Mitochondrial thermodynamics is the key to understand cellular activities related to homeostasis and energy balance. Here, we report the first ratiometric fluorescent molecular probe (Mito-RTP) that ...is selectively localized in the mitochondria and visualize the temperature. We confirmed that Mito-RTP could work as a ratiometric thermometer in a cuvette and living cells.
The homeostasis of body temperature and energy balance is one of the major principles in biology. Nanoscale thermometry of aqueous solutions is a challenging but crucial technique to understand the ...molecular basis of this essential process. Here, we developed a ratiometric nanothermometer (RNT) for intracellular temperature measurement in real time. Both the thermosensitive fluorophore, β-diketonate chelate europium(III) thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, and the thermoinsensitive fluorophore, rhodamine 101, which was used as a self-reference, are embedded in a polymeric particle that protects the fluorophores from intracellular conditions. The ratiometric measurement of single RNT spots is independent of the displacement of the RNT along the z-axis. The temperature is therefore determined at the location of each RNT under an optical microscope regardless of the dynamic movement of living cells. As a demonstration of the spot-by-spot intracellular thermometry, we successfully followed the temperature change in individual RNT spots in a single cell together with the Ca2+ burst induced by the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin. The temperature increases differently among different spots, implying heterogeneous heat production in the cell. We then show that, in some spots, the temperature gradually decreases, while in others it remains high. The average temperature elevation within a cell is positively correlated to the increase in Ca2+, suggesting that the activity and/or number of heat sources are dependent on the Ca2+ concentration.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Thermoplastic elastomers are attractive materials because of the drastic changes in their physical properties above and below the glass transition temperature (T
). In this paper, we report that ...free-standing polystyrene (PS, T
: 100 °C) and polystyrene-polybutadiene-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SBS, T
: -70 °C) thin films with a thickness of hundreds of nanometers were prepared by a gravure coating method. Among the mechanical properties of these thin films determined by bulge testing and tensile testing, the SBS thin films exhibited a much lower elastic modulus (ca. 0.045 GPa, 212 nm thickness) in comparison with the PS thin films (ca. 1.19 GPa, 217 nm thickness). The lower elastic modulus and lower thickness of the SBS thin films resulted in higher conformability and thus higher strength of adhesion to an uneven surface such as an artificial skin model with roughness (R
= 10.6 μm), even though they both have similar surface energies. By analyzing the mechanical properties of the SBS thin films, the elastic modulus and thickness of the thin films were strongly correlated with their conformability to a rough surface, which thus led to a high adhesive strength. Therefore, the SBS thin films will be useful as coating layers for a variety of materials.
This longitudinal study investigated the effects of various lifestyle-related factors – including sleep duration, shift work, and actual days taken off work – on new-onset metabolic syndrome (MetS).
...A total of 39,182 male employees (mean age 42.4 ± 9.8 years) of a local government organization in Japan were followed up for a maximum of seven years, between 1999 and 2006. Multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazard method) identified seven high-risk lifestyle factors that were significantly associated with new-onset MetS or a range of metabolic factors (obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia): (1) short sleep duration (<5 h/day), (2) shift work, (3) insufficient number of days off work, (4) always eating until satiety, (5) not trying to take every opportunity to walk, (6) alcohol intake ≥60 g/day, and (7) smoking. In addition, a higher number of these high-risk lifestyle factors significantly promoted the onset of MetS. The hazard ratio for MetS associated with 0–1 high-risk lifestyle parameters per subject at the baseline was set at 1.00. Hazard ratios associated with the following numbers of high-risk lifestyle parameters were: 1.22 (95% CI 1.15–1.29) for 2–3 of these parameters; and 1.43 (1.33–1.54) for 4–7.
An increase in the number of high-risk lifestyle factors – such as short sleep duration, shift work, and an insufficient number of days off work – increased the risk of MetS onset. Comprehensive strategies to improve a range of lifestyle factors for workers, such as sleep duration and days off work, could reduce the risk of MetS onset.
•This cohort study investigated the association lifestyles and onset of metabolic syndrome (MetS).•39,182 male employees were followed up for a maximum of seven years.•Short sleep and shift work were risk factors for new-onset MetS.•An increase in the number of high-risk lifestyle factors increased the risk of MetS.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Water-soluble porphyrins, diethoxyphosphorus(V)tetraphenylporphyrin (EtP(V)TPP) and its fluorinated analogue (FEtP(V)TPP), decreased the typical absorption around 340nm of nicotinamide adenine ...dinucleotide (NADH) under visible light irradiation, indicating oxidative decomposition. A singlet oxygen quencher, sodium azide, and a triplet quencher, potassium iodide, slightly inhibited photosensitized NADH oxidation. However, these inhibitory effects were very small. Furthermore, the fluorescence lifetime of these P(V)porphyrins was decreased by NADH, suggesting the contribution of electron transfer to the singlet excited (S1) state of P(V)porphyrin. The redox potential measurement supports the electron transfer-mediated oxidation of NADH. The quantum yields of NADH photodecomposition by P(V)porphyrins could be estimated from the kinetic data and the effect of these quenchers on NADH oxidation. The obtained values suggest that the electron accepting by the S1 states of P(V)porphyrins triggers a chain reaction of NADH oxidation. This photosensitized reaction may play an important role in the photocytotoxicity of P(V)porphyrins. The axial ligand fluorination of P(V)porphyrins improved electron accepting ability. However, fluorination slightly suppressed static interaction with NADH, resulting in decreased oxidation quantum yield.
