An open-type microdevice to improve the quality of fluorescence labeling for axonal transport analysis in neurons

Abnormal axonal transport of vesicles as well as organelles in a particular set of neurons is implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Although various types of microfluidic multicompartmental devices with closed microchannels have been recently developed and widely used for axonal transport analysis, most of the existing devices are troublesome and time-consuming to handle, such as culture maintenances, sample collections, and immunocytochemistry. In this study, we overcome such inherent shortcomings by developing a novel open-type device that enables easy cell maintenance and sample collections. In our device, microgrooves instead of microchannels were directly fabricated on a glass substrate, thereby making possible a high-resolution optical observation. Compared with the conventional closed-type devices, our newly designed device allowed us to efficiently and precisely label the axonal acidic vesicles by fluorescent dyes, facilitating a high-throughput analysis of axonal vesicular transport. The present novel device, as a user-friendly and powerful tool, can be implemented in molecular and cellular pathogenesis studies on neurological diseases.

Breakfast consumption frequency is associated with grip strength in a population of healthy Japanese adults

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Several studies have reported that regular consumption of breakfast is associated with health benefits. However, only a few studies have examined the association between frequency of breakfast consumption and muscular function. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between frequency of breakfast consumption and muscle strength among apparently healthy Japanese adults.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A cross-sectional study design was used. Between 2008 and 2011 in Sendai, Japan, 1415 Japanese adult employees (1069 men and 346 women) aged between 19 and 83 years participated in the study. Grip strength, as measured by a handheld digital dynamometer, was used as an indicator of muscle strength. Frequency of breakfast consumption during the previous month was assessed using a brief self-administered dietary history questionnaire, and the results were divided into three categories for analysis: low (≤2 days week⁻¹), middle (3-5 days week⁻¹) and high (≥6 days week⁻¹). Multivariate analysis was performed using analysis of covariance, with covariates mainly including socio-demographic, lifestyle-related and health-related factors. After adjusting for several potential confounders, grip strength was shown to be positively associated with breakfast consumption frequency (geometric means, 95% confidence interval (CI): low frequency, 36.2 (35.7-36.8) kg; middle frequency, 36.7 (36.0-37.5) kg; high frequency, 37.0 (36.6-37.5) kg; P for trend = 0.03). Grip strength per kilogramme body weight (kg kg⁻¹) was also positively associated with frequency of breakfast consumption (P for trend = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This cross-sectional study reveals a positive association between breakfast consumption frequency and muscle strength in apparently healthy adults.

Skin advanced glycation end-product accumulation is negatively associated with calcaneal osteo-sono assessment index among non-diabetic adult Japanese men

This study aims to determine the relationship between advanced glycation end-product (AGE) accumulation in skin tissue and bone strength, assessed by quantitative ultrasound, among healthy adult Japanese men. The results of the study suggest that men with higher AGE accumulation in skin tissue have a lower osteo-sono assessment index.

INTRODUCTION

AGE accumulate in bone collagen with age and diabetes and decrease the mechanical properties of bone. Although increased AGE levels are associated with fractures among diabetic patients and elderly women, it is unclear whether a relationship between increased AGE levels and bone strength is present in apparently healthy adult males. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between AGE accumulation in tissue and the mechanical properties of bone among adult Japanese men, using quantitative ultrasound as a surrogate measure of the latter.

METHODS

Skin autofluorescence (AF), which is a noninvasive method for measuring tissue AGEs, and osteo-sono assessment index (OSI), which is determined by quantitative ultrasound, were measured in 193 adult Japanese men (median age 43 years; interquartile range 37.0-55.0 years).

RESULTS

Adjusted for age, BMI, calcium intake, physical activity, smoking status, and education level, log-transformed skin AF had a negative association with log-transformed OSI (β = -0.218, P < 0.01). Adjusted geometric means (95% CI) for OSI across the tertiles of skin AF were 2.81 (2.75-2.87) for the lowest tertile, 2.81 (2.74-2.87) for the middle tertile, and 2.66 (2.61-2.73) for the highest tertile; thus, OSI for the highest skin AF appeared to be 5.0% lower than that for the lowest and middle skin AF tertiles (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Among apparently healthy adult Japanese men, those with higher skin AF had a lower OSI, indicating a relationship between AGE accumulation and bone strength. A long-term prospective study is required to clarify the causality.

A gene encoding a putative GTPase regulator is mutated in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2 (ALS2) is an autosomal recessive form of juvenile ALS and has been mapped to human chromosome 2q33. Here we report the identification of two independent deletion mutations linked to ALS2 in the coding exons of the new gene ALS2. These deletion mutations result in frameshifts that generate premature stop codons. ALS2 is expressed in various tissues and cells, including neurons throughout the brain and spinal cord, and encodes a protein containing multiple domains that have homology to RanGEF as well as RhoGEF. Deletion mutations are predicted to cause a loss of protein function, providing strong evidence that ALS2 is the causative gene underlying this form of ALS.

