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Crime scenes may contain insect artifacts as well as samples of human origin. While the presence of insects can be important evidence in forensic medicine and forensic entomology, the insect artifacts sometimes interfere with the interpretation of bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) which can be critical for accurate crime reconstruction. Fly artifacts are especially complicated to distinguish from true bloodstains. Indeed, we encountered a murder scene with numerous bloodstains inconsistent with the cause of death and had trouble interpreting them. The morphological method has been developed to distinguish them, but this method has to rely on the analyst's experience and opinion. This study aims not only to distinguish fly artifacts from true bloodstains but also to identify fly species by detecting fly DNA in small amounts of bloodstains at the scenes. Melt curve analysis of real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was able to detect fly DNA in bloodstains from a murder scene. The fly DNA was sequenced from the qPCR product, and the fly species were identified by BLAST search. Fluorescence-labeled specific primers for four species of necrophagous flies were designed based on the sequences of the CO1 region, and differences in the length of the amplification products were used to identify fly species from trace amounts of fly DNA in the artifacts.

Abuse of pyrrolidinophenone derivatives (PPs) is known to cause severe damage to the central nervous system due to their high lipophilicity. In this study, we compared sensitivity to toxicity elicited by 4'-iodo-α-pyrrolidinononanophenone (I-α-PNP), one of the most potent cytotoxic derivatives among PPs synthesized previously, between SH-SY5Y cells differentiated by all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and the undifferentiated cells, and found that the differentiated cells are more sensitive to I-α-PNP toxicity than the undifferentiated cells. Treatment with I-α-PNP elicited some apoptotic alterations (Bax expression, loss of mitrochondrial membrane potential, and activation of caspases) in the differentiated cells, whose patterns were similar to those in the undifferentiated cells. I-α-PNP treatment resulted in no significant alteration in Bcl-2 expression in the undifferentiated cells, whereas it considerably downregulated the protein expression in the differentiated cells, suggesting that the high I-α-PNP sensitivity of the differentiated cells is mainly due to downregulation of Bcl-2 expression. I-α-PNP treatment decreased nitric oxide (NO) production and neuronal NOS (nNOS) expression in the differentiated cells, and the patterns of I-α-PNP-evoked alterations in phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression were almost the same as that in nNOS expression. Additionally, the addition of an NO donor restored the I-α-PNP-evoked alterations in expressions of Bcl-2, BDNF, and nNOS in the differentiated cells. These findings suggest that the downregulation of Bcl-2 expression by I-α-PNP in differentiated cells is attributed to the acceleration of two negative feedback loops (nNOS/NO/CREB loop and CREB/BDNF loop) triggered by decreased NO production.

Funding: This research was carried out in part due to funding from the Max Planck-UBC-UTokyo Centre for Quantum Materials. Part of the research described in this paper was performed at the Canadian Light Source, a national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan, which is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the National Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan. We thank the Science and Technology Facilities Council ISIS facility for the provision of beamtime. (Ba,K)BiO3 constitute an interesting class of superconductors, where the remarkably high superconducting transition temperature Tc of 30 K arises in proximity to charge density wave order. However, the precise mechanism behind these phases remains unclear. Here, enabled by high-pressure synthesis, we report superconductivity in (Ba,K)SbO3 with a positive oxygen–metal charge transfer energy in contrast to (Ba,K)BiO3. The parent compound BaSbO3−δ shows a larger charge density wave gap compared to BaBiO3. As the charge density wave order is suppressed via potassium substitution up to 65%, superconductivity emerges, rising up to Tc = 15 K. This value is lower than the maximum Tc of (Ba,K)BiO3, but higher by more than a factor of two at comparable potassium concentrations. The discovery of an enhanced charge density wave gap and superconductivity in (Ba,K)SbO3 indicates that strong oxygen–metal covalency may be more essential than the sign of the charge transfer energy in the main-group perovskite superconductors. Publisher PDF

In this study, we newly synthesized four α-pyrrolidinononanophenone (α-PNP) derivatives [4'-halogenated derivatives and α-pyrrolidinodecanophenone (α-PDP)], and then performed the structure-cytotoxicity relationship analyses. The results showed the rank order for the cytotoxic effects, α-PNPα-PDP4'-fluoro-α-PNP4'-chrolo-α-PNP4'-bromo-α-PNP4'-iodo-α-PNP (I-α-PNP), and suggest that cytotoxicities of 4'-halogenated derivatives were more intensive than that of elongation of the hydrocarbon chain (α-PDP). We also surveyed the apoptotic mechanism of I-α-PNP in brain microvascular endothelial (HBME) cells that are utilized as the in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier. HBME cell treatment with I-α-PNP facilitated the apoptotic events (caspase-3 activation, externalization of phosphatidylserine, and DNA fragmentation), which were almost completely abolished by pretreating with antioxidants. In addition, the immunofluorescent staining revealed the enhanced production of hydroxyl radical in mitochondria by the I-α-PNP treatment, inferring that the I-α-PNP treatment triggers the apoptotic mechanism dependent on the enhanced ROS production in mitochondria. The treatment with I-α-PNP increased the production of cytotoxic aldehyde 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and decreased the amount of reduced glutathione. Additionally, the treatment decreased the 26S proteasome-based proteolytic activities and aggresome formation. These results suggest that decrease in the antioxidant properties is also ascribable to HBME cell apoptosis elicited by I-α-PNP.

