Neural measures of social reward and information value in infants

Infants' limited ability to communicate makes it difficult to know what they are thinking. Researchers often measure babies' visual attention as a way to infer their understanding and interest. However, knowing that infants prefer to look at one display versus another does not necessarily indicate why they prefer it.   Some attentional preferences are driven by how much the infant seems to like the stimulus, referred to as its reward value. Other preferences are driven by infants' desire to take in new information and learn more about the world.  The goal of the proposed research is to study different patterns in babies' brain activity to determine which of these two reasons, reward value or information value, explains their attentional preferences.

The proposed experiments will use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure hemodynamic responses to neural activity in medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while infants watch and listen to two different speakers.  In some experiments, the speakers will differ in how friendly and infant-directed their speech is (i.e., social reward), while in others they will differ in how richly structured the content of their speech is (i.e., information value).  All experiments will end by testing to which speaker the infants prefer to attend and/or how much they have learned about the presented speech patterns.  These experiments will test the hypotheses that activation in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is associated with social reward value and activation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is associated with information value.  Moreover, they will assess the extent to which activation in MPFC and DLPFC during stimulus presentation predict subsequent social preference and statistical learning, respectively. The project will also involve scientific training of students from underrepresented groups and underprivileged backgrounds, and conducting information sessions for new parents about infant brain development.


PROPERTIES OF OLFACTORY RECEPTORS:  NEURAL REGENERATION


Chess Mates Foundation - for general support

for general support


生活との関わりを意識させる化学の授業展開法の開発-1日の生活に沿って-

Principal Investigator：関 俊秀, Project Period (FY)：1995, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (B), Research Field：化学

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science


パプアニューギニアの音文化に関する資料収集・整理に基づく民俗音楽学的研究

Principal Investigator：山田 陽一, Project Period (FY)：1984, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：文化人類学(含民族学・民俗学)


Modellgestützte Bauwerksüberwachung mit piezokeramischen Aktuatoren

Im Rahmen des aktuellen Forschungsvorhabens soll ein Konzept entwickelt werden, bei dem das Bauwerksmonitoring mit den Methoden der Systemidentifikation erfolgt. Das Monitoringkonzept sieht vor, piezokeramische Elemente im Bauwerk als Aktuatoren und Sensoren zu integrieren. Die Systemidentifikation erfolgt mit dem Parameterkorrekturverfahren. Hierbei werden das Projektive Eingangsgrößenverfahren (PEGV) und das Ausgangsgrößenverfahren verwendet. Es soll ein Schadensindikator entwickelt werden, mit dem die Lokalisierung von Zustandsänderungen im Tragwerk möglich sein wird.


Pre-College Teacher Development in Science


SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE DNA-BINDING PROTEINS


Collaborative Research: RoL: The Evolution of the Genotype-Phenotype Map across Budding Yeasts

How organisms’ external characteristics or traits are encoded in their genomes and how they change over time represent important and largely unanswered biological questions. This project will address these questions by studying the metabolisms and genomes of the more than 1,000 known species of budding yeasts and their evolution. Some of these yeast species are important opportunistic pathogens, while others are of great industrial relevance as producers of foods, beverages, medicines, and biofuels. This project will span multiple scales of biological organization (from molecules to cells, species, and beyond) and ~400 million years of evolution to yield fundamental insights into how traits are encoded in genomes, how new functions evolve, and how the relationship between traits and genomes itself evolves. The project will support the Wild YEAST and Computational Genomics Programs, two established and highly successful educational and training programs that immerse early-stage undergraduate students, including those from underrepresented backgrounds, in authentic, discovery-driven research.

Using draft genomes for nearly all known budding yeast species and state-of-the-art genome-editing tools that are broadly active in diverse species, this project will predict the connection of every metabolic gene in every yeast species’ genome to its function(s), as well as examine the evolution of every known metabolic gene, pathway, and trait across the budding yeast subphylum Saccharomycotina. Through genome-scale evolutionary analyses and targeted functional experiments on key representative taxa spanning budding yeast genomic and metabolic diversity, this project will functionally characterize how between-taxa variation at the level of genotypes gives rise to variation at the level of phenotypes. In particular, the project will chart how variation at the level of DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites sequentially transforms genetic variation into biochemical functions and physiological traits with an emphasis on functionally characterizing gaps and correcting discrepancies in the predicted Genotype-Phenotype Map.

This project is jointly funded by the Evolutionary Processes program in the Division of Environmental Biology and the Genetic Mechanisms program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences of the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.


Not Applicable

National Health and Medical Research Council


伝統的な瞑想ー絶滅の危機に瀕する東南アジアの写本におけるテキストと挿図ー

This research examines traditional Buddhist meditation corpora circulated within the cross-cultural sphere of Tai-Khmer Buddhism to explore their manuscript culture, transmission history, and methods of practice. It reveals the adaptability of methods of practice in which kammatthana techniques from the classical meditation treatise Visuddhimagga have been localized in Southeast Asia.


This research will help us understand the molecular mechanisms by which migrating cells, including inflammatory cells and cancer cells, are able to translocate about the body. This fundamental information may serve as the basis for the development of new therapies for human diseases involving the molecules and processes that are discovered and illuminated.


KANSAS STATE DEPT OF HLTH AND ENVIRONMNT


Masticatory Biomechanics and the Primate Face

The research proposed here entails the initial phase of a comprehensive analysis of primate masticatory biomechanics.  The primary goals are (1) to determine how patterns of facial bone strain are influenced by major biomechanical variables (skeletal geometry, material properties, and external forces), and (2) to test hypotheses purporting to explain the pattern of similarities and differences in facial strain observed among living primates.  Several types of primary data will be collected that are fundamental to a complete understanding of primate feeding mechanics.  These data include (1) in vivo and in vitro bone strain, (2) electromyography, physiological cross-sectional area and muscle fiber orientation of the muscles of mastication, (3) three-dimensional information about craniofacial geometry, and (4) material properties of craniofacial bones and sutures.  Functional hypotheses will be tested by integrating these data using finite element analysis, a widely used engineering technique designed to examine how objects of complex geometry deform under load.

The initial phase of this research has two components.  The first component will entail the modification of a finite element model of the craniofacial skeleton of Macaca to incorporate new data (muscle and bone properties, EMG, and in vitro and in vivo bone strain) to develop a model approach to the study of primate craniofacial structure and function.  This phase will enable the researchers to demonstrate the viability of the proposed methods, their ability to integrate vast amounts of diverse types of data, and the significance of the various types of data for understanding adaptions related to the functional morphology of the craniofacial apparatus.  The second component will include preliminary analysis of the significance of structural and functional differences between anthropoids and strepsirrhines through initial studies of Eulemur fulvus  and Cebus capucinus.  Following analysis of the results of this initial project, the investigators will apply for funds to expand the sample sizes and/or the taxonomic scope of the study, as indicated by our findings.

This research will have a broad social impact.  It will: (a) provide the broadest examination yet of facial biomechanics; such basic science research will find applications in clinical sciences related to the craniofacial development, growth, pathology, and trauma, (b) using FE models, limit the need for, or at least increase the analytical power of, future experimental studies requiring the use of live animals, (c) demonstrate the inherent interdisciplinarity of physical anthropology, (d) provide an example of how complex systems can be analyzed using a combination of empirical data and computational modeling, (e) strengthen collaborations between anthropologists in five universities, and (f) provide funding to graduate students at three universities.


大都市圏における密度指標としての公共緑地の配置計画の評価

緑地は多様かつ貴重な機能を持っていることから、地域環境のたいへん重要な構成要素であることが広く認識されている。本研究はこれまでの研究成果を基盤とし、緑地のうちでも公園・都市緑地等の公共緑地に着目して、主にわが国の大都市圏を対象とし、密度指標としての公共緑地の配置計画の評価を行うことを目的とした。そのためには最初に、各大都市圏において、GISを利用して大都市圏の中心地からの距離帯ごとに公共緑地の分布や配置計画の現状把握を行った。そしてこの結果をもとに、人口密度や市街地の面積割合などの他の密度指標と公共緑地量との関連性を解析したうえで、公共緑地の配置計画の評価を行った。次に各大都市圏の中心地からの距離帯ごとに評価結果を整理し、評価結果の比較・検討を行う。また評価結果をもとに、各大都市圏における公共緑地の不足地域を地区単位やメッシュ単位で指摘したうえで、導入可能な改善方策についても提言した。既往の関連研究の成果から示された技術的な障害を克服し、人工衛星画像データ等をもとに対象地域における電子地図形式のデータベースを作成したうえで、密度指標としての公共緑地の配置計画の評価を行った。そのためには、本研究の一連の作業過程でGISを利用し、独自のコンピュータ・プログラムを開発した。これらのことにより、細かい地区単位で公共緑地整備が必要な地域を指摘し、問題地区において導入可能な改善方策を提言することができた。また国内外の既往研究の成果から一歩踏み込み、GISによりわが国の大都市圏における公共緑地の配置計画の評価を行ったうえで、各研究対象地域における評価結果の比較・検討を行うことができた。このようなことにより関連分野の既往研究とは異なり、これまでの研究過程における国内外の緑地整備に関する調査結果も踏まえ、評価結果をもとに各研究対象地域で導入可能な施策を具体的に提言する点でも本研究の特性を示した。

The University of Electro-Communications(2006)Nagoya Sangyo University(2005)


UWBのための異なる周波数特性の要素アンテナで構成したアレーアンテナ

前年度に引き続き,電磁界解析手法の1つであるモーメント法を利用して広帯域信号用のアレーアンテナの解析を行った.アレーの素子アンテナには解析の行ないやすい線状アンテナであるダイポールアンテナを使用した.まず,前年度に提案した素子間相互結合を取り除く自己校正法を広帯域信号に適用し評価を行った.評価は校正後のアンテナパターンと到来方向推定誤差を利用した.結果として,提案するアレー校正法は従来の自己校正法に比べて高精度のアレー校正が実現できていることを示した.次に,前年度までの検討では等間隔のリニアアレーアンテナを研究対象に取り上げていたが,本年度は任意のアレー素子配置の校正について検討を行った.具体的には不等間隔のリニアアレーアンテナや素子アンテナを円状配置したアレーアンテナについて校正法を提案した.アレーアンテナを構成する前に事前にアンテナ素子単体の入カインピーダンスの値を測定しておくことで任意のアンテナ素子配置に対して精度の良い校正行列を算出することが可能であることを明らかにした.更に,アレー校正を行なった後の広帯域信号に対する空間信号処理について研究を行った.これまでのアレーアンテナにおける拘束条件付ビームフォーミング法では,一つの角度に対して二つ以上の拘束を掛けることができなかった.そこで階層型アレーアンテナの概念を利用して,複数の階層で同一方向に複数の拘束を掛けることを提案した.具体的な利用方法としては,ヌルの拘束を多重に掛けることで広帯域・広角のヌルが形成されることを明らかにした.


