Overestimation of Operational Stability in Polymer-Based Organic Field-Effect Transistors Caused by Contact Resistance.

The bias-stress effects of bottom-gate top-contact polymer-based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with different channel lengths (50-500 μm) were evaluated by repeating cycles of prolonged on-state gate-bias application and transfer characteristics measurements in the linear regime. The thicknesses of poly(didodecylquaterthiophene--didodecylbithiazole) active layers were 26 and 37 nm. All OFETs exhibited nonlinear (nonideal) transfer characteristics with a maximum transconductance within the gate-source voltage sweep range.

Ionic Liquid Crystal-Polymer Composite Electromechanical Actuators: Design of Two-Dimensional Molecular Assemblies for Efficient Ion Transport and Effect of Electrodes on Actuator Performance.

We present the development of free-standing ionic liquid crystal-polymer composite electrolyte films aimed at achieving high-frequency response electromechanical actuators. Our approach entails designing novel layered ionic liquid-crystalline (LC) assemblies by complexing a mesomorphic dimethylphosphate with either a lithium salt or a room-temperature ionic liquid through the formation of ion-dipole interactions or hydrogen bonds. These electrolytes, exhibiting room-temperature ionic conductivities on the order of 10 S cm and wide LC temperature ranges up to 77 °C, were successfully integrated into porous polymer networks.

Highly luminescent and photoconductive columnar liquid crystals with a thiophene-oxadiazole backbone.

We report columnar liquid-crystalline thiophene-oxadiazole molecules, which can be oriented by electric field and exhibit photodiode properties with an open-circuit voltage of 1 V. Their yellow luminescence can be excited by UV-visible or infrared light. Their room-temperature phosphorescence turns brighter upon heating.

Room-Temperature Zwitterionic Liquid Crystals for Mechanical Actuators.

We have developed room-temperature smectic liquid-crystalline (LC) ion conductors by the self-assembly of a zwitterionic mesogenic compound and a series of fluorinated lithium salts. The conductivity of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide LC complex reached 4 × 10 S cm at ambient conditions. This LC complex sandwiched between two conductive polymer electrodes can be used in low-voltage mechanical actuators with a peak-to-peak bending deflection of ca.

Photocured Liquid-Crystalline Polymer Electrolytes with 3D Ion Transport Pathways for Electromechanical Actuators.

Self-assembly of ionic molecules into hierarchical ordered structures is a promising route to new types of solid electrolytes with enhanced ion transport. Herein, we report a liquid-crystalline polymer electrolyte membrane that contains three-dimensionally (3D) interconnected ionic pathways. To build this membrane, we used wedge-shaped amphiphilic molecules that have two ionic heads and a lipophilic tail.

Electroactive Soft Actuators Based on Columnar Ionic Liquid Crystal/Polymer Composite Membrane Electrolytes Forming 3D Continuous Ionic Channels.

Here, we report low-voltage-driven fast-response nanostructured columnar ionic liquid crystal/polymer composite actuators that form three-dimensional continuous ion channels. A three-component self-assembly of a zwitterionic rod-like molecule (49.5 wt %), an ionic liquid (27.

Programmable molecular transport achieved by engineering protein motors to move on DNA nanotubes.

Intracellular transport is the basis of microscale logistics within cells and is powered by biomolecular motors. Mimicking transport for in vitro applications has been widely studied; however, the inflexibility in track design and control has hindered practical applications. Here, we developed protein-based motors that move on DNA nanotubes by combining a biomolecular motor dynein and DNA binding proteins.

The influence of three-dimensional scapular kinematics on arm elevation angle in healthy subjects.

Background: We often clinically observe individual differences in arm elevation angles, but the motion producing these differences remains unclear, partly because of the difficulty of accurately measuring scapular motion. The aim of this study was to determine whether the scapular or glenohumeral (GH) motion has more influence on differences in the arm elevation angles by capturing not only the humerus and scapula but also the trunk using two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) shape-matching registration techniques.

Methods: Fifteen healthy subjects (13 male and 2 female; mean age: 27.

