41 research outputs found
Edge state on hydrogen-terminated graphite edges investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy
The edge states that emerge at hydrogen-terminated zigzag edges embedded in
dominant armchair edges of graphite are carefully investigated by
ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements. The edge
states at the zigzag edges have different spatial distributions dependent on
the - or -site edge carbon atoms. In the case that the defects
consist of a short zigzag (or a short Klein) edge, the edge state is present
also near the defects. The amplitude of the edge state distributing around the
defects in an armchair edge often has a prominent hump in a direction
determined by detailed local atomic structure of the edge. The tight binding
calculation based on the atomic arrangements observed by STM reproduces the
observed spatial distributions of the local density of states.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, accepted for Physical Review
Observation of zigzag and armchair edges of graphite using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy
The presence of structure-dependent edge states of graphite is revealed by
both ambient- and ultra-highvacuum- (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) /
scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) observations. On a hydrogenated zigzag
(armchair) edge, bright spots are (are not) observed together with (SQRT(3) by
SQRT(3))R30 superlattice near the Fermi level (V_S = −30 mV for a peak of
the local density of states (LDOS)) under UHV, demonstrating that a zigzag edge
is responsible for the edge states, although there is no appreciable difference
between as-prepared zigzag and armchair edges in air. Even in hydrogenated
armchair edge, however, bright spots are observed at defect points, at which
partial zigzag edges are created in the armchair edge.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, contents for experimental/theoretical reseachers,
accepted as an issue of Physical Review B (PRB
STM observation of the quantum interference effect in finite-sized graphite
Superperiodic patterns were observed by STM on two kinds of finite-sized
graphene sheets. One is nanographene sheets inclined from a highly oriented
pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) substrate and the other is several-layer-thick
graphene sheets with dislocation-network structures against a HOPG substrate.
As for the former, the in-plane periodicity increased gradually in the
direction of inclination, and it is easily changed by attachment of a
nanographite flake on the nanographene sheets. The oscillation pattern can be
explained by the interference of electron waves confined in the inclined
nanographene sheets. As for the latter, patterns and their corrugation
amplitudes depended on the bias voltage and on the terrace height from the HOPG
substrate. The interference effect by the perturbed and unperturbed waves in
the overlayer is responsible for the patterns whose local density of states
varies in space.Comment: 11 pages; 2 figures; accepted for publication in J. Phys. Chem.
Solids; ISIC1
Different histological types of non-small cell lung cancer have distinct folate and DNA methylation levels
金沢大学がん研究所分子標的がん医療研究開発センターAberrant DNA methylation is a commonly observed epigenetic change in lung cancer. Folate has been suggested to play a role in the homeostasis of DNA methylation and has also been implicated in cancer chemotherapy. We investigated a possible role for folate in DNA methylation by measuring folate concentrations in tumors and adjacent normal tissues from 72 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. These were compared to DNA methylation levels and to clinicopathological features. Folate concentrations were determined as the sum of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate and tetrahydrofolate. The MethyLight assay was used to quantitate methylation in promoter regions of P16(CDKN2A), APC, CDH13, RARB, RASSF1, RUNX3, and MYOD1. Methylation of LINE-1 repeats was used as a surrogate for global methylation. Folate levels in tumors correlated positively with LINE-1, CDH13, and RUNX3 methylation. Folate concentrations and methylation of LINE-1, RASSF1, and RUNX3 were significantly higher in adenocarcinoma compared to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Two sets of array-based data retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus consistently showed that expression of FOLR1, a folate transport enzyme, and GGH, an enzyme that prevents folate retention, were higher and lower, respectively, in adenocarcinomas compared to SCC. This was independently validated by quantitative RT-PCR in 26 adenocarcinomas and 13 SCC. Our results suggest that folate metabolism plays a role in aberrant DNA methylation in NSCLC. The histological subtype differences in folate concentration and DNA methylation observed here were associated with distinct expression patterns for folate metabolizing enzymes. These findings may have clinical applications for histology-directed chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine and anti-folates in NSCLC. © 2009 Japanese Cancer Association
