Jamil M, Charnikhova T, Cardoso C, Jamil T, Ueno K, Verstappen F, Asami T & Bouwmeester HJ (2011). Quantification of the relationship between strigolactones and Striga hermonthica infection in rice ...under varying levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Weed Research51, 373–385.
Summary
Strigolactone exudation, as well as Striga hermonthica germination and attachment, was studied under different levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in two cultivars of rice (IAC 165 and TN 1). Exudation of strigolactones by rice was the highest under mineral‐deficient conditions, whereas increasing N and P dose reduced the amount of strigolactones in the exudates. Deficiency of P led to the highest strigolactone exudation, when compared with N or NP deficiency. Production of strigolactones differed strongly between the two cultivars. IAC 165 produced about 100‐fold higher amounts than TN 1 of 2′‐epi‐5‐deoxystrigol, orobanchol and three new strigolactones. Across all N and P treatments, a positive relationship was found between the amount of strigolactones in the exudates of both cultivars and in vitro S. hermonthica germination. These results show that the positive effect of fertiliser application in S. hermonthica control is, at least partly, because of the suppression of strigolactone production and hence of S. hermonthica germination and subsequent attachment. This warrants further research into practical application. Maintaining suitable N and P nutrient status of soil through fertiliser use might be a promising strategy to reduce damage in cereals by this notorious weed.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The purpose of this study was to identify new tumour suppressor microRNAs (miRs) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), carry out functional analysis of their suppressive role and identify their ...specific target genes.
To explore suppressor miRs in RCC, miR microarray and real-time PCR were performed using HK-2 and A-498 cells. Cell viability, invasion and wound healing assays were carried out for functional analysis after miR transfection. To determine target genes of miR, we used messenger RNA (mRNA) microarray and target scan algorithms to identify target oncogenes. A 3'UTR luciferase assay was also performed. Protein expression of target genes in ccRCC tissues was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and was compared with miR-584 expression in ccRCC tissues.
Expression of miR-584 in RCC (A-498 and 769-P) cells was downregulated compared with HK-2 cells. Transfection of miR-584 dramatically decreased cell motility. The ROCK-1 mRNA was inhibited by miR-584 and predicted to be target gene. The miR-584 decreased 3'UTR luciferase activity of ROCK-1 and ROCK-1 protein expression. Low expression of miR-584 in ccRCC tissues was correlated with high expression of ROCK-1 protein. The knockdown of ROCK-1 by siRNA inhibited cell motility.
miR-584 is a new tumour suppressor miR in ccRCC and inhibits cell motility through downregulation of ROCK-1.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Tris(2‐phenylpyridine) iridium (Ir(ppy)3) derivatives are used to fabricate highly efficient red‐emission phosphorescent polymer LEDs. The continuous tuning of the electron current to balance the ...hole current perfectly, by changing the thickness of the electron‐injection layer, is demonstrated. Peak efficiencies of 16.9 cd A–1 and 17.6 lm W–1 are achieved for red emission (see figure).
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
ABSTRACT Photon imaging for MeV gammas has serious difficulties due to huge backgrounds and unclearness in images, which originate from incompleteness in determining the physical parameters of ...Compton scattering in detection, e.g., lack of the directional information of the recoil electrons. The recent major mission/instrument in the MeV band, Compton Gamma Ray Observatory/COMPTEL, which was Compton Camera (CC), detected a mere ∼30 persistent sources. It is in stark contrast with the ∼2000 sources in the GeV band. Here we report the performance of an Electron-Tracking Compton Camera (ETCC), and prove that it has a good potential to break through this stagnation in MeV gamma-ray astronomy. The ETCC provides all the parameters of Compton-scattering by measuring 3D recoil electron tracks; then the Scatter Plane Deviation (SPD) lost in CCs is recovered. The energy loss rate (dE/dx), which CCs cannot measure, is also obtained, and is found to be helpful to reduce the background under conditions similar to those in space. Accordingly, the significance in gamma detection is improved severalfold. On the other hand, SPD is essential to determine the point-spread function (PSF) quantitatively. The SPD resolution is improved close to the theoretical limit for multiple scattering of recoil electrons. With such a well-determined PSF, we demonstrate for the first time that it is possible to provide reliable sensitivity in Compton imaging without utilizing an optimization algorithm. As such, this study highlights the fundamental weak-points of CCs. In contrast we demonstrate the possibility of ETCC reaching the sensitivity below 1 × 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1 at 1 MeV.
