Association between lifestyle activity and depressed mood among home-dwelling older people: a community-based study in Japan

In the community-based cross-sectional study, we investigated patterns of lifestyle activities among older people and examined the association between specific types of lifestyle activity and depressed mood status. The participants were 656 men and women aged 65 or older in 2004 who lived in a rural town in Japan, neither institutionalized nor hospitalized and who did not have symptoms of dementia. We found that less interaction with neighbors, society and friends was highly associated with depressed mood for men. Additionally, although they were physically active in gardening/farming, it did not necessarily mean that they were mentally healthy if they did not have close ties with friends, family and children/grandchildren. For women, it seemed important to engage in several types of activities relating to society, leisure and children/grandchildren to be in less depressed mood. Even if they were socially inactive, if they had frequent contact with family and children/grandchildren or going out for pleasure they were less likely to be depressed. Distinguishing gender differences in lifestyle activity patterns and the association of activities with depressed mood will help to guide the development of depression intervention programs.

Direct-write patterning of indium-tin-oxide film by high pulse repetition frequency femtosecond laser ablation

Ablation of indium oxide doped with tin oxide (ITO) from glass substrates is described. Laser pulse energy and focus spot size were varied in single-pulse, single-spot ablation tests and for ablation of linear features with scanned multiple pulses. The single-pulse ablation threshold of ITO was smaller than that of the glass substrate so the entire thickness of ITO could be removed in a single pulse or with overlying multiple pulses without the possibility of substrate ablation. Linear features could be created at much higher scanning speeds using a high repetition frequency (100 kHz) Yb fiber amplified laser as compared to a lower repetition frequency (2 kHz) laser. An analysis showed that incubation effects lowered ITO ablation thresholds when pulse frequency was high relative to scanning speed, contributing to large feasible scanning speeds for high pulse frequency lasers.

BCR/ABL and IL-3 activate Rap1 to stimulate the B-Raf/MEK/Erk and Akt signaling pathways and to regulate proliferation, apoptosis, and adhesion

The Ras family small GTPase Rap1 is activated by hematopoietic cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-3, to induce beta1 integrin-mediated cell adhesion or by the BCR/ABL fusion tyrosine kinase to stimulate the MEK/Erk signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that the abrogation of Rap1 activation by SPA-1, a Rap1-specific GAP, inhibits activation of B-Raf, MEK, Erk, and Akt in a murine hematopoietic cell line, Ton.B210, stimulated with IL-3 or inducibly expressing BCR/ABL. Furthermore, Rap1 inactivation had an inhibitory effects on proliferation and survival of Ton.B210 cells, which were more remarkable when cells were stimulated by BCR/ABL than by IL-3. Induction of BCR/ABL expression increased adhesion of Ton.B210 cells to fibronectin in a manner at least partly dependent on its kinase activity, and Rap1 inhibition by SPA-1 partially inhibited BCR/ABL-induced adhesion of cells. Thus, IL-3- or BCR/ABL-induced activation of Rap1 may play important roles in regulation of cell proliferation and survival through activation of the B-Raf/MEK/Erk and Akt signaling pathways and in induction of integrin-mediated cell adhesion. Furthermore, as compared with IL-3, BCR/ABL is more dependent on Rap1-mediated signaling to induce cell proliferation and survival and, thus, Rap1 may represent an attractive target for novel therapies for leukemias caused by BCR/ABL.

High-sensitivity capillary gel electrophoretic analysis of DNA fragments on an electrophoresis microchip using electrokinetic injection with transient isotachophoretic preconcentration

The research adopted a single-channel microchip as the probe, and focused electrokinetic injection combined with transient isotachophoresis preconcentration technique on capillary electrophoresis microchip to improve the analytical sensitivity of DNA fragments. The channel length, channel width and channel depth of the used microchip were 40.5 mm, and 110 and 50 microm, respectively. The separation was detected by CCD (charge-coupled device) (effective length=25 mm, 260 nm). A 1/100 diluted sample (0.2 mg/l of each DNA fragment) of commercially available stepladder DNA sample could be baseline separated in 120 s with S/N=2-5. Compared with conventional chip gel electrophoresis, the proposed method is ideally suited to improve the sensitivity of DNA analysis by chip electrophoresis.

