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Graphene oxide (GO), a carbonaceous 2D nanomaterial, has received significant interest as a next-generation membrane building block. To fabricate high-performance membranes, an effective strategy involves stacking GO nanosheets in laminated structures, thereby creating unique nanochannel galleries. One outstanding merit of laminar GO membranes is that their permselectivity is readily tunable by tailoring the size of the nanochannels. Here, a high-performance GO-based nanofiltration membrane was developed by intercalating an aromatic crosslinker, α,α/-dichloro-p-xylene (DCX), between the layers in laminated GO nanosheets. Owing to the formation of strong covalent bonds between the crosslinker and the GO, the resulting GO laminate membrane exhibited outstanding structural stability. Furthermore, due to the precisely controlled and enlarged interlayer spacing distance of the developed DCX-intercalated GO membrane, it achieved an over two-fold enhancement in water permeability (11 ± 2 LMH bar−1) without sacrificing the rejection performance for divalent ions, contrary to the case with a pristine GO membrane.

We report a fast and simple synthesis of Fe2O3@MoS2 0D/2D-nanocomposite material using a Taylor–Couette flow reactor. A Taylor–Couette flow with high shear stress and mixing characteristics was used for fluid dynamic exfoliation of MoS2 and deposition of uniform Fe2O3 nanoparticles, resulting in a Fe2O3@MoS2 in the form of 0D/2D-nanocomposite material. Using Taylor–Couette flow reactor, we could synthesize Fe2O3@MoS2 0D/2D-nanocomposite material at a rate higher than 1000 mg h−1 which is much higher than previously reported production rate of 0.2–116.7 mg h−1. The synthesis of Fe2O3@MoS2 nanocomposite was achieved in an aqueous solution without thermal or organic solvent treatment. Exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets show an average thickness of 2.6 ± 2.3 nm (

Physically unclonable crypto primitives have potential applications for anti-counterfeiting, identification, and authentication, which are clone proof and resistant to variously physical attack. Conventional physical unclonable function (PUF) based on Si complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies greatly suffers from entropy loss and bit instability due to noise sensitivity. Here we grow atomically thick MoS2 thin film and fabricate field-effect transistors (FETs). The inherently physical randomness of MoS2 transistors from materials growth and device fabrication process makes it appropriate for the application of PUF device. We perform electrical characterizations of MoS2 FETs, collect the data from 448 devices, and generate PUF keys by splitting drain current at specific levels to evaluate the response performance. Proper selection of splitting threshold enables to generate binary, ternary, and double binary keys. The generated PUF keys exhibit good randomness and uniqueness, providing a possibility for harvesting highly secured PUF devices with two-dimensional materials.

Large-area, ultrathin flexible tactile sensors with conformal adherence are becoming crucial for advances in wearable electronics, electronic skins and biorobotics. However, normal passive tactile sensors suffer from high crosstalk, resulting in inaccurate sensing, which consequently limits their use in such advanced applications. Active-matrix-driven tactile sensors could potentially overcome such hurdles, but it demands the high performance and reliable operations of the thin-film-transistor array that could efficiently control integrated pressure gauges. Herein, we utilized the benefit of the semiconducting and mechanical excellence of MoS2 and placed it between high-k Al2O3 dielectric sandwich layers to achieve the high and reliable performance of MoS2-based back-plane circuitry and strain sensor. This strategical combination reduces the fabrication complexity and enables the demonstration of an all MoS2-based large area (8 × 8 array) active-matrix tactile sensor offering a wide sensing range (1–120 k...

