Mice derived from in vitro αMEM-cultured preimplantation embryos exhibit postprandial hyperglycemia and higher inflammatory gene expression in peripheral leukocytes.

We examined whether peripheral leukocytes of mice derived from in vitro αMEM-cultured embryos and exhibiting type 2 diabetes had higher expression of inflammatory-related genes associated with the development of atherosclerosis. Also, we examined the impact of a barley diet on inflammatory gene expression. Adult mice were produced by embryo transfer, after culturing two-cell embryos for 48 h in either α minimal essential media (α-MEM) or potassium simplex optimized medium control media. Mice were fed either a barley or rice diet for 10 weeks. Postprandial blood glucose and mRNA levels of several inflammatory genes, including Tnfa and Nox2, in blood leukocytes were significantly higher in MEM mice fed a rice diet compared with control mice. Barley intake reduced expression of S100a8 and Nox2. In summary, MEM mice exhibited postprandial hyperglycemia and peripheral leukocytes with higher expression of genes related to the development of atherosclerosis, and barley intake reduced some gene expression.

Fast repetitive stretch suppresses denervation-induced muscle fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the influence of different speeds of stretching on denervation-induced skeletal muscle fibrosis. METHODS: Stretching was passively applied to rat plantaris muscle denervated by sciatic nerve excision in three different cycles of 0.5, 3, or 12 cycles/min, for 20 min/d for 2 weeks. RESULTS: Gene analysis results showed greater expression of fibrosis-related factors with fast stretching compared with non-stretched muscle. Laser Doppler blood flow analysis indicated reduced intramuscular blood flow during stretching. Histological analysis demonstrated fibrotic area decreases in 12 cycles/min stretched muscle compared with non-stretched muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Slower stretching induced greater mRNA expression of collagen and fibroblasts and greater decrement of blood flow. Histologically, faster stretching suppressed fibrosis. These results suggest that fast repetitive stretching of denervated muscle might suppress processes of muscle fibrosis.

Contributions of Muscle Elasticity and Lateral Slide of the Transversus Abdominis to Lumbar Stability.

CONTEXT: Lumbar instability can cause lumbar spondylolisthesis and chronic low-back pain in sports situation. Abdominal hollowing is commonly used in clinical practice to preferentially target the transversus abdominis (TrA) to stabilize the lumbar vertebrae; however, the contribution of muscle elasticity and lateral slide of the TrA to lumbar stability has not yet been clarified. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the contribution of elasticity and lateral slide of the TrA to lumbar stability and to identify an effective exercise to stabilize the lumbar vertebrae. DESIGN: Experimental study. SETTING: Laboratory. PATIENTS: A total of 29 healthy males participated in this study. INTERVENTIONS: The participants performed hollowing during measurement of muscle elasticity of TrA and both knees extension from crook lying position for pelvic stability measurement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lumbar stability, muscle elasticity change ratio, and lateral slide amount of TrA. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between elasticity of the TrA and lumbar stability; however, no relationship was observed between lateral slide and lumbar stability or elasticity of the TrA. CONCLUSION: Elasticity of the TrA and lumbar stability was significantly correlated; therefore, improving the tonicity of the TrA may stabilize the lumbar vertebrae in healthy individuals. Moreover, hollowing with maximum effort may be effective as training aimed to stabilize the lumbar vertebrae for physical dysfunction due to lumbar instability.

orco mutant mosquitoes lose strong preference for humans and are not repelled by volatile DEET.

Female mosquitoes of some species are generalists and will blood-feed on a variety of vertebrate hosts, whereas others display marked host preference. Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti have evolved a strong preference for humans, making them dangerously efficient vectors of malaria and Dengue haemorrhagic fever. Specific host odours probably drive this strong preference because other attractive cues, including body heat and exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2), are common to all warm-blooded hosts. Insects sense odours via several chemosensory receptor families, including the odorant receptors (ORs), membrane proteins that form heteromeric odour-gated ion channels comprising a variable ligand-selective subunit and an obligate co-receptor called Orco (ref. 6). Here we use zinc-finger nucleases to generate targeted mutations in the orco gene of A. aegypti to examine the contribution of Orco and the odorant receptor pathway to mosquito host selection and sensitivity to the insect repellent DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). orco mutant olfactory sensory neurons have greatly reduced spontaneous activity and lack odour-evoked responses. Behaviourally, orco mutant mosquitoes have severely reduced attraction to honey, an odour cue related to floral nectar, and do not respond to human scent in the absence of CO2. However, in the presence of CO2, female orco mutant mosquitoes retain strong attraction to both human and animal hosts, but no longer strongly prefer humans. orco mutant females are attracted to human hosts even in the presence of DEET, but are repelled upon contact, indicating that olfactory- and contact-mediated effects of DEET are mechanistically distinct. We conclude that the odorant receptor pathway is crucial for an anthropophilic vector mosquito to discriminate human from non-human hosts and to be effectively repelled by volatile DEET.