Detailed investigations of structural, magnetic and electronic transport properties of hole-doped high-entropy rare-earth manganites are presented. The high-entropy samples (LaNdPrSmEu)$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$MnO$_3$ (0$\leq$\textit{x}$\leq$0.5), synthesized using the solid-state technique, show a change in the crystal structure from \textit{Pbnm} to \textit{R-3c} with increasing Sr substitution, attributed to the change in the tolerance factor. Prominent ferromagnetic ordering is observed in the sample with a rhombohedral structure (\textit{x}$\geq$0.3), originating from the dominant double exchange mechanism mediated by itinerant electrons. Further, the Curie temperature is smaller for the high-entropy sample with \textit{x}=0.3, as compared to La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$, suggesting a strong relation between the Curie temperature and the Mn-O-Mn bond angle associated with the reduced ionic radii at the rare-earth site. The electrical resistivity of the high-entropy samples is larger than those of La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$MnO$_3$, which can be ascribed to the reduced bandwidth due to the enhanced structural distortion. A concomitant rise in magnetoresistance is observed for high-entropy samples with the increase in Sr concentration. These findings considering the configurational complexity of different rare-earths advance the understanding of high-entropy rare earth manganites., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table

The current pandemic of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has highlighted the importance of disinfectants. As a raw material for next-generation disinfectants, scallop shell-derived calcium oxide (CaO) has been revealed to exhibit significant virucidal and microbicidal activities and is compatible with living tissues and the environment. This minireview summarizes recent progress in the development of disinfectants from scallop shell-CaO, focusing especially on studies of clinical and daily use applications. We describe the preparation, basic characteristics, and virucidal and microbicidal activities of scallop shell-CaO disinfectants. Furthermore, their applications in the disinfection of contaminated masks and the treatment of infected wounds are briefly introduced.

Gender identification in forensic DNA typing is an important tool for criminal investigation as well as STR typing. Most methods are based on a size difference of amelogenin X and Y (AMELX and AMELY). There have been some reports that the method by amelogenin (AMEL) incorrectly typed some males as females because the AMELY allele is not detected. AMELY allele dropout is often caused by deletions encompassing AMELY on Yp11.2 and accompanied with Y-STR allele dropout (especially DYS458). However, an unusual deletion was found in our laboratory. The AMELY allele could be recovered by using another commercial kit and alternative AMEL primer sets, and the Y-STR markers resulted in a complete profile. Sequencing results showed that there was an 8 bp deletion in AMELY at the position corresponding to 41-48 bp downstream from the 3' end of the 6 bp deletion site in AMELX. This is considered a novel mutation at a primer binding region.

Overuse of pyrrolidinophenones (PPs) is known to cause damage to vascular and central nervous systems, but little is known about its effect on brain endothelial barrier function. In this study, we found that exposure to 4'-iodo-α-pyrrolidinononanophenone (I-α-PNP), one of the most potently cytotoxic PPs, at sublethal concentrations decreases trans-endothelial electrical resistance and increases paracellular permeability across a monolayer of human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Treatment with I-α-PNP also elevated the production of superoxide anion. Furthermore, the treatment reduced the expression and plasma membrane localization of a tight junction protein claudin-5 (CLDN5), which was almost restored by pretreatment with an antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine. These results indicate that I-α-PNP treatment may down-regulate the plasma membrane-localized CLDN5 by elevating the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The treatment with I-α-PNP increased the nuclear translocation of Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1), an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor, and pretreating with a FoxO1 inhibitor ameliorated the decrease in CLDN5 mRNA. In addition, I-α-PNP treatment up-regulated the expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and MMP9, and the addition of an MMP inhibitor reversed the degradation of CLDN5 by I-α-PNP. Moreover, I-α-PNP treatment facilitated the activation of 26S proteasome-based proteolytic activity and pretreatment with an inhibitor of 26S proteasome, but not autophagy, suppressed the CLDN5 degradation by I-α-PNP. Accordingly, it is suggested that the down-regulation of CLDN5 by exposure to I-α-PNP is ascribable to suppression of the gene transcription due to FoxO1 nuclear translocation through ROS production and to acceleration both of the MMPs (MMP2 and MMP9)- and 26S proteasome-based proteolysis.

