scholarly journals Raman microscopy-based quantification of the physical properties of intracellular lipids

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaaki Uematsu ◽  
Takao Shimizu ◽  
Hideo Shindou
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Raman Microscopy ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Intracellular Lipids ◽  
Treatment Conditions ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Lipid Species ◽  
Target Plasma ◽  
Intracellular Organelles

ABSTRACTThe physical properties of lipids, such as viscosity, are homeostatically maintained in cells, and are intimately involved in physiological roles. Measurement of the physical properties of plasma membranes has been achieved primarily through chemical or genetically encoded fluorescent probes, however, the effect of the probes themselves on these physical properties hampered accurate measurements. In addition, as most probes target plasma membranes, physical properties of lipids in intracellular organelles, including lipid droplets (LDs) are yet to be analyzed. Here, we present a novel Raman microscopy-based approach for quantifying the intracellular physical properties of lipids under deuterium-labeled fatty acid treatment conditions. Focusing on the fact that Raman spectra of carbon-deuterium vibration are altered depending on the surrounding lipid species, we quantitatively represented the physical properties of lipids as the gauche/trans conformational ratio of the introduced labeled fatty acids, which can be used as an indicator of viscosity. Intracellular Raman imaging revealed that the gauche/trans ratio of cytosolic regions was robustly preserved against stimuli attempting to alter the lipid composition. This was likely due to LDs functioning as a buffer against excess gauche/trans ratio. The novel approach, that is, using the target lipid itself as a probe, overcomes the issues presented by conventional probes, making it useful for the quantitative evaluation of biological functions and regulatory mechanisms associated with the physical state of intracellular lipid environments.

scholarly journals Raman microscopy-based quantification of the physical properties of intracellular lipids

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaaki Uematsu ◽  
Takao Shimizu
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Raman Microscopy ◽  
Traditional Role ◽  
Intracellular Lipids ◽  
Treatment Conditions ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Lipid Species ◽  
Storage Organelle ◽  
Lipid Environment

AbstractThe physical properties of lipids, such as viscosity, are homeostatically maintained in cells and are intimately involved in physiological roles. Measurement of the physical properties of plasma membranes has been achieved primarily through chemical or genetically encoded fluorescent probes. However, since most probes target plasma membranes, physical properties of lipids in intracellular organelles, including lipid droplets (LDs) are yet to be analyzed. Here, we present a novel Raman microscopy-based approach for quantifying the physical properties of intracellular lipids under deuterium-labeled fatty acid treatment conditions. Focusing on the fact that Raman spectra of carbon-deuterium vibration are altered depending on the surrounding lipid species, we quantitatively represented the physical properties of lipids as the gauche/trans conformational ratio of the introduced labeled fatty acids, which can be used as an indicator of viscosity. Intracellular Raman imaging revealed that the gauche/trans ratio of cytosolic regions was robustly preserved against perturbations attempting to alter the lipid composition. This was likely due to LDs functioning as a buffer against excess gauche/trans ratio, beyond its traditional role as an energy storage organelle. Our novel approach enables the observation of the physical properties of organelle lipids, which is difficult to perform with conventional probes, and is useful for quantitative assessment of the subcellular lipid environment.

Exploring normative perceptions and misperceptions of private, environmentally impactful behaviours

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Gallagher ◽  
Bas Verplanken ◽  
Ian Walker
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Normative Influence ◽  
Change Mechanism ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Classical Studies ◽  
Referent Group

Social norms have been shown to be an effective behaviour change mechanism across diverse behaviours, demonstrated from classical studies to more recent behaviour change research. Much of this research has focused on environmentally impactful actions. Social norms are typically utilised for behaviour change in social contexts, which facilitates the important element of the behaviour being visible to the referent group. This ensures that behaviours can be learned through observation and that deviations from the acceptable behaviour can be easily sanctioned or approved by the referent group. There has been little focus on how effective social norms are in private or non-social contexts, despite a multitude of environmentally impactful behaviours occurring in the home, for example. The current study took the novel approach to explore if private behaviours are important in the context of normative influence, and if the lack of a referent groups results in inaccurate normative perceptions and misguided behaviours. Findings demonstrated variance in normative perceptions of private behaviours, and that these misperceptions may influence behaviour. These behaviours are deemed to be more environmentally harmful, and respondents are less comfortable with these behaviours being visible to others, than non-private behaviours. The research reveals the importance of focusing on private behaviours, which have been largely overlooked in the normative influence literature.

scholarly journals A Novel Approach to EEG Speech Activity Detection with Visual Stimuli and Mobile BCI

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 674
Author(s):  
Marianna Koctúrová ◽  
Jozef Juhár
Keyword(s):  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Computer Interface ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Detection Accuracy ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Activity Detection ◽  
Speech Activity ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Speech Activity Detection

With the ever-progressing development in the field of computational and analytical science the last decade has seen a big improvement in the accuracy of electroencephalography (EEG) technology. Studies try to examine possibilities to use high dimensional EEG data as a source for Brain to Computer Interface. Applications of EEG Brain to computer interface vary from emotion recognition, simple computer/device control, speech recognition up to Intelligent Prosthesis. Our research presented in this paper was focused on the study of the problematic speech activity detection using EEG data. The novel approach used in this research involved the use visual stimuli, such as reading and colour naming, and signals of speech activity detectable by EEG technology. Our proposed solution is based on a shallow Feed-Forward Artificial Neural Network with only 100 hidden neurons. Standard features such as signal energy, standard deviation, RMS, skewness, kurtosis were calculated from the original signal from 16 EEG electrodes. The novel approach in the field of Brain to computer interface applications was utilised to calculated additional set of features from the minimum phase signal. Our experimental results demonstrated F1 score of 86.80% and 83.69% speech detection accuracy based on the analysis of EEG signal from single subject and cross-subject models respectively. The importance of these results lies in the novel utilisation of the mobile device to record the nerve signals which can serve as the stepping stone for the transfer of Brain to computer interface technology from technology from a controlled environment to the real-life conditions.

