Inverse-designed diamond photonics

Diamond hosts optically active color centers with great promise in quantum computation, networking, and sensing. Realization of such applications is contingent upon the integration of color centers into photonic circuits. However, current diamond quantum optics experiments are restricted to single devices and few quantum emitters because fabrication constraints limit device functionalities, thus precluding color center integrated photonic circuits. In this work, we utilize inverse design methods to overcome constraints of cutting-edge diamond nanofabrication methods and fabricate compact and robust diamond devices with unique specifications. Our design method leverages advanced optimization techniques to search the full parameter space for fabricable device designs. We experimentally demonstrate inverse-designed photonic free-space interfaces as well as their scalable integration with two vastly different devices: classical photonic crystal cavities and inverse-designed waveguide-splitters. The multi-device integration capability and performance of our inverse-designed diamond platform represents a critical advancement toward integrated diamond quantum optical circuits

ダイニゲンゴ オヨビ ガイコクゴ トシテ ノ ニホンゴ ガクシュウシャ ニ オケル ヒゲンバシジ ノ シュウトク -タイワンジン ノ ニホンゴ ガクシュウシャ ヲ タイショウ ニ -

本研究では、第二言語及び外国語として日本語を学ぶ台湾人学習者における非現場指示の習得を検討した。調査資料として、宋（1991）の枠組みに基づき作成した三肢選択質問紙による学習者の回答を集計し、学習環境が非現場指示の習得に及ぼす影響を探った。その結果、学習環境が非現場指示の習得に与える影響を日本語能力別に探ったところ、下位レベルの学習者においては、JSLとJFLの間に有意差が見られなかったが、上位レベルの学習者においては、JSLはJFLより指示詞の習得が進んでいた。また、誤用については、中国語による負の転移である「誤用のコ」は、全体的にJFLよりJSLの方が少ない一方、「独立的話題指示のア」において、誤用のソ」は下位レベルの学習者ではJSL がJFL より多く見られた。これについては、母語話者のインプットによる影響の可能性が考えられる。また、日本語能力が非現場指示の習得に与える影響を学習環境別に検討した結果、JSLにおいては、日本語能力が高くなるにつれて、非現場指示の習得が進むものの、JFLにおいては、日本語能力による変化が少ないという結果が得られた。In this study, the acquisition of non-deictic demonstratives by Taiwanese learners of Japanese as a second language(JSL) and Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) was compared. Data were obtained from a three-choice questionnaire based on the framework provided by Soong(1991) in order to investigate the influenceof learning environment on the acquisition of non-deictic demonstratives. The results of this study were as follows: Comparison between learners of low and high Japanese proficiency on non-deictic demonstrative acquisition showed no difference between JSL learners and JFL learners when the level of Japanese proficiency was low; however, the score for JSL learners was significantly higher than that of JFL learners when the level of Japanese proficiency was high. Moreover, there were more ”ko” errors among JFL learners than JSL learners, which might be explained by a negative transfer from the subjects’ Chinese mother tongue; and more “so” errors appeared among JSL learners than JFL learners when the level of Japanese proficiency was low. This may be due to influence from the input of native Japanese speakers. Additionally, results indicated that JSL learners made gradual improvements in non-deictic demonstrative acquisition as the level of Japanese proficiency increased. However, similar changes were not found among JFL learners

第二言語及び外国語としての日本語学習者における現場指示の習得 : 台湾人の日本語学習者を対象に

お茶の水女子大学本研究では,第二言語及び外国語として日本語を学ぶ台湾人学習者における現場指示用法の習得について,学習環境が及ぼす影響を質問紙調査により探った。その結果,「独立的現場指示のコ」及び「相対的現場指示の対立型のコ」は,JSLとJFLとの間で習得のされ方に差は見られなかったが,それ以外は,JSLはJFLより現場指示の習得が早く進むことがわかった。JFLはJSLより母語の知識と教室指導に影響されやすく,「誤用のコ」と「誤用のソ」を多く産出した。また,日本語総合能力も併せて検討したところ,JSLにおいては,下位レベルの学習者において既に高い正用率を示しており,上位レベルとの間には有意差が見られなかったが,JFLにおいては,下位レベルの学習者には誤用が多く見られ,完全に習得されるとは言えないことがわかった。以上から,目標言語圏で勉強することは現場指示の習得を促進することが示唆された。In this study, the acquisition of deictic demonstratives on learning Japanese as a second (JSL) and as a foreign language (JFL) Taiwanese learners was analyzed to investigate the influence of learning environment on deictic demonstratives. The results of this study were the following: the scores of JSL were significantly higher than that of JFL. Additionally, there were more errors of "ko" and "so" in JFL than in JSL, which might be explain by the negative transfer from the subjects\u27 mother tongue and the influence of instruction. Moreover, when the influence of Japanese proficiency on deictic demonstrative acquisition according to learning environment was discussed, JSL showed high scores even though the subjects\u27 level of Japanese proficiency was low, while there were still errors in JFL. Thus, it was suggested that studying in the target language zone might promote the acquisition of deictic demonstratives

Using Performance Forecasting to Accelerate Elasticity

Cloud computing facilitates dynamic resource provisioning. The automation of resource management, known as elasticity, has been subject to much research. In this context, monitoring of a running service plays a crucial role, and adjustments are made when certain thresholds are crossed. On such occasions, it is common practice to simply add or remove resources. In this paper we investigate how we can predict the performance of a service to dynamically adjust allocated resources based on predictions. In other words, instead of “repairing” because a threshold has been crossed, we attempt to stay ahead and allocate an optimized amount of resources in advance. To do so, we need to have accurate predictive models that are based on workloads. We present our approach, based on the Universal Scalability Law, and discuss initial experiments