We report a fast and simple synthesis of Fe

The threespot wrasse (Halichoeres trimaculatus; Family Labridae) is a common coral reef species of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Given that this species spawns daily at high tide (HT), we hypothesized that endocrine changes in relation to gonadal development are synchronized with the tidal cycle. To test this, we examined the transcript abundance of two cytochrome P450 aromatases (cyp19a and cyp19b) and two estrogen receptors (erα and erβ) in the ovary and brain of this species in response to tidal change. When fish were collected around four tidal points [low tide (LT), flood tide (FT), high tide (HT), and ebb tide (ET)], gonadosomatic index and oocyte diameter increased around HT and FT, respectively. Ovulatory follicles were observed in ovaries around HT. Real-time quantitative polymerase-chain reaction revealed that mRNA abundance of cyp19a and erα, but not erβ, in the ovary increased around ET and HT, respectively. On the other hand, mRNA levels of cyp19b in the forebrain were significantly higher around FT. Increases of erα and erβ mRNA abundance around FT were observed in all areas of the brain and the midbrain, respectively. The changes in mRNA abundance of key genes involved in reproduction at specific tidal cycles, along with the development of the vitellogenic oocytes in the ovary, support our hypothesis that synchronization of endocrine changes to the tidal periodicity plays a role in the gonadal development of this species. We hypothesize that conversion of testosterone to E2 in the brain may be associated with the spawning behavior given that the wrasse exhibits group spawning with a territory-holding male around HT.

Transient electronics represents an emerging technology whose defining feature is an ability to dissolve, disintegrate or otherwise physically disappear in a controlled manner. Envisioned applications include resorbable/degradable biomedical implants, hardware-secure memory devices, and zero-impact environmental sensors. 2D materials may have essential roles in these systems due to their unique mechanical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties. Here, we study the bioabsorption of CVD-grown monolayer MoS2, including long-term cytotoxicity and immunological biocompatibility evaluations in biofluids and tissues of live animal models. The results show that MoS2 undergoes hydrolysis slowly in aqueous solutions without adverse biological effects. We also present a class of MoS2-based bioabsorbable and multi-functional sensor for intracranial monitoring of pressure, temperature, strain, and motion in animal models. Such technology offers specific, clinically relevant roles in diagnostic/therapeutic functions during recovery from traumatic brain injury. Our findings support the broader use of 2D materials in transient electronics and qualitatively expand the design options in other areas.

To realize basic electronic units such as complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) inverters and other logic circuits, the selective and controllable fabrication of p- and n-type transistors with a low Schottky barrier height is highly desirable. Herein, an efficient and nondestructive technique of electron-charge transfer doping by depositing a thin Al

Large-area, ultrathin flexible tactile sensors with conformal adherence are becoming crucial for advances in wearable electronics, electronic skins and biorobotics. However, normal passive tactile sensors suffer from high crosstalk, resulting in inaccurate sensing, which consequently limits their use in such advanced applications. Active-matrix-driven tactile sensors could potentially overcome such hurdles, but it demands the high performance and reliable operations of the thin-film-transistor array that could efficiently control integrated pressure gauges. Herein, we utilized the benefit of the semiconducting and mechanical excellence of MoS

Application-oriented patterned growth of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and their heterojunctions is of critical importance for sophisticated, customized two-dimensional (2D) electronic and optoelectronic devices; however, it is still difficult to fabricate these patterns in a simple, clean, and high controllability manner without using optical lithography. Here, we report the direct synthesis of patterned MoS2 and graphene-MoS2 heterojunctions via selective plasma treatment of a SiO2/Si substrate and chemical vapor deposition of MoS2. This method has multiple merits, such as simple steps, a short operating time, easily isolated MoS2 layers with clean surfaces and controllable locations, shapes, sizes and thicknesses, which enable their integration into the device structure without using a photoresist. In addition, we demonstrate the direct growth of patterned graphene-MoS2 heterojunctions for the fabrication of transistor. This study reveals a novel method to fabricate and use patterned MoS2 and graphene-MoS2 heterojunctions, which could be generalized to the rational design of other 2D materials, heterojunctions and devices in the future.

