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Band-filling modulation of single-crystalline 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene dimer salt from the half-filled state based on hydrogen-bonded anion chain formation enhanced the conductivity.

Objective: We investigated the association between overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary metabolites in men. Methods: This prospective observational study included 42 men aged 65–80 years. The 3-day frequency volume chart (FVC), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and quality of life score were adapted to assess the micturition behavior. Participants with IPSS urgency score ≥2 were included in the OAB group, and those with IPSS urgency score t test and Fisher’s exact test in a nonadjusted analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between OAB and the metabolites. Results: Overall, 23 men were included in the OAB group and 19 in the control group. There were no differences in the background factors except age between the groups. FVC analysis demonstrated that nocturnal urine volume, 24-h micturition frequency, and nocturnal micturition frequency were significantly higher, and the maximum voided volume was significantly lower in the OAB group than in the controls. Metabolomic analysis revealed 14 metabolites that were differentially expressed between the groups. Multivariate analysis indicated that an increase in the levels of 5-iso prostaglandin F2α-VI (5-iPF2a-VI) and 5-methoxyindoleacetic acid was associated with OAB. Conclusion: Abnormal urinary metabolites, including metabolites in the tryptophan (5-methoxyindoleacetic acid, 3-indoleacetonitrile, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid) and arachidonic acid (5-iPF2a-VI) pathways, play a role in the pathogenesis of OAB in older men.

In condensed matter, phase separation is strongly related to ferroelasticity, ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, electron correlation, and crystallography. These ferroics are important for nano-electronic devices such as non-volatile memory. However, the quantitative information regarding the lattice (atomic) structure at the border of phase separation is unclear in many cases. Thus, to design electronic devices on the molecular level, a quantitative relationship must be established between the lattice and the electrons. Herein, we elucidated a PdII–PdIV/PdIII–PdIII phase transition and phase separation mechanism for [Pd(cptn)2Br]Br2 (cptn = 1R,2R-diaminocyclopentane), propagated through a hydrogen-bonding network. Although the Pd···Pd distance was used to determine the electronic state, the differences in the Pd···Pd distance and the optical gap between Mott–Hubbard (MH) and charge-density-wave (CDW) states were only 0.012 Å and 0.17 eV, respectively. The N–H···Br···H–N hydrogen-bonding network functioned as a jack, adjusting the structural difference dynamically, and allowing visible ferroelastic phase transition/separation in a fluctuating N2 gas flow. In addition, the effect of the phase separation on the spin susceptibility and electrical conductivity were clarified to represent the quasi-epitaxial crystals among CDW–MH states. These results indicate that the phase transitions and separations could be controlled via modifications at the atomic and molecular levels, such as the addition of hydrogen bonding.

Halogen-bridged linear chain metal complexes (MX-Chains) are fascinating compounds that have a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) electronic system. In this study, we synthesized the first Ni-based MX-Chain compound having hydroxy groups, i.e., [Ni(dabdOH)

The clinical practice of safe and efficient surgery and professional development of general thoracic surgical trainee are both important issues for mentors. We investigated the usefulness of a three-dimensional (3D) endoscopic system application for lung cancer treatment as a tool for training surgical trainees. Supervised by mentors, general thoracic surgical trainees were trained with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for primary lung cancer using a 3D endoscopic system to enable them to become operators. Video clinics using 3D images were held weekly. The group using 3D endoscopic system (66 cases in the 3D-VATS group) was compared with the group using conventional two-dimensional (2D) thoracoscopic system (35 cases in the 2D-VATS group) to perform VATS lobectomies. There was no significant difference in operative time between both groups. However, the 3D-VATS group comprised significantly less experience than the 2D-VATS group. The intraoperative blood loss was significantly reduced for the 3D group (34 mL in the 3D-VATS group vs. 76 mL in the 2D-VATS group, P = 0.0007). There were no cases of conversion from VATS to open thoracotomy and intraoperative transfusion in either group. 3D-VATS and video clinics using 3D videos are useful training tools for general thoracic surgical trainees with little experience in open thoracotomy.