No summary - Aucun sommaire

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada


B CELL ALLOANTIGENS, MOLECULAR BASIS AND DISEASE ASPECTS


Informal carers play a crucial role in providing care for older adults. However, carers can suffer from stress, overwork, depression, assaults or may feel insecure when not prepared for certain situations.
iCarer aims to monitor and analyse activities of daily care and the psychological state of carers via sensors. This will allow carers’ stress levels to be inferred based on behavioural patterns.
Carers will be provided with advice to improve care via eLearning and a network of experts and fellow carers. This will reduce the need for expensive professional care.
The iCarer platform provides an environment where the Activities of Daily Care (ADCs) performed by Informal Carers and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are unobtrusively monitored using personal and environment sensors. Data from these sensors together with the results of questionnaires can then be analysed to identify tasks that generate stress or activities that are potentially problematic.
A knowledge management system together with a ‘Virtual carer’ will provide tailored support to both the informal carer or the person being cared for based on information recorded and analysed from the monitoring system.
Based on the management of knowledge extracted by the informal caregiver’s psychological state and the caregiver’s behavioural pattern in ADL performance, a selection of personalized informal e-Learning contents will be recommended to the carer in order to reduce their workload and improve the effectiveness of the provided care.


NOVEL TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY GI MALIGNANCIES


PROTEIN BINDING AND ENZYMATIC PROPERTIES OF RETINA COGNI


Support for the U.S. GEOTRACES Project Office

This award will provide three years of funding to sustain the operation of the U.S. GEOTRACES Project Office at the Lamont-Dougherty Earth Observatory , thereby supporting the U.S. contribution to the international GEOTRACES program. GEOTRACES is an international program designed to study the global marine biogeochemical cycles of trace elements and their isotopes (TEIs). Trace elements and their isotopes play important roles in the ocean as nutrients, as tracers of processes now and in the past, and as contaminants. Their biogeochemical cycling has direct implications for research in such diverse areas as the carbon cycle, climate change, ocean ecosystems, and environmental contamination. GEOTRACES promises clear benefits to each of these areas by significantly advancing knowledge of the marine biogeochemical cycles of TEIs.

During its first two years of operation, the primary activity of the Project Office, measured in terms of time and effort, has been to support GEOTRACES meetings and workshops. Seven GEOTRACES meetings and workshops were supported during the past two years, and three more are being planned for Fall 2008, before the end of the current funding period. The second major activity of the Office has been to support communication and outreach by developing and maintaining the GEOTRACES web site <www.geotraces.org>, by creating and maintaining GEOTRACES e-mail lists, and by using both of these vehicles for disseminating information about GEOTRACES.

Principal activities of the Project Office over the next three years, will be: (1) Support of meetings and workshops; (2) Transferring certain activities to an International Project Office (IPO); (3) Supporting several steps associated with the implementing US GEOTRACES cruises, including serving as an interface between cruise scientists and the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office in Woods hole; and (4) Enhancing the GEOTRACES web site to streamline access to information.

Broader Impacts: The Project Office supports a broad range of activities for the US GEOTRACES program, as well as supporting a number of activities for the international GEOTRACES program. GEOTRACES, with support from the Project Office, serves as a focal point for the Chemical Oceanography community, providing a sense of identity and direction. This is healthy for the community, as well as for individual scientists, many of whom feel that the field will benefit from having the first major coordinated program since GEOSECS.  The Project Office also serves the broader community by acting as a point of contact with other programs sharing similar objectives. Within the U.S., there has been increasing interaction over the past year between GEOTRACES and the Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry program, with some investigators now calling for an OCB process study to be coordinated with a GEOTRACES section. Within the international arena, the PI interacts regularly with the IMBER and SOLAS programs, exploring the benefits of partnering in research with each at some point in the future. Coordinating activities among research programs offers substantial payback in terms of new opportunities for interdisciplinary research.

Columbia University Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory


No summary - Aucun sommaire

University Undergraduate Student Research Awards


NEUROENDOCRINE AND NEUROCHEMICAL FUNCTION DURING AGING


小児の臨床検査としての顔面規格写真計測法の応用

Principal Investigator：北村 陽太郎, Project Period (FY)：1984, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：小児・社会系歯学


Empirical Determination of Sufficiently Similiar Complex Mixtures


Crystallographic Studies at the Naval Research Laboratory


Elucidation of the mechanism of the acquired chemotherapy resistance by tumor-associated macrophages in oral cancer

ESTAは，抗癌剤による癌微小環境の変化を抑えることにより抗癌剤の効果を増強させようとする新しい治療戦略による薬物療法を確立しうる薬剤である。本研究では口腔癌の臨床検体や動物実験モデルを用いてE-selectinを介した腫瘍内への白血球の流入やTAMが引き起こす構造変化による化学療法耐性獲得のメカニズムを詳細に解明すると同時に，ESTAを臨床応用し，抗癌剤とESTAの併用による治療効果の大幅な向上を目指して研究を行う。

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)


Influence of environmental temperature transport distance and resting at the abattoir on post mortem chicken breast meat.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos (ITAL)


Neuroimmune Control of Allergic Immunity

Project Narrative Allergic diseases afflict 40% of the United States population, but it is unknown how allergens activate dendritic cells which are required for the initiation of allergic immune responses. A research program will be undertaken to study the neuroimmune interactions that endow sensory neurons with the ability to detect allergens, and how sensory neurons and dendritic cells interact to promote the activation of the allergic immune response. These studies will provide fundamental basic immunological insights into how allergic disease is initiated and will lay the foundation to develop novel therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat allergic diseases.


血清電解質ならびに血漿蛋白分劃の異常によって生じる心活動異常の電気学的力学的ならびに病理組織学的実験研究

Principal Investigator：斎藤 十六, Project Period (FY)：1965, Research Category：Particular Research

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science


Molecular Mechanisms for Co‐Assembly of Endocytic and Exocytic Machineries at a Synapse

Project Narrative The co-assembly of two synaptic nanoscopic structures that release and restore neurotransmitters is at the core of information processing in the brain and is altered in psychiatric disorders. This proposal investigates the pathways that co-assemble these essential machineries. This provides fundamental insights into information processing and into pathways affected in brain disease.


Applications of heuristic solution procedures to problems in industrial engineering/operational research/operations management

No summary - Aucun sommaire


Bedeutung der oxidativen DNASchädigung für die Kanzerogenese

Oxidative DNA-Modifikationen entstehen in allen Zellen und Geweben ständig unter dem Einfluss reaktiver Sauerstoffspezies (ROS). Sie sind eine wichtige Quelle "spontaner" Mutationen und tragen deshalb vermutlich zur spontanen Krebsentstehung bei. Die tatsächliche Bedeutung der oxidativen DNA-Schädigung für die Kanzerogenese in verschiedenen Organen ist bisher allerdings unklar und wird in diesem Projekt untersucht. Folgende zwei Fragestellungen stehen dabei im Mittelpunkt: (1) Welche endogenen Faktoren haben Einfluss auf die Spiegel oxidativer DNA-Modifikationen in den Zellen und welcher Mechanismus liegt jeweils zugrunde? (2) Welche Konsequenzen haben höhere Spiegel endogener oxidativer DNA-Modifikationen für die Mutagenese und die Kanzerogenese in vivo? Die Untersuchungen zu den Konsequenzen oxidativer DNA-Schäden in vivo erfolgen an den seit kurzem zur Verfügung stehenden ogg1(-/-)-knockout und ogg1(-/-)/csb(/-)-double-knockout Mäusen, die in der Reparatur von 8-Hydroxyguanin, der vermutlich wichtigsten oxidativen DNA-Basenmodifikation, defekt sind und für die in den Vorarbeiten bereits erhöhte Gleichgewichtsspiegel von 8-Hydroxyguanin nachgewiesen wurden. Die Untersuchungen zum Einfluss endogener Faktoren (mitochondriale Atmungskette, Cytochrom-P450; Reparaturproteine) erfolgen durch Transfektionsexperimente und andere gezielte Veränderungen in Zellkultur.


Definition of Microenvironment in Breast Cancer

UNIVERSITY OF CALIF-LAWRENC BERKELEY LAB


Nutritional mechanisms and intestinal tumorigenesis


虚血性脊髄神経細胞死誘発機構の基礎的解明と新規輸送担体を用いた治療胞確立への応用

平成17年度は昨年度に引き続き、脊髄スライス標本を用いて低酸素下における、Ca2+動態の変動を蛍光色素であるFura-2およびRhod-2を用いて計測を試みた。全身麻酔下のラットをコリンリンゲル液で還流し、氷で冷却した台の上で脊髄標本を素早く取り出した。冷却したスライサーに寒天で固めた標本を固定して脊髄切片を作成した。1000μmの脊髄薄切切片を作成後Normal Ringerにてincubateして15分間の低酸素(N295%+CO2 5%)および無グルコースの条件に脊髄薄切切片を暴露した。細胞内Ca2+変動をFura-2(最終濃度10pmol)にて計測した。また、ミトコンドリア内Ca2+濃度をRhod-2(最終濃度10pmol)を用いてRatio(相対比)にて測定した。低酸素負荷開始から10分後に脊髄後角灰白質から細胞内(Ratio0.8:低酸素負荷前Ratio0.2)およびミトコンドリア内Ca2+濃度の増加を認めた(Ratio1.3:低酸素負荷前Ratio0.5)。この増加は低酸素終了後も持続した。また、Preliminary dataとして免疫抑制剤のサイクロスポリン1μmol-5μmおよびFK506 0.2-1μmolにて細胞内(Ratio0.5:低酸素負荷前Ratio0.2)およびミトコンドリア内Ca2+濃度(Ratio0.8:低酸素負荷前Ratio0.5)の増加は抑制された。以上の結果から、脊髄低酸素負荷に伴うCa2+動態の制御にもCalcineurin/immunophilin情報伝達系が関与する可能性が強く示唆された。平成17年度はこれらの結果をもとに虚血性脊髄神経細胞障害誘発機構におけるCa2+動態の関与の詳細ならびに遺伝子の網羅的解析を行った。


ShEEP request for Live Cell Imaging with Super Resolution Microscopy

The Birmingham VA Medical Center (BVAMC) has an emerging, interdisciplinary research program that is veteran centered, results-driven, and forward-looking. We realize that healthcare is an interactive process that occurs in real-world settings; our disease oriented research acknowledges this fact. BVAMC research is forward looking in our participation in cutting edge research that seeks the root causes of diseases important to our Veterans. By understanding these diseases at the cellular level, we are working for a future in which these diseases can be prevented or treated. The current request is for a new cutting-edge technology of super resolution imaging that is becoming an essential component of many advanced research programs and the demand for such technology is rapidly expanding for all aspects of cell biology research.


