Long-lifetime quantum storages accessible to the telecom photonic infrastructure are essential to long-distance quantum communication. Atomic quantum storages have achieved subsecond storage time ...corresponding to 1000 km transmission time for a telecom photon through a quantum repeater algorithm. However, the telecom photon cannot be directly interfaced to typical atomic storages. Solid-state quantum frequency conversions fill this wavelength gap. Here we report on the experimental demonstration of a polarization-insensitive solid-state quantum frequency conversion to a telecom photon from a short-wavelength photon entangled with an atomic ensemble. Atom-photon entanglement has been generated with a Rb atomic ensemble and the photon has been translated to telecom range while retaining the entanglement by our nonlinear-crystal-based frequency converter in a Sagnac interferometer.
Potatoes (Solarium tuberosum) contain α-solanine and α-chaconine, two well-known toxic steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs). Sprouts and green tubers accumulate especially high levels of SGAs. Although ...SGAs were proposed to be biosynthesized from cholesterol, the biosynthetic pathway for plant cholesterol is poorly understood. Here, we identify sterol side chain reductase 2 (SSR2) from potato as a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of cholesterol and related SGAs. Using in vitro enzyme activity assays, we determined that potato SSR2 (St SSR2) reduces desmosterol and cycloartenol to cholesterol and cycloartanol, respectively. These reduction steps are branch points in the biosynthetic pathways between C-24 alkylsterols and cholesterol in potato. Similar enzymatic results were also obtained from tomato SSR2. St SSR2-silenced potatoes or St SSR2-disrupted potato generated by targeted genome editing had significantly lower levels of cholesterol and SGAs without affecting plant growth. Our results suggest that St SSR2 is a promising target gene for breeding potatoes with low SGA levels.
•Automated as-is analysis of insulating samples utilizing standalone NAP XPS system.•Environmental Charge Compensation for charge neutralization in NAP XPS.•NAP XPS intrinsic charge compensation on ...polymers and commercial products.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has become a routine analysis method to determine the chemical composition and bonding states of elements of sample surfaces in many industrial applications, like materials development, failure analysis, quality control and device certification. To obtain significant results the analyses of such samples require a fast analysis with reliable quantification and stable data for repeated experiments. In standard XPS experiments under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions the significance of the results can be affected by changing surface compositions under the analysis conditions, different degrees of degassing and thus changing degrees of differential charging in insulating samples. In this publication the positive influence of XPS analysis under elevated pressures, often named Near-Ambient Pressure XPS or “Environmental XPS” is shown for different samples. Furthermore the process of charge compensation in gas pressures of 1–2 mbar is introduced, followed by a discussion of the perspectives of this “Environmental Charge Compensation”. The paper discusses the efficiency and stability of Environmental Charge Compensations for typical insulating test samples, as well as for different bulk insulators. The additional capability of XPS in elevated pressures is demonstrated on a superabsorbent polymer typically used in diapers, showing the difference of the analysis results for its wet and dry state. The paper ends with the example of a commercial printed circuit board demonstrating the power of the method for routine analysis of complete devices.
To understand the mystery of life, it is important to accumulate genomic information for various organisms because the whole genome encodes the commands for all the genes. Since the genome of ...Strongylocentrotus purpratus was sequenced in 2006 as the first sequenced genome in echinoderms, the genomic resources of other North American sea urchins have gradually been accumulated, but no sea urchin genomes are available in other areas, where many scientists have used the local species and reported important results. In this manuscript, we report a draft genome of the sea urchin Hemincentrotus pulcherrimus because this species has a long history as the target of developmental and cell biology in East Asia. The genome of H. pulcherrimus was assembled into 16,251 scaffold sequences with an N50 length of 143 kbp, and approximately 25,000 genes were identified in the genome. The size of the genome and the sequencing coverage were estimated to be approximately 800 Mbp and 100×, respectively. To provide these data and information of annotation, we constructed a database, HpBase (http://cell-innovation.nig.ac.jp/Hpul/). In HpBase, gene searches, genome browsing, and blast searches are available. In addition, HpBase includes the “recipes” for experiments from each lab using H. pulcherrimus. These recipes will continue to be updated according to the circumstances of individual scientists and can be powerful tools for experimental biologists and for the community. HpBase is a suitable dataset for evolutionary, developmental, and cell biologists to compare H. pulcherrimus genomic information with that of other species and to isolate gene information.