No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Although flakes of two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures at the micrometer scale can be formed with adhesive-tape exfoliation methods, isolation of 2D flakes into monolayers is extremely time consuming because it is a trial-and-error process. Controlling the number of 2D layers through direct growth also presents difficulty because of the high nucleation barrier on 2D materials. We demonstrate a layer-resolved 2D material splitting technique that permits high-throughput production of multiple monolayers of wafer-scale (5-centimeter diameter) 2D materials by splitting single stacks of thick 2D materials grown on a single wafer. Wafer-scale uniformity of hexagonal boron nitride, tungsten disulfide, tungsten diselenide, molybdenum disulfide, and molybdenum diselenide monolayers was verified by photoluminescence response and by substantial retention of electronic conductivity. We fabricated wafer-scale van der Waals heterostructures, including field-effect transistors, with single-atom thickness resolution., National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CMMI-1825731), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CMMI-1825256), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DMR-1700137), United States. Office of Naval Research (Grant N00014-16-1-2657)

Transient electronics represents an emerging technology whose defining feature is an ability to dissolve, disintegrate or otherwise physically disappear in a controlled manner. Envisioned applications include resorbable/degradable biomedical implants, hardware-secure memory devices, and zero-impact environmental sensors. 2D materials may have essential roles in these systems due to their unique mechanical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties. Here, we study the bioabsorption of CVD-grown monolayer MoS2, including long-term cytotoxicity and immunological biocompatibility evaluations in biofluids and tissues of live animal models. The results show that MoS2 undergoes hydrolysis slowly in aqueous solutions without adverse biological effects. We also present a class of MoS2-based bioabsorbable and multi-functional sensor for intracranial monitoring of pressure, temperature, strain, and motion in animal models. Such technology offers specific, clinically relevant roles in diagnostic/therapeutic functions during recovery from traumatic brain injury. Our findings support the broader use of 2D materials in transient electronics and qualitatively expand the design options in other areas., Transient electronics entails the capability of electronic components to dissolve or reabsorb in a controlled manner when used in biomedical implants. Here, the authors perform a systematic study of the processes of hydrolysis, bioabsorption, cytotoxicity and immunological biocompatibility of monolayer MoS2.

To realize basic electronic units such as complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) inverters and other logic circuits, the selective and controllable fabrication of p- and n-type transistors with a low Schottky barrier height is highly desirable. Herein, an efficient and nondestructive technique of electron-charge transfer doping by depositing a thin Al2 O3 layer on chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown 2H-MoTe2 is utilized to tune the doping from p- to n-type. Moreover, a type-controllable MoTe2 transistor with a low Schottky barrier height is prepared. The selectively converted n-type MoTe2 transistor from the p-channel exhibits a maximum on-state current of 10 µA, with a higher electron mobility of 8.9 cm2 V-1 s-1 at a drain voltage (Vds ) of 1 V with a low Schottky barrier height of 28.4 meV. To validate the aforementioned approach, a prototype homogeneous CMOS inverter is fabricated on a CVD-grown 2H-MoTe2 single crystal. The proposed inverter exhibits a high DC voltage gain of 9.2 with good dynamic behavior up to a modulation frequency of 1 kHz. The proposed approach may have potential for realizing future 2D transition metal dichalcogenide-based efficient and ultrafast electronic units with high-density circuit components under a low-dimensional regime.

Recently, Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-P1 infection in pepper cultivation is very serious problem, which causes low marketability and yield. In this research, 56 domestic pepper cultivars including 20 PR ( Phytophthora resistance) cultivars, 31 foreign pepper lines collected from USA and 112 genetic pepper resources form RDA Genebank were used for CMV-P1 resistance evaluation. Resistance evaluation was performed at 24 days and 51 days after artificial inoculation of peppers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Among the 36 domestic cultivars ‘Muhanjilju’ were resistant to CMV-P1. All 20 PR cultivars and 29 foreign peppers except ‘NuMex Twilight’ and ‘Chainese Giant’ were susceptible. Among 112 pepper lines from RDA Genebank, nine pepper lines were resistant, and 17 pepper lines were moderately resistant, and 86 pepper lines were susceptible. Almost all domestic peppers on the market were highly susceptible to CMV-P1, whereas 17.2% of foreign pepper cultivars and genetic pepper lines from RDA Genebank were resistant or moderately resistant. Resistant pepper lines selected in this study can be used as genetic sources for breeding CMV-P1 resistant pepper.

We cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding the and subunits from the pituitary of the blacktip grouper Epinephelus fasciatus, which regulate vitellogenesis and maturation in vertebrates, to achieve stable and healthy gametes. The full-length cDNAs of and were 571 bp and 617 bp, encoding 120 amino acid (aa) and 147 aa proteins, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of and were highly homologous (68-97%) to those of other Perciformes; E. bruneus, Dicentrarchus labrax, Thunnus thynnus, and Pseudolabrus sieboldi. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the deduced and amino acid sequences were categorized as a distinct subunit in the family, and are closely related to the teleostei and , respectively. and mRNA exhibited high abundance in the pituitary gland and low in other brain areas, but were not present in peripheral tissues, as determined by RT-PCR.

Type II iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) converts 3,5,3′,5′-tetraiodothyronine to 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine and is involved in regulating thyroid hormone-dependent processes in various tissues. D2 mRNA expression in the mediobasal hypothalamus is affected by photoperiod, which influences reproductive processes in temperate birds and mammals. We examined whether D2 mRNA is expressed in the hypothalamus (located in the forebrain within the diencephalon area) and whether its abundance is affected by day length, temperature, or food availability in the tropical spinefoot, Siganus guttatus , which is endemic to tropical monsoon areas. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that D2 mRNA is expressed in various brain regions. The abundance of hypothalamic D2 mRNA was higher at 12.00 h than at 06.00 h or 24.00 h. Rearing fish under constant dark conditions resulted in a decrease in D2 mRNA abundance during the subjective night. A single injection of melatonin lowered D2 mRNA abundance within 3 h. Collectively, it appears that hypothalamic D2 mRNA abundance is regulated by the circadian system and/or melatonin. No differences in D2 mRNA abundance were observed, when fish were reared at 20, 25, and 30 °C. However, food deprivation stimulated D2 mRNA expression during the daytime. These results suggest that photoperiodic and nutritive conditions affect hypothalamic D2 mRNA expression in S. guttatus .

Iodothyronine deiodinases play an important role in thyroid hormone regulation in vertebrates. The aim of this study was to clone type II (SgD2) and type III (SgD3) iodothyronine deiodinase cDNA from the goldlined spinefoot (Siganus guttatus) using 3′- and 5′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends and then to assess their expression patterns in the liver under several experimental conditions by using quantitative real-time PCR. SgD2 (1013 bp) and SgD3 (1492 bp) contained open reading frames of 810 and 804 bp and encoded 270 and 269 amino acids, respectively. They were characterized by an in-frame TGA codon that was considered to be selenocysteine. An abundance of SgD2 and SgD3 mRNA was expressed in several tissues, with an increase at 1200 hours and a decrease at 2400 hours. Food deprivation suppressed the expression of SgD2, but not SgD3. Higher SgD2 and SgD3 mRNA levels in the liver were found in fish reared at 25°C than in those reared at 20 and 30°C. These results suggest that exogenous factors influence the mRNA levels of iodothyronine deiodinase genes in the liver and that transcription of the genes in certain tissues is partially regulated in a circadian manner.

This study was examined to identify the race differentiation and distribution of mating type on Phytophthora capsici population in Korea. One hundred forty three isolates of P. capsici were collected from several locations of Korea in 2005-2007. In 2005, 20 isolates of P. capsici were collected and surveyed as A1 mating type of 75% and A2 mating type of 25%. In 2006, a total of 91 isolates were collected and separated as A1 mating type of 49.0%, A2 mating type of 42.9% and S type (sterile) of 3.3%. Isolates obtained in 2007 were similar to 2006 results. Totally, ratio of mating type of 153 isolates was confirmed that A1 type was 56.6%, A2 type was 39.2%, and S type was 4.2%. Thirteen pepper cultivars with different pathogenic response to 3 typical isolates having different mating were screened among 50 pepper cultivars and determined as race differential cultivars for investigation. The 11 races of P. capsici were found by using 13-race differential cultivars. These results indicated that at least 11 races of P. capsici are existed and confirmed race differentiation of P. capsici in pepper.

