Organic thermoelectric device utilizing charge transfer interface as the charge generation by harvesting thermal energy.

We propose an organic thermoelectric device having a new power generation mechanism that extracts small-scale thermal energy, i.e., a few tens of millielectronvolts, at room temperature without a temperature gradient.

Exploring Catalytic Intermediates in Pd-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Amination of 1,3-Dienes: Multiple Metal Interactions of the Palladium Nanoclusters.

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) have unique properties because of their small size, which makes them useful as catalysts in reactions like cross-coupling. Pd-catalyzed oxidative amination, which involves dehydrogenative C-N bond formation, uses Pd complexes as the active species. It is known that the catalytic conditions involve the formation of Pd(0) species from Pd NCs, but the precise role of Pd NCs in the transformations has not been established.

Value of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score in predicting hospital mortality for postoperative brain tumor patients in intensive care units in Japan: A retrospective case-control study.

Objective: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) is based on the data of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and often correlates with disease severity and prognosis. However, no prognostic predictors exist based on ICU admission data for patients with brain tumors, and no studies have reported an association between APACHE II and prognosis in patients with brain tumors. The Japanese Intensive Care Patients Database (JIPAD) was established to improve the quality of care delivered in intensive care medicine in Japan.

One-step formation of three-dimensional interconnected T-shaped microstructures inside composites by orthogonal bidirectional self-assembly method.

The fillers inside a polymer matrix should typically be self-assembled in both the horizontal and vertical directions to obtain 3-dimentional (3D) percolation pathways, whereby the fields of application can be expanded and the properties of organic-inorganic composite films improved. Conventional dielectrophoresis techniques can typically only drive fillers to self-assemble in only one direction. We have devised a one-step dielectrophoresis-driven approach that effectively induces fillers self-assembly along two orthogonal axes, which results in the formation of 3D interconnected T-shaped iron microstructures (3D-T CIP) inside a polymer matrix.

High Myristic Acid in Glycerolipids Enhances the Repair of Photodamaged Photosystem II under Strong Light.

Cyanobacteria inhabit areas with a broad range of light, temperature and nutrient conditions. The robustness of cyanobacterial cells, which can survive under different conditions, may depend on the resilience of photosynthetic activity. Cyanothece sp.

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus in patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage is associated with negative arterial spin labeling on peri-ictal magnetic resonance images.

Purpose: Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is characterized by repetitive or continuous seizures without convulsions. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is useful for assessing hyperperfusion due to neurovascular unit coupling in patients with NCSE; subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) impairs the neurovascular unit. We hypothesized that the sensitivity of ASL in detecting NCSE is low in patients with SAH during the acute phase.

Possible Roles of Transition Metal Cations in the Formation of Interstellar Benzene via Catalytic Acetylene Cyclotrimerization.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous interstellar molecules. However, the formation mechanisms of PAHs and even the simplest cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, benzene, are not yet fully understood. Recently, we reported the statistical and dynamical properties in the reaction mechanism of Fe-catalyzed acetylene cyclotrimerization, whereby three acetylene molecules are directly converted to benzene.

Bromocyclization of Alkenoic Thioester and Access to Functionalized Sulfur-Heterocycles.

Although oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon have been extensively studied as nucleophilic elements in the halocyclization of alkenes, sulfur-based nucleophiles are relatively unexplored. Herein, we investigated bromocyclization chemistry involving unsaturated thioesters, with a focus on their use as potential -nucleophiles. We developed a bromocyclization method that uses alkenoic thioesters and -bromoacetamide (NBA) to form cyclic bromosulfides.

(3,3,7,7)-4,8-Bis(3,5-di-chloro-phen-yl)-1,3,5,7-tetra-propyl-1,3,5,7-1,5(2,5),3,7(5,2)-tetra-pyrrola-2,6(2,5)-di-thiophena-cyclo-octa-phane.

Purple crystals of the title compound, CHClNS were obtained from the reaction of 2,5-bis-(4-propyl-1-pyrrol-2-yl)thio-phene and 3,5-di-chloro-benzaldehyde in the presence of tri-fluoro-acetic acid for 3 h and subsequent addition of -chloranil. The macrocycle in the title compound can be described as a highly planar structure wthe the average deviation of the 32 macrocyclic atoms from the least-squares plane being 0.0416 Å.

