God's Hobby

<div><p>Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the blood vessels serve a variety of functions and play a central role in the homeostasis of the circulatory system. Since the ductus arteriosus (DA) has different arterial characteristics from its connecting vessels, we hypothesized that ECs of the DA exhibited a unique gene profile involved in the regulation of DA-specific morphology and function. Using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, we isolated ECs from pooled tissues from the DA or the descending aorta of Wistar rat fetuses at full-term of gestation (F group) or neonates 30 minutes after birth (N group). Using anti-CD31 and anti-CD45 antibodies as cell surface markers for ECs and hematopoietic derived cells, respectively, cDNAs from the CD31-positive and CD45-negative cells were hybridized to the Affymetrix GeneChip® Rat Gene 1.0 ST Array. Among 26,469 gene-level probe sets, 82 genes in the F group and 81 genes in the N group were expressed at higher levels in DA ECs than in aortic ECs (<i>p</i><0.05, fold change>2.0). In addition to well-known endothelium-enriched genes such as Tgfb2 and Vegfa, novel DA endothelium-dominant genes including Slc38a1, Capn6, and Lrat were discovered. Enrichment analysis using GeneGo MetaCore software showed that DA endothelium-related biological processes were involved in morphogenesis and development. We identified many overlapping genes in each process including neural crest-related genes (Hoxa1, Hoxa4, and Hand2, etc) and the second heart field-related genes (Tbx1, Isl1, and Fgf10, etc). Moreover, we found that regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell adhesion, and retinol metabolism are the active pathways involved in the network via potential interactions with many of the identified genes to form DA-specific endothelia. In conclusion, the present study uncovered several significant differences of the transcriptional profile between the DA and aortic ECs. Newly identified DA endothelium-dominant genes may play an important role in DA-specific functional and morphologic characteristics.</p></div

sj-pdf-1-jhc-10.1369_00221554221082539 – Supplemental material for Immunofluorescence Detection of Plasma Membranous PTEN in Cultured Cells

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-jhc-10.1369_00221554221082539 for Immunofluorescence Detection of Plasma Membranous PTEN in Cultured Cells by Takashi Kato in Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry</p

Vibronic Interactions in Fractionally Charged Hydrocarbons

We investigate the vibronic stabilization energy (Δvib,–x) in aromatic 1,2:8,9-dibenzopentacene (Kx30dba) by comparison with electronic properties of aromatic hydrocarbons such as picene (K322ph). Approximately twice larger value of the density of states at the Fermi level (N(εF)−x) for K3.1730dba than that for K330dba is the main reason why the experimental Δvib,–x value of 28.2 K for K3.1730dba is much larger than that of 7.4 K for K330dba. Approximately 5.1–5.6 and 4.3–4.8 times larger N(εF)−x values reproducing the Δvib,–3.45 values of 33.1 and 21.3 K, respectively, for K3.4530dba than that reproducing the Δvib,–3.00 value of 7.4 K for K330dba are the main reasons why the Δvib,–3.45 values of 33.1 and 21.3 K for K3.4530dba are much larger than the Δvib,–3.00 value of 7.4 K for K330dba. The molecular crystals of possible minimum sized molecules, with small charges, in which the stable fractionally charged (±0.50∼ ± 1.00 (in particular, ±0.57∼ ±0.86)) states with respect to the closed-shell electronic states can be realized, are the best candidates for large vibronic stabilization energies

Dependence of Electron–Phonon Interactions on Doped Carriers in the Negatively Fractionally Charged Polyacene Molecular Crystals

The dependence of dimensionless electron–phonon coupling constants (λx), which play an important role in electrical conductivity and spectroscopy, on doped carriers are systematically discussed in the fractionally charged (−3.00 ≤ x ≤ −2.00) polyacene molecular crystals. The λx values for x (−2.86 ≤ x ≤ −2.71) are much larger than the λ–3.00 value. This is because the density of states at the Fermi level (NNM,intra (εF)x) values of 8 (states per molecule) for x (−2.86 ≤ x ≤ −2.71) are estimated to be much larger than the NNM,intra (εF)−3.00 value of 2 (states per molecule). In general, the λx value becomes very large if 0.50–1.00 charge of carrier with respect to the closed-shell electronic states can be doped