A gene encoding a putative GTPase regulator is mutated in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2 (ALS2) is an autosomal recessive form of juvenile ALS and has been mapped to human chromosome 2q33. Here we report the identification of two independent deletion mutations linked to ALS2 in the coding exons of the new gene ALS2. These deletion mutations result in frameshifts that generate premature stop codons. ALS2 is expressed in various tissues and cells, including neurons throughout the brain and spinal cord, and encodes a protein containing multiple domains that have homology to RanGEF as well as RhoGEF. Deletion mutations are predicted to cause a loss of protein function, providing strong evidence that ALS2 is the causative gene underlying this form of ALS.

Further search for the decay K+-->pi(+)nunu;

A search for additional evidence for the rare kaon decay K+-->pi(+)nunu; has been made with a new data set comparable in sensitivity to the previous exposure that produced a single event. No new events were found in the pion momentum region examined, 211<P<229 MeV/c. Including a reanalysis of the original data set, the backgrounds were estimated to contribute 0.08+/-0.02 events. Based on one observed event, the new branching ratio is B(K+-->pi(+)nunu;) = 1.5(+3.4)(-1.2)x10(-10).

Evaluation of complex activities in daily living of elderly Japanese with visual impairment

This study was conducted to determine whether elderly subjects with visual impairment differ in the performance of complex activities in daily living from those without visual impairment. The study subjects were residents in two homes for the aged in Japan, and consisted of 37 elderly people with visual impairment, and 42 elderly people, serving as controls; ages ranged from 64 to 95 years. Complex activities of the subjects were ascertained by interview using a 46-item questionnaire. The visually impaired elderly had lower performance levels for telephone use (p = 0.007), shopping (p = 0.049), cleaning up one's room (p = 0.001), and utilization of medical facilities (p = 0.001) in instrumental ADL (IADL); for interest in TV or radio (p = 0.004) and religious faith (p = 0.042) in "enriching activities"; and for visiting behaviors (p < 0.05) in "social role". The performances of complex activities by the elderly with visual impairment were diminished in specific categories, but not overall, and this may be attributable to poor mobility and/or more passive attitudes in their daily activities.

Body support effect on standing balance in the visually impaired elderly

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of body support in compensating for decreased standing balance stability in elderly persons with visual impairment.

DESIGN

Standing balance was measured in a cross-section of elderly persons from two nursing homes--one for aged individuals with visual impairment, the other for aged individuals without visual impairment.

PARTICIPANTS

The subjects were 44 visually impaired persons with a mean age of 79.0 yrs and 39 people without visual impairment, mean age 76.3 yrs.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The area of gravity-center sway was measured with subjects standing on a gravicorder for 30sec in three positions: (1) without support, (2) with cane, (3) with light support by touching a wall.

RESULTS

Both men and women in the visually impaired group swayed more than their sighted counterparts when standing without support, the only statistically significant difference between the two groups. For all subjects, the greatest degree of sway occurred when subjects stood unsupported, and the least sway occurred when subjects touched a wall for support.

CONCLUSION

In visually impaired elderly persons, touching a wall for body support while standing is more effective than using a cane.

cDNA cloning of a new member of the FTZ-F1 subfamily from a rainbow trout

We describe here cDNA cloning of an orphan nuclear receptor family member, tFZR1, which has a FTZ-F1 box. The amino acid sequences of the zinc finger domain and the FTZ-F1 box has 92.8% and 100% identity, respectively, with those of zebrafish FTZ-F1. On the other hand, the overall homology between tFZR1 and zebrafish FTZ-F1 is low (33.0%). The results indicate that tFZR1 is a new member of fushitarazu factor 1 (FTZ-F1) subfamily.

Trends of mobility and flows of spatial moves of population in postwar Japan

This paper describes "the trends of mobility and flows of not only the internal migration of population but also the commutation of population between the place of residence and the place of work or school...for the postwar period until the early 1990s, using chiefly the statistics from the national population censuses and the basic resident registers. The main discussions are made not only upon the changes in the patterns of migratory flows between metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions or within a metropolitan region in internal migration, but also upon the association between internal migration and commutation of population within a metropolitan region, in particular, within Tokyo metropolitan region." (SUMMARY IN JPN)

Spatial mobility and reasons for migration of Japanese women

This paper discloses, istly, the spatial mobility of Japanese women and its change mainly between 1970 and 1980, through comparison with the men's mobility, in respect of distance of movement, age patterns, and labor force status, using population census data. Secondly, the chief reasons for the migration of women by types of migratory flows are examined using the data derived from the survey on reasons for migration conducted in 1981 by the Land Agency of the Government of Japan. Results show that the spatial mobility of Japanese women is smaller than that of men in long distance movements but is almost the same in short distance moves, and that the age pattern of spatial mobility of the women is nearly the same between both distances of movement. Also, it is disclosed that the mobility of women not in the labor force is higher for the whole country but lower in metropolitan areas than that for men. The prime reason for the migration of women is employment, the as same as that for men for the whole nation, but this varies between the types of migratory flows.