Impairment in S-phase entry of splenocytes of Parp-1 knockout mice

One immediate cellular response to DNA damage is the polyADP-ribosylation reaction by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (Parp-1). The importance of Parp-1 has been established in many cellular processes, such as the maintenance of genomic stability, DNA repair and cell-death induction. Here, we established Parp-1^−/− mice of C57BL/6J congenic strain and characterized the role of Parp-1 in cell-cycle progression. In this study, we also improved a method to observe G0/G1 to S-phase transition of splenocytes and bone marrow cells prepared from mice. The cells were cultured and stimulated with mitogens (50 μM ionomycin/1 μM phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate). We found that addition of a commercially available growth supportive reagent, BM Condimed ^RH1, greatly enhanced the transition of G0/G1 to the S-phase, which was determined by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation to DNA. Using this method, G0/G1 to the S-phase entry was measured using splenocytes derived from Parp-1^−/−, Parp-1^+/− and wild-type (Parp-1^+/+) mice. DNA synthesis in Parp-1^+/+ and Parp-1^+/− splenocytes started from day 1 after addition of mitogens, whereas that in Parp-1^−/− cells started from day 2. The peak of the S-phase was at day 2 in all genotypes and notably DNA synthesis in Parp-1^−/− cells was approximately halved compared to Parp-1^+/+ cells on day 2, 3 and 4. These results suggested that Parp-1 is involved in positive regulation of S-phase entry in quiescent mouse splenocytes.     

Common-path achromatic interferometer-coronagraph: nulling of polychromatic light

A three-dimensional common-path interferometer is proposed, which can achromatically null out an on-axis source while it maintains the detectability of an off-axis source. A geometric phase in the three-dimensional interferometer introduces an achromatic pi-phase shift to the light from the on-axis source, such that destructive interference nulls out the axial light at one of the ports of the interferometer. Light from the off-axis source, which is exempt from the pi-phase shift, comes out from both ports with equal intensity. The common-path scheme makes the system highly immune to environmental disturbances.     

Heterogeneity in oscillator networks: are smaller worlds easier to synchronize?

Small-world and scale-free networks are known to be more easily synchronized than regular lattices, which is usually attributed to the smaller network distance between oscillators. Surprisingly, we find that networks with a homogeneous distribution of connectivity are more synchronizable than heterogeneous ones, even though the average network distance is larger. We present numerical computations and analytical estimates on synchronizability of the network in terms of its heterogeneity parameters. Our results suggest that some degree of homogeneity is expected in naturally evolved structures, such as neural networks, where synchronizability is desirable.     

Photorefractive effect in the relaxor ferroelectric material 0.91Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.09PbTiO3

The photorefractive effect in a nominally undoped 0.91Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.09PbTiO3 single crystal is measured. We report what is, to our knowledge, the first observation of the photorefractive effect in Pb-based relaxor ferroelectric crystals. The crystal is grown by the flux solution method. Then it is cut into a 2 mm x 4 mm x 8 mm piece and electrically poled along the [111] direction. The coupling constant of the two-wave mixing is 17 cm(-1), and the normalized time constant under 1-W/cm(2) illumination is 12 s at a wave-length of 476 nm. The effective trap density is calculated as 5 x 10(16) cm(-3) from the Debye screening length under the assumption of Kukhtarev's band-transport model. The dominant carrier is identified to be holes from the direction of two-wave mixing energy transfer.     

Endoscopic Observation of Tissue by Narrowband Illumination

We propose a new illumination method for a medical endoscope: narrow band imaging (NBI), in which the spectral bandwidth of the filtered light is narrowed. To confirm how the spectral specifications of the filtered light influence a reproduced image, an experiment was conducted observing the endoscopic images of the back mucosa of a human tongue. In addition, the effect of NBI on endoscopic images was investigated through preliminary clinical tests in colonoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. It has been shown that NBI can enhance the capillary pattern and the crypt pattern on the mucosa. These patterns are useful features for diagnosing an early cancer.     

