Identification of Tim4 as a phosphatidylserine receptor

In programmed cell death, a large number of cells undergo apoptosis, and are engulfed by macrophages to avoid the release of noxious materials from the dying cells. In definitive erythropoiesis, nuclei are expelled from erythroid precursor cells and are engulfed by macrophages. Phosphatidylserine is exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells and on the nuclei expelled from erythroid precursor cells; it works as an 'eat me' signal for phagocytes. Phosphatidylserine is also expressed on the surface of exosomes involved in intercellular signalling. Here we established a library of hamster monoclonal antibodies against mouse peritoneal macrophages, and found an antibody that strongly inhibited the phosphatidylserine-dependent engulfment of apoptotic cells. The antigen recognized by the antibody was identified by expression cloning as a type I transmembrane protein called Tim4 (T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule; also known as Timd4). Tim4 was expressed in Mac1+ cells in various mouse tissues, including spleen, lymph nodes and fetal liver. Tim4 bound apoptotic cells by recognizing phosphatidylserine via its immunoglobulin domain. The expression of Tim4 in fibroblasts enhanced their ability to engulf apoptotic cells. When the anti-Tim4 monoclonal antibody was administered into mice, the engulfment of apoptotic cells by thymic macrophages was significantly blocked, and the mice developed autoantibodies. Among the other Tim family members, Tim1, but neither Tim2 nor Tim3, specifically bound phosphatidylserine. Tim1- or Tim4-expressing Ba/F3 B cells were bound by exosomes via phosphatidylserine, and exosomes stimulated the interaction between Tim1 and Tim4. These results indicate that Tim4 and Tim1 are phosphatidylserine receptors for the engulfment of apoptotic cells, and may also be involved in intercellular signalling in which exosomes are involved.     

Innate versus learned odour processing in the mouse olfactory bulb

The mammalian olfactory system mediates various responses, including aversive behaviours to spoiled foods and fear responses to predator odours. In the olfactory bulb, each glomerulus represents a single species of odorant receptor. Because a single odorant can interact with several different receptor species, the odour information received in the olfactory epithelium is converted to a topographical map of multiple glomeruli activated in distinct areas in the olfactory bulb. To study how the odour map is interpreted in the brain, we generated mutant mice in which olfactory sensory neurons in a specific area of the olfactory epithelium are ablated by targeted expression of the diphtheria toxin gene. Here we show that, in dorsal-zone-depleted mice, the dorsal domain of the olfactory bulb was devoid of glomerular structures, although second-order neurons were present in the vacant areas. The mutant mice lacked innate responses to aversive odorants, even though they were capable of detecting them and could be conditioned for aversion with the remaining glomeruli. These results indicate that, in mice, aversive information is received in the olfactory bulb by separate sets of glomeruli, those dedicated for innate and those for learned responses.     

A high-resolution environmental change record since 19 cal ka BP in Pumoyum Co,southern Tibet

A 380-cm-long sediment core was acquired from the deep water area of Pumoyum Co, southern Tibet. Twenty-five plant residue samples were selected, and organic carbon stable isotopes were obtained using the AMS ¹⁴C chronological method. The ¹⁴C age and carbon reservoir effect were calibrated with surface sedimentation rate measurements using ²¹⁰Pb dating. Results showed that the core sediment deposited over 19 cal ka BP. Based on a multi-proxy analysis of TOC and IC contents, grain size and pollen assemblage data, the palaeoclimatic evolution of Pumoyum Co was reconstructed since the last glacial. Pumoyum Co was a shallow lake prior to 16.2 cal ka BP; although the glacier around the lake began to melt due to increasing temperatures, climate was still cold and dry. In the interval of 16.2–11.8 cal ka BP, the sedimentary environment fluctuated drastically and frequently. Two cold-events occurred at 14.2 and 11.8 cal ka BP, and these may correspond to the Older Dryas and the Younger Dryas events, respectively. After 11.8 cal ka BP, Pumoyun Co developed into the deep lake as it is now. The lake water temperature was relatively lower at that time because of influx of cold water from glacial meltwater entering the lake. As a result, the multi-proxy indicators showed no sign of warm conditions. Comparisons between the sedimentary record of Pumoyum Co with that of other lakes of the same age in southern Tibet indicate a warmer climate following the last deglaciation influenced the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. These results imply that the southwest Asian monsoon gradually became stronger since the deglaciation during its expansion to the inner plateau. The glacial-supplied water of the lake responded sensitively to cold-events. The entire southern Tibet region was dominantly influenced climatically by the southwest Asian monsoon during the Holocene.     

