56016 research outputs found
Sort by
Development of Lithium Lanthanum Titanate (LLTO) Membrane Manufacturing Process for Selective Separation of Lithium Ion
No full textThe global demand for raw lithium materials is rapidly increasing, accompanied by the demand for lithiumion batteries for next-generation mobility. The batch-type method, which selectively separates and concentrates lithium from seawater rich in reserves, could be an alternative to mining, which is limited owing to low extraction rates.
Therefore, research on selectively separating and concentrating lithium using an electrodialysis technique, which is reported to have a recovery rate 100 times faster than the conventional methods, is actively being conducted. In this study, a lithium ion selective membrane is prepared using lithium lanthanum titanate, an oxide-based solid electrolyte material, to extract lithium from seawater, and a large-area membrane manufacturing process is conducted to extract a large amount of lithium per unit time. Through the developed manufacturing process, a large-area membrane with a diameter of approximately 20 mm and relative density of 96% or more is manufactured. The lithium extraction behavior from seawater is predicted by measuring the ionic conductivity of the membrane through electrochemical analysis
High levels of intracellular endotrophin in adipocytes mediate COPII vesicle supplies to autophagosome to impair autophagic flux and contribute to systemic insulin resistance in obesity
No full textBackground and aims
Extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis plays a crucial role in metabolic plasticity and endocrine function of adipose tissue. High levels of intracellular endotrophin, a cleavage peptide of type VI collagen alpha 3 chain (Col6a3), have been frequently observed in adipocyte in obesity and diabetes. However, how endotrophin intracellularly traffics and influences metabolic homeostasis in adipocyte remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the trafficking of endotrophin and its metabolic effects in adipocytes depending on lean or obese condition.
Methods
We used doxycycline-inducible adipocyte-specific endotrophin overexpressed mice for a gain-of-function study and CRISPR-Cas9 system-based Col6a3-deficient mice for a loss-of-function study. Various molecular and biochemical techniques were employed to examine the effects of endotrophin on metabolic parameters.
Results
In adipocytes during obesity, the majority of endosomal endotrophin escapes lysosomal degradation and is released into the cytosol to mediate direct interactions between SEC13, a major component of coat protein complex II (COPII) vesicles, and autophagy-related 7 (ATG7), leading to the increased formation of autophagosomes. Autophagosome accumulation disrupts the balance of autophagic flux, resulting in adipocyte death, inflammation, and insulin resistance. These adverse metabolic effects were ameliorated by either suppressing ATG7 with siRNA ex vivo or neutralizing endotrophin with monoclonal antibodies in vivo.
Conclusions
High levels of intracellular endotrophin-mediated autophagic flux impairment in adipocyte contribute to metabolic dysfunction such as apoptosis, inflammation, and insulin resistance in obesity
Systematic Electronic Tuning on the Property and Reactivity of Cobalt-(Hydro)peroxo Intermediates
No full textA series of cobalt(III)-peroxo complexes, [Co-III(R-2-TBDAP)(O-2)](+) (1(R2); R2 = Cl, H, and OMe), and cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo complexes, [CoIII(R2-TBDAP)(O2H)-(CH3CN)]2+ (2R2), bearing electronically tuned tetraazamacrocyclic ligands (R2-TBDAP = N,N'-di-tert-butyl-2,11-diaza[3.3](2,6)-p-R2-pyridinophane) were prepared from their cobalt(II) precursors and characterized by various physicochemical methods. The X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic analyses unambiguously showed that all 1R2 compounds have similar octahedral geometry with a side-on peroxocobalt(III) moiety, but the O-O bond lengths of 1Cl [1.398(3) A] and 1OMe [1.401(4) A] were shorter than that of 1H [1.456(3) A] due to the different spin states. For 2R2, the O-O bond vibration energies of 2Cl and 2OMe were identical at 853 cm-1 (856 cm-1 for 2H), but their Co-O bond vibration frequencies were observed at 572 cm-1 for 2Cl and 550 cm-1 for 2OMe, respectively, by resonance Raman spectroscopy (560 cm-1 for 2H). Interestingly, the redox potentials (E1/2) of 2R2 increased in the order of 2OMe (0.19 V) < 2H (0.24 V) < 2Cl (0.34 V) according to the electron richness of the R2-TBDAP ligands, but the oxygen-atom-transfer reactivities of 2R2 showed a reverse trend (k2: 2Cl < 2H < 2OMe) with a 13-fold rate enhancement at 2OMe over 2Cl in a sulfoxidation reaction with thioanisole. Although the reactivity trend contradicts the general consideration that electron-rich metal-oxygen species with low E1/2 values have sluggish electrophilic reactivity, this could be explained by a weak Co-O bond vibration of 2OMe in the unusual reaction pathway. These results provide considerable insight into the electronic nature-reactivity relationship of metal-oxygen species
Concurrent daytime and nighttime heatwaves in the late 21st century over the CORDEX-East Asia phase 2 domain using multi-GCM and multi-RCM chains
