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An unknown species of the genus Sedum was discovered in Kawara-dake and Ryu-ga-hana, limestone mountains in Kyushu, Japan. The present study aimed to clarify the taxonomic status of the unknown Sedum species through morphological and ecological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analysis using ITS sequences based on comprehensive taxon sampling of sect. Sedum in East Asia. Morphologically and ecologically, the unknown species was most similar to S. lipingense in China, but was distinguished by having larger spatulate rosulate leaves and more flowers per flowering stem. Phylogenetically, it belonged to a clade with four Chinese endemics including S. lipingense and two other species widely distributed in East Asia. The clade showed polytomy at the base, but the unknown species was genetically differentiated from the other species. Therefore, we describe the unknown species from Kawara-dake as a new species, S. kawaraense.

Andosols are characterized by relatively high sulfur concentrations, but also by their suppression of phosphorus absorption in plants. We assessed the effect of soil type on the concentrations of sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P) in plants using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis and plant specimens collected from Andosols and non-volcanic soils. The S concentrations in plants from Andosols are significantly high, but there is no significant difference between their foliar P concentrations. Only ∼13% of plants from Andosols were below the S deficiency level (∼0.1 wt%), but two thirds of samples were below the P deficiency level (∼0.2 wt%). The S concentrations were high in herbaceous plants, especially in plants from the Brassicaceae and Liliaceae families. Overall, the results suggest that the S concentrations in wild plants from Japan is higher in Andosols, with a low risk for S deficiency. In contrast, the effect of soil type on the P concentration in plants was small, and this may be explained because most wild plants are growing under P-limiting conditions. Finally, the analysis reveals a significantly high correlation between S and P concentrations in plants, suggesting the existence of a mechanism that controls the S and P concentration ratio.

Background The role of arterial stiffness in the pathophysiology of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is unclear. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a novel arterial stiffness index reflecting stiffness of the arterial tree from the origin of the aorta to the ankle, independent from blood pressure at the time of measurement. CAVI reflects functional stiffness, due to smooth muscle cell contraction or relaxation, and organic stiffness, due to atherosclerosis. Here, we report the case of a patient with an increased CAVI due to CTEPH and the improvement after riociguat administration and balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). Case presentation A 65-year-old man suffered from dyspnea on exertion, and he was diagnosed with distal CTEPH. The mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was 51 mmHg, and the initial CAVI was 10.0, which is high for patient's age. In addition to right ventricular dysfunction, left ventricular dysfunction was observed as reduced global longitudinal strain (GLS-LV). After riociguat administration, CAVI decreased to 9.1 and GLS-LV improved from -10.3% to -17.3%, although pulmonary hypertension remained (mPAP 41 mmHg). Subsequently, a total of five BPA sessions were performed. Six months after the final BPA, mPAP decreased to 19 mmHg and GLS-LV improved to 19.3%. The patient was symptom free and his 6-minute walk distance improved from 322 m to 510 m. CAVI markedly decreased to 5.8, which is extremely low for his age. Conclusion These observations suggested that arterial stiffness as measured by CAVI was increased in CTEPH, potentially deteriorating cardiac function because of enhanced afterload. The mechanism of the increase of CAVI in this case of CTEPH was obscure; however, riociguat administration and BPA might improve the pathophysiology of CTEPH partly by decreasing CAVI.

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) may present acutely as pulmonary embolism (PE), and its late complications include chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). PEs may arise from thrombi originating in a venous aneurysm, in rare cases of the popliteal vein. Case presentation A 77-year-old woman was referred to our hospital due to respiratory distress. Computed tomography revealed pulmonary thrombi and a thrombus in a popliteal vein aneurysm (PVA); PE was diagnosed. After 3 months of anticoagulant therapy (rivaroxaban), her pulmonary hypertension showed little improvement. She underwent perfusion scintigraphy, which showed multiple perfusion defects, and Swan-Ganz catheterization. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was 26 mmHg. Pulmonary angiography revealed organized distal thrombi. Based on these findings, we diagnosed CTEPH due to recurrent formation of thrombi in the PVA. Conclusion Asymptomatic PVA can lead silently to PE and CTEPH. The possibility of asymptomatic recurrent VTE should be considered in patients with pulmonary hypertension and PVA.

