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...     

A functional variant in FCRL3, encoding Fc receptor-like 3, is associated with rheumatoid arthritis and several autoimmunities

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease with a complex genetic etiology. Here we identify a SNP in the promoter region of FCRL3, a member of the Fc receptor-like family, that is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (odds ratio = 2.15, P = 0.00000085). This polymorphism alters the binding affinity of nuclear factor-kappaB and regulates FCRL3 expression. We observed high FCRL3 expression on B cells and augmented autoantibody production in individuals with the disease-susceptible genotype. We also found associations between the SNP and susceptibility to autoimmune thyroid disease and systemic lupus erythematosus. FCRL3 may therefore have a pivotal role in autoimmunity.     

模拟发动机工况下二甲醚喷雾燃烧实验及仿真研究

在定容弹内模拟发动机实机工况的高温、高压环境(920K,6.0 MPa),借助专用共轨系统产生100 MPa压力进行二甲醚喷射实验,通过定容弹内混合气体中的氧气浓度来控制二甲醚的燃烧,使用高速摄像机观察并记录二甲醚在超临界和亚临界条件下的喷雾及燃烧形态。基于实验结果,采用FORTE软件开发二甲醚喷雾燃烧仿真模型,其中耦合了二甲醚氧化还原反应动力学模型。实验和仿真结果表明,二甲醚在两种喷射条件下的喷雾贯穿距离无明显差异,而超临界条件下的液相贯穿距离较短;与亚临界条件相比,超临界条件下二甲醚喷雾着火时刻略早,火焰举升距较小,并且燃烧时释放出了更多的热量;仿真模型较好地拟合了二甲醚喷雾燃烧实验结果。     

Up-grading of natural ilmenite ore by combining oxidation and acid leaching

Rutile (TiO₂) is heavily used in pigments and colorants, and the most abundant source of rutile is ilmenite. Upon oxidation of ilmenite, rutile can be formed with modest energy consumption; furthermore, after leaching, only a few byproducts are formed. Unfortunately, one drawback is the necessarily long oxidative process of typically used methods. In this study, we show that a fluidized bed reactor can be used to oxidize ilmenite ore to rapidly form rutile and pseudobrookite (Fe₂TiO₅) phases. Ilmenite was oxidized with 5vol% O₂ in Ar at temperatures of 1173 K or 1223 K and subsequently leached using a diluted H₂SO₄ solution to dissolve the pseudobrookite phase. The effects of acid concentration, temperature, and cooling rate after oxidation were investigated. We show that the ilmenite was rapidly oxidized to form rutile and pseudobrookite phases at 1173 and 1223 K in a 5vol% O₂/95vol% Ar environment within 40 min. The final maximum rutile yield was 84.2mol% after leaching in (1 + 1) H₂SO₄ solution at 393 K for 12 h.     

Crystal structure of the human centromeric nucleosome containing CENP-A

In eukaryotes, accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis is coordinated by kinetochores, which are unique chromosomal sites for microtubule attachment. Centromeres specify the kinetochore formation sites on individual chromosomes, and are epigenetically marked by the assembly of nucleosomes containing the centromere-specific histone H3 variant, CENP-A. Although the underlying mechanism is unclear, centromere inheritance is probably dictated by the architecture of the centromeric nucleosome. Here we report the crystal structure of the human centromeric nucleosome containing CENP-A and its cognate α-satellite DNA derivative (147 base pairs). In the human CENP-A nucleosome, the DNA is wrapped around the histone octamer, consisting of two each of histones H2A, H2B, H4 and CENP-A, in a left-handed orientation. However, unlike the canonical H3 nucleosome, only the central 121 base pairs of the DNA are visible. The thirteen base pairs from both ends of the DNA are invisible in the crystal structure, and the αN helix of CENP-A is shorter than that of H3, which is known to be important for the orientation of the DNA ends in the canonical H3 nucleosome. A structural comparison of the CENP-A and H3 nucleosomes revealed that CENP-A contains two extra amino acid residues (Arg?80 and Gly?81) in the loop 1 region, which is completely exposed to the solvent. Mutations of the CENP-A loop 1 residues reduced CENP-A retention at the centromeres in human cells. Therefore, the CENP-A loop 1 may function in stabilizing the centromeric chromatin containing CENP-A, possibly by providing a binding site for trans-acting factors. The structure provides the first atomic-resolution picture of the centromere-specific nucleosome.     

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.     

Superflares on solar-type stars

Solar flares are caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy stored near sunspots. They release 10(29) to 10(32)?ergs of energy on a timescale of hours. Similar flares have been observed on many stars, with larger 'superflares' seen on a variety of stars, some of which are rapidly rotating and some of which are of ordinary solar type. The small number of superflares observed on solar-type stars has hitherto precluded a detailed study of them. Here we report observations of 365 superflares, including some from slowly rotating solar-type stars, from about 83,000 stars observed over 120 days. Quasi-periodic brightness modulations observed in the solar-type stars suggest that they have much larger starspots than does the Sun. The maximum energy of the flare is not correlated with the stellar rotation period, but the data suggest that superflares occur more frequently on rapidly rotating stars. It has been proposed that hot Jupiters may be important in the generation of superflares on solar-type stars, but none have been discovered around the stars that we have studied, indicating that hot Jupiters associated with superflares are rare.