Aneurysm Infection Caused by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans.

An 84-year-old man in Japan who had undergone endovascular aortic repair 9 years earlier had an infected aneurysm develop. We detected Desulfovibrio desulfuricans MB at the site. The patient recovered after surgical debridement, artificial vessel replacement, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Fatal Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus and Pasteurella multocida Coinfection.

We herein report a case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) with Pasteurella multilocida bacteremia in a 65-year-old man with alcoholic cirrhosis who was admitted to our hospital with anorexia and severe fatigue. Laboratory tests revealed pancytopenia and liver and kidney dysfunction. After admission, he developed impaired consciousness, mucosal hemorrhaging, and septic shock.

Acylated plastoquinone is a novel neutral lipid accumulated in cyanobacteria.

Although cyanobacteria do not possess bacterial triacylglycerol (TAG)-synthesizing enzymes, the accumulation of TAGs and/or lipid droplets has been repeatedly reported in a wide range of species. In most cases, the identification of TAG has been based on the detection of the spot showing the mobility similar to the TAG standard in thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of neutral lipids. In this study, we identified monoacyl plastoquinol (acyl PQH) as the predominant molecular species in the TAG-like spot from the unicellular sp.

Paddle-Wheel Dirhodium Complexes Bearing Bulky Carboxylate Ligands: Synthesis and Catalysis in Carbene Insertion Reactions.

Dirhodium complexes bearing bulky carboxylate ligands are synthesized and characterized. The steric bulk of carboxylate ligands could affect the reaction selectivity in Rh-catalyzed intramolecular reactions: Rh catalysts with bulky carboxylate ligands provided five-membered ring products preferentially via the insertion into a carbon-hydrogen bond. Meanwhile, six-membered ring products were obtained using conventional Rh catalysts via the insertion of a carbon-carbon double bond.

Sustained therapeutic benefits by transient reduction of TDP-43 using ENA-modified antisense oligonucleotides in ALS/FTD mice.

The abnormal aggregation of TDP-43 into cytoplasmic inclusions in affected neurons is a pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although how TDP-43 forms cytoplasmic aggregates and causes neurodegeneration in patients with ALS/FTD remains unclear, reducing cellular TDP-43 levels is likely to prevent aggregation and to rescue neurons from TDP-43 toxicity. To address this issue, here we developed gapmer-type antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) against human TDP-43 using 2'-,4'--ethylene nucleic acids (ENAs), which are modified nucleic acids with high stability, and tested the therapeutic potential of lowering TDP-43 levels using ENA-modified ASOs.

Fatigue in patients with cancer receiving outpatient chemotherapy: a prospective two-center study.

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common symptoms in patients with cancer. However, CRF has not been sufficiently evaluated as it involves various factors. In this study, we evaluated fatigue in patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy in an outpatient setting.

Anti-Barnacle Activities of Isothiocyanates Derived from β-Citronellol and Their Structure-Activity Relationships.

Antifouling agents with low toxicity are in high demand for sustaining marine industries and the environment. This study aimed to synthesize 15 isothiocyanates derived from β-citronellol and evaluate their antifouling activities and toxicities against cypris larvae of the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite. The synthesized isothiocyanates exhibited effective antifouling activities (EC =0.

Dimethylacetamide-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles for catalysing α-alkylations of amides with alcohols.

α-Alkylation reactions between amides and alcohols, with dimethylacetamide-stabilized Ru nanoparticles (NPs) as the catalyst, were investigated. The reactions proceeded with low catalyst loadings compared to metal complexes. Characterizations of the Ru NPs were performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and various techniques.

Syn and Anti Metal Complexes of 24π Antiaromatic Bis(Dicarbonylrhodium(I))Dithiaamethyrin.

From the reaction of sterically less hindered tetrapropyl[24]dithiaamethyrin(1.0.0.

Development of a Navigation-guided Fence-post Catheter for Brain Tumor Resection.

Background: Navigation system devices have been developed to allow precise resection of brain tumor. The fence-post catheter techniques that use a navigation system have been used in many neurosurgery centers. However, an exclusive catheter for the fence-post catheter techniques have not been made, and substituted silicon tube of the cerebral ventricle drainage or a Nelaton catheter is widely used.