Data-driven Exploration of New Pressure-induced Superconductivity in PbBi2_2Te4_4 with Two Transition Temperatures

Candidates compounds for new thermoelectric and superconducting materials, which have narrow band gap and flat bands near band edges, were exhaustively searched by the high-throughput first-principles calculation from an inorganic materials database named AtomWork. We focused on PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ which has the similar electronic band structure and the same crystal structure with those of a pressure-induced superconductor SnBi2Se4 explored by the same data-driven approach. The PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ was successfully synthesized as single crystals using a melt and slow cooling method. The core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed Pb2+, Bi3+ and Te2- valence states in PbBi$_2$Te$_4$. The thermoelectric properties of the PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ sample were measured at ambient pressure and the electrical resistivity was also evaluated under high pressure using a diamond anvil cell with boron-doped diamond electrodes. The resistivity decreased with increase of the pressure, and two pressure-induced superconducting transitions were discovered at 3.4 K under 13.3 GPa and at 8.4 K under 21.7 GPa. The data-driven approach shows promising power to accelerate the discovery of new thermoelectric and superconducting materials

An Application of the Simulated Annealing to the Calculation of a Combined Mode Choice and Route Choice Network Equilibrium Model with Road Travel Time Uncertainty

金沢大学理工研究域　環境デザイン学系Travel time of public transport such as railway and Light Rail Transit (LRT) is more reliable than road traffic. When assessing the effect of railway transits, the reliability should be considered. Otherwise, the effect may be underestimated. Then, we should not only treat both transit and road users simultaneously and consistently, but also travel time uncertainty of cars and the reliability (or punctuality) of railway for exact evaluation. A network equilibrium model with combined mode and route choice considering road travel time uncertainty does not necessarily have a unique solution, but may have many local solutions, because of the interaction between modes. The simulated annealing is one of the useful techniques to such a problem, to the calculation of the network equilibrium model with combined mode and route choice. In this paper, we apply the network equilibrium model proposed to the Kanazawa urban area using the simulated annealing technique

Semi-dynamic traffic assignment model with mode and route choices under stochastic travel times

Transportation network conditions vary significantly during the course of a day. In many urban areas, public transit and (private) automobiles constitute the actual forms of transportation that use such networks. Public transportation by rail is more reliable than by automobiles or buses; therefore, ordinary static and deterministic traffic assignment models with combined mode and route choices may not be suitable to assess a transportation network that includes public railways. Moreover, within-day dynamics and reliability need to be incorporated in such a model. In this paper, we use a semi-dynamic traffic assignment model that considers within-day dynamics by improving the static traffic assignment model. In addition, stochastic travel times are incorporated into the model. Thus, we propose a semi-dynamic traffic assignment model with mode choice between public transit and automobiles, route choice with stochastic travel times, and an accompanying computing algorithm. This model enables us to assess within-day dynamics of transportation networks and travel time reliability of public railways. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Amino acid alterations in Gag that confer the ability to grow in simian cells on HIV-1 are located at a narrow CA region

We previously generated a prototype monkey-tropic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) designated NL-DT5R. This viral clone has a small region of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) within Gag capsid (CA) protein and also SIV Vif protein, but displays a poor growth phenotype in simian cells. To improve the growth potential of NL-DT5R, we have constructed a series of its gag variant viruses. Out of fourteen viral clones generated, five were infectious for simian HSC-F cells, and two of the infectious variants grew similarly with NL-DT5R. Taking their genome structures into consideration, our data here clearly show that a narrow CA region within the Gag protein, i.e., the domain around cyclophilin A (CypA)-binding loop, is critical for the growth ability of HIV-1 in simian cells

A combination of a DNA-chimera siRNA against PLK-1 and zoledronic acid suppresses the growth of malignant mesothelioma cells in vitro.

Although novel agents effective against malignant mesothelioma (MM) have been developed, the prognosis of patients with MM is still poor. We generated a DNA-chimeric siRNA against polo-like kinase-1 (PLK-1), which was more stable in human serum than the non-chimeric siRNA. The chimeric PLK-1 siRNA inhibited MM cell proliferation through the induction of apoptosis. Next, we investigated the effects of zoledronic acid (ZOL) on MM cells, and found that ZOL also induced apoptosis in MM cells. Furthermore, ZOL augmented the inhibitory effects of the PLK-1 siRNA. In conclusion, combining a PLK-1 siRNA with ZOL treatment is an attractive strategy against MM

Dry swing training with a light bat increases bat speed

Baseball training usually includes dry swing training to improve batting ability. However, no consensus has been reached on the relationship between bat weight and the increase in post-dry swing training bat speed. We hypothesized that dry swing training with a light bat would increase post dry swing training bat speed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of dry swing training with a light bat on post dry swing training bat speed by comparing a light bat group with a heavy bat group. A total of 34 healthy male students from a university baseball team were randomly divided into a light bat group (n = 17) and a heavy bat group (n = 17). Subjects performed 100 dry swings per day, twice a week for eight weeks. The light bat group performed dry swing training with a 10.6 oz bat and the heavy bat group with a 38.8 oz bat. Bat speed and muscle power were measured before and after the intervention. There was no interaction between the intervention and post dry swing training bat speed, knee extension strength, shoulder horizontal flexion, or hand grip strength. There was a main effect of the intervention on post dry swing training bat speed and shoulder horizontal flexion. Bat speed increased in both groups, but without significant group differences in intervention effects. Since light bat loads in this study were very low, dry swing training with a light bat may be more effective and less strenuous

Characteristic Metabolism of Free Amino Acids in Cetacean Plasma: Cluster Analysis and Comparison with Mice

From an evolutionary perspective, the ancestors of cetaceans first lived in terrestrial environments prior to adapting to aquatic environments. Whereas anatomical and morphological adaptations to aquatic environments have been well studied, few studies have focused on physiological changes. We focused on plasma amino acid concentrations (aminograms) since they show distinct patterns under various physiological conditions. Plasma and urine aminograms were obtained from bottlenose dolphins, pacific white-sided dolphins, Risso's dolphins, false-killer whales and C57BL/6J and ICR mice. Hierarchical cluster analyses were employed to uncover a multitude of amino acid relationships among different species, which can help us understand the complex interrelations comprising metabolic adaptations. The cetacean aminograms formed a cluster that was markedly distinguishable from the mouse cluster, indicating that cetaceans and terrestrial mammals have quite different metabolic machinery for amino acids. Levels of carnosine and 3-methylhistidine, both of which are antioxidants, were substantially higher in cetaceans. Urea was markedly elevated in cetaceans, whereas the level of urea cycle-related amino acids was lower. Because diving mammals must cope with high rates of reactive oxygen species generation due to alterations in apnea/reoxygenation and ischemia-reperfusion processes, high concentrations of antioxidative amino acids are advantageous. Moreover, shifting the set point of urea cycle may be an adaption used for body water conservation in the hyperosmotic sea water environment, because urea functions as a major blood osmolyte. Furthermore, since dolphins are kept in many aquariums for observation, the evaluation of these aminograms may provide useful diagnostic indices for the assessment of cetacean health in artificial environments in the future