Mechanical path to a photogenerated structure: ball milling-induced phase transition of a gold(I) complex

Ball milling of blue-emitting crystal 1B of gold(I) isocyanide complex 1 induces a phase transition to yellow-emitting powder 1Y(G), which has the same solid structure as the previously reported 1Y obtained upon photoirradiation of 1B. This is the first example of mechanical stimulation inducing a phase change to a photo-accessible crystalline phase

Practical Applications of Microsatellite Markers in Goat Breeding

To date, the genetic loci associated with disease and economic traits have been identified in livestock based on linkage analysis or genome-wide association studies. These analyses require the use of numerous genetic markers, of which microsatellites have been utilized most extensively because they allow for the easy genotyping of allelic variation at each locus using PCR. In the domestic goat (Capra hircus), microsatellite markers are powerful tools for various genetic studies, such as the estimation of intra- and interpopulation genetic diversity, linkage analyses of phenotypic traits, and marker-assisted selection of favorable phenotypes; however, the studies on goats are less extensive than those on other major livestock. The aim of this chapter is to summarize the currently available information on goat breeding using microsatellite markers. In particular, we use various studies, including our own recent work, to illustrate how these markers may be used to identify phenotypic traits

Estimating Sway Angle of Pendulum System Using Hybrid State Observer Incorporating Continuous and Discrete Sensing Signals

This paper presents the design of a hybrid state observer that estimates the sway angle in trolley systems with a pendulum, such as overhead cranes. In the system, sway angle signals detected by angular sensors are generally used for designing the anti-sway control of the pendulum or observing the pendulum state. By contrast, in this study, a linear state observer without sensors is applied to estimate the sway angle of the pendulum. The use of a standard asymptotic state observer leads to estimation error due to the system's nonlinearities and parametric errors. This paper proposes using a hybrid state observer design that combines discrete event sensing with a linear state observer. In the hybrid state observer, the estimation performance is improved by correcting the state of the system based on the discrete sway angle and angular velocity using discrete sensing. In addition, the parametric error of the pendulum length of the system is identified using the same hybrid setting. The effectiveness of the hybrid state observer and the parametric adaptation of the pendulum length are verified by conducting experiments using a downscaled prototype of a trolley system with a pendulum.publishedVersionPaid open acces

Predicting promoter activities of primary human DNA sequences

We developed a computer program that can predict the intrinsic promoter activities of primary human DNA sequences. We observed promoter activity using a quantitative luciferase assay and generated a prediction model using multiple linear regression. Our program achieved a prediction accuracy correlation coefficient of 0.87 between the predicted and observed promoter activities. We evaluated the prediction accuracy of the program using massive sequencing analysis of transcriptional start sites in vivo. We found that it is still difficult to predict transcript levels in a strictly quantitative manner in vivo; however, it was possible to select active promoters in a given cell from the other silent promoters. Using this program, we analyzed the transcriptional landscape of the entire human genome. We demonstrate that many human genomic regions have potential promoter activity, and the expression of some previously uncharacterized putatively non-protein-coding transcripts can be explained by our prediction model. Furthermore, we found that nucleosomes occasionally formed open chromatin structures with RNA polymerase II recruitment where the program predicted significant promoter activities, although no transcripts were observed

Down-regulation of GATA1-dependent erythrocyte-related genes in the spleens of mice exposed to a space travel

Secondary lymphoid organs are critical for regulating acquired immune responses. The aim of this study was to characterize the impact of spaceflight on secondary lymphoid organs at the molecular level. We analysed the spleens and lymph nodes from mice flown aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in orbit for 35 days, as part of a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency mission. During flight, half of the mice were exposed to 1 g by centrifuging in the ISS, to provide information regarding the effect of microgravity and 1 g exposure during spaceflight. Whole-transcript cDNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of the spleen suggested that erythrocyte-related genes regulated by the transcription factor GATA1 were significantly down-regulated in ISS-flown vs. ground control mice. GATA1 and Tal1 (regulators of erythropoiesis) mRNA expression was consistently reduced by approximately half. These reductions were not completely alleviated by 1 g exposure in the ISS, suggesting that the combined effect of space environments aside from microgravity could down-regulate gene expression in the spleen. Additionally, plasma immunoglobulin concentrations were slightly altered in ISS-flown mice. Overall, our data suggest that spaceflight might disturb the homeostatic gene expression of the spleen through a combination of microgravity and other environmental changes