Abstract
Mountain weather changes in the Nepal Himalaya were intensively examined during the 2003 monsoon onset using in situ datasets, observed by multiple automatic weather stations (AWS) ...distributed across the Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period (CEOP) Himalaya reference site at locations with significant differences in altitude. Onset of monsoon rainfall characterized as nighttime precipitation was initiated simultaneously at all stations with the occurrence and migration of a monsoon depression in the north of the Bay of Bengal. Satellite infrared images detected evident suppression of diurnal cloud development after the onset. About two weeks prior to the onset, the mountain weather abruptly changed such that the daytime valley wind at lower elevations weakened associated with morning clouds and the nighttime southerly wind began at upper elevations. The timing corresponded with the weakening of the westerly wind over the Himalaya due to the northward shift of the upper subtropical jet stream. The time lag between the precipitation onset and the change in the mountain weather was confirmed by 9 yr of in situ AWS data. The mechanism of nighttime southerly winds at high elevations is also discussed in relation to large-scale monsoon flow and local circulation.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•AlxIn1-xSb LED (x = 9.8%) was developed to achieve high luminous intensity at 3.3 μm.•Dislocation filter layers were introduced and improved luminous efficiency.•Emission intensity under 100 mA ...condition is the highest of any commercial LEDs.•Developed LED is helpful to create low-power-consumption methane (CH4) gas sensor.
To fabricate low-consumption and high-resolution gas sensors, especially for methane (CH4) gas (which has absorption around wavelength of 3.3 μm), mid-infrared LEDs are required. Accordingly, to reduce Shockley Read Hall recombination and achieve high luminous intensity at 3.3 μm, an AlxIn1-xSb LED with dislocation filter layers was developed. Dislocation density of the active layer was significantly reduced from 3.5 × 108 to 1.1 × 108/cm2, and luminous efficiency was doubled compared to that of conventionally structured LEDs. To our knowledge, emission intensity at 3.3 μm under injection current of 100 mA is the highest of any commercial LEDs.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
28.
Construction on vacuum-compatible straw tracker for COMET Phase-I Nishiguchi, H.; Evtoukhovitch, P.; Fujii, Y. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
04/2020, Volume:
958
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The COMET experiment at J-PARC aims to search for a lepton-flavour violating process of muon to electron conversion in a muonic atom, μ-e conversion, with a branching-ratio sensitivity of better than ...10−16, 4 orders of magnitude better than the present limit, in order to explore the parameter region predicted by most of well-motivated theoretical models beyond the Standard Model. The need for such an excellent sensitivity places several stringent requirements on the detector; (i) good momentum resolution, <2%, for 100 MeV/c electron, which is primarily limited by multiple scattering effect for this momentum region, and (ii) high rate capability, up to 5×109μ−/s muon beam by J-PARC. In order fulfil such requirements, we decided to develop the straw-base planar tracker which is operational in vacuum and made of an extremely light material. The COMET straw tracker consists of 10 mm diameter straw tube, longer than 1 m length, with 20μm-thick Mylar foil and 70 nm-thick aluminium cathode.
Recently, two big milestones, detector-performance verification by the full-scale prototype with 100 MeV/c electron beam, and start the assembly of final straw tracker for COMET Phase-I, were achieved. In this article, details of these two big milestones are provided. In addition, some prospects on the straw tracker development towards the COMET Phase-II are also given.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The canonical Wnt signalling pathway is activated in most sporadic colorectal cancers (CRCs). We previously reported that FZD7 functions as a receptor for the canonical Wnt signalling pathway in ...colon cancer cells.
In this study, we examined the function of FZD7 in survival, invasion and metastatic capabilities of colon cancer cells. FZD7_siRNA transfection decreased cell viability of HT-29 and HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Expression of c-Jun, phosphorylation of JNK and c-Jun, and activation of RhoA were suppressed after FZD7_siRNA transfection into HCT-116 cells. In vitro invasion activity and Wnt target gene expression were also reduced in HCT-116 cells transfected with FZD7_siRNA. Liver metastasis of stable FZD7_siRNA HCT-116 cell transfectants in scid mice was decreased to 40-50% compared to controls. The mRNA levels of FZD7 in 135 primary CRC tissues were examined by real-time PCR. FZD7 mRNA levels were significantly higher in stage II, III or IV tumours than in non-tumour tissues (P<0.005), and overall survival was shorter in those patients with higher FZD7 expression (P<0.001).
These data suggest that FZD7 may be involved in enhancement of survival, invasion and metastatic capabilities of colon cancer cells through non-canonical Wnt signalling pathways as well as the canonical pathway.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This work reports fabrication of inverse silica opal photonic crystal structures from direct polystyrene micro sphere opals using low-temperature sol-gel infiltration of silica, and examines ...performance of these photonic crystals as environmental refractive index sensors. Sensitivity of the spectral position and optical attenuation of photonic stop gaps is found to allow detection of the index changes by the amount of ~10(-3). The high value of sensitivity, which is comparable with those of other optical sensing techniques, along with simplicity of the optical detection setup required for sensing, and the low-temperature, energy-efficient fabrication process make inverse silica opals attractive systems for optical sensing applications.