Rapid analysis of amino sugars by microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Microchip electrophoresis for the short-time analysis of amino sugars is described. D-Glucosamine, D-galactosamine and their reduced forms were labeled with 4-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole 7-fluoride (NBD-F) at pH 6.0 and the fluorescent derivatives were purified on an octadecyl silica (ODS) gel plate. The derivatives were analyzed by electrophoresis on a microfabricated chip with a 33 mm long separation channel with argon laser-induced fluorescence detection. Under the established conditions, these amino sugarderivatives were well separated from each other within 60 s. Amino sugars of as small an amount as 0.5 fmol could be detected with a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of 3, and peak response showed good linearity between at least 0.8 and 8 fmol of samples with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of ca. 4%. This method was also applied to the analysis of amino sugar composition of O-linked glycans released from bovine submaxillary mucin with alkali in the presence of borohydride. The result of amino sugar composition analysis for individual O-glycans fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography was quite useful for their identification.

CrkL is recruited through its SH2 domain to the erythropoietin receptor and plays a role in Lyn-mediated receptor signaling

The erythropoietin (Epo) receptor transduces its signals by activating physically associated tyrosine kinases, mainly Jak2 and Lyn, and thereby inducing tyrosine phosphorylation of various substrates including the Epo receptor (EpoR) itself. We previously demonstrated that, in Epo-stimulated cells, an adapter protein, CrkL, becomes tyrosine-phosphorylated, physically associates with Shc, SHP-2, and Cbl, and plays a role in activation of the Ras/Erk signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that Epo induces binding of CrkL to the tyrosine-phosphorylated EpoR and SHIP1 in 32D/EpoR-Wt cells overexpressing CrkL. In vitro binding studies showed that the CrkL SH2 domain directly mediates the EpoR binding, which was specifically inhibited by a synthetic phosphopeptide corresponding to the amino acid sequences at Tyr(460) in the cytoplasmic domain of EpoR. The CrkL SH2 domain was also required for tyrosine phosphorylation of CrkL in Epo-stimulated cells. Overexpression of Lyn induced constitutive phosphorylation of CrkL and activation of Erk, whereas that of a Lyn mutant lacking the tyrosine kinase domain attenuated the Epo-induced phosphorylation of CrkL and activation of Erk. Furthermore, Lyn, but not Jak2, phosphorylated CrkL on tyrosine in in vitro kinase assays. Together, the present study suggests that, upon Epo stimulation, CrkL is recruited to the EpoR through interaction between the CrkL SH2 domain and phosphorylated Tyr(460) in the EpoR cytoplasmic domain and undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation by receptor-associated Lyn to activate the downstream signaling pathway leading to the activation of Erk and Elk-1.

Rac is activated by tumor necrosis factor alpha and is involved in activation of Erk

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) activates various signal transduction pathways including those involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (Erk), c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNK), and p38 kinases. Using the Rac binding domain of PAK (PAK-RBD) as an activation-specific probe, here we demonstrate that TNFalpha very rapidly and transiently activates the Rho family GTPase Rac in L929 cells. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 significantly inhibited TNFalpha activation of Rac as well as Erk and abolished that of the PI3K target Akt, without showing any inhibitory effects on JNK and p38 activation. Furthermore, TNFalpha activation of Erk was abolished by a dominant negative Rac mutant, Rac17N, or by an activated Rac mutant, Rac12V. These findings suggest that Rac is activated by a mechanism that is at least partly dependent on PI3K in TNFalpha stimulated cells and plays a critical role in activation of the Erk signaling pathway.

