Phase composition of epitaxial/textured LiNbO3 films on sapphire substrates, grown by pulsed laser deposition, atmospheric pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition and pulsed injection metal ...organic chemical vapor deposition was studied by conventional x-ray diffraction techniques. Raman spectroscopy, being highly sensitive to the symmetry of materials, was used as a countercheck in the compositional analysis. The wavenumbers of Raman modes of LiNb3O8 and Li3NbO4 phases were identified from Raman spectra of synthesized powders. Asymmetry of profiles of x-ray diffraction reflections of LiNbO3 films was studied. This asymmetry may have different origins which consequently may result in misleading conclusions about phase composition of textured LiNbO3 films.
We have found that the calibration values of a quartz Bourdon-type pressure transducers are affected by the kind of pressure medium and the setting conditions. The effect comes from an additional ...gravitational force arising from the weight of the pressure medium inside a Bourdon tube at sensing element. In this study, the amount of the effect was evaluated quantitatively by comparing the calibration values of the pressure transducer at upward and downward settings. To investigate the relationship between the effect and the density of pressure medium, the amount of the effect was evaluated at pressures up to 100 MPa for using nitrogen, helium and argon. The amount of the effect has a linear relationship with the density regardless of the pressure and the kind of pressure medium.
This study investigates the possibility of using a volatile liquid as the pressure transmitting medium for pressure gauge calibrations. A pressure balance used with volatile liquid FC-40 is ...calibrated against a reference pressure balance with dioctyl sebacate, which is commonly used for pressure calibrations. The boundary surface of the two liquids is monitored and adjusted to a fixed level during the calibrations. The metrological characteristics of the pressure balance with FC-40 are compared with those with dioctyl sebacate. The effective area with FC-40 is quite similar to that with dioctyl sebacate, while the piston fall rate becomes much larger with FC-40. After that, test pressure sensors were calibrated against the evaluated pressure balance in the calibration system filled with FC-40. Since FC-40 can be easily eliminated from pressure gauges and tubing, FC-40 would be a convenient pressure transmitting medium for the calibrations of pressure gauges that are used for high-pressure gas measurements and need oil-free treatment.
Abstract
NERICA (New Rice for Africa) was produced by crossing Asian rice (
Oryza sativa
L.) and African rice (
Oryza glaberrima
Steud.) and recorded to be drought tolerance. This study aimed to ...examine the transpiration and water use efficiency affected plant aboveground dry matter in total 29 cultivars including 23 NERICA, 1 indica-type and 5 japonica-type cultivars. Seedlings were transplanted 2 plants per pot (1/5000 a Wagner pot) on June 14, 2021. When the flag leaf appeared, three water treatments with three replications were imposed for 14 days. The control plot (C) was watered daily to maintain the water content per pot at field capacity (SW). The water content of medium dry pots (MD) and hard dry pots (HD) were maintained at 40% and 10% of SW, respectively. Surface of the pots was covered to eliminate the evaporation. Samples for dry matter measurement were collected on the same day starting and ending water treatment. Water use efficiency (WUE) was significantly different among cultivars when soil moisture treatments were included, and the same observation on soil moisture treatments when included cultivars. NERICA 4 showed the lowest WUE while NERICA 9 and Hokuriku 193 had the highest WUE. Cultivars with higher transpiration rate (Tr) had higher dry matter production (ΔDW). Under high vapor pressure deficit, ΔDW was more correlated with transpiration corrected by vapor pressure deficit (Tr/VD) than with WUE.
Several digital pressure gauges at the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) have been calibrated in the barometric pressure range on a regular basis for over ten years. The long-term ...stability of the zero and span readings for these pressure gauges was evaluated using their historical calibration data. The evaluation showed that most of the gauges have quite good long-term stabilities for the span readings, but some have large zero drifts with rates of about (10 to 50) Pa yr−1. This paper discusses the causes for this drift: it can be explained by the combination of a small leak and gas emissions from the sensor volume, which are estimated from the typical drift rates. The zero drift of a particular gauge is well-approximated by an exponential function of time; the fitting function may give a good estimation of the zero drift in the future. This indicates that continuous characterization of a pressure gauge may enable appropriate correction of the indication and provide users more reliable data with less calibration work.
Objectives. To determine whether B cell activating factor of the tumour necrosis factor family (BAFF) is involved in T cell-dependent B cell pathogenic autoantibody production in systemic lupus ...erythematosus (SLE).
