Development of Assembly Robot System for Flexible Belt-Shaped Subject

We develop an assembly robot system for assembling the flexible belt-shaped subject. An image processing method is developed to recognize the belt-shaped subject. This method is able to determine the grasping point and grasping angle for piking up a subject by a multiple hands unit. CAD information is used to determine the grasping point. The multiple hands unit is developed, which is able to grasp all grasping points of a subject at a time. In addition, the image processing method is used to judge whether a subject is fastened accurately at right position or not during the assembly

Measuring the Broad-band X-Ray Spectrum from 400 eV to 40 keV in the Southwest Part of the Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7-3946

We report on results from Suzaku broadband X-ray observations of the southwest part of the Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) RX J1713.7-3946 with an energy coverage of 0.4-40 keV. The X-ray spectrum, presumably of synchrotron origin, is known to be completely lineless, making this SNR ideally suited for a detailed study of the X-ray spectral shape formed through efficient particle acceleration at high speed shocks. With a sensitive hard X-ray measurement from the HXD PIN on board Suzaku, we determine the hard X-ray spectrum in the 12--40 keV range to be described by a power law with photon index Gamma = 3.2+/- 0.2, significantly steeper than the soft X-ray index of Gamma = 2.4+/- 0.05 measured previously with ASCA and other missions. We find that a simple power law fails to describe the full spectral range of 0.4-40 keV and instead a power-law with an exponential cutoff with hard index Gamma = 1.50+/- 0.09 and high-energy cutoff epsilon_c = 1.2+/- 0.3 keV formally provides an excellent fit over the full bandpass. If we use the so-called SRCUT model, as an alternative model, it gives the best-fit rolloff energy of epsilon_{roll} = 0.95+/- 0.04 keV. Together with the TeV gamma-ray spectrum ranging from 0.3 to 100 TeV obtained recently by HESS observations, our Suzaku observations of RX J1713.7-3946 provide stringent constraints on the highest energy particles accelerated in a supernova shock.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (PASJ

Expression and localization of P1 promoter-driven hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α) isoforms in human and rats

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α; NR2A1) is an orphan member of the nuclear receptor superfamily involved in various processes that could influence endoderm development, glucose and lipid metabolism. A loss-of-function mutation in human HNF4α causes one form of diabetes mellitus called maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 1 (MODY1) which is characterized in part by a diminished insulin secretory response to glucose. The expression of HNF4α in a variety of tissues has been examined predominantly at the mRNA level, and there is little information regarding the cellular localization of the endogenous HNF4α protein, due, in part, to the limited availability of human HNF4α-specific antibodies. RESULTS: Monoclonal antibodies have been produced using baculovirus particles displaying gp64-HNF4α fusion proteins as the immunizing agent. The mouse anti-human HNF4α monoclonal antibody (K9218) generated against human HNF4α1/α2/α3 amino acids 3–49 was shown to recognize not only the transfected and expressed P1 promoter-driven HNF4α proteins, but also endogenous proteins. Western blot analysis with whole cell extracts from Hep G2, Huh7 and Caco-2 showed the expression of HNF4α protein, but HEK293 showed no expression of HNF4α protein. Nuclear-specific localization of the HNF4α protein was observed in the hepatocytes of liver cells, proximal tubular epithelial cells of kidney, and mucosal epithelial cells of small intestine and colon, but no HNF4α protein was detected in the stomach, pancreas, glomerulus, and distal and collecting tubular epithelial cells of kidney. The same tissue distribution of HNF4α protein was observed in humans and rats. Electron microscopic immunohistochemistry showed a chromatin-like localization of HNF4α in the liver and kidney. As in the immunohistochemical investigation using K9218, HNF4α mRNA was found to be localized primarily to liver, kidney, small intestine and colon by RT-PCR and GeneChip analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that this method has the potential to produce valuable antibodies without the need for a protein purification step. Immunohistochemical studies indicate the tissue and subcellular specific localization of HNF4α and demonstrate the utility of K9218 for the detection of P1 promoter-driven HNF4α isoforms in humans and in several other mammalian species

Soft Gamma-ray Detector for the ASTRO-H Mission

ASTRO-H is the next generation JAXA X-ray satellite, intended to carry instruments with broad energy coverage and exquisite energy resolution. The Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) is one of ASTRO-H instruments and will feature wide energy band (40-600 keV) at a background level 10 times better than the current instruments on orbit. SGD is complimentary to ASTRO-H's Hard X-ray Imager covering the energy range of 5-80 keV. The SGD achieves low background by combining a Compton camera scheme with a narrow field-of-view active shield where Compton kinematics is utilized to reject backgrounds. The Compton camera in the SGD is realized as a hybrid semiconductor detector system which consists of silicon and CdTe (cadmium telluride) sensors. Good energy resolution is afforded by semiconductor sensors, and it results in good background rejection capability due to better constraints on Compton kinematics. Utilization of Compton kinematics also makes the SGD sensitive to the gamma-ray polarization, opening up a new window to study properties of gamma-ray emission processes. The ASTRO-H mission is approved by ISAS/JAXA to proceed to a detailed design phase with an expected launch in 2014. In this paper, we present science drivers and concept of the SGD instrument followed by detailed description of the instrument and expected performance.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

Reciprocal Roles for CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Protein (C/EBP) and PU.1 Transcription Factors in Langerhans Cell Commitment

Myeloid progenitor cells give rise to a variety of progenies including dendritic cells. However, the mechanism controlling the diversification of myeloid progenitors into each progeny is largely unknown. PU.1 and CCAAT/enhancing binding protein (C/EBP) family transcription factors have been characterized as key regulators for the development and function of the myeloid system. However, the roles of C/EBP transcription factors have not been fully identified because of functional redundancy among family members. Using high titer–retroviral infection, we demonstrate that a dominant-negative C/EBP completely blocked the granulocyte–macrophage commitment of human myeloid progenitors. Alternatively, Langerhans cell (LC) commitment was markedly facilitated in the absence of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, a strong inducer of LC development, whereas expression of wild-type C/EBP in myeloid progenitors promoted granulocytic differentiation, and completely inhibited TNFα-dependent LC development. On the other hand, expression of wild-type PU.1 in myeloid progenitors triggered LC development in the absence of TNFα, and its instructive effect was canceled by coexpressed C/EBP. Our findings establish reciprocal roles for C/EBP and PU.1 in LC development, and provide new insight into the molecular mechanism of LC development, which has not yet been well characterized

Development of Gas Multiplier Counters (GMCs) Onboard the 6U CubeSat X-Ray Observatory NinjaSat

We report the development of Gas Multiplier Counters (GMCs) onboard the 6U CubeSat X-ray observatory NinjaSat, scheduled to be launched in October 2023. GMC is a 1U-size non-imaging gas X-ray detector sensitive to 2–50 keV X-rays, and two identical GMCs are mounted on NinjaSat. GMC consists of a gas cell filled with a xenon/argon/dimethyl ether (75%/24%/1%) gas mixture with a pressure of 1.2 atm at 0◦C, a high voltage supply and analog signal processing board, a digital signal processing board, an X-ray collimator of a 2.1◦ field of view, and an iron-55 calibration source. The most significant feature of the GMC is its large effective area of 32 cm2 at 6 keV, which is more than two orders of magnitude larger than the X-ray detectors onboard previously launched CubeSats. We have achieved this at a low cost and in a short development time by employing a gas detector that can easily increase its effective area and using a space-proven gas electron multiplier. GMC was characterized with X-rays from an X-ray generator in a laboratory and monochromatic X-rays on the BL-14A beamline at the KEK synchrotron radiation facility. In this paper, we present the design of GMC and the preliminary results of the detector calibration

NinjaSat: 6U CubeSat Observatory for Bright X-Ray Sources

NinjaSat is a 6U CubeSat observatory designed for long-term monitoring of bright X-ray sources, such as binary systems between normal stars and black holes or neutron stars. NinjaSat is the first Japanese CubeSat dedicated to astronomical observation, and it is also a mission to demonstrate that even a small satellite, which can be developed quickly and inexpensively, unlike large satellites, can perform excellent scientific observations. NinjaSat realizes the world’s highest X-ray sensitivity in CubeSat missions by using gas X-ray detectors filling the entire space allocated for science payloads. The fabrication of the flight model payloads began in 2021, and testing at the payload component level was completed in August 2022; as of April 2023, the payloads were integrated into the Nano Avionics 6U bus (M6P) in Lithuania. After four months of testing, the payload will be stored in the Exolaunch deployer in August and launched by the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission in October 2023. This paper will describe the scientific objectives, satellite structure, payloads, and operations of NinjaSat

Development of Radiation Belt Monitors for the 6U CubeSat X-Ray Observatory NinjaSat

NinjaSat is a 6U CubeSat-sized X-ray observatory to be launched into the low Earth orbit at an altitude of 550 km, and is scheduled for launch this October. NinjaSat is equipped with two 1U-sized gas X-ray detectors (GMC) and is expected to operate mainly for astronomical observations of bright X-ray objects in the sky, such as neutron stars and black holes. Since high voltages are applied to the gas cells of GMC, two radiation belt monitors (RBM) will also be installed to protect GMC from electrical discharges potentially caused by excessively high rate of charged particles. NinjaSat RBM will play a fail-safe function in the voltage suppression operation of GMC in the auroral zone and South Atlantic Anomaly, and also protect GMC from charged particles such as protons and electrons that arrive unexpectedly due to solar flares or other low-Earth orbit radiation events. RBM uses a 9 mm x 9 mm Si-PIN photodiode as a charged particle sensor. By taking advantage of the difference in sensor response to protons and electrons, the sensor is designed to simultaneously count charged particle rates at multiple energy thresholds so that GMC protection function will operate even if either the proton or electron rate increases. RBM can count up to about 10 kcps with almost no loss of counts, and proton beam tests have confirmed that the response performance is sufficient to protect GMC against excessively high charged particle rates above 10 Mcps without choking the circuitry. The flight models of the RBM have passed the thermal vacuum and vibration tests last year. The developed RBM occupies only about 6% of the 1U CubeSat size in volume and weighs only 70g. In addition, since the RBM uses inexpensive, commercially available sensors, it could be installed on small satellites other than NinjaSat with relatively small development resources