Recent advancements in Ising machines, both via quantum and quantum-inspired annealing, have shown promising results in solving difficult optimization problems. Owing to the potential of these ...dedicated machines, there is increasing interest in applying Ising machines to power system operations. However, despite Ising machines exhibiting computational advantages over conventional computational resources, modeling capability of Ising machines limits their potential applications. Hence, this study explores these potential applications in two steps. First, using the known characteristics of Ising machines and theoretical derivation, this study constructed an Ising machine applicability table for optimization problems. Then, using the constructed table, this study assessed the suitability of well-known optimization problems in power system operations to identify potential applications. Furthermore, to understand the performance of applying Ising machines, this study solved a phasor measurement unit placement problem using a quantum-inspired Ising machine. The results show the potential of solving large-scale problems that are unsolvable by conventional methods. The Ising machine usage guideline for power system operations summarizes the findings of this study.
The directional migration of epithelial cells is crucial for wound healing. Among integrins, a family of cell adhesion receptors, integrin β4 has been assumed to be a promigratory factor, in addition ...to its role in stable adhesion. In turn, Ca2+ signaling is also a key coordinator of migration. Keratinocytes reportedly express transient receptor potential vanilloid channels (TRPV1); however, the function of these channels as a regulator of intracellular Ca2+ level in cell migration has remained uncharacterized. In the present study, we investigated the role of TRPV1 in directional migration related to integrin β4 using a scratch wound assay on a confluent monolayer sheet of murine keratinocytes (Pam212 cells). Double immunofluorescence staining revealed the de novo expression of integrin β4 and TRPV1 in migrating cells at the wound edge in response to scratch wounding, and both expression levels were almost matched. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) not only promoted keratinocyte migration, but also caused the further up-regulation of both integrin β4 and TRPV1. In addition, the knockdown of the integrin β4 or TRPV1 gene significantly impeded wound closure. The TRPV1 agonist capsaicin significantly promoted migration, while a selective TRPV1 antagonist inhibited it. The gene knockdown of TRPV1 inhibited the expression of the integrin β4 gene and that of β4 protein in migrating cells. These findings suggest that TRPV1 may stimulate directional migration directly by eliciting a Ca2+ signal or indirectly via integrin β4 expression.
•Role of TRPV1 in directional migration related to integrin β4 was investigated.•Both integrin β4 and TRPV1 contribute to keratinocyte migration.•The coincident up-regulation of integrin β4 and TRPV1 in migrating cells was observed.•The endogenous activation of TRPV1 accompanying Ca2+ influx occurs during migration.•The promigratory ability of TRPV1 partly reflects the promotion of β4 expression.
Carbon nanotubes have been explored as heat-delivery vehicles for thermal ablation of tumors. To use single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) as a "molecular heater" for hyperthermia therapy in cancer, ...stable dispersibility and smart-delivery potential will be needed, as well as lack of toxicity. This paper reports the preparation of a model complex comprising DNA-treated SWNT and anti-human IgG antibody and the specific binding ability of this model complex with the targeted protein, ie, human IgG. Treatment with double-stranded DNA enabled stable dispersibility of a complex composed of SWNT and the antibody under physiological conditions. Quartz crystal microbalance results suggest that there was one immobilized IgG molecule to every 21,700 carbon atoms in the complex containing DNA-treated SWNT and the antibody. The DNA-SWNT antibody complex showed good selectivity for binding to the targeted protein. Binding analysis revealed that treatment with DNA did not interfere with binding affinity or capacity between the immobilized antibody and the targeted protein. The results of this study demonstrate that the DNA-SWNT antibody complex is a useful tool for use as a smart "molecular heater" platform applicable to various types of antibodies targeting a specific antigen.
