Long-persistent luminescence (LPL) materials have applications from safety signage to bioimaging; however, existing organic LPL (OLPL) systems do not align with human scotopic vision, which is sensiti Show more
Long-persistent luminescence (LPL) materials have applications from safety signage to bioimaging; however, existing organic LPL (OLPL) systems do not align with human scotopic vision, which is sensitive to blue light. We present a strategy to blueshift the emissions in binary OLPL systems by upconverting the charge-transfer (CT) to a locally excited (LE) singlet state. Through rigorous steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and wavelength-resolved thermoluminescence measurements, we provide the direct experimental evidence for this upconversion in OLPL systems featuring small energy offsets between the lowest-energy CT and LE singlet states. These systems exhibited strong room temperature LPL, particularly when extrinsic electron traps are added. Importantly, the developed OLPL system achieved Class A (ISO 17398) LPL, matching well with human scotopic vision. The findings not only elucidate the role of small energy offsets in modulating LPL but also provide potential avenues for enhancing the efficiency and applicability of OLPL materials. Show less
To identify and analyze diabetic macular edema (DME)-related proteins in the vitreous, en masse, using two-dimensional gel (2D gel) electrophoresis and mass-spectrometry (MS). Vitreous samples were co Show more
To identify and analyze diabetic macular edema (DME)-related proteins in the vitreous, en masse, using two-dimensional gel (2D gel) electrophoresis and mass-spectrometry (MS). Vitreous samples were corrected from 20 eyes with pre-proliferative diabetic retinopathy associated with DME (DME group) and without DME (non-DME group). They were subjected to 2D gel electrophoresis, and the spot intensities were compared between the groups. Apparently visible spots were excised from the gel, and the proteins were identified by liquid chromatography tandem MS (LC MS/MS) sequence analysis. We identified 14 proteins from the DME group, and 15 proteins from the non-DME group. The intensity of eight spots was markedly higher in DME than non-DME samples and one spot was detected only in non-DME samples. From the eight spots, six proteins were identified, including PEDF, ApoA-4, ApoA-1, Trip-11, PRBP, and VDBP. On the other hand, Apo H was expressed only in non-DME. Certain vitreous proteins expressed exclusively in DME and lacked in DME. These chemical mediators in the posterior vitreous may play a role in the pathogenesis of DME. Show less
We studied the association of six common polymorphisms of four genes related to lipid metabolism with serum lipid levels. We selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes for cholestery Show more
We studied the association of six common polymorphisms of four genes related to lipid metabolism with serum lipid levels. We selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes for cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (LIPC), and apolipoprotein CIII (APOC3), and studied 2267 individuals randomly selected from the participants of Serum Lipid Survey 2000. There was a significant association of CETP polymorphism (D442G, Int14 +1 G --> A, and TaqIB), LPL polymorphism (S447X), and LIPC polymorphism (-514 --> CT) with HDL-cholesterol levels. We also found a significant association of LPL polymorphism (S447X) and APOC3 polymorphism (SstI) with triglyceride levels. This is the largest database showing the association of common genetic variants in lipid metabolism with serum lipid levels in the general Japanese population. Further study is necessary to elucidate the role of these gene polymorphisms in cardiovascular events. Show less