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Bqt4 affects relative movement between SPB and nucleolus in fission yeast
No full textMovement dynamics in the nucleus involve various biological processes, including DNA repair, which is crucial for cancer prevention. Changes in the movement of the components of the nucleus indicate the changes in movement dynamics in the nucleus. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the inner nuclear membrane protein Bqt4 plays an essential role in attaching telomeres to the nuclear envelope. We observed that the deletion of bqt4+ caused a significant decrease in the mean square displacement (MSD) calculated from the distance between the nucleolar center and spindle pole body (SPB), hereafter referred to as MSD(SPB-Nucleolus). The MSD(SPB-Nucleolus) decrease in bqt4Δ was microtubule-dependent. The Rap1-binding ability loss mutant, bqt4F46A, and nonspecific DNA-binding ability mutants, bqt43E-A, did not exhibit an MSD(SPB-Nucleolus) decrease compared to the WT. Moreover, the bqt43E-A rap1Δ double mutant and 1–262 amino acids truncated mutant bqt4ΔN (263–432), which does not have either Rap1-binding or nonspecific DNA-binding abilities, did not exhibit the MSD(SPB-Nucleolus) decrease to the same extent as bqt4Δ. These results suggest that the unknown function of Bqt4 in the C-terminal domain is essential for the maintenance of the pattern of relative movement between SPB and the nucleolus.MU is supported by MEXT/JSPS KAKENHI, Grant Number 23K05865, and Platform Project for Supporting in Drug Discovery and Life Science Research (Platform for Dynamic Approaches to Living System) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
How do heat waves affect the relationship between built environment patches of different compactness and land surface temperature?
No full textThe compactness of the urban built environment significantly affects land surface temperature (LST), especially during heat waves (HW). However, the mechanisms by which the configuration of key building patches in built environments of varying compactness drives LST are unclear. This study proposes a new research framework combining local climate zones (LCZ), spatial pattern type (SPT) and landscape index (LI) to reveal the impacts of key building patches on LST. Taking Shenyang as an example, we utilized the geographically weighted regression (GWR) method to reveal the non-stationary relationship between building patches with different compactness and LST during heat and non-heat waves, and an optimal parameters-based geographical detectors model (OPGDM) to explore the mechanisms by which the configuration of key building patches drives LST. The results show that HW enhances the spatially non-stationary effects of different types of building patches on LST. The configuration of key building patches in the open built environment drives LST more strongly than those in the compact built environment. The relationship between LIs and LST in key building patches exhibits diverse characteristics during heat and non-heat waves, so differentiated configuration optimization strategies are required for built environments of different compactness. The interactions of patch configurations also require emphasis, especially the patch complexity. The research findings help to formulate urban planning strategies from a climate adaptation and mitigation perspective to cope with the increasing frequency of extreme heat events.This work was supported by China Scholarship Council (grant number 202306370025)
Disentangling the contributions of shorter vs. longer lexical bundles to L2 oral fluency
No full textShorter lexical bundles (LBs) have been the central point of focus in L2 oral fluency studies, with longer LBs often being neglected. The current study examined the extent to which longer LBs vs. shorter LBs relate to aspects of oral fluency. Data were collected from 50 undergraduate L2 English learners performing three speaking tasks. We analyzed speaking performances in terms of speed, breakdown, and repair fluency, while LB (2- to 5-word) usage was measured using a combined text-internal and text-external approach. Utilizing robust multiple regression, dominance analysis, and random forest techniques, our study found a marginal positive effect of longer LB use on speed fluency, a potential negative association with the frequency of mid- and end-clause pauses, and a strong negative association with the frequency of total repair. Furthermore, the analysis uncovers the significant impacts of shorter LBs (bigrams and trigrams) on various aspects of fluency. These insights underscore the pedagogical potential of longer LBs for enhancing oral fluency, while emphasizing the necessity for a comprehensive focus on different lengths and types of multiword sequences in EFL pedagogy. Our findings could inform more effective, data-driven language teaching strategies and materials. We discuss the findings in relation to L2 speech production models and provide important suggestions for future LB-fluency research