Color-Tunable Fluorescent Organogels: Columnar Self-Assembly of Pyrene-Containing Oligo(glutamic acid)s^†

New fluorescent gelators containing pyrene moieties and dendritic oligopeptides have been developed. These molecules self-assemble into 1D helical columnar structures that lead to the formation of 3D fibrous random networks. The resulting gel materials show monomer emission of pyrenes because the hydrogen-bonded array of the oligopeptide moieties greatly suppresses the formation of pyrene excimers. In contrast, in the sol states green excimer emission of the pyrenes is observed because of the dissociation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. This is the first example of the reverse-mode color switching of fluorescence for supramolecular pyrene assemblies

One-Dimensional Chiral Self-Assembly of Pyrene Derivatives Based on Dendritic Oligopeptides

Supramolecular chiral columnar liquid crystals have been formed through one-dimensional self-assembly of pyrene-containing oligopeptides. Supramolecular chirality is further tuned by cooperation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding and electron donor−acceptor interactions

3D Continuous Water Nanosheet as a Gyroid Minimal Surface Formed by Bicontinuous Cubic Liquid-Crystalline Zwitterions

Co-organization of amphiphilic zwitterions and bis­(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)­imide led to the formation of bicontinuous cubic liquid-crystalline structures having 3D continuous hydrophilic gyroid minimal surface. The gyroid surface, incorporating a small amount of water, provided extremely thin but macroscopically continuous water nanosheet with a thickness of approximately 5 Å. The water nanosheet functioned as alignment free proton conduction pathway

An Electrochromic Nanostructured Liquid Crystal Consisting of π-Conjugated and Ionic Moieties

An Electrochromic Nanostructured Liquid Crystal Consisting of π-Conjugated and Ionic Moietie

Mechanical and thermal properties of cellulose nanofiber composites with nanodiamond as nanocarbon filler

Cellulose nanofibers are green nanomaterials because of their biodegradability and sustainability, they are also attractive structural materials because of their high mechanical performance. For further expansion of their application and acquisition of their reliability, mechanical reinforcement and functionalization of cellulose nanofiber materials are required. In this work, we focused on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivities of composites of cellulose nanofibers and a nanodiamond (ND). Compared with graphene oxides, which are conventional two-dimensional nanocarbon fillers in aqueous media, natural diamond possesses a much larger modulus. It also has the highest thermal conductivity among all the elemental substances. The ND possesses hydrophilic oxygen functional groups at the surface, following a high dispersion in aqueous media and the rigid diamond structure at the core. In this work, the ND resulted in an increased mechanical reinforcement and enhancement of the thermal conductivity of the cellulose nanofiber, while keeping the high visible light transmittance originating from the latter. In particular, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl-oxidized cellulose nanofibers were reinforced more effectively than quaternary ammonium cellulose nanofibers because of the stronger interaction with the ND and higher dispersibility of the ND. Accordingly, it was proved that the cellulose nanofiber/ND composite was a promising high-strength and high-thermal-conductive material.</p

Degradable and Nanosegregated Elastomers with Multiblock Sequences of Biobased Aromatic Mesogens and Biofunctional Aliphatic Oligocarbonates

We have developed multiblock aromatic/aliphatic condensation polymers, comprising side-chain biofunctionalized aliphatic oligocarbonates and biobased aromatic ester triad mesogens up to 17 wt %. Nanosegregation of the aromatic mesogen-rich domains with diameters of approximately 10 nm from the soft aliphatic polymer matrix is suggested by atomic force microscopy. The polymers exhibit rubberlike properties, unlike the corresponding aliphatic polycarbonate forming viscous liquid. These properties support the interchain interactions between the aromatic mesogens, which can serve as physical cross-linking. The aromatic ester triad mesogens in the multiblock polymers significantly bolster the tolerance to organocatalytic hydrolysis and methanolysis of the polymer chains but are eventually degraded. The multiblock polymers show degradation behavior slightly faster than poly­(L-lactide), whereas poly­(ethylene terephthalate) remains intact under the same condition. The present study demonstrates the efficacy of aromatic ester triad mesogens incorporated into the sequences of biodegradable aliphatic polycarbonates to enhance their physical properties while retaining degradability