Aging and thermal stability of Mg/SiC and Mg/Y2O3 reflection multilayers in the 25-35 nm region

Reflection measurements in the 25-35 nm region were made for Mg/SiC and Mg/Y2O3 multilayers kept in a low-humidity atmosphere for 4 or 5 years. Aged Mg/SiC multilayers keep their reflectances, and the reflectance value at 31.2 nm is 0.44 at 10 degrees of the normal angle of incidence. Aged Mg/Y2O3 multilayers change reflectance as top layer materials, and the best value at 30.1 nm is 0.40 at 10 degrees. Reflection measurements are also made for Mg-based multilayers that are annealed from room temperature to 400 degrees C at 50 degrees C intervals. Both multilayers keep their reflectance at annealing temperatures of 200 degrees C. These results suggest that both Mg-based multilayers can be applied to practical optics.     

Secure optical data storage with random phase key codes by use of a configuration of a joint transform correlator

A secure optical storage based on a configuration of a joint transform correlator by use of a photorefractive material is presented. A key code designed through the use of an optimized algorithm so that its Fourier transform has a uniform amplitude distribution and a uniformly random phase distribution is introduced. Original two-dimensional data and the key code are placed side-by-side at the input plane. Both of them are stored in a photorefractive material as a joint power spectrum. The retrieval of the original data can be achieved with the same key code. We can record multiple two-dimensional data in the same crystal by angular multiplexing and/or key code multiplexing.     

An effect of microstructure on the interface resistance between a perovskite-type oxide electrode and yttria-stabilized zirconia

The electrode characteristics of perovskite-type oxides, La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO₃ and La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO₃, on ceria-based oxide and stabilized zirconia were analysed by the a.c. impedance method. The ionic conductivities of the electrolyte and electrode conductivities from the a.c. impedance analysis agreed with those obtained from the current interruption and d.c. four-probe methods. Two semicircles from the charge transfer and diffusion processes appeared as the electrode resistance. The relative contribution of these two processes to the overall electrode resistance strongly depended on the microstructure of the electrode. The electrode microstructure could be controlled by the dispersion medium used for the electrode slurry. The La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO₃ electrode coated with n-butyl acetate slurry exhibited the smallest electrode resistance.     

An analysis of the spillover effects based on patents and inter-industrial transactions for an emerging blockchain technology

Scientometrics - A simple and robust approach to predict the spillover effects of emerging technologies enables proper formulation of investment strategies. In this study, we propose the method in...     

Phase diagram calculations of ZrO2-based ceramics with an emphasis on the reduction/oxidation equilibria of cerium ions in the ZrO2-YO1.5-CeO2-CeO1.5 system

Phase diagram calculations that were made previously for the ZrO₂-MO _m/2 (m = 2, 3, 4) systems and for the ZrO₂-YO_1.5-MO _m/2 (M = transition metals) systems have been extended to the ZrO₂-YO_1.5-CeO₂(-CeO_1.5) system to make an attempt to explain (1) thermogravimetric (TG) results as a function of oxygen potential, (2) electronic conductivity as a function of oxygen potential, and (3) a miscibility gap observed in air. The interaction parameters for the CeO₂-CeO_1.5-YO_1.5 system were obtained from the reported oxygen nonstoichiometry in CeO_2−x and rate earth doped ceria, (Ce,RE)O_2−δ . The interaction parameters for the ZrO₂-CeO₂ subsystem were obtained so as to reproduce the observed miscibility gap at 1273 K. Those thermodynamic properties can reproduce consistently the experimental behaviors of the electronic conductivity and the TG results in the (Zr_1−x Ce _x )_0.8Y_0.2O_1.9 solid solutions; these indicate the enhancement of reduction of CeO₂.     

Tissue characterization of coronary plaque by kNN classifier with fractal-based features of IVUS RF-signal

We propose a tissue characterization method for coronary plaques by using fractal analysis-based features. Those features are obtained from radiofrequency (RF) signals measured by the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) method. The IVUS method is used for the diagnosis of the acute coronary syndrome. In the proposed method, the fact that the complexity of the tissue structures is reflected in the RF signals is used. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through some experiments by using IVUS RF signals obtained from rabbits and human patients.     

