Exploring the capability of mayenite (12CaO·7AlO) as hydrogen storage material.

We utilized nanoporous mayenite (12CaO·7AlO), a cost-effective material, in the hydride state (H) to explore the possibility of its use for hydrogen storage and transportation. Hydrogen desorption occurs by a simple reaction of mayenite with water, and the nanocage structure transforms into a calcium aluminate hydrate. This reaction enables easy desorption of H ions trapped in the structure, which could allow the use of this material in future portable applications.

Role of partial molar enthalpy of oxides on Soret effect in high-temperature CaO-SiO melts.

The Soret effect or thermodiffusion is the temperature-gradient driven diffusion in a multicomponent system. Two important conclusions have been obtained for the Soret effect in multicomponent silicate melts: first, the SiO component concentrates in the hot region; and second, heavier isotopes concentrate in the cold region more than lighter isotopes. For the second point, the isotope fractionation can be explained by the classical mechanical collisions between pairs of particles.

Direct laser-writing of ferroelectric single-crystal waveguide architectures in glass for 3D integrated optics.

Direct three-dimensional laser writing of amorphous waveguides inside glass has been studied intensely as an attractive route for fabricating photonic integrated circuits. However, achieving essential nonlinear-optic functionality in such devices will also require the ability to create high-quality single-crystal waveguides. Femtosecond laser irradiation is capable of crystallizing glass in 3D, but producing optical-quality single-crystal structures suitable for waveguiding poses unique challenges that are unprecedented in the field of crystal growth.

Condensation of Si-rich region inside soda-lime glass by parallel femtosecond laser irradiation.

Local melting and modulation of elemental distributions can be induced inside a glass by focusing femtosecond (fs) laser pulses at high repetition rate (>100 kHz). Using only a single beam of fs laser pulses, the shape of the molten region is ellipsoidal, so the induced elemental distributions are often circular and elongate in the laser propagation direction. In this study, we show that the elongation of the fs laser-induced elemental distributions inside a soda-lime glass could be suppressed by parallel fsing of 250 kHz and 1 kHz fs laser pulses.

Shape control of elemental distributions inside a glass by simultaneous femtosecond laser irradiation at multiple spots.

The spatial distributions of elements in a glass can be modulated by irradiation with high repetition rate femtosecond laser pulses. However, the shape of the distribution is restricted to being axially symmetric about the laser beam axis due to the isotropic diffusion of photo-thermal energy. In this study, we describe a method to control the shape of the elemental distribution more flexibly by simultaneous irradiation at multiple spots using a spatial light modulator.

Impact of gray matter reductions on theory of mind abilities in patients with schizophrenia.

To identify the brain regions involved in the interpretation of intentional movement by patients with schizophrenia, we investigated the association between cerebral gray matter (GM) volumes and performance on a theory of mind (ToM) task using voxel-based morphometry. Eighteen patients with schizophrenia and thirty healthy controls participated in the study. Participants were given a moving shapes task that employs the interpretation of intentional movement.

Global association between cortical thinning and white matter integrity reduction in schizophrenia.

Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed that both gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) are altered in several morphological aspects in schizophrenia patients. Although several studies reported associations between GM and WM alterations in restricted regions, the existence of a global association between GM and WM pathologies is unknown. Considering the wide distribution of GM morphological changes and the profound genetic background of WM abnormalities, it would be natural to postulate a global association between pathologies of GM and WM in schizophrenia.

Regional gray matter reduction correlates with subjective quality of life in schizophrenia.

Subjective quality of life (QOL) has been recognized as an important consideration in schizophrenia. Several symptoms and neurocognitive functions were shown to be correlated with subjective QOL; however its determinants are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the association between brain structural abnormalities and subjective QOL in patients with schizophrenia.

Localized control of light-matter interactions by using nanoscale asymmetric TiO2.

This paper reports an asymmetry structure-mediated route for highly localized control of light-matter interactions by using tapered TiO(2). We demonstrate for the first time that the growth habit of Ag nanostructures on tapered TiO(2) can be tuned by controllable photolysis. Site-selective anchoring of Ag nanoparticles or nanowires on tapered TiO(2) can be achieved by simply changing the external light.

Silicon precipitation via photoinduced reaction using femtosecond laser.

Silicon precipitation inside a glass is an important technique for silicon photonics. We successfully precipitated silicon inside silicate glasses containing an Al metal film using femtosecond laser irradiation. First, the Al-inserted sandwiched glass was fabricated by the direct bonding method.

A Photoconductive, Thiophene-Fullerene Double-Cable Polymer, Nanorod Device.

Gold/double-cable copolymer/gold multisegmented nanorods were prepared electrochemically via a template-based method. These "bulk heterojunction" nanorods showed photoconductivity providing us with a platform to study photoinduced charge separation/transport at the nanointerface and begin to think about the rational design of nanoscale solar cells based on such structures.

Transition to psychosis associated with prefrontal and subcortical dysfunction in ultra high-risk individuals.

Background: People at ultra high risk (UHR) of psychosis have an elevated risk of developing a psychotic disorder, but it is difficult to predict which individuals will make a transition to frank illness. We investigated whether functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in conjunction with a phonological fluency task at presentation could distinguish subjects who subsequently developed psychosis from those who did not.

Methods: Sixty-five subjects (41 with an UHR and 24 healthy controls) were assessed at clinical presentation using fMRI, in conjunction with a verbal fluency task.

Three-dimensional temperature distribution and modification mechanism in glass during ultrafast laser irradiation at high repetition rates.