The effects of the thickness of GaAs spacer layers on the structure of multilayer stacked InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy were studied using transmission electron microscopy. To investigate QD structure depending on spacer layer growth, first uncapped free-standing QDs were grown and their structure compared with that of multilayer stacked QDs. In addition, vertically nonaligned and aligned stacked QDs were grown by adjusting the thickness of GaAs spacer layers. The uncapped QDs were found to form a lens-shaped structure with side facets. Upon capping with a GaAs spacer, the apex of nonaligned QDs flattened by In diffusion. However, the aligned QDs maintained their lens-shaped structure with round apex after capping. It is believed that their apex did not flatten because the chemical potential gradient of In was relatively low due to the adjacent InAs QD layers. The results demonstrate the possibility of controlling QD structure by adjusting the thickness of spacer layers.

Hot water treatment that is the most appropriate seed disinfection method for organic vegetable farming was evaluated in this study. Among the leafy vegetable seeds lettuce that was the most sensitive to hot water was suitable to treat at for 25 min, while Chinese cabbage and radish seeds were optimally treated at for 25 min. The treatments resulted in similar or higher seed germination rate than non-treated seeds and promoted plant growth. In addition, fungi such as Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium, or Mucor grown on the seeds were suppressed over 90% and the bacterial growth on lettuce seeds reduced 98.5% by the treatment. Among the fruit vegetable seeds pumpkin that was vulnerable to hot water was suitable to treat at for 15 min, while cucumber and hot pepper seeds revealed optimum treatment at for 25 min as chinese cabbage and radish. The treatment also showed similar or higher seed germination rate and growth than non-treated seeds. Furthermore, fungi such as Rhizopus, Aspergillus, Penicillium or Mucor grown on the seeds reduced from 72.0% to 95.4%. The bacterial growth on cucumber and red pepper seeds was suppressed from 65.5% to 86.0% by the treatment. Results indicated that the hot water treatment is practical for disinfection of organic vegetable seeds and the optimum temperature and soaking time varied among the seeds.

The microstructure and strain characteristics of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) were studied by using transmission electron microscopy. Compressive strain was induced to uncapped QDs from GaAs substrate and the misfit strain largely increased after the deposition of GaAs cap layer. Tensile strain outside QD was extended along the vertical growth direction; up to 15 nm above the wetting layer. Vertically nonaligned and aligned stacked QDs were grown by adjusting the thickness of GaAs spacer layers. The QDs with a lens-shaped morphology were formed in the early stage of growth, and their apex was flattened by the out-diffusion of In atoms upon GaAs capping. However, aligned QDs maintained their lens-shaped structure with round apex after capping. It is believed that their apex did not flatten because the chemical potential gradient of In was relatively low due to the adjacent InAs QD layers.

While vitellogenesis in male fish is commonly used as a biomarker of xenoestrogen exposure, very little is known about the impacts associated with this unusual protein synthesis in feral populations. To this end, a recent study showed elevated circulating vitellogenin (VTG) levels in male Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) collected from the Aja but not Tengan Rivers in Okinawa, Japan. Here we investigated whether this unusual protein synthesis in male fish from the Aja River affect transcript abundance of estrogen (ER), androgen (AR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors in the liver, brain and testis. The detection of plasma VTG levels ( approximately 100 microg ml(-1)) in male tilapia confirmed xenoestrogenic exposure in the Aja, but not the Tengan River. This protein induction was not associated with any changes in the reproductive capacity as assessed by sperm mobility and testis histology in the Aja fish. Plasma levels of estradiol-17beta, 11-ketotestosterone and cortisol were not significantly different between fish from the two rivers. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed a significant reduction in transcript levels of ERalpha and ERbeta, GR and ARalpha but not ARbeta, in the livers of tilapia from the Aja compared with the Tengan River. There were no significant changes in any of the steroid receptor transcript levels in either the brain or testis between the two rivers. Overall, our results imply that xenoestrogen exposure and VTG synthesis may lead to disruption of liver responsiveness to sex steroids and glucocorticoid stimulation in feral male fish.