REGULATION OF MATRIX TURNOVER IN MESANGIAL CELLS


TURBULENCE MODELS FOR FLOW SEPARATION

National Aeronautics and Space Administration


歯髄刺激による三叉神経核の陽性誘発電位のKイオン電極による解析

Principal Investigator：佐藤 豊彦, Project Period (FY)：1981 – 1982, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C), Research Field：Functional basic dentistry


ndustry guided harnessing of materials big-data using machine learning

Purpose and goal:
The coating industry faces with the need of materials that have high toughness for high-precision, high-temperature metal machining or high corrosion resistance for cathode materials in modern electrolyte batteries and fuel cells. An artificial intelligence based method will be utilized to tailor-explore the big data of materials and accelerate the search of multifunctional coatings. The project directly involves two world-leading companies in the area of hard coatings, Sandvik Coromant and Seco Tools, which provide access to computationally inaccessible control knowledge.

Expected results and effects:
In the project we have built a materials database of industrially relevant  nitride, carbide, oxide materials. We have served a software to serach for materials in the database and analyze their elastic properties. Machine learning algorithms has been developed and tested for two simple descriptors. Besides these results, which are directly utilized in FunMat-II competence center from now, a novel research idea for machine learning hardness has been established and transferred into FunMat-II.

Approach and implementation:
The results has been developed at Linköping University mostly by a PhD student. Seminars, meeting days and long term exchanges have served the success of the project. Sandvik personal has spent a week exchange at Linköping University, while F.T has spent three months in Moscow to broader his experience in machine learning techniques.


人間行動の信頼性評価技法の構築とその応用に関する研究

信頼性分析の一手法の構築とその応用を目指す目的で、初年度として下記の2点について理論的考察と実験的調査を行った。(1)行動の信頼性モデルの構築:人間行動の信頼性に関わる要因と要因間の関係を認知科学的側面から再検討し、これら要因間の関係を表すモデルを構築、またこの実験的検証。(2)閾値の設定とシミュレーションによる検証:選択対象となるオブジェクトサイズとその作業効率、特に選択ミスという観点からの考察、及びその作業効率の推定モデル化。結果として、まずBaileyやFittsらの研究より、作業の遂行速度及び正確さ、及びこれらに係わる要因として、作業遂行の困難さ、作業者の適応性・習熟性、並びに心理的・生理的要因の3つに分類した。また、これらの均衡関係をPewの提案しているSATO(Speed Accuracy Trade-Off)等を参考に、同一空間上に表現することを試みた。この関係を利用することにより、ある一定の制約条件下では事前にその作業の効率を見積もることが可能であることを、アイコン選択作業により実験的に検証した。次に、上記アイコン選択作業の実験結果を下に、(2)に対する実験的考察を行った。ある特定条件下における作業の遂行速度及び正確さの関係には、明らかなTrade-offの関係を捉えることができ、これに対し当てはめた推定式により、非常に高い精度で2つの関係を推定できることを確認した。また、ターゲットとなるアイコン等の大きさは、散らばっているポインティング地点をできるだけ多く包含することが望ましいと考え、ガンマ関数を用いポインティング精度を確率的に算出するモデルを提案し、数値シミュレーションにより検証した。これにより、ある一定の作業条件下において、ターゲットとなるオブジェクトの大きさを変化させることで、どの程度の精度が見込めるかが判定できることとなった。


Research on peptide requirement of lactobacilli resident in human small intestine

Lactobacillus gasseri is well-known as a species of probiotic lactic acid bacteria resident in human small intestine. However, the usability of Lb. gasseri as a fermentation starter was limited, because of its indefinite auxotrophy. In this study, we first revealed that Lb. gasseri requires peptides for growth, and that the peptide requirement would be caused by low activity of cell-envelope proteinases of Lb. gasseri. Next, we developed new two methods for milk fermentation using Lb. gasseri without any supplementation of peptides. In a method, fermentation was achieved after hydrolysis of milk proteins using food-grade proteinases particularly pepsin. In another, cocultivation with selected coccal strains of lactic acid bacteria was used. In addition, it was found that Lb. gasseri can assimilate endogenous peptides such as pepsinolytic hydrolysates of gastric mucin, as well as exogenous peptides generated from orally ingested food proteins.


NERVE-MUSCLE INTERACTION AND NEUROTROPHIC AGENTS


Pilar Catalan | Universidade de zaragoza - Espanha

Profª Pilar Catalan deverá: i. participar em um projeto de pesquisa sobre fluxo gênico em Esenbeckia leiocarpa (guarantã), usando marcadores moleculares codominantes (RAPD); ii. ministrar palestras e seminários para alunos de graduação e pós-graduação do LCF e do Departamento de Genética; iii. ministrar palestra no I Workshop sobre Estratégias de Melhoramento Florestal promovido pelo LCF; vi. treinar alunos de graduação e pós-graduação em técnicas moleculares aplicadas à genética de populações. (AU)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Auxílio à Pesquisa - Pesquisador Visitante - Internacional

Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ)


PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOR STUDY OF INFANT COLIC


A RESEARCH EFFORT TO DEMONSTRATE THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPLEX THREE-DIMENSIONAL METAL WIRE MEST


VENTRICULAR FUNCTION DURING CARDIAC SURGERY


Dietary influence on infant growth and the gut microbiota

The proposed research is relevant to public health because it focuses on identifying how the exposures of different protein-rich foods affect gut microbiota and infant growth during early complementary feeding. Findings are expected to have significant scientific and clinical implications for identifying beneficial gut microbial changes and dietary patterns and for informing dietary interventions to prevent the risk of overweight and later obesity.


CODING &NONCODING REGIONS IN DNA SEQUENCES


Development of Ultra-Precision X-ray Mirror towards Future Solar Observations

This research aims to acquire key technology elements for developing high-precision grazing-incidence X-ray mirrors that are needed for performing sub-arcsecond resolution imagery of the solar corona in X-rays. For this perpose, an engineering Wolter mirror was fabricated and technical issues during the course of high-precision surface polish of the mirror were identified. X-ray focusing performance of the mirror was then measured at SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility with 8 keV X-rays. It was confirmed that the measured intensity profiles of the focusing X-rays are in good agreement with those synthesized through wave-optical calculation of X-rays from the surface figure profile measured during the high-precision polish. Although sub-arcsecond resolution was not fully achieved with the engineering mirror, critical pieces of knowledge were successfully acquired towards the subsequent fabrication of sub-arcsecond Wolter mirrors for astrophysical applications.

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research


Elucidating Inflammatory and Metabolic Pathways in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Development

Project Narrative Understanding the pathogenic pathways, including the heterogeneity by sex and the potential gene- environment interaction, is critical for targeted prevention and screening of obstructive sleep apnea. This application integrates genetic and biomarker-based approaches to elucidate the roles of inflammatory and metabolic pathways in obstructive sleep apnea development. Findings from this work may lead to new strategies that target these pathways for obstructive sleep apnea prevention and treatment.


Innovative EHealthAnsätze für komorbide Depressionen in der somatischen Versorgung: Nutzungsakzeptanz des internetbasierten Selbstmanagementprogramms MoodGYM

Patienten mit chronischen somatischen Erkrankungen wie Adipositas leiden häufig an komorbiden depressiven Störungen und sind eine besondere Herausforderung für das medizinische Versorgungssystem. Internetbasierte kognitive Verhaltenstherapieprogramme stellen eine neue, innovative und wirksame Behandlungskomponente dar. Untersuchungen zur Nutzungsakzeptanz und Effektivität solcher Programme mit dem Fokus auf eine depressive Symptomatik bei Patienten mit Adipositas sowie somatischen Grunderkrankungen im Allgemeinen stehen jedoch aus. Bei dem vorliegenden Antragsprojekt handelt es sich um eine Machbarkeitsstudie (feasibility study) im Rahmen der Versorgungsforschung, in deren Fokus die Untersuchung der Nutzungsakzeptanz bezüglich eines Einsatzes des internetbasierten Selbsthilfeprogramms MoodGYM bei komorbiden depressiven Störungen in der somatischen Versorgung am Beispiel von Patienten mit Adipositas steht. Die Nutzungsakzeptanz soll aus Sicht von (A) Patienten und (B) Experten des medizinischen Versorgungssystems in Anlehnung an das 5-Phasen-Modell des Innovations-Entscheidungsprozesses nach Rogers (2003) erfasst werden. Die Pilotstudie folgt im Rahmen eines Mixed-Method-Ansatzes einem sequentiellen qualitativ-quantitativen Design. Es kommen sowohl qualitative Untersuchungen (Qualitative Interviews (N=6 Patienten); Expertenfokusgruppe (N=10 Experten)) als auch eine quantitative Untersuchung (Zugang zur Intervention und schriftliche Patientenbefragung bei N=35 Patienten; T0 (Prä): vor der Zugangsvergabe für MoodGYM; T1 (Post): 3 Monate nach der Zugangsvergabe für MoodGYM) zum Einsatz. Die Studienergebnisse des geplanten Projekts bilden die Grundlage für die Beantragung eines weiterführenden DFG-Projekts zur Erfassung der Wirksamkeit und Kosteneffektivität von MoodGYM bei Patienten mit somatischen Grunderkrankungen und komorbider depressiver Symptomatik im Rahmen einer randomisiert kontrollierten Studie (RCT).


International Cooperative Administrative Support Services (ICSAA) Costs


Mechanism of Renal Cell Injury in Diabetes

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR SAN ANT


Enhancement of the Chemistry Curriculum by the Addition of  an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

Delta State University is equipping a laboratory to measure the                 quantities of toxic trace metals in the environment by atomic                   absorption. Undergraduate students collect water and soil                       samples in a 19 county area for analysis and their results are                  used in a


South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), Category B

SOUTH CAROLINA PRAMS PROJECT NARRATIVE  This research can be used to assess the overall health of mothers and infants in South Carolina and inform and evaluate programs charged with improving the health of this population. The health of mothers and infants is a key component of overall public health.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH


Determining prey quality for marine predators by quantifying energy densities of forage fish species

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada


Collaborative Research: Cranial Base Development in Primates

This project will address questions about primate and human biology using cutting-edge visualization techniques to map the cellular processes involved in growth and development of cranial cartilage and bone across a wide range of primates.  Findings from this project will advance knowledge about the ways in which cranial growth determines overall skull shape, which is important for understanding primate adaptations and life history through time. The project will support research infrastructure and training of young scientists, and may inform clinical research and treatments for children with cranial malformations.

This study relates differences in cranial base structure (including degree of basicranial flexion and facial orientation) to direct evidence of growth processes. Nine primate species are studied using a novel combination of micro-computed tomography and histological procedures to create 3D virtual reconstructions of the developing skull.  Growth patterns in cranial base synchondroses are quantified using linear and cross-sectional area measurements of cartilaginous zones.  Cranial shape in perinatal and older subadults is described using volumetric, angular, and landmark-based morphometric data.  A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics are applied to address four specific aims: 1) describe the structure of the perinatal cranial base in a comparative sample of primates; 2) document evidence of cellular and tissue-level mechanisms contributing to growth; 3) test for a phylogenetic effect in perinatal cranial base structure; and 4) test the association of cranial base growth patterns with cranial base angle and facial orientation in the perinatal period and in the adult. This project is the first to assess early postnatal synchondroseal patency or fusion in a broad range of primates and advance understanding of growth characteristics of bone and cartilage by directly observing indicators of chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy, two drivers of interstitial growth.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.