(Ba,K)BiO

The nature of the pseudogap phase of cuprates remains a major puzzle. Although there are indications that this phase breaks various symmetries, there is no consensus on its fundamental nature. Although Fermi-surface, transport and thermodynamic signatures of the pseudogap phase are reminiscent of a transition into a phase with antiferromagnetic order, there is no evidence for an associated long-range magnetic order. Here we report measurements of the thermal Hall conductivity $\kappa_{\rm xy}$ in the normal state of four different cuprates (Nd-LSCO, Eu-LSCO, LSCO, and Bi2201) and show that a large negative $\kappa_{\rm xy}$ signal is a property of the pseudogap phase, appearing with the onset of that phase at the critical doping $p^*$. Since it is not due to charge carriers -- as it persists when the material becomes an insulator, at low doping -- or magnons -- as it exists in the absence of magnetic order -- or phonons -- since skew scattering is very weak, we attribute this $\kappa_{\rm xy}$ signal to exotic neutral excitations, presumably with spin chirality. The thermal Hall conductivity in the pseudogap phase of cuprates is reminiscent of that found in insulators with spin-liquid states. In the Mott insulator LCO, it attains the highest known magnitude of any insulator.

Bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) is derived from scallop shells and after heat treatment exhibits broad microbicidal activity. BiSCaO Water is a disinfectant prepared by collecting the aqueous layer after adding BiSCaO powder to water, is colorless and transparent, and has a pH of 12.8. We compared the utility of commercially available BiSCaO Water, ethanol, sodium hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid and hydrogen peroxide solutions as sterilization agents to enable the reuse of surgical and N95 face masks. The microbicidal efficacy of each disinfectant was evaluated using pieces of surgical and N95 face masks contaminated with normal bacterial flora. The results suggest that BiSCaO Water has excellent disinfection activity toward contaminated polypropylene masks and has minimal adverse effect on the structure of non-woven masks.

Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$ became one of the most investigated candidate materials for hosting an excitonic insulator ground state. Many studies describe the corresponding phase transition as a condensation of excitons breaking a continuous symmetry. This view got challenged recently pointing out the importance of the loss of two mirror symmetries at a structural phase transition that occurs together with the semiconductor-excitonic insulator transition. For such a scenario an unstable optical zone-center phonon at low energy is proposed to drive the transition. Here we report on the experimental observation of such a soft mode behavior using Raman spectroscopy. In addition we find a novel spectral feature, likely of electronic or joint electronic and phononic origin, that is clearly distinct from the lattice dynamics and that becomes dominant at Tc. This suggests a picture of joint structural and electronic order driving the phase transition.

Background Scallop shell powder is called bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO), which is known to possess deodorizing properties and broad antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microbes, including viruses, bacteria, spores, and fungi. Objective This study aims to investigate the applications of BiSCaO suspension cleansing in clinical situations, for instance for the prevention and treatment of infections in chronic wounds in healing-impaired patients, without delaying wound healing. Methods The bactericidal activities of 1000 ppm BiSCaO suspension; 500 ppm hypochlorous acid; 1000 ppm povidone iodine; and saline were compared to evaluate in vivo disinfection and healing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds in hairless rats. Results Cleansing of the infected wounds with BiSCaO suspension daily for 3 days significantly enhanced wound healing and reduced the in vivo bacterial counts, in comparison to hypochlorous acid, povidone iodine, and saline. Furthermore, histological examinations showed significantly advanced granulation tissue and capillary formation in the wounds cleansed with BiSCaO suspension than in those cleansed with the other solutions. Conclusions This study suggested that the possibility of using BiSCaO suspension as a disinfectant for infected wounds and limiting disinfection to 3 days may be sufficient to avoid the negative effects on wound repair.

Bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) exhibits deodorizing properties and broad microbicidal activity. In this study, we examined possible utility of BiSCaO Water for that purpose. BiSCaO Water was prepared by adding 10 wt% BiSCaO to clean water and gently collecting the supernatant in a bottle. The same volume of clean water was gently poured onto the BiSCaO precipitate and the supernatant was gently collected in a bottle, this process was repeated fifty times. The produced BiSCaO Water contained nanoparticles (about 400&ndash, 800 nm) composed of smaller nanoparticles (100&ndash, 200 nm), and was colorless and transparent, with a pH &gt, 12.7. In vitro assays demonstrated that BiSCaO Water eliminated more than 99.9% of influenza A (H1N1) and Feline calicivirus, Escherichia coli such as NBRC 3972 and O-157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus within 15 min. We compared BiSCaO Water with the other microbicidal reagents such as ethanol, BiSCaO, BiSCa(OH)2 suspensions, povidone iodine, NaClO, BiSCaO dispersion and colloidal dispersion with respect to deodorization activity and microbicidal efficacy. The results showed that BiSCaO Water was a potent reagent with excellent deodorization and disinfection activities against pathogenic bacteria and viruses (including both enveloped and nonenveloped viruses).

Bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) possesses deodorizing properties and broad microbicidal activity. This study aimed to investigate the application of BiSCaO ointment for the prevention and treatment of infection in chronic wounds in healing-impaired patients, without delaying wound healing. The bactericidal activities of 0.04, 0.2, 1, and 5 wt% BiSCaO ointment, 3 wt% povidone iodine ointment, and control (ointment only) were compared to evaluate the in vivo disinfection and healing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds in hairless rats. Treatment of the infected wounds with 0.2 wt% BiSCaO ointment daily for 3 days significantly enhanced wound healing and reduced the in vivo bacterial counts compared with povidone iodine ointment and control (no wound cleaning). Although 5 wt% BiSCaO ointment provided the lowest bacterial counts during 3 days’ treatment, it delayed wound healing. Histological examinations showed significantly advanced granulation tissue and capillary formation in wounds treated with 0.2 wt% BiSCaO ointment for 3 days compared to wounds treated with the other ointments. This study suggested that using 0.2 wt% BiSCaO ointment as a disinfectant for infected wounds and limiting disinfection to 3 days may be sufficient to avoid the negative effects of BiSCaO on wound repair.

Application of a high-velocity steam-air micromist jet spray (HVS-AMJS) with disinfectants for cleansing the skin is proposed. Low-pressure steam is mixed with compressed air in a nozzle and then sprayed onto a surface of skin or material located approximately 22 cm from the nozzle. The temperature on the sprayed surface was controlled between 40oC and 45 oC. The improved HVS-AMJS installed scattering prevention cover with tap water effectively removed normal bacterial flora (total viable count and coliform bacteria) from contaminated skin pieces and pig skin wounds. Furthermore, the cleansing efficacy increased by advanced-treating with bio-shell calcium oxide (BiSCaO), hypochlorous acid (HClO), sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), povidone iodine, or chlorhexidine gluconate. Especially, the improved HVS-AMJS combined with BiSCaO had higher bactericidal activity than when combined with other disinfectants. This study suggests that application of the HVS-AMJS with disinfectants, especially BiSCaO, may be useful for skin cleansing to prevent infection.

Bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) is a scallop-shell powder heated at a high temperature. BiSCaO is composed mainly of calcium oxide and exhibits broad microbicidal properties. The aim of this study is to evaluate the disinfection and decontamination abilities of BiSCaO colloidal dispersions with that of commercially available bioshell calcium hydroxide (BiSCa(OH)2) following the formation of flocculants/precipitates under strongly alkaline conditions (pH 11.5&ndash, 12.2). Various concentrations of BiSCaO and BiSCa(OH)2 colloidal dispersions were prepared by mixing with Na-polyPO4 (PP) and Na-triPO4 (TP) as flocculating agents. The microbicidal activities, and the degree of flocculation/precipitation of trypan blue, albumin, chondroitin sulfate, heparin, non-anticoagulant heparin carrying polystyrene (NAC-HCPS), and low-molecular-weight heparin/protamine nanoparticles (LMWH/P NPs) were dependent on the pH, the average particle diameter, and the concentration of BiSCaO or BiSCa(OH)2 and of the phosphate compound. BiSCaO (average particle diameter: 6 &mu, m) colloidal dispersions (0.2 wt.%) containing 0.15 wt.% PP or TP exhibited substantially stronger microbicidal activity and flocculation/precipitation under strongly alkaline conditions. These results suggest that BiSCaO colloidal dispersions together with phosphate compounds have practical applicability for disinfection.

The importance of protecting the eyes from infectious agents in patients’ blood and saliva during dental surgery has long been known, but the global COVID-19 pandemic has made this even more important. The use of ATP bioluminescence to investigate the contamination of dental goggles during the surgical removal of impacted teeth in the present study indicates their importance for protecting the eyes from aerosols from the front, from above, and from the sides.

