Evidence of mature adipocyte proliferation regulated by proliferin

Despite much research, whether mature adipocytes proliferate remains controversial. Here, we examined 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labelling of mature adipocytes. Although BrdU incorporation into subcutaneous adipocytes was less than that in visceral adipocytes, pioglitazone (Pio) treatment increased BrdU incorporation in subcutaneous, but not visceral, adipocytes in rats. Fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes exhibited an increase in cell number and BrdU incorporation with time, with this increase enhanced by Pio treatment. We therefore screened for genes that encode growth factors regulated by Pio, and selected proliferin (PLF). Both gene silencing of PLF by small interfering RNA and treatment with anti-PLF antibody suppressed proliferation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In adipocytes isolated from Pio-treated rats, the tissue-specific pattern of PLF expression was similar to that of BrdU incorporation. Administration of an anti-PLF antibody to mice reduced BrdU incorporation into adipocytes. Mature adipocytes thus have the ability to replicate, and this proliferation is positively regulated by PLF

Reliability of measurement of endothelial function across multiple institutions and establishment of reference values in Japanese

Aims: For the standardization of flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) assessment as a clinical tool, validation of its reliability across multiple institutions and the establishment of normal/reference values based on reliable data from multiple institutions are needed. Methods and results: In Study 1, assessment of FMD (scan recording and analysis) using an ultrasonographic semi-automatic measuring system (sFMD) was conducted at 18 participating institutions (sFMD-INST) (n = 981). All of the brachial arterial scans were also analyzed at a core laboratory (sFMD-COLB). After 111 subjects with inadequate sFMD recordings were excluded (n = 880), the correlation between the sFMD-INST and sFMD-COLB improved from R = 0.725 to R = 0.838 (p < 0.001). In Study 2, based on good-quality sFMD data obtained from 6660 subjects without cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 729 subjects with CVD from 27 institutions, reference values of sFMD are proposed by the Framingham risk score (FRS)-based risk categories and according to gender and age. The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed a significant power of sFMD values in reference ranges to discriminate between subjects with and without CVD (e.g., area under curve = 0.64 in the FRS-low risk group). Conclusions: When the analysis was limited to cases with clear sFMD recordings, the reliability of the sFMD assessment (scan and its analysis) conducted in individual institutions appeared to be acceptable. Reference sFMD values (lower cuff occlusion) for the Japanese population are proposed based on reliable data derived from multiple institutions, and the reference values may identify patients without advanced vascular damage

An Examination of ‘Methodological Consciousness\u27 in the Research on “Gender and Education”

本研究は，日本の教育社会学におけるジェンダー研究の諸方法の検討を通して，それぞれの方法が，いかなる立場性や実践的関心と結びついており，対象のいかなる側面を顕在化させいかなる側面を捨象してきたのかを明らかにするとともに，従来捨象されてきた対象の側面を顕在化させる方法の提起を試みるものである.第1章では，先行研究の方法と対象を概観し，その傾向性を明らかにする.第2章では，先行研究において男性に焦点が当てられてこなかった理由を考察するとともに，男性に焦点を当てた研究の視点を提示する．第3章と第4章では，学校の内部過程および教育実践を対象とする先行研究が捨象してきた側面を指摘し，それを顕在化させるための視点とその意義を提示する.第5章では，先行研究における子どものとらえ方を検討し，近年の研究に見られる子ども観が「ジェンダー・フリー」の教育実践に対してもつ意義を提起する

Strain-induced creation and switching of anion vacancy layers in perovskite oxynitrides

Using strain to control oxynitride properties. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-01.原子空孔の配列を制御する新手法の発見. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-02.Perovskite oxides can host various anion-vacancy orders, which greatly change their properties, but the order pattern is still difficult to manipulate. Separately, lattice strain between thin film oxides and a substrate induces improved functions and novel states of matter, while little attention has been paid to changes in chemical composition. Here we combine these two aspects to achieve strain-induced creation and switching of anion-vacancy patterns in perovskite films. Epitaxial SrVO3 films are topochemically converted to anion-deficient oxynitrides by ammonia treatment, where the direction or periodicity of defect planes is altered depending on the substrate employed, unlike the known change in crystal orientation. First-principles calculations verified its biaxial strain effect. Like oxide heterostructures, the oxynitride has a superlattice of insulating and metallic blocks. Given the abundance of perovskite families, this study provides new opportunities to design superlattices by chemically modifying simple perovskite oxides with tunable anion-vacancy patterns through epitaxial lattice strain

Diagnostic Criteria of FMD and NID

Background - Diagnostic criteria of flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), an index of endothelial function, and nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation (NID), an index of vascular smooth muscle function, of the brachial artery have not been established. The purpose of this study was to propose diagnostic criteria of FMD and NID for normal endothelial function and normal vascular smooth muscle function. Methods and Results - We investigated the cutoff values of FMD and NID in subjects with (risk group) and those without cardiovascular risk factors or cardiovascular diseases (no-risk group) in 7277 Japanese subjects (mean age 51.4±10.8 years) from the Flow-Mediated Dilation Japan study and the Flow-Mediated Dilatation Japan Registry study for analysis of the cutoff value of FMD and in 1764 Japanese subjects (62.2±16.1 years) from the registry of Hiroshima University Hospital for analysis of the cutoff value of NID. Receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis of FMD to discriminate subjects in the no-risk group from patients in the risk group showed that the optimal cutoff value of FMD to diagnose subjects in the no-risk group was 7.1%. Receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis of NID to discriminate subjects in the no-risk group from patients in the risk group showed that the optimal cutoff value of NID to diagnose subjects in the no-risk group was 15.6%. Conclusions - We propose that the cutoff value for normal endothelial function assessed by FMD of the brachial artery is 7.1% and that the cutoff value for normal vascular smooth muscle function assessed by NID of the brachial artery is 15.6% in Japanese subjects