Role of Brain Specific Tyrosne Phosphatase STEP in Neuroprotection and Death

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed research is relevant to public health because the findings about the role of the brain-enriched tyrosine phosphatase STEP in neuroprotection can help in the development of potentially novel therapeutic agents for treatment of ischemic stroke. The project is relevant to the part of NIND's mission that pertains to advance significantl our fundamental knowledge about the neuroprotective pathways that are activated in the brain during ischemia and the application of that knowledge to reduce the burden of stroke dependent disability and mortality.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR


Planning and scheduling of the use of machines and personnel for the processing and
manufacture of perishable food products is, in most food plants, a manually intensive activity.
Last minute variation in order volumes, unpredictable machine failure and the corresponding
disparity in required and available human skills leads to poor optimization of machine and
human resources, excessive wastage of raw food materials and storage costs. The HARVEST
Project will develop and prototype a real-time, dynamic ‘Planning & Scheduling System for
Perishable Food Production’ to significantly reduce waste, improve resource utilization and to
make production more responsive to the end-customer needs. The key innovations include the
:
a) Algorithms that undertake the planning and scheduling activity to reflect the business rules
of perishable foods production, tracking and audit legislation, human and machine resource
availability and capability, and the cost of manufacturing objectives;
b) Algorithms that determine the deviation from the plan against actual tracked production
activity and which also identify the cause of the discrepancy and so provide decision support
when undertaking any remedial planning activity;
c) Distributed production machine devices that feed the operational details to the back-end
dynamic modelling engine, to enable real-time monitoring of actual against planned, and
which allow change-of-plan instructions to be passed to the machine operators; and
d) Investigation into the construction of plans and schedules that enable multiple sites to
collaborate in the optimal cost effective completion of production orders.
Development and Prototype demonstrators will be deployed and evaluated. The aim is to
confirm the suitability for resolving last minute order variation and unpredicted variability in
the available production resources while achieving optimal production cost.


Wnt/Frizzled-PCP signaling in development and disease

Cellular polarity is an essential feature of organogenesis and tissue development and homeostasis in general. The regulation and maintenance of the epithelial planar cell polarity (PCP) feature is linked to many diseases, ranging from deafness and infertility to neural tube closure defects and ciliopathies, and also cancer (several PCP determinants are tumor suppressors or proto-oncogenes). This application addresses the cell biology and molecular regulation of PCP establishment, which is of high significance for many medical disorders.


The impact of experiencing maternal violent injury on health outcomes in youth: an evaluation of health system impact and needs.

The federal government has declared violence against women an epidemic in Canada. At least one quarter of Canadian women will experience violence in their lifetime. This violence does not only impact on the women themselves, but likely has a profound "ripple effect" on women's children. However, despite the fact that violence against women is extremely common, how violence affects the health and well being of youth in affected families has not been systematically studied. Without this information, health system planners cannot ensure that youth who experience the violent injury of their mother have access to the right health services and support. In this study that uses large datasets available in Ontario, Canada, we will study the mental health and injury outcomes of youth whose mothers have been injured through violence. We will also evaluate the additional cost to the healthcare system of adverse health outcomes experienced by youth whose mothers have been violently injured. Finally, we will study how experiencing marginalization impacts on the relationship between a mother experiencing violent injury and the health outcomes experienced by the youth in her family. The results of this study will help healthcare providers and health system planners develop interventions to support youth affected by maternal violent injury.

Catalyst Grant: Healthy Youth - Promoting Health Equity in Canada's Youth

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Ontario)


The Control of Acyclic Stereochemistry Employing            Organophosphorus Auxiliaries

The focus of this research is the development of carbon-carbon                  bond making processes that use organophosphorus moieties to                     control stereochemistry. Design of the auxiliaries strives to                   maximize chirality transfer while allowing recycling of the                     chiral auxiliaries.  Activation of cyclic dioxaphosphoranes by                  site-selective complexation with silyl cations will afford                      substituted 1,2-diols with high regio- and stereospecificity.                   Control of acyclic stereochemistry using a phosphoryl group in                  concert with the Mukaiyama-Michael reaction is planned and the                  unique metallation/alkylation chemistry of spirooxyphosphoranes                 will be probed for both theoretical as well as synthetic gain.                  %%%                                                                             With this renewal award, the Synthetic Organic Program is                       supporting the research of Dr. Slayton A. Evans of the                          Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina,                    Chapel hill.  Professor Evans will focus his work on projects                   that center on the design of new and versatile stereoselective                  carbon-carbon bond making strategies all of which use                           organophosphorus moieties to control the stereochemical course                  of the reactions.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


PUERTO RICO - PREGNANCY RISK ASSESSMENT MONITORING SYSTEM (PR - PRAMS)

COMPONENT A: PR-PRAMS Having accurate and continuous data from PR-PRAMS will fill in information gaps. The data gathered on the morbidity of women before and during pregnancy is important for ascertaining the factors influencing positive and/or adverse pregnancy outcomes. Besides, it will allow gaining insights into the impact of environmental, social and personal factors on pregnancy outcomes, as well as identifying potential risks for infant mortality.


Polyphase crustal evolution in the late archean (3.2 to 2.84 ga): the case of the campo belo metamorphic complex, minas gerais, brazil.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Geociências (IGC)


The development of the educational program which reinforce the nurse's judgment and thinking process to prevent the nursing accident.

The objective of this research was to 1.Produce of the educational program which reinforce the nurse's judgment and thinking process to prevent the nursing accident, especially involved with medication.We produced the 2 e-learning contents. One teaches the knowledge about the medication, and the other is the simulated version which includes the case study and quiz. Unfortunately, the number of the students who participated in our interview was very few, the effect of these contents has not been established, so we have to continue farther study.2. The another objective of this research was to gain user input in order to refine teaching approaches and context of a physical assessment course. We mailed the questionnaire to 450nurses who took the PA courses and 420nurses who have not take that course. Response rate was about 35%. Significant differences on the frequency of some of the physical assessment skills ware observed between the nurses who took the PA courses and who did not take that course. We have to consider these results to teach the physical assessment skill at the under graduate level.

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science


TOPIC 360: A SIMPLE END-TO-END SYSTEM FOR SERIAL CELL SORTING AND MANIPULATION USING A SINGLE CONTAINER- MOONSHOT


Proof of market for novel power management Application Specific Integrated Circuits to enable optimal micro energy harvesting from low levels of indoor light.

Solar Press will perform a proof of market study to investigate intelligent, fully integrated,
power management devices to enable optimal performance of micro energy harvesting
modules (µEHM) using a range of photovoltaic technologies operating at low levels of indoor
light.. The embodiment could of this could be as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit
(ASIC).


Reactivating atrophied Schwann cells for long-distance nerve regeneration

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Peripheral nerves regenerate, but rarely over long distances even after surgical repair. Limited regeneration limits the functional recovery of many patients with peripheral nerve injuries. We postulate that we can reactivate atrophied Schwann cells and restore their ability to promote long-distance regeneration. Our studies therefore have the potential to develop a potent therapy for repairing severe nerve injuries, which would fill an important clinical need. .


Neurobiological mechanisms of nicotine reinforcement: Role of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) Estimates project that by the year 2020, tobacco-related disease will become the largest single health problem world-wide, resulting in approximately 8.4 million deaths annually [12]. This research proposal seeks to provide a better understanding of the fundamental neurobiology underlying nicotine addiction. Results from these experiments may serve to develop novel therapeutics for smoking cessation.


Metal ion partitioning via the Yellow Stripe-Like (YSL) family of transporters

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).

The goal of this project is an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms by which plants acquire and then maintain the correct levels of iron and other metal nutrients.  Currently, little is known about molecules involved in the movement of metals on a large scale, for example, from roots to leaves, or from leaves and roots into seeds. Knowledge of the mechanisms involved in plant iron movement is lacking, presenting a major obstacle to devising approaches for biofortification of staple foods.  Biofortification refers to the modification of crops to accumulate additional iron in edible parts; it is widely regarded as a sustainable means of improving the iron nutrition of the 2-3 billion people worldwide whose inadequate diet causes iron deficiency anemia.  Improving our understanding of plant iron homeostatic mechanisms is also critical if we wish to improve growth of crops in marginal soils, where iron deficiency frequently limits crop growth.  The investigators' work on the Yellow Stripe-Like (YSL) family of proteins is focused on these large scale, whole plant processes: YSL transporters are required for normal movement of iron, zinc, and copper in both vegetative and reproductive tissues.

By analyzing mutant plants that lack one or more YSL genes, the investigators will elucidate the key YSL genes that mediate large scale movements of metals in plants.  By analyzing global gene expression in mutant plants, the investigators will identify novel genes and gene networks that are involved in plant Fe homeostasis. The investigators will also develop more reliable and straightforward assays that characterize the transport activities of the YSL transporters. This project will provide numerous (at least 60 over the three year duration of the project) meaningful opportunities for undergraduate participation in this research program, and in addition, will educate and train a PhD student and two postdoctoral students.