We discovered superconductivity at 4.8 K in the hexagonal layered compound La

Silver is easily available and is known to have microbicidal effect; moreover, it does not impose any adverse effects on the human body. The microbicidal effect is mainly due to silver ions, which have a wide antibacterial spectrum. Furthermore, the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria, as in the case of antibiotics, is less likely. Silver ions bind to halide ions, such as chloride, and precipitate; therefore, when used directly, their microbicidal activity is shortened. To overcome this issue, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been recently synthesized and frequently used as microbicidal agents that release silver ions from particle surface. Depending on the specific surface area of the nanoparticles, silver ions are released with high efficiency. In addition to their bactericidal activity, small Ag NPs (

The bactericidal activity of heated bio-shell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) powder suspension (pH 12.4) , hypochlorous acid (HClO; pH 6), sodium hypochlorite (NaClO; pH 8) , povidone-iodine (Isodine solution®) , and chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibiscrub®) under organic matter contaminated environments were compared for tests conducted on wood scraps and pig skin pieces that were incubated with normal bacterial flora (total viable counts and coliform bacteria) . The test results showed that BiSCaO suspension had higher bactericidal activity than HClO and NaClO. Furthermore, more than 10-fold higher concentrations of antiseptics such as povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine gluconate were required to achieve bactericidal activity comparable to that of BiSCaO suspension. Our results demonstrate the possibility of using BiSCaO suspension under organic matter contaminated environments as a disinfectant for environmental and food hygiene applications.

Powder samples of Ag3LiIr2O6 and Ag3LiRu2O6 were synthesized from α-Li2IrO3 and Li2RuO3 respectively by ion exchange in an AgNO3 melt. The crystal structures of the title compounds were solved from high resolution laboratory X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) patterns and from pair distribution function (PDF) analysis using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. In both crystal structures edge sharing LiO6/3- and (Ir/Ru)O6/3-octahedra form honeycomb like layers that are stacked in a staggered fashion. Silver cations, situated in-between the layers mediate the interlayer interactions by linear O-Ag-O bonds. Anisotropic peak broadening in the XRPD patterns and diffuse scattering occurring as streaks in the precession electron diffraction (PED) patterns indicate the presence of stacking faults, which could be also visualized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Possible alternative stacking sequences were derived from the ideal crystal and incorporated into a microstructure model. By applying a supercell approach that randomly generates and averages stacking sequences based on transition probabilities and combining it with a grid search algorithm, the microstructures, i.e. the degrees of faulting in the structures of the title compounds were refined to the measured XRPD data. In result the crystal structures of Ag3LiIr2O6 and Ag3LiRu2O6 were found to be vastly faulted with almost no coherence of the stacked layers.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of food poisoning cases associated with histamine in food, mainly in relation to histamine in fish. Here, we investigated methods to decrease histamine levels in Japanese pilchard, Japanese horse mackerel, and chub Mackerel, stored at 10 &deg, C using various concentrations of heated scallop bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) suspension, dispersion (BiSCaO + Na2HPO4), colloidal dispersion (BiSCaO + NapolyPO4), scallop shell powder (SSP) Ca(OH)2 in pure water (PW) or saline, and BiSCaO water. BiSCaO in a high alkaline pH solution chemically decomposes histamine poorly, but the partial flocculation/precipitation of histamine was observed with 1 and 0.2 wt.% BiSCaO dispersion and BiSCaO colloidal dispersion, respectively. Cleaning fish samples with BiSCaO suspension, dispersion, colloidal dispersion, or BiSCaO water remarkably reduced histamine levels and normal bacterial flora (coliform bacteria (CF) and total viable bacterial cells (TC)) after storage for four days at 10 &deg, C, while much higher histamine levels were observed after cleaning with saline. These results suggest that cleaning fish with BiSCaO dispersion, colloidal dispersion, or BiSCaO water can significantly reduce histamine levels through their bactericidal activity against histamine-producing bacteria.

Weakly acidic hypochlorous acid (HClO; 200 ppm, pH 6.5) is effective against a broad range of microorganisms. We have previously reported a study of developing antimicrobial biomaterials made up of chitin-nanofiber sheet (CNFS) -immobilized silver nanoparticles (CNFS/Ag NPs) and showed that either cleansing with HClO or covering with CNFS/Ag NPs daily for more than 7 days resulted in delayed wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate disinfection and wound healing by a combination of cleansing with HClO and covering with CNFS/Ag NPs daily for 3 days. Applying HClO + CNFS/Ag NPs daily for 3 days and then cleansing with just pure water and covering with CNFS alone daily for 9 days were performed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds in db/db diabetic mice. We found a significant enhancement of wound healing and a reduction of bacteria counts compared to the controls. Histological examination showed significantly advanced granulation tissue and capillary formations in the wounds on Day 12. These results suggest that limited disinfection to 3 days with HClO + CNFS/Ag NPs may be sufficient to avoid negative effects on wound repair.