Background The choice between electrocautery or automatic suturing instruments for dissection of the lung parenchyma along the intersegmental plane during lung segmentectomy remains controversial. We hypothesized that a novel microwave surgical instrument (MSI) for dissecting the lung parenchyma could have excellent sealing effects. We examined the feasibility and safety of lung parenchymal dissection using a MSI during lung segmentectomy. Methods This was a prospective clinical study of lung segmentectomy involving dissection of the entire intersegmental plane using a MSI. Complications related to sealing of the lung parenchyma were evaluated and perioperative outcomes were compared to those of patients who underwent lung segmentectomy using automatic suturing instruments. Propensity score–matched comparisons were used to assess the potential impact of selection bias. Results Lung segmentectomy using a MSI was successfully performed in 30 patients. According to the propensity score matching analysis, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications of the microwave group were significantly lesser (P = .019, .003, and .008, respectively) compared to those of the control group (n = 66). Prolonged air leakage was not observed. There were two cases of subcutaneous emphysema after removal of the chest tube, but no other grade 2 or higher complications were observed. No mortality occurred within 30 or 90 days postoperatively. Conclusions The use of a MSI for lung parenchymal dissection was associated with lower blood loss during surgical procedures, reduced air leakage after the operation, and fewer postoperative complications.

Coexistence of zigzag structure and the uncommon Pd(III) oxidation state in quasi-1D halogen-bridged metal complexes was realized in a conductive Br-bridged Pd chain complex, [Pd(dabdOH)2Br]SO4·3H2O (2), for the first time. Intra- and interchain hydrogen-bond networks among the (2S,3S)-2,3-diaminobutane-1,4-diol (dabdOH) ligand and SO42− and H2O molecules support this unusual structure and electronic state. The electrical conductivity of 2 reached 0.05 S cm−1 at room temperature.

To investigate the association between nocturia and urinary metabolites in elderly men using metabolomic analysis. We recruited 66 men aged 65–80 years. The 3-day frequency volume chart (FCV), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and quality of life score were used to assess micturition behavior. Participants with the total IPSS > 0 and ≥ 1.5 micturition on an average for three nights were included in the nocturia group. Participants with the total IPSS

We report on our investigation of C-C bonding longer than 2.0 A, which can be realized by perpendicularly facing two fluorenyl rings in the title compound. A small orbital overlap between the distantly positioned carbon atoms is observed as a small concentration of electrons on the X-ray electron density map. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the compound originate from the in-phase and out-of-phase interactions of the overlapping orbitals, respectively, with a gap of 2.39 eV. Solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy shows a sharp peak at 82.9 ppm for the long-bonded carbons, and a CASSCF(6,6) calculation indicates small diradical character. The experimental and theoretical analyses reveal sufficient covalent-bonding interaction in the long-bonded carbon pair.

We aimed to investigate the efficacy of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (cVATS) lobectomy using the three-dimensional (3D) endoscopic system in patients with lung cancer and compare it with that of cVATS lobectomy using the conventional two-dimensional (2D) endoscopic system in former consecutive cases. We retrospectively analyzed the prospectively collected database of patients with clinical stage I lung cancer who underwent cVATS lobectomy using the 3D endoscopic system; the patients who underwent surgery using the 2D endoscopic system were considered the historical control group. The operative and perioperative data were compared, and propensity-score matched comparisons were used to assess the potential impact of selection bias. We performed 189 cVATS lobectomies. Of these, 105 were performed using the 3D endoscopic system, while 84 were performed using the 2D endoscopic system. After matching, there was no significant difference in the preoperative factors between the two groups. The operation time was significantly shortened (P = 0.003), and the intraoperative blood loss was significantly reduced in the 3D group (P

