Interfacial properties strongly affect solidification microstructure of practical alloy materials. Therefore, it is essential to understand interfacial properties including composition dependence for ...target alloys. In this study, composition dependence of solid-liquid interfacial energy of Fe-Ni alloy is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with a capillary fluctuation method. The solid-liquid interfacial energy of Ni-rich composition taking FCC-solid phase is larger than that of Fe-rich composition taking BCC-solid phase. Moreover, solid-liquid interfacial energy has a high anisotropy at the composition with FCC-solid phase compared to the one with BCC-solid phase.
We report two-dimensionality and effective thickness of the superconductivity of a SrTiO single-crystal surface induced by electric double-layer gating. The carrier density was tuned from 3 x 10 to ...1.1 x 10 cm by gating, where superconductivity appears with T sub(c) of around 0.4 K. Typical two-dimensional behavior perfectly described by the Ginzburg-Landau equation was observed in the angular and temperature dependence of the upper critical magnetic field. The effective thickness of the superconducting layer remains nearly invariant, ranging from 11 to 13 nm, with increasing charge carrier density. This invariance contradicts the expected reduction in the thickness of the accumulation layer in a triangular quantum well model. This unexpected invariance of the superconducting layer thickness is probably a unique nature for a two-dimensional electron system in the incipient ferroelectric SrTiO.
Cryptococcosis studies often utilize the common C57BL/6J mouse model. Unfortunately, infection in these mice fails to replicate the basic course of human disease, particularly hampering immunological ...studies. This work demonstrates that SJL/J mice can recapitulate human infection better than other mouse strains. The immunological response to
infection in SJL/J mice was markedly different from C57BL/6J and much more productive in combating this infection. Characterization of infected mice demonstrated strain-specific genetic linkage and differential regulation of multiple important immune-relevant genes in response to
infection. While our results validate many of the previously identified immunological features of cryptococcosis, we also demonstrate limitations from previous mouse models as they may be less translatable to human disease. We concluded that SJL/J mice more faithfully recapitulate human cryptococcosis serving as an exciting new animal model for immunological and genetic studies.
Conductive rubber composites are mixtures of stretchable rubber and conductive materials. They can achieve conductivity and high elasticity and are used in soft robots and wearable devices. In ...general, these composites exhibit high electrical resistance owing to their bonds between the fillers breaking during elongation. However, there are several types of composite materials that decrease resistance by increasing contact between the conductive materials during elongation through optimization of the shape and size of the filler. These composite materials can rapidly decrease the resistance and are expected to be applicable to switch in electric circuits and sensors. However, to use such composite materials in circuits, the electrical resistance at the time of resistance reduction must be sufficiently low to not affect the electric circuit. To achieve this, a considerable amount of filler must be mixed; however, this reduces the elasticity of the composite. Simultaneously achieving elasticity of the composite and a sufficient decrease in the resistance is challenging. This study developed a conductive rubber composite gel by mixing silicone rubber, ionic liquid, and metal filler. Consequently, the composite achieved an elongation rate of over six times and a decrease in the resistance of less than 1/105. In addition, this composite material was used as a switch circuit wherein an electric circuit is turned on and off according to elongation through a connection to a DC power source.
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 better than ...10−16, 4 orders of magnitude better than the present limit, in order to explore the parameter region predicted by most 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 enabled by J-PARC. In order to fulfil such requirements a vacuum-compatible, ultra-thin-wall straw tracker has been designed, and a 20μm-thick Mylar straw with 70 nm Al cathode has been developed employing an ultrasonic-welding technique. The detector performances such as detection efficiency and intrinsic spatial resolutions were investigated with test-beam experiments and confirmed to be acceptable for the COMET experiment. The construction of the straw tracker for COMET Phase-I has been completed.
In parallel to the construction of present tracker a thinner 12μm-thick straw has been developed with joint collaboration among KEK, JINR and CERN. During this R&D, it was noticed that the current technology cannot achieve tubes much smaller than 5 mm in diameter or walls much thinner than 12μm. We also launched a brand-new project to realize the graphite-textile straw which has a potential to realize an extremely low material tracker.
In this article, a brief report on detector construction with a present 20μm-thick straw, R&D on a new 12μm-thick straw, and a brand-new graphite straw, is provided.
Optical properties of single gold nanodiscs were studied by scanning near-field optical microscopy. Near-field transmission spectra of a single nanodisc exhibited multiple plasmon resonances in the ...visible to near-infrared region. Near-field transmission images observed at these resonance wavelengths show wavy spatial features depending on the wavelength of observation. To clarify physical pictures of the images, theoretical simulations based on spatial correlation between electromagnetic fundamental modes inside and outside of the disc were performed. Simulated images reproduced the observed spatial structures excited in the disc. Mode-analysis of the simulated images indicates that the spatial features observed in the transmission images originate mainly from a few fundamental plasmon modes of the disc.
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.
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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