Near-infrared two-photon absorption and excited state dynamics of a fluorescent diarylethene derivative.

Near-infrared two-photon absorption and excited state dynamics of a fluorescent diarylethene (fDAE) derivative were investigated by time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Prescreening with quantum chemical calculation predicted that a derivative with methylthienyl groups (mt-fDAE) in the closed-ring isomer has a two-photon absorption cross-section larger than 1000 GM, which was experimentally verified by Z-scan measurements and excitation power dependence in transient absorption. Comparison of transient absorption spectra under one-photon and simultaneous two-photon excitation conditions revealed that the closed-ring isomer of mt-fDAE populated into higher excited states deactivates following three pathways on a timescale of ca.

Efficient Deep-Blue Multiple-Resonance Emitters Based on Azepine-Decorated ν-DABNA for CIE below 0.06.

Ultrapure deep-blue emitters are in high demand for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Although color coordinates serve as straightforward parameters for assessing color purity, precise control over the maximum wavelength and full-width at half-maximum is necessary to optimize OLED performance, including luminance efficiency and luminous efficacy. Multiple-resonance (MR) emitters are promising candidates for achieving ideal luminescence properties; consequently, a wide variety of MR frameworks have been developed.

Interactive parallel sex pheromone circuits that promote and suppress courtship behaviors in the cockroach.

Many animals use multicomponent sex pheromones for mating, but the specific function and neural processing of each pheromone component remain unclear. The cockroach is a model for studying sex pheromone communication, and an adult female emits major and minor sex pheromone components, periplanone-B and -A (PB and PA), respectively. Attraction and courtship behaviors (wing-raising and abdominal extension) are strongly expressed when adult males are exposed to PB but weakly expressed when they are exposed to PA.

Ligand-based virtual-screening identified a novel CFTR ligand which improves the defective cell surface expression of misfolded ABC transporters.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenetic disease caused by the mutation of CFTR, a cAMP-regulated Cl channel expressing at the apical plasma membrane (PM) of epithelia. ∆F508-CFTR, the most common mutant in CF, fails to reach the PM due to its misfolding and premature degradation at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recently, CFTR modulators have been developed to correct CFTR abnormalities, with some being used as therapeutic agents for CF treatment.

High spatial resolution surface plasmon resonance imaging using a plasmonic chip.

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique has been widely applied to biosensing technologies for the rapid quantification of biomolecules without enzyme and fluorescent labeling. However, the conventional prism-coupling SPR method generally has a detection area of a few mm2, and the large contribution of the background signal forms a barrier to highly sensitive detection. Based on a highly spatially resolved SPR method, the present study constructed a scanning GC-SPR imaging instrument using an objective lens with a high numerical aperture and a plasmonic chip that could be used for grating-coupled SPR.

Reach-to-Grasp and tactile discrimination task: A new task for the study of sensory-motor learning.

Although active touch in rodents arises from the forepaws as well as whiskers, most research on active touch only focuses on whiskers. This results in a paucity of tasks designed to assess the process of active touch with a forepaw. We develop a new experimental task, the Reach-to-Grasp and Tactile Discrimination task (RGTD task), to examine active touch with a forepaw in rodents, particularly changes in processes of active touch during motor skill learning.

Patterns of Cross-Peaks in Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectra to Probe Intermolecular Interactions Described by Two Reversible Reactions.

Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy is used to investigate the intermolecular interaction between two substances dissolved in the same solutions, where the intermolecular interaction is described by two reversible reactions producing two supramolecular aggregates. The severe overlappings expected among the characteristic peaks of the original solute and aggregates make conventional one-dimensional spectra difficult to accurately reflect the physiochemical nature of the intermolecular interaction. The double asynchronous orthogonal sample design (DAOSD) approach is utilized to analyze the simulated data for proof-of-principle demonstration.

Understanding the charge transfer effects of single atoms for boosting the performance of Na-S batteries.

The effective flow of electrons through bulk electrodes is crucial for achieving high-performance batteries, although the poor conductivity of homocyclic sulfur molecules results in high barriers against the passage of electrons through electrode structures. This phenomenon causes incomplete reactions and the formation of metastable products. To enhance the performance of the electrode, it is important to place substitutable electrification units to accelerate the cleavage of sulfur molecules and increase the selectivity of stable products during charging and discharging.

Forensic interviews conducted with autistic adults in Japan: a review of the literature and directions for future research.

The interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects is important in helping resolve criminal investigations. In Japan, developments have recently occurred in the training of the police and their public prosecutors in these key tasks. Whilst literature exists on autism in Japan, studies examining police/public prosecutor interviews with autistic adults conducted in that country (and indeed, any other) remain scant.

Controlled crystallisation of porous crystals of luminescent platinum(II) complexes by electronic tuning of ancillary ligands.

Porous molecular crystals (PMCs) have gained significant importance as next-generation functional porous materials. However, the selective crystallisation of the PMC phase remains a challenge. Herein, we have systematically controlled the stability of the luminescent PMC phase prepared using the luminescent Pt(II) complex [Pt(pbim)(N^O)] (pbim = 2-phenylbenzimidazolate, N^O = N-heteroaryl carboxylate) with Pt⋯Pt electronic interactions.

Solvent-Free Reaction for Unsymmetrical Organodisulfides with High Purity and Application as Cathode-Active Materials.