Specification of ectodermal teloblast lineages in embryos of the oligochaete annelid Tubifex: involvement of novel cell-cell interactions

In embryos of clitellate annelids (i.e. oligochaetes and leeches), four ectodermal teloblasts (ectoteloblasts N, O, P and Q) are generated on either side through a stereotyped sequence of cell divisions of a proteloblast, NOPQ. The four ectoteloblasts assume distinct fates and produce bandlets of smaller progeny cells, which join together to form an ectodermal germ band. The pattern of the germ band, with respect to the ventrodorsal order of the bandlets, has been highly preserved in clitellate annelids. We show that specification of ectoteloblast lineages in the oligochaete annelid Tubifex involves cell interaction networks distinct from those in leeches. Cell ablation experiments have shown that fates of teloblasts N, P and Q in Tubifex embryos are determined rigidly as early as their birth. In contrast, the O teloblast and its progeny are initially pluripotent and their fate becomes restricted to the O fate through an inductive signal emanating from the P lineage. In the absence of this signal, the O lineage assumes the P fate. These results differ significantly from those obtained in embryos of the leech Helobdella, suggesting the diversity of patterning mechanisms that give rise to germ bands with similar morphological pattern.

Rap1 is activated by erythropoietin or interleukin-3 and is involved in regulation of beta1 integrin-mediated hematopoietic cell adhesion

The CrkL adaptor protein is involved in signaling from the receptor for erythropoietin (Epo) as well as interleukin (IL)-3 and activates beta(1) integrin-mediated hematopoietic cell adhesion through its interaction with C3G, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap1. We demonstrate here that Epo as well as IL-3 activates Rap1 in an IL-3-dependent hematopoietic cell line, 32D, expressing the Epo receptor. The cytokine-induced activation of Rap1 was augmented in cells that inducibly overexpress CrkL or C3G. The CrkL-mediated enhancement of cell adhesion was inhibited by expression of a dominant negative mutant of Rap1, Rap1A-17N, whereas an activated mutant of Rap1, Rap1A-63E, activated beta(1) integrin-dependent adhesion of hematopoietic cells. In 32D cells, Rap1 was also activated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin, which also enhanced cell adhesion to fibronectin, whereas, an inhibitor of phospholipase C, inhibited both cytokine-induced activation of Rap1 and cell adhesion. It was also demonstrated that Rap1 as well as CrkL is involved in signaling from the EpoR endogenously expressed in a human leukemic cell line, UT-7. These results suggest that Epo and IL-3 activate Rap1 at least partly through the CrkL-C3G complex as well as through additional pathways most likely involving phospholipase Cgamma and strongly implicate Rap1 in regulation of beta(1) integrin-mediated hematopoietic cell adhesion.

Fabrication of quartz microchips with optical slit and development of a linear imaging UV detector for microchip electrophoresis systems

We have developed quartz microchips for electrophoresis and a linear imaging UV detector along with the microchip. The microchips have an optical slit, which cut off the stray light in order to improve the sensitivity of UV absorption detection on the chip, at the bonding interface. They have been successfully fabricated on synthesized quartz glass substrates using the hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution bonding method. The signal level of UV absorption detection was effectively improved by applying microchips with the "on-chip" optical slit. It is also possible to improve the signal-to-noise ratio by repetitive scanning of linear photodiode array located along the separation channel, and signal averaging during elimination of the potential. Furthermore, the analysis may be performed until the separation of the target component is complete, because the real-time migration pattern of each component in the sample can be seen just as in a slab-gel electrophoresis, thus enabling a shorter analysis time.

Field-inversion electrophoresis on a microchip device

We have proposed a field-inversion electrophoresis on a microchip for a shorter effective length, and investigated the external frequency for the DNA analysis based on the field-inversion electrophoresis device. By using the optimized frequency, we demonstrated that the field-inversion electrophoresis has great potentials for the separation of DNA fragments with shorter effective length.