Control of diameter of ZnO nanorods grown by chemical vapor deposition with laser ablation of ZnO

We made a study of controlling diameters of well-aligned ZnO nanorods grown by low-pressure thermal chemical vapor deposition combined with laser ablation of a sintered ZnO target, which was developed by us. Until now, it has been impossible to control diameters of ZnO nanorods, while the growth orientation was maintained well-aligned. In this study we developed a multi-step growth method to fabricate well-aligned nanorods whose diameters could be controlled. Metal Zn vapor and O₂ are used as precursors to grow ZnO nanorods. N₂ is used as a carrier gas for the precursors. A substrate is an n-Si (111) wafer. A sintered ZnO target is placed near the substrate and ablated by a Nd–YAG pulsed laser during ZnO nanorod growth. The growth temperature is 530 C and the pressure is 66.5 Pa. A vertical growth orientation of ZnO nanorods to the substrate is realized in the first-step growth although the diameter cannot be controlled in this step. When an O₂ flow rate is 1.5 sccm, well-aligned nanorods with 100 nm diameter are grown. Next, the second-step nanorods are grown on only the flat tip of the first-step nanorods. The diameters of the second-step nanorods can be controlled by adjusting the O₂ flow rate, and the growth direction is kept the same as that of the first-step nanorods. When the O₂ flow rate in second-step growth is smaller than 0.6 sccm, the diameter of the second-step nanorods is 30–50 nm. When the O₂ flow rate is between 0.75 and 3.0 sccm, the diameter is almost same as that of the first-step nanorods. When the O₂ flow rate is larger than 4.5 sccm, the diameter is increased with increasing O₂ flow rate. Further, the third-step ZnO nanorods with gradually increased diameters can be grown on the second-step nanorods with 1.5 sccm O₂ flow rate and without laser ablation.     

Performance of noise barriers with various edge shapes and acoustical conditions

The performances of barriers having different shapes and surface conditions were tested using the boundary element method in a well-controlled environment. The heights and widths of the barriers were standardized and the insertion losses for six receiver positions were averaged and compared. Figures displaying the results allow for straightforward barrier performance estimation. It was shown that absorbing and soft edges significantly improve the efficiency of the barrier, but configuration modifications provide only a slight improvement. The soft T-shaped barrier produces the highest performance. A 3 m high T-shaped barrier provides the same performance as a 10 m high plain barrier. The spectral efficiency was also investigated. The insertion loss spectra for the absorbing and the soft barriers exhibit a similar shape, but the rigid barrier differs from these two.     

Gasification characteristics of woody biomass in the packed bed reactor

Gasification technology is recognized as one of the possibilities for utilizing biomass effectively. This study focused on woody biomass gasification fundamentals, using a bench-scale packed-bed reactor. In this experiment, pellets of black pine were gasified, using air as the oxidizing agent. Gasification tests were carried out under both updraft and downdraft conditions. Temperature distributions and compositions of syngas inside the gasifier were continuously monitored during gasification experiments at several ports on the wall of the reactor. The syngas at the exit of the gasifier was also sampled to estimate the amount of tar. Lower heating values of the syngas under updraft and downdraft conditions were 4.8 and 3.8 MJ/m³N, respectively. It was easier to control the height of the packed bed under the downdraft condition than under the updraft condition. Under the updraft condition, a bridging phenomenon occurred. Tar generation under the downdraft condition was lower than that under the updraft condition. This is because tar passes through a partial combustion zone or higher temperature zone in the downdraft gasifier.     

The Role of the Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript> Concentration on the SrMoO<Subscript>4</Subscript>:Eu Phosphor Properties: Synthesis,Characterization and Photophysical Studies

SrMoO₄ doped with rare earth are still scarce nowadays and have attracted great attention due to their applications as scintillating materials in electro-optical like solid-state lasers and optical fibers, for instance. In this work Sr_1−xEu_xMoO₄ powders, where x = 0.01; 0.03 and 0.05, were synthesized by Complex Polymerization (CP) Method. The structural and optical properties of the SrMoO₄:Eu³⁺ were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction patterns, Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, and through Photoluminescent Measurements (PL). Only a crystalline scheelite-type phase was obtained when the powders were heat-treated at 800 °C for 2 h, 2θ = 27.8° (100% peak). The excitation spectra of the SrMoO₄:Eu³⁺ (λ_Em. = 614 nm) presented the characteristic band of the Eu^3 + 5L₆ transition at 394 nm and a broad band at around 288 nm ascribed to the charge-transfer from the O (2p) state to the Mo (4d) one in the SrMoO₄ matrix. The emission spectra of the SrMoO₄:Eu³⁺ powders (λ_Exc. = 394 and 288 nm) show the group of sharp emission bands among 523–554 nm and 578–699 nm, assigned to the ⁵D₁→⁷F_{0,1and 2} and ⁵D₀→⁷F_{0,1,2,3 and 4}, respectively. The band related to the ⁵D₀→⁷F₀ transition indicates the presence of Eu³⁺ site without inversion center. This hypothesis is strengthened by the fact that the band referent to the ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition is the most intense in the emission spectra.