Disclosed is a cell structure comprising: a fragmented extracellular matrix component; and cells, wherein the cell structure comprises an intercellular vascular network, and the cells comprise at least adipocytes and vascular endothelial cells.

Methods are provided to separately isolate antigen-binding T cells and antigen-activated T cells derived from a starting population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and to identify overlapping T cell receptor clonotypes. Antigens include personal and shared neoantigens as well as cancer-testis antigens. The T cell receptor clonotypes can be further used to develop cancer treatment therapies.

Provided is a method of preparing a hydrogel composition including a uniform content of calcium phosphate, wherein a hydrogel composition prepared by the method has a uniform content of calcium phosphate, and thus may be used to quantify phosphates contained in the hydrogel composition. Provided is an in-vitro 3D osteoporosis model including a calcium phosphate hydrogel composition, wherein osteoblasts and osteoclasts may be three-dimensionally co-cultured inside a biogel, such that the osteoporosis model may be fabricated according to an intended use or clinical stage. Further, the model contains a calcium phosphate hydrogel with a uniform content of phosphate and thus enables quantification of calcium phosphate through measurement of phosphates, and therefore, the model may be used to screen candidate compounds for an osteoporosis drug and may effectively predict therapeutic effects of the drug on osteoporosis.

A device for rapid detection of a tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan (TB-LAM) is provided. The device includes a pre-concentrator unit for concentrating the TB-LAM comprising: an ion-exchange medium comprising one or more ligands configured to capture the TB-LAM from the source biological sample, wherein the captured-TB-LAM is eluted from the ion-exchange medium as an eluate comprising a concentrated form of TB-LAM; a cassette; a lateral flow assay unit disposed in the cassette; and an integration unit attached to the pre-concentrator unit and the cassette. The integration unit is configured to operatively couple and de-couple the pre-concentrator unit and the cassette. The pre-concentrator unit and the lateral flow assay unit disposed in the cassette are in a fluidic communication in a coupled form. The device for rapid detection of TB-LAM further comprises a dilutor unit.

A gravity flow micro-physiological article determines a physiological response to a drug and includes: supply chambers; a mixing chamber; and a liquid divider, wherein the divider divides fluid under gravitational force so that individual portions of the fluid independently include metabolites in a proportionate amount as physically determined by the liquid divider.

An object of the disclosure is to provide a composition for evaluating the hepatic glucose uptake capacity of a subject and a method for evaluating the hepatic glucose uptake capacity of a subject with the composition. An object of the disclosure is to provide a method for determining the stage of pre-onset diabetes in a subject with pre-onset diabetes using the method for evaluating the hepatic glucose uptake capacity. An aspect of the disclosure accordingly provides a composition comprising .sup.13C-labeled glucose for evaluating the hepatic glucose uptake capacity of a subject. Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method comprising measuring .sup.13C-labeled glucose in a blood sample or an expired air sample obtained from the subject to which the composition was administered. The desired evaluation or determination can be achieved by comparing the measured value with a reference value.

Methods of preparing a crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid include combining a hydraulic fracturing fluid comprising a polyacrylamide polymer with a plurality of coated proppants. The plurality of coated proppants include a proppant particle and a resin proppant coating on the proppant particle. The resin proppant coating includes resin and a zirconium oxide crosslinker. The resin includes at least one of phenol, furan, epoxy, urethane, phenol-formaldehyde, polyester, vinyl ester, and urea aldehyde. Methods further include allowing the zirconium oxide crosslinker within the resin proppant coating to crosslink the polyacrylamide polymer within the hydraulic fracturing fluid at a pH of at least 10, thereby forming the crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid.

Disclosed herein are methods of analyzing a biological sample comprising: separating components of the biological sample via reversed-phase (RP) chromatography to obtain an elute; subjecting the elute to separation via ion-exchange (IEX) chromatography or mixed-mode IEX chromatography; and detecting the separated compounds to determine the components of the biological sample. Also disclosed are devices comprising a reversed-phase (RP) chromatography column in communication with an ion-exchange (IEX) chromatography column or mixed-mode IEX chromatography column, wherein there is no switching valve between the columns.

Systems and methods for analyzing metabolite concentration in a subject using a medical imaging system are provided. The method includes, using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR] system, acquiring data from a subject during multiple acquisitions using different echo times for the multiple acquisitions to create a chemical shift domain. The method also includes, using the chemical shift domain, identifying metabolites by at least two chemical shifts and generating a report indicating the metabolites.

The invention is an ex vivo method for early detection of acute kidney injury in critical patients, which includes the measurements of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), klotho (KL) and erythropoietin (EPO) as biomarkers. These measurements are obtained from a venous blood sample or urine, and allow the determination of the following indicators: 1=([FGF23]p×[EPO]p); 2=([FGF23]p/[Klotho]p); 3=([EPO]p)/[Klotho]p); 4=([FGF23]p×[EPO]p)/[Klotho]p); where [X]p is defined as the plasma level of a specific molecule (X) which includes fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), klotho (KL) or erythropoietin (EPO). If the value of the indicator 1, 2, 3, 4 or two or more thereof, is equal or higher than a cut-off point (10 U), the indicator and/or indicators allow the identification of patients with high risk of developing AKI, with a high sensitivity/specificity. Therefore high levels of the indicator are associated to a high probability of the presence/development of AKI, which allows to perform specific clinical interventions for patients with AKI. If the value of the indicator 1, 2, 3, 4 or two or more thereof, is lower than the previously mentioned cut-off point, the probability of presence/development of AKI is low, therefore patients require only standard treatment.