Strain-induced creation and switching of anion vacancy layers in perovskite oxynitrides

Using strain to control oxynitride properties. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-01.原子空孔の配列を制御する新手法の発見. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-02.Perovskite oxides can host various anion-vacancy orders, which greatly change their properties, but the order pattern is still difficult to manipulate. Separately, lattice strain between thin film oxides and a substrate induces improved functions and novel states of matter, while little attention has been paid to changes in chemical composition. Here we combine these two aspects to achieve strain-induced creation and switching of anion-vacancy patterns in perovskite films. Epitaxial SrVO3 films are topochemically converted to anion-deficient oxynitrides by ammonia treatment, where the direction or periodicity of defect planes is altered depending on the substrate employed, unlike the known change in crystal orientation. First-principles calculations verified its biaxial strain effect. Like oxide heterostructures, the oxynitride has a superlattice of insulating and metallic blocks. Given the abundance of perovskite families, this study provides new opportunities to design superlattices by chemically modifying simple perovskite oxides with tunable anion-vacancy patterns through epitaxial lattice strain

Intention to return to the town of Tomioka in residents 7 years after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: a cross-sectional study

The aim of our study was to identify the factors associated with intention to return (ITR) in residents of Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture. We contacted approximated 8000 residents aged 20 years or older who lived in Tomioka. We invited them to take part in a written survey on ITR. In all, 1749 residents\u27 replies were included in the analysis. We asked about ITR in former residents of Tomioka town. We also asked about relevant factors and about risk perception in relation to the health effects of radiation exposure. Of those contacted, 469 (26.8%) had an ITR. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being male (OR = 1.6, 95% Cl: 1.24-1.96, P < 0.001),the anticipation of improving shopping in the town (OR = 1.5, 95% Cl: 1.26-1.67, P < 0.001) and requests for individual consultation with experts on the health effects of radiation (OR = 2.7, 95% Cl: 2.10-3.48, P <0.001) were associated with the ITR (+), and living with children under 18 years of age (OR = 0.7, 95% Cl: 0.51-0.95, P = 0.023), reluctance to drink tap water (OR = 0.5, 95% Cl: 0.36-0.69, P < 0.001) and anxiety regarding genetic effects of radiation in the next generation (OR = 0.6, 95% Cl: 0.45-079, P <0.001) were associated with the ITR (-) to Tomioka town, independent of other covariates. To allay the anxieties of residents who have an ITR to their hometown, careful risk communication, including information on the potential effects of radiation on health, is important

Relationship between wear behaviour of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene and surface profile of Co–Cr–Mo alloy in artificial joint

The relationship between the wear behaviour of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (GUR1050) pin and surface profile of a Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy (ASTM F-75) disc was investigated. Tribological tests have been performed by pin-on-disc wear testing machine with multi-directional pathways, obtaining the influence of micro slurry-jet erosion (MSE) processed Co–Cr–Mo alloy. The specific wear and the wear particles have been investigated. It was elucidated that the Co–Cr–Mo alloy surface processed by MSE influenced the specific wear rate of polyethylene; however, the morphological aspect of polyethylene wear particles was not drastically changed. The wear particles isolated from the lubricating liquid were added to a culture medium, and human monocyte-derived macrophages were incubated by using an upright/inverted method. The production of TNF-α and IL-6 seemed to have a correlation with the amount of wear particles added, however, the influence of particle size on the production of TNF-α and IL-6 was not obvious. This means that the improvements for the incubation method, i.e. upright/inverted method, need further investigation for the accurate analysis

Distribution of Virulence Markers among <em>Vibrio vulnificus</em> Isolates of Clinical and Environmental Origin and Regional Characteristics in Japan

<div><h3>Background</h3><p><em>Vibrio vulnificus</em> is an opportunistic human pathogen that is widely distributed in estuarine environments and is capable of causing necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis. In Japan, based on epidemiological research, the incidences of <em>V. vulnificus</em> were concentrated in Kyusyu, mainly in coastal areas of the Ariake Sea. To examine the virulence potential, various genotyping methods have recently been developed. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of virulence markers among <em>V. vulnificus</em> isolates of clinical and environmental origin in three coastal areas with different infection incidences and to determine whether these isolates have the siderophore encoding gene <em>viuB</em>.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>We examined the distribution of genotypes of the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene, <em>vvhA</em>, <em>vcg</em>, and capsular polysaccharide (CPS), and the presence of <em>viuB</em> in 156 isolates collected from patients and environmental samples in Japan. The environmental samples were collected from three coastal areas: the Ariake Sea, Ise & Mikawa Bay, and Karatsu Bay. The results showed disparity in the ratios of genotypes depending on the sample origins. <em>V. vulnificus</em> isolates obtained from patients were classified into the clinical type for all genotypes. In the environmental isolates, the ratios of the clinical type for genotypes of the 16S rRNA gene, <em>vvhA</em>, and <em>vcg</em> were in the order of the Ariake Sea>Ise & Mikawa Bay>Karatsu Bay. Meanwhile, CPS analysis showed no significant difference. Most isolates possessed <em>viuB</em>.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Many <em>V. vulnificus</em> belonging to the clinical type existed in the Ariake Sea. Three coastal areas with different infection incidences showed distinct ratios of genotypes. This may indicate that the distribution of clinical isolates correlates with the incidence of <em>V. vulnificus</em> infection.</p> </div