Study on sound absorption materials/structures and their performance （吸音材料・構造の開発とその性能評価に関する研究）

信州大学(Shinshu university)博士（工学）この博士論文は、次の学術雑誌論文を一部に使用しています。 / ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 9(31) :26400-26406(2017); doi:10.1021/acsami.7b06303 © 2017 American Chemical Society/ Textile Research Journal 91(21-22) :2508-2517(2021); doi:10.1177/00405175211006675 / Journal of Power Sources 564(30) :232851(2023); doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2023.232851 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.ThesisYANG WENDAN. Study on sound absorption materials/structures and their performance （吸音材料・構造の開発とその性能評価に関する研究）. 信州大学, 2023, 博士論文. 博士（工学）, 甲第810号, 令和04年09月30日授与.doctoral thesi

The Impact of Internationalization on Teaching and Learning: A Qualitative Exploratory Extreme Case Study in a Business PhD Program at an American Public Research University

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

Chinese Doctoral Student Socialization in the United States: A Qualitative Study

Although international students annually contribute billions of dollars to the US economy, meaningful intercultural interaction between international students, peers, and faculty is often missing at US host campuses. Feelings of isolation, loneliness, and alienation are pervasive among international students at US campuses; these feelings can negatively impact students’ ability to engage in academic and social activities. This study is designed to explore how Chinese doctoral students socialize into a US doctoral program and how they perceive their socialization experiences. Using qualitative methods, we highlight student experiences and isolate areas of misalignment in the educational process

Structure and regulation of ZCCHC4 in m6A-methylation of 28S rRNA.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification provides an important epitranscriptomic mechanism that critically regulates RNA metabolism and function. However, how m6A writers attain substrate specificities remains unclear. We report the 3.1 Å-resolution crystal structure of human CCHC zinc finger-containing protein ZCCHC4, a 28S rRNA-specific m6A methyltransferase, bound to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine. The methyltransferase (MTase) domain of ZCCHC4 is packed against N-terminal GRF-type and C2H2 zinc finger domains and a C-terminal CCHC domain, creating an integrated RNA-binding surface. Strikingly, the MTase domain adopts an autoinhibitory conformation, with a self-occluded catalytic site and a fully-closed cofactor pocket. Mutational and enzymatic analyses further substantiate the molecular basis for ZCCHC4-RNA recognition and a role of the stem-loop structure within substrate in governing the substrate specificity. Overall, this study unveils unique structural and enzymatic characteristics of ZCCHC4, distinctive from what was seen with the METTL family of m6A writers, providing the mechanistic basis for ZCCHC4 modulation of m6A RNA methylation

Changes of breast cancer growth and metastasis in murine models modulated by an aromatase inhibitor, a low calcium diet or a high fat diet

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, the leading cause of cancer death in females worldwide, and the second in American women (after lung cancer) according to CDC. In the most advanced stage of BC, stage IV, cancer cells metastasize from the original site to distant organs, such as bone, lung and liver. Tumor metastasis is responsible for nearly all of the morbidity and mortality associated with BC. Treatments of BC fail in the advanced stage, when metastases have already occurred. To mimic late stage BC in female patients, a mouse model was utilized to create a micro-metastatic lesion by implanting a small number of metastatic murine mammary tumor cells into the marrow cavity of tibia. Subsequent lung metastasis was evaluated. Previously our group reported that estrogens and phytoestrogens stimulated BC primary tumor growth in mice. Estradiol stimulated ER negative BC metastasis in mice. Based on foregoing studies, the hypothesis of this study is that the aromatase inhibitor letrozole may inhibit BC metastases to lungs by suppressing estrogen synthesis. BC growth on the bone micro-metastatic site and lung metastases were monitored in live animals via Bioluminescence Imaging (BLI). Effects of ovariectomy and letrozole on body estradiol levels were examined. Tumor nodules on lungs stained with India ink were counted. Furthermore, tumor grown in lungs was analyzed via H&E staining and proliferative cell percentage in lung tumors was calculated via Ki-67 staining. Our results showed that ovariectomy lowered body estrogen level and increased bone tumor area and density as indicated by BLI, while letrozole inhibited BC lung metastases in mice inoculated with murine 4T1 cancer cells. In a following project, the effects of a Low Calcium Diet (LCD) on BC metastases from bone to lungs, and its effects on the bone microenvironment in mice inoculated with murine 4T1 cells were studied. Bioluminescence imaging and India ink staining were used to evaluate tumor metastasis to the lungs. India ink stained lungs showed that LCD increased tumor numbers on the surface of lungs compared with control diet. LCD also induced negative impacts on the bone microenvironment where the primary tumor grows. In the third project, the effects of a high fat diet (HFD) on BC growth and metastasis in mice inoculated with murine 4T1 or 4T1.2 BC cells were studied. HFDs have been associated with BC progression and metastasis, indicated to increase BC risk by raising estradiol level. In BALB/c mice, dietary fat was found to increase mammary tumor growth and metastasis, and increase mortality. In this study, effects of HFD on mammary ductal tumor growth and BC metastasis in mice were evaluated. Metastases from bone to visceral tissues were monitored by BLI. It is found in this project that HFD increased BC metastasis to lung and liver in mice injected with 4T1.2 cells as shown by H&E staining. Mice injected with 4T1.2 cells developed more aggressive metastasis than mice with 4T1 cells, and also had higher liver weight and more liver lipid accumulation

Dipotassium samarium(III) molybdate(VI) phosphate(V), K2Sm(MoO4)(PO4)

The title compound, K2Sm(MoO4)(PO4), has been prepared under atmospheric conditions using a high temperature solution growth (HTSG) method. The structure of K2Sm(MoO4)(PO4) is isotypic with other A 2 M(MoO4)(PO4) compounds, where A = Na or K, and M = trivalent rare earth cation. It can be described as being built up from two-dimensional anionic layers with composition [Sm(MoO4)(PO4)]2− that are stacked along the c axis and are inter­connected by K+ cations which are in an eightfold coordination by O atoms. The SmO8, MoO4 and PO4 polyhedra exhibit 2 symmetry

Behavior-oriented numerical modeling of nearshore oceanic current and application on sea harbor

590-602The West Guangdong longshore current (WG current) is a unique oceanic current system. Plenty of field survey datasets indicated that it flows uni-directionally from north-east to south-west in the entire year even during the south-west monsoon season. At present, the natural formation mechanism of the WG current remains controversial, and the traditional process-oriented modeling method could not deal with the dilemma of the scaling mismatch between the regional ocean circulation (several thousand kilometers) and harbor structure (several hundred meters). To solve this problem, in this paper, a behavior-oriented modeling concept was developed, wherein the contribution of the WG current was considered by incorporating additional net flow flux in the hydrodynamic model to separate it from the tidal currents. Through rigorous validations according to the site observed datasets, the proposed modeling concept was found to have good precision. Using the Jida Harbor as a real-life case, the modeling results showed that after the combination of the tidal current and WG current, the westward cross-flow speed in the approach channel could exceed 0.5 m/s, and at the harbor entrance the WG current induces an intense local circulation cell while ebbing, which may bring in additional maneuver risk to the ships