The golden rabbitfish, Siganus guttatus, is a reef fish exhibiting a restricted lunar-related rhythm in behavior and reproduction. Here, to understand the circadian rhythm of this lunar-synchronized spawner, a melatonin receptor subtype-Mel(1c)-was cloned. The full-length Mel(1c) melatonin receptor cDNA comprised 1747 bp with a single open reading frame (1062 bp) that encodes a 353-amino acid protein, which included 7 presumed transmembrane domains. Real-time PCR revealed high Mel(1c) mRNA expression in the retina and brain but not in the peripheral tissues. When the fish were reared under light/dark (LD 12:12) conditions, Mel(1c) mRNA in the retina and brain was expressed with daily variations and increased during nighttime. Similar variations were noted under constant conditions, suggesting that Mel(1c) mRNA expression is regulated by the circadian clock system. Daily variations of Mel(1c) mRNA expression with a peak at zeitgeber time (ZT) 12 were observed in the cultured pineal gland under LD 12:12. Exposure of the cultured pineal gland to light at ZT17 resulted in a decrease in Mel(1c) mRNA expression. When light was obstructed at ZT5, the opposite effect was obtained. These results suggest that light exerts certain effects on Mel(1c) mRNA expression directly or indirectly through melatonin actions.

The golden rabbitfish Siganus guttatus is a reef fish with a restricted lunar-synchronized spawning rhythmicity and releases gametes simultaneously around the first quarter moon period during the spawning season. In order to understand the molecular aspects of the "circa" rhythms in this species, the full-length melatonin receptor (MT1) cDNA was cloned, and its diurnal/circadian regulation was examined. The full-length MT1 cDNA (1257 bp) contained an open reading frame that encodes a protein of 350 amino acids; this protein is highly homologous to MT1 of nonmammalian species. A high expression of MT1 mRNA with a day-night difference was observed in the whole brain, retina, liver, and kidney. When diurnal variations in MT1 mRNA expression in the retina and whole brain were examined using real-time quantitative RT-PCR, an increase in the mRNA expression was observed during nighttime in both tissues under conditions of light/dark, constant darkness, and constant light. This suggests that MT1 mRNA expression is under circadian regulation. The expression of MT1 mRNA in the cultured pineal gland also showed diurnal variations with high expression levels during nighttime; this suggests that the increased expression level observed in the whole brain is partially of pineal origin. Alternation of light conditions in the pineal gland cultures resulted in the changes in melatonin release into the culture medium as well as MT1 mRNA expression in the pineal gland. The present results suggest that melatonin and its receptors play an important role in the exertion of daily and circadian variations in the neural tissues.

Graphene provides outstanding properties that can be integrated into various flexible and stretchable electronic devices in a conventional, scalable fashion. The mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of graphene make it an attractive candidate for applications in electronics, energy-harvesting devices, sensors, and other systems. Recent research progress on graphene-based flexible and stretchable electronics is reviewed here. The production and fabrication methods used for target device applications are first briefly discussed. Then, the various types of flexible and stretchable electronic devices that are enabled by graphene are discussed, including logic devices, energy-harvesting devices, sensors, and bioinspired devices. The results represent important steps in the development of graphene-based electronics that could find applications in the area of flexible and stretchable electronics.

This work reports the self-limiting synthesis of an atomically thin, two dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) in the form of MoS2. The layer controllability and large area uniformity essential for electronic and optical device applications is achieved through atomic layer deposition in what is named self-limiting layer synthesis (SLS); a process in which the number of layers is determined by temperature rather than process cycles due to the chemically inactive nature of 2D MoS2. Through spectroscopic and microscopic investigation it is demonstrated that SLS is capable of producing MoS2 with a wafer-scale (~10 cm) layer-number uniformity of more than 90%, which when used as the active layer in a top-gated field-effect transistor, produces an on/off ratio as high as 108. This process is also shown to be applicable to WSe2, with a PN diode fabricated from a MoS2/WSe2 heterostructure exhibiting gate-tunable rectifying characteristics.

We demonstrate flexible 3 dB and 6 dB microwave attenuators using multilayer graphene grown by the chemical vapor deposition method. On the basis of the characterized results of multilayer graphene and graphene–Au ohmic contacts, the graphene attenuators are designed and measured. The flexible graphene-based attenuators have 3 dB and 6 dB attenuation with a return loss of less than −15 dB at higher than 5 GHz. The devices have shown durability in a bending cycling test of 100 times. The circuit model of the attenuator based on the characterized results matches the experimental results well.

