Energy simulation and CFD coupled analysis for the optimal operation of combined convection and radiant air conditioning considering dehumidification.

The use of radiant panels in homes has increased recently because they do not cause a drafty feeling, unlike air conditioners. However, air conditioners are more power-efficient than radiant panels and have a higher coefficient of performance (COP). Therefore, combining radiant panels and air conditioning can provide an optimal solution for thermal control in residences.

The benefits of grouping as a main driver of social evolution in a halictine bee.

Over the past decade, the cause of sociality has been much debated. Inclusive fitness [ in Hamilton's rule ( - > 0)] has been criticized but is still useful in the organization of a framework by elucidating mechanisms through which (benefit × relatedness) becomes larger than (cost). The bee is suitable for investigation of this issue because of the sympatric occurrence of both social and solitary nesting in its populations.

Design of a Hypersensitive pH-Sensory System Created by a Combination of Charge Neutralization and Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE).

In our bodies, a slight pH change causes remarkable activation or serious damage in the biological processes and continuously keeps biological homeostasis. Detection of such a slight pH change has been a constant demand in searching for unusual biological events. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel pH sensory system that has been achieved through a combination of charge neutralization by a slight pH change with aggregation-induced emission (AIE).

A Chiral Recognition System Orchestrated by Self-Assembly: Molecular Chirality, Self-Assembly Morphology, and Fluorescence Response.

The newly developed oligophenylenevinylene (OPV)-based fluorescent (FL) chiral chemosensor (OPV-Me) for the representative enantiomeric guest, 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (1,2-CHDA: RR- and SS-form) showed the high chiral discrimination ability, resulting in the different aggregation modes of OPV-Me self-assembly: RR-CHDA directed the fibrous supramolecular aggregate, whereas SS-CHDA directed the finite aggregate. The consequent FL intensity toward RR-CHDA was up to 30 times larger than that toward SS-CHDA. Accordingly, highly enantioselective recognition was achieved.

Response threshold variance as a basis of collective rationality.

Determining the optimal choice among multiple options is necessary in various situations, and the collective rationality of groups has recently become a major topic of interest. Social insects are thought to make such optimal choices by collecting individuals' responses relating to an option's value (=a quality-graded response). However, this behaviour cannot explain the collective rationality of brains because neurons can make only 'yes/no' responses on the basis of the response threshold.

Cohelical Crossover Network by Supramolecular Polymerization of a 4,6-Acetalized β-1,3-Glucan Macromer.

Natural polysaccharides represent a renewable resource whose effective utilization is of increasing importance. Chemical modification is a powerful tool to transform them into processable materials but usually sacrifices the original structures and properties of value. Here we introduce a chemical modification of Curdlan, a β-1,3-glucan, via 4,6-acetalization.

Adaptive Self-Assembly Behavior Restrained by Supramolecular Crystallization and Molecular Recognition.

The control over supramolecular interactions and obtaining information beyond the molecular scale is an extended challenge. The intriguing self-assembly of a perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid diimide (PDI)-based novel bolaamphiphilic probe is experienced within an artificial environment that is restrained by using supramolecular crystallization and molecular recognition. The bolaamphiphile with a hydrophilic [18]-azacrown ether ring produced nanoaggregates due to differing solubilities in organic and aqueous media.

Folylpolyglutamate synthase is a major determinant of intracellular methotrexate polyglutamates in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

We investigated major determinants of the intracellular concentrations of methotrexate polyglutamates (MTXPGs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In 271 RA patients on stable oral low dose weekly pulse MTX therapy, the concentrations of MTXPGs in red blood cells (RBCs) were measured by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed to determine the genotypes of solute carrier family 19 member 1 (SLC19A1), folylpolyglutamate synthase (FPGS), and gamma-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH).

Successful treatment using corticosteroids in early phase of eosinophilic myocarditis with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

We report the case of a 50-year-old man with eosinophilic myocarditis and bronchial asthma treated successfully with prednisolone. He was initially diagnosed with eosinophilia, and complained of acute chest pain with electrocardiographic changes and elevation of cardiac enzymes. Coronary angiography showed no atherosclerotic changes; therefore, we performed endomyocardial biopsy and started oral prednisolone therapy immediately.

