Luminescence Mechanisms of Quaternary Zn-Ag-In-S Nanocrystals: ZnS:Ag, In or AgInS:Zn?

Highly emissive Zn-Ag-In-S nanocrystals have attracted attention as derivatives of I-III-VI-type nanocrystals without the use of toxic elements. The wide tunability of their luminescence wavelengths is attributed to the controllable bandgap of the solid solution between ZnS and AgInS. However, enhancement of the photoluminescence quantum yield (PL-QY) depending on the chemical composition has not been elucidated.

Electrochemical determination of the procyanidins in peanut skin using a carbon nanotube electrode.

We demonstrated the electrochemical detection of procyanidins in peanut skin, which is often a waste product of the food industry, using a carbon nanotube electrode. Procyanidins, the main ingredients of peanut skin, are oligomers of catechin or epicatechin; therefore, they have various forms such as dimers, trimers, and a different number of linkages between monomers. Quantification using traditional high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS) is tedious, because many peaks can be traced.

Negative differential resistance based on phase transformation.

The negative differential resistance (NDR) device is attracting attention because of its broad potential application in neuromorphic computing and non-volatile memory. However, only a limited range of materials show NDR and, therefore, there is less choice in material selection for NDR devices. Considering this issue, we here demonstrate a novel current controlled NDR device based on phase transformation.

Cancer progression by the okadaic acid class of tumor promoters and endogenous protein inhibitors of PP2A, SET and CIP2A.

Purpose: Okadaic acid class of tumor promoters are transformed into endogenous protein inhibitors of PP2A, SET, and CIP2A in human cancers. This indicates that inhibition of PP2A activity is a common mechanism of cancer progression in humans. It is important to study the roles of SET and CIP2A vis-à-vis their clinical significance on the basis of new information gathered from a search of PubMed.

Reduced port laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy for Mirizzi syndrome with a bilio-biliary fistula: A case report.

A 65-year-old male diagnosed with Mirizzi syndrome with a bilio-biliary fistula was referred to our department and underwent single-incision laparoscopic surgery with an assistant trocar. As typical laparoscopic cholecystectomy could not be performed due to the coexistence of a bilio-biliary fistula, we performed laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy as a bail-out procedure according to the recommendation of the recent Tokyo Guidelines (TG18). The neck of the remnant gallbladder could be easily sutured with the effective use of an assistant trocar, and the surgery was completed without any complications.