Structure analysis of the Ga-stabilized GaAs(001)-c(8x2) surface at high temperatures

Structure of the Ga-stabilized GaAs(001)-c(8x2) surface has been studied using rocking-curve analysis of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The c(8x2) structure emerges at temperatures higher than 600C, but is unstable with respect to the change to the (2x6)/(3x6) structure at lower temperatures. Our RHEED rocking-curve analysis at high temperatures revealed that the c(8x2) surface has the structure which is basically the same as that recently proposed by Kumpf et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3586 (2001)]. We found that the surface atomic configurations are locally fluctuated at high temperatures without disturbing the c(8x2) periodicity.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Tau phosphorylation at Alzheimer\u27s disease-related Ser356 contributes to tau stabilization when PAR-1/MARK activity is elevated.

Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is observed in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). AD-related phosphorylation of two tau residues, Ser262 and Ser356, by PAR-1/MARK stabilizes tau in the initial phase of mismetabolism, leading to subsequent phosphorylation events, accumulation, and toxicity. However, the relative contribution of phosphorylation at each of these sites to tau stabilization has not yet been elucidated. In a Drosophila model of human tau toxicity, we found that tau was phosphorylated at Ser262, but not at Ser356, and that blocking Ser262 phosphorylation decreased total tau levels. By contrast, when PAR-1 was co-overexpressed with tau, tau was hyperphosphorylated at both Ser262 and Ser356. Under these conditions, the protein levels of tau were significantly elevated, and prevention of tau phosphorylation at both residues was necessary to completely suppress this elevation. These results suggest that tau phosphorylation at Ser262 plays the predominant role in tau stabilization when PAR-1/MARK activity is normal, whereas Ser356 phosphorylation begins to contribute to this process when PAR-1/MARK activity is abnormally elevated, as in diseased brains

Influence of microenvironment on engraftment of transplanted β-cells

Pancreatic islet transplantation into the liver provides a possibility to treat selected patients with brittle type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, massive early β-cell death increases the number of islets needed to restore glucose homeostasis. Moreover, late dysfunction and death contribute to the poor long-term results of islet transplantation on insulin independence. Studies in recent years have identified early and late challenges for transplanted pancreatic islets, including an instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction when exposing human islets to the blood microenvironment in the portal vein and the low oxygenated milieu of islets transplanted into the liver. Poor revascularization of remaining intact islets combined with severe changes in the gene expression of islets transplanted into the liver contributes to late dysfunction. Strategies to overcome these hurdles have been developed, and some of these interventions are now even tested in clinical trials providing a hope to improve results in clinical islet transplantation. In parallel, experimental and clinical studies have, based on the identified problems with the liver site, evaluated the possibility of change of implantation organ in order to improve the results. Site-specific differences clearly exist in the engraftment of transplanted islets, and a more thorough characterization of alternative locations is needed. New strategies with modifications of islet microenvironment with cells and growth factors adhered to the islet surface or in a surrounding matrix could be designed to intervene with site-specific hurdles and provide possibilities to improve future results of islet transplantation

Size dependent line broadening in the emission spectra of single GaAs quantum dots: Impact of surface charges on spectral diffusion

Making use of droplet epitaxy, we systematically controlled the height of self-assembled GaAs quantum dots by more than one order of magnitude. The photoluminescence spectra of single quantum dots revealed the strong dependence of the spectral linewidth on the dot height. Tall dots with a height of ~30 nm showed broad spectral peaks with an average width as large as ~5 meV, but shallow dots with a height of ~2 nm showed resolution-limited spectral lines (<120 micro eV). The measured height dependence of the linewidths is in good agreement with Stark coefficients calculated for the experimental shape variation. We attribute the microscopic source of fluctuating electric fields to the random motion of surface charges at the vacuum-semiconductor interface. Our results offer guidelines for creating frequency-locked photon sources, which will serve as key devices for long-distance quantum key distribution.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures; updated figs and their description