Pneumatic active suspension system for a one-wheel car model using fuzzy reasoning and a disturbance observer

This paper presents the construction of a pneumatic active suspension system for a one-wheel car model using fuzzy reasoning and a disturbance observer. The one-wheel car model can be approximately described as a nonlinear two degrees of freedom system subject to excitation from a road profile. The active control is composed of fuzzy and disturbance controls, and functions by actuating a pneumatic actuator. A phase lead-lag compensator is inserted to counter the performance degradation due to the delay of the pneumatic actuator. The experimental result indicates that the proposed active suspension improves much the vibration suppression of the car model.     

A general process for in situ formation of functional surface layers on ceramics

Ceramics are often prepared with surface layers of different composition from the bulk, in order to impart a specific functionality to the surface or to act as a protective layer for the bulk material. Here we describe a general process by which functional surface layers with a nanometre-scale compositional gradient can be readily formed during the production of bulk ceramic components. The basis of our approach is to incorporate selected low-molecular-mass additives into either the precursor polymer from which the ceramic forms, or the binder polymer used to prepare bulk components from ceramic powders. Thermal treatment of the resulting bodies leads to controlled phase separation ('bleed out') of the additives, analogous to the normally undesirable outward loss of low-molecular-mass components from some plastics; subsequent calcination stabilizes the compositionally changed surface region, generating a functional surface layer. This approach is applicable to a wide range of materials and morphologies, and should find use in catalysts, composites and environmental barrier coatings.     

Extracting multiple layers from data having graph structures

Much data such as geometric image data and drawings have graph structures. Such data are called graph structured data. In order to manage efficiently such graph structured data, we need to analyze and abstract graph structures of such data. The purpose of this paper is to find knowledge representations which indicate plural abstractions of graph structured data. Firstly, we introduce a term graph as a graph pattern having structural variables,and a substitution over term graphs which is graph rewriting system. Next,for a graph G,we define a multiple layer (g,（θ1, …,θk)) of G as a pair of a term graph g and a list of 4 substitutionsθ1, …,θk such that G can be obtained from g by applying substitutions θ1, …,θk to g. In the same way,for a set S of graphs, we also define a multiple layer for Sas a pair (D,@) of a set 5 of term graphs and a list 6 of substitutions. Secondly,for a graph G and a set S of graphs,we present effective algorithms for extracting minimal multiple layers of G and S which give us stratifying abstractions of G and S,respectively. Finally,we report experimental results obtained by applying our algorithms to both artificial data and drawings of power plants which are real world data.     

循环荷载下低屈服点钢材LYP225的力学性能

为了研究低屈服点钢材LYP225的循环本构关系,对18个试件进行单调加载和循环加载,研究其单调曲线、滞回特点、破坏形态等.基于Ramberg-Osgood模型拟合了对称逐级加载下的循环骨架曲线,通过试验滞回数据标定了基于Chaboche模型的等向强化和随动强化参数,并将其输入到Abaqus软件的混合强化模型中,对强化参数的准确性进行验证.结果表明:LYP225钢材的应力-应变关系与加载历史相关;在不同加载制度下LYP225钢材均表现出良好的延性特征;采用Ramberg-Osgood模型能较好地模拟LYP225钢材在循环对称逐级加载下的骨架曲线;将标定的混合强化参数输入到Abaqus软件中,所得结果能准确模拟LYP225钢材的滞回曲线.因此,LYP225钢材在循环荷载下的性能不同于单调荷载,通过试验数据拟合的强化参数可用于整体结构中的地震反应分析.     

Video imaging of walking myosin V by high-speed atomic force microscopy

The dynamic behaviour of myosin V molecules translocating along actin filaments has been mainly studied by optical microscopy. The processive hand-over-hand movement coupled with hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate was thereby demonstrated. However, the protein molecules themselves are invisible in the observations and have therefore been visualized by electron microscopy in the stationary states. The concomitant assessment of structure and dynamics has been unfeasible, a situation prevailing throughout biological research. Here we directly visualize myosin V molecules walking along actin tracks, using high-speed atomic force microscopy. The high-resolution movies not only provide corroborative 'visual evidence' for previously speculated or demonstrated molecular behaviours, including lever-arm swing, but also reveal more detailed behaviours of the molecules, leading to a comprehensive understanding of the motor mechanism. Our direct and dynamic high-resolution visualization is a powerful new approach to studying the structure and dynamics of biomolecules in action.     

走向生命能的时代

自古代人开始用手使用工具以来．人类一直拘泥于“物”．即使这样．在古代人们有了对肉眼看不见的东西的恐惧感。然而产业革命以后．肉眼看不见的东西听之任之被遗忘，人们便拘泥于物质了。日本也在二战以后．学习欧美的物质文明．一味地对物质执着起来．人类退化之路从此开始了、仅仅不到一个世纪．人类的肉体和精神受到极大的侵食。