海産無脊椎動物由来溶血性レクチンの生物活性に関する研究

本研究では、海産無脊椎動物グミ(Cucumaria echinata)由来溶血性レクチンCEL-IIIとCEL-IIII変異体を用いて、細胞および生物に対する活性を検討し、その作用メカニズムを解明することを目的として実験を行なった。これまでにCEL-IIIのN末端側2/3の糖結合ドメインCRD(1〜283残基目)のみからなる変異体蛋白質が弱い糖結合および赤血球凝集活性を保持することを示したが、今回新たにC末端領域から20残基ずつ欠損した変異体を作成しその活性について検討した。CRD312(C末端120残基欠損)、CRD332(同100残基)は、容易に大腸菌内で発現したが、CRD352(同80残基)、CRD372.(同60残基)の発現量は順次減少した。変異体を精製後、赤血球凝集活性を調べた結果、CRD312はCRDより強い赤血球凝集活性を保持していることが明らかになり、また、その活性は欠損が小さくなると増大し、CRD332とCRD352ではCEL-IIIとほぼ同等の活性を有していた。よって、C末端領域は会合体形成以外に、糖結合ドメインの構造安定化にも寄与していることが示唆された。つづいて、相同蛋白であるリシンの糖結合に関与する残基を参考にして、部位変異体を作製してCEL-IIIの糖結合残基の同定を試みた。その結果、Asp23、His37、Gln44の糖結合への関与が明らかになったがGln45の関与はほとんどないことが明らかになった。最近決定されたCEL-IIIの結晶構造から、上記残基以外にAsp43がCa^<2+>の糖結合部位への配位に重要であることが示唆された。つまり、CEL-IIIはリシンと類似したアミノ酸残基が糖結合に関与しているが、CEL-IIIが示す糖結合の際のCa^<2+>依存性はAsp43によることが大きいと推察された。最後に、ゼブラフィッシュを用いてCEL-IIIとその変異体の殺魚活性を検討した。その結果、CRDは殺魚活性を保持していないことが明らかになった。また、赤血球凝集活性を持つが溶血活性がないCEL-IIIオリゴマーも170μg/mlという高濃度でも殺魚活性を示さない(モノマーは6.0μg/1mlで殺魚活性を発揮する)ことから、溶血活性と殺魚活性は、お互い非常に関連することが明らかになった。


NUCLEAR ENERGY UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS - NUCLEAR ENERGY UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS CONSOLIDATED INNOVATIVE NUCLEAR RESEARCH -
THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM

NUCLEAR ENERGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION


ALCOHOL, BREATHING, AND SLEEP--AGE AND GENDER EFFECTS


ASSESSMENT OF CAVITATION FROM DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND


Third International Calicivirus Conference


Morehouse College's project  - Morehouse Wide Initiative for Sustainable Energy (M-WISE) - is based on institutional vision and student interest. The STEM based M-WISE program will utilize the strengths and resources of the entire institution to create a far reaching, transformative, interdisciplinary curriculum and research infrastructure for students to become leaders in the global arena of sustainable energy. The goals of M-WISE are to develop and institutionalize: 1) an energy curriculum that is interdisciplinary, transformative, STEM based and institution wide; and 2) an Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) that is linked to the energy curriculum.
The energy curriculum will be comprehensive and promote international studies and leadership skills. A goal of ISE is to initiate new interdisciplinary energy research projects, as well as foster student development through research, seminars, energy club and pre-freshman programs; and faculty development through research collaborations and workshops. This project will improve the quality of education, develop leadership skills and create global competency for African-American male students while exposing them to concepts in energy utilization, sustainability and materials development.  M-WISE will transform the approach of STEM education at Morehouse by creating a unique interdisciplinary research and community outreach infrastructure that is linked to a curriculum that will bring STEM and non-STEM students together to take STEM courses leading to a minor in energy.
The process for creating an energy related interdisciplinary learning culture among African-American male STEM students will be assessed, evaluated and published. The efforts of this project will result in a model for energy education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and liberal arts colleges that will track students into STEM and energy-related careers.


RUI:   Comparative micromechanics of gecko setae:   Effects of rate, substrate, and environment

Gecko toe pads are sticky because they bear a hierarchy of structure that functions as a smart adhesive. The adhesive on gecko toes differs dramatically from that of conventional pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs), which are soft polymers that degrade, foul, self-adhere, and attach accidentally to inappropriate surfaces. In contrast, gecko toes bear angled arrays of branched, hair-like fibers (setae) formed from stiff, hydrophobic keratin that act as a bed of angled springs with an effective stiffness similar to that of PSAs. Setae are self-cleaning and maintain function for months during repeated use in dirty conditions. Adhesion in setae requires maintenance of a shear load directed toward the body of the gecko. Thus, gecko setae resist inappropriate bonding and are capable of easy and rapid attachment and detachment. Prior research is based predominately on data collected from a single species, the tokay gecko, on smooth surfaces at ambient relative humidity. Functionally, the diversity of setal designs in over 1000 species of gecko is not well understood. Also, theory and data conflict with regard to the effects of van der Waals forces and humidity on gecko adhesion. These are topics of central importance in understanding the mechanisms of gecko adhesion and in the design and application of gecko-like synthetic adhesives (GSAs). This project focuses on identifying general, testable principles underlying the novel attachment system that geckos use to climb. It will test the validity of four theoretical models of setal structure and function by measuring material properties and contact mechanics of a diverse sample of gecko setae, and by utilizing GSAs as physical models. The project will tease apart the effect of humidity and temperature on keratin mechanical properties from the effect of surface hydration by measuring changes in stiffness and frictional adhesion as a function of humidity, temperature, and substrate hydrophobicity. The research will advance understanding of the micromechanics of gecko setae under a range of biologically relevant environmental conditions, enabling transformative advances in adhesion technology and the physics of friction. Engineered adhesive nanostructures inspired by geckos may become the glue of the future and perhaps the screw of the future as well.


「データパラレル超並列データベースサーバアーキテクチャの研究」

データベース処理に対する超並列計算機の適用が模索されているが,巨大なデータベース処理ではソート処理が最も多大な実行時間を必要としていることから,(例えば,1GBのソートに数時間必要),本年度は超並列マシンによるソートの高速化について検討した。まず,1024プロセッサのマスパーMP-1,8192プロセッサのCM-2,512プロセッサのAP-1000上にそれぞれラディックソート,バイトニックソート,サンプル化バブルソートの3種のアルゴリズムを実装し,その特性を評価した。この結果,バーチャルプロセッサ比によって最適なアルゴリズムが異なる点,さらにマシンによっても最適アルゴリズムが異なることが明らかになった。即ちマシン毎にプロセッサの処理能力ならびにプロセッサ間の結合度及び通信性能が異なることからアーキテクチャに適したアルゴリズムの選択が不可欠である。例えばメッシュ結合型マシンとハイパーキューブマシンとでは、大きな通信距離の差が生じることからアーキテクチャパラメータにより、最適なアルゴリズムを選択するヒューリステイクスを考案した。超並列マシンのアーキテクチャは、そこで走行する主要なアプリケーションから決定され、必ずしも万能である必要はなく、ソートの様に全域的なランダム通信が得意とは限らず、この様なヒューリスティクスは有効である。関係データベースアルゴリズムをデータパラレルマシン上に実装し、その可能性について詳細に評価した。プログラミングは容易ではなく、又データパラレルマシンでは、負荷分散が困難であることが判明した。本年度は主記憶上でのアルゴリズム開発が中心であったが、一部2次記憶を利用した大規模処理の実験を試み,特にバーチャルプロセッサの割り付けアルゴリズムの開発を行ったが、より詳細な評価は今後の課題である。

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas


Tight Junction Barriers in the Gastrointestinal Tract


PROTEIN INTERACTIONS IN VISUAL TRANSDUCTION


新しい鋳造方式を用いた歯科用鋳造機に関する研究

Principal Investigator：和久本 貞雄, Project Period (FY)：1973, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Developmental Scientific Research


Mobile Older Driver Assessment and Training Simulator (MODATS)

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Older drivers have an increasing risk of traffic safety problems with increasing age. Training and rehabilitation methods have been developed in previous research to reduce older driver crash risk. The objective of this project is to refine procedures t minimize the incidence of simulator sickness which is the main impediment to wider use of driving simulator assessment, training and rehabilitation for older drivers.


アマドリ転位生成物の酸素ラジカル生成能と核酸切断活性

還元糖が、緩衝溶液中自動酸化反応により活性酸素種を生成することが著者らによって見出され、その後その生化学的意義、糖の構造と反応性、生体高分子損傷反応等が検討された。本課題では、食品中や血液中に存在し、古くから研究の多いアマドリ転位化合物に着目し、モデル反応、および糖たんぱく上のアミノ糖の自動酸化反応の性質とDNA,たんぱく,多糖の損傷反応の性質を詳しく検討した。1.【=!D】-グルコース誘導体のアマドリ転位生成物4種を合成し、その酸素ラジカル生成能,in vitro核酸切断能,バクテリオファージ不活化能を検討し、還元糖や反応性のより高い部分置換還元糖よりさらに大きな反応性を有していることがわかった。2.たんぱく質上のアマドリ転位物のモデルとして、【=!D】-リボースとBSA、リゾチームをリン酸緩衝液中、37℃で反応させ、生成物を単離し、損傷の程度を調べ、in vitroの生物活性を詳細に検討した。その結果、たんぱく上のアマドリ転位化合物では、酸素ラジカル生成能、核酸切断能は有するが、ウイルス不活化能はほとんど示さないという興味ある知見を得た。3.モデル化合物のトルイジノフラクトースについて、核酸切断およびウイルス不活化の起る条件で、多糖の損傷反応を検討した。即ち、重合度既知の多糖について、【Cu^(2+)】の存在下、グリコシドの切断反応をHPLCで定量的に追跡したところ、アマドリ転位物や還元糖では、多糖の損傷は認められなかった。4.反応性についての検討から、アマドリ転位物は、置換基、糖の構造、たんぱくの構造の相異等により、異った酸素ラジカル生成能とDNA切断活性を有し、in vivoにおける変異原性の可能性が示唆された。また、類似構造を有する糖オキシム、ヒドラゾンも同様な生物活性を有することが強く示唆され、【=!D】-グルコースについて予備的に実験を行った結果、エナミノール系中間体を経由すると思われる自動酸化反応と生物活性が確認された。


ハイドロタルサイトの熱分解生成物を用いる陰イオンの層間吸着反応に関する研究

Principal Investigator：佐藤 次雄, Project Period (FY)：1986, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：無機工業化学


MECHANISM-BASED MEASURES OF OTOLOGIC PATHOLOGY


FMiTF: Track II: Rigorous and Versatile Float-Point Precision Analysis and Tuning

Floating-point numbers serve as the mostly commonly used representation within computers of real-valued quantities such as the average global temperature on Earth.  Since computer storage cells have finite precision, floating-point quantities must be suitably rounded, following standard rounding rules such as promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Unfortunately, these rounding rules are sometimes incorrectly implemented in existing pieces of important software.  In other cases, key links in the software transformation pipeline deviate from mathematical stipulations.  This project provides an integrated collection of tools called FPFormal that helps establish mathematically rigorous estimates of round-off error. It assists designers pinpoint exactly which links in the transformation pipeline must be enhanced to attain certifiable calculation results. This research eliminates or vastly minimize deviations in calculation results that inform critical scientific decisions. The tools developed in this project will be open to the entire scientific community, and also play a key role in promoting pedagogy at all levels of computing education.

The FPFormal project provides an integrated collection of point tools that help researchers in science and engineering establish tight round-off error bounds for their numerical calculations. Some of these tools employ symbolic differentiation supported by a novel idea called Taylor Forms, feeding the results to a global optimizer called Gelpia. Other tools in FPFormal will help pinpoint the sources of result deviations through differently branching computations. They will also compute inputs that cause the most roundoff errors.  FPFormal will be released to the research community and promoted at conferences and workshops specifically targeting three groups: computational scientists at national laboratories; companies invested in developing mathematical software; and individual researchers in areas such as Physics where calculations are the only means of exploring the unknown.  A major emphasis of the investigators will be to adhere to standards such as FPBench being developed by the community to supply well-vetted benchmarks. Broader impacts of the project are to equip domain science and engineering researchers and practitioners with tools that help them make their computational software trustworthy as well as more energy efficient, by enabling them to choose lower precision whenever the underlying specifications allow. Potential impacts span both high-performance computing and machine learning.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.