The present study was conducted to identify metabolites using a metabolomics approach and investigate the relationship between these metabolites and urgency as a major symptom of overactive bladder (OAB). In 47 male participants without any apparent neurological disease, OAB was defined as an urgency score on the International Prostate Symptom Score of 2 and higher (OAB group, n = 26), while patients with a score of 1 or 0 were placed in a control group (n = 21). A comprehensive study on plasma metabolites was conducted, and metabolites were compared between the OAB and control groups. Age was significantly higher in the OAB group, while prostate volume did not differ between the groups. A 24-h bladder diary revealed that nocturnal urine volume, 24-h micturition frequency, nocturnal micturition frequency, and the nocturnal index were significantly higher in the OAB group, whereas maximum voided volume was significantly lower in this group. The metabolomics analysis identified 79 metabolites from the plasma of participants. The multivariate analysis showed that increases in the fatty acids (22:1), erucic acid and palmitoleic acid, and a decrease in cholic acid correlated with incidence of male OAB. A decrease in acylcarnitine (18:2)-3 and an increase in cis-11-eicosenoic acid also appeared to be associated with OAB in males. OAB in males may occur through the abnormal metabolism of fatty acids and bile acids. Further studies on these pathways will contribute to the detection of new biomarkers and development of potential targets for novel treatments.

Hepatic pseudolymphoma is a very rare benign reactive lymphoid hyperplasia associated with autoimmunity and chronic inflammatory liver diseases such as primary biliary cirrhosis and may mimic hepatocellular carcinoma. This diagnosis should be suspected in female with a suspicious single tumor. Close monitoring is needed in view of its premalignant nature.

MX-type one-dimensional complexes [PtIV(amp)2Br2][PtII/IV(amp)2Br]2(HSO4)2(SO4)2·13H2O (3) and [PtIV(amp)2Br2][PtII/IV(amp)2Br]2(H2PO4)6·8H2O (4) were synthesized as the first analogue containing only an aromatic in-plane ligand. The Pt–Br chain structures of 3 and 4 are stabilized by both the hydrogen-bond network along the chain and the π-stacking via intercalated Pt(IV) complexes. Structural and spectroscopic studies indicated that both 3 and 4 form the Pt(II/IV) mixed valence state.

A multiple-hydrogen-bond approach was applied to shorten Pt–X–Pt distances in Cl- and Br-bridged Pt chain complexes. [Pt(dabdOH)2Cl]Cl2 (5) and [Pt(dabdOH)2Br]Br2 (6) (dabdOH = (2S,3S)-2,3-diaminob...

Elongating carbon–carbon (C–C) single bonds is challenging in terms of molecular design and synthesis, and in understanding the nature of the long bonds. Herein, we demonstrate that a C–C bond longer than 2.0 Å can be realised by face-to-face interactions between fluorenyl rings. A small orbital overlap between the distantly positioned carbon atoms is observed as a small concentration of electrons on the X-ray electron density maps. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the compound originate from the in-phase and out-of-phase interactions of the overlapping orbitals, respectively, with a gap of 2.39 eV. Solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy shows a sharp peak at 82.9 ppm for the long-bonded carbons, while a CASSCF(6,6) calculation indicates a small diradical character. The experimental and theoretical analyses reveal a sufficient covalent bonding character in the long C–C bond.

The Pd(iii) oxidation state is unusual and unstable since it strongly tends to disproportionate. We synthesized the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) halogen-bridged Pd(iii)-Cl complex [Pd(dabdOH)2Cl]Cl2 (1-Cl; dabdOH = (2S,3S)-2,3-diaminobutane-1,4-diol) with multiple hydrogen bonds. From single-crystal X-ray diffraction, the bridging Cl- ions were located at the midpoint of the Pd-Cl-Pd moieties in the 1D chains, indicating that the Pd ions are in a Pd(iii) average valence (AV) state. Moreover, bright spots for the Pd(iii) dz2 orbitals in the upper Hubbard band above the Fermi level were observed every ∼5 A using scanning tunnelling microscopy. These results clearly indicate that the Pd ions are in a Pd(iii) AV state in 1-Cl. In addition, 1-Cl has the highest thermal stability (470 K) among the Pd(iii) complexes reported and the highest electrical conductivity (0.6 S cm-1 at 300 K) among the 1D Pd-Cl chains reported so far.