How Does the Agents' Appearance Affect Users' Interpretation of the Agents' Attitudes: Experimental Investigation on Expressing the Same Artificial Sounds From Agents With Different Appearances

An experimental investigation into how the appearance of an agent such as a robot or PC affects people's interpretations of the agent's attitudes is presented. In general, people are said to create stereotypical agent behavioral models in their minds based on the agents' appearances, and these appearances significantly affect their way of interaction. Therefore, it is quite important to address with the following research question: How does an agent's appearance affect its interactions with people? Specifically, a preliminary experiment was conducted to select eight artificial sounds for which people can estimate two specific primitive attitudes (e.g., positive or negative). Then an experiment was conducted where the participants were presented with the selected artificial sounds through three kinds of agents: a MindStorms robot, AIBO robot, and laptop PC. In particular, the participants were asked to select the correct attitudes based on the sounds expressed by these three agents. The results showed that the participants had better interpretation rates when a PC presented the sounds and lower rates when the MindStorms and AIBO robots presented the sounds, even though the sounds expressed by these agents were the same. The results of this study contribute to the design policy of the interactive agents, such as, What types of appearances should agents have to effectively interact with people, and which kinds of information should these agents express to people?     

Magnetic field effect on the photocarriers in self-assembled hexabenzocoronene nanotubes

By means of the integral mode time-of-flight measurement of the drift motion of the photoinjected charge at room temperature, we observed magnetic field effect (MFE) on the photocharge in self-assembled nanotube of hexabenzocoronene (HBC) at the configurations where the magnetic field is parallel and perpendicular to the electric field. The detected MFEs are interpreted in terms of two mechanisms that are caused by the fast charge transportation (Hall effect) and the spin selective recombination (electron–hole (e–h) pair mechanism). A high mobility in the nanotubes of π-stacked HBC was implied from the Hall data. The time dependence of the low field MFE due to the e–h pair mechanism clarified the recombination from both the singlet and triplet e–h pairs with the initial rate of ～10⁸ s^?1.     

Effects of Thrombomodulin in Reducing Lethality and Suppressing Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation in the Lungs and Liver in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Murine Septic Shock Model

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, an innate immune system response, is associated with thrombogenesis and vascular endothelial injury. Circulatory disorders due to microvascular thrombogenesis are one of the principal causes of organ damage. NET formation in organs contributes to the exacerbation of sepsis, which is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. We have previously reported that recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rTM) reduces lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NET formation in vitro. Here, we aimed to show that thrombomodulin (TM)-mediated suppression of NET formation protects against organ damage in sepsis. Mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 10 mg/kg LPS. rTM (6 mg/kg/day) or saline was administered i.p. 1 h after LPS injection. In the LPS-induced murine septic shock model, extracellular histones, which are components of NETs, were observed in the liver and lungs. In addition, the serum cytokine (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and interleukin-10 (IL-10)) levels were increased. The administration of rTM in this model prevented NET formation in the organs and suppressed the increase in the levels of all cytokines except IL-1β. Furthermore, the survival rate improved. We provide a novel role of TM in treating inflammation and NETs in organs during sepsis.     

Relationship between NAFLD and Periodontal Disease from the View of Clinical and Basic Research,and Immunological Response

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease caused by pathogenic oral microorganisms that leads to the destruction of alveolar bone and connective tissues around the teeth. Although many studies have shown that periodontal disease is a risk factor for systemic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and periodontal disease has not yet been clarified. Thus, the purpose of this review was to reveal the relationship between NAFLD and periodontal disease based on epidemiological studies, basic research, and immunology. Many cross-sectional and prospective epidemiological studies have indicated that periodontal disease is a risk factor for NAFLD. An in vivo animal model revealed that infection with periodontopathic bacteria accelerates the progression of NAFLD accompanied by enhanced steatosis. Moreover, the detection of periodontopathic bacteria in the liver may demonstrate that the bacteria have a direct impact on NAFLD. Furthermore, Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide induces inflammation and accumulation of intracellular lipids in hepatocytes. Th17 may be a key molecule for explaining the relationship between periodontal disease and NAFLD. In this review, we attempted to establish that oral health is essential for systemic health, especially in patients with NAFLD.