Multicenter, open label, randomized controlled superiority trial for availability to reduce nocturnal urination frequency: The TOP-STAR study.

Aim: Nocturia impairs the quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) such as tofogliflozin increase urine volume, their impact on nocturia, in conjunction with dietary salt restriction, is less clear.

Materials And Methods: This multicenter, open-label, randomized, parallel-group trial included 80 subjects with type 2 diabetes and nocturia.

Visualization of Electrolyte Reaction Field Near the Negative Electrode of a Lead Acid Battery by Means of Amplitude/Frequency Modulation Atomic Force Microscopy.

The precise observation of a solid-liquid interface by means of frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) was performed, demonstrating its applicability to a study on lead acid batteries using an electrochemical test cell for in-liquid FM-AFM embedded with a specialized cantilever holder. The consistency and reproducibility of each surface profile observed via amplitude modulation AFM and FM-AFM were verified properly in a strong acidic electrolyte. In terms of FM-AFM, the ability to observe remarkable changes in the force mapping is the most beneficial, especially near the negative electrode surface.

Cell Adhesion and Migration on Thickness Gradient Bilayer Polymer Brush Surfaces: Effects of Properties of Polymeric Materials of the Underlayer.

In the field of tissue engineering and biomaterials, controlling the surface properties and mechanical properties of scaffold materials is crucial and has attracted much attention. Here, two types of bilayer polymer brushes composed of a hydrophilic underlying layer and a cationic surface layer [made of poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate)] with a thickness gradient were prepared by surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization. To investigate the influence of the stiffness as a mechanical property of the polymer brush on cell behavior, the underlayer was prepared from either 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine or oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate, with the bilayers designated as gradient poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)--poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate) [grad-pbA] and gradient poly(oligo[ethylene glycol] methyl ether methacrylate)--poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate) [grad-pbA], respectively.

Development of a Novel Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) Method to Measure the Thermal Conductivity of Biological Cells.

　Differences in the physical properties of individual cells cannot be evaluated with conventional experimental methods that are used to study groups of cells obtained from pure cultures. To examine the differences in the thermal tolerance of individual cells that are genetically identical, a method is needed to measure the thermal energy required to kill single cells. We developed a scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) system and measured the thermal conductivity of various bacterial cells, for example, spore formeing Bacillus genus and non spore-forming bacteria such as Escherichia coli.

The Heat Resistance of Microbial Cells Represented by D Values Can be Estimated by the Transition Temperature and the Coefficient of Linear Expansion.

We previously developed a method for evaluating the heat resistance of microorganisms by measuring the transition temperature at which the coefficient of linear expansion of a cell changes. Here, we performed heat resistance measurements using a scanning probe microscope with a nano thermal analysis system. The microorganisms studied included six strains of the genus Bacillus or related genera, one strain each of the thermophilic obligate anaerobic bacterial genera Thermoanaerobacter and Moorella, two strains of heat-resistant mold, two strains of non-sporulating bacteria, and one strain of yeast.

Electrochemical lithiation performance and characterization of silicon-graphite composites with lithium, sodium, potassium, and ammonium polyacrylate binders.

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAH), which is a water soluble polycarboxylic acid, is neutralized by adding different amounts of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, and ammonia (NH4OH) aqueous solutions to fix neutralization degrees. The differently neutralized polyacid, alkali and ammonium polyacrylates are examined as polymeric binders for the preparation of Si-graphite composite electrodes as negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries. The electrode performance of the Si-graphite composite depends on the alkali chemicals and neutralization degree.

With respect to coefficient of linear thermal expansion, bacterial vegetative cells and spores resemble plastics and metals, respectively.

Background: If a fixed stress is applied to the three-dimensional z-axis of a solid material, followed by heating, the amount of thermal expansion increases according to a fixed coefficient of thermal expansion. When expansion is plotted against temperature, the transition temperature at which the physical properties of the material change is at the apex of the curve. The composition of a microbial cell depends on the species and condition of the cell; consequently, the rate of thermal expansion and the transition temperature also depend on the species and condition of the cell.

High-optical-quality ferroelectric film wet-processed from a ferroelectric columnar liquid crystal as observed by non-linear-optical microscopy.

The self-organization of ferroelectric columnar liquid crystals (FCLCs) is demonstrated. Columnar order is spontaneously formed in thin films made by the wet-process due to its liquid crystallinity. Electric-field application results in high optical quality and uniform spontaneous polarization.

Development of method for evaluating cell hardness and correlation between bacterial spore hardness and durability.

Background: Despite the availability of conventional devices for making single-cell manipulations, determining the hardness of a single cell remains difficult. Here, we consider the cell to be a linear elastic body and apply Young's modulus (modulus of elasticity), which is defined as the ratio of the repulsive force (stress) in response to the applied strain. In this new method, a scanning probe microscope (SPM) is operated with a cantilever in the "contact-and-push" mode, and the cantilever is applied to the cell surface over a set distance (applied strain).