In organic molecular semiconductors (OSCs), fluctuation of transfer integrals originating from thermally induced molecular vibrations is suggested to cause large scatterings of carriers, and to be a most important factor for the suppression of their carrier mobility. The intrinsic carrier mobility under such a fluctuation of transfer integrals is calculated using the transient localization theory, in which the estimation of transfer-integral fluctuation depending on each OSC is indispensable. In the present study, we provide a methodology to evaluate nonlocal electron-phonon couplings in OSCs using the density functional theory, which enables us to evaluate precisely the fluctuation magnitude of transfer integrals. Our method is based upon the combination of the frequency correction to reduce numerical inaccuracies in normal-mode frequencies, the extraction of tight binding parameters using maximally localized Wannier functions, and the explicit consideration of anharmonicity of phonons. We apply this method to classical OSCs, tetracene and rubrene, and a recently developed high-mobility OSC, $3,11\text{\ensuremath{-}}\text{didecyl-dinaphtho}[2,3\text{\ensuremath{-}}d:2\ensuremath{'},3\ensuremath{'}\text{\ensuremath{-}}d\ensuremath{'}]\mathrm{benzo}[1,2\text{\ensuremath{-}}b:4,5\text{\ensuremath{-}}b\ensuremath{'}]\mathrm{dithiophene}$ $({\mathrm{C}}_{10}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{DNBDT}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{NW})$. We succeeded in identifying the low-frequency vibrations dominating the fluctuation of transfer integrals at room temperature, which we consider to be the main factors to limit the intrinsic mobility.

For the application of a ferroelectric thin film to optical and electric devices, it is important to align its ferroelectric polarization parallel or perpendicular to the film surface. In this context, an effective method to characterize the polarization directions in the whole area of devices is needed. Here, we report an alternative method to determine a polarization vector in three dimensions using an emission of terahertz waves. The target material is an organic hydrogen-bonded molecular ferroelectric 2-methylbenzimidazole (MBI). By the irradiation of a femtosecond laser pulse on a bulk single-crystal thin film of MBI, we observe the emission of the terahertz waves originating from the polarization modulation of infrared-active phonons via the impulsive stimulated Raman-scattering mechanism. By measuring the terahertz electric field parallel to the ferroelectric polarization with rotating the single-crystal film around two independent axes, we succeed in determining the polarization vector in three dimensions, the direction of which is tilted by 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} normal to the film surface and substrate. This method can be a powerful tool to characterize directions of ferroelectric polarizations in any kinds of thin-film samples.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate whether the severity of emphysema as classified by Goddard score influences the prognosis of patients with early lung cancer, there are few reports about that. Methods From April 2009 to December 2016, we recruited 412 consecutive patients with completely resected clinical stage 0/IA/IB non-small cell lung cancer. The Goddard score assessed on preoperative computed tomography scan was retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the Goddard score and early lung cancer prognosis. Results The patients were classified into two groups: Goddard score ≤ 4 points and ≥5 points according to the results of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for recurrence events. The 3-year relapse-free survival rate of emphysema with Goddard score ≤ 4 points (88.6%) was higher than that of emphysema with Goddard score ≥ 5 points (60.8%) (P Conclusion Our findings suggest that emphysema with a Goddard score of ≥5 points may be a factor that can influence the prognosis of patients with primary lung cancer.

A charge excitation in a two-dimensional Mott insulator is strongly coupled with the surrounding spins, which is observed as magnetic-polaron formations of doped carriers and a magnon sideband in the Mott-gap transition spectrum. However, the dynamics related to the spin sector are difficult to measure. Here, we show that pump-probe reflection spectroscopy with seven-femtosecond laser pulses can detect the optically induced spin dynamics in Nd2CuO4, a typical cuprate Mott insulator. The bleaching signal at the Mott-gap transition is enhanced at ~18 fs. This time constant is attributable to the spin-relaxation time during magnetic-polaron formation, which is characterized by the exchange interaction. More importantly, ultrafast coherent oscillations appear in the time evolution of the reflectivity changes, and their frequencies (1400–2700 cm−1) are equal to the probe energy measured from the Mott-gap transition peak. These oscillations can be interpreted as the interference between charge excitations with two magnons originating from charge–spin coupling., Understanding the dynamics of cuprates following photoexcitation can provide insights into the complex coupling mechanisms that underlie their exotic equilibrium behaviour. Here the authors use pump-probe reflection spectroscopy to investigate the nonequilibrium spin dynamics of Mott-insulating Nd2CuO4.