Real-time assay for exosome membrane fusion with an artificial lipid membrane based on enhancement of gramicidin A channel conductance.

We report that the channel activities of gramicidin A in a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) were modulated by membrane fusion with exosomes. The mechanism of the modulation was an increase in the number of exosomes inserting into the SLB membrane, rather than enhancements of the single channel activity of gramicidin A. The modulation of apparent channel activities was applicable to the exosome fusion assay.

A Planar Bilayer Lipid Membrane Sensor Using a Miniaturized Auto-patch System.

A bilayer lipid membrane sensor was constructed with a miniaturized auto-patch system. The performance of the patch system was optimized to obtain an analytically relevant signal. A biosensor based on an anti-BSA-antibody as a receptor and gramicidin as a signal transduction element was demonstrated.

Comparison of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index scores on physical performance among elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a new prognostic indicator for nutritional status-related complications and mortality among the elderly. Here we aimed to compare 6-min walk distance (6MWD) between high and low GNRI groups for patients with COPD.

Methods: We enrolled 63 elderly men with COPD.

Effect of terfenadine and pentamidine on the HERG channel and its intracellular trafficking: combined analysis with automated voltage clamp and confocal microscopy.

The effects of terfenadine and pentamidine on the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) channel current and its intracellular trafficking were evaluated. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-linked hERG channels were expressed in HEK293 cells, and the membrane current was measured by an automated whole cell voltage clamp system. To evaluate drug effects on channel trafficking to the cell membrane, the fraction of channel present on the cell membrane was quantified by current measurement after drug washout and confocal microscopy.

Planar lipid bilayers containing gramicidin A as a molecular sensing system based on an integrated current.

The channel activity of gramicidin A in free-standing planar lipid bilayers with different charges of polar head groups and various lengths of hydrocarbon tails were analyzed in terms of the channel conductance, the lifetime of channel events and the magnitude of integrated currents. The channel activity of gramicidin A in lipid bilayers is tunable by adjusting the membrane composition. The in situ coupling of the anti-BSA antibody as a model protein to the amine moiety of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in a lipid bilayer by the amine coupling method allowed us to design an antigen (BSA)-sensitive interface, in which the integrated current, rather than the frequency of channel event, can be used as an analytical signal.

[Studies on digital watermark embedding intensity against image processing and image deterioration].

In order to apply digital watermarking to medical imaging, it is required to find a trade-off between strength of watermark embedding and deterioration of image quality. In this study, watermarks were embedded in 4 types of modality images to determine the correlation among the watermarking strength, robustness against image processing, and image deterioration due to embedding. The results demonstrated that watermarks which were embedded by the least significant bit insertion method became unable to be detected and recognized on image processing even if the watermarks were embedded with such strength that could cause image deterioration.