Mangrove Conservation Genetics

Symposium Pape

Characterization of Macroscopic Properties and Crystalline Defects in Neutron-Irradiated Silicon Carbide

Length change, mechanical properties, helium release behavior, ESR observation and microstructure of neutron-irradiated silicon carbide (SiC) were investigated. Changes in those properties due to annealing were also measured to clarify the relationship between crystalline defects induced by neutron irradiation and macroscopic properties. Firstly, the effects of sintering aids on irradiation and annealing behavior of three kinds of SiC ceramics were described. Swelling, starting temperature to decrease in length during annealing and recovery rate up to 1300℃ were not affected by sintering aids. On the other hand, the bending strength and length change above 1300℃ were influenced by the kind of sintering aids. Secondary, the effects of external stress on defect annihilation and bubble swelling during annealing of neutron-irradiated specimens were investigated. From those experiments, it is clarified that the decrease in length by annealing below 1300℃ was not affected by the external stress. However, annealing above 1300℃ led to an increase in length in B-containing SiC, and the compressive stress retarded the expansion along the loading direction. In the third section, the helium release behavior of neutron-irradiated SiC containing B was observed and it was clarified that the helium release rate of ceramic and its powder was different from each other. Defects characterization was carried out by ESR measurement and high-resolution electron microscopy. ESR signal related to the vacancy type defects having unpaired electrons markedly increased by higher fluence irradiation over 5x10^n/m^2, and the intensity of signal decreased with increasing annealing temperature above irradiation temperature with slightly higher rate than that of length decrease. It indicated that the vacancies with unpaired electron detected by ESR selectively disappear at lower temperature than those detected by a macroscopic length measurement. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed that very small interstitial type Flank loops lying on {111}, having a Burgers vector b=1/3, were formed in β-SiC which was heavily-neutron-irradiated in a fast reactor. Defect nuclei, a few nanometer in diameter, in hexagonal α-SiC were induced by lower doses in a thermal reactor. They are on the (0001) basal plane and have a Burgers vector b=1/6[0001]

GaInAsP/InP membrane lasers for optical interconnects

In this paper, the state-of-the art of long-wavelength GaInAsP/InP membrane semiconductor lasers, one of the most promising candidate light sources for optical interconnects and on-chip optical wiring between large-scale integrated circuits, is described. After an extensive review of research activities focused on laser preparation on either Si or Si-on-insulator substrate, the findings of our recent research activities on low power consumption lasers are presented. Specifically, our interest was set on the low-damage fabrication of strongly index-coupled grating, which is generally opted forDFB and distributed reflector (DR) lasers consisting of wire-like active regions, as well as of high index-contrast membrane waveguides. A submilliampere threshold current and a differential quantum efficiency close to 50 from the front facet were achieved in the case of the DR laser. On the other hand, a lateral current injection (LCI) structure, which can be combined with the membrane laser, was adopted for the realization of an injection-type membrane laser. The successful continuous wave operation of LCI lasers, prepared on a semiinsulating InP substrate, was achieved with moderately low threshold current at room temperature. © 2011 IEEE

Palmitate-induced Regulation of PPARγ via PGC1α: a Mechanism for Lipid Accumulation in the Liver in Non- alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract The aim was to examine the effect of free fatty acids on the regulation of PPARγ-PGC1α pathway, and the effect of PPARγ/PGC1α in NAFLD. The mRNA and protein expression of PGC1α and phospho/total PPARγ were examined in Huh7 cells after the palmitate/oleate treatment with/without the transfection with siRNA against PGC1a. The palmitate content, mRNA and protein expression of PGC1α and PPARγ in the liver were examined in the control and NAFLD mice. Palmitate (500 μM), but not oleate, increased protein expression of PGC1α and phospho PPARγ (PGC1α, 1.42-fold, P=0.038; phospho PPARγ, 1.56-fold, P=0.022). The palmitate-induced PPARγ mRNA expression was reduced after the transfection (0.46-fold), and the protein expressions of PGC1α (0.52-fold, P=0.019) and phospho PPARγ (0.43-fold, P=0.011) were suppressed in siRNA-transfected cells. The palmitate (12325.8 ± 1758.9 μg/g vs. 6245.6 ± 1182.7 μg/g, p=0.002), and mRNA expression of PGC1α (11.0 vs. 5.5, p=0.03) and PPARγ (4.3 vs. 2.2, p=0.0001) in the liver were higher in high-triglyceride liver mice (>15.2 mg/g) than in low-triglyceride liver mice (<15.2 mg/g). The protein expressions of both PGC1α and PPARγ were higher in the NAFLD group than in the controls (PGC1α, 1.41-fold, P=0.035; PPARγ, 1.39-fold, P=0.042), and were higher in the high-triglyceride liver group (PGC1α, 1.52-fold, p=0.03; PPARγ, 1.22-fold, p=0.05) than in the low-triglyceride liver group. In conclusion, palmitate appear to up-regulate PPARγ via PGC1α in Huh7 cells, and both PGC1α and PPARγ are up-regulated in the NAFLD mice liver, suggesting an effect on lipid metabolism leading to intrahepatic triglyceride accumulation