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The proper microenvironment is critical for the storage and transportation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). To mimic a dynamic 3D microenvironment as it exists in vivo and consider “off-the-shelf” availability reaching the destination, we proposed an alternative approach that allows for facile storage and transportation of stem cells in the form of ESCs-dynamic hydrogel construct (CDHC) under ambient conditions. To form CDHC, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were in-situ encapsulated within a polysaccharide-based dynamic and self-biodegradable hydrogel. After storing CDHC in a sterile and hermetic environment for 3 days and then transferring to a sealed vessel with fresh medium for another 3 days, the large and compact colonies retained a 90% survival rate and pluripotency. Furthermore, after transporting and arriving at the destination, the encapsulated stem cell could be automatically released from the self-biodegradable hydrogel. After continuous cultivation of 15 generations of retrieved cells, automatically released from the CDHC, the mESCs underwent 3D encapsulation, storage, transportation, release, and continuous long-term subculture; resumed colony forming capacity and pluripotency were revealed by stem cell markers both in protein and mRNA levels. We believe that the dynamic and self-biodegradable hydrogel provides a simple, cost-effective, and valuable tool for storing and transporting “ready-to-use” CDHC under ambient conditions, facilitating “off-the-shelf” availability and widespread applications.

International audience; Cationic photopolymerization is amongst the greenest processes used to obtain polymers since light is abundant, inexpensive and allows for rapid and waste-less curing at room temperature. Moreover, in the current search for the reduction of the environmental impacts of polymers, the use of biobased monomers is one of the most crucial stakes. At the crossroads of these domains, biobased monomers photopolymerization offers the best of both. Hence, this review aims at underlying the increasing importance of cationic photopolymerization in combination with bio-based photopolymerizable monomers, and describes the numerous reactive species derived from bioresources that can lead to innovative materials through cationic photopolymerization reactions. This review intends to be a guide to orientate academic teams and industries involved in reducing both environmental impacts and toxicity towards the synthesis of environmentally safe materials. The recent advances on the photochemical systems used, the toxicity of the cationic photoinitiating systems, the reactivity of the new epoxy bio-sourced monomers, their thermomechanical properties as well as the applications of the targeted materials will be described.

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S21. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 53 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S02. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 62 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S14. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 53 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station LS2. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1968 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S27. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 55 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S22. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 59 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S03. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 58 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at LS3. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 51 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S22. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1850 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S18. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 43 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S01. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 55 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S03. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1799 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at LS2. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 51 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S02. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1943 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S27. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1881 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S15. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 53 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at TJT2. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 44 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S14. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1933 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S10. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 48 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at LS4. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 51 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S18. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1404 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at LS1. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 51 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S04. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1960 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station LS3. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1901 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station S01. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1922 kb)

Temporal variations in 15-day ACFs at Station TJT2. (a) 15-day ACFs calculated from OBS data over 15 continuous days, including the 7 days before and after the given date. The ACFs plotted in red are in the SSE period, and the bottom ACF is the reference ACF, calculated for the month from November 19 to December 19. (b) The cross-correlation coefficient between the 15-day ACFs and the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window and zero lag time. The period between the black triangles corresponds to the SSE period, and the periods between the red, blue, and green triangles correspond to low-frequency tremor periods in Sequences 1, 2, and 3. The magenta broken line represents the main shock. (c) Phase variation in the 15-day ACFs relative to the reference ACF, using a 15 s time window. Warm colors represent phase progressions, and cold colors represent phase delays. The four pairs of triangles and the magenta broken line correspond to each period and the main shock described in (b). (PDF 1704 kb)

Temporal variations in seismic velocity at S04. These figures show the temporal velocity changes calculated from the phase delays at each lapse time: from 10 to 20 s, 20–30 s, 30–40 s, 40–50 s, 50–60 s, and 60–70 s. The four colors of broken lines correspond to the occurrence of each low-frequency tremor and to the main shock. (PDF 56 kb)

Owing to its hydrophilicity, negative charge, small size, and labile degradation by endogenous nucleases, small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery must be achieved by a carrier system. In this study, cationic copolymers composed of low-molecular-weight polyethylenimine and polythiophenes were synthesized and evaluated as novel self-tracking siRNA delivery vectors. The concept underlying the design of these copolymers is that hydrophobicity and rigidity of polythiophenes should enhance the transport of siRNA across the cell membrane and endosomal membrane. A gel retardation assay showed that the nanosized complexes formed between the copolymers and siRNA were stable even at a molar ratio of 1 : 2. The high cellular uptake (>80%) and localization of the copolymer vectors inside the cells were easily analyzed by tracking the fluorescence of polythiophene using fluorescent microscopy and cytometry. Anin vitroluciferase knockdown (KD) assay in A549-luc cells demonstrated that the siRNA complexes with more hydrophobic copolymers achieved a higher KD efficiency of 52.8% without notable cytotoxicity, indicating protein-specific KD activity rather than solely the cytotoxicity of the materials. Our polythiophene copolymers should serve as novel, efficient, low cell toxicity, and label-free siRNA delivery systems.

