Self-interstitials generated on silicon bulk surface

Pentacene for p-channel organic field effect transistors(OTFTs) and perfluoropentacene for n-channel OTFTs have attracted strong attentions to be used as CMOS type organic semiconductor materials for flexible organic displays.n-channel OTFTs with different gate insulators of polyimide(PI) and SiO_2 and perfluoropentacene as a semiconductor layer were fabricated,and their instability of the transistor characteristics measured in air,vacuum and oxygen was investigated.The results show that both of the tran...     

Soil Erosion on a Slope without Vegetation： a Simulating Experiment on a Bare Land in Mt. Tanakami

0　IntroductionManystudieshavebeendoneonthesedimentdischargeinMt.Tanakami .Thosestudiesconcerntheamountofsedi mentsandfewdiscussionsabouttheprocessonly .Andthesedi mentyieldmechanismindevastatedslopeinMt.Tanakamiisnotfullyunderstood.Inordertorecordthewholeprocessofsoilero sionfromthebeginningofprecipitation ,totheendofsedimentmovement,asimulatingexperimentbyusingartificialrainiscon ducted .Basedonthisexperiment,andbyfurthercomparingwiththepreviousdataofsedimentsinthisarea,somebasicdataaboutc…     

SNPs in KCNQ1 are associated with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in East Asian and European populations

We conducted a genome-wide association study using 207,097 SNP markers in Japanese individuals with type 2 diabetes and unrelated controls, and identified KCNQ1 (potassium voltage-gated channel, KQT-like subfamily, member 1) to be a strong candidate for conferring susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. We detected consistent association of a SNP in KCNQ1 (rs2283228) with the disease in several independent case-control studies (additive model P = 3.1 x 10(-12); OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.18-1.34). Several other SNPs in the same linkage disequilibrium (LD) block were strongly associated with type 2 diabetes (additive model: rs2237895, P = 7.3 x 10(-9); OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.20-1.45, rs2237897, P = 6.8 x 10(-13); OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.29-1.55). The association of these SNPs with type 2 diabetes was replicated in samples from Singaporean (additive model: rs2237895, P = 8.5 x 10(-3); OR = 1.14, rs2237897, P = 2.4 x 10(-4); OR = 1.22) and Danish populations (additive model: rs2237895, P = 3.7 x 10(-11); OR = 1.24, rs2237897, P = 1.2 x 10(-4); OR = 1.36).     

Meta-analysis identifies nine new loci associated with rheumatoid arthritis in the Japanese population

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation. We report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in a Japanese population including 4,074 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (cases) and 16,891 controls, followed by a replication in 5,277 rheumatoid arthritis cases and 21,684 controls. Our study identified nine loci newly associated with rheumatoid arthritis at a threshold of P < 5.0 × 10(-8), including B3GNT2, ANXA3, CSF2, CD83, NFKBIE, ARID5B, PDE2A-ARAP1, PLD4 and PTPN2. ANXA3 was also associated with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (P = 0.0040), and B3GNT2 and ARID5B were associated with Graves' disease (P = 3.5 × 10(-4) and 2.9 × 10(-4), respectively). We conducted a multi-ancestry comparative analysis with a previous meta-analysis in individuals of European descent (5,539 rheumatoid arthritis cases and 20,169 controls). This provided evidence of shared genetic risks of rheumatoid arthritis between the populations.     

Synthesis of CuInS2 nanocrystals and their structural transformation triggered by ligand exchange

Chalcopyrite-type CulnS2 NCs was synthesized by the hot-soap method. Mixed solutions, Cul and InCl3 dissolved in the mixture of the tri-octylphosphite and 1-octadecene and the sulfur dissolved in tri-phenylphosphite, were used as source solutions; the hexadecylamine was additionally mixed as a surfactant before the reaction. It was observed that the product CulnS2 NCs structurally transformed from the chalcopyrite（CP）- or zincblende（ZB）- to the wurtzite（WZ）-type depending on the amount of the surfactant and a storage time after the surfactant addition. Very weak photoluminescence in the nearinfrared region was observed for the CP- or ZB-type NCs. This band was attributable to the electronhole recombination via defect levels. No photoluminescence was detected for the wurtzite-type NCs.     

Novel role of PKR in inflammasome activation and HMGB1 release

The inflammasome regulates the release of caspase activation-dependent cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18 and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). By studying HMGB1 release mechanisms, here we identify a role for double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR, also known as EIF2AK2) in inflammasome activation. Exposure of macrophages to inflammasome agonists induced PKR autophosphorylation. PKR inactivation by genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition severely impaired inflammasome activation in response to double-stranded RNA, ATP, monosodium urate, adjuvant aluminium, rotenone, live Escherichia coli, anthrax lethal toxin, DNA transfection and Salmonella typhimurium infection. PKR deficiency significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-1β, IL-18 and HMGB1 in E. coli-induced peritonitis. PKR physically interacts with several inflammasome components, including NOD-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), NLRP1, NLR family CARD domain-containing protein 4 (NLRC4), absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), and broadly regulates inflammasome activation. PKR autophosphorylation in a cell-free system with recombinant NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC, also known as PYCARD) and pro-caspase-1 reconstitutes inflammasome activity. These results show a crucial role for PKR in inflammasome activation, and indicate that it should be possible to pharmacologically target this molecule to treat inflammation.