An ionic liquid consisting of crown ether-coordinated hydronium cation and amide anion

We first report an ionic liquid (IL) that consists of hydronium (H₃O⁺) ion encapsulated by 18–crown–6–ether (18C6) and an amide anion. The composition of the crown ether–coordinated hydronium amide IL was estimated to be as [H₃O⁺•18C6][Tf₂N⁻]. The presence of H₃O⁺ was revealed from the characteristic bands of the hydronium ion present in the infrared spectra. The melting point of [H₃O⁺•18C6][Tf₂N⁻] was 68–70 °C. At 70 °C, the viscosity of [H₃O⁺•18C6][Tf₂N⁻] was 39.5 mPa s, the conductivity was 1.9 mS cm⁻¹, and the density was about 1.32 g cm⁻³. These bath properties of [H₃O⁺•18C6][Tf₂N⁻] were similar to those of common ILs at room temperature

Experimental demonstration of quantum source coding

We report an experimental demonstration of Schumacher's quantum noiseless coding theorem. Our experiment employs a sequence of single photons each of which represents three qubits. We initially prepare each photon in one of a set of 8 non-orthogonal codeword states corresponding to the value of a block of three binary letters. We use quantum coding to compress this quantum data into a two-qubit quantum channel and then uncompress the two-qubit channel to restore the original data with a fidelity approaching the theoretical limit.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Item response theory-based validation of a short form of the Eating Behavior Scale for Japanese adults

Obesity has become a serious social problem in industrialized countries in recent years. Clinically, although the evaluation of dietary behavior abnormalities is as important as any method of risk assessment for obesity, almost all the existing scales with many items may have numerous practical clinical difficulties. In this study, we aimed to prepare a short questionnaire to assess the dietary behavior abnormalities related to obesity. A total of 1032 individuals aged 20 to 59 years participated in the present study. Using item response theory (IRT), we selected the items for a short version from among 30 items of Sakata Eating Behavior Scale (EBS), which is widely used in Japan. As a result of the IRT-based analysis on the original 30-item version, 7 items were adopted as the short version. The correlation between the total score of the original EBS and the EBS short form was extremely high (r = 0.93, P = .001). In examining the criterion validity, for all participants (n = 1032), male (n = 516), and female (n = 516), the correlation coefficients between the total score of the EBS short form and body mass index (BMI) were r = 0.26, r = 0.28, and r = 0.28, respectively. The results of the receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed with obesity BMI > 25 kg/m2 as a dependent variable, the value of the area under the curve in the ROC was significantly higher in the 7-item version than in the total score of the original items (P = .0005). In conclusion, the 7-item EBS short form was created. Furthermore, it was found that the EBS short form is a reliable and valid measure that can be used as an indicator of obesity in both clinical and research settings

Type A Behavior Pattern and Obesity in Japanese Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Obesity is associated with personality. The Type A behavior pattern (TABP), which is characterized by hostility and competitive behavior, is related to psychological stress. However, the relationship between obesity and the TABP has not been examined. This study aimed to examine the relationship between obesity and the Type A behavior pattern in 3,099 Japanese workers. The Type A behavior pattern was measured via the Maeda Type A Behavior Checklist. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, being current smokers, heavy drinker, lack of exercise, occupation, and rapid eating. The multivariate odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for obesity associated with TABP was 1.55 (1.13 to 2.13) in men. Regarding other variables, age, lack of exercise, and rapid eating were associated with obesity in men. The multivariate odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for obesity associated with TABP was 1.27 (0.81 to 2.02) in women. Regarding other variables, age andrapid eating were associated with obesity in women. The findings suggest that the Type A behavior pattern was associated with increased obesity prevalence in Japanese men. People with TABP tend to eat larger portions during mealtimes repeatedly by rapid eating; it is possible that eating large portions may lead to an increase weight in men with TABP

