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A very large magnetic entropy change ΔS has been observed in Fe-based cubic NaZn13-type compound LaFe11.2Co0.7Si1.1 near the Curie temperature TC of 274 K. The value of the entropy change is ∼20.3 J/kg K under a magnetic field of 5 T at TC=274 K. It markedly exceeds that of pure Gd at the corresponding temperature range [V. K. Pecharsky & K. A. Gschneidner, Jr., Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 4494 (1999)]. The great entropy change produced by the sharp change of magnetization is associated with a large negative lattice expansion at TC. The very large magnetic entropy change and low cost suggest that the compound LaFe11.2Co0.7Si1.1 has great potential for applications as magnetic refrigerants near room temperature.

Recently, we have developed an optimal decellularization protocol to generate 3D porcine myocardial scaffolds, which preserved natural extracellular matrix structure, mechanical anisotropy, and vasculature templates, and also showed good cell recellularization and differentiation potential. In this study, a multi-stimulation bioreactor was built to provide coordinated mechanical and electrical stimulations for facilitating stem cell differentiation and cardiac construct development. The acellular myocardial scaffolds were seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (106 cells/ml) by needle injection and subjected to 5-azacytidine treatment (3 μmol/L, 24 h) and various bioreactor conditioning protocols. We found that, after 2-day culture with mechanical (20% strain) and electrical stimulation (5 V, 1 Hz), high cell density and good cell viability were observed in the reseeded scaffold. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the differentiated cells showed cardiomyocyte-like phenotype, by expressing sarcomeric α-actinin, myosin heavy chain, cardiac troponin T, connexin-43, and N-cadherin. Biaxial mechanical testing demonstrated that positive tissue remodeling took place after 2-day bioreactor conditioning (20% strain + 5 V, 1 Hz); passive mechanical properties of the 2-day and 4-day tissue constructs were comparable to the tissue constructs produced by stirring reseeding followed by 2-week static culture, implying the effectiveness and efficiency of the coordinated simulations in promoting tissue remodeling. In short, the synergistic stimulations might be beneficial not only for the quality of cardiac construct development, but also for patients by reducing the waiting time in future clinical scenarios.

Crystallographic and magnetic structures of the cubic NaZn 13 -type intermetallic compound LaFe 11.4 Si 1.6 have been studied by means of powder neutron diffraction. Rietveld analysis indicates that Si atoms substitute for Fe atoms randomly on two different Fe sites. All spins in the unit cell are aligned ferromagnetically with the Fe I (8b) moment smaller than the Fe II (96i) one. The long-range ferromagnetic ordering induces a drastic expansion of the lattice and the coexistence of the large and small volume phases near the Curie temperature. Even in the ferromagnetic state, the lattice expansion still correlates strongly with the spontaneous magnetic moment, marked by a large positive magnetovolume coupling constant kC = 1.14 × 10 −8 cm 6 emu −2 . From the temperature dependence of Fe-Fe bond lengths, we suggest that the Fe-Fe exchange interaction between the clusters (each formed by a central Fe I atom and 12 surrounding Fe II atoms) plays an important role in the magnetic properties of La(Fe 1−x Al/Si x ) 13 , as does that within the clusters.

Meridian theory is a major part of Chinese medicine and has guided acupuncture and clinical practice for thousands of years. Meridian theory describes many important concepts about the rules of human body function and regulation, but has comparatively huge differences with the basic concepts of modern medicine. These differences have caused deep concern and attracted attention from scholars, both inside and outside of China. The interest in meridian theory lies in determining the structural nature of meridians. Not only is this information still unclear, it is very difficult to achieve clear results in a short period of time. Despite this, the phenomena of meridians can be used as the entry point for meridian studies. After many years of effort, although the physical structure of meridians has not been found, the existence of the meridian phenomena has been fully confirmed. Although there is a lack of morphological evidence for the existence of the meridian, concluding non-existence may be incorrect as morphology techniques develop and structures previously not determined are being found. Since the phenomenon of meridians exists, some biological basis behind its occurrence must be present. This implies that research on meridians needs to continue as research techniques advance and may eventually reveal the biological basis of the meridian phenomenon. In the present review, we analyze the history of meridian studies in China.

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Extracellular matrix (ECM) of myocardium plays an important role to maintain a multilayered helical architecture of cardiomyocytes. In this study, we have characterized the structural and biomechanical properties of porcine myocardial ECM. Fresh myocardium were decellularized in a rotating bioreactor using 0.1 % sodium dodecyl sulfate solution. Masson’s trichrome staining and SEM demonstrated the removal of cells and preservation of the interconnected 3D cardiomyocyte lacunae. Movat’s pentachrome staining showed the preservation of cardiac elastin ultrastructure and vascular elastin distribution/alignment. DNA assay result confirmed a 98.59 % reduction in DNA content; the acellular myocardial scaffolds were found completely lack of staining for the porcine α-Gal antigen; and the accelerating enzymatic degradation assessment showed a constant degradation rate. Tensile and shear properties of the acellular myocardial scaffolds were also evaluated. Our observations showed that the acellular myocardial ECM possessed important traits of biodegradable scaffolds, indicating the potentials in cardiac regeneration and whole heart tissue engineering.