Tokyo University of Science

About: Tokyo University of Science is a education organization based out in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Thin film & Enantioselective synthesis. The organization has 15800 authors who have published 24147 publications receiving 438081 citations. The organization is also known as: Tōkyō Rika Daigaku & Science University of Tokyo.

A Reactive Poly(ethylene glycol) Layer To Achieve Specific Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensing with a High S/N Ratio: The Substantial Role of a Short Underbrushed PEG Layer in Minimizing Nonspecific Adsorption

Abstract: A reactive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-brushed layer was constructed on a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor chip using a heterobifunctional PEG possessing an acetal group at one end and a mercapto group at the other end (α-acetal-ω-mercapto-PEG). The density of the PEG brushed layer substantially increased with repetitive adsorption/rinse cycles of the PEG on the sensor chip, allowing dramatic reduction of nonspecific protein adsorption. Notably, formation of a short, filler layer of PEG (2 kDa) in the preconstructed longer PEG brushed layer (5 kDa) achieved almost complete prevention of nonspecific protein adsorption. The acetal group located at the distal end of the tethered PEG was converted to an aldehyde group by the acid treatment, followed by the installation of biocytin hydrazide through Schiff base formation. SPR sensing of streptavidin was done with a very high S/N ratio even in a proteinous medium using the biotinylated PEG (5 kDa) tethered chip with an inert filler layer of short PEG (2 k...

Development and Function of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Producing TH2- and TH17-Cytokines

Abstract: There is heterogeneity in invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells based on the expression of CD4 and the IL-17 receptor B (IL-17RB), a receptor for IL-25 which is a key factor in TH2 immunity. However, the development pathway and precise function of these iNKT cell subtypes remain unknown. IL-17RB+ iNKT cells are present in the thymic CD44+/− NK1.1− population and develop normally even in the absence of IL-15, which is required for maturation and homeostasis of IL-17RB− iNKT cells producing IFN-γ. These results suggest that iNKT cells contain at least two subtypes, IL-17RB+ and IL-17RB− subsets. The IL-17RB+ iNKT subtypes can be further divided into two subtypes on the basis of CD4 expression both in the thymus and in the periphery. CD4+ IL-17RB+ iNKT cells produce TH2 (IL-13), TH9 (IL-9 and IL-10), and TH17 (IL-17A and IL-22) cytokines in response to IL-25 in an E4BP4-dependent fashion, whereas CD4− IL-17RB+ iNKT cells are a retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor (ROR)γt+ subset producing TH17 cytokines upon stimulation with IL-23 in an E4BP4-independent fashion. These IL-17RB+ iNKT cell subtypes are abundantly present in the lung in the steady state and mediate the pathogenesis in virus-induced airway hyperreactivity (AHR). In this study we demonstrated that the IL-17RB+ iNKT cell subsets develop distinct from classical iNKT cell developmental stages in the thymus and play important roles in the pathogenesis of airway diseases.

Crystal Structure Analysis of Poly(l-lactic Acid) α Form On the basis of the 2-Dimensional Wide-Angle Synchrotron X-ray and Neutron Diffraction Measurements

Abstract: The crystal structure of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) α form has been analyzed in detail by utilizing the 2-dimensional wide-angle X-ray (WAXD) and neutron diffraction (WAND) data measured for the ultradrawn sample. The WAXD data were collected using a synchrotron-sourced high-energy X-ray beam of wavelength 0.328 A at SPring-8, Japan and the WAND data were measured using a neutron beam of wavelength 1.510 A with a cylindrical imaging-plate camera of BIX-3 system at Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The initial crystal structure model was extracted successfully by a direct method under the assumption of the space group P212121 using about 700 X-ray reflections observed at −150 °C, the number of which was overwhelmingly large compared with the data reported by the previous other researchers and allowed us to perform more precise structural analysis. The crystal structure model obtained by the direct method was refined so that the best agreement between the observed and calculated integrated intensities was obtaine...

Thin-Film Silicon-Growth Process and Solar Cell Application-

Abstract: Growth processes of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) from SiH4 and H2/SiH4-glow discharge plasmas are reviewed. Differences and similarities between µc-Si:H and a-Si:H growth reactions in the plasma and on the film-growing surface are discussed, and the nucleus-formation process followed by the epitaxial-like crystal growth process is explained as being processes unique to µc-Si:H. The governing reaction of dangling-bond-defect density in the resulting a-Si:H and µc-Si:H films is also discussed in order to obtain a clue to improve the optoelectronic properties of these materials to enable device applications, particularly to thin-film silicon-based solar cells. Material issues concerning the realization of low-cost high-efficiency solar cells are described, and finally, recent progress in those issues is presented.

Carrier-envelope phase-dependent high harmonic generation in the water window using few-cycle infrared pulses

Abstract: The higher-harmonic generation of laser pulses is used to achieve short-wavelength attosecond pulses for ultrashort experiments, but has been limited in the achievable energy. Here, Ishii et al. develop a scheme to break this barrier and to achieve photon energies higher than the carbon K edge of about 284 eV.