Methods. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 23 SLE patients were analysed by flow cytometry to examine the intracellular expression of BAFF in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and the surface expression of BAFF-receptor (R) and TACI on CD20+ B cells. Moreover, peripheral blood was used to determine the level of BAFF messenger RNA (mRNA) in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and the level of BAFF-R mRNA in CD20+ B cells. Blocking of BAFF function with TACI-Ig measured anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from patients with active SLE expressed intracellular BAFF whereas those from normal subjects did not. BAFF-R and TACI were expressed on B cells from both normal controls and patients with active SLE and there was no significant difference. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from SLE patients expressed BAFF mRNA whereas those from normal controls did not. Expression of BAFF-R mRNA in CD20+ B cells showed no significant difference between SLE patients and normal controls. TACI-Ig suppressed spontaneous in vitro T cell-dependent B cell anti-dsDNA antibodies production on active SLE with kidney involvement.
Conclusions. BAFF may play a pathogenic role in SLE by stimulating T cell-dependent B cell autoantibodies production. Blockade of BAFF is a promising therapeutic approach for SLE especially in patients with kidney involvement.
TRAF5 tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 5 is implicated in NF-κB and c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase activation by members of the TNF receptor ...superfamily, including CD27, CD30, CD40, and lymphotoxin-β receptor. To investigate the functional role of TRAF5 in vivo , we generated TRAF5-deficient mice by gene targeting. Activation of either NF-κB or c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase by tumor necrosis factor, CD27, and CD40 was not abrogated in traf5 −/− mice. However, traf5 −/− B cells showed defects in proliferation and up-regulation of various surface molecules, including CD23, CD54, CD80, CD86, and Fas in response to CD40 stimulation. Moreover, in vitro Ig production of traf5 −/− B cells stimulated with anti-CD40 plus IL-4 was reduced substantially. CD27-mediated costimulatory signal also was impaired in traf5 −/− T cells. Collectively, these results demonstrate that TRAF5 is involved in CD40- and CD27-mediated signaling.
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LiNbO
3
(LN)/LiTaO
3
(LT) superlattice thin films are fabricated by the pulsed laser deposition method with several LT/(LN+LT) ratios including LN and LT mono-layered films. These films are found to ...be epitaxial and have clear superlattice structure by x-ray diffraction technique with both in-plane and out-of-plane configurations. However, SHG microscopic observations of these films reveal that the point group symmetry is monoclinic m, different from 3 m of LN and LT bulk crystals.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
LiNbO
3
(LN)/LiTaO
3
(LT) superlattice thin films (SL) with several LT/(LN + LT) ratios and LN mono-layered films with several thicknesses are fabricated by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. ...Structural analyses by XRD reveals that these films have a structure similar to those of LN and LT bulk crystals. The reduction of the point group symmetry from rhombohedral 3 m to monoclinic m is observed by SHG microscopy (SHGM). We compare LN/LT superlattice thin film and LN mono-layered thin films to observe how differently their point group symmetries deteriorate.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective. Fas-mediated apoptosis is preferentially observed in synoviocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is associated with the pathophysiological process of RA. To clarify the ...molecular mechanisms of Fas-mediated apoptosis of RA synoviocytes, we investigated the role of the mitochondrial pathway and tumour suppressor p53 in this process. Methods. Cultured synovial fibroblasts were prepared from RA patients. After treatment of RA synovial fibroblasts with anti-Fas monoclonal antibody, the expression levels of activated caspase-9 and -3, Bid cleavage, cytochrome c release and phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15 were assessed using immunoblot analysis. The mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was evaluated with a fluorescence-based detection assay. Apoptotic cells were determined by a DNA fragmentation assay in the presence or absence of caspase inhibitors. Expression of p53-regulated apoptosis-inducing protein 1 (p53AIP1) was measured by real-time PCR. RA synovial fibroblasts stably transfected with a dominant-negative (DN) p53 were prepared in order to investigate the role of p53 during Fas-induced apoptosis. Results. Fas ligation induced Bid cleavage, loss of ΔΨm, cytochrome c release to the cytosol and activation of caspase-9 and -3 in RA synovial fibroblasts. Treatment with a caspase-9-specific inhibitor almost completely inhibited Fas-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, p53 activation after Fas ligation was evidenced by its phosphorylation at Ser15 and up-regulation of the p53 target gene p53AIP1. Fas-mediated apoptosis was significantly suppressed by anti-sense p53 oligonucleotides and by p53DN. Conclusion. Our findings strongly suggest the involvement of mitochondria and p53 in Fas-mediated apoptosis of RA synovial fibroblasts.
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