We experimentally determined the three-dimensional temperature distribution and modification mechanism in a soda-lime-silicate glass under irradiation of ultrafast laser pulses at high repetition rates by analyzing the relationship between the morphology of the modification and ambient temperature. In contrast to previous studies, we consider the temperature dependence of thermophysical properties and the nonlinear effect on the absorbed energy distribution along the beam propagation axis in carrying out analyses. The optical absorptivity evaluated with the temperature distribution is approximately 80% and at most 3.

Photosensitivity control of an isotropic medium through polarization of light pulses with tilted intensity front.

We present the first experimental evidence of anisotropic photosensitivity of an isotropic homogeneous medium under uniform illumination. Our experiments reveal fundamentally new type of light induced anisotropy originated from the hidden asymmetry of pulsed light beam with a finite tilt of intensity front. We anticipate that the observed phenomenon, which enables employing mutual orientation of a light polarization plane and pulse front tilt to control interaction of matter with ultrashort light pulses, will open new opportunities in material processing.

Abnormal asymmetry of white matter integrity in schizophrenia revealed by voxelwise diffusion tensor imaging.

A number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have revealed morphological cortical asymmetry in the normal human brain, and reduction or inversion of such hemispheric asymmetry has been reported in schizophrenia. On the other hand, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have reported inconsistent findings concerning abnormal asymmetry of white matter integrity in schizophrenia. Our aim was to confirm whether there is reduced or inverted asymmetry of white matter integrity in the whole brain in schizophrenia.

Transcultural differences in brain activation patterns during theory of mind (ToM) task performance in Japanese and Caucasian participants.

Background: Theory of mind (ToM) functioning develops during certain phases of childhood. Factors such as language development and educational style seem to influence its development. Some studies that have focused on transcultural aspects of ToM development have found differences between Asian and Western cultures.

Social impairment in schizophrenia revealed by Autism-Spectrum Quotient correlated with gray matter reduction.

One of the difficulties facing schizophrenia patients is a failure to construct appropriate relationships with others in social situations. This impairment of social cognition is also found in autism-spectrum disorder (ASD). Considering such commonality between the two disorders, in this study we adopted the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) score to assess autistic traits, and explored the association between such traits and gray matter (GM) alterations of the brain in schizophrenia.

Observation of laser-induced stress waves and mechanism of structural changes inside rock-salt crystals.

The structural changes inside rock-salt crystals after femtosecond (fs) laser irradiation are investigated using a microscopic pump-probe technique and an elastic simulation. The pump-probe imaging shows that a squircle-shaped stress wave is generated after the fs laser irradiation as a result of the relaxation of thermal stress in the photoexcited region. Pump-probe crossed-Nicols imaging and elastic simulation elucidate that shear stresses and tensile stresses are concentrated in specific regions during the propagation of the stress wave.

Intermetallic magnetic nanoparticle precipitation by femtosecond laser fragmentation in liquid.

Intermetallic Nd(2)Fe(14)B nanoparticles with an average diameter of 30 nm, which are smaller than a theoretical single magnetic domain size of 220 nm, were successfully prepared by the femtosecond laser fragmentation in liquid. The self-passivating amorphous carbon layer resulting from the decomposition of the surrounding solvent prevents the Nd(2)Fe(14)B nanoparticle from aggregation and oxidation. The coercivity of Nd(2)Fe(14)B nanoparticle increases with increase of the laser irradiation time, despite the reduction of crystallinity.

Formation mechanism of element distribution in glass under femtosecond laser irradiation.

We report on the formation mechanism of element distribution in glass under high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser irradiation. We simultaneously focused two beams of femtosecond laser pulses inside a glass and confirmed the formation of characteristically shaped element distributions. The results of the numerical simulation in which we considered concentration- and temperature-gradient-driven diffusions were in excellent qualitative agreement with the experimental results, indicating that the main driving force is the sharp temperature gradient.

Fabrication and characterization of silicon antireflection structures for infrared rays using a femtosecond laser.

We focus on IR sensors with lower reflection for the wavelength around 10 μm, strongly awaited for detecting human bodies. A concave structure was designed as a more suitable reflection-free structure for IR light, and an optical system with a femtosecond laser was employed for verification of the effectiveness of the structure. The microstructures prepared through this process were fabricated and optically measured using SEM, FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopy.

Improved phase hologram design for generating symmetric light spots and its application for laser writing of waveguides.

The improved method for calculation of a phase hologram and its application to laser writing of waveguides with a spatial light modulator are presented. It was found that the amplitude and phase distributions of light spots generated by a phase hologram can be distorted compared to those of a focused single beam. The distortion of light spots could be reduced by adding a simple constraint, in which light intensities around a light spot should be as small as possible, to the conventional calculation method of a phase hologram.

Alexithymia and regional gray matter alterations in schizophrenia.

Alexithymia is characterized by deficits in emotional self-awareness. Although alexithymia refers to a deficit in recognizing one's own emotions, some studies have focused on the relation between alexithymia and impaired social cognition. An association between alexithymia and schizophrenia has been previously reported, but the brain structures involved remain unclear.

Simultaneous tailoring of phase evolution and dopant distribution in the glassy phase for controllable luminescence.

Construction of an active composite with multicolor visible and broadband near-infrared luminescence is of great technological importance for various applications, including three-dimensional (3D) display, broadband telecommunication, and tunable lasers. The major challenge is the effective management of energy transfer between different dopants in composite. Here we present an in situ strategy for controlling energy transfer between multiple active centers via simultaneous tailoring of the evolution of phases and the distribution of dopants in the glassy phase.