Magnetic-field-induced self-assembly of FeCo/CoFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles with tunable collective magnetic properties

Nanoscale ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4519-4529
Author(s):  
J. Mohapatra ◽  
J. Elkins ◽  
M. Xing ◽  
D. Guragain ◽  
Sanjay R. Mishra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Properties ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Core Shell ◽  
Shell Nanoparticles ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Core Shell Nanoparticles

Self-assembly of nanoparticles into ordered patterns is a novel approach to build up new consolidated materials with desired collective physical properties.

scholarly journals LION/web: a web-based ontology enrichment tool for lipidomic data analysis

GigaScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martijn R Molenaar ◽  
Aike Jeucken ◽  
Tsjerk A Wassenaar ◽  
Chris H A van de Lest ◽  
Jos F Brouwers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fluidity ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells ◽  
Chinese Hamster ◽  
Lateral Diffusion ◽  
Decanoic Acid ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Ovary Cells ◽  
Lipid Species ◽  
Significant Enrichment

Abstract Background A major challenge for lipidomic analyses is the handling of the large amounts of data and the translation of results to interpret the involvement of lipids in biological systems. Results We built a new lipid ontology (LION) that associates >50,000 lipid species to biophysical, chemical, and cell biological features. By making use of enrichment algorithms, we used LION to develop a web-based interface (LION/web, www.lipidontology.com) that allows identification of lipid-associated terms in lipidomes. LION/web was validated by analyzing a lipidomic dataset derived from well-characterized sub-cellular fractions of RAW 264.7 macrophages. Comparison of isolated plasma membranes with the microsomal fraction showed a significant enrichment of relevant LION-terms including “plasma membrane", “headgroup with negative charge", "glycerophosphoserines", “above average bilayer thickness", and “below average lateral diffusion". A second validation was performed by analyzing the membrane fluidity of Chinese hamster ovary cells incubated with arachidonic acid. An increase in membrane fluidity was observed both experimentally by using pyrene decanoic acid and by using LION/web, showing significant enrichment of terms associated with high membrane fluidity ("above average", "very high", and "high lateral diffusion" and "below average transition temperature"). Conclusions The results demonstrate the functionality of LION/web, which is freely accessible in a platform-independent way.

ChemInform Abstract: The Novel Approach to Indole Alkaloids by Using Pd(II)-Catalyzed Cyclization.

ChemInform ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (17) ◽  
pp. no-no
Author(s):  
Hajime Yokoyama ◽  
Takayoshi Kubo ◽  
Yosuke Matsumura ◽  
Junichi Hosokawa ◽  
Masahiro Miyazawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indole Alkaloids ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Approach

scholarly journals Caffeine-Induced Effects on Human Skeletal Muscle Contraction Time and Maximal Displacement Measured by Tensiomyography

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 815
Author(s):  
Przemysław Domaszewski ◽  
Paweł Pakosz ◽  
Mariusz Konieczny ◽  
Dawid Bączkowicz ◽  
Ewa Sadowska-Krępa
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Electric Pulse ◽  
Professional Athletes ◽  
Mechanical Activity ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Contraction Time ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Contraction ◽  
Maximal Displacement

Studies on muscle activation time in sport after caffeine supplementation confirmed the effectiveness of caffeine. The novel approach was to determine whether a dose of 9 mg/kg/ body mass (b.m.) of caffeine affects the changes of contraction time and the displacement of electrically stimulated muscle (gastrocnemius medialis) in professional athletes who regularly consume products rich in caffeine and do not comply with the caffeine discontinuation period requirements. The study included 40 professional male handball players (age = 23.13 ± 3.51, b.m. = 93.51 ± 15.70 kg, height 191 ± 7.72, BMI = 25.89 ± 3.10). The analysis showed that in the experimental group the values of examined parameters were significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.001) (contraction time: before = 20.60 ± 2.58 ms/ after = 18.43 ± 3.05 ms; maximal displacement: before = 2.32 ± 0.80 mm/after = 1.69 ± 0.51 mm). No significant changes were found in the placebo group. The main achievement of this research was to demonstrate that caffeine at a dose of 9 mg/kg in professional athletes who regularly consume products rich in caffeine has a direct positive effect on the mechanical activity of skeletal muscle stimulated by an electric pulse.

Bioerodible Polypyrrole

2001 ◽  
Vol 711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Zelikin ◽  
Venkatram Shastri ◽  
David Lynn ◽  
Jian Farhadi ◽  
Ivan Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Erosion Rate ◽  
Acid Group ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Carboxylic Acid Group ◽  
Polymer Backbone ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Efficient Control ◽  
And Function ◽  
Substrate Independent

ABSTRACTConductive polymers such as polypyrrole (Ppy) are potentially useful as an active interface for altering cellular processes and function. Their utilization in medically related applications however have been substantially held back by their non-degradable nature. Herein we report a novel approach to creation of bioerodible polypyrroles via modification of pyrrole beta-carbon with an ionizable moiety. It has been shown that the erosion rate of acid-bearing derivative of polypyrrole increases with pH, which is consistent with the pH dependent ionization of carboxylic acid group. The novel paradigm proposed for the creation of bioerodible polypyrroles allows for simple and efficient control over the erosion rate of the substrate independent of the polymer chain length, via the choice of the terminal ionizable group and its concentration along the polymer backbone.

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