Self-healing and shape memory functions exhibited by supramolecular liquid-crystalline networks formed by combination of hydrogen bonding interactions and coordination bonding.

We here report a new approach to develop self-healing shape memory supramolecular liquid-crystalline (LC) networks through self-assembly of molecular building blocks combination of hydrogen bonding and coordination bonding. We have designed and synthesized supramolecular LC polymers and networks based on the complexation of a forklike mesogenic ligand with Ag ions and carboxylic acids. Unidirectionally aligned fibers and free-standing films forming layered LC nanostructures have been obtained for the supramolecular LC networks.

Ferroelectric Liquid-Crystalline Binary Mixtures Based on Achiral and Chiral Trifluoromethylphenylterthiophenes.

This paper presents a new family of ferroelectric smectic liquid-crystalline binary mixtures composed of achiral and chiral trifluoromethylphenylterthiophenes. The chiral symmetry breaking of the ferroelectric smectic phases can lead to chiral photovoltaic (CPV) effects, as a type of ferroelectric photovoltaic (FePV) effect, which is caused by the internal electric field originating from the spontaneous polarization. These ferroelectric properties were examined using the Sawyer-Tower method, and the CPV effect was confirmed by measuring the steady-state photocurrent response under zero bias.

Collective motility of dynein linear arrays built on DNA nanotubes.

Dynein motor proteins usually work as a group in vesicle transport, mitosis, and ciliary/flagellar beating inside cells. Despite the obvious importance of the functions of dynein, the effect of inter-dynein interactions on collective motility remains poorly understood due to the difficulty in building large dynein ensembles with defined geometry. Here, we describe a method to build dynein ensembles to investigate the collective motility of dynein on microtubules.

Multi-Color Photoluminescence Based on Mechanically and Thermally Induced Liquid-Crystalline Phase Transitions of a Hydrogen-Bonded Benzodithiophene Derivative.

Controlling assembled structures of π-conjugated liquid-crystalline molecules is of great interest in the development of stimuli-responsive luminescent materials due to their molecular motility in the ordered states. Herein, we describe a mechanoresponsive hydrogen-bonded benzodithiophene liquid-crystalline molecule that exhibits a tricolor photoluminescence switching at ambient temperature. The compound shows a shear-induced phase transition from a rectangular columnar to a metastable optically anisotropic mesophase, which is accompanied by the luminescent color change from yellow to sky-blue.

Polymerizable Photocleavable Columnar Liquid Crystals for Nanoporous Water Treatment Membranes.

Here, we describe a strategy to obtain nanoporous liquid-crystalline (LC) membranes by incorporating a photocleavable -nitrobenzyl group in polymerizable columnar liquid crystals. Two derivatives were synthesized with propylene and nonylene spacers, respectively, between the ionic and the photocleavable moieties to introduce various size nanopores after photocleavage. The membranes were prepared by photopolymerization in the LC states, followed by photocleavage and washing with methanol.

Nanostructured Virus Filtration Membranes Based on Two-Component Columnar Liquid Crystals.

Here we report columnar liquid-crystalline (LC) nanostructured membranes that highly remove viruses and show sufficient water permeation. These membranes were prepared by employing two-component liquid crystals that exhibit tetragonal columnar phases. The membranes exhibited virus rejection values of >99.

Guanine-oligothiophene conjugates: liquid-crystalline properties, photoconductivities and ion-responsive emission of their nanoscale assemblies.

We here report the supramolecular self-assembly of hydrogen-bonded motifs for the development of nanostructured materials that exhibit dynamic functions such as stimuli-responsive properties and molecular recognition behaviour. We have designed and synthesised new thermotropic bicontinuous and columnar liquid-crystalline (LC) guanine-oligothiophene conjugates tethered with lipophilic chains, which exhibit ionic, electronic and photoluminescence properties. Their potassium salt complexes self-assemble into thermotropic columnar LC phases.

Development of Nanostructured Water Treatment Membranes Based on Thermotropic Liquid Crystals: Molecular Design of Sub-Nanoporous Materials.

