Shape variety of food can boost its visual appeal.

We investigated whether food shape and its variety within a group affect visual appeal using a four-shaped fast-food chicken product known as Chicken McNuggets®. In Experiment 1, participants rated the visual appeal of each nugget shape both individually and when presented in groups of variously shaped nuggets. The results revealed that the rounder nugget was less visually appealing than those of other shapes. Additionally, assortments featuring various shapes were rated as more appealing than those of a single shape. In Experiment 2, the visual appeal of individual nuggets presented in groups and alone was assessed using a visual analog scale. The visual appeal of one specific nugget (target nugget) was higher when presented in a group than alone. Furthermore, a target nugget presented in a group with various shapes was more visually appealing than when presented in a group with the same shape, regardless of the shape of the target nugget. These results suggest that a food product with low visual appeal can be perceived as more appealing when it is presented alongside various food shapes. Indeed, the variety of food shapes presented in a group affected the perceived appeal both of the group and of the individual food item. These findings offer novel insights into the impact of food's visual variation on its appeal.

Propagation of Activated B Cells by In Vitro Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Infection of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging, life-threatening tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV). Transient appearance of plasmablastic lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of SFTS cases has been reported; however, the pathological significance of this transient burst in peripheral blood plasmablastic lymphocytes is unclear. Here, we show that SFTSV infection of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro induced propagation of atypical lymphocytes. These atypical lymphocytes were activated B cells, which were induced by secretory factors other than viral particles; these factors were secreted by SFTSV-infected B cells. Activated B cells shared morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics with B cells of plasmablast lineage observed in peripheral blood and autopsy tissues of SFTS cases. This suggests that SFTSV-infected B cells secrete factors that induce B-cell differentiation to plasmablasts, which may play an important role in pathogenesis of SFTS through the SFTSV-B cell axis.

Host ESCRT factors are recruited during chikungunya virus infection and are required for the intracellular viral replication cycle.

Chikungunya fever is a re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a member of the Alphavirus genus in the Togaviridae family. Only a few studies have reported on the host factors required for intracellular CHIKV trafficking. Here, we conducted an imaging-based siRNA screen to identify human host factors for intracellular trafficking that are involved in CHIKV infection, examined their interactions with CHIKV proteins, and investigated the contributions of these proteins to CHIKV infection. The results of the siRNA screen revealed that host endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) proteins are recruited during CHIKV infection. Co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that both structural and nonstructural CHIKV proteins interact with hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (HGS), a component of the ESCRT-0 complex. We also observed that HGS co-localizes with the E2 protein of CHIKV and with dsRNA, a marker of the replicated CHIKV genome. Results from gene knockdown analyses indicated that, along with other ESCRT factors, HGS facilitates both genome replication and post-translational steps during CHIKV infection. Moreover, we show that ESCRT factors are also required for infections with other alphaviruses. We conclude that during CHIKV infection, several ESCRT factors are recruited via HGS and are involved in viral genome replication and post-translational processing of viral proteins.

IgA tetramerization improves target breadth but not peak potency of functionality of anti-influenza virus broadly neutralizing antibody.

Mucosal immunoglobulins comprise mainly secretory IgA antibodies (SIgAs), which are the major contributor to pathogen-specific immune responses in mucosal tissues. These SIgAs are highly heterogeneous in terms of their quaternary structure. A recent report shows that the polymerization status of SIgA defines their functionality in the human upper respiratory mucosa. Higher order polymerization of SIgA (i.e., tetramers) leads to a marked increase in neutralizing activity against influenza viruses. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of SIgA polymerization remain elusive. Here, we developed a method for generating recombinant tetrameric monoclonal SIgAs. We then compared the anti-viral activities of these tetrameric SIgAs, which possessed variable regions identical to that of a broadly neutralizing anti-influenza antibody F045-092 against influenza A viruses, with that of monomeric IgG or IgA. The tetrameric SIgA showed anti-viral inhibitory activity superior to that of other forms only when the antibody exhibits low-affinity binding to the target. By contrast, SIgA tetramerization did not substantially modify anti-viral activity against targets with high-affinity binding. Taken together, the data suggest that tetramerization of SIgA improved target breadth, but not peak potency of antiviral functions of the broadly neutralizing anti-influenza antibody. This phenomenon presumably represents one of the mechanisms by which SIgAs present in human respiratory mucosa prevent infection by antigen-drifted influenza viruses. Understanding the mechanisms involved in cross neutralization of viruses by SIgAs might facilitate the development of vaccine strategies against viral infection of mucosal tissues.