Photosynthetic characteristics of two broadleaved evergreen trees, Quercus myrsinaefolia and Machilus thunbergii, were compared in autumn and winter. The irradiance was similar in both seasons, but ...the air temperature was lower in winter. Under the winter conditions, net photosynthesis under natural sunlight (Anet) in both species dropped to 4 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1, and the quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry in dark-adapted leaves (Fv/Fm) also dropped to 0.60. In both species the maximum carboxylation rates of Rubisco (Vcmax) decreased, and the amount of Rubisco increased in winter. A decline in chlorophyll (Chl) concentration and an increase in the Chl a/b ratio in winter resulted in a reduction in the size of the light-harvesting antennae. From measurements of Chl a fluorescence parameters, both the relative fraction and the energy flux rates of thermal dissipation through other non-photochemical processes were markedly elevated in winter. The results indicate that the photosynthetic apparatus in broadleaved evergreen species in warm temperate regions responds to winter through regulatory mechanisms involving the downregulation of light-harvesting and photosynthesis coupled with increased photoprotective thermal energy dissipation to minimize photodamage in winter. These mechanisms aid a quick restart of photosynthesis without the development of new leaves in the following spring.
•Responses of the photosynthesis of broadleaved evergreens in Japan were evaluated.•Fv/Fm showed a decrease, leading to a decline in Anet and Vcmax in winter.•The fraction and the energy flux of thermal dissipation increased in winter.•Reduction of chlorophyll in winter indicated minimization of photodamage.
The evolution of mycoheterotrophy has been accompanied by extreme reductions in plant leaf size and photosynthetic capacity. Partially mycoheterotrophic plants, which obtain carbon from both ...photosynthesis and their mycorrhizal fungi, include species with leaves of normal size and others that are tiny-leaved. Thus, plant species may lose their leaves in a gradual process of size reduction rather than through a single step mutation. Little is known about how the degree of mycoheterotrophy changes during reductions in leaf size. We compared the degree of mycoheterotrophy among five Japanese
Cephalanthera
species, four with leaves of normal size (
Cephalanthera falcata
,
Cephalanthera erecta
,
Cephalanthera longibracteata
and
Cephalanthera longifolia
), one with tiny leaves (
Cephalanthera subaphylla
), and one albino form of
C
.
falcata
(as reference specimens for fully mycoheterotrophic plants). The levels of mycoheterotrophy were determined by stable isotope natural abundance analysis. All
Cephalanthera
species were relatively enriched in
13
C and
15
N in comparison with surrounding autotrophic plants.
Cephalanthera subaphylla
was strongly enriched in
13
C and
15
N to levels similar to the albinos. Species with leaves of normal size were significantly less enriched in
13
C than
C
.
subaphylla
and the albinos. Thus,
C
.
subaphylla
was strongly mycoheterotrophic, obtaining most of its carbon from mycorrhizal fungi even though it has tiny leaves; species with leaves of normal size were partially mycoheterotrophic. Hence, during the evolutionary pathway to full mycoheterotrophy, some plant species appear to have gained strong mycoheterotrophic abilities before completely losing foliage leaves.
Neuronal imaging using SPECT Yamashina, Shohei; Yamazaki, Jun-ichi
European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
34 Suppl 1, Številka:
S1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
(123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy is one of only a few methods available for objective evaluation of cardiac sympathetic function at the clinical level. Disorders of ...cardiac sympathetic function play an important role in various heart diseases, and MIBG provides an abundance of useful information for the evaluation of severity, prognosis and therapeutic effects; this is particularly useful in cases of heart failure, ischaemic heart disease and arrhythmic disease. On the other hand, the quantitative indices for MIBG differ between institutions, and evidence has not been sufficiently well established for MIBG scintigraphy when compared with myocardial perfusion imaging in ischaemic heart diseases. In consideration of these difficulties, this review provides fundamental information regarding MIBG, its usefulness for various diseases and future difficulties.
