we investigated the tumorigenic potential of human cervical keratinocytes harboring only the episomal form of HPV16 (HCK1T/16epi). We found that the HPV16 episomal form is sufficient for promoting cell proliferation and colony formation of parental HCK1T cells. Ectopic expression of host oncogenes, MYC and PIK3CA E545K , enhanced clonogenic growth of both early- and late-passage HCK1T/16epi cells, but conferred tumor-initiating ability only to late-passage HCK1T/16epi cells. Interestingly, the expression levels of E6 and E7 were rather lower in late-passage than in early-passage cells. Moreover, additional introduction of a constitutively active MEK1 ( MEK1DD) and/or KRAS G12V into HCK1T/16epi cells resulted in generation of highly potent tumor-initiating cells. Thus an in vitro model for progression of cervical neoplasia with episomal HPV16 was established. In the model, constitutively active mutation of PIK3CA, PIK3CA E545K , and overexpression of MYC , in the cells with episomal HPV16 genome were not sufficient, but an additional event such as activation of the RAS-MEK pathway was required for progression to tumorigenicity.

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by subchondral bone sclerosis, chronic inflammation, and cartilage degradation. Abnormal mechanical stress by meniscal deviation activates osteoclasts and induces the release of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), which promotes mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-mediated type H angiogenesis and osteogenesis, contributing to bone sclerosis and cartilage damage. Subsequently, macrophages recognize cartilage-derived damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), polarizing into the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype, thereby exacerbating synovitis and cartilage loss. We developed Microglia Healing Peptide 1 with N-terminal acetylation and C-terminal amidation (MHP1-AcN), a modified peptide derived from receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL), exhibiting both anti-osteoclastic and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of MHP1-AcN in a murine OA model and elucidate its underlying mechanisms. Methods OA was induced in mice via destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery. Mice were randomly assigned to three groups ( n  = 8/group): Sham (sham surgery + saline), Vehicle (DMM + saline), and MHP1-AcN (DMM + MHP1-AcN). MHP1-AcN (600 µg) was administered intraperitoneally five times per week from a day after surgery. Knee joints were harvested at 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-surgery. In vitro, the effects of MHP1-AcN were assessed on osteoclast differentiation, inflammatory cytokine expression, and M1/M2 macrophage polarization using mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages. Additionally, its effects on TGF-β-induced osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMMSCs) and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated. Results MHP1-AcN markedly suppressed key pathological features of OA in vivo, including synovial inflammation, osteoclast-driven subchondral bone remodeling, aberrant angiogenesis, and cartilage degeneration. In vitro, MHP1-AcN effectively inhibited TLR4-mediated inflammatory cascades by reducing M1 macrophage polarization and inflammasome activation. Despite being derived from RANKL, MHP1-AcN supressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through NF-κB pathway suppression. Furthermore, MHP1-AcN attenuated TGF-β-induced osteogenic and angiogenic activities via Smad2 signaling inhibition in BMMSCs and HUVECs. Conclusion MHP1-AcN attenuates OA progression by modulating multi-pathways including aberrant bone remodeling, angiogenesis, and macrophage polarization, representing a promising disease-modifying therapeutic candidate for OA.