O~(n^{1/3})-Space Algorithm for the Grid Graph Reachability Problem

The directed graph reachability problem takes as input an n-vertex directed graph G=(V,E), and two distinguished vertices s and t. The problem is to determine whether there exists a path from s to t in G. This is a canonical complete problem for class NL. Asano et al. proposed an O~(sqrt{n}) space and polynomial time algorithm for the directed grid and planar graph reachability problem. The main result of this paper is to show that the directed graph reachability problem restricted to grid graphs can be solved in polynomial time using only O~(n^{1/3}) space

Isoxaben analogs inhibit chitin synthesis in the cultured integument of the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis

Benzoylphenylureas (BPUs) were discovered as novel type insecticides about a half century ago; many analogs have been launched as insecticides and acaricides. BPUs are known to inhibit chitin synthesis in insects and other arthropods, but they have no effect against microorganisms such as fungi. We designed new chitin synthesis inhibitors based on the hypothesis that biomolecules that play important roles in cellulose and chitin biosynthesis are similar. In the full automatic modeling system (FAMS), the cellulose synthase was selected as a template three-dimensional structure. Thus, we focused on the structure of cellulose synthase inhibitor, isoxaben, to develop new chemistry. The 1, 1-diethylethyl [-C(CH₃)(CH₂CH₃)₂] group of isoxaben was changed to a 4-substituted phenyl group bearing Cl, Et, or Ph. These compounds significantly inhibited chitin synthesis in the cultured integument of the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis. The activity of the 4-ethylphenyl analog was enhanced 30-fold by adding piperonyl butoxide to the culture medium

Generation of wavelength-tunable few-cycle pulses in the mid-infrared at repetition rates up to 10 kHz

We demonstrate a compact and tunable mid-infrared light source that provides carrier-envelope-phase (CEP)-locked pulses at repetition rates from 500 Hz to 10 kHz. The seed pulses were generated by intra-pulse difference frequency mixing of the output of an Yb:KGW regenerative amplifier that had been spectrally broadened by continuum generation using multiple plates. Then, a two-stage optical parametric amplifier was used to obtain output energies of about 100 µJ/pulse for center wavelengths between 2.8 and 3.5 µm. Owing to the intense pulse energies, it was possible to compress the multi-cycle pulses down to two-cycle pulses using YAG and Si plates

An O(n 1 2 +ɛ)-Space and Polynomial-Time Algorithm for Directed Planar Reachability

Abstract—We show that the reachability problem over directed planar graphs can be solved simultaneously in polynomial time and approximately O ( √ n) space. In contrast, the best space bound known for the reachability problem on general directed graphs with polynomial running time is O(n/2 √ log n Keywords-reachability, directed planar graph, sublinear space, polynomial time I

Superconductivity in a van der Waals layered quasicrystal

van der Waals (vdW) layered transition-metal chalcogenides are attracting significant attention owing to their fascinating physical properties. This group of materials consists of abundant members with various elements, having a variety of different structures. However, all vdW layered materials studied to date have been limited to crystalline materials, and the physical properties of vdW layered quasicrystals have not yet been reported. Here, we report on the discovery of superconductivity in a vdW layered quasicrystal of Ta1.6Te. The electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat of the Ta1.6Te quasicrystal fabricated by reaction sintering, unambiguously validated the occurrence of bulk superconductivity at a transition temperature of ~1 K. This discovery can pioneer new research on assessing the physical properties of vdW layered quasicrystals as well as two-dimensional quasicrystals; moreover, it paves the way toward new frontiers of superconductivity in thermodynamically stable quasicrystals, which has been the predominant challenge facing condensed matter physics since the discovery of quasicrystals almost four decades ago

Interference effects in high-order harmonics from colloidal perovskite nanocrystals excited by an elliptically polarized laser

Halide perovskite nanocrystals are suitable materials for photonic devices because their highly efficient luminescence can be tuned over a wide wavelength range by changing the nanocrystal composition and size. Here, we report on the high-order harmonic generation in a solution-processed perovskite CsPbBr₃ nanocrystal film that is excited by a strong midinfrared laser. We observe harmonics up to the 13th order, which is ultraviolet light well above the band-gap energy. By using elliptically polarized laser light, we analyze the influence of the sample structure on the intensity of the 5th harmonic. It is also found that the randomness in the orientation of the nanocrystals in the film induces a reduction in the harmonic intensities due to the interference among the harmonics emitted from nanocrystals with different phases. Our observation of high-order harmonics from nanocrystal films opens a way towards the development of an intensity modulator that can be tuned simply by changing the excitation ellipticity

Effect of riboflavin deficiency on development of the cerebral cortex in Slc52a3 knockout mice

Riboflavin transporter 3 (RFVT3), encoded by the SLC52A3 gene, is important for riboflavin homeostasis in the small intestine, kidney, and placenta. Our previous study demonstrated that Slc52a3 knockout (Slc52a3−/−) mice exhibited neonatal lethality and metabolic disorder due to riboflavin deficiency. Here, we investigated the influence of Slc52a3 gene disruption on brain development using Slc52a3−/− embryos. Slc52a3−/− mice at postnatal day 0 showed hypoplasia of the brain and reduced thickness of cortical layers. At embryonic day 13.5, the formation of Tuj1+ neurons and Tbr2+ intermediate neural progenitors was significantly decreased; no significant difference was observed in the total number and proliferative rate of Pax6+ radial glia. Importantly, the hypoplastic phenotype was rescued upon riboflavin supplementation. Thus, it can be concluded that RFVT3 contributes to riboflavin homeostasis in embryos and that riboflavin itself is required during embryonic development of the cerebral cortex in mice

Liver-specific γ-glutamyl carboxylase-deficient mice display bleeding diathesis and short life span

Liver-Specific γ-Glutamyl Carboxylase-Deficient Mice Display Bleeding Diathesis and Short Life Span. Azuma K, Tsukui T, Ikeda K, Shiba S, Nakagawa K, et al. PLOS ONE. 2014. 9(2) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.008864

Astrometry of H2_2O masers in the massive star--forming region IRAS 06061+2151 with VERA

We measured the trigonometric annual parallax of H$_2$O maser source associated with the massive star-forming regions IRAS 06061+2151 with VERA. The annual parallax of $0.496\pm0.031$ mas corresponding to a distance of $2.02^{+0.13}_{-0.12}$ kpc was obtained by 10 epochs of observations from 2007 October to 2009 September. This distance was obtained with a higher accuracy than the photometric distance previously measured, and places IRAS 06061+2151 in the Perseus spiral arm. We found that IRAS 06061+2151 also has a peculiar motion of larger than 15 km s$^{-1}$ counter to the Galactic rotation. That is similar to five sources in the Perseus spiral arm, whose parallaxes and proper motions have already been measured with higher accuracy. Moreover, these sources move at on average 27 km s$^{-1}$ toward the Galactic center and counter to the Galactic rotation.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted to PAS