University of Tokyo

About: University of Tokyo is a education organization based out in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 134564 authors who have published 337567 publications receiving 10178620 citations. The organization is also known as: Todai & Universitas Tociensis.

Comet 81P/Wild 2 under a microscope.

Abstract: The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study. The preliminary examination of these samples shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin. The comet contains an abundance of silicate grains that are much larger than predictions of interstellar grain models, and many of these are high-temperature minerals that appear to have formed in the inner regions of the solar nebula. Their presence in a comet proves that the formation of the solar system included mixing on the grandest scales.

GLIM Criteria for the Diagnosis of Malnutrition: A Consensus Report From the Global Clinical Nutrition Community

Abstract: Summary Rationale This initiative is focused on building a global consensus around core diagnostic criteria for malnutrition in adults in clinical settings Methods In January 2016, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) was convened by several of the major global clinical nutrition societies GLIM appointed a core leadership committee and a supporting working group with representatives bringing additional global diversity and expertise Empirical consensus was reached through a series of face-to-face meetings, telephone conferences, and e-mail communications Results A two-step approach for the malnutrition diagnosis was selected, ie, first screening to identify “at risk” status by the use of any validated screening tool, and second, assessment for diagnosis and grading the severity of malnutrition The malnutrition criteria for consideration were retrieved from existing approaches for screening and assessment Potential criteria were subjected to a ballot among the GLIM core and supporting working group members The top five ranked criteria included three phenotypic criteria (non-volitional weight loss, low body mass index, and reduced muscle mass) and two etiologic criteria (reduced food intake or assimilation, and inflammation or disease burden) To diagnose malnutrition at least one phenotypic criterion and one etiologic criterion should be present Phenotypic metrics for grading severity as Stage 1 (moderate) and Stage 2 (severe) malnutrition are proposed It is recommended that the etiologic criteria be used to guide intervention and anticipated outcomes The recommended approach supports classification of malnutrition into four etiology-related diagnosis categories Conclusion A consensus scheme for diagnosing malnutrition in adults in clinical settings on a global scale is proposed Next steps are to secure further collaboration and endorsements from leading nutrition professional societies, to identify overlaps with syndromes like cachexia and sarcopenia, and to promote dissemination, validation studies, and feedback The diagnostic construct should be re-considered every 3–5 years

Type 2C protein phosphatases directly regulate abscisic acid-activated protein kinases in Arabidopsis

Abstract: Abscisic acid (ABA) signaling is important for stress responses and developmental processes in plants. A subgroup of protein phosphatase 2C (group A PP2C) or SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (subclass III SnRK2) have been known as major negative or positive regulators of ABA signaling, respectively. Here, we demonstrate the physical and functional linkage between these two major signaling factors. Group A PP2Cs interacted physically with SnRK2s in various combinations, and efficiently inactivated ABA-activated SnRK2s via dephosphorylation of multiple Ser/Thr residues in the activation loop. This step was suppressed by the RCAR/PYR ABA receptors in response to ABA. However the abi1–1 mutated PP2C did not respond to the receptors and constitutively inactivated SnRK2. Our results demonstrate that group A PP2Cs act as ‘gatekeepers’ of subclass III SnRK2s, unraveling an important regulatory mechanism of ABA signaling.

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials as non-metal electrocatalysts for water oxidation.

Abstract: Efficient and economical water splitting is desirable for energy conversion, but it is limited by high overpotential and the need for noble metals. Zhao et al. report that nitrogen-doped graphite materials function as a promising electrocatalyst, with efficiency comparable to that of benchmark metal oxides.

Triaxial modeling of halo density profiles with high-resolution N-body simulations

Abstract: We present a detailed nonspherical modeling of dark matter halos on the basis of a combined analysis of high-resolution halo simulations (12 halos with N ~ 106 particles within their virial radius) and large cosmological simulations (five realizations with N = 5123 particles in a 100 h-1 Mpc box size). The density profiles of those simulated halos are well approximated by a sequence of the concentric triaxial distribution with their axis directions being fairly aligned. We characterize the triaxial model quantitatively by generalizing the universal density profile, that has previously been discussed only in the framework of the spherical model. We obtain a series of practically useful fitting formulae in applying the triaxial model: the mass and redshift dependence of the axis ratio, the mean of the concentration parameter, and the probability distribution functions of the axis ratio and the concentration parameter. These accurate fitting formulae form a complete description of the triaxial density profiles of halos in cold dark matter models. Our current description of the dark halos will be particularly useful in predicting a variety of nonsphericity effects, to a reasonably reliable degree, including the weak and strong lens statistics, the orbital evolution of galactic satellites and triaxiality of galactic halos, and the nonlinear clustering of dark matter. In addition, this provides a useful framework for the nonspherical modeling of the intracluster gas, which is crucial in discussing the gas and temperature profiles of X-ray clusters and the Hubble constant estimated via the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect.