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: Catalysis & Thin film. 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.

Development of sol–gel processed semi-transparent and self-cleaning superhydrophobic coatings

Abstract: Optically transparent, mechanically durable, and self-cleaning superhydrophobic coatings are greatly awaited for applications in daily life. An attempt has been made to develop sol–gel processed semi-transparent, durable and self-cleaning superhydrophobic coatings on glass using a silica–PMMA composite. A water drop acquires a near spherical shape on the coating exhibiting a water contact angle of ∼159° and immediately rolled off under small disturbance. A 10 μl water drop could individually collect around 10 mg of dirt particles along the way whilst rolling off the coating surface. The superhydrophobicity of the coatings remained intact under the impact of a water jet. A water jet hits the superhydrophobic coating and was repelled straightaway off the surface, without leaving any trace of water. These coatings showed both strong superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. We observed an improvement in mechanical stability, as well as optical transparency of the coatings in the visible range after low loadings of PMMA polymer (2 vol%) in silica. The prepared coatings maintained excellent superhydrophobicity even after 6 months storage under normal conditions in air.

Glass formation at the limit of insufficient network formers.

Abstract: Inorganic glasses normally exhibit a network of interconnected, covalent-bonded, structural elements that has no long-range order. In silicate glasses, the network formers are based on SiO4 tetrahedra interconnected through oxygen atoms at the corners. Conventional wisdom implies that alkaline and alkaline-earth orthosilicate materials cannot be vitrified, because they do not contain sufficient network-forming SiO2 to establish the needed interconnectivity. We studied a bulk magnesium orthosilicate glass obtained by containerless melting and cooling. We found that the role of network former was largely taken on by corner and edge sharing of highly distorted, ionic Mg-O species that adopt 4-, 5-, and 6-coordination with oxygen. The results suggest that similar glassy phases may be found in the containerless environment of interstellar space.

Controlling mobile robots in distributed intelligent sensor network

Abstract: Mobile robots need sufficient sensors and information on the environment in order to navigate. In this paper, we propose a system of mobile robots, which is controlled in a distributed intelligent sensor network. In such a networked space, the environment is divided by distributed sensors. Each area is monitored by a distributed sensor device, which connects with other distributed sensor devices and robots throughout the network. As a result, the mobile robots are able to accomplish tasks simply by following orders from the sensor devices in the networked environment, although the mobile robots are not self-contained with information on the environment and sensors for self-positioning and control. We test several situations to verify the proposed system.

OsATG7 is required for autophagy-dependent lipid metabolism in rice postmeiotic anther development

Abstract: In flowering plants, the tapetum, the innermost layer of the anther, provides both nutrient and lipid components to developing microspores, pollen grains, and the pollen coat. Though the programmed cell death of the tapetum is one of the most critical and sensitive steps for fertility and is affected by various environmental stresses, its regulatory mechanisms remain mostly unknown. Here we show that autophagy is required for the metabolic regulation and nutrient supply in anthers and that autophagic degradation within tapetum cells is essential for postmeiotic anther development in rice. Autophagosome-like structures and several vacuole-enclosed lipid bodies were observed in postmeiotic tapetum cells specifically at the uninucleate stage during pollen development, which were completely abolished in a retrotransposon-insertional OsATG7 (autophagy-related 7)-knockout mutant defective in autophagy, suggesting that autophagy is induced in tapetum cells. Surprisingly, the mutant showed complete sporophytic ma...