Joining schools and families in social skills training


Development of a novel platform for the identification of synthetic lethal genes in a Kras and Keap1-mutant mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma.

NARRATIVE  Mutation of KRAS is one of the single most common events that drive human cancer, yet treatment options for patients with KRAS-mutant cancers are extremely limited. Large scale sequencing studies of human lung adenocarcinoma tumors of has revealed KEAP1 as the most co-mutated gene with KRAS. This study aims to elucidate and uncover novel genetic vulnerabilities of Keap1-mutant tumors, and promises to provide knowledge essential for the future design of therapies to counteract KRAS-KEAP1 mutant cancers.


No summary - Aucun sommaire

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada


Application of Mechanical Vibration to Enhance Orthodontic Tooth Movement

Orthodontic treatment brings about better occlusions, improved oral functions and harmonized facial appearances. However, one of the key challenges in clinical orthodontics - long treatment time (on average 2-3 years) has never been solved. This causes severe side effects such as root resorption, enamel decalcification, poor oral hygiene and compromised patient's compliance. Developing non-invasive and safe solutions to this challenge will dramatically improve the quality of orthodontic care. This project proposes an innovative way to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement rate by using mechanical vibration to increase the modeling rate of alveolar bone.


PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Cognitive impairments are a major obstacle to integration into society for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and mental retardation. The proposed studies will test the innovative concept that heightened COMT activity affects the developmental maturation of working memory capacity and synaptic plasticity. The outcome of the proposed studies will provide a solid foundation to more fully understand the mechanisms for developmental memory impairments seen in the neuropsychiatric disorders.

ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, INC


Postdoctoral Research Fellowship


EAPSI: Expression and functional analysis of the noncoding RNA MRE-32 in Drosophila nervous system de

Nyberg                  Kevin          G


Medical Genetics Postdoctoral Fellowship


Establishing hydrological indicators of peatland restoration success in Canada

Ecohydrology, plant physiology, wetlands, restoration, sphagnum, peatland

Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral


Modernização das facilidades do Laboratório de Solidificação do Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais da FEM/UNICAMP

A presente solicitação de recursos trata da recuperação da infraestrutura e facilidades do laboratório de Solidificação do DEMA/FEM/UNICAMP. Os recursos serão aplicados na modernização ou recuperação dos sistemas de selagem a vácuo de amostras, de armazenamento e distribuição de gases e de crescimento direcional de ligas de baixo e médio ponto de fusão. Com a implementação do presente projeto, diversas linhas de pesquisa terão continuidade, como é o caso de crescimento direcional de ligas, o estudo da microestrutura dendrítica de ligas automotivas e a preparação de ligas de alto ponto de fusão. (AU)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa Infraestrutura - Gerais

Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica (FEM)


FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR DISADVANTAGED HEALTH PROFESSION


Alternative polyadenylation(APA) mechanisms of comorbid mood disorders in chronic pain

PROJECTIVE NARRATIVE Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are frequently observed in patients with chronic pain and are clinically challenging to treat since the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This proposal will uncover the alternative polyadenylation (APA) mechanisms underlying comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms in chronic pain. This contribution is significant because it addresses substantial new mechanistic insights into comorbid mood disorders in chronic pain and provides an entirely new layer of therapeutic possibility for chronic pain management.


Climate change adaptation and mitigation the role of quasi-institutional intermediaries

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's


Smart Radiation Sensor for Intelligent Nuclear Robots

no public description


ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY OR SOURCE OF AMERICAN DECLINE? How strategic narratives on the economy-security nexus shape United States foreign policy

Introduction
Securitizing the economy is not a new phenomenon in American politics. Over the last century, we find strategic narratives - sense-making devices that forge shared meanings in order to shape policy outcomes - on the economy-security nexus ranging from praising an arsenal of democracy to diagnosing American hegemonic decline. Yet we know surprisingly little about the mechanisms and implications of securitizing economic affairs.
This project addresses this lacuna by putting the securitization of economic issues center-stage, with an empirical focus on post-Cold War America. It focuses on (i) tracing the conceptual underpinnings of the economy-security link; (ii) identifying the core discursive toolkit of economic securitization moves; (iii) exploring the socio-linguistic mechanisms influencing narrative effectiveness; and (iv) evaluating how securitizing economic issues in US politics, and as part of American grand strategy, is politically consequential.
State of Research
By the end of the Cold War, four prevalent strands of conceptualizing the economy-security nexus in international politics had incrementally emerged, but without a shared scholarly understanding of what the nexus precisely comprised, how it should be achieved, and why it matters: (1) neorealist thought advanced the idea economic capabilities affect national security because they are key ingredients to states' composition of material power; (2) (neo)institutionalism focused on the benefits of interstate economic cooperation for international security; (3) liberal internationalism raised the importance of international economic justice in fostering peace; and (4) Democratic Peace Theory proposed the advantages of democratic systems of governance for international security in which economic interests of the electorate feature centrally.
Analytical Strategy
This project seeks to understand how strategic narratives on the economy-security nexus shape US foreign policy and what difference it makes. The inquiry is centered on three interconnected research questions:
1. What types of strategic narratives on the economy-security nexus have emerged as dominant within US foreign policy projections, and in what context?
2. What are the main ingredients of the different types of strategic narratives on the link between economy and security?
3. What factors - including at the socio-linguistic level as well as with respect to economic conditions, political behavior, and cultural residue - influence the receptiveness and effectiveness of these narratives?
To answer these questions, the project engages in mix-methods research that systematically analyses the key economic securitization moves from each post-Cold War administration. It features a blend of computer-assisted quantitative textual analysis and qualitative discourse analysis aimed at three different types of political agents: (i) government level; (ii) expert level; (iii) media level. The project's tiered research process will allow for a broader evaluation of how the securitizing of economic issues in US politics and as part of American grand strategy is politically consequential.
Objective and Contributions
Illuminating the under-recognized integration of economics and national security in contemporary US foreign policy, its key contributions are (i) the development of an academic understanding of the core mechanisms underpinning securitization of economic issues within an American foreign policy context; (ii) the conceptual integration of economic issues within the broader discipline of security studies that aligns with, but also goes beyond, the narrative turn of the field; and (iii) an empirical illustration of the power of strategic narratives featuring the economy-security nexus to shape policy outcomes as well as the socio-political facilitating conditions to do so.


OPTICS AND PHOTOTOXICITY OF SKIN IN PHOTOMEDICINE


Mapping the ALS Exposome to Gain New Insights into Disease Risk and Pathogenesis

PROJECT NARRATIVE Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating and fatal neurodegenerative condition, and environmental exposures are hypothesized to play a role in disease pathogenesis and progression. Our goal is to identify environmental pollutant exposures that contribute to ALS disease risk and survival when accounting for genetic susceptibility to understand how these exposures play a role in ALS pathogenesis. This work will have wide-ranging implications on ALS disease prevention and treatment.


Rethinking Electronic Fetal Monitoring to Improve Perinatal Outcomes and Reduce Frequency of Operative Vaginal and Cesarean Deliveries

The essential role of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) of the fetal heart rate (FHR) during labor is to prevent adverse outcomes due to oxygen deficiency, but its weaknesses almost all stem from the obstetrician’s highly subjective visual interpretations of the signal patterns. The widespread use of this technology over the past 50 years has not been shown to decrease stillbirths or reduce the numbers of infants with severe hypoxic/ischemic neurological disorders, but it has been associated with an extraordinary increase in cesarean delivery rates. The main objective of the proposed research is to use recent breakthroughs in machine learning to drive the development of predictive analytics to support and improve the interpretation of FHR monitoring data, especially under real world conditions where clinicians must make timely decisions about interventions to prevent adverse outcomes. It is anticipated that the proposed research will advance current practices in predicting fetal well-being.


GUIDANCE OF NEURONAL MIGRATION IN EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT


Integrating Epigenomics in Human Brain and Genomics of Nicotine Dependence

PROJECT NARRATIVE Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States, and one of the strongest predictors of failing to quit smoking is nicotine dependence. This study will identify new genetic variants associated with nicotine dependence by finding genes that are regulated in the brain differently by smoking status and linking the genetic variants that underlie these regulatory differences to nicotine dependence. Results of this study may identify important biological pathways for nicotine dependence and smoking cessation and ultimately reduce the burden of smoking-related health outcomes.


Conformational transitions of membrane-spanning peptides

No summary - Aucun sommaire

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada


電気化学的手法によるNASICON系固体電解質からのプロトン導電体の作製

Principal Investigator：山下 仁大, Project Period (FY)：1986, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：無機工業化学

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science


肝特異的遺伝子発現の細胞外基質による制御およびその分子機構の解析

これまでの研究により、初代肝細胞をI型コラーゲン上で培養すると肝特異的遺伝子群(アルブミン、チロシンアミノトランスフェラーゼ、アルギニノコハク酸リアーゼ、アルドラーゼB)の発現が減少することと、この細胞に腎臓由来のEHSサルコ-マから調製した細胞外基質(マトリゲル)を添加すると上記遺伝子群の発現の誘導されることが明らかになっている。これらの結果をふまえ、今回マトリゲルに代えて肝臓の細胞外基質成分(肝バイオマトリクス)を添加したところほぼ同様の遺伝子発現誘導が観察されたことより、この発現誘導が生理的現象であることが示唆された。さらに、マトリゲル、肝バイオマトリクスとも添加量と肝特異的遺伝子の発現量との間に正の相関のあることが明らかになった。現在、この誘導に関与する細胞外基質成分を同定するための実験を企画している。つぎに、遺伝子の転写速度を測定するため、核run-onアッセイの予備実験を行ったところ、90mmプレート10枚以上の細胞から調製した核を用いて実験を行う必要のあることがわかった。また、マトリゲルによる発現誘導が最も顕著だったアルドラーゼB遺伝子についてその誘導に関与する調節領域を推定するためのCATアッセイをおこなっているが、CATアッセイの感度が低すぎるためか現在までのところポジティヴな結果は得られていない。現在、CATアッセイに代えてルシフェラーゼを用いたアッセイ法の導入を検討中である。


Molecular Atlas of the Cardiac Intercalated Disc

PROJECT NARRATIVE Ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest are a major cause of mortality and morbidity, carrying great economical and societal impact. Our research applies primarily to arrhythmias originating in the cardiac intercalated disc and subject to the interplay between PKP2, Cx43 and intracellular calcium. We use modern physiology, proteomics and microscopy methods to investigate the mechanisms underlying the onset of disease at the molecular level and to design novel venues for therapy.


Structural Studies of Voltage Gating in Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels


Analysis of microRNAs and their target genes associated with phenotypes of oral squamous cell carcinomas.