We described a three-year-old girl whose Chiari type 1 malformation associated with mosaic Turner syndrome disappeared after GH therapy. She was diagnosed with mosaic Turner syndrome at the age of 1 yr and 7 mo by a chromosomal analysis (G-band) for short stature and was treated with GH. Sagittal T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed before the start of GH demonstrated herniation of the cerebellar tonsils 7 mm below the foramen magnum into the cervical spinal cord. After the initiation of GH therapy, the growth in height was favorable and improved from 70.6 cm (–3.5 SD) to 92 cm (–1.5 SD) in 2 yr. An MRI examination 19 mo later showed the disappearance of Chiari type 1 malformation. GH therapy either exacerbates or ameliorates Chiari type 1 malformations associated with GH deficiency (GHD). Since Turner syndrome uses more GH than GHD, careful follow-up is required if the disease is associated with Chiari type 1 malformation.

The advent of image-activated cell sorting and imaging-based cell picking has advanced our knowledge and exploitation of biological systems in the last decade. Unfortunately, they generally rely on fluorescent labeling for cellular phenotyping, an indirect measure of the molecular landscape in the cell, which has critical limitations. Here we demonstrate Raman image-activated cell sorting by directly probing chemically specific intracellular molecular vibrations via ultrafast multicolor stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy for cellular phenotyping. Specifically, the technology enables real-time SRS-image-based sorting of single live cells with a throughput of up to ~100 events per second without the need for fluorescent labeling. To show the broad utility of the technology, we show its applicability to diverse cell types and sizes. The technology is highly versatile and holds promise for numerous applications that are previously difficult or undesirable with fluorescence-based technologies., Most current cell sorting methods are based on fluorescence detection with no imaging capability. Here the authors generate and use Raman image-activated cell sorting with a throughput of around 100 events per second, providing molecular images with no need for labeling.

A taxonomic re-examination of Sedum boninense, which is endemic to the Muko-jima and Chichi-jima groups of the Bonin Islands, Japan, was carried out. Morphological and physiological comparisons revealed differences between plants from the Muko-jima and Chichi-jima groups in the shape and size of leaves and underground bulb scale leaves, plant habit, habitat and flowering season. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using the ITS region revealed that the plants from respective island groups formed sister clades. Therefore, the plant from Muko-jima group is described as a new species of S. mukojimense.

Cellular metabolites are valuable in a diverse range of applications. For example, the unicellular green algaHaematococcus lacustrisproduces as a secondary metabolite the carotenoid pigment astaxanthin (AXT), which is widely used in nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries due to its strong antioxidant activity. In order to enhance the productivity ofH. lacustris, spatial and temporal understanding of its metabolic dynamics is essential. Here we show spatiotemporal monitoring of AXT production inH. lacustriscells by resonance Raman microscopy combined with stable isotope labeling. Specifically, we incorporated carbon dioxide ((CO2)-C-13) labeled with a stable isotope (C-13) intoH. lacustriscells through carbon fixation and traced its conversion to(13)C-AXT using our resonance Raman microscope. We incubatedH. lacustriscells under various conditions by switching, pulsing, and replacing(13)CO(2)and(12)CO(2). By measurement of these cells we determined the fixation time of(13)C-carbon, visualized the intracellular localization of(13)C- and(12)C-AXTs, and revealed the dynamic consumption-production equilibrium of the accumulated AXT. This work is a valuable step in the development of effective screening criteria for high AXT-producingH. lacustriscells.

Background Neonatal suppurative parotitis is a rare disease, characterized mainly by unilateral parotid swelling with erythema and tenderness, and often purulent discharge from the Stensen's duct into the oral cavity. Only 44 cases were reported in the English literature between 1970 and 2013. Methods A MEDLINE search was conducted using the terms acute, neonatal, newborn, suppurative, bacterial, purulent, parotitis, parotid swelling, and parotid abscess, limited to the English-language literature starting from 2011. We reviewed all reported cases, together with two more managed cases in our hospital. We also describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the early stage of this disease. Results We identified 26 new cases since 2011. The total number of patients reviewed was 72, including our patients. The infection was unilateral in 83% of patients, and 67% of the affected patients were males. The serum amylase levels were generally not elevated despite marked parotid swelling. Of the causative agents of this disease, 65% were Staphylococcus aureus, of which 19% were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. As the rate of cesarean section was high in patients with this disease, it was considered a risk factor. The diffusion-weighted MRI images showed multiple punctate hyperintensity regions with reduced apparent diffusion coefficient, suggesting microabscess formation in the affected gland. Conclusions Acute suppurative parotitis should be considered in cases of swelling and tenderness in the parotid gland during the neonatal period. Multiple punctate hyperintensities in the parotid gland on the diffusion-weighted images may indicate a retrograde bacterial infection from the Stensen's duct.