Heparinoid is the generic term that is used for heparin, heparan sulfate (HS), and heparin-like molecules of animal or plant origin and synthetic derivatives of sulfated polysaccharides. Various biological activities of heparin/HS are attributed to their specific interaction and regulation with various heparin-binding cytokines, antithrombin (AT), and extracellular matrix (ECM) biomolecules. Specific domains with distinct saccharide sequences in heparin/HS mediate these interactions are mediated and require different highly sulfated saccharide sequences with different combinations of sulfated groups. Multivalent and cluster effects of the specific sulfated sequences in heparinoids are also important factors that control their interactions and biological activities. This review provides an overview of heparinoid-based biomaterials that offer novel means of engineering of various heparin-binding cytokine-delivery systems for biomedical applications and it focuses on our original studies on non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene (NAC-HCPS) and polyelectrolyte complex-nano/microparticles (N/MPs), in addition to heparin-coating devices.

The excitonic insulator is an intriguing correlated electron phase formed of condensed excitons. A promising candidate is the small band gap semiconductor Ta

The current study investigated whether ABO blood mistyping of human biological samples is induced by soil bacteria. A total of 380 bacterial strains were isolated from 50 discrete soil samples using human blood agar, and glycosidase activity evaluated for all strains using 4-nitropheny glycosides (4-nitrophenyl n-acetyl-α-D-galactosaminide, 4-nitrophenyl-α-D-galactopyranoside, 4-nitrophenyl-α-L-fucopyranoside) as substrates. Thirteen strains possessed α-galactosidase activity, and 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed a close relatedness to the genus Bacillus. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirmed seven strains exhibited type B antigen degradation activity. These results demonstrated that 1.8% of the bacteria isolated from soil, were Bacillus sp., possessed galactosidase activity, and had the potential to cause ABO blood mistyping.

A powder sample of pure H

The positive tone resist consisted of methyl-α-chloroacrylate (ACM) and α-methylstyrene (MS) has higher sensitivity and higher dry etching resistance than poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) due to the presence of a chlorine atom and a phenyl group. Copolymers consisted of ACM and p-chloro-α-methylstyrene (PCMS), where the additional chlorine atom is introduced in phenyl group compared with ACM-MS resist are synthesized and their exposure characteristics are investigated. ACM-PCMS resist with the ACM:PCMS composition ratio of 49:51 indicates the high solubility for amyl acetate developer. As the ACM composition ratio increases, the solubility of ACM-PCMS resist is suppressed. In both ACM-PCMS and ACM-MS resists, the sensitivity decreases while the contrast increases with increasing ACM ratio. When the composition ratio of ACM:PCMS is 69:31, 100/100 nm line and space pattern having a good shape is obtained at 120 μC/cm2 which is comparable to the required exposure dose for conventional ACM-MS resist with ACM:MS=50:50. Dry etching resistance of ACM:PCMS resists for Ar gas is also presented.

We developed an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of ABO blood group antigens in human samples; in particular for blood stains. ABO blood group antigens conjugated to polyacrylamide were used for immobilized antigen. ABO blood group antigens were extracted from blood stains using a novel method involving pre-incubation with proteinase K (PK), followed by heat treatment. The extracts (analytes) were combined with either anti-A or -B monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and added directly to the antigen-coated wells. The anti-A and -B mAbs were captured by either ABO blood group antigens present in the analyte or by the immobilized blood group antigens. Peroxidase-conjugated anti-mouse IgM antibody was used to detect anti-A and -B mAbs complexed with immobilized blood group antigens, and a colorimetric reaction using o-phenylenediamine/H2O2 used for its measurement. The ELISA developed in this study was able to detect blood group antigens in blood, saliva and blood stains. The detection limit for unknown blood, saliva and blood stain were determined as 1:200, 1:32 and 1:16. Overall the ABO blood grouping ELISA can be used with relative ease for the high throughput screening of biological samples for the detection of ABO blood group antigens.

We report the analysis of magnetic susceptibility $\chi$($T$) of Sr$_2$IrO$_4$ single crystal in the paramagnetic phase. We formulate the theoretical susceptibility based on isotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnetism incorporating the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction exactly, and include the interlayer couplings in a mean-field approximation. $\chi$($T$) above $T_{\rm N}$ was found to be well described by the model, indicating the predominant Heisenberg exchange consistent with the microscopic theory. The analysis points to a competition of nearest and next-nearest neighbor interlayer couplings, which results in the up-up-down-down configuration of the in-plane canting moments identified by the diffraction experiments.