Lunar International Science Coordination/Calibration Targets

A new era of international lunar exploration has begun and will expand over the next four years with data acquired from at least four sophisticated remote sensing missions: KAGUYA (SELENE) [Japan], Chang'E [China], Chandrayaan-l [India], and LRO [United States]. It is recognized that this combined activity at the Moon with modern sophisticated sensors wi II provide unprecedented new information about the Moon and will dramatically improve our understanding of Earth's nearest neighbor. It is anticipated that the blooming of scientific exploration of the Moon by nations involved in space activities will seed and foster peaceful international coordination and cooperation that will benefit all. Summarized here are eight Lunar International Science Coordination/Calibration Targets (L-ISCT) that are intended to a) allow cross-calibration of diverse multi-national instruments and b) provide a focus for training young scientists about a range of lunar science issues. The targets, discussed at several scientific forums, were selected for coordinated science and instrument calibration of orbital data. All instrument teams are encouraged to participate in a coordinated activity of early-release data that will improve calibration and validation of data across independent and diverse instruments

Mineral Chemistry and Reflectance Spectra for the Anorthosite Clast in Lunar Meteorite Dhofar 489 with Reference to Lunar Farside Crust.

第2回極域科学シンポジウム/第34回南極隕石シンポジウム 11月18日（金） 国立国語研究所 2階講

Stabilization of Microtubule-Unbound Tau via Tau Phosphorylation at Ser262/356 by Par-1/MARK Contributes to Augmentation of AD-Related Phosphorylation and Aβ42-Induced Tau Toxicity.

Abnormal accumulation of the microtubule-interacting protein tau is associated with neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). β-amyloid (Aβ) lies upstream of abnormal tau behavior, including detachment from microtubules, phosphorylation at several disease-specific sites, and self-aggregation into toxic tau species in AD brains. To prevent the cascade of events leading to neurodegeneration in AD, it is essential to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the initial events of tau mismetabolism. Currently, however, these mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, using transgenic Drosophila co-expressing human tau and Aβ, we found that tau phosphorylation at AD-related Ser262/356 stabilized microtubule-unbound tau in the early phase of tau mismetabolism, leading to neurodegeneration. Aβ increased the level of tau detached from microtubules, independent of the phosphorylation status at GSK3-targeted SP/TP sites. Such mislocalized tau proteins, especially the less phosphorylated species, were stabilized by phosphorylation at Ser262/356 via PAR-1/MARK. Levels of Ser262 phosphorylation were increased by Aβ42, and blocking this stabilization of tau suppressed Aβ42-mediated augmentation of tau toxicity and an increase in the levels of tau phosphorylation at the SP/TP site Thr231, suggesting that this process may be involved in AD pathogenesis. In contrast to PAR-1/MARK, blocking tau phosphorylation at SP/TP sites by knockdown of Sgg/GSK3 did not reduce tau levels, suppress tau mislocalization to the cytosol, or diminish Aβ-mediated augmentation of tau toxicity. These results suggest that stabilization of microtubule-unbound tau by phosphorylation at Ser262/356 via the PAR-1/MARK may act in the initial steps of tau mismetabolism in AD pathogenesis, and that such tau species may represent a potential therapeutic target for AD

Mineralogy of Inverted Pigeonite and Plagioclase in Cumulate Eucrites Y-980433 and Y-980318 with Reference to Early Crust Formation of the Vesta-like Body.

第2回極域科学シンポジウム/第34回南極隕石シンポジウム 11月18日（金） 国立国語研究所 2階講

Mineralogy of Inverted Pigeonite and Plagioclase in Cumulate Eucrites Y-980433 and Y-980318 with Reference to Early Crust Formation of the Vesta-Like Body

On July 16, the Dawn spacecraft became the first probe to enter orbit around asteroid 4 Vesta and will study the asteroid for a year before departing for Ceres. The Vesta-HED link is directly tied to the observed and inferred mineralogy of the asteroid and the mineralogy of the meteorites [1]. Pieters et al. [2] reported reflectance spectra of the Yamato- (Y-)980318 cumulate eucrite as a part of their study on the Asteroid-Meteorite Links in connection with the Dawn Mission. Pyroxenes and calcic plagioclase are the dominant minerals present in HED meteorites and provide multiple clues about how the parent body evolved [1]. The differentiation trends of HED meteorites are much simpler than those of the lunar crus