Kinetic analysis of microwave-enhanced cellulose dissolution in ionic solvents.

Cellulose dissolution in mixtures of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate with dimethylsulfoxide, [C2C1Im][OAc] + DMSO, have been kinetically compared using conventional heating and microwave heating in a single-mode cavity with a semiconductor generator. Microwaves led to enhancements in the dissolution rate between 21 and 57% under different conditions of temperature and concentration of ionic liquid. Rate enhancement by microwaves prominently occurred at temperatures above 60 °C. Based on an Arrhenius plot and wide-band dielectric measurements we advance the hypothesis that the faster dissolution is caused by ionic motion induced by microwaves in the timescale of formation and breaking of hydrogen bonds between cellulose chains and acetate anions.

A variant at 9q34.11 is associated with HLA-DQB1*06:02 negative essential hypersomnia.

Essential hypersomnia (EHS) is a lifelong disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness without cataplexy. EHS is associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQB1*06:02, similar to narcolepsy with cataplexy (narcolepsy). Previous studies suggest that DQB1*06:02-positive and -negative EHS are different in terms of their clinical features and follow different pathological pathways. DQB1*06:02-positive EHS and narcolepsy share the same susceptibility genes. In the present study, we report a genome-wide association study with replication for DQB1*06:02-negative EHS (408 patients and 2247 healthy controls, all Japanese). One single-nucleotide polymorphism, rs10988217, which is located 15-kb upstream of carnitine O-acetyltransferase (CRAT), was significantly associated with DQB1*06:02-negative EHS (P = 7.5 × 10-9, odds ratio = 2.63). The risk allele of the disease-associated SNP was correlated with higher expression levels of CRAT in various tissues and cell types, including brain tissue. In addition, the risk allele was associated with levels of succinylcarnitine (P = 1.4 × 10-18) in human blood. The leading SNP in this region was the same in associations with both DQB1*06:02-negative EHS and succinylcarnitine levels. The results suggest that DQB1*06:02-negative EHS may be associated with an underlying dysfunction in energy metabolic pathways.

New susceptibility variants to narcolepsy identified in HLA class II region.

Narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy and rapid eye movement sleep abnormalities, is tightly associated with human leukocyte antigen HLA-DQB1*06:02. DQB1*06:02 is common in the general population (10-30%); therefore, additional genetic factors are needed for the development of narcolepsy. In the present study, HLA-DQB1 in 664 Japanese narcoleptic subjects and 3131 Japanese control subjects was examined to determine whether HLA-DQB1 alleles located in trans of DQB1*06:02 are associated with narcolepsy. The strongest association was with DQB1*06:01 (P = 1.4 × 10(-10), odds ratio, OR = 0.39), as reported in previous studies. Additional predisposing effects of DQB1*03:02 were also found (P = 2.5 × 10(-9), OR = 1.97). A comparison between DQB1*06:02 heterozygous cases and controls revealed dominant protective effects of DQB1*06:01 and DQB1*05:01. In addition, a single-nucleotide polymorphism-based conditional analysis controlling for the effect of HLA-DQB1 was performed to determine whether there were other independent HLA associations outside of HLA-DQB1. This analysis revealed associations at HLA-DPB1 in the HLA class II region (rs3117242, P = 4.1 × 10(-5), OR = 2.45; DPB1*05:01, P = 8.1 × 10(-3), OR = 1.39). These results indicate that complex HLA class II associations contribute to the genetic predisposition to narcolepsy.