In this study, we examine exposure characteristics of a positive tone electron beam resist consisting of methyl α- chloroacrylate and α-methylstyrene by changing the development process conditions. 25/25 nm and 30/30 nm line-andspace (L/S) patterns (design value) are developed in amyl and heptyl acetates. The resist patterns developed at 0oC for 120 s show the better shapes having the vertical sidewalls than those developed at 22 °C for 60 s. The dose margins of pattern formation for 0°C development become wider, although the sensitivities are lower. The effect of post exposure baking (PEB) on exposure characteristics is also investigated. Adding PEB process performed at 120°C for 2 min, the dose margin also becomes wider although the sensitivity is lower. 20/20 nm L/S patterns are fabricated by using PEB and/or 0°C development. Though the required exposure dose is larger, the resist pattern is improved by PEB and/or 0°C development. The formation of 35 nm pitch pattern is also presented.

Scallop-shell powder (SSP) heated at high temperature exhibits high pH and broad antimicrobial activity. Bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) is an SSP composed mainly of calcium oxide. It is poorly water-soluble under alkaline conditions and the generated precipitate can plug spray nozzles. The aim of this study was to establish that BiSCaO dispersion caused no significant CaO loss and plugging of spray nozzles, and to evaluate its deodorization and microbicidal abilities and its ability to reduce the concentrations of NO2&minus, and NO3&minus, BiSCaO dispersions were prepared by mixing various concentrations of BiSCaO suspension, while phosphate compounds such as Na3PO4, Na2HPO4 or NaH2PO4 and the pH, average diameter, zeta potential, and form of the compounds with cryo-SEM were evaluated. We evaluated deodorization using tainted pork meat and microbicidal efficacy using contaminated suspension with normal bacterial flora. The concentration of NO2&minus, after mixing BiSCaO dispersion and pure water containing a high proportion of NO2&minus, were measured. BiSCaO dispersion formed with Na2HPO4, whose ratio to BiSCaO was 60%, showed a high pH (&gt, 12), a small particle diameter (&gt, 181 nm) and was stable for seven days. The BiSCaO dispersion showed higher deodorization and microbicidal activities than SSP-Ca(OH)2, which was mainly composed of Ca(OH)2. BiSCaO, but not SSP-Ca(OH)2, could reduce the concentration of NO2&minus, by more than 90% within 15 min. We developed a stable BiSCaO dispersion, and it had high deodorization and microbicidal efficacy. These activities of BiSCaO might result from the high pH caused by CaO hydration and a reduction activity causing active radical species.

We report the magnetic properties of Mg0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Zn0.2O, a high-entropy oxide with a rocksalt structure, and the influence of substitutions on these properties. From the magnetic susceptibility and neutron diffraction measurements, we found that this compound exhibits long-range magnetic order below 120 K despite the substantial structural disorder. Other rocksalt-type high-entropy oxides with various chemical substitutions were found to host either an antiferromagnetic order or spin-glass state depending on the amount of magnetic ions. The presence of magnetic order for such a disordered material potentially provides a route to explore exotic magnetic properties and functions.

The sensitivity and the resolution are affected by not only the nature of the resist such as a chemical structure and a molecular weight but also the developing process such as a developer molecular size. Exposure characteristics of positive-tone polymer resists having various molecular weights (Mw’s) ranging from 60 k to 500 k are investigated using different ester solvents as a developer. The line-and-space (L/S) patterns are exposed by the electron beam writing system with an acceleration voltage of 50 kV and the samples are developed by amyl acetate, hexyl acetate and heptyl acetate. The pattern shape becomes better and the surface of the resist also becomes smoother with increasing developer molecular size, though the exposure dose required for the formation of the L/S pattern increases. The dose margin of pattern formation is also wider in all the resists having the different molecular weights. The dissolution in the unexposed portions of the 60k-Mw resist for heptyl acetate is reduced significantly compared with those for amyl acetate and hexyl acetate. The improvement of the pattern shape and the increasing of dose margin are remarkable in the low molecular weight resist. The 3σ of line width roughness tends to be smaller in the higher molecular weight resist and with the larger molecular size developer. Exposure experiment of the 35 nm pitch pattern using the 500k-Mw resist developed at the room temperature is presented.

The excitonic insulator is an intriguing electronic phase of quasi-condensed excitons. A prominent candidate is the small bandgap semiconductor Ta2NiSe5, in which excitons are believed to undergo a BEC-like transition. But experimental evidence for the existence of a coherent condensate in this material is still missing. A direct fingerprint of such a state would be the observation of its collective modes, which are equivalent to the Higgs- and Goldstone-modes in superconductors. Here we report evidence for the existence of a coherent amplitude response in the excitonic insulator phase of Ta2NiSe5. Using non-linear excitations with short laser pulses we identify a phonon-coupled state of the condensate that can be understood as a coupling of its electronic Higgs-mode to a low frequency phonon. The Higgs-mode contribution substantiates the picture of an electronically driven phase transition and characterizes the transient order parameter of the excitonic insulator as a function of temperature and excitation density., Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, 1 table

