Antimicrobial Peptide Mimetics Based on a Diphenylacetylene Scaffold: Synthesis,Conformational Analysis,and Activity

Mimics of natural antimicrobial peptides are promising compounds to fight the rising threat of multi-drug resistant bacteria. Here we report the design, synthesis and conformational analysis of a new class of antimicrobial peptide mimetics incorporating a diphenylacetylene scaffold. Within a small set of compounds, we observe a correlation between amphiphilicity, the efficiency of partitioning into negatively charged membranes and antibacterial activity. The most amphiphilic compound, which contains four isoleucine residues and four lysine residues, displays species-selective antibacterial activity (most active against Bacillus subtills) and low haemolytic activity. Solution-phase conformational analysis of this compound indicates that a defined structure is adopted in the presence of negatively charged phospholipid membranes and aqueous 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol but not in water. A conformation model indicates that the cationic and hydrophobic functional groups are segregated. These results may inform the development of highly selective antimicrobial peptide mimetics for therapeutic applications.     

Alignment control technology of liquid crystal molecules

Liquid crystal displays are now indispensable in everyday life. The display characteristics considerably depend on the configuration of liquid crystal (LC) molecules and interactions between the LC molecules and an alignment film surface. In this paper, we introduce various methods to control parameters that dominate the LC alignment. These parameters include order parameters, the pretilt angle, the director direction, and surface anchoring strength. We also introduce their evaluation methods. In particular, recent alignment film‐free technology is explained in detail. In addition, details of how these parameters are related to the display characteristics, particularly wide viewing angles and fast response characteristics, are described primarily with reference to recent technologies.     

Internal tissue displacement measurement based on ultrasonic wave Doppler signal digital detection and its application to fetal movement monitoring

We have developed a fetal movement monitoring system based on small displacement measurement of internal tissues. When ultrasonic pulses are transmitted to the fetus, the reflected ultrasonic waves which have a Doppler frequency shift due to the fetal movements are detected by using an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler technique. In this paper, we propose a displacement measurement method for internal tissues which is based on the Doppler signal digital detection technique. In the method, the received ultrasonic RF signals are sampled with a sampling frequency of four times higher than the centre frequency of the ultrasonic waves; the Doppler frequency shift signals are derived using digital signal processing. From the detected signals, the internal displacements are estimated using the arc-tangent method. The basic algorithm of the detection method has already been used in the area of blood flow sensing, however, we apply the algorithm to the displacement measurement of internal tissues. The comparison between the proposed method and the conventional method is presented. The fetal movement quantitative monitoring system based on the method which has been constructed is shown.     

Properties of blends of syndiotactic-rich and atactic poly(vinyl alcohols)

The crystallinity, solubility, degree of swelling, and hygroscopicity of the blends of syndiotactic-rich (st-PVA) and atactic poly(vinyl alcohols) (at-PVA) were studied. The crystallinity of the blends increased with increasing annealing temperature and that of the blends annealed at 200°C was larger than that of at-PVA. In the 200°C annealed blends containing st-PVA about 50%, the insoluble fraction in boiling water was larger than the fraction of st-PVA in each blend. The soluble fraction for the blend containing 75% st-PVA was 1.7%. The moisture regain of the blends was less than that of at-PVA.     

Similarity rule of crack geometry in statistically homogeneous rock masses

An $\text{nth}$ rank tensor called the generalized fabric tensor is introduced to express crack geometry due to discontinuities like joints and faults in rock masses. Statistically homogeneous rock masses can be regarded as geometrically similar bodies if they are characterized by a common fabric tensor. In order to say that they are also similar in mechanical properties, the crack geometry must be similar in the sense of the generalized fabric tensor. The generalized fabric tensor can be expressed by (1) the number of cracks crossed by a unit length of a scanning line, (2) the number of cracks associated with a unit area of a scanning plane, and (3) the density function $\text{E}$(n) to describe the orientation of crack normal unit vectors n. Since these are all determined by conventional field surveys, one can say that the similarity rule for crack geometry is ready to be used in practical rock mechanics.     

