Deterioration of social infrastructure equipment has become a major problem in countries around the world. In the present study, a novel vibration actuator system capable of movement on an iron ...structure having complicated surfaces, such as steps, is proposed. A vibration actuator capable of reciprocating movement with a small-scale size was prototyped and tested. In consideration of mobility, the size of the vibration actuator is designed to be smaller than 50 mm and the total mass is lighter than 20 g. The experimental result demonstrates that the maximum efficiency of the vibration actuator was 28.1%, and the maximum pulling power was 1.8 N. Furthermore, a vibration actuator system in which two vibration actuators and a wheel having a magnetic force connected by a flexible silicone rubber material was prototyped. This actuator system can move over a step of 48 mm in the horizontal plane and 25 mm in the vertical plane without control. Finally, a machine test was conducted on the frame surface moving, which is difficult even for robots. This actuator system can move at an average speed of 12.1 mm/s within the frame.
d-Amino acids are currently recognized as naturally occurring physiologically active substances and biomarkers in mammals. The progress of analytical technologies, mostly high resolution ...chromatographic or electrodriven separation methods, has significantly contributed to the advances in d-amino acid research in real biological matrices. In this review, we would like to describe the d-amino acid research, from the discovery of appreciable amounts of free d-amino acids in mammals to the current metabolomics study focusing on amino acid enantiomers. The liquid phase enantioselective analytical methods utilized for the determination of d-amino acids in mammals including human beings will be discussed.
We analyzed the status of tumor development in dogs by breed based on tumor cases that presented to the Department of Veterinary Pathology of the Gifu University for diagnostic examinations over ...eight years (2005–2012). We also calculated the crude incidence of tumors in dogs by breed based on the results of a survey conducted in 2011 in Gifu Prefecture. The most common sites of tumor development included the skin, digestive organs and mammary glands. Smaller dogs showed a tendency to have a higher incidence of breast tumors. We thus identified dog breeds with a higher crude incidence of tumors (Bernese mountain dog, golden retriever, corgi, etc.) and those with a lower crude incidence of tumors (Pomeranian, poodle, Chihuahua, etc.). Unlike the current trends for domestic dogs in the US and Europe, Japan has a higher number of small dogs as pets; it is therefore necessary to develop a policy for canine cancer specific to Japan.
We experimentally evaluated the control of the mobility speed of organic chromophores in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by developing novel chromophores with different molecular structures. As novel ...chromophores, PDMS-soluble coumarin- and pyrromethene-based chromophores were developed by attaching heptamethyltrisiloxane (HMTS). Then, the optical and mobility properties of these novel chromophores were evaluated. The investigation of mobility characteristics revealed that molecular weight and solubility both influence the diffusion coefficient. In the case of low solubility, molecular weight is the dominant factor in determining the diffusion coefficient. On the other hand, molecular solubility is the dominant factor at high solubility. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation on controlling the diffusion coefficient in PDMS through the molecular weight and solubility.
Due to the development of acaricide resistance in
Tetranychus
urticae
, a rapid and accurate monitoring method for acaricide resistance gene frequency is required for resistance management. In this ...study, we developed a new diagnostic gene frequency prediction method, using quantitative real-time PCR with allele-specific primer sets, for mutation of I1017F in chitin synthase I, G126S in mitochondrial cytochrome b, and H110R in the PSST subunit of mitochondrial electron transport complex I, which are involved in etoxazole, bifenazate, and pyridaben resistance in
T
.
urticae
, respectively. Resistance allele frequencies computed using the 2
−ΔΔCq
method, in mixtures of resistance and wild-type (susceptible) alleles, were strongly correlated with the actual frequencies of the resistance alleles in DNA samples for all three acaricides (regression slopes of 0.945–0.996;
R
2
> 0.99). This result strongly indicates that resistance allele frequency in a population can be accurately predicted using a diagnostic quantitative real-time PCR method with a resistance allele-specific primer set. Finally, we applied this method to nine field populations and successfully determined resistance allele frequencies for the three acaricides. Overall, this diagnostic prediction method may contribute to the development of acaricide resistance management strategies, via monitoring resistance allele frequencies for a wide range of acaricides.
Subaru Near-Infrared Imaging of Herbig Ae Stars Fukagawa, Misato; Tamura, Motohide; Itoh, Yoichi ...
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan,
04/2010, Letnik:
62, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We report results of
$H$
-band (
$\lambda =$
1.65
$ \mu$
m) imaging observations of young intermediate-mass stars using the Subaru 8.2-m Telescope with the adaptive optics AO36 and the infrared ...coronagraph CIAO. The targets consist of 16 Herbig Ae/Be stars (15 Herbig Ae stars and one Herbig Be star) and four additional main-sequence stars with infrared excesses. Five protoplanetary disks have been spatially resolved around the Herbig Ae stars with ages of 2–8 Myr. The resolved disks have outer radii of several 100 AU, and their surface brightnesses range from 10 mag arcsec
$^{-2}$
to 18 mag arcsec
$^{-2}$
. The images reveal various morphologies in optically thick disks: spiral arms around AB Aur, a banana-split structure with an outer arm for HD 142527, a compact circumprimary disk of HD 150193, a faint discontinuous ring around HD 163296, and an unstructured face-on disk of HD 169142. The detection of an optically thick disk in scattered light implies that it is vertically flared, and intercepts stellar light at least in the outer region where those images were obtained. However, the surface brightness distribution, the resolved structure, and other observational characteristics suggest that the disks are unlikely to be continuously flared young disks with small grains well mixed with gas. The detection rate and the disk brightness do not correlate with the stellar age and the disk mass, but there is a tendency that the brightest disks are still surrounded by long-lived envelopes (AB Aur, HD 100546, HD 142527). The significant diversity of the disk structure can be attributed to the multiplicity and the initial condition of the local star-forming environments. The detections of companion candidates around our targeted stars are also reported.