Melatonin receptors are expressed in neural and peripheral tissues and mediate melatonin actions on the regulation of circadian rhythms in various species. For overall understanding of 'circa' rhythms in the golden rabbitfish, Siganus guttatus, which exhibits restricted lunar-related rhythms and spawns synchronously around the first quarter moon, the aim of the present study was to clone a melatonin receptor (Mel(lb)) cDNA and examine daily variations of Mel(lb) mRNA expression in certain tissues of the rabbitfish. The full-length Mel(lb) cDNA (1808 bp) contained an open reading frame to encode a protein with a length of 354 amino acids, which was highly homologous to a protein of nonmammalian species. Northern blot analysis showed transcripts of Mel(lb) in the brain and retina. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis also revealed expression of Mel(lb) in all tissues tested. Significantly high expression of the gene during daytime was evident in the liver and kidney. When the expression of Mel(lb) was examined in the brain and retina under conditions of light/dark cycles or constant darkness, daily and circadian variations of gene expression with two increases during daytime and nighttime for the brain and a single increase during nighttime for the retina were recognized. Moreover, daily variations in the expression of Mel(lb) were observed in the cultured pineal gland. These results suggest that the melatonin receptor plays a role in integration of melatonin actions in various tissues and that daily variations of Mel(lb) in the neural tissues may be related to regulation of circadian clock.

This study examined the annual and the lunar cycles of ovarian activity in the forktail rabbitfish Siganus argenteus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) and the spiny rabbitfish Siganus spinus (Linnaeus, 1758), which were collected from the Chuuk lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) increased in May and June for S. argenteus. For S. spinus, GSI increased in March, and from July to September. During these periods, the ovaries of these species contained oocytes at the tertiary yolk stage or the maturation stage, suggesting that these months are the reproductive season of the two species. During the reproductive season, weekly collection of the lish according to the lunar phase revealed that high GSI occurred around the last quarter moon for S. argenteus and the new moon for S. spinus. In the ovaries, oocytes developed synchronously, and postovulatory follicles, an indicator of spawning, were observed after the respective moon phase, suggesting that these species are restricted lunar-synchronized spawners. Comparisons of the reproductive activity of the two rabbitfishes in the Chuuk lagoon with that in Okinawa waters revealed that there is a geographic difference in the reproductive activity between habitats. However, the lunar phase for exertion of synchronous gonadal maturation and spawning is common in both regions.

The structure and thermal stability of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) QDs were studied using high-resolution electron microscopy with in situ heating experiment capabilities. The ALE QDs were larger and more regular shaped than MBE QDs because of the higher diffusivity of In compared with that of InAs in MBE growth. The QDs were found to form a lens-shaped structure with side facets in the early stage of growth. Upon capping with a GaAs layer, however, the QD apexes flattened because of the diffusion of In and As from the QDs. The structural behavior of QDs at elevated temperatures was observed directly on the atomic scale by in situ heating experiments within TEM. The in situ high-resolution electron microscopy revealed that the uncapped ALE and MBE QDs remained stable up to 580 °C. However, above 600 °C, the QDs collapsed due to the diffusion and evaporation of In and As from the QDs.

Stress response to the seawater acclimation in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolt was investigated. Salt concentration of rearing water was gradually increased for 3 days from freshwater to seawater (30 ppt salt level). The changes of serum concentrations of cortisol as a primary stress indicator, and as secondary indicators, glucose (GLC), lactate (LAC), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHOL), sodium ion (Na + ), chloride ion (Cl − ) and enzyme activities (alanine aminotransferase, ALT; aspartate aminotransferase, AST; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) were quantified during the acclimation experiment. Among them, cortisol, LAC, TG, CHOL, ALT, AST concentrations showed rapid increase at the first exposure to the 10 ppt salt level (day 1), and began to decrease to the constant values after day 2 of adaptation at 20 ppt salt level. However, LDH concentration tended to decrease during the whole experimental period. Na + and Cl − showed slight decrease at day 1, and increased to a little bit higher values after day 2 rather than those in freshwater. All the fishes started on taking a food after day 4 of seawater adaptation. From these results, to reduce osmotic shock inducible stress to fish in seawater acclimation, gradual increase of salt levels is recommended.

