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.

Ambipolar MoS2 Thin Flake Transistors

Abstract: Field effect transistors (FETs) made of thin flake single crystals isolated from layered materials have attracted growing interest since the success of graphene. Here, we report the fabrication of an electric double layer transistor (EDLT, a FET gated by ionic liquids) using a thin flake of MoS(2), a member of the transition metal dichalcogenides, an archetypal layered material. The EDLT of the thin flake MoS(2) unambiguously displayed ambipolar operation, in contrast to its commonly known bulk property as an n-type semiconductor. High-performance transistor operation characterized by a large "ON" state conductivity in the order of ~mS and a high on/off ratio >10(2) was realized for both hole and electron transport. Hall effect measurements revealed mobility of 44 and 86 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) for electron and hole, respectively. The hole mobility is twice the value of the electron mobility, and the density of accumulated carrier reached 1 × 10(14) cm(-2), which is 1 order of magnitude larger than conventional FETs with solid dielectrics. The high-density carriers of both holes and electrons can create metallic transport in the MoS(2) channel. The present result is not only important for device applications with new functionalities, but the method itself would also act as a protocol to study this class of material for a broader scope of possibilities in accessing their unexplored properties.

Low-frequency earthquakes in Shikoku, Japan, and their relationship to episodic tremor and slip

Abstract: Non-volcanic seismic tremor was discovered in the Nankai trough subduction zone in southwest Japan and subsequently identified in the Cascadia subduction zone. In both locations, tremor is observed to coincide temporally with large, slow slip events on the plate interface downdip of the seismogenic zone. The relationship between tremor and aseismic slip remains uncertain, however, largely owing to difficulty in constraining the source depth of tremor. In southwest Japan, a high quality borehole seismic network allows identification of coherent S-wave (and sometimes P-wave) arrivals within the tremor, whose sources are classified as low-frequency earthquakes. As low-frequency earthquakes comprise at least a portion of tremor, understanding their mechanism is critical to understanding tremor as a whole. Here, we provide strong evidence that these earthquakes occur on the plate interface, coincident with the inferred zone of slow slip. The locations and characteristics of these events suggest that they are generated by shear slip during otherwise aseismic transients, rather than by fluid flow. High pore-fluid pressure in the immediate vicinity, as implied by our estimates of seismic P- and S-wave speeds, may act to promote this transient mode of failure. Low-frequency earthquakes could potentially contribute to seismic hazard forecasting by providing a new means to monitor slow slip at depth.

TGF-β and the TGF-β Family: Context-Dependent Roles in Cell and Tissue Physiology

Abstract: The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is the prototype of the TGF-β family of growth and differentiation factors, which is encoded by 33 genes in mammals and comprises homo- and heterodimers. This review introduces the reader to the TGF-β family with its complexity of names and biological activities. It also introduces TGF-β as the best-studied factor among the TGF-β family proteins, with its diversity of roles in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation, wound healing and immune system, and its key roles in pathology, for example, skeletal diseases, fibrosis, and cancer.