Generating hard quadratic unconstrained binary optimization instances via the method of combining bit reduction and duplication technique
No full textQuadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) is a combinatorial optimization problem defined by an energy function that consists of a quadratic formula involving multiple binary variables. We propose the method of combing bit reduction and duplication technique that can generate hard instances of QUBO problems from any original QUBO problem without changing the size. The idea is to reduce the original QUBO problem for a specified number of bits and duplicate the same number of bits while ensuring all duplicated pair of bits take the same binary values. Experimental results show that generated QUBO instances are much hard for solving
Social gender inequality and the gender gap in the classroom: evidence from Southern and Eastern Africa
No full textThe gender gap in education is not limited to the subject of mathematics or only to be found in high-income countries, and its repercussions can have generational consequences. Previous literature has sought to explain why the gender gap persists in most high- and middle-income countries vis-à-vis social gender inequality without drawing from similarly comprehensive data from the African context with its unique gender gap landscape. This paper examines the correlation between more gender-equal countries and the gender gap in student test scores for reading, mathematics, and HIV-AIDS awareness in southern and eastern Africa. We use ordinary least squares and quantile regression to analyse student information from the SACMEQ III dataset in comparison with measurements of social gender inequality such as the Gender Inequality Index and the Global Gender Gap Index. As such, this analysis draws on data from roughly 60,000 African students and includes test scores from reading comprehension and HIV-AIDS awareness, a unique subject that is critical for health, wealth and wellbeing on the continent. Our study finds that in each subject at every quantile, the gender gap displays a robust inverse relationship with more gender-equal countries specifically demonstrating higher educational performance among girls. With youthful populations and burgeoning economies, these countries in Africa have much to gain from addressing the gender gap in education. These findings encourage policymakers to consider how the social condition of gender-equality might influence the academic performance of students, especially for girls
Conformation and Photodissociation Process of Benzo-15-Crown-5 and Benzo-18-Crown-6 Complexes with Ammonium Ions Investigated by Cold UV and IR Spectroscopy in the Gas Phase
No full textWe examined the conformation of benzo-15-crown-5 (B15C5) and benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6) complexes with ammonium ions, NH4+, CH3NH3+ (MeNH3+), CH3CH2NH3+ (EtNH3+), and CH3CH2CH2NH3+ (PrNH3+), using cold UV and IR spectroscopy in the gas phase. We measured the UV photodissociation (UVPD) spectra of the ammonium complexes and compared them with those of the K+(B15C5) and K+(B18C6) complexes in order to identify the conformation on the basis of the band position. The number of possible conformations for the ammonium complexes of B15C5 is limited compared with alkali metal ions with similar ionic radii. The NH4+(B15C5), MeNH3+(B15C5), and EtNH3+(B15C5) complexes show two conformers, whereas the K+(B15C5) complex has three stable conformers. In the case of the PrNH3+(B15C5) complex, one conformer was found predominantly in the UVPD spectrum. The ammonium complexes of B15C5 prefer to adopt crown conformations with large dihedral angles on the C–O–C–C atoms around the benzene moiety. In the case of the ammonium complexes of B18C6, two or three conformers were found in the UVPD spectra. One conformation of the B18C6 complexes is similar to that of the K+(B18C6) complex, which has a planar form on the C–O–C–C atoms around the benzene moiety. The other but dominant conformations of the ammonium complexes could be attributed to those with large C–O–C–C dihedral angles. These conformational findings for the ammonium complexes suggest that the benzo-crown ethers tend to adopt nonplanar conformations around the benzene moiety to encapsulate the ammonium ions. The IR-UV double-resonance (DR) spectra of the B15C5 and B18C6 complexes were compared to those of benzo-12-crown-4 (B12C4) and dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) complexes. The N–H···O hydrogen bond (H-bond) is weaker with increasing ring size from B12C4 to B18C6, although the calculated binding energy is smaller for B12C4 than for B18C6. This result indicates that cooperative H-bonds with three N–H groups can strengthen the intermolecular bond between the ammonium ions and B18C6. The difference in the conformational preference between the ammonium and K+ complexes is attributed to directed N–H···O H-bonds in the ammonium complexes. Proton transfer and dissociation of the crown ring were also observed for the photoexcitation of the NH4+(B15C5) and NH4+(B18C6) complexes