Higher resolution is eagerly requested to the electron beam resist for the next generation photomask production as well as higher sensitivity. The performance of a polymer resist is mainly characterized by its chemical structure and molecular weight. Positive tone polymer resists with various molecular weights ranging from 60 k to 500 k are synthesized and the molecular weight dependence on exposure characteristics is examined by fabricating line-and-space patterns. The molecular weight dependence of sensitivity for amyl acetate developer is small in the molecular weight range in this study. In a low molecular weight resist, the cross-section profile of the resist pattern becomes rounder and then the disconnections are observed in the 20-nm line-and-space pattern. Although the pattern width change by changing the exposure dose for each resist is quite similar, the exposure dose margin of pattern formation becomes wider with the higher molecular weight. The line width roughness is smaller in a high molecular weight resist than in a low molecular weight resist. The shift amount of the pattern width from the design value for various line-and-space patterns and the dry etching resistance to CF 4 plasma are also presented.

A complex iridium oxide $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{Li}}_{2}{\mathrm{IrO}}_{3}$ crystallizes in a hyperhoneycomb structure, a three-dimensional analogue of honeycomb lattice, and is found to be a spin-orbital Mott insulator with ${J}_{\text{eff}}=1/2$ moment. Ir ions are connected to the three neighboring Ir ions via $\mathrm{Ir}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Ir}$ bonding planes, which very likely gives rise to bond-dependent ferromagnetic interactions between the ${J}_{\text{eff}}=1/2$ moments, an essential ingredient of Kitaev model with a spin liquid ground state. Dominant ferromagnetic interaction between ${J}_{\text{eff}}=1/2$ moments is indeed confirmed by the temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility $\ensuremath{\chi}(T)$ which shows a positive Curie-Weiss temperature ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{CW}}\ensuremath{\sim}+40\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$. A magnetic ordering with a very small entropy change, likely associated with a noncollinear arrangement of ${J}_{\text{eff}}=1/2$ moments, is observed at ${T}_{c}=38\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$. With the application of magnetic field to the ordered state, a large moment of more than $0.35\text{ }\text{ }{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}/\mathrm{Ir}$ is induced above 3 T, a substantially polarized ${J}_{\text{eff}}=1/2$ state. We argue that the close proximity to ferromagnetism and the presence of large fluctuations evidence that the ground state of hyperhoneycomb $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{Li}}_{2}{\mathrm{IrO}}_{3}$ is located in close proximity of a Kitaev spin liquid.

Interactions among induced magnetic dipoles were observed in the systems of feeble magnetic substances that have been neglected so far. Furthermore, by applying this interaction to many particle systems, some peculiar alignments were obtained. These phenomena would be of use as a control of material structures, and bring new applications of magnetic fields in various processes.

A novel magnetic separation method, which utilizes the magneto-Archimedes levitation, has been introduced and applied to separation of biological materials. By using the feature that the stable levitation position under a magnetic field depends on the density and magnetic susceptibility of materials, we have successfully separated biological materials such as hemoglobin, fibrinogen, cholesterol, and so on. So far, the difference of magnetic properties was not utilized for the separation of biological materials. Magneto-Archimedes separation seems to be a potential way in biological materials separation.

Some ordered alignments of feeble magnetic particles were obtained utilizing magnetic dipole interactions. The interactions among feeble magnetic substances under magnetic fields, that is, interactions among magnetic dipoles induced in feeble magnetic substances have been believed too small to be observed. However, by controlling experimental conditions carefully, we confirmed that such interactions can be observed visually even in feeble magnetic substances. Furthermore, by applying the interactions to many-particle systems, ordered alignments were obtained such as chain-like alignments parallel to and triangle-lattice alignments perpendicular to magnetic fields. These results suggest that structures of feeble magnetic substances can be controlled by magnetic fields, and such application would be of use in materials processing.

従来の鉄道高架橋には, 主に経済性の観点から鉄筋コンクリート構造のラーメン高架橋が多く用いられている. 一方, 施工環境の厳しい条件下では, 型枠, 配筋等の現場作業を省略することができれば, 施工の安全性の向上と全体工費の低減が期待できる. コンクリート充填鋼管を柱部材とした複合構造の鉄道ラーメン高架橋は, 鋼管を型枠として使用できることから施工の簡素化, および工期短縮が可能であり, 加えて, 鋼とコンクリートの合成効果により高い耐震性能が得られる. 本報文は, このような複合構造の鉄道ラーメン高架橋を対象に, 筆者らがすでに提案した部材の耐荷性能の評価手法を用いて大規模地震に対する構造物の安全性の照査例を示したものである.