Photocurable systems, which offer advantages such as microfabrication and in situ fabrication, have been widely used as dental restorative materials. Because the visible light-curable (VLC) system causes no biological damage, it is popular as a dental material and is being investigated by many researchers for other medical applications. Here, the principle of the VLC system is explained and recent progress in key components including photoinitiators, monomers, macromers, and prepolymers is discussed. Finally, biomedical applications for drug delivery and soft tissue engineering are reviewed. Considering the recent development of VLC systems, its importance in the field of medical applications is expected to continue to increase in the future.

To restore an earthquake damaged community as quickly as possible, a well-prepared reconstruction plan is essential. When an earthquake strikes a community and destructive damage to buildings occurs, quick damage inspections are needed to identify which buildings are safe and which are not in the case of aftershocks. However, since such quick inspections are performed within a short period of time, the results are inevitably coarse. In the next stage following the quick inspections, damage evaluation should be more precisely and quantitatively performed. For this purpose, a technical guideline that may help engineers find appropriate actions required in a damaged building is needed. In Japan, the Guideline for Post-Earthquake Damage Evaluation and Rehabilitation originally developed in 1991 is revised in 2001 and 2013 based on lessons from damaging earthquakes such as the 2011 East Japan Earthquake. General concept of the Guideline for reinforced concrete buildings and main points in the revision are presented in this paper. The authors have developed a method to evaluate the residual seismic capacity of reinforced concrete structures based on R-index, which was employed in the Damage Evaluation Guideline. The R-index is defined as the ratio of residual seismic capacity to the original capacity, and is calculated from residual seismic capacity in structural members. In the guideline revision, gquasi brittle member h is introduced to categories of structural member I n addition to brittle and ductile members. The value of residual capacity in structural members was re-evaluated with experimental data of reinforced concrete beams, columns and shear walls. R-index is calculated, in the current Guideline, based on story shear in the most damaged story before and after the quake assuming story collapse mechanism which is the most typical failure mechanism of reinforced concrete buildings observed in the past damaging earthquakes. An evaluation method of residual seismic capacity R-index for a building with total collapse mechanism of beam yielding type was developed and was introduced into the revised version. Analytical study on prototype frame structures was carried out to examine the accuracy and effectiveness the developed method.

Resistance against anticancer drugs remains a serious obstacle in cancer treatment. Here we used novel strategies to target microsomal glutathione transferase 1 (MGST1) and glutathione transferase pi (GSTP) that are often overexpressed in tumors and confer resistance against a number of cytostatic drugs, including cisplatin and doxorubicin (DOX). By synthetically combining cisplatin with a GST inhibitor, ethacrynic acid, to form ethacraplatin, it was previously shown that cytosolic GST inhibition was improved and that cells became more sensitive to cisplatin. Here we show that ethacraplatin is easily taken up by the cells and can reverse cisplatin resistance in MGST1 overexpressing MCF7 cells. A second and novel strategy to overcome GST mediated resistance involves using GST releasable cytostatic drugs. Here we synthesized two derivatives of DOX, 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl doxorubicin (DNS-DOX) and 4-mononitrobenzenesulfonyl doxorubicin (MNS-DOX) and showed that they are substrates for MGST1 and GSTP (releasing DOX). MGST1 overexpressing cells are resistant to DOX. The resistance is partially reversed by DNS-DOX. Interestingly, the less reactive MNS-DOX was more cytotoxic to cells overexpressing MGST1 than control cells. It would appear that, by controlling the reactivity of the prodrug, and thereby the DOX release rate, selective toxicity to MGST1 overexpressing cells can be achieved. In the case of V79 cells, DOX resistance proportional to GSTP expression levels was noted. In this case, not only was drug resistance eliminated by DNS-DOX but a striking GSTP-dependent increase in toxicity was observed in the clonogenic assay. In summary, MGST1 and GSTP resistance to cytostatic drugs can be overcome and cytotoxicity can be enhanced in GST overexpressing cells.

An insulin-releasing membrane system based on the oxidation reaction of glucose was synthesized by immobilizing insulin through a disulfide bond (5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)) to polymer membrane [poly(methylmethacrylate)]. The disulfide bonds were cleaved upon oxidation of glucose with glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), releasing insulin from the membrane. Sensitivity to glucose concentration was enhanced by co-immobilization of enzyme co-factors (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide) acting as electron mediators, and further enhanced by co-immobilization of GDH. The membrane system was specific to glucose, and the released insulin was indistinguishable from native insulin in HPLC elution patterns. The biological activity of released insulin was 81% of native insulin.

An increasing number of adnexal masses are currently managed laparoscopically, which has hampered progress regarding the different techniques of laparoscopic surgery. In this chapter, a modified application of surgical instrument was described in laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy-we named this device, Lap-Disc Mini. This new instrument has three rings, an inner flexible ring fixed to a middle ring by a rubber corset, and an additional dynamic outer ring that has a rubbery-like iris opening, which allows the application of different-sized trocars and extracorporeal ovarian cystectomy. This technique has proved to be effective and safe, especially in removing large ovarian cyst.