Rapid Synthesis of D-A'-π-A Dyes through a One-Pot Three-Component Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling and an Evaluation of their Photovoltaic Properties for Use in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Twenty-four D-A'-π-A dyes were rapidly synthesized through a one-pot three-component Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction, which was assisted by microwave irradiation. We measured the absorption spectra, electrochemical properties, and solar-cell performance of all the synthesized dyes. The D5 πA4 dye contained our originally designed rigid and nonplanar donor and exerted the highest efficiency at 5.4 %. The short-circuit current (Jsc ) was the most important parameter for the conversion efficiency (η) in the case of the organic D-A'-π-A dyes. Optimal ranges for the D-A'-π-A dyes were observed for high values of Jsc /λmax at λ=560-620 nm, an optical-absorption edge of λ=690-790 nm, and EHOMO and ELUMO values of <1.14 and -0.56 to -0.76 V, respectively.

In situ temperature measurements of reaction spaces under microwave irradiation using photoluminescent probes.

We demonstrate two novel methods for the measurement of the temperatures of reaction spaces locally heated by microwaves, which have been applied here to two example systems, i.e., BaTiO3 particles covered with a SiO2 shell (BaTiO3-SiO2) and layered tungstate particles. Photoluminescent (PL) probes showing the temperature-sensitivity in their PL lifetimes are located in the nanospaces of the above systems. In the case of BaTiO3-SiO2 core-shell particles, rhodamine B is loaded into the mesopores of the SiO2 shell covering the BaTiO3 core, which generates the heat through the dielectric loss of microwaves. The inner nanospace temperature of the SiO2 shell is determined to be 28 °C higher than the bulk temperature under microwave irradiation at 24 W. On the other hand, Eu(3+) is immobilized in the interlayer space of layered tungstate as the PL probe, showing that the nanospace temperature of the interlayer is only 4 °C higher than the bulk temperature. This method for temperature-measurement is powerful for controlling microwave heating and elucidates the ambiguous mechanisms of microwave special effects often observed in chemical reactions, contributing greatly to the practical application of microwaves in chemistry and materials sciences.

Rapid Synthesis of Thiophene-Based, Organic Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) by a One-Pot, Four-Component Coupling Approach.

This one-pot, four-component coupling approach (Suzuki-Miyaura coupling/C-H direct arylation/Knoevenagel condensation) was developed for the rapid synthesis of thiophene-based organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Seven thiophene-based, organic dyes of various donor structures with/without the use of a 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) moiety were successfully synthesized in good yields based on a readily available thiophene boronic acid pinacol ester scaffold (one-pot, 3-step, 35-61%). Evaluation of the photovoltaic properties of the solar cells that were prepared using the synthesized dyes revealed that the introduction of an EDOT structure beside a cyanoacrylic acid moiety improved the short-circuit current (Jsc) while decreasing the fill factor (FF). The donor structure significantly influenced the open-circuit voltage (Voc), the FF, and the power conversion efficiency (PCE). The use of a n-hexyloxyphenyl amine donor, and our originally developed, rigid, and nonplanar donor, both promoted good cell performance (η=5.2-5.6%).

Elucidating the structure-property relationships of donor-π-acceptor dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) through rapid library synthesis by a one-pot procedure.

The creation of organic dyes with excellent high power conversion efficiency (PCE) is important for the further improvement of dye-sensitized solar cells. We wish to describe the rapid synthesis of a 112-membered donor-π-acceptor dye library by a one-pot procedure, evaluation of PCEs, and elucidation of structure-property relationships. No obvious correlations between ε, and the η were observed, whereas the HOMO and LUMO levels of the dyes were critical for η. The dyes with a more positive E(HOMO), and with an E(LUMO)<-0.80 V, exerted higher PCEs. The proper driving forces were crucial for a high J(sc), and it was the most important parameter for a high η. The above criteria of E(HOMO) and E(LUMO) should be useful for creating high PCE dyes; nevertheless, that was not sufficient for identifying the best combination of donor, π, and acceptor blocks. Combinatorial synthesis and evaluation was important for identifying the best dye.

Visible-light-induced electron transfer between alternating stacked layers of tungstate and titanate mediated by excitation of intercalated dye molecules.

Visible-light-induced electron transfer from a tungstate to a titanate layer was demonstrated to be mediated by excited rhodamine B (RhB) intercalated by ion exchange between the two layers. The distance of only 1 nm between the layers provides a large contact area that enables the efficient mediation of electron transfer by RhB.