Relationship between range of motion of foot joints and amount of physical activity in middle-aged male diabetic patients.

[Purpose] This study aimed to verify the relationship between foot range of motion and the amount of physical activity in diabetic patients. [Participants and Methods] There were twenty-eight male patients with diabetes (age ranged from 50 to 69 years old) and 10 healthy, non-diabetic male individuals within the same age range in the diabetes group and control group, respectively. The passive ranges of motion of the following joints were measured in the right foot of each participant: the ankle joint, the first metatarsophalangeal joint, and the subtalar joint. The amount of daily physical activity was estimated using the short Japanese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. [Results] The mean range of motion of the ankle joints in the diabetic and control groups was 55.4 ± 8.4° and 69.1 ± 9.2°, respectively, whereas the mean range of motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joints in the diabetic and control groups was 82.9 ± 9.6° and 96.3 ± 8.9°, respectively. The diabetic group showed a significantly higher restriction in joint range of motion than did the control group. The amount of physical activity was a contributing factor toward the ankle range of motion according to multiple regression analysis. [Conclusion] We determined that the range of motion in the ankle joints of diabetic patients was affected by their level of physical activity.

Effect of moderate exercise intensities on the cortical activity in young adults.

[Purpose] To examine the influence of different exercise intensities on cortical activity. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-six healthy adults aged 20-30 years performed exercise at three intensities on a bicycle ergometer as follows: (a) 15-minute exercise at 40% peak oxygen uptake, (b) same as (a) but at 60% peak oxygen uptake, and (c) 15 minutes of rest. The cognitive function of the participants was measured before and after exercise by the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) under these three conditions. The cerebral blood flow in the left prefrontal and temporal cortices was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy during the PASAT. [Results] The PASAT score was significantly higher after exercise under condition (b) than before exercise (41.4 ± 9.1 vs. 47.7 ± 8.3). The cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex under condition (b) was significantly increased compared to that under condition (c), as determined by the Tukey method (0.019 ± 0.030 vs. -0.008 ± 0.044). Significant differences were not observed in the cerebral blood flow in the temporal cortex under these three conditions. [Conclusion] Cortical activation of the frontal lobe increased after high-intensity aerobic exercise with no change in the cortical activity of the temporal lobe.

Changes in thickness of the transversus abdominis during the abdominal drawing-in manoeuvre and expiratory muscle training in elderly people.

[Purpose] It has been reported that exercises focusing upon the transversus abdominis (TrA) ameliorate low back pain (LBP). We investigated whether expiratory muscle training (EMT) can promote activity of the TrA to the same degree as the abdominal drawing-in manoeuvre (ADIM) in elderly individuals. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-one elderly subjects (9 males, 12 females; mean age, 84.9 ± 6.6 years) without LBP symptoms were included. Using ultrasound imaging we measured changes in thickness of the lateral abdominal muscles, TrA, internal oblique muscle (IO), and external oblique muscle (EO) during ADIM and EMT. The load in EMT was set to 15% of maximal expiratory pressure. [Results] TrA showed a significant increase in muscle thickness during ADIM and EMT compared with at rest. A significant increase in muscle thickness was noted for EMT in comparison with ADIM. No significant differences were found for IO and EO. [Conclusion] In elderly people, EMT may be an effective alternative to ADIM for promoting activity of the TrA and can be used as an exercise to maintain TrA function.

Comparison of two instructions for deep breathing exercise: non-specific and diaphragmatic breathing.

[Purpose] Breathing exercises are frequently prescribed to reduce pulmonary complications after abdominal and thoracic surgery. Appropriate instructions ensuring the integrity of the self-exercise are important. This study compared the effects of two instructions, focusing on non-specific breathing (NB) and diaphragmatic breathing (DB) patterns, respectively, on the ventilatory efficiency and work of breathing. [Subjects and Methods] The participants were healthy men (n=15) and women (n=15). Ventilatory parameters, heart rate, and autonomic nervous system activity were measured during natural and deep breathing phases performed under the two instructions (NB and DB), with the deep breathing phase following the natural breathing phase. [Results] For both men and women, ventilatory efficiency was increased during deep breathing relative to natural breathing, regardless of the instructions. In women, the increment in ventilatory efficiency during deep breathing was greater under NB compared to that under DB. The work of breathing decreased during deep breathing in women under both instructions, but did not change in men under DB. [Conclusion] Under NB instruction, deep breathing elicits similar or greater effects on ventilatory efficiency compared to that under DB instruction.