We investigated the expression of microRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) cell lines and normal oral keratinocytes by using microarray analysis and real time-PCR. It was demonstrated that the expression of 9 microRNAs was up-regulated and that of 13 microRNAs was down-regulated in OSCC cells compared with normal cells. We also revealed that miR-34a, one of down-regulated genes, acts as a tumor suppressor gene in OSCC cells and that the expression of the microRNA is down-regulated in OSCC tissues.


NER:  Nanoparticle Deposition and Implantation:  Exploratory Research into a New Method for Making and Modifying Thin Films

0103118
Myrick
This proposal was received in response to the solicitation "Nanoscale Science and Engineering" (NSF 00-119).

This project will explore a novel technique for film formation and implantation that is applicable to vacuum processing of polymers and low-vapor-pressure organic materials.  This approach uses accelerated nanoparticles to create films from materials that ordinarily require non-vacuum processing (such as spin-casting) and are thus incompatible with most integrated circuit/semiconductor processing methods.

Nanoparticles will be injected into a vacuum chamber by a particle beam interface that employs a supersonic free jet expansion and an electron impact ionization system to charge and accelerate the particles.  We will explore whether this interface can be used to deposit nanoparticles with sufficient kinetic energy to instanteously melt the materials on impact.  It is hoped that the use of nanoparticles may keep the energy density of the material below the point at which the primary chemical nature of the particle is irreversibly altered.

Nanoparticles deposited by settling and acceleration onto surfaces will be studied with surface spectroscopies, probe microscopy and temperature-programmed desorption mass spectroscopy.  These studies will inform us about the nature of the materials deposited, whether the nanoparticles have been damaged by deposition/melting, and about the morphologies of the deposits.

Molecular dynamics simulations will be performed to develop understanding that may lead to control of deposition.  These simulations will be based on the classical method of molecular dynamics simulations by mixing sophisticated many-body potentials with simple pairwise potentials.
***

University of South Carolina at Columbia


Principal Investigator：江原 義郎, Project Period (FY)：1983, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：Otorhinolaryngology


Assessment of Smallpox Specific Immune Responses

UNIV OF MED/DENT OF NJ-NJ MEDICAL SCHOOL


With this renewal award, the Organic Dynamics Program is supporting the   work of Professor Dowd from the University of Pittsburgh. The focus of   this research is a detailed understanding of the pathway used by vitamin   K which is a cofactor for carboxylase. This system is responsible for   activating the proteins for the blood-clotting cascade. The study is to   include elaborating the details of how vitamin K  is oxidized and whether   or not dialkoxy dianions are an integral part of the pathway. An   additional goal is to establish the relationship between Vitamins K and E   with regard to the latter acting as an inhibitor of the Vitamin K   pathway.   Vitamin K is the blood-clotting vitamin. As such, it is an obligatory   cofactor for a carboxylase that bears responsibility for activating the   proteins of the blood-clotting cascade.  Professor Dowd is to focus on   the mechanistic details of the pathway followed by vitamin K when it   facilitates the blood-clotting process.


Nutritional landscape and community interactions in the vaginal microbiome

PROJECT NARRATIVE The vaginal mucosa is a complex and understudied ecosystem. Despite the importance of the vaginal microbiota on reproductive health, the fundamental principles that govern microbial interactions and persistent colonization remain largely unknown. We will define the nutritional landscape and characterize the impact of nutrient acquisition and exchange on community dynamics during bacterial colonization and persistence within the vaginal mucosa.


DIABETES, ENDOCRINOLOGY &METABOLISM TRAINING PROGRAM


団体組織法からみる1970年代西ドイツの「社会の民主化」の実相

1970年代の西ドイツでは、左派政権を中心に「社会の民主化」が企図され、戦後ドイツ社会の根本的な改革が目指された。本研究は、社団や組合といった私的な社会組織・結社を「民主化」することを目指した「団体組織法」の構想過程やそれに関する議論から、現代の「起点」とされる1970年代の政治変容の実相を論じ、現代の民主主義・社会秩序が生起した過程の一端を明らかにすることで、現代社会が直面する諸問題に応答しようとするものである。

Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists


Die Münzen und Medaillen des Deutschen Ordens in der Neuzeit


Austin Independent School District - to support a comprehensive district-wide High School Redesign Plan for Austin Independent School District high schools


The pluripotency factor OCT4 plays an athero-protective role in endothelial cells

PROJECT NARRATIVE Despite advances in cholesterol and lipid-lowering treatment, there is little understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that can help to prevent or reverse atherosclerosis development or decrease the chances of clinical sequelae, which responsible for >40% of deaths worldwide. We have discovered that the pluripotency factor OCT4, essential for embryonic stem cell renewal, plays an athero-protective role in vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. The overall goal of this proposal is to determine molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the OCT4-induced athero-protection that can be used for developing new therapeutic interventions.


Regulating the actin cytoskeleton by controlling its oxidation

Key physiological functions, such as cell division, migration and morphogenesis, rely on proper regulation of actin filament assembly and disassembly. While actin-binding proteins (ABPs) are well-established regulators of actin dynamics, direct post-translational modifications (PTMs) of actin are currently emerging as new crucial determinants of actin assembly. Yet, little is known about their impact on cells. Strikingly, the oxidation of specific methionine residues in actin filaments can lead to complete actin disassembly in vitro. Far from being the mere consequence of reactive oxygen species, actin oxidation is actually enzymatically controlled by mono-oxygenases of the MICAL family that specifically target actin filaments in animal cells. MICAL oxidases have recently been implicated in several cell processes and in a wide range of pathologies, including neurological disorders, susceptibility to infection, and various cancers. Conversely, actin reduction seems to be regulated by specific reductases that counteract MICAL-mediated oxidation. However, little is known regarding the function of reductases in regulating actin in cells. The newly discovered role of actin oxidation and reduction thus provides a unique window to explore how specific PTMs can reversibly and locally control the assembly of the actin cytoskeleton. Recently, the two partners of this proposal unexpectedly revealed that a MICAL family member (MICAL1) is essential for normal cytokinetic abscission, the last step of cell division leading to the physical separation of the daughter cells, by locally regulating actin depolymerization at the abscission site. The potential identity and the antagonistic role of reductases in the context of cell division are unknown. In addition, while oxidized filaments have been shown to be more sensitive to cofilin, it is unclear which of the several reactions involving cofilin, alone or in synergy with other ABPs, depend on the filament’s redox state. Also, while it is becoming clear today that the specific organization of actin filaments and their mechanical context in cells participates in the regulation of their (dis)assembly, nothing is known about the possible coupling of these factors to the filaments’ redox state. One of the key and exciting questions today is thus to understand how the interplay between actin oxidation/reduction, ABPs and the actin network architecture control actin disassembly/assembly, both at the filament level and at the cellular level. The RedoxActin project will tackle this central question, by combining state-of-the-art approaches, both at the cell scale and at the single filament level in vitro. The reductase(s) responsible for counteracting the effects of MICAL1-induced oxidation will be identified, and their contribution to the regulation of actin filament turnover will be elucidated. The coupling of the redox balance to the action of cofilin and other ABPs will be investigated, and the contribution of the filament network’s organization and applied mechanical stress will be explored, both in cells and in vitro. Together, these results are expected to open conceptually new avenues for several fields in biology, by elucidating how oxidoreductive PTMs can be balanced in cells to control actin turnover. They will also lay the ground for progress in medical research, since MICAL-induced oxidation as well as defects in cytokinesis are linked to several pathologies.


THYROID HORMONE REGULATION OF NEURONAL DEVELOPMENT


The canine intestinal immune system and its role in the patho- genesis of idiopathic gastroenteropathies in dogs.

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung


MONITORING LYMPHOCYTES PHENOTYPE DURING T101/ITRIUM THERAPY


Metabolite profiling of the cyanobacteria strain CG11

This proposed CASE studentship will focus on building a metabolomics knowledge-base for Chlorogloeopsis CG11 and will investigate the impact of environmental (growth conditions) on its metabolome and on the production of the novel functional ingredients that it is able to produce. This strain has a number of attractive biochemical and beneficial production features.

3 Project objectives and work plan
Specific project objectives:
To detemine growth rates, bulk protein, carbohydrate and lipid production of CG11 over the growth cycle.
Use targetted and non-targetted metabolomics to determine metabolite profiles on intracellular, extracellular and dissolved components of CG11 over the growth cycle under standard conditions
Use targeted and non-targeted comparative metabolomics to determine metabolite profiles on intracellular, extracellular and dissolved components of CG11 over the growth cycle under temperature/and or UV stress.
Generate and characterise (functional properties) extracellular polymers and intracellular biomolecules from CG11
To work with Unilever to undertake efficacy screening of promising components for antimicrobial/anti-inflammatory activity
To work with Unilever on ice nucleation properties.

Work Plan
Year 1 - Set-up of axenic cultures under standardised laboratory conditions, establish experimental procedures for extraction and analysis: Establish reproducible and reliant extraction protocols suitable for EPS and suites of low molecular weight molecules. Establish growth curves and growth rates of CG11 cultures under standardised axenic conditions. Optimise extraction intracellular and extracellular extraction of CG11 components. Establish EPS extraction protocols and solid phase extraction procedures for dissolved phase metabolites.
Year 2 - Detailed culture time series experiments under standard and stress (temperature/and or UV) conditions with comparative metabolomic analysis using LC-MS and GC-MS using appropriate statistical data analysis tools over entire growth phase (log and stationary phase) with analysis of intracellular, extracellular (EPS) and dissolved phase components.
Year 3 - Consolidation of YR2 experiments using bioinformatic approaches, characterisation of EPS and other relevant molecules. Larger scale down-stream processing using membrane technologies for separation and concentration of target molecules. Functionality and efficacy analysis -antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and ice nucleation
Year 4 - Final efficacy analysis and consolidation of results. Write up of papers and thesis.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council


This is a Career Advancement Award for a young woman theorist, an               expert on the interface of particle physics and cosmology.  She                 will study models for the origin of large scale structure in the                universe, and compare them with the observed statistics of galaxy               clustering.  She will also attempt to put constraints on some of                the characteristics if the phrase transitions believed to have                  occurred in the early universe by studying the properties of the                neutron star equation of state as suggested by observations of                  rapid pulsars.


An Undergraduate Computer Graphics - Image Processing       Laboratory

An interdisciplinary computer graphics and image processing                     laboratory is being developed by the Departments of Computer                    Science, and Physics and Applied Optics.  Laboratory facilities                 permit undergraduate students to investigate the effects of                     hidden surface removal, color, shading, and lighting on                         computer graphics images.  Students also study edge detection                   algorithms, image reconstruction, and holographic                               interferometry.  Animation sequences are generated in the                       laboratory in real time or frame by frame and stored on                         videotape.  The equipment allows students to undertake senior                   projects that investigate graphical display methods for                         scientific and engineering data.  The laboratory supports a                     new, team-taught interdisciplinary course in medical image                      processing.  As part of the course, students learn about                        graphical display methods for medical data.  This significantly                 enhances the preparation of Rose-Hulman students participating                  in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at the                   NSF sponsored Engineering Research Center at Duke University,                   where graphical display methods for cardiovascular data are                     being studied.  Computer science and applied optics students                    interact with each other in the laboratory, consulting on each                  other's projects as well as doing joint, interdisciplinary                      projects.  Students are strongly encouraged to pursue                           undergraduate research in computer graphics and image                           processing with the laboratory equipment, and to publish the                    results of their work.