Macroporous Structures of Nb–SnO2 Particles as a Catalyst Support Induce High Porosity and Performance in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers
No full textMacroporous niobium-doped tin oxide (NTO) is introduced as a robust alternative to conventional carbon-based catalyst supports to improve the durability and performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Metal oxides like NTO are more stable than carbon under PEFC operational conditions, but they can compromise gas diffusion and water management because of their denser structures. To address this tradeoff, we synthesized macroporous NTO particles using a flame-assisted spray-drying technique employing poly(methyl methacrylate) as a templating agent. X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the preservation of crystallinity and revealed a macroporous morphology with larger pore volumes and diameters than those in flame-made NTO nanoparticles, as revealed by mercury porosimetry. The macroporous NTO particles exhibited enhanced maximum current density and reduced gas diffusion resistance relative to commercial carbon supports. Our findings establish a foundation for integrating macroporous NTO structures into PEFCs to optimize durability and performance.This work was partially supported by the Center for Functional Nano Oxides at Hiroshima University, International Network on Polyoxometalate Science, JSPS Core-to-Core Program, Information Center of Particle Technology, Japan, and the Hosokawa Powder Technology Foundation
Enhancing soft magnetic characteristics of dense submicron FeNi particles with low carbon content by swirler connector assisted spray pyrolysis
No full textSubmicron spherical FeNi particles with high density and purity are required to improve the functionality of magnetic powder cores in inductors. At the current study, we present the successful synthesis of high-density (96 % dense particles) and high-purity (less than 0.3 % carbon impurity) spherical FeNi particles with a diameter of 420 nm based on a swirler-connector-assisted spray pyrolysis (SCA-SP) method. The obtained particles had saturation magnetization values higher than those of particles synthesized by conventional spray pyrolysis (CSP). A comparative study of the fluid flow and Reynolds number of the materials obtained by the SCA-SP and CSP methods was also performed using computational fluid dynamics analysis. The efficacy of SCA-SP derives from high turbulence in the flow, which enhances mass and heat transfer efficiency during gas–solid interactions in a reactor. These findings mark a considerable advance in FeNi particle synthesis, paving the way for enhanced magnetic materials with applications in various fields
「資料横断的な漢字音・漢語音データベース」における原本情報確認の必要性
No full textIn this paper, I describe the necessity of confirming original information in "Database of Historical Sino-Japanese Readings." Confirmation of the original image is necessary for both the database creator and the user. The original information may be confirmed by a copy or a public image. However, the database creator may need to see the original document itself. For the reasons stated in this paper, databases of historical language materials should be constructed so that the relevant parts of original images or reprints can be easily identified. In order to confirm the original information of the database concerning the kanji, the information of the character and the place is necessary. The databases of old dictionaries, words of Chinese origin, Buddhist scriptures, and Chinese books can be connected by using these characters and the places where they appear as keys. By positioning kanji and kanji sounds in the various aspects of language life at the time and studying them as part of the history of language life, research on kanji and kanji sounds will make great progress with a more reliable breadth and multilayered nature.本稿は、二〇二三年三月四日に開催された研究集会「古辞書・漢字音研究とデータベース2022」における発表「文献資料から見たデータベース構築と活用の注意点 ――古辞書・音義を例に――」に基づく。この発表の一部は、改稿の上、佐々木 勇「三巻本『色葉字類抄』前田家本複製本使用上の注意」（「論叢国語教育学」第19号、二〇二三年七月）および同「『大般若波羅蜜多経』読誦音史上における真興の音注」（「訓点語と訓点資料」第152輯、二〇二四年三月）として論文化した。本稿は、それ以外の部分を論文化したものである