In tropical dry forests, uppermost-canopy leaves of evergreen trees possess the ability to use water more conservatively compared with drought-deciduous trees, which may result from significant ...differences in the photoprotective mechanisms between functional types. We examined the seasonal variations in leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and the amounts of photosynthetic pigments within lamina of the uppermost-canopy leaves of three drought-deciduous trees (Vitex peduncularis Wall., Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) W. Theob., Shorea siamensis Miq.), a semi-deciduous tree (Irvingia malayana Miq.) and two evergreen trees (Hopea ferrea Lanessan and Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels) in Thailand. Area-based maximum carbon assimilation rates (Amax) decreased during the dry season, except in S. siamensis. The electron transport rate (ETR) remained unchanged in deciduous trees, but decreased during the dry season in evergreen and semi-deciduous trees. In the principal component analysis, the first axis (Axis 1) accounted for 44.3% of the total variation and distinguished deciduous from evergreen trees. Along Axis 1, evergreen trees were characterized by a high Stern-Volmer non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ), high xanthophyll cycle pigments/chlorophyll and a high de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle, whereas the deciduous trees were characterized by a high ETR, a high quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII = (Fm(') -F)/Fm(')) and a high mass-based Amax under high-light conditions. These findings indicate that drought-deciduous trees showing less conservative water use tend to dissipate a large proportion of electron flow through photosynthesis or alternative pathways. In contrast, the evergreens showed more conservative water use, reduced Amax and ETR and enhanced NPQ and xanthophyll cycle pigments/chlorophyll during the dry season, indicating that down-regulated photosynthesis with enhanced thermal dissipation of excess light energy played an important role in photoprotection. Trees with different water uses and leaf lifespans appear to employ different photoprotective mechanisms to overcome the unfavorable dry-season drought. Our data may suggest that future changes in precipitation will strongly impinge on forest structure and functions.
Recently, we established a simple method for the quantification of small dense LDL cholesterol (C) using heparin-magnesium precipitation. The small dense LDL-C level was identical to cholesterol in ...the denser LDL fraction with a density of 1.044 to 1.063 g/mL. The aim of this study was to examine clinical significance of this precipitation method for small dense LDL-C.
Small dense LDL-C was measured by a direct homogenous LDL-C assay in the supernatant that remained after heparin-magnesium precipitation with density <1.044 lipoproteins. In 313 normolipidemic subjects, the mean value of small dense LDL-C was 31+/-13 mg/dL. In 462 healthy subjects, small dense LDL-C levels were positively correlated with serum triglyceride and LDL-C and were inversely correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Combined hyperlipidemia showed the highest small dense LDL-C level among the various types of hyperlipidemia. Patients with type 2 diabetes had an increased small dense LDL-C level (55+/-17). Patients with coronary heart disease also had increased small dense LDL-C levels (53+/-30) irrespective of the presence of diabetes, whereas their LDL-C levels were comparable to those of normolipidemic controls (111+/-31 versus 104+/-22).
These results suggest that measurement of small dense LDL-C by the present precipitation method is useful to evaluate atherogenic risk and may be applicable to routine clinical examination.
We monitored chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, pigment concentration and the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle (DPS
1
DPS is defined as the ratio of (Z
+
A) to (V
+
A
+
Z), where Z, A and V ...stand for concentrations of zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin and violaxanthin, respectively.
1
) in two warm temperate broad-leaved evergreen species (
Quercus myrsinaefolia and
Machilus thunbergii). Reduction of the maximal quantum yield of Photosystem II (PSII) (calculated from Fv/Fm, variable to maximal Chl
a fluorescence) and retention of a high DPS were observed in both species in the winter, and can be interpreted as acclimation to winter. In particular, the acclimation of PSII in these species can be chiefly attributed to thermal dissipation, which is correlated with the retention of high zeaxanthin. Furthermore, we attempted to divide the fate of the absorbed light energy by the PSII antennae into three components: (i) PSII photochemistry (represented by its quantum yield, ΦPSII), (ii) dissipation by down-regulation
via non-photochemical quenching (ΦNPQ) and (iii) other non-photochemical processes (ΦONP). The estimated energy allocation of the absorbed light indicated that the proportion of ΦPSII decreased, whereas that of ΦNPQ
+
ΦONP increased during winter. This result suggests that the excess energy absorbed in the PSII complexes is safely dissipated from the PSII antennae. Based on these results, we conclude that thermal dissipation from the PSII antennae plays an important role in two overwintering broad-leaved evergreen trees growing in Japan.
Highlights • Transcriptional regulation of CLCA expression in keratinocytes is elucidated. • NF-κB binding domain is important for the transcriptional activity of mCLCA2. • Association between ...activated p65 and the promoter region is clarified. • NF-κB inhibition suppresses mCLCA2 expression during the Ca-induced differentiation. • NF-κB activity is involved in the Ca-dependent regulation of mCLCA2 expression.
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