Maladjustment to Academic Life and Employment Anxiety in University Students with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The present study tested our hypothesis that university students with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may experience less satisfactory academic lives than those of students without IBS. We also verified the hypothesis that university students with IBS might have higher employment anxiety than students without IBS might.We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1, 686 university students. Presence or absence of IBS was assessed via the Rome III Questionnaire. Two original items were used to evaluate academic life. The prevalence rates of IBS with diarrhea, IBS with constipation, mixed IBS, and unsubtyped IBS in the study population were 5%, 2%, 10%, and 3%, respectively. Regarding academic life, the proportions of participants who experienced maladjustment and employment anxiety were 29% and 50%, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and faculty, the odds ratios for maladjustment and employment anxiety were significantly higher in students who screened positively, relative to those who screened negatively, for IBS (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.24-2.21; OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.68-2.81, respectively). In conclusion, maladjustment and anxiety over future employment were higher in university students with IBS relative to those without

A Hydronium Solvate Ionic Liquid: Facile Synthesis of Air-Stable Ionic Liquid with Strong Bronsted Acidity

This was Paper 3475 presented at the Honolulu, Hawaii, Meeting of the Society, October 2–7, 2016.A new kind of ionic liquid (IL) with strong Brønsted acidity, i.e., a hydronium (H₃O⁺) solvate ionic liquid, is reported. The IL can be described as [H₃O⁺·18C6]Tf₂N, where water exists as the H₃O⁺ ion solvated by 18-crown-6-ether (18C6), of which the counter anion is bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (Tf₂N⁻; Tf = CF₃SO₂). The hydrophobic Tf₂N⁻ anion makes [H₃O⁺·18C6]Tf₂N, evaluated using the indicator method, is a new record for ILs and indicates strong aciditiy. The findings regarding this proton-condensed solvate IL are of fundamental interest, and will help in the design of media for new acid-base reactions

Turn-taking in Graphical Communication: an exploratory study

This paper reports an investigation of the turn-taking functions of drawings in graphical communication. Based on the examination of dialogue data collected that involve collaborative drawing interactions, as well as spoken dialogue interactions, in a joint problem solving task, we found that `drawing turns,' in which the drawer presents a piece of information to her partner through drawing, had almost the same turn-keeping effects as `speech turns.'

A Hydronium Solvate Ionic Liquid: Ligand Exchange Conduction Driven by Labile Solvation

We observed a new class of proton conduction in a hydronium (H₃O⁺) solvate ionic liquid (IL). The IL is described as [H₃O⁺·18C6]Tf₂N⁻; Tf = CF₃SO₂) anion. Self-diffusion coefficient measurements revealed that protons of H₃O⁺ (solute ion) move faster than 18C6 ligand (solvent), marking the first observation of ligand exchange conduction not only among solvate ILs but also among protic ILs without free neutral molecules. The presence of ligand exchange conduction without inducing external electric field indicates that solvation of H₃O⁺ by 18C6 is kinetically labile, i.e. ligand exchange is very fast for the reaction H₂O + 18C6 + HTf₂N ⇌ H₃O⁺·18C6]Tf₂N, while the equilibrium shifts to the right. The fundamental findings regarding the hydronium solvate IL will help in the design of proton conductors

Focal calcium monitoring with targeted nanosensors at the cytosolic side of endoplasmic reticulum

Ca2+ distribution is spatially and temporally non-uniform inside cells due to cellular compartmentalization. However, Ca2+ sensing with small organic dyes, such as fura-2 and fluo-4, has been practically applied at a single cell level where the averaged signal from freely diffusing dye molecules is acquired. In this study, we aimed to target azide-functionalized fura-2 (N3-fura-2) to a specific site of subcellular compartments to realize focal Ca2+ sensing. Using scAVD (single-chain avidin)–biotin interaction and a copper-free click reaction system, we linked N3-fura-2 to specifically-targeted scAVD protein fused with a red fluorescent protein mCherry, so that Ca2+ sensors conjugated with four N3-fura-2 dyes with dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO)-PEG4-biotin as a linker were generated at subcellular compartments in living cells. In cytoplasm, N3-fura-2 showed a prolonged retention period after binding to scAVD. Furthermore, the reacted N3-fura-2 was retained inside cells even after free dyes were washed out by methanol fixation. When scAVD was overexpressed on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, N3-fura-2 was accumulated on ER membranes. Upon histamine stimulation, which increases cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, ER-localized N3-fura-2 successfully sensed the Ca2+ level changes at the cytosolic side of ER membrane. Our study demonstrated specific targeting of N3-fura-2 to subcellular compartments and the ability of sensing focal Ca2+ level changes with the specifically targeted Ca2+ sensors