Scents boost preference for novel fruits.

When faced with a novel food, multisensory information that includes appearance and smell is a very important cue for preference, categorization, and the decision of whether or not to eat it. We elucidated whether olfactory information leads to biased visual categorization of and preference for fruits, even when odors are presented subliminally. We employed morphed images of strawberries and tomatoes combined with their corresponding odorants as stimuli. Participants were asked to categorize the images into either of two categories, to evaluate their preference for each visual image, and to judge the presence/absence of the odor. Results demonstrated that visual categorization was not affected by the odor manipulation; however, preference for uncategorizable images increased when odors were presented regardless of the participant's awareness of the odor. Our findings suggest that visual preference for novel fruits is based on both conscious and unconscious olfactory processing regarding edibility.

Mesh-free distributed point source method for modeling viscous fluid motion between disks vibrating at ultrasonic frequency.

The distributed point source method (DPSM) is extended to model wave propagation in viscous fluids. Appropriate estimation on attenuation and boundary layer formation due to fluid viscosity is necessary for the ultrasonic devices used for acoustic streaming or ultrasonic levitation. The equations for DPSM modeling in viscous fluids are derived in this paper by decomposing the linearized viscous fluid equations into two components-dilatational and rotational components. By considering complex P- and S-wave numbers, the acoustic fields in viscous fluids can be calculated following similar calculation steps that are used for wave propagation modeling in solids. From the calculations reported the precision of DPSM is found comparable to that of the finite element method (FEM) for a fundamental ultrasonic field problem. The particle velocity parallel to the two bounding surfaces of the viscous fluid layer between two rigid plates (one in motion and one stationary) is calculated. The finite element results agree well with the DPSM results that were generated faster than the transient FEM results.

Clusters in Infant Environmental Factors Influence School-Age Children's Vegetable Preferences in Japan.

It remains unclear how the various environmental factors are combined in practice to influence vegetable preferences in school-aged children. This study aimed to clarify the environmental factors during infancy and their association with vegetable preference in school-aged children. To find clusters of early childhood environmental factors, we conducted a factor analysis on 58 items related to early childhood environmental factors and a k-means cluster analysis using the factors obtained. The association of the extracted factors and clusters with vegetable preferences was assessed by multiple regression analysis. Twelve factors relating to vegetable eating, cooking and harvesting experience, and parental attitudes were extracted by factor analysis. Three clusters, "low awareness of experiences", "high awareness" and "low positive encouragement", were then extracted. In the multiple regression analysis, all 12 factors were found to be associated with vegetable preferences. Furthermore, it was found that the "high awareness" group had a significantly higher score for vegetable preference than the "low awareness of experiences" group (ß = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37-0.74). Thus, the study found that environmental factors during infancy, in isolation and combination, influenced vegetable preferences in school-aged children. Assessing the combination of various environmental factors during infancy may contribute to a better understanding of future vegetable preferences.

Self-Sufficient Production of Lunar Regolith Gravels on the Moon by Ultrarapid Microwave Sintering.

A sintered lunar regolith is expected to be used to construct buildings, roads, and landing pads for spacecrafts on the Moon. Here, we demonstrate that focused microwave heating is effective for the rapid solidification of the lunar regolith simulant to obtain regolith gravel without any microwave susceptor. The conventional multimode microwave oven cannot heat lunar regolith simulants and requires microwave susceptors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and thermal insulators because of its low dielectric loss. We achieved rapid microwave heating of a lunar regolith simulant without using a susceptor or thermal insulator by forming an intense microwave electric field using a cavity resonator and a semiconductor microwave oscillator. Focused microwaves at 2.45 GHz produced the gravel-shaped and solidified lunar regolith at 300 °C lower temperature than a conventional electrical furnace, where more than 1050 °C temperature was required to sinter the lunar regolith simulant. In addition, we produced larger gravel of the lunar regolith simulant using 915 MHz. The intense electric field generated by the single-mode resonator promoted the solidification of the lunar regolith simulant without any additional substances. This process enables the local production of structured lunar regoliths on the Moon without the transport of any materials from the Earth.