Phototrophs assimilate CO2 into organic compounds that accumulate in storage organelles. Elucidation of the carbon dynamics of storage organelles could enhance the production efficiency of valuable compounds and facilitate the screening of strains with high photosynthetic activity. To comprehensively elucidate the carbon dynamics of these organelles, the intraorganellar distribution of the carbon atoms that accumulate at specific time periods should be probed. In this study, the biosynthesis of polysaccharides in storage organdies was spatiotemporally probed via stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy using a stable isotope (C-13) as the tracking probe. Paramylon granules (a storage organelle of beta-1,3-glucan) accumulated in a unicellular photosynthetic alga, Euglena gracilis, were investigated as a model organelle. The carbon source of the culture medium was switched from NaH12CO3 to NaH13CO3 during the production of the paramylon granules; this resulted in the distribution of the C-12 and C-13 constituents in the granules, so that the biosynthetic process could be tracked. Taking advantage of high-resolution SRS imaging and label switching, the localization of the C-12 and C-13 constituents inside a single paramylon granule could be visualized in three dimensions, thus revealing the growth process of paramylon granules. We propose that this method can be used for comprehensive elucidation of the dynamic activities of storage organelles.

Species of Broussonetia have been essential in the development of papermaking technology. In Japan and Korea, a hybrid between B. monoica and B. papyrifera (= B. × kazinoki) known as kōzo and daknamu is still the major source of raw materials for making traditional paper washi and hanji, respectively. Despite their cultural and practical significance, however, the origin and taxonomy of kōzo and daknamu remain controversial. Additionally, the long-held generic concept of Broussonetia s.l., which included Sect. Allaeanthus and Sect. Broussonetia, was challenged as phylogenetic analyses showed Malaisia is sister to the latter section. To re-examine the taxonomic proposition that recognizes Allaeanthus, Broussonetia, and Malaisia (i.e., Broussonetia alliance), plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences of six species of the alliance were assembled. Characterized by the canonical quadripartite structure, genome alignments and contents of the six plastomes (160,121-162,594 bp) are highly conserved, except for the pseudogenization and/or loss of the rpl22 gene. Relationships of the Broussonetia alliance are identical between plastome and nrDNA trees, supporting the maintenance of Malaisia and the resurrection of Allaeanthus. The phylogenomic relationships also indicate that the monoecy in B. monoica is a derived state, possibly resulting from hybridization between the dioecious B. kaempferi (♀) and B. papyrifera (♂). Based on the hypervariable ndhF-rpl32 intergenic spacer selected by sliding window analysis, phylogeographic analysis indicates that B. monoica is the sole maternal parent of B. × kazinoki and that daknamu carries multiple haplotypes, while only one haplotype was detected in kōzo. Because hybridizations between B. monoica and B. papyrifera are unidirectional and have occurred rarely in nature, our data suggest that daknamu might have originated via deliberate hybrid breeding selected for making hanji in Korea. On the contrary, kōzo appears to have a single origin and the possibility of a Korean origin cannot be ruled out.

Compared to mammals, some fish exhibit indeterminate growth characteristics, meaning they can continue growing throughout their lives. Zebrafish trunk skeletal muscle can in general be classified into slow, intermediate, and fast based on morphological and physiological characteristics. After hatching, hyperplasia can be observed in the muscles of juvenile zebrafish, and with growth, hyperplasia in the fast muscles gradually decreases until it stagnates, after which fast muscle development relies on hypertrophy. In slow muscle, hyperplasia continues throughout life. Teleost muscle structure and growth has been described mainly by morphological and physiological features based on the expression of a limited number of proteins, transcripts, and metabolites. The details of mechanism remain unclear. Visium Spatial Gene Expression solution was used in this study. On the adult slide, 10 clusters were obtained based on whole gene expression similarities. The spatial expression of myosin heave chains, myosin light chains and myosin-binding proteins was investigated. GO enrichment analysis was also performed on different muscle regions of aged zebrafish. Dorsal and ventral slow muscles share the same processes such as myofibril assembly and muscle tissue development. On the larvae slide, 3 clusters were obtained, GO enrichment analysis suggest active muscle formation in zebrafish larvae.