We report a draft genome of the sea urchin Hemincentrotus pulcherrimus and constructed a database, HpBase.
An all-optical network is identified as a promising infrastructure for fast and energy-efficient communication. Recently, it has been shown that its quantum version based on 'all-photonic quantum ...repeaters'-inheriting, at least, the same advantages-expands its possibility to the quantum realm, that is, a global quantum internet with applications far beyond the conventional Internet. Here we report a proof-of-principle experiment for a key component for the all-photonic repeaters-called all-photonic time-reversed adaptive (TRA) Bell measurement, with a proposal for the implementation. In particular, our TRA measurement-based only on optical devices without any quantum memories and any quantum error correction-passively but selectively performs the Bell measurement only on single photons that have successfully survived their lossy travel over optical channels. In fact, our experiment shows that only the survived single-photon state is faithfully teleported without the disturbance from the other lost photons, as the theory predicts.
Sea urchins are used as a model organism for research on developmental biology and gene regulatory networks during early development. Gene knockdown by microinjection of morpholino antisense ...oligonucleotide (MASO) has been used to analyze gene function in early sea urchin embryos. However, as the effect of MASO is not long lasting, it is impossible to perturb genes expressed during late development by MASO. Recent advances in genome editing technologies have enabled gene modification in various organisms. We previously reported genome editing in the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus using zinc‐finger nuclease (ZFN) and transcription activator‐like effector nuclease (TALEN); however, the efficiencies of these technologies were not satisfactory. Here, we applied clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)‐CRISPR‐associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) technology to knock out the Pks1 gene in H. pulcherrimus. When sgRNAs targeting Pks1, which is required for the biosynthesis of larval pigment, were microinjected into fertilized eggs with SpCas9 mRNA, high‐efficiency mutagenesis was achieved within 24 hr post fertilization and SpCas9/sgRNA‐injected pluteus larvae had an albino phenotype. One of the sgRNAs yielded 100% mutagenesis efficiency, and no off‐target effect was detected. In addition, the albino phenotype was maintained in juvenile sea urchins after metamorphosis, and the knockout sea urchins survived for at least one year and grew to albino adult sea urchins. These findings suggest that knockout adult sea urchins were successfully established and the CRISPR‐Cas9 system is a feasible method for analyzing gene functions from late developmental to adult stage.
High‐efficiency mutagenesis was achieved by CRISPR‐Cas9 system in sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. We targeted the pigmentation‐related HpPks1 gene, and knockout adult sea urchins were successfully established.
Early prevention methods in massive concrete structures to control the heat of hydration and, consequently, the development of cracks due to thermal expansion are important subjects, since these ...cracks may compromise structural integrity. In the present study, the sugarcane residues in massive concrete were used in order to investigate the reduction in the heat of hydration, the thermal expansion resistance, and also the fresh and mechanical properties of the concrete. The results showed that, by adding 2.0% of bagasse fiber and 5.0% of pozzolanic material to the concrete, the heat of hydration was reduced, and the strain due to the thermal expansion was smaller than the control mixture. Moreover, the compressive, flexural, and split tensile strength increased in comparison to the control mixture.
Natural products have played a significant role not only in discovery of drugs but also in development of organic chemistry by providing the synthetic challenges. Inspired by biosynthesis where ...enzymes catalyze a multi‐step reaction, we have investigated the natural product synthesis utilizing electrochemical reactions as the key step. Electrochemical organic synthesis, so‐called electro‐organic synthesis, enables to control the reactivity of substrates simply by tuning electrolysis conditions. In this Personal Account, we overview the recent progress of our research projects about natural product synthesis, in which anodic oxidation of phenol compounds affords the important frameworks such as diaryl ether, spirodienone, and spiroisoxazoline.
Natural products have played a significant role not only in discovery of drugs but also in development of organic chemistry by providing the synthetic challenges. Inspired by biosynthesis, we have investigated the natural product synthesis utilizing electrochemical reactions as the key step, in which anodic oxidation of phenol compounds afford the important frameworks such as diaryl ether, spirodienone, and spiroisoxazoline.
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