A cooling rate constraint on microtextural development of plagioclase and scapolite: an example from the Lutzow-Holm Complex, East Antarctica

Exsolution lamellae in albite-rich plagioclase and antiphase domains in scapolite from the Lutzow-Holm Complex of East Antarctica were found under a transmission electron microscope.These micro-textures were found in the first cooling period of the three period cooling model proposed from the geochronological data. Based on these micro-textures,the cooling rate of the complex was estimated to be in a range from several to thousands K/my. These rates are concordant with those estimated from the ages of the complex

Fabrication of CsPbBr₃ Thick Films by Using a Mist Deposition Method for Highly Sensitive X-ray Detection

X-ray imaging is a valuable technique used for medical imaging and non-destructive inspection of industrial products. However, the radiation may put humans at risk of developing cancer. Consequently, highly sensitive X-ray detectors, which enable X-ray imaging at a low dose rate, are required. Metal halide perovskite materials have demonstrated excellent X-ray detection performance including a high sensitivity owing to their high absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility, and long carrier lifetime. However, perovskite thick films with a large area, which is essential to realize the application of such materials to X-ray imaging devices have not been extensively investigated. To this end, in this study, a polymer is employed as a buffer layer to avoid film exfoliation, which makes it difficult to fabricate perovskite thick films, and a 110-μm-thick CsPbBr₃ film is successfully obtained using a scalable solution method. In addition, an X-ray detector based on the CsPbBr₃ thick film is fabricated, which demonstrates a sensitivity of 11, 840 μC Gyair⁻¹ cm⁻². This sensitivity is approximately 600 times higher than that of the existing commercial a-Se X-ray detectors

One-Step Coating of Full-Coverage CsPbBr₃ Thin Films via Mist Deposition for All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells

In this work, one-step coating of CsPbBr₃ thin films using the mist deposition method is demonstrated. The CsPbBr₃ layer is composed of large grains with an average size of approximately 1.4 μm, and it fully covers the substrate surface, unlike the layers prepared by conventional one-step spin-coating methods, so that efficient carrier transport is realized. Carbon-based CsPbBr₃ perovskite solar cells (PSCs) fabricated using the mist deposition method exhibit a stabilized power conversion efficiency of 7.7%, which is a record value for carbon-based CsPbBr₃ PSCs prepared via a one-step solution process

Expression and intracellular localization of FKHRL1 in mammary gland neoplasms.

FKHRL1 (FOXO3a), a member of the Forkhead family of genes, has been considered to be involved in the development of breast tumors; however, the in vivo expression and activation status of FKHRL1 in breast tumors still remains unclear. We immunohistochemically demonstrated the expression and intracellular localization of FKHRL1 in human breast tumors by the novel anti-FKHRL1 antibody which is available for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens. In a total of 51 cases of benign tumors, FKHRL1 was diffusely expressed in all cases, and its intracellular localization was revealed to be cytoplasmic (inactive form) in 94% of cases of intraductal papillomas (16/17) and 91% cases of fibroadenomas (31/34), with a similar pattern to normal glandular epithelium. In invasive ductal carcinomas, 83% of the cases (93/112) diffusely expressed FKHRL1; however, unlike benign tumors, 71% of the cases (66/93) showed the nuclear-targeted, active form of FKHRL1. Moreover, activated FKHRL1 was predominantly observed in scirrhous (29/36, 81% of the cases) and papillotubular (30/38, 79% of the cases) subtypes, compared to the solid-tubular subtype (7/19, 37% of the cases). Furthermore, the cases with nuclear-targeted FKHRL1 showed a tendency to have lymph nodal metastasis with statistical significance (P < 0.0001). Thus, the activation of FKHRL1 seems to be recognized as one of the specific features of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.</p

Electrodeposition and anodization of Al-TiO2 composite coatings for enhanced photocatalytic activity

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of a new process for the fabrication of Al-based composite coatings containing TiO₂ particles with high photocatalytic activity. In the first step of this process, Al-TiO₂ composite coatings were electrodeposited in a dimethyl sulfone-aluminum chloride bath with suspended TiO₂ particles yielding Al-matrix composite coatings with uniformly dispersed TiO₂ particles. Subsequently, the electrodeposited Al-TiO₂ composite coatings were anodized in oxalic aqueous solution. Through this anodization step, the Al matrix was converted into an alumina layer with many nanopores extending from the surface of the coating toward the substrate. As a consequence, a porous alumina layer supporting TiO₂ particles was formed. The photocatalytic activity of the anodized composite coatings was confirmed to be higher than that of the as-deposited coatings

The Toll-like Receptor Protein Rp105 Regulates Lipopolysaccharide Signaling in B Cells

The susceptibility to infections induced by Gram-negative bacteria is largely determined by innate immune responses to bacteria cell wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The stimulation of B cells by LPS enhances their antigen-presenting capacity and is accompanied by B cell proliferation and secretion of large quantities of LPS-neutralizing antibodies. Similar to macrophages and neutrophils, the LPS-induced activation of B cells is dependent on Toll-like receptor (TLR)4. Here, we demonstrate that the responses of B cells to LPS are also regulated by another TLR protein, RP105, which is predominantly expressed on mature B cells in mice and humans. The analysis of mice homozygous for the null mutation in the RP105 gene revealed impaired proliferative and humoral immune responses of RP105-deficient B cells to LPS. Using originally LPS-unresponsive Ba/F3 cells expressing exogenous TLR4 and RP105, we demonstrate the functional cooperation between TLR4 and RP105 in LPS-induced nuclear factor κB activation. These data suggest the existence of the TLR4–RP105 signaling module in the LPS-induced B cell activation

Surface Chemistry, Microstructure, and Tribological Properties of Cubic Boron Nitride Films

This report deals with the surface chemistry, microstructure, bonding state, morphology, and friction and wear properties of cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films that were synthesized by magnetically enhanced plasma ion plating. Several analytical techniques - x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and surface profilometry - were used to characterize the films. Sliding friction experiments using a ball-on-disk configuration were conducted for the c-BN films in sliding contact with 440C stainless-steel balls at room temperature in ultrahigh vacuum (pressure, 10(exp -6), in ambient air, and under water lubrication. Results indicate that the boron-to-nitrogen ratio on the surface of the as-deposited c-BN film is greater than 1 and that not all the boron is present as boron nitride but a small percentage is present as an oxide. Both in air and under water lubrication, the c-BN film in sliding contact with steel showed a low wear rate, whereas a high wear rate was observed in vacuum. In air and under water lubrication, c-BN exhibited wear resistance superior to that of amorphous boron nitride, titanium nitride, and titanium carbide