Supply of safe fresh water is currently one of the most important global issues. Membranes technologies are essential to treat water efficiently with low costs and energy consumption. Here, the development of self-organized nanostructured water treatment membranes based on ionic liquid crystals composed of ammonium, imidazolium, and pyridinium moieties is reported.

Noncovalent Approach to Liquid-Crystalline Ion Conductors: High-Rate Performances and Room-Temperature Operation for Li-Ion Batteries.

We report advanced liquid-crystalline (LC) electrolytes for use in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). We evaluated the potential of LC electrolytes with a half cell composed of Li metal and LiFePO which is a conventional positive electrode for LIBs. Low-molecular-weight carbonates of ethylene carbonate or propylene carbonate were incorporated into the two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured electrolyte composed of mesogen-containing carbonate and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide.

Self-Assembly of Giant Spherical Liquid-Crystalline Complexes and Formation of Nanostructured Dynamic Gels that Exhibit Self-Healing Properties.

Supramolecular self-assembly of 24 forklike mesogenic ligands and 12 transition metal ions led to the formation of giant spherical coordination complexes that exhibit liquid-crystalline (LC) phases. Self-healing LC supramolecular gels were also obtained through the introduction of these LC nanostructured supramolecular giant spherical complexes into dynamic covalent networks formed by cross-linkers and bifunctional polymers. The giant spherical structures of the Pd complexes with 72 rodlike moieties on the periphery were characterized by NMR, diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry.

Self-Assembled Liquid-Crystalline Ion Conductors in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Effects of Molecular Sensitizers on Their Performance.

Dye-sensitized solar cells employing nonvolatile liquid-crystalline (LC) electrolytes that form nanostructures capable of efficient ion transport are reported. The LC electrolyte consists of a cyclic carbonate-functionalized mesogen and an iodide-based ionic liquid that nanosegregates into lamellar structures exhibiting over four times higher ion conductivities parallel to the layers than perpendicular to the layers. The self-assembled ion pathways allow efficient ion transport in the semi-solid LC state.

Effects of friction massage of the popliteal fossa on blood flow velocity of the popliteal vein.

[Purpose] Friction massage (friction) of the popliteal fossa is provided for the purpose of relieving pain related to circulatory disorders by improving venous flow in the lower legs. The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of enhancing the venous flow based on measuring the blood flow velocity of the popliteal vein before and after providing friction to the patients. [Subjects and Methods] Fifteen healthy male university students participated in the study.

Reliability and validity of standing balance assessment index using a hand-held dynamometer in stroke patients.

[Purpose] This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of our standing balance assessment index using a hand-held dynamometer (the hand-held dynamometer assessment index) in stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The participants were 60 stroke patients with impaired standing balance. Intrarater and interrater reliabilities were evaluated employing the intraclass correlation coefficient.

Creating biomolecular motors based on dynein and actin-binding proteins.

Biomolecular motors such as myosin, kinesin and dynein are protein machines that can drive directional movement along cytoskeletal tracks and have the potential to be used as molecule-sized actuators. Although control of the velocity and directionality of biomolecular motors has been achieved, the design and construction of novel biomolecular motors remains a challenge. Here we show that naturally occurring protein building blocks from different cytoskeletal systems can be combined to create a new series of biomolecular motors.

Induction of bicontinuous cubic liquid-crystalline assemblies for polymerizable amphiphiles via tailor-made design of ionic liquids.

The lyotropic liquid-crystalline behavior of polymerizable amphiphiles has been tuned by using tailor-made ionic liquids as solvents so as to induce the formation of bicontinuous cubic assemblies having 3D interconnected nanochannels. The fixation of the amphiphilic assemblies has been successfully achieved by in situ photopolymerization.

Effects of friction massage of the popliteal fossa on dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility.

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine whether or not friction massage of the popliteal fossa would be effective for achieving dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve healthy male university students participated. Before and after friction massage, dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility were measured by near-infrared spectroscopy to evaluate its efficacy.