Ami Iida › Comments

Oliver Twist - keiko-san

ディケンズは「デビッド・コパフィールド」しか読んだ事がありません、文豪ですね。年末にソニー・リーダーを購入したので著作権切れの「クリスマス・キャロル」をダウンロードしました。 - Ami Iida

ディケンズの特集がありますよ。　http://www.openculture.com/2012... - Ami Iida

Existing infrared detectors rely on complex microfabrication and thermal management methods. Here, we report an attractive platform of low-thermal-mass resonators inspired by the architectures of iridescent Morpho butterfly scales. In these resonators, the optical cavity is modulated by its thermal expansion and refractive index change, resulting in ‘wavelength conversion’ of mid-wave infrared (3–8 µm) radiation into visible iridescence changes. By doping Morpho butterfly scales with single-walled carbon nanotubes, we achieved mid-wave infrared detection with 18–62 mK noise-equivalent temperature difference and 35–40 Hz heat-sink-free response speed. The nanoscale pitch and the extremely small thermal mass of individual ‘pixels’ promise significant improvements over existing detectors. Computational analysis explains the origin of this thermal response and guides future conceptually new bio-inspired thermal imaging sensor designs. - Ami Iida

Invisibility cloaks have recently become a topic of considerable interest thanks to the theoretical works of transformation optics and conformal mapping. The design of the cloak involves extreme values of material properties and spatially dependent parameter tensors, which are very difficult to implement. The realization of an isolated invisibility cloak in the visible light, which is an important step towards achieving a fully movable invisibility cloak, has remained elusive. Here, we report the design and experimental demonstration of an isolated polygonal cloak for visible light. The cloak is made of several elements, whose electromagnetic parameters are designed by a linear homogeneous transformation method. Theoretical analysis shows the proposed cloak can be rendered invisible to the rays incident from all the directions. Using natural anisotropic materials, a simplified hexagonal cloak which works for six incident directions is fabricated for experimental demonstration. The performance is validated in a broadband visible spectrum. - Ami Iida

Researchers have demonstrated a striking method to reconstruct words, based on the brain waves of patients thinking of those words. - Ami Iida

The technique reported in PLoS Biology relies on gathering electrical signals directly from patients' brains. Based on signals from listening patients, a computer model was used to reconstruct the sounds of words that patients were thinking of. The method may in future help comatose and locked-in patients communicate. Several approaches have in recent years suggested that scientists are... more... - Ami Iida

Caldera-forming volcanic eruptions are low-frequency, high-impact events capable of discharging tens to thousands of cubic kilometres of magma explosively on timescales of hours to days, with devastating effects on local and global scales1. Because no such eruption has been monitored during its long build-up phase, the precursor phenomena are not well understood. Geophysical signals obtained during recent episodes of unrest at calderas such as Yellowstone, USA, and Campi Flegrei, Italy, are difficult to interpret, and the conditions necessary for large eruptions are poorly constrained2, 3. Here we present a study of pre-eruptive magmatic processes and their timescales using chemically zoned crystals from the ‘Minoan’ caldera-forming eruption of Santorini volcano, Greece4, which occurred in the late 1600s BC. The results provide insights into how rapidly large silicic systems may pass from a quiescent state to one on the edge of eruption5, 6. Despite the large volume of erupted magma4... more... - Ami Iida

The influenza A virus genome consists of eight single-stranded negative-sense RNA (vRNA) segments. Although genome segmentation provides advantages such as genetic reassortment, which contributes to the emergence of novel strains with pandemic potential, it complicates the genome packaging of progeny virions. Here we elucidate, using electron tomography, the three-dimensional structure of ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) within progeny virions. Each virion is packed with eight well-organized RNPs that possess rod-like structures of different lengths. Multiple interactions are found among the RNPs. The position of the eight RNPs is not consistent among virions, but a pattern suggests the existence of a specific mechanism for assembly of these RNPs. Analyses of budding progeny virions suggest two independent roles for the viral spike proteins: RNP association on the plasma membrane and the subsequent formation of the virion shell. Our data provide further insights into the mechanisms responsible for segmented-genome packaging into virions. - Ami Iida