We developed a new fluorene-based chromophore for a degradation-recoverable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) dye laser. The chromophore has dimethylsiloxane chains to enhance its solubility in the PDMS ...matrix. The spectroscopic and mobile characteristics were evaluated, and the attaching of the siloxane/silyl chains improved solubility in PDMS without influencing the laser property. It extended the durability by a factor of 20 for shots in an index-type Bragg grating/PDMS complex laser waveguide compared with a similar fluorene-based chromophore in PMMA laser waveguides. This molecular diffusion not only increased durability but also provided detailed information about dye degradation in waveguides.
The acaricides cyflumetofen, cyenopyrafen, and pyflubumide act as inhibitors of the mitochondrial electron transport system at complex II (succinate dehydrogenase; SDH), a new mode of action in ...arthropods. The development and mechanisms of low-level resistance against cyenopyrafen and cyflumetofen have been previously reported in Tetranychus urticae. In the present study, we investigated high levels of resistance against three SDH inhibitors in T. urticae field populations and clarify the genetic basis of resistance using quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. First, we constructed a microsatellite linkage map comprising 64 markers assembled into three linkage groups (LGs) with total length of 683.8 cM and average marker spacing of 11.03 cM. We then used the linkage map to perform QTL mapping, and identified significant QTLs contributing to resistance to cyflumetofen (one QTL on LG1), cyenopyrafen (one QTL on LG3), and pyflubumide (two QTLs on LG1 and LG3). The QTL peaks on LG1 for cyflumetofen and pyflubumide overlapped and included the SdhB locus. For cyenopyrafen resistance, the QTLs on LG3 included the SdhC locus. For cyflumetofen resistance, we found an I260T mutation in SdhB. For pyflubumide and cyenopyrafen resistance, we detected I260V and S56L substitutions in SdhB and SdhC, respectively, by direct sequencing. Both I260 in SdhB and S56 in SdhC were present in highly conserved regions of the ubiquinone binding site formed at the interface among SdhB, SdhC, and SdhD. Mutations at these positions have been implicated in resistance against fungicides that act as Sdh inhibitors in various pathogens. Therefore, we consider these mutations to be target-site resistance mutations for these acaricidal SDH inhibitors.
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•Genome-wide linkage map with 64 microsatellite markers has been constructed for the two-spotted spider mite.•Mutations in succinate dehydrogenase subunit B and C are candidates for resistance factor against three acaricidal complex II inhibitors.•Cross resistance among cyflumetofen, cyenopyrafen, and pyflubumide is likely caused by the SDH mutations.
Pyridaben is a mitochondrial electron transport complex I inhibitor. The H110R mutation in the PSST subunit has been reported as a major factor in pyridaben resistance in the two-spotted spider mite, ...Tetranychus urticae. However, backcross experiments revealed that the mutant PSST alone conferred only moderate resistance. In contrast, inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) markedly reduces resistance levels in a number of highly resistant strains. It was reported previously that maternal factors contributed to the inheritance of pyridaben resistance in the egg stage, but the underlying mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. Here, we studied the combined effects of the PSST H110R mutation and candidate CYPs, as metabolic resistance factors, on pyridaben resistance in T. urticae. We found that the maternal effects of inheritance of resistance in the egg stage were associated with CYP activity. Analysis of differential gene expression by RNA-seq identified CYP392A3 as a candidate causal factor for the high resistance level. Congenic strains, where the alleles of both PSST and CYP392A3 were derived from a resistant strain (RR_i; i = 1 or 2) and a susceptible strain (SS_i) in a common susceptible genetic background, were constructed by marker-assisted backcrossing. RR_i showed upregulation of CYP392A3 and high resistance levels (LC50 > 10,000 mg L−1), while SS_i had LC50 < 10 mg L−1. To disentangle the individual effects of PSST and CYP392A3 alleles, we also attempted to uncouple these genes in RR_i. We conclude that given the variation in LC50 values and expression levels of CYP392A3 in the congenic and uncoupled strains, it is likely that the high pyridaben resistance levels are due to a synergistic or cumulative effect of the combination of mutant PSST and associated CYPs, including CYP392A3, but other yet to be discovered factors cannot be excluded.
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•PSST mutation confers moderate pyridaben resistance in Tetranychus urticae.•We found mutant PSST and associated CYPs conferred the high resistance levels.•CYP392A3 was identified as a candidate, but other factors cannot be excluded.•High resistance is probably due to a synergistic or cumulative effect of factors.
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