Time-course analysis of single cells is important to characterize heterogeneous activities of individual cells such as the metabolic response to their environment. Single-cell isolation is an essential step prior to time-course analysis of individual cells by collecting, culturing, and identifying multiple single-cell targets. Although single-cell isolation has been performed by various methods previously, a glass microfluidic device with semiclosed microchannels dramatically improved this process with its simple operation and easy transfer for time-course analysis of identified single cells. This study demonstrates isolating single cells of the highly motile microalgae, Euglena gracilis, by semiclosed microchannels with liquid flow only. The isolated single cells were identified in isolating channels and continuously cultured to track, by Raman microscopy, for the formation of subcellular granules composed of polysaccharide paramylon, a unique metabolite of E. gracilis, generated through photosynthesis. Through low-temperature glass bonding, a thin glass interface was incorporated to the microfluidic device. Thus, the device could perform the direct measurements of cultured single cells at high magnification by Raman microscopy with low background noise. In this study, the first demonstration of sequential monitoring of paramylon biogenesis in a single identified E. gracilis cell is shown.

Intelligent image-activated cell sorting (iIACS) is a machine-intelligence technology that performs real-time intelligent image-based sorting of single cells with high throughput. iIACS extends beyond the capabilities of fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) from fluorescence intensity profiles of cells to multidimensional images, thereby enabling high-content sorting of cells or cell clusters with unique spatial chemical and morphological traits. Therefore, iIACS serves as an integral part of holistic single-cell analysis by enabling direct links between population-level analysis (flow cytometry), cell-level analysis (microscopy), and gene-level analysis (sequencing). Specifically, iIACS is based on a seamless integration of high-throughput cell microscopy (e.g., multicolor fluorescence imaging, bright-field imaging), cell focusing, cell sorting, and deep learning on a hybrid software-hardware data management infrastructure, enabling real-time automated operation for data acquisition, data processing, intelligent decision making, and actuation. Here, we provide a practical guide to iIACS that describes how to design, build, characterize, and use an iIACS machine. The guide includes the consideration of several important design parameters, such as throughput, sensitivity, dynamic range, image quality, sort purity, and sort yield; the development and integration of optical, microfluidic, electrical, computational, and mechanical components; and the characterization and practical usage of the integrated system. Assuming that all components are readily available, a team of several researchers experienced in optics, electronics, digital signal processing, microfluidics, mechatronics, and flow cytometry can complete this protocol in ~3 months.

Significance Imaging flow cytometry is a powerful tool for analyzing every single cell in a large heterogeneous population but relies on fluorescent labeling, which comes with cytotoxicity, nonspecific binding, and interference with natural cellular functions. This paper presents label-free multicolor chemical imaging flow cytometry based on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), a highly sensitive method of molecular vibrational spectroscopy. With the help of deep learning, it demonstrates high-precision characterization and classification of microalgal cells and cancer cells without the need for fluorescent labeling., Combining the strength of flow cytometry with fluorescence imaging and digital image analysis, imaging flow cytometry is a powerful tool in diverse fields including cancer biology, immunology, drug discovery, microbiology, and metabolic engineering. It enables measurements and statistical analyses of chemical, structural, and morphological phenotypes of numerous living cells to provide systematic insights into biological processes. However, its utility is constrained by its requirement of fluorescent labeling for phenotyping. Here we present label-free chemical imaging flow cytometry to overcome the issue. It builds on a pulse pair-resolved wavelength-switchable Stokes laser for the fastest-to-date multicolor stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy of fast-flowing cells on a 3D acoustic focusing microfluidic chip, enabling an unprecedented throughput of up to ∼140 cells/s. To show its broad utility, we use the SRS imaging flow cytometry with the aid of deep learning to study the metabolic heterogeneity of microalgal cells and perform marker-free cancer detection in blood.

