Functional Materials Synthesis and Physical Properties

A citrate pyrolysis technique is a unique route to prepare reactive precursor mixtures through an ignition process of concentrated aqueous solution. This procedure enables to synthesize highly homogeneous and fine powders for functional materials. The double-chain based superconductor Pr2Ba4Cu7O15−δ and double perovskite photocatalytic semiconductor Ba2Tb(Bi,Sb)O6 were synthesized by using the citrate pyrolysis technique. For the present sample with a reduction treatment for 72 h, a sharp superconducting transition appeared at an onset temperature Tc,on=26 K accompanied by a zero-resistance state at Tc,zero=22 K. The superconducting volume fraction estimated from the magnetization measurement showed an excellent value of ∼58%. Both reduction treatment in a vacuum and subsequent quenching procedure are needed to realize higher superconductivity due to further oxygen defects. The polycrystalline samples for Ba2Tb(Bi1−x,Sbx)O6 (x=0 and 0.5) were formed in the monoclinic and cubic crystal structures. We conducted the gaseous 2-propanol (IPA) and methylene blue (MB) degradation experiments under a visible light irradiation, to evaluate photocatalytic activities of the powder samples. For the Sb50% substituted sample, the highest performance of MB degradation was observed. The effect of Sb-substitution on the photocatalytic degradation of MB is in direct contrast to that on the IPA decomposition under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic properties in the citrate samples are attributed to their morphology, where fine particles are homogeneously distributed with a submicron order

Metallic Pattern Fabrication in Organic Mott Insulating Crystal by Local X-Ray Irradiation

We have fabricated a metallic structure in an organic Mott insulator $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu[N(CN)$_2$]Cl. The periodic metallic domains of approximately 90$\times$90 $\mu$m$^2$ obtained by X-ray irradiation through a molybdenum mesh mask are visualized by scanning microregion infrared reflectance spectroscopy technique. No deterioration by irradiation is found in a range of nanometer to micrometer scales. We demonstrate that the present processing method is applicable for the fabrication of molecular electronic devices.Comment: 3 pages, submitted to APE

Whole Genome Sequencing of Influenza A and B Viruses With the MinION Sequencer in the Clinical Setting: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of influenza viruses is important for preparing vaccines and coping with newly emerging viruses. However, WGS is difficult to perform using conventional next-generation sequencers in developing countries, where facilities are often inadequate. In this study, we developed a high-throughput WGS method for influenza viruses in clinical specimens with the MinION portable sequencer.Methods: Whole genomes of influenza A and B viruses were amplified by multiplex RT-PCR from 13 clinical specimens collected in Tokyo, Japan. Barcode tags for multiplex MinION sequencing were added with each multiplex RT-PCR amplicon by nested PCR with custom barcoded primers. All barcoded amplicons were mixed and multiplex sequencing using the MinION sequencer with 1D2 sequencing kit. In addition, multiplex RT-PCR amplicons generated from each clinical specimen were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform to validate the performance of MinION sequencer. The accuracy, recall, and precision rates of MinION sequencing were calculated by comparing the results of variant calling in the Illumina MiSeq platform and MinION sequencer.Results: Whole genomes of influenza A and B viruses were successfully amplified by multiplex RT-PCR from 13 clinical samples. We identified 6 samples as influenza type A virus H3N2 subtype and 7 as influenza B virus Yamagata lineage using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The overall accuracy, recall, and precision rates of the MinION sequencer were, respectively 99.95%, 89.41%, and 97.88% from 1D reads and 99.97%, 93.28%, and 99.86% from 1D2 reads.Conclusion: We developed a novel WGS method for influenza A and B viruses. It is necessary to improve read accuracy and analytical tools in order to better utilize the MinION sequencer for real-time monitoring of genetic rearrangements and for evaluation of newly emerging viruses

The Empirical Study of Land Use Pattern and Land Use Intensity in Urban Core Area : The case of Umeda Area in Osaka City

The aim of this study is to clarify the present state and recent change of landuse pattern and landuse intensity in urban core area. The Umeda area of Osaka city is selected for this study, which has the greatest agglomeration of urban activities in the Kinki region. The landuse data in 1976 and 1985 is collected and processed by each lot and "The Hight Index" is defined to describe the degree of landuse intensity. The relationship between landuse pattern and landuse intensity is also examined in this study

The Empirical Study of Land Use Pattern and Land Use Intensity in Urban Core Area : The case of Umeda Area in Osaka City

The aim of this study is to clarify the present state and recent change of landuse pattern and landuse intensity in urban core area. The Umeda area of Osaka city is selected for this study, which has the greatest agglomeration of urban activities in the Kinki region. The landuse data in 1976 and 1985 is collected and processed by each lot and "The Hight Index" is defined to describe the degree of landuse intensity. The relationship between landuse pattern and landuse intensity is also examined in this study

Novel Flowchart Guiding the Non-Surgical and Surgical Management of Peri-Implant Complications: A Narrative Review

Peri-implant diseases, such as peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, are induced by dysbiotic microbiota resulting in the inflammatory destruction of peri-implant tissue. Nonetheless, there has yet to be an established protocol for the treatment of these diseases in a predictable manner, although many clinicians and researchers have proposed various treatment modalities for their management. With the increase in the number of reports evaluating the efficacy of various treatment modalities and new materials, the use of multiple decontamination methods to clean infected implant surfaces is recommended; moreover, the use of hard tissue laser and/or air abrasion techniques may prove advantageous in the future. Limited evidence supports additional effects on clinical improvement in antimicrobial administration for treating peri-implantitis. Implantoplasty may be justified for decontaminating the implant surfaces in the supracrestal area. Surgical treatment is employed for advanced peri-implantitis, and appropriate surgical methods, such as resection therapy or combination therapy, should be selected based on bone defect configuration. This review presents recent clinical advances in debridement methods for contaminated implant surfaces and regenerative materials for treating peri-implant bone defects. It also proposes a new flowchart to guide the treatment decisions for peri-implant disease