Conformation Control of a Conjugated Polymer through Complexation with Bile Acids Generates Its Novel Spectral and Morphological Properties.

Control of higher-order polymer structures attracts a great deal of interest for many researchers when they lead to the development of materials having various advanced functions. Among them, conjugated polymers that are useful as starting materials in the design of molecular wires are particularly attractive. However, an equilibrium existing between isolated chains and bundled aggregates is inevitable and has made their physical properties very complicated.

Amplified fluorescence emission of bolaamphiphilic perylene-azacrown ether derivatives directed towards molecular recognition events.

Long-term creative approaches have been considered in the design of molecular probes to overcome the quenching effect of important dyes in an aqueous medium. Using the rational donor-acceptor based design principle, we demonstrate herein the different fluorescence states of a non-conjugated symmetrical perylene-azacrown ether system in a solution, from the molecular to the aggregated states. The ethylene-spacer is exceptionally capable of fluorescence enhancement, even in the aggregated state (organic nanoparticle, ONPs, 44 nm), overcoming the quenching effect on changing the solvent from tetrahydrofuran to water.

Emergent Molecular Recognition through Self-Assembly: Unexpected Selectivity for Hyaluronic Acid among Glycosaminoglycans.

Oligophenylenevinylene (OPV)-based fluorescent (FL) chemosensors exhibiting linear FL responses toward polyanions were designed. Their application to FL sensing of glycosaminoglycans (heparin: HEP, chondroitin 4-sulfate: ChS, and hyaluronic acid: HA) revealed that the charge density encoded as the unit structure directs the mode of OPV self-assembly: H-type aggregate for HEP with 16-times FL increase and J-type aggregate for HA with 93-times FL increase, thus unexpectedly achieving the preferential selectivity for HA in contrast to the conventional HEP selective systems. We have found that the integral magnitude of three factors consisting of binding mechanism, self-assembly, and FL response can amplify the structural information on the target input into the characteristic FL output.

Tailoring of the desired selectivity and the turn-on detection range in a self-assembly-based fluorescence sensory system.

This study demonstrates how to control the selectivity and the turn-on detection range toward the tailoring of an assembly-based fluorescence (FL) sensory system. Assembly-based FL chemosensors composed of oligophenylenevinylene with a varied number of guanidinium receptors (G2, G4 and G6) were newly developed, and their FL response to nucleotides (AMP, ADP and ATP) was investigated. Indeed, G6 exhibited FL emission self-assembly with ATP.

Biochemical features and antiviral activity of a monomeric catalytic antibody light-chain 23D4 against influenza A virus.

Catalytic antibodies have exhibited interesting functions against some infectious viruses such as HIV, rabies virus, and influenza virus in vitro as well as in vivo. In some cases, a catalytic antibody light chain takes on several structures from the standpoint of molecular size (monomer, dimer, etc.) and/or isoelectronic point.

Optimum design of amphiphilic polymers bearing hydrophobic groups for both cell surface ligand presentation and intercellular cross-linking.

Amphiphilic polymers bearing hydrophobic alkyl groups are expected to be applicable for both ligand presentation on the cell surface and intercellular crosslinking. To explore the optimum design for each application, we synthesized eight different acyl-modified dextrans with varying molecular weight, alkyl length, and alkyl modification degree. We found that the behenate-modified polymers retained on the cell surface longer than the palmitate-modified ones.

Short peptide motifs for long-lasting anchoring to the cell surface.

A rational design strategy has been developed for the construction of stable peptide-based anchors for the efficient modification of cell surfaces. Six types of peptide composed of five residues with divalent hydrophobic groups have been designed using this new strategy. Among them, a peptide with a sequence of NBD-Lys-Lys(X)-Lys-Lys-Lys(X)-NH2 (NBD: fluorophore, Lys(X): N-ε-palmitoyl-l-lysine) was found to show the highest modification efficacy and longevity in culture medium.