Key function for obstacle crossing in hemiplegic persons with varied degrees of spasticity.

[Purpose] To evaluate various key functions related to obstacle crossing motions in hemiplegic people based on the paralysis degree. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-seven patients with maintenance-stage hemiplegia who could independently ambulate outdoors were included. Subjects' crossing movements were measured using obstacles with heights of 10%, 20%, and 30% of the trochanter length. The relationship among maximal crossing height and isometric knee extension muscle strength, one leg standing time, Trunk Impairment Scale score, disease duration, and subject age was examined, as was the target variable of maximum crossing height and the top four measurement items, to determine the explanatory variables. The participants were grouped based on Brunnstrom Recovery Stages III-IV (severe spasticity) and V-VI (mild spasticity). [Results] The explanatory variables were the Trunk Impairment Scale in the severe spasticity group and unaffected side-knee extension muscle strength in the mild spasticity group (contribution rates: 75.6% and 21.0%, respectively). [Conclusion] Trunk function in the severe spasticity group majorly contributed to crossing obstacles. Furthermore, knee extension muscle strength on the unaffected side in the mild spasticity group moderately contributed to crossing obstacles. Selecting and implementing a physical therapy routine that is aimed at improving function, depending on the severity of paralysis, is necessary.

Machined immersion grating with theoretically predicted diffraction efficiency.

An immersion grating composed of a transmissive material with a high refractive index (n>2) is a powerful device for high-resolution spectroscopy in the infrared region. Although the original idea is attributed to Fraunhofer about 200 years ago, an immersion grating with high diffraction efficiency has never been realized due to the difficulty in processing infrared crystals that are mostly brittle. While anisotropic etching is one successful method for fabricating a fine groove pattern on Si crystal, machining is necessary for realizing the ideal groove shape on any kind of infrared crystal. In this paper, we report the realization of the first, to the best of our knowledge, machined immersion grating made of single-crystal CdZnTe with a high diffraction efficiency that is almost identical to that theoretically predicted by rigorous coupled-wave analysis.

Myogenic cell response to muscle contraction with short electrical stimulation.

[Purpose] The present study aimed to determine the effects of short muscle strength exercise on hepatocyte growth factor expression and satellite cell activation. [Subjects] The study included 72 2-12-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. [Methods] The rat plantaris muscle was contracted with a 5-min electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve, and then, the mRNA expressions of hepatocyte growth factor and myogenic regulatory factors in the plantaris muscle were determined, and the phosphorylation of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-Met) was examined. [Results] The mRNA expressions of hepatocyte growth factor and myogenic regulatory factors increased after a short muscle contraction compared to that un-contraction. Immunofluorescence analysis showed the expression of hepatocyte growth factor protein and the possibility that downstream biological changes occurred in the hepatocyte growth factor-bound c-Met. [Conclusion] Our results demonstrated that activation of satellite cells induced hepatocyte growth factor expression during muscle contraction with a short 5-min electrical stimulation, which simulates short muscle strength exercise in physical therapy. The present study provides evidence for the use of short muscle strength exercise in physical therapy.

Influence of exercise intensity on atrophied quadriceps muscle in the rat.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the effect of resistance training on atrophied skeletal muscle in rats based on evidence derived from physical therapy. [Subjects and Methods] Rats were forced to undergo squats as resistance training for 3 weeks after atrophying the rectus femoris muscle by hindlimb suspension for 2 weeks. The intensity of resistance training was adjusted to 50% and 70% of the maximum lifted weight, i.e., 50% of the one-repetition maximum and 70% of the one-repetition maximum, respectively. [Results] Three weeks of training did not alter the one-repetition maximum, and muscle fibers were injured while measuring the one-repetition maximum and reloading. The decrease in cross-sectional area in the rectus femoris muscle induced by unloading for 2 weeks was significantly recovered after training at 70% of the one-repetition maximum. The levels of muscle RING-finger protein-1 mRNA expression were significantly lower in muscles trained at 70% of the one-repetition maximum than in untrained muscles. [Conclusion] These results suggest that high-intensity resistance training can promote atrophic muscle recovery, which provides a scientific basis for therapeutic exercise methods for treatment of atrophic muscle in physical therapy.