Geometrical separation method for lipoproteins using bioformulated-fiber matrix electrophoresis: size of high-density lipoprotein does not reflect its density.

The increasing number of patients with metabolic syndrome is a critical global problem. In this study, we describe a novel geometrical electrophoretic separation method using a bioformulated-fiber matrix to analyze high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. HDL particles are generally considered to be a beneficial component of the cholesterol fraction.

Relationship between polymorphisms 804C/A and 252A/G of lymphotoxin-alpha gene and -308G/A of tumor necrosis factor alpha gene and diabetic retinopathy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

To clarify whether polymorphisms of the lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) gene and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene were related to diabetic retinopathy (DR), we performed a case-control study in 251 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus participating in a multicenter research protocol. Genetic analyses were performed by using a fluorescent allele-specific DNA primer assay system. Diabetic retinopathy was diagnosed in a masked manner by an independent ophthalmologist using fundus photographs and was classified as nondiabetic retinopathy (NDR), nonproliferative retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative retinopathy (PDR).

Angiotensinogen gene polymorphism (Met235Thr) influences visceral obesity and insulin resistance in obese Japanese women.

To investigate the relationship between angiotensinogen (AGT) Met235Thr polymorphism (M235T) and human obesity, because AGT is regarded as one of the cytokines produced from adipocytes and serum AGT concentrations are reported to be positively correlated with body mass index. One hundred and twenty obese Japanese women (age, 58.8+/-9.

In vivo brain microdialysis studies on the striatal dopamine and serotonin release in zitter mutant rats.

In the present study, using in vivo brain microdialysis, we investigated the basal extracellular dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) release in the caudal striatum (cSTR) of young (4-6 months old) and aged (10-12 months old) zitter mutant rats. The basal extracellular levels of DA release in both young and aged zitter rats were significantly lower than that of age-matched Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, whereas only aged zitter rats showed a significant difference in the basal 5-HT release. Dopaminergic neurons were more vulnerable than serotonergic neurons in the cSTR of zitter mutant rats during aging.

Relation between polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of rage gene and diabetic retinopathy in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: To clarify whether polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the rage gene were related to diabetic retinopathy, we performed a case-control study in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.

Patients And Methods: Two hundred and sixty-eight patients with type 2 diabetes were examined for polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene. The genotypes of G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene were determined with a fluorescent allele-specific DNA primer assay system.

Association study of G1704T and G82S polymorphisms of RAGE gene for microalbuminuria in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.

To clarify whether polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene were related to microalbuminuria, we performed a case-control study in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients. Polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene were examined with genomic DNA obtained from 116 type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria (urinary albumin/creatinine ratio between 30 and 300 mg/g of creatinine) (microalbuminuria group), and 232 patients with normoalbuminuria (urinary albumin/creatinine ratio <30 mg/g of creatinine) (normoalbuminuria group). The genotype distribution and T allele frequency of G1704T (9.

Effect of ultrasonic stimulation on mRNA abundance of uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 and UCP 3 in gastrocnemius muscle of rats.

1. The hypothesis that ultrasonic stimulation upregulates uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 and UCP3 in gastrocnemius muscle by a different mechanism of exercise was investigated in Wister rats. 2.

Thr54 allele of the FABP2 gene affects resting metabolic rate and visceral obesity.

We investigated the relationship between Ala54Thr variant allele of the fatty acid-binding protein 2 (FABP2) gene (Ala54Thr) and development of obesity in Japanese obese women. FABP2 genotypes were determined with a fluorescent allele-specific DNA primer assay system. Body weight, waist and hip circumference, amounts of visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue measured by computed tomography (CT) were compared between subjects with Thr allele and without Thr allele before and after the diet and exercise therapy in 80 Japanese obese women.

Adiponectin gene polymorphism (G276T) is not associated with incipient diabetic nephropathy in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.

A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) G276T in the adiponectin gene has been associated with lower plasma adiponectin levels and insulin resistance, which are related to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes or diabetic complications of macroangiopathy. We performed a case-control study to examine whether the SNP276 of the adiponectin gene was also related to early diabetic nephropathy. SNP276 was examined with genomic DNA obtained from 108 type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria (urinary albumin creatinine ratio [ACR] between 30 mg/g x Cr and 300 mg/g x Cr; case subjects), and 208 patients with normoalbuminuria (ACR < 30 mg/g x Cr; control subjects).

Effects of ethanol on the induction of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) mRNA in the mouse brown adipose tissue.

Expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) is increased by cold acclimation and overfeeding, and reduced in fasting and genetic obesity. It is known that the mitochondrial UCP1 in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an important key molecule for non-shivering thermogenesis. On the other hand, ethanol (EtOH) alters thermoregulation in humans and laboratory animals.

Effects of caffeine on the uncoupling protein family in obese yellow KK mice.

1. The hypothesis that caffeine upregulates uncoupling protein (UCP)-1, UCP-2 and UCP-3 expression, which contribute to thermogenesis, was investigated in obese mice. 2.