東日本大震災の前にこのサービスを出して欲しかった。。。。。。 - Ami Iida

The influenza A virus genome consists of eight single-stranded negative-sense RNA (vRNA) segments. Although genome segmentation provides advantages such as genetic reassortment, which contributes to the emergence of novel strains with pandemic potential, it complicates the genome packaging of progeny virions. Here we elucidate, using electron tomography, the three-dimensional structure of ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) within progeny virions. Each virion is packed with eight well-organized RNPs that possess rod-like structures of different lengths. Multiple interactions are found among the RNPs. The position of the eight RNPs is not consistent among virions, but a pattern suggests the existence of a specific mechanism for assembly of these RNPs. Analyses of budding progeny virions suggest two independent roles for the viral spike proteins: RNP association on the plasma membrane and the subsequent formation of the virion shell. Our data provide further insights into the mechanisms responsible for segmented-genome packaging into virions. - Ami Iida

Despite the growing evidence for the regulated spindle orientation in mammals, a systematic approach for identifying the responsible genes in mammalian cells has not been established. Here we perform a kinase-targeting RNAi screen in HeLa cells and identify ABL1 as a novel regulator of spindle orientation. Knockdown of ABL1 causes the cortical accumulation of Leu-Gly-Asn repeat-enriched-protein (LGN), an evolutionarily conserved regulator of spindle orientation. This results in the LGN-dependent spindle rotation and spindle misorientation. In vivo inactivation of ABL1 by a pharmacological inhibitor or by ablation of the abl1 gene causes spindle misorientation and LGN mislocalization in mouse epidermis. Furthermore, ABL1 directly phosphorylates NuMA, a binding partner of LGN, on tyrosine 1774. This phosphorylation maintains the cortical localization of NuMA during metaphase, and ensures the LGN/NuMA-dependent spindle orientation control. This study provides a novel approach to identify genes regulating spindle orientation in mammals and uncovers new signalling pathways for this mechanism. - Ami Iida

Summary Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key step toward cancer metastasis, and Snail is a major transcription factor governing EMT. Here, we demonstrate that Snail-induced EMT accelerates cancer metastasis through not only enhanced invasion but also induction of immunosuppression. Murine and human melanoma cells with typical EMT features after snail transduction induced regulatory T cells and impaired dendritic cells in vitro and in vivo partly through TSP1 production. Although Snail+ melanoma did not respond to immunotherapy, intratumoral injection with snail-specific siRNA or anti-TSP1 monoclonal antibody significantly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis following increase of tumor-specific tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and systemic immune responses. These results suggest that inhibition of Snail-induced EMT could simultaneously suppress both tumor metastasis and immunosuppression in cancer patients. - Ami Iida

On the fine structure of cultured neurons rubber surface. - Ami Iida

Felice Anno Nuovo! - keiko-san

arigato~, Ouistitis ! ..... ^_^ - keiko-san

来年もよろしくお願い致します - keiko-san

It comes a new year 2012!! 東日本大震災で２万数千人も死者が出ていて、おめでとうもないので今年は控えめの挨拶です。 - Ami Iida

メリークリスマス！ - keiko-san

Buon Natale! - keiko-san

I like Fleetwood Mac's album"Rumor". - Ami Iida

The year 2011 saw scientific research that stretched from the farthest reaches of the universe to the deepest mysteries of the cell. Following a yearly tradition, Science's editors and news staff have selected one scientific Breakthrough of the Year and nine runners-up. In this video, a few of Science's news writers and contributors take us on a whirlwind trip through the top ten. - Ami Iida

Google Scholar citations http://googlescholar.blogspot.com/2011... - Ami Iida

Several applications of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived cardiomyocytes require elimination of undifferentiated cells. A major limitation for cardiomyocyte purification is the lack of easy and specific cell marking techniques. We found that a fluorescent dye that labels mitochondria, tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester perchlorate, could be used to selectively mark embryonic and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, as well as mouse, marmoset and human PSC-derived cardiomyocytes, and that the cells could subsequently be enriched (>99% purity) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Purified cardiomyocytes transplanted into testes did not induce teratoma formation. Moreover, aggregate formation of PSC-derived cardiomyocytes through homophilic cell-cell adhesion improved their survival in the immunodeficient mouse heart. Our approaches will aid in the future success of using PSC-derived cardiomyocytes for basic and clinical applications. - Ami Iida