Translation of dicarboxylate structural information to fluorometric optical signals through self-assembly of guanidinium-tethered oligophenylenevinylene.

Although self-assembly has realized the spontaneous formation of nanoarchitectures, the nanoscopic expression of chemical structural information at the molecular level can alternatively be regarded as a tool to translate molecular structural information with high precision. We have found that a newly developed guanidinium-tethered oligophenylenevinylene exhibits characteristic fluorescence (FL) responses toward L- and meso-tartarate, wherein the different self-assembly modes, termed J- or H-type aggregation, are directed according to the molecular information encoded as the chemical structure. This morphological difference originates from the geometric anti versus gauche conformational difference between L- and meso-tartarate.

PNA-tagged peptide microarrays for ratiometric activity detection of cellular protein kinases.

Peptide microarrays can be used to measure the activity of multiple protein kinases (PKs), which can be used to elucidate kinomics for drug discovery and diagnosis. Here we demonstrated a new microarray for ratiometric detection of the activity of PKs using peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-tagged peptides labeled with two different fluorophores, Cy3 and Cy5. We successfully detected cellular PK activities based on ratiometry, and applied the system for evaluation of an inhibitory drug.

Rapid and serum-insensitive endocytotic delivery of proteins using biotinylated polymers attached via multivalent hydrophobic anchors.

We have designed biotinylated polymers as synthetic receptors that have multiple alkyl groups for endocytotic delivery of target proteins. The polymers were stably attached to a cell surface via multivalent anchoring. The presented biotin was bound to streptavidin (SA) on the cell surface, and, via an endocytotic pathway, the cell rapidly internalized the biotinylated polymer/SA complex.

Wegener granulomatosis-associated optic perineuritis.

Unlabelled: INTRODUNCTION: We report two patients with optic perineuritis (OPN) and hypertrophic pachymeningitis in Wegener granulomatosis (WG).

Case Report: Patient 1: a 74-year-old man developed blurred vision in each eye, sequentially, over a year. In the first episode, visual acuity in the right eye was reduced to no light perception, and in the second episode, the vision in the left eye fell to 20/100.

Cyclodextrin-assisted synthesis of a metallosupramolecular terbium(III) polymer and its fluorescence properties and chiral recognition.

Hold and connect! Inclusion of a bridging ligand into cyclodextrin (CD), followed by the addition of Tb(III) leads to a polyrotaxane-type metallosupramolecular polymer (see figure, L=4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid). This polymer can recognize chirality and differentiate enantiomers by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectral changes.

A protein kinase assay based on FRET between quantum dots and fluorescently-labeled peptides.

A novel protein kinase assay was developed, based on FRET between QDs and fluorescently-labeled substrate peptides. The negatively charged QDs recognize the change in net charge of the peptide upon phosphorylation. Despite its simple mechanism, this assay is sensitive and robust enough to be applied to the evaluation of protein kinase inhibitors.

Selective detection of NADPH among four pyridine-nucleotide cofactors by a fluorescent probe based on aggregation-induced emission.

A fluorescent sensor based on guanidinium-tethered tetraphenylethene (TPE) has been investigated toward the differentiation of pyridine nucleotide cofactors (NAD(+) , NADH, NADP(+) , and NADPH). TPE selectively recognizes NADPH possessing the higher tetra-anionic net-charge, resulting in the steep "turn-on" fluorescence increase. The comparative aggregation behaviors and fluorescence response studies of TPE on the four cofactors reveal that the critical aggregate concentration of TPE against NADPH correlates directly with the concentration threshold for the fluorescence response.

Nonlinear fluorescence response driven by ATP-induced self-assembly of guanidinium-tethered tetraphenylethene.

Nonlinear fluorescence response, which is particularly important to attain the high signal-to-background ratio, was realized by the aggregation-induced fluorescence increase of guanidinium-tethered tetraphenylethene with ATP.