Reversing metabolic reprogramming in obesity-associated hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases

REPRO-PTP is addressing the critical need for effective treatments in obesity-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC, which accounts for 90% of primary liver cancers, is refractory to conventional chemotherapy with very low survival rate. As obesity is a major risk factor for HCC, it is imperative to develop new therapeutic approaches. My laboratory has identified receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) as key regulators of glycolysis and lipogenesis, with PTPRK emerging as a particularly promising target. Mechanistically, PTPRK is selectively increased in tumorigenic hepatocytes, inactivating fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) and promoting glycolysis. PTPRK-mediated glycolysis increases peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ-dependent lipogenic signalling and HCC progression in obesity. REPRO-PTP aims to optimize and validate new PTPRK inhibitors that exhibit high selectivity, potency, and in vivo activity. By targeting both hepatic glycolysis and lipogenesis, these inhibitors have the unique potential to improve treatment outcomes for HCC in obese patients by reducing cancer progression and relapse risk. We will provide a robust pipeline for the broader development of PTPRK and additional PTP inhibitors for translational applicability, devise an intellectual property strategy, and perform a commercial feasibility analysis. The project represents a collaborative effort involving experts in oncology, biochemistry, and pharmacology, and is expected to yield novel insights into PTPs as drug targets in cancer and metabolic diseases. REPRO-PTP aims to pave the way for the development of innovative therapies that can improve the quality of life and survival rates for patients suffering from HCC and potentially other obesity-related hepatic complications.


ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, DRUGS OF ABUSE, AND REWARD CIRCUITS


No summary - Aucun sommaire

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada


第二言語で作成された動画を専門教育で利用するための再生シナリオ自動導出

ネット動画の普及により、とくに海外においては、多くの専門分野の教育用動画が作成・公開され、インターネット上で誰もが視聴可能となっている。これらの多くは、英語で作成されており、日本の高等教育機関でそのまま利用することは学生の語学力の観点から容易ではない。本研究は、第二言語として英語を学んでいる学習者が、動画再生時に英語を翻訳することなく、内容理解を支援するシナリオを提供することを目的とする。シナリオは、字幕の補足資料及び再生速度の調整データから構成され、個人のスキルに応じ、自動的に生成されるものである。本課題では、これらを実現するシステムを構築し、学習者の理解度への効果を検証する。

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Kochi Gakuen College(2022-2024)Shoin University(2019-2021)


Phase I/II trial of carbon ion radiotherapy for breast cancer

We conducted clinical trial of curative partial breast irradiation using carbon ion radiotherapy to patients with stage 0 and I breast cancer. The candidate of this study was patients with Tis-1N0M0 breast cancer aged 20 years and older. In this study, carbon ion partial breast irradiations were combined with standard systemic therapy and x-ray whole-breast irradiation. Phase I was a dose-escalation study and phase II was treated with the recommended dose determined in Phase I. The starting dose is 52.8 Gy (RBE). By April 2022, a total of 5 eligible cases were enrolled in phase I, and 10 eligible cases in phase II with a recommended dose of 60.0 Gy (RBE). As acute adverse effects more than grade 2, acute grade 2 radiation dermatitis was observed in 1 case. As late adverse effects, grade 3 pneumonia of unknown causality were observed in 1 case. The cosmetic results of breast were excellent in all cases. No local recurrences or metastases have been observed.


Experimental study of local extinction in laminar and turbulent flames

1336184
Renfro
In many practical combustors, heat is released by chemical reactions in relatively thin flame sheets.  Turbulence in the flow of fuel and air in the combustor lead to fluctuations in velocity that perturb the flame sheet and increase the transfer of heat away from the flame.  When these fluctuations are sufficiently large, the heat loss can be too high compared to the heat released by the flame resulting in local extinction.  A local extinction event leaves a hole in the flame sheet that can lead to complete extinction of the flame.  In many applications extinction is a significant limitation to the operation of the combustor, while in other applications extinction can be desired to quench a flame.  In either case, physical understandings of the mechanisms that cause extinction are needed.  This project seeks a fundamental understanding of the interactions of velocity and flame sheets that cause local extinction such that more accurate models of flame limits and the response of flame holes can be generated.  The intellectual merit of the work focuses on a detailed understanding of the impact that velocity fluctuations in turbulent flames have on heat transfer from flames sheets as well as the impact of these changes to the flame's chemical heat release.  The experimental and computational project will utilize an optically-accessible combustor that has been designed to create local extinction in a flame sheet enabling a detailed study using laser diagnostics.  The measurements will be used to develop models describing extinction that can have broader impact on industrial design tools.  The research will involve the participation of graduate and undergraduate students, who will be trained in fundamental combustion theory and application of optical measurements.

University of Kentucky Research Foundation


下部マントルの窒素から探る地球の始原隕石

本研究の目的は下部マントル由来の窒素同位体比から初期地球を形成した隕石を明らかにすることである.地球始原として可能性のある隕石は複数種存在するが，実際にどの種が該当するかは不明である．しかしそれらは窒素同位体比に大きな差があるため，深部の窒素同位体比を測定できれば隕石の特定につながる.純粋な地球深部の同位体比を得るために，本研究ではマントル捕獲岩中の流体包有物に深部マントル由来成分が含まれる可能性に着目した.包有物の炭素同位体比は下部マントル由来物質であることを確認する鍵となるため，包有物を破壊せずに分析し，由来が何かを事前検証する技術の開発を行う.また窒素の分析からは由来隕石の考察を行う.


ENZYME THERAPY FOR FABRY DISEASE PATIENTS


Development of monoclonal antibody-mediated interventions to combat malaria


A study on effectiveness of ventilated working wear against heat stroke countermeasre

ファン付き衣服が熱中症対策として有効なのかを検証することを目的として、人工気候室や実際の建設現場で被験者実験を行う。特に本研究では、ファン付きズボンやファン付き上着内部の下着素材が皮膚温や水分損失に及ぼす影響を評価する。最終的には、局所風速の影響を考慮した平均皮膚温予測モデルの構築を試みる。

Muroran Institute of Technology(2021)Kushiro National College of Technology(2019-2020)


Extreme-G Demonstration Project for the European Space Agency Call

Purpose and goal:
The purpose of the project is to build a strong proposal for "AO10494 Call for Downstream Applications in Artes 4.0" from the European Space Agency. We will focus on the following key areas:
- Collaboration and coordination with partners
- Proposal development
- Technical and operational planning
- Engagement and demonstration

Expected results and effects:
The expected result will be a strong proposal titled “Monitoring of Transport Infrastructure under Extreme Climatic Events using Satellite Data and 5G,” which will be submitted as a Demonstration Project to the European Space Agency Call. A successful proposal will provide the opportunity to demonstrate technology for timely risk detection, enabling immediate response during extreme events, and offer monitoring capabilities in remote locations.

Approach and implementation:
WP 1 - Collaboration and Coordination: Organize meetings with participating parties to gain a comprehensive understanding of their contexts and capacities.
WP 2 - Defining the demonstration: Meetings and discussions with the user´s representative to choose a bridge for demonstration, and to formulate pilot activities.
WP 3 - Development of Outline Proposal: Proposal drafting, reviewing and finalizing.
WP 4 - Development of Full Proposal: Completion and submission of Full Proposal.


Rates and patterns of recurrent structural variation in the mouse genome


Wirkung von pharmakologischer Blockade an Angiotensin, -und Endothelinrezeptoren auf Langzeitüberlebensrate von Nierentransplantaten


Welfare evaluation of regional bank consolidations

本研究では国内30万社の中小企業の財務パネルデータとそれに接続された取引銀行支店情報、およびそれらの所在地の地理情報を用いて、各地域の融資市場の需要関数と供給関数を構造推定する。この推定に基づいて、地域金融機関の経営統合が銀行の融資行動、リスクテイク、銀行と顧客の利益を合計した経済厚生、および地域における企業の資源配分・参入退出に与える影響を計測する。広域型統合と域内型統合の比較も行う。


Testing the role of miRNA-mediated non-cell autonomous gene regulation in type-2 immunity

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can be transferred between cells, representing an exciting new dimension to intercellular communication, referred to as non-cell-autonomous gene regulation. We recently identified that distinct miRNAs are packaged and exported from TREG cells and delivered directly to TH1 cells, suppressing T cell-mediated disease. Different T cell populations express different miRNAs and release a distinctive set of extracellular miRNAs. In this proposal we will identify whether the transfer of miRNAs between cells contributes to T cell development, T cell differentiation and TH2-mediated allergy and anti-helminth immunity. miRNA-mediated gene silencing requires one of four catalytically active Argonaut (Ago) proteins to regulate gene expression. To investigate miRNA transport between cells, we have generated novel mice with miRNA-deficient T cells that can (Dicer–/–) or cannot (Dicer–/–Ago-1,-3,-4–/– Ago-2fl/fl) respond to exogenous miRNAs. Using these novel mice we will identify which Ago protein(s) specific miRNAs associate with and which Ago proteins are required for miRNA-mediated gene regulation in T cells. TH2 cells express unique miRNAs, which can be found within TH2 cells and in extracellular vesicles released from TH2 cells. We have generated several new TH2-associated miRNA-deficient mice to investigate the cell intrinsic (cell-autonomous) and extrinsic (non-cell-autonomous) role of these miRNAs in TH2-mediated allergy and anti-helminth immunity. Studies in plants and worms have identified various mechanisms of RNA transfer between cells, involving cell-contact dependent and independent mechanisms. We will translate these observations into mammalian systems and identify the mechanisms of miRNA transfer. Results from this work will identify novel miRNA-mediated pathways and incentivise state-of-the-art approaches for novel therapeutic intervention to treat inflammatory diseases.


MECHANISMS OF POSTPNEUMONECTOMY AIRWAY GROWTH


University of Washington Foundation - for general operating support

for general operating support


ELECTRONIC PARAMAGNETIC RESONANCE STUDIES OF FREE  RADICALS


The nonproliferation treaty hold-out states and the nonproliferation regime:  a case study of the indo-U.S. nuclear deal

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral


HIV risk, substance use, and polyvictimization among high-risk women

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Globally, sex workers are at disproportionate risk for violence, substance use, and HIV, yet little is known about how different forms of violence interact to produce sexual and drug-related HIV risk. The proposed mentored research will examine the co-occurrence of multiple forms of violence in the lives of sex workers to understand how they may synergistically create HIV risk through unprotected sex and injection drug use. Findings will inform violence, substance abuse, and HIV prevention interventions among sex workers, a key population in the HIV epidemic.