New research in Science suggests that face learning may be shaped by the specific ecology of individual species. To study this, researchers used Polistes fuscatus, a species of paper wasp, that is excellent at facial recognition. P. fuscatus has all the ingredients necessary for this cognitive ability: they have excellent vision, their nests are well-lit, their facial features are highly variable, and (perhaps most importantly) they have multiple queens. - Ami Iida

Well that's unsettling. - Zulema ⋅ spicy cocoa tart from Android

The hypothesis that video games are good for learning (Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee, in press; Gee, 2003, 2005) rests on two main claims. The first is that good commercial games are built on sound learning principles. The second is that video game technologies hold great promise for moving beyond entertainment to serious learning purposes in and outside of school. Different types of video games are likely to be better suited to meeting different learning goals than others. Features of video games with high learning potential fall into two categories: ‘non-game’ features, which may also appear in non-game contexts, and ‘game’ features, which relate more to the ‘gameness’ of games. Despite this distinction, it should not be assumed that the ‘non-game’ features will work as well for learning if they are detached from the ‘game’. - Ami Iida

beacon of hope to Tohoku (disaster area) - keiko-san

ですよね・・・一度見てみたいです。 - keiko-san

çok sağolasın - bilge öz

Big thanks!! - Ami Iida

from the left ...... zunda http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki..., Sweet bean paste, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki..., mitarashi-dango http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - keiko-san

in Japanese please! - keiko-san

take take take ga hae! - عباس آقا

..... ^_^ - keiko-san

dynamic! - keiko-san

<3<3 - keiko-san

Text mining, sometimes alternately referred to as text data mining, roughly equivalent to text analytics, refers to the process of deriving high-quality information from text. High-quality information is typically derived through the devising of patterns and trends through means such as statistical pattern learning. Text mining usually involves the process of structuring the input text (usually parsing, along with the addition of some derived linguistic features and the removal of others, and subsequent insertion into a database), deriving patterns within the structured data, and finally evaluation and interpretation of the output. 'High quality' in text mining usually refers to some combination of relevance, novelty, and interestingness. Typical text mining tasks include text categorization, text clustering, concept/entity extraction, production of granular taxonomies, sentiment analysis, document summarization, and entity relation modeling (i.e., learning relations between named entities). - Ami Iida

You are connected with G+. - Ami Iida

Beautiful - فرخزاد

+ - Ali Oz

Most of the currently available drugs for osteoporosis inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption; only a few drugs promote osteoblastic bone formation. It is thus becoming increasingly necessary to identify the factors that regulate bone formation. We found that osteoclasts express semaphorin 4D (Sema4D), previously shown to be an axon guidance molecule, which potently inhibits bone formation. The binding of Sema4D to its receptor Plexin-B1 on osteoblasts resulted in the activation of the small GTPase RhoA, which inhibits bone formation by suppressing insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling and by modulating osteoblast motility. Sema4d−/− mice, Plxnb1−/− mice and mice expressing a dominant-negative RhoA specifically in osteoblasts showed an osteosclerotic phenotype due to augmented bone formation. Notably, Sema4D-specific antibody treatment markedly prevented bone loss in a model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Thus, Sema4D has emerged as a new therapeutic target for the discovery and development of bone-increasing drugs. - Ami Iida

Retrotransposons are mobile genetic elements that use a germline ‘copy-and-paste’ mechanism to spread throughout metazoan genomes1. At least 50 per cent of the human genome is derived from retrotransposons, with three active families (L1, Alu and SVA) associated with insertional mutagenesis and disease2, 3. Epigenetic and post-transcriptional suppression block retrotransposition in somatic cells4, 5, excluding early embryo development and some malignancies6, 7. Recent reports of L1 expression8, 9 and copy number variation10, 11 in the human brain suggest that L1 mobilization may also occur during later development. However, the corresponding integration sites have not been mapped. Here we apply a high-throughput method to identify numerous L1, Alu and SVA germline mutations, as well as 7,743 putative somatic L1 insertions, in the hippocampus and caudate nucleus of three individuals. Surprisingly, we also found 13,692 somatic Alu insertions and 1,350 SVA insertions. Our results... more... - Ami Iida