No full textThe adverse impacts of extreme heat on human health when a concurrent daytime and nighttime heatwave (CDNHW) occurs are greater than when daytime or nighttime heatwaves occur individually, because of the reduced recovery time from heat exposure. This study projects increases in CDNHW over the whole of East Asia under two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) and two Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios (SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5). The daily maximum and minimum temperatures, which are used to define a CDNHW, are calculated of 3-hourly temperatures of 25 km horizontal resolution produced by 12 general circulation model and regional climate model chains participating in the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment East Asia phase 2 project. In Historical simulation (1981-2005), occurrence period and occurrence rate of CDNHW from April to September area-averaged in East Asia are 10.9 days and 0.9%, respectively. In projections for the future (2071-2100), occurrence period and occurrence rate of CDNHW will be 3 weeks and 3.7% (RCP2.6), 2 months and 20.5% (RCP8.5), 2 months and 15.6% (SSP1-2.6), and 3 months and 45.7% (SSP5-8.5). In addition, it is expected that the CDNHW intensity will increase, and the spatial extent of CDNHW will be extended. Although a CDNHW lasting less than 3 days is the most common, the proportion of CDNHWs lasting more than 10 days, compared to the total CDNHW frequency, will increase to 1.2% (RCP2.6), 7.2% (RCP8.5), 6.1% (SSP1-2.6), and 17.3% (SSP5-8.5) from 0.2% (Historical). Both occurrence rate and intensity of CDNHW will increase to a relatively large extent in Indochina, East and West China, and India. If the current greenhouse gas emissions continue, East Asia will experience unprecedented heat stress because the frequency and intensity of CDNHWs, which rarely occur during present-day, will increase significantly over all regions by the end of the 21st century
Glycosylation and behavioral symptoms in neurological disorders
No full textGlycosylation, the addition of glycans or carbohydrates to proteins, lipids, or other glycans, is a complex post-translational modification that plays a crucial role in cellular function. It is estimated that at least half of all mammalian proteins undergo glycosylation, underscoring its importance in the functioning of cells. This is reflected in the fact that a significant portion of the human genome, around 2%, is devoted to encoding enzymes involved in glycosylation. Changes in glycosylation have been linked to various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. Despite its widespread occurrence, the role of glycosylation in the central nervous system remains largely unknown, particularly with regard to its impact on behavioral abnormalities in brain diseases. This review focuses on examining the role of three types of glycosylation: N-glycosylation, O-glycosylation, and O-GlcNAcylation, in the manifestation of behavioral and neurological symptoms in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders
Towards Visualization Thumbnail Designs That Entice Reading Data-Driven Articles
No full textAs online news increasingly include data journalism, there is a corresponding increase in the incorporation of visualization in article thumbnail images. However, little research exists on the design rationale for visualization thumbnails, such as resizing, cropping, simplifying, and embellishing charts that appear within the body of the associated article. Therefore, in this paper we aim to understand these design choices and determine what makes a visualization thumbnail inviting and interpretable. To this end, we first survey visualization thumbnails collected online and discuss visualization thumbnail practices with data journalists and news graphics designers. Based on the survey and discussion results, we then define a design space for visualization thumbnails and conduct a user study with four types of visualization thumbnails derived from the design space. The study results indicate that different chart components play different roles in attracting reader attention and enhancing reader understandability of the visualization thumbnails. We also find various thumbnail design strategies for effectively combining the charts' components, such as a data summary with highlights and data labels, and a visual legend with text labels and Human Recognizable Objects (HROs), into thumbnails. Ultimately, we distill our findings into design implications that allow effective visualization thumbnail designs for data-rich news articles. Our work can thus be seen as a first step toward providing structured guidance on how to design compelling thumbnails for data stories
Nanofiber-laden Hydrogels For Biomedical Applications
No full textHydrogels are widely used in biomedical engineering, most notably as drug delivery systems, cell culture scaffolds and biosensors. Mechanical properties of hydrogels are generally controlled by the crosslinking density of the polymeric network. But this inevitably leads to significant changes in their permeability. To resolve this issue, the strategy of incorporating short nanofibers into the hydrogels is employed. This allowed the control of mechanics only with a small amount of nanofibers without changing the polymer concentration. Furthermore, new functionalities could be introduced to the hydrogels by incorporating nanofibers prepared using various types of functional polymers
Intracellular endotrophin facilitates autophagosome accumulation and interferes with autophagic flux in adipocytes in obesity
No full textEndotrophin, a cleavage product of type VI collagen alpha 3 chain (Col6a3), causes systemic insulin resistance by increasing chronic inflammation and fibrosis in adipose tissues (AT) in obesity. Here, we report that endotrophin is internalized partly through caveolin-1-linked endocytosis and trafficked to lysosomes through late endosomes for degradation in AT of lean control. In contrast, the majority of endosomal endotrophin escapes lysosomal degradation in obese AT, where it is released into cytosol via direct interaction with SEC13, a major component of coat protein complex II (COPII) vesicles. Endotrophin facilitates the interaction between SEC13 and autophagy-related 7 (ATG7), leading to autophagosome accumulation and impaired autophagic flux. Mechanically, distinctive trafficking of intracellular endotrophin in obese AT compared to lean control is associated with autophagosome formation and autophagic flux through mediating supply of COPII vesicles to autophagosomes. Thus, accumulation of intracellular endotrophin in adipocytes contributes to autophagic flux disruption, leading to metabolic dysfunction in obesity