Insect olfactory receptors are heteromeric ligand-gated ion channels.

In insects, each olfactory sensory neuron expresses between one and three ligand-binding members of the olfactory receptor (OR) gene family, along with the highly conserved and broadly expressed Or83b co-receptor. The functional insect OR consists of a heteromeric complex of unknown stoichiometry but comprising at least one variable odorant-binding subunit and one constant Or83b family subunit. Insect ORs lack homology to G-protein-coupled chemosensory receptors in vertebrates and possess a distinct seven-transmembrane topology with the amino terminus located intracellularly. Here we provide evidence that heteromeric insect ORs comprise a new class of ligand-activated non-selective cation channels. Heterologous cells expressing silkmoth, fruitfly or mosquito heteromeric OR complexes showed extracellular Ca2+ influx and cation-non-selective ion conductance on stimulation with odorant. Odour-evoked OR currents are independent of known G-protein-coupled second messenger pathways. The fast response kinetics and OR-subunit-dependent K+ ion selectivity of the insect OR complex support the hypothesis that the complex between OR and Or83b itself confers channel activity. Direct evidence for odorant-gated channels was obtained by outside-out patch-clamp recording of Xenopus oocyte and HEK293T cell membranes expressing insect OR complexes. The ligand-gated ion channel formed by an insect OR complex seems to be the basis for a unique strategy that insects have acquired to respond to the olfactory environment.

Hydrophobic solution functions as a multifaceted mosquito repellent by enhancing chemical transfer, altering object tracking, and forming aversive memory.

Developing a safe and potent repellent of mosquitoes applicable to human skins is an effective measure against the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Recently, we have identified that hydrophobic solutions such as low viscosity polydimethylsiloxane (L-PDMS) spread on a human skin prevent mosquitoes from staying on and biting it. This is likely due to the ability of L-PDMS in wetting mosquito legs and exerting a capillary force from which the mosquitoes attempt to escape. Here we show three additional functions of L-PDMS that can contribute to repel Aedes albopictus, by combining physicochemical analysis and behavioral assays in both an arm cage and a virtual flight arena. First, L-PDMS, when mixed with topical repellents and applied on a human skin, enhances the effect of topical repellents in reducing mosquito bites by efficiently transferring them to mosquito legs upon contact. Second, L-PDMS applied to mosquito tarsi compromises visual object tracking during flight, exerting an influence outlasting the contact. Finally, L-PDMS applied to mosquito tarsi acts as an aversive reinforcer in associative learning, making mosquitoes avoid the conditioned odor. These results uncover a multifaceted potential of L-PDMS in altering a sequence of mosquito behaviors from biting a human skin, visual object tracking following takeoff, to the response to an odor linked with L-PDMS.

Quality evaluation of spaceborne SiC mirrors (II): evaluation technology for mirror accuracy using actual measurement data of samples cut out from a mirror surface.

The authors studied the quality evaluation technology of a spaceborne large-scale lightweight mirror that was made of silicon carbide (SiC)-based material. To correlate the material property of a mirror body and the mirror accuracy, the authors evaluated the mirror surface deviation of a prototype mirror by inputting actually measured coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) data into a finite element analysis model. The CTE data were obtained by thermodilatometry using a commercial grade thermal dilatometer for the samples cut from all over the mirror surface. The computationally simulated contour diagrams well reproduced the mirror accuracy profile that the actual mirror showed in cryogenic testing. Density data were also useful for evaluating the mirror surface deviation because they had a close relationship with the CTE.

Quality evaluation of spaceborne SiC mirrors (I): analytical examination of the effects on mirror accuracy by variation in the thermal expansion property of the mirror surface.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has studied a large-scale lightweight mirror constructed of reaction-bonded silicon carbide-based material as a key technology in future astronomical and earth observation missions. The authors selected silicon carbide as the promising candidate due to excellent characteristics of specific stiffness and thermal stability. One of the most important technical issues for large-scale ceramic components is the uniformity of the material's property, depending on part and processing. It might influence mirror accuracy due to uneven thermal deformation. The authors conducted systematic case studies for the conditions of CTE by finite element analysis to know the typical influence of material property nonuniformity on mirror accuracy and consequently derived a comprehensive empirical equation for the series of CTE's main factors. In addition, the authors computationally reproduced the mirror accuracy profile of a small prototype mirror shown in cryogenic testing and hereby verified wide-range practical computational evaluation technology of mirror accuracy.

Exercise capacity in relation to autoantibodies in systemic sclerosis patients.