Graphical abstract, Two cerium molybdates (Ce2Mo3O12 and γ-Ce2Mo3O13) were prepared using either polymerizable complex method or hydrothermal process. The obtained powders were almost single-phase with different cerium valence. Both samples were found to have antiviral activity against bacteriophage Φ6. Especially, γ-Ce2Mo3O13 exhibited high antiviral activity against both bacteriophage Φ6 and SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. A synergetic effect of Ce and molybdate ion was inferred along with the specific surface area as key factors for antiviral activity.

High-throughput large-droplet sorting is demonstrated by an array of sequentially addressable dielectrophoretic sources., Droplet microfluidics has become a powerful tool in precision medicine, green biotechnology, and cell therapy for single-cell analysis and selection by virtue of its ability to effectively confine cells. However, there remains a fundamental trade-off between droplet volume and sorting throughput, limiting the advantages of droplet microfluidics to small droplets (

The advent of intelligent image-activated cell sorting (iIACS) has enabled high-throughput intelligent image-based sorting of single live cells from heterogeneous populations. iIACS is an on-chip microfluidic technology that builds on a seamless integration of a high-throughput fluorescence microscope, cell focuser, cell sorter, and deep neural network on a hybrid software-hardware data management architecture, thereby providing the combined merits of optical microscopy, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and deep learning. Here we report an iIACS machine that far surpasses the state-of-the-art iIACS machine in system performance in order to expand the range of applications and discoveries enabled by the technology. Specifically, it provides a high throughput of ∼2000 events per second and a high sensitivity of ∼50 molecules of equivalent soluble fluorophores (MESFs), both of which are 20 times superior to those achieved in previous reports. This is made possible by employing (i) an image-sensor-based optomechanical flow imaging method known as virtual-freezing fluorescence imaging and (ii) a real-time intelligent image processor on an 8-PC server equipped with 8 multi-core CPUs and GPUs for intelligent decision-making, in order to significantly boost the imaging performance and computational power of the iIACS machine. We characterize the iIACS machine with fluorescent particles and various cell types and show that the performance of the iIACS machine is close to its achievable design specification. Equipped with the improved capabilities, this new generation of the iIACS technology holds promise for diverse applications in immunology, microbiology, stem cell biology, cancer biology, pathology, and synthetic biology.

Background and AimsThe genus Asarum sect. Heterotropa (Aristolochiaceae) probably experienced rapid diversification into 62 species centred on the Japanese Archipelago and Taiwan, providing an ideal model for studying island adaptive radiation. However, resolving the phylogeny of this plant group using Sanger sequencing-based approaches has been challenging. To uncover the radiation history of Heterotropa, we employed a phylogenomic approach using double-digested RAD-seq (ddRAD-seq) to yield a sufficient number of phylogenetic signals and compared its utility with that of the Sanger sequencing-based approach.MethodsWe first compared the performance of phylogenetic analysis based on the plastid matK and trnL–F regions and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS), and phylogenomic analysis based on ddRAD-seq using a reduced set of the plant materials (83 plant accessions consisting of 50 species, one subspecies and six varieties). We also conducted more thorough phylogenomic analyses including the reconstruction of biogeographic history using comprehensive samples of 135 plant accessions consisting of 54 species, one subspecies, nine varieties of Heterotropa and six outgroup species.Key ResultsPhylogenomic analyses of Heterotropa based on ddRAD-seq were superior to Sanger sequencing-based approaches and resulted in a fully resolved phylogenetic tree with strong support for 72.0–84.8 % (depending on the tree reconstruction methods) of the branches. We clarified the history of Heterotropa radiation and found that A. forbesii, the only deciduous Heterotropa species native to mainland China, is sister to the evergreen species (core Heterotropa) mostly distributed across the Japanese Archipelago and Taiwan.ConclusionsThe core Heterotropa group was divided into nine subclades, each of which had a narrow geographic distribution. Moreover, most estimated dispersal events (22 out of 24) were between adjacent areas, indicating that the range expansion has been geographically restricted throughout the radiation history. The findings enhance our understanding of the remarkable diversification of plant lineages in the Japanese Archipelago and Taiwan.