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•Porphyrin phosphorus(V) complexes photosensitize NADH oxidation.•Photoinduced electron transfer is the main mechanism of NADH oxidation.•This electron transfer triggers a chain reaction of NADH decomposition.•Axial fluorination of porphyrin phosphorus(V) complexes suppresses the interaction with NADH.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
We report the case of the third patient with Tsukahara-Azuno-Kaiji syndrome. It is characterized by brachydactyly A1, dwarfism, microcephaly, scoliosis, intellectual disability, ptosis, and hearing ...loss. The first patient was reported in 1989, and the second in 2010. The present patient had many features in common with the previous 2 patients, with a few minor differences. Although this combination of symptoms is very characteristic, the clinicians should know about this syndrome to diagnose it. The syndrome in this patient appeared sporadically, and chromosome G-banding revealed a normal female karyotype of 46XX. However, further genetic research could not be performed. Steady accumulation of information will enable us to discover the true clinical and genetic nature of the disease and to make the diagnosis more easily.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We report the structural changes inside germania glass induced by femtosecond laser pulses. Inspection by polarization microscopy and secondary electron microscopy indicate that the periodic ...nanostructures consist of oxygen defects such as ODCs (oxygen deficient centers) and NBOHCs (nonbridging oxygen hole centers) for laser pulse energy less than 0.2 μJ. However, the glass network was dissociated and O2 molecules were generated for laser pulse energy greater than 0.4 μJ. Two different structural changes, form‐birefringence and dissociation, were induced in GeO2 glass, depending on the laser pulse energy. The form‐birefringence exhibited by the nanogratings in GeO2 glass is larger than that in SiO2 glass for pulse energy less than 0.2 μJ, as the density of nanovoids enclosed by ODCs in GeO2 glass is higher than that in SiO2 glass. Arrhenius plots of the phase retardation caused by the nanogratings in GeO2 and SiO2 indicate that the oxygen defects are relaxed at a temperature 100°C above the glass‐transition temperature.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose The purpose of this study was to elucidate the age-related changes in the stability of the quiet standing posture based on the acceleration of the center of mass of each body segment under ...deteriorated somatosensory conditions. Participants and Methods The participants in this study were 18 healthy elderly persons and 11 healthy young adults. A foam surface was placed on the force plate for load-bearing onto the somatosensory system. The participants maintained a quiet position on the force plate under two conditions: a firm surface and a foam surface. The accelerations of the head, thorax, pelvis, and whole body center of mass when quiet standing in two conditions were measured by a motion capture system. In the statistical analysis, regarding the center of mass of each body segment, the interactions were examined by performing a two-way analysis of variance using age and surface condition as factors. Results A two-way analysis of variance detected an interaction between age and surface factors for anteroposterior acceleration at the center of mass of the head. For other body segments, interactions between the two factors were not detected. Conclusion The results of anteroposterior acceleration at the center of mass of the head suggest that under conditions of deteriorated somatosensory function in the lower limbs, minute anteroposterior position adjustment of the head is an essential characteristic of the standing posture control mechanism in the elderly.
Introduction: We investigated the effect of preoperative joint position sense in the big toe on the postoperative recovery of gait function after spinal tumor surgery.Methods: Seventy-three patients ...with spinal tumors who underwent surgery at our hospital between 2014 and 2019 and could be followed for at least 6 months after surgery were included. The patients were divided into the cervical spinal (41 cases) and thoracic spinal (32 cases) groups according to the localization of the tumor. These groups were further classified into an Impaired group (cervical spinal, 34 cases; thoracic spinal, 19 cases) and an Intact group (cervical spinal, 7 cases; thoracic spinal, 13 cases) according to the presence or absence of preoperative joint position sense in the big toe. The amount of change in ambulatory function from the preoperative period to 3 and 6 months postoperatively was compared between the Impaired and Intact groups within each tumor localization category.Results: Impaired preoperative joint position sense in the big toe in patients undergoing thoracic spinal tumor surgery delayed the recovery of gait function in the early postoperative period.Conclusions: In patients with thoracic spinal tumor surgery, the absence of preoperative joint position sense in the big toe delayed the recovery of postoperative gait function.
Form birefringence originating from self‐assembly of the bulk nanograting structures in silica glass with various anion dopants (OH, Cl and F) was induced by the femtosecond laser pulses. Despite the ...almost similar nanostructure, the photo‐induced birefringence can be changed by the anion dopants in glass. Larger birefringence can be induced in silica glass doped with higher Cl ion concentration. Even if F‐doped silica glass indicates lower thermal stability, its lifetime could be evaluated to be at least several billion years.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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