Autoantibodies have been detected in systemic sclerosis patients, and typical clinical features regarding organ involvement by each autoantibody have been reported. To reveal differences in exercise intolerance in patients with either anti-topoisomerase-I or anti-centromere antibodies, 53 systemic sclerosis patients were investigated retrospectively. A 6-min walking distance showed no significant differences (P = 0.090) between autoantibodies, while exercise-induced hypoxia during the 6-min walking test was significant in subjects with the anti-topoisomerase-I antibody (P = 0.033). The percent predicted of vital capacity, the diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, and the modified Rodnan skin score were affected more in subjects with the anti-topoisomerase-I antibody than the anti-centromere antibody. The main parameter affecting the 6-min walking distance was the percent predicted of vital capacity for each autoantibody, and there was a significant positive relationship for all subjects (R (2) = 0.30, P < 0.0001). Exercise-induced hypoxia was also shown in the more affected subjects in the percent predicted of vital capacity and the diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide. Lung parameters were suggested to be more important factors determining exercise intolerance and induced hypoxia than detected autoantibodies.

Surfactants alter mosquito's flight and physical condition.

Mosquitoes carry lethal pathogens for humans and hundreds of thousands of people are killed by mosquito-borne diseases every year. Therefore, controlling mosquitoes is essential to protect the lives of people around the world. Insecticides are highly effective in controlling mosquitoes and have been used extensively worldwide. However, they have potentially harmful effects on biodiversity and environment, and some mosquitoes are resistant to insecticide ingredients and survive upon their application. Therefore, there is a demand for a method to control mosquitoes without using conventional insecticide ingredients. Here, we used Aedes albopictus to test whether solutions with low surface tension, particularly surfactant solutions can alter mosquito behavior by spreading over the hydrophobic cuticle of mosquitoes. We found that solutions with low surface tension indeed attached to mosquitoes flying or resting on the wall, and made them fall. In addition, solutions with yet lower surface tension covered the mosquito surface more quickly and widely, knocking down or killing mosquitoes. These results suggest that surfactants such as sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate can be used to alter mosquito behavior without relying on conventional insecticides.

Development of the Diabetic Kidney Disease Mouse Model Culturing Embryos in α-Minimum Essential Medium In Vitro, and Feeding Barley Diet Attenuated the Pathology.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a critical complication associated with diabetes; however, there are only a few animal models that can be used to explore its pathogenesis. In the present study, we established a mouse model of DKD using a technique based on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease theory, i.e., by manipulating the embryonic environment, and investigated whether a dietary intervention could ameliorate the model's pathology. Two-cell embryos were cultured in vitro in α-minimum essential medium (MEM; MEM mice) or in standard potassium simplex-optimized medium (KSOM) as controls (KSOM mice) for 48 h, and the embryos were reintroduced into the mothers. The MEM and KSOM mice born were fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet for 58 days after they were 8 weeks old. Subsequently, half of the MEM mice and all KSOM mice were fed a diet containing rice powder (control diet), and the remaining MEM mice were fed a diet containing barley powder (barley diet) for 10 weeks. Glomerulosclerosis and pancreatic exhaustion were observed in MEM mice, but not in control KSOM mice. Renal arteriolar changes, including intimal thickening and increase in the rate of hyalinosis, were more pronounced in MEM mice fed a control diet than in KSOM mice. Immunostaining showed the higher expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) in the proximal/distal renal tubules of MEM mice fed a control diet than in those of KSOM mice. Pathologies, such as glomerulosclerosis, renal arteriolar changes, and higher TGFB expression, were ameliorated by barley diet intake in MEM mice. These findings suggested that the MEM mouse is an effective DKD animal model that shows glomerulosclerosis and renal arteriolar changes, and barley intake can improve these pathologies in MEM mice.

Ovicidal activity of juvenile hormone mimics in the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris.

Insect juvenile hormone (JH) mimics (JHMs) are known to have ovicidal effects if applied to adult females or eggs. Here, we examined the effects of exogenous JHMs on embryonic development of the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris. The expression profiles of JH early response genes and JH biosynthetic enzymes indicated that JH titer was low for the first 3 days of the egg stage and increased thereafter. Application of JH III skipped bisepoxide (JHSB3) or JHM on Day 0 eggs when JH titer was low caused reduced hatchability, and the embryos mainly arrested in mid- or late embryonic stage. Application of JHMs on Day 5 eggs also resulted in an arrest, but this was less effective compared with Day 0 treatment. Interestingly, ovicidal activity of synthetic JHMs was much lower than that of JHSB3. This study will contribute to developing novel insecticides that are selective among insect species.