Improvement of infrared imaging video bolometer for application to deuterium experiment on the large helical device

An infrared imaging video bolometer was improved for application to a neutron environment in fusion plasma devices, i.e., the Large Helical Device (LHD). In order to calibrate the thermal characteristics of the activated foil absorber inside the plasma vacuum vessel, the remote-controlled in situ calibration system was improved with high-surface-flatness mirrors. Furthermore, the carbon coating method was improved by introducing a vacuum evaporation technique instead of the conventional spray technique to realize the coating on both sides of the absorber with reproducibility and uniformity. The optimal thickness of the coating was also determined. Owing to these coating improvements, the reproducibility of the effective emissivity on both sides especially was improved. Finally, the variation with the neutron irradiation of the thermal characteristics of the foil absorber was investigated. It was found that the effect was not significant for the total neutron emission of 3.6 × 10¹⁸ on LHD.

Oncogenic signaling by Kit tyrosine kinase occurs selectively on the Golgi apparatus in gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are caused by gain-of-function mutations in the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase. Most primary GIST patients respond to the Kit inhibitor imatinib, but this drug often becomes ineffective because of secondary mutations in the Kit kinase domain. The characteristic intracellular accumulation of imatinib-sensitive and -resistant Kit protein is well documented, but its relationship to oncogenic signaling remains unknown. Here, we show that in cancer tissue from primary GIST patients as well as in cell lines, mutant Kit accumulates on the Golgi apparatus, whereas normal Kit localizes to the plasma membrane (PM). In imatinib-resistant GIST with a secondary Kit mutation, Kit localizes predominantly on the Golgi apparatus. Both imatinib-sensitive and imatinib-resistant Kit (Kit(mut)) become fully auto-phosphorylated only on the Golgi and only if in a complex-glycosylated form. Kit(mut) accumulates on the Golgi during the early secretory pathway, but not after endocytosis. The aberrant kinase activity of Kit(mut) prevents its export from the Golgi to the PM. Furthermore, Kit(mut) on the Golgi signals and activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–Akt (PI3K–Akt) pathway, signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5), and the Mek–Erk pathway. Blocking the biosynthetic transport of Kit(mut) to the Golgi from the endoplasmic reticulum inhibits oncogenic signaling. PM localization of Kit(mut) is not required for its signaling. Activation of Src-family tyrosine kinases on the Golgi is essential for oncogenic Kit signaling. These results suggest that the Golgi apparatus serves as a platform for oncogenic Kit signaling. Our study demonstrates that Kit(mut)’s pathogenicity is related to its mis-localization, and may offer a new strategy for treating imatinib-resistant GISTs.