Ferroelectric columnar assemblies from the bowl-to-bowl inversion of aromatic cores.

Organic ferroelectrics, in which the constituent molecules retain remanent polarization, represent an important topic in condensed-matter science, and their attractive properties, which include lightness, flexibility, and non-toxicity, are of potential use in state-of-the-art ferroelectric devices. However, the mechanisms for the generation of ferroelectricity in such organic compounds remain limited to a few representative concepts, which has hitherto severely hampered progress in this area. Here, we demonstrate that a bowl-to-bowl inversion of a relatively small organic molecule with a bowl-shaped π-aromatic core generates ferroelectric dipole relaxation.

[Prevalence of intestinal canine and feline parasites in Saitama Prefecture, Japan].

We studied the prevalence of intestinal parasites in animal companions in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, where no detailed data is currently available. Between May 1999 and December 2007, fecal samples were collected from 906 dogs and 1,079 cats in public animal shelters and examined by microscopy. Overall, prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs was 38.