Cell lineage analysis of pattern formation in the Tubifex embryo. II. Segmentation in the ectoderm

Ectodermal segmentation in the oligochaete annelid Tubifex is a process of separation of 50-microm-wide blocks of cells from the initially continuous ectodermal germ band (GB), a cell sheet consisting of four bandlets of blast cells derived from ectoteloblasts (N, O, P and Q). In this study, using intracellular lineage tracers, we characterized the morphogenetic processes that give rise to formation of these ectodermal segments. The formation of ectodermal segments began with formation of fissures, first on the ventral side and then on the dorsal side of the GB; the unification of these fissures gave rise to separation of a 50-microm-wide block of approximately 30 cells from the ectodermal GB. A set of experiments in which individual ectoteloblasts were labeled showed that as development proceeded, an initially linear array of blast cells in each ectodermal bandlet gradually changed its shape and that its contour became indented in a lineage-specific manner. These morphogenetic changes resulted in the formation of distinct cell clumps, which were separated from the bandlet to serve as segmental elements (SEs). SEs in the N and Q lineages were each comprised of clones of two consecutive primary blast cells. In contrast, in the O and P lineages, individual blast cell clones were distributed across SE boundaries; each SE was a mixture of a part of a more anterior clone and a part of the next more posterior clone. Morphogenetic events, including segmentation, in an ectodermal bandlet proceeded normally in the absence of neighboring ectodermal bandlets. Without the underlying mesoderm, separated SEs failed to space themselves at regular intervals along the anteroposterior axis. We suggest that ectodermal segmentation in Tubifex consists of two stages, autonomous morphogenesis of each bandlet leading to generation of SEs and the ensuing mesoderm-dependent alignment of separated SEs.

[Monitoring of the cryptococcus count in the cerebrospinal fluid with negative cultures in two cases of serious cryptococcal meningitis]

We monitored the cryptococcus count in the cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) using the filter technique in two cases of serious cryptococcal meningitis during the course of treatment with antifungal agents. Lumbar puncture was performed once a week, and 1 ml of CSF was filtered through a Millipore filter(5.0-micron pore for cells), followed by staining of the filters with Alcian blue. All of the cryptococci on the filter were counted under a light microscope at a magnification of x 100. More than 500/ml and 2,000/ml of cryptococci were still observed in the CFS in Cases 1 and 2, respectively, in whom CFS cultures for Cryptococcus neoformans became negative after 4 weeks of treatment. Even though the treatment with antifungal agents were continued in these cases, cryptococci could still be observed for 5 weeks and 60 weeks on the filter preparations of Cases 1 and 2, respectively, after the CSF cultures became negative. The cryptococcal antigen could also be detected in the CSF during the positive filter preparations in these cases. At autopsy in Case 2, patchy lepromeningeal inflammatory lesions with the characteristic capsules of cryptococci were observed in the subarachnoid space. These observations suggest that cryptococci, which persisted in the CSF despite the negative cultures, were responsible for the lesions in the subarachnoid space and protracted clinical course in the two cases of cryptococcal meningitis.

The norbornenyl moiety of cyclothiazide determines the preference for flip-flop variants of AMPA receptor subunits

Cyclothiazide and two analogs in which the norbornenyl part was replaced with a cyclohexyl or a cyclohexenyl moiety were examined with regard to their preference for flop vs. flip splice variants of the (+/-)-alphaamino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunits GluR2, 3 and 4. The studies were carried out by measuring the effects of the drugs on the binding of [(3)H]AMPA or [(3)H]fluorowillardiine to membranes from HEK293 cells that stably express the AMPA receptor subunits. Cyclothiazide had four to nine times lower EC(50) values at flip than at flop receptors, as previously reported. In contrast, the two analogs showed little discrimination for GluR3 or GluR4 splice variants and a clear preference for the flop variant in the case of GluR2. These results indicate that it is the norbornenyl component of cyclothiazide which confers the selectivity vis-a-vis flip-flop variants.