By virtue of the combined merits of flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, imaging flow cytometry (IFC) has become an established tool for cell analysis in diverse biomedical fields such as cancer biology, microbiology, immunology, hematology, and stem cell biology. However, the performance and utility of IFC are severely limited by the fundamental trade-off between throughput, sensitivity, and spatial resolution. Here we present an optomechanical imaging method that overcomes the trade-off by virtually freezing the motion of flowing cells on the image sensor to effectively achieve 1000 times longer exposure time for microscopy-grade fluorescence image acquisition. Consequently, it enables high-throughput IFC of single cells at >10,000 cells s−1 without sacrificing sensitivity and spatial resolution. The availability of numerous information-rich fluorescence cell images allows high-dimensional statistical analysis and accurate classification with deep learning, as evidenced by our demonstration of unique applications in hematology and microbiology., High throughput imaging flow cytometry suffers from trade-offs between throughput, sensitivity and spatial resolution. Here the authors introduce a method to virtually freeze cells in the image acquisition window to enable 1000 times longer signal integration time and improve signal-to-noise ratio.

A surface-carboxylated nanocellulose was prepared from wood cellulose by catalytic oxidation with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO). The fibrous TEMPO-oxidized cellulose with sodium carboxylate groups (TOC-Na) was surface-hydrophobized by counterion exchange with tetra-n-butylammonium [TOC-N(n-Bu)4]. This fibrous TOC-N(n-Bu)4 was mechanically disintegrated in water and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) to prepare dispersions of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNs) with tetra-n-butylammonium counterions, i.e., TOCN-N(n-Bu)4/water and TOCN-N(n-Bu)4/DMF. TOCN-N(n-Bu)4/rubber composite films were prepared by mixing TOCN-N(n-Bu)4 and hydrogenated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (H-NBR), used as a polymer matrix, in heterogeneous and homogeneous systems with water and DMF, respectively, followed by casting and drying. The TOCN-N(n-Bu)4/H-NBR composite films prepared in the heterogeneous and homogeneous systems both had a high Young’s modulus of ~ 45 MPa and low coefficients of thermal expansion of ~ 20 ppm/K at a TOCN/H-NBR ratio of 5/100 (w/w). In contrast, the tensile strengths and strain-to-failure values of the composite films prepared using the two systems clearly differed. These different properties are probably caused by differences between the TOCN distributions in the H-NBR matrix and between the H-NBR matrix structures in the two systems. The composite films prepared in the homogeneous system with DMF as the medium are likely to have a more homogeneous distribution of TOCN elements in a homogeneous H-NBR polymer matrix, resulting in a higher tensile strength and work-of-fracture at TOCN/H-NBR = 5/100 (w/w) compared with those of the films prepared in the heterogeneous system with water.

A nanocellulose containing carboxylate groups was prepared from cellulose by catalytic oxidation with the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO). The aqueous TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNs) with lithium (Li+), sodium (Na+) or tetraalkylammonium (+NR4) counterions (TOCN-X) were mixed with aqueous hydrogenated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (H-NBR) latex, and TOCN-X/H-NBR composite films were prepared by casting and drying. All of the composite films are transparent and flexible. The TOCN-Na/H-NBR (TOCN/H-NBR = 5/100, w/w) composite film has a high Young's modulus of ∼63 MPa, a high storage elastic modulus of 112 MPa at 25 °C, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 122 ppm/K, whereas the neat H-NBR film has the values o 5.3 MPa, 2 MPa, and 2660 ppm/K, respectively. Microscopy images show that the hydrophilic TOCN-Na elements form grid-like network structures surrounding the hydrophobic H-NBR latex particles. Thus, the hydrophilic TOCN-Na elements cannot penetrate into hydrophobic H-NBR molecules, and the TOCN-Na elements are not homogeneously distributed in the TOCN/H-NBR composite films prepared under the conditions used in this study. Nevertheless, clear improvement of thermal and mechanical properties is achieved for the TOCN/H-NBR composite films at TOCN/H-NBR weight ratios of 1–5/100. TOCN-Li/H-NBR film has the highest Young's modulus, while the hydrophobic TOCN-NR4/H-NBR films have low CTE values