STM observation of electronic wave interference effect in finite-sized graphite with dislocation-network structures
Superperiodic patterns near a step edge were observed by STM on
several-layer-thick graphite sheets on a highly oriented pyrolitic graphite
substrate, where a dislocation network is generated at the interface between
the graphite overlayer and the substrate. Triangular- and rhombic-shaped
periodic patterns whose periodicities are around 100 nm were observed on the
upper terrace near the step edge. In contrast, only outlines of the patterns
similar to those on the upper terrace were observed on the lower terrace. On
the upper terrace, their geometrical patterns gradually disappeared and became
similar to those on the lower terrace without any changes of their periodicity
in increasing a bias voltage. By assuming a periodic scattering potential at
the interface due to dislocations, the varying corrugation amplitudes of the
patterns can be understood as changes in LDOS as a result of the beat of
perturbed and unperturbed waves, i.e. the interference in an overlayer. The
observed changes in the image depending on an overlayer height and a bias
voltage can be explained by the electronic wave interference in the ultra-thin
overlayer distorted under the influence of dislocation-network structures.Comment: 8 pages; 6 figures; Paper which a part of cond-mat/0311068 is
disscussed in detai
Factors considered by medical students when formulating their specialty preferences in Japan: findings from a qualitative study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little research addresses how medical students develop their choice of specialty training in Japan. The purpose of this research was to elucidate factors considered by Japanese medical students when formulating their specialty choice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted qualitative interviews with 25 Japanese medical students regarding factors influencing specialty preference and their views on roles of primary versus specialty care. We qualitatively analyzed the data to identify factors students consider when developing specialty preferences, to understand their views about primary and subspecialty care, and to construct models depicting the pathways to specialization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Students mention factors such as illness in self or close others, respect for family member in the profession, preclinical experiences in the curriculum such as labs and dissection, and aspects of patient care such as the clinical atmosphere, charismatic role models, and doctor-patient communication as influential on their specialty preferences. Participating students could generally distinguish between subspecialty care and primary care, but not primary care and family medicine. Our analysis yields a "Two Career" model depicting how medical graduates can first train for hospital-based specialty practice, and then switch to mixed primary/specialty care outpatient practice years later without any requirement for systematic training in principles of primary care practice.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Preclinical and clinical experiences as well as role models are reported by Japanese students as influential factors when formulating their specialty preferences. Student understanding of family medicine as a discipline is low in Japan. Students with ultimate aspirations to practice outpatient primary care medicine do not need to commit to systematic primary care training after graduation. The Two Career model of specialization leaves the door open for medical graduates to enter primary care practice at anytime regardless of post-graduate residency training choice.</p
Impact of an energy-conserving strategy on succinate production under weak acidic and anaerobic conditions in Enterobacter aerogenes
Reducing Radiation Exposure to the Head and Neck Region during Maxillary Incisors Imaging Using a Limited Cone-beam X-ray CT
Restricted Expression of Shiga Toxin Binding Sites on Mucosal Epithelium of Mouse Distal Colon
Shiga toxins (Stx) are some of the major virulence factors of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli strains such as serotype O157:H7. To explore how Stx might initially gain access to the bloodstream from sites of infection, frozen sections of mouse colon were immunohistochemically examined for binding sites for recombinant binding subunits (Stx1B). Binding sites were selectively expressed on the epithelium in the distal half of the mouse colon, whereas the proximal half did not exhibit any binding sites. In agreement with this observation, we also demonstrated the distal-part-restricted distribution of glycolipids that bind to Stx1B in the mouse colon. For comparison, the binding sites of several control lectins were also examined. Selective binding to the distal part of the colon was not seen with any other control lectins, including Griffonia simplicifolia lectin-I isolectin B4 (GS-I-B4), which shares α-galactose specificity with Stx1B. Partial overlapping of the specificities of Stx1B and GS-I-B4 was seen by assay with globotriose-conjugated multivalent ligands. The results indicate that Stx1B is stricter in the recognition of carbohydrate determinants than GS-I-B4 when examined with biological ligands