Simultaneous Edge‐on to Face‐on Reorientation and 1D Alignment of Small π‐Conjugated Molecules Using Room‐Temperature Mechanical Rubbing

In this study, room‐temperature mechanical rubbing is used to control the 3D orientation of small π‐conjugated molecular systems in solution‐processed polycrystalline thin films without using any alignment substrate. High absorption dichroic ratio and significant anisotropy in charge carrier mobilities (up to 130) measured in transistor configuration are obtained in rubbed organic films based on the ambipolar quinoidal quaterthiophene (QQT(CN)4). Moreover, a solvent vapor annealing treatment of the rubbed film is found to improve the optical and charge transport anisotropy due to an increased crystallinity. X‐ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy measurements demonstrate that rubbing does not only lead to an excellent 1D orientation of the QQT(CN)4 molecules over large areas but also modifies the orientation of the crystals, moving molecules from an edge‐on to a face‐on configuration. The reasons why a mechanical alignment technique can be used at room temperature for such a polycrystalline film are rationalized, by the plastic characteristics of the QQT(CN)4 layer and the role of the flexible alkyl side chains in the molecular packing. This nearly complete conversion from edge‐on to face‐on orientation by mechanical treatment in polycrystalline small‐molecule‐based thin films opens perspectives in terms of fundamental research and practical applications in organic optoelectronics.     

Monitoring of flank wear of coated tools in high speed machining with a neural network ART2

A monitoring system for classifying the levels of the tool flank wear of coated tools into some categories has been developed using an unsupervised and self-organizing artificial neural network, ART2. The input pattern used for the ART2 was an array of normalized mean wavelet coefficients of the feed force, which was affected by not only the flank wear but also the severe crater wear observed in high speed machining. The outputs of ART2 were classified into four or five categories of wear levels: the incipient stage, one or two intermediate stages, final stage and hazardous stage. For two apparently different series of input data obtained under the same cutting conditions, which are often experienced in the experiment, the ART2 neural network showed very similar classification of tool wear levels from the beginning to the end of cutting. Further study proved that this monitoring system detected the excessive wear in the hazardous stage for different cutting speeds 5–7 m/s and different feed rates 0.10–0.20 mm/rev.     

Effect of silicate incorporation on in vivo responses of α-tricalcium phosphate ceramics

In addition to calcium phosphate-based ceramics, glass-based materials have been utilized as bone substitutes, and silicate in these materials has been suggested to contribute to their ability to stimulate bone repair. In this study, a silicate-containing α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) ceramic was prepared using a wet chemical process. Porous granules composed of silicate-containing α-TCP, for which the starting composition had a molar ratio of 0.05 for Si/(P + Si), and silicate-free α-TCP were prepared and evaluated in vivo. When implanted into bone defects that were created in rat femurs, α-TCP ceramics either with or without silicate were biodegraded, generating a hybrid tissue composed of residual ceramic granules and newly formed bone, which had a tissue architecture similar to physiological trabecular structures, and aided regeneration of the bone defects. Supplementation with silicate significantly promoted osteogenesis and delayed biodegradation of α-TCP. These results suggest that silicate-containing α-TCP is advantageous for initial skeletal fixation and wound regeneration in bone repair.     

Simultaneous Detection and Repair of Wetting Defects in Superhydrophobic Coatings via Cassie–Wenzel Transitions of Liquid Marbles

Superhydrophobic materials that prevent unwanted liquid adhesion can easily lose this property because of limited mechanical durability despite topological/chemical control and/or robust material selection. Here, long‐lasting superhydrophobic coatings with a system to effectively detect and repair damaged areas with “liquid marble,” a droplet covered with hydrophobic nanoparticles, are reported. The particles prevent direct contact between the droplet and the substrate (Cassie state). However, they can adhere to the non‐superhydrophobic damaged area in response to the substrate wettability via an external force or an increase in liquid volume via penetration of the outer nanoparticle layer (Wenzel state). This Cassie–Wenzel transition thus induces self‐assembly of the nanoparticles onto the non‐superhydrophobic area in response to the wettability, restoring superhydrophobicity.