Superiority of experts over novices in trueness and precision of concentration estimation of sodium chloride solutions.

Several studies have reported that experts outperform novices in specific domains. However, the superiority of experts in accuracy, taking both trueness and precision into consideration, has not yet been explored. Here, we examined differences between expert and novice performances by evaluating the accuracy of their estimations of physical concentrations of sodium chloride in solutions while employing a visual analog scale. In Experiment 1, 14 experts and 13 novices tasted 6 concentrations of the solutions until they had learned their intensities. Subsequently, they repeatedly rated the concentration of 3 other solutions in random order. Although we did not find a difference between the performances of the 2 groups in trueness (difference between rating and correct concentration), the precision (consistency of ratings for each participant) of experts was higher than that of novices. In Experiment 2, 13 experts who had participated in Experiment 1 and 10 experts and 12 novices who had not participated in Experiment 1 rated the salt concentration in sodium chloride/sucrose mixtures in the same way as in Experiment 1. Both trueness and precision of performance were higher in both expert groups than in the novice group. By introducing precision and trueness parameters, we succeeded in quantifying the estimations of experts and novices in rating the concentration of solutions, revealing experts' superiority even for a task they had not been trained for.

Region-specific causal mechanism in the effects of ammonia on cerebral glucose metabolism in the rat brain.

Ammonia, which is considered to be the main agent responsible for hepatic encephalopathy, inhibits oxidative glucose metabolism in the brain. However, the effects of ammonia on cerebral glucose metabolism in different brain regions remains unclear. To clarify this issue, we added ammonia directly to fresh rat brain slices and measured its effects on glucose metabolism. Dynamic positron autoradiography with [(18)F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (WST-1) colorimetric assay revealed that ammonia significantly increased the cerebral glucose metabolic rate and depressed mitochondrial function, as compared to the unloaded control in each of the brain regions examined (cerebral cortex, striatum, and cerebellum), reflecting increased glycolysis that compensates for the decrease in aerobic metabolism. Pre-treatment with (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK-801), a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, significantly attenuated these changes induced by ammonia in cerebellum, but not in cerebral cortex or striatum. The addition of ammonia induced an increase in cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in cerebellum, but not in cerebral cortex or striatum, reflecting the activation of the NMDA receptor-nitric oxide-cGMP pathway. These results suggested that NMDA receptor activation is responsible for the impairment of glucose metabolism induced by ammonia specifically in cerebellum.

Facile synthesis of bimetallic Cu-Ag nanoparticles under microwave irradiation and their oxidation resistance.

Air-stable bimetallic Cu-Ag nanoparticles in the range of 12-30 nm have been synthesized at gram scale by a facile alcohol reduction in the absence of surfactants with the assistance of microwave irradiation. The synthesized nanoparticles were analyzed by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning TEM, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetry (TG). The stability of the bimetallic nanoparticles against oxidation was examined by TG and in situ temperature-programmed XRD analyses in the atmosphere. No oxidation of copper was confirmed by XRD after storing for longer than 6 months in the atmosphere at room temperature. No oxidation took place below 118 ° C and the Cu(200) diffraction peak decreased by only 7% after heating at 100 ° C for 30 min. The oxidation resistance has been ascribed to a Cu core-Ag shell structure, probably owing to the suppressive effect of Ag on the surface through the electronic interaction with Cu and a physical barrier of oxygen.

A photostable bi-luminophore pressure-sensitive paint measurement system developed with mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

The accurate and high-resolution measurement of surface pressure is achieved by a pressure/ temperature-sensitive composite paint (bi-PSP), whereas the pressure-sensitive dye photodegraded the temperature sensitive dye in close arrangement of both dyes. In the present study, an attempt was made to synthesize a homogeneous bi-PSP membrane without light-induced degradation of the dye using mesoporous silica. Mesoporous silica as a molecular sieve was the separation of pressure- and temperature-sensitive dyes. Both achievement of control of photodegradation in temperature-sensitive paints with molecule-screening capacity and macroscopically uniform placement of insoluble pigments in the respective solvent, was accomplished using the mesoporous silica nanoparticles in a compound PSP.