Unsymmetrical disulfides, in which different organic groups are bonded to disulfide bonds, have been synthesized by cross-coupling reactions using thiols as substrates. However, due to the low-binding energy of unsymmetrical disulfides, its disproportionation occurs based on the side reactions with nucleophilic thiols, resulting in the impurity of symmetric disulfides. In this study, we developed a solvent-free synthesis method for unsymmetrical disulfides using thiosulfonates, thiols, and a base.

Exploring spin states and ligand field splitting in metal complexes: a theoretical analysis of spin-orbital interactions and magnetic properties.

Metal complexes are pivotal in diverse fields due to their wide array of functionalities, including magnetism, conductivity, and photoresponsiveness. These functionalities are intricately linked to the phenomenon of ligand field splitting, yet controlling the magnitude of this splitting within metal complexes presents a significant challenge. This study aims to address this challenge by developing a novel 2D spectrochemical series, integrating two critical parameters: metal ions and ligands.

Polymorphism of Two-Dimensional Semiconducting Coordination Polymers: Impact of a Lead-Sulfur Network on Photoconductivity.

Sulfur-coordinated coordination polymers (S-CPs) have unique optoelectrical properties that originate from infinite M-S bond networks. In this study, we synthesized and characterized two polymorphs of a two-dimensional (2D) Pb(II) S-CP with a formula of [Pb(tzdt)(OAc)] (Htzdt=1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione, OAc=acetate). Our findings revealed that the thermodynamic product (KGF-26) possesses quasi-2D (-Pb-S-) layers with weak nonbonded Pb-S bonds, whereas the kinetic product (KGF-27) has intrinsic 2D (-Pb-S-) layers with Pb-S bonds.

Unpleasant emotion inhibits attentional focus toward a peripheral target in a visual search: an ERP study.

Previous studies have found that emotional states affect the extent of attention, and the effect has been explained by adaptive views. If the adaptive explanations are true, emotion should modulate attentional focus toward a peripheral stimulus. The present study investigated if emotion affects the focus of attention toward a peripheral target in a visual search paradigm with event-related brain potential (ERP) measurement.

Highly efficient multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence material toward a BT.2020 deep-blue emitter.

An ultrapure deep-blue multi-resonance-induced thermally activated delayed fluorescence material (DOB2-DABNA-A) is designed and synthesized. Benefiting from a fully resonating extended helical π-conjugated system, this compound has a small ΔE value of 3.6 meV and sufficient spin-orbit coupling to exhibit a high-rate constant for reverse intersystem crossing (k = 1.

Repurposing of the Cardiovascular Drug Statin for the Treatment of Cancers: Efficacy of Statin-Dipyridamole Combination Treatment in Melanoma Cell Lines.

Metastatic melanoma has a very poor prognosis. Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) inhibitors, are cholesterol-lowering agents with a potential for cancer treatment. The inhibition of HMGCR by statins, however, induces feedback, which paradoxically upregulates HMGCR expression via sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP2).

Crosstalk between photosynthesis and respiration in microbes.

Phototrophic organisms harbor two main bioenergetic hubs, photosynthesis and respiration, and these processes dynamically exchange and share metabolites to balance the energy of the cell. In microalgae and cyanobacteria, the crosstalk between the light-triggered reactions of photosynthesis and respiration is particularly prominent with respiratory O uptake which can be stimulated upon illumination. Since its discovery, this light-enhanced respiration has been proposed to be critical in dissipating the excess reducing power generated by photosynthesis.

Low-CO2-inducible bestrophins outside the pyrenoid sustain high photosynthetic efficacy in diatoms.

Anion transporters sustain a variety of physiological states in cells. Bestrophins (BSTs) belong to a Cl- and/or HCO3- transporter family conserved in bacteria, animals, algae, and plants. Recently, putative BSTs were found in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, where they are upregulated under low CO2 (LC) conditions and play an essential role in the CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM).

Repeat sequence corresponding to the nucleosome length at the opposite end of the pairing center on autosomes in .

Many repeat sequences in genomes have unknown functions, but some have features that are suggestive of one. I found a repeat sequence that has 185 base pairs as the basic unit, which is the same as the length of a nucleosome repeat. The chromosomal location of this repeat sequence is opposite the pairing center of each autosomal chromosome.

Anger and disgust shape judgments of social sanctions across cultures, especially in high individual autonomy societies.

When someone violates a social norm, others may think that some sanction would be appropriate. We examine how the experience of emotions like anger and disgust relate to the judged appropriateness of sanctions, in a pre-registered analysis of data from a large-scale study in 56 societies. Across the world, we find that individuals who experience anger and disgust over a norm violation are more likely to endorse confrontation, ostracism and, to a smaller extent, gossip.

The decline in cellular iron is crucial for differentiation in keratinocytes.

Iron is a vital metal for most biological functions in tissues, and its concentration is exquisitely regulated at the cellular level. During the process of differentiation, keratinocytes in the epidermis undergo a noticeable reduction in iron content. Conversely, psoriatic lesions, characterized by disruptions in epidermal differentiation, frequently reveal an excessive accumulation of iron within keratinocytes that have undergone differentiation.

Light Wavelength as a Contributory Factor of Environmental Fitness in the Cyanobacterial Circadian Clock.

A circadian clock is an essential system that drives the 24-h expression rhythms for adaptation to day-night cycles. The molecular mechanism of the circadian clock has been extensively studied in cyanobacteria harboring the KaiC-based timing system. Nevertheless, our understanding of the physiological significance of the cyanobacterial circadian clock is still limited.