Topological orbital ladders

We unveil a topological phase of interacting fermions on a two-leg ladder of unequal parity orbitals, derived from the experimentally realized double-well lattices by dimension reduction. $Z_2$ topological invariant originates simply from the staggered phases of $sp$-orbital quantum tunneling, requiring none of the previously known mechanisms such as spin-orbit coupling or artificial gauge field. Another unique feature is that upon crossing over to two dimensions with coupled ladders, the edge modes from each ladder form a parity-protected flat band at zero energy, opening the route to strongly correlated states controlled by interactions. Experimental signatures are found in density correlations and phase transitions to trivial band and Mott insulators.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, Revised title, abstract, and the discussion on Majorana numbe

The underpotential deposition that should not be : Cu(1x1) on Au(111)

Peer reviewedPostprin

Cryo-EM structure of a helicase loading intermediate containing ORC-Cdc6-Cdt1-MCM2-7 bound to DNA

In eukaryotes, the Cdt1-bound replicative helicase core MCM2-7 is loaded onto DNA by the ORC-Cdc6 ATPase to form a prereplicative complex (pre-RC) with an MCM2-7 double hexamer encircling DNA. Using purified components in the presence of ATP-γS, we have captured in vitro an intermediate in pre-RC assembly that contains a complex between the ORC-Cdc6 and Cdt1-MCM2-7 heteroheptamers called the OCCM. Cryo-EM studies of this 14-subunit complex reveal that the two separate heptameric complexes are engaged extensively, with the ORC-Cdc6 N-terminal AAA+ domains latching onto the C-terminal AAA+ motor domains of the MCM2-7 hexamer. The conformation of ORC-Cdc6 undergoes a concerted change into a right-handed spiral with helical symmetry that is identical to that of the DNA double helix. The resulting ORC-Cdc6 helicase loader shows a notable structural similarity to the replication factor C clamp loader, suggesting a conserved mechanism of action

Familial congenital cyanosis caused by Hb-MYantai(α-76 GAC → TAC, Asp → Tyr)

Methemoglobin (Hb-M) is a rare hemoglobinopathy in China. We hereby report on a family living in Yantai, East China, with congenital cyanosis due to Hb-M mutation. The proband, a 65-year-old female, presented 63% oxygen saturation. Both Hb-M concentration and arterial oxygen saturation remained unchanged, even following intravenous treatment with methylene blue. There was also no change in blood-color (chocolate-brown) after adding 0.1% KCN. A fast-moving band (Hb-X) in hemolysates was found by cellulose acetate electrophoresis, the Hb-X/Hb-A ratio exceeding 10%. GT transition at 131nt of exon 2, although present in one of the α2 -globin alleles, was not found in α1 -globin alleles as a whole. This mutation leads to the aspartic acid to tyrosine substitution (Asp76Tyr). In this family, the novel mutation in the α2 -globin gene resulted in a rare form of congenital cyanosis due to Hb-M. This hemoglobin was named Hb-M Yantai

STK295900, a Dual Inhibitor of Topoisomerase 1 and 2, Induces G<inf>2</inf> Arrest in the Absence of DNA Damage

STK295900, a small synthetic molecule belonging to a class of symmetric bibenzimidazoles, exhibits antiproliferative activity against various human cancer cell lines from different origins. Examining the effect of STK295900 in HeLa cells indicates that it induces G2 phase arrest without invoking DNA damage. Further analysis shows that STK295900 inhibits DNA relaxation that is mediated by topoisomerase 1 (Top 1) and topoisomerase 2 (Top 2) in vitro. In addition, STK295900 also exhibits protective effect against DNA damage induced by camptothecin. However, STK295900 does not affect etoposide-induced DNA damage. Moreover, STK295900 preferentially exerts cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines while camptothecin, etoposide, and Hoechst 33342 affected both cancer and normal cells. Therefore, STK295900 has a potential to be developed as an anticancer chemotherapeutic agent. © 2013 Kim et al

Phospholipase iPLA2β averts ferroptosis by eliminating a redox lipid death signal

Ferroptosis, triggered by discoordination of iron, thiols and lipids, leads to the accumulation of 15-hydroperoxy (Hp)-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (15-HpETE-PE), generated by complexes of 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX) and a scaffold protein, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-binding protein (PEBP)1. As the Ca^{2+} -independent phospholipase A2β (iPLA2β, PLA2G6 or PNPLA9 gene) can preferentially hydrolyze peroxidized phospholipids, it may eliminate the ferroptotic 15-HpETE-PE death signal. Here, we demonstrate that by hydrolyzing 15-HpETE-PE, iPLA_{2}β averts ferroptosis, whereas its genetic or pharmacological inactivation sensitizes cells to ferroptosis. Given that PLA2G6 mutations relate to neurodegeneration, we examined fibroblasts from a patient with a Parkinson’s disease (PD)-associated mutation (fPD^{R747W}) and found selectively decreased 15-HpETE-PE-hydrolyzing activity, 15-HpETE-PE accumulation and elevated sensitivity to ferroptosis. CRISPR-Cas9-engineered Pnpla9^{R748W/R748W} mice exhibited progressive parkinsonian motor deficits and 15-HpETE-PE accumulation. Elevated 15-HpETE-PE levels were also detected in midbrains of rotenone-infused parkinsonian rats and α-synuclein-mutant Snca^{A53T} mice, with decreased iPLA2β expression and a PD-relevant phenotype. Thus, iPLA_{2}β is a new ferroptosis regulator, and its mutations may be implicated in PD pathogenesis