The extract of the root of Polygonum multiflorum exhibited a significant antioxidant activity assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging activity in vitro. The bioassay-guided fractionation of the extract yielded a stilbene glucoside, (E)-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (1) as an active constituent responsible for the antioxidant property. Compound 1 demonstrated a moderate DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50, 40 microM), while the corresponding deglucosylated stilbene 2 exhibited a much higher activity (IC50, 0.38 microM).

Despite recent progress in bendable and stretchable thin-film transistors using novel designs and materials, the development of conformal devices remains limited by the insufficient flexibility of devices. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of graphene-based conformal and stretchable devices such as transistor and tactile sensor on a substrate with a convoluted surface by scaling down the device thickness. The 70 nm thick graphene-based conformal devices displayed a much lower bending stiffness than reported previously. The demonstrated devices provided excellent conformal coverage over an uneven animal hide surface without the need for an adhesive. In addition, the ultrathin graphene devices formed on the three-dimensionally curved animal hide exhibited stable electrical characteristics, even under repetitive bending and twisting. The advanced performance and flexibility demonstrated here show promise for the development and adoption of wearable electronics in a wide range of future applications.

The annual reproductive and the lunar-related spawning cycles of the pencil-streaked rabbitfish Siganus doliatus collected from Chuuk Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia, were examined histologically. Monthly collection of this species revealed that ovaries with developing oocytes containing yolk were observed from February to May and in August and September. Weekly collection of the fish showed that ovarian development and spawning after the first quarter moon were repeated during the reproductive season, suggesting that S. doliatus is a restricted lunar-synchronized spawner and releases gametes around the time of the first quarter moon.

Melatonin synthesis in the pineal gland and retina shows a rhythmic fashion with high levels at night and is controlled by a rate-limiting enzyme, arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT). A previous study revealed that moonlight suppresses the plasma melatonin levels of the goldlined spinefoot (Siganus guttatus), which exhibits a lunar cycle in its reproductive activity and repeats gonadal development toward and spawning around the first quarter moon. Whether the retina of this species responds to moonlight is unknown. To clarify the photoperceptive ability of this species, we aimed to clone the full-length cDNA of Aanat1 (sgAanat1) from the retina and examine its transcriptional pattern under several daylight and moonlight regimes. The full-length sgAanat1 cDNA (1,038 bp) contained a reading frame encoding a protein of 225 amino acids, which was highly homologous to AANAT1 of other teleosts. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that among the tissues tested, sgAanat1 fragments were expressed exclusively in the retina. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that sgAanat1 fluctuated with high abundance at night under light–dark cycle and at subjective night under constant darkness, but not under constant light. These results suggest that sgAanat1 is regulated by both the external light signal and internal clock system. The abundance of sgAanat1 in the retina was higher at the culmination time around new moon than full moon phase. Additionally, exposing fish to brightness around the full moon period suppressed sgAanat1 mRNA abundance. Thus, moonlight is perceived by fish and has an impact on melatonin fluctuation in the retina. J. Exp. Zool. 319A: 505–516, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The goldlined spinefoot, Siganus guttatus, is a lunar-synchronized spawner, which repeatedly releases gametes around the first quarter moon during the reproductive season. A previous study reported that manipulating moonlight brightness at night disrupted synchronized spawning, suggesting involvement of this natural light source in lunar synchronization. The present study examined whether the mRNA expression pattern of melatonin receptor subtypes MT1 and Mel1c in the pineal organ of the goldlined spinefoot is related to moonlight. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the abundance of MT1 and Mel1c mRNA at midnight increased during the new moon phase and decreased during the full moon phase. Exposing fish to moonlight intensity during the full moon period resulted in a decrease in Mel1c mRNA abundance within 1h. Fluctuations in the melatonin receptor genes according to changes in the moon phase agreed with those of melatonin levels in the blood. These results indicate that periodic changes in cues from the moon influence melatonin receptor mRNA expression levels. The melatonin-melatonin receptor system may play a role in predicting the moon phase through changes in night brightness.