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Background: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has preventive effects against postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after upper abdominal surgery. However, its impact on diaphragmatic function has not been evaluated. This study investigated the effect of preoperative IMT on diaphragmatic excursion (DE) and prevention of PPCs for patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: This study was an unblinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Patients with thoracic or abdominal esophageal cancer scheduled for esophagectomy were randomized into the incentive spirometry (IS) or IMT group. During preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, IS or IMT intervention was performed. The inspiratory resistance of the IMT group was consistently set at 50% maximal inspiratory pressure. The primary outcome was the amount of change in DE evaluated with ultrasonography, and the secondary outcome was the incidence of Clavien–Dindo grade II or higher PPCs. Results: This study recruited 42 patients. Among these patients 21 were randomized into the IS or IMT group, and 2 patients dropped out from the study. Finally, 40 patients were included in this analysis. The DE of the IMT group increased significantly after the intervention. The IMT group had significantly larger DE changes than the IS group. Of the 39 patients analyzed for postoperative outcome, 5 experienced grade II PPCs. The IMT group had a lower incidence of PPCs than the IS group. Conclusions: Patients with thoracic and abdominal esophageal cancer scheduled for surgery who had preoperative IMT have increased DE, which may have an important role in prevention of PPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a simple implementation of calculation of spin current profiles using a partial differential equation platform. By solving multiple scalar potentials, spin injection, spin/charge inter-conversion, and thermal spin injection phenomena can be well reproduced numerically. As a demonstration, we show spin current generation and detection in a composite of ferromagnetic, spin conducting, and spin-Hall-metallic materials. Furthermore, we present a model extended to three-dimensionally polarized spin current and describe the matrix for spin/charge current inter-conversion in a conductive ferromagnet, which allows for numerical reproduction of anomalous and planar Hall effects. It is found that the planar Hall voltage is in part generated by spin Hall conductivities, though its magnitude is orders smaller than that induced by the anisotropic magnetoresistance. Our method will contribute to further development of effective and feasible simulations of spin-current-mediated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the association between the level of tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and quadriceps/skeletal muscle dysfunction, measured using the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale and ultrasonography, in critically ill patients. Thirty-four patients hospitalized at the Critical Care Medicine Center of Kindai University Hospital, between January 2022 and March 2023, were enrolled in this study. The StO2 of the quadriceps muscle was measured via near-infrared spectroscopy. Muscle atrophy was measured by the thickness, cross-sectional area (CSA), and echo intensity of the rectus femoris (RF). These values were evaluated every alternate day until 13 days after admission or until discharge, whichever occurred first. Muscle weakness was assessed using the sum score of the MRC scale (MRC-SS), with the patient sitting at bedside. The mean age of the patients was 67.3 ± 15.3 years, and 20 (59%) were men. Seven patients (21%) were admitted for trauma, and 27 (79%) were admitted for medical emergencies or others. The mean score for the MRC-SS was 51.0 ± 7.9 points. RF thickness and CSA significantly decreased after day 7 (p < 0.05). There were no significant changes in StO2 levels during hospitalization. However, there were positive correlations between the nadir StO2 during hospitalization and MRC-SS, and changes in RF thickness and CSA at discharge (r = 0.41, p = 0.03; r = 0.37, p = 0.03; and r = 0.35, p = 0.05, respectively). StO2 in the quadriceps muscle may be useful for predicting muscle atrophy and dysfunction in patients with critical illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spin-splitting state due to a Rashba-type spin–orbit interaction is investigated using two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the surface of SrTiO3. The circular photogalvanic effect is utilized to detect the spin-splitting state. Both the polarization and incident light angle dependence of the measured photocurrent generated in the 2DEG unequivocally show the presence of surface spin splitting in the 2DEG, and variation of the carrier densities of the 2DEG provides further supporting evidence. This finding could pave the way for investigating spin textures and spin physics in two-dimensional carrier gas systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social insects often share tasks among individuals. In this study, we analyzed the foraging activity of ants (Camponotus japonicus) and recorded the daily passage event counts of individual workers between a nest chamber and a foraging arena in five monodomous colonies. We proposed two hypotheses on the time series of foraging frequency by individual worker ants as follows: (i) for the time series of foraging frequency by individual worker ants, the foraging frequency on a certain day could be expressed by the product of the foraging frequency on the previous day and the exponential of a random number. (ii) The random numbers are correlated between some pairs of worker ants. The results for the five tested ant colonies showed that the probability of total daily passage counts (the sum of an individual's passage count) followed a log-normal distribution. The worker ants behaved differently in terms of active days and foraging frequency. However, for > 54% of the worker ants, the probability of the daily passage count was characterized by a log-normal distribution, and these worker ants performed > 72% of the tasks in each colony. Furthermore, for > 73% of the worker ants, the time development of the passage count was mathematically modeled; the logarithmic first difference between the passage counts on a certain day and those on the previous day was a random normal variable. These results support hypothesis (i). Additionally, the random numbers that were equivalent to the logarithmic first difference were correlated for some pairs of worker ants. These results support hypothesis (ii). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, electron spin resonance (ESR) systems are routinely used to measure the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in a wide range of experiments. However, the number of spins in ferromagnets far exceeds the small number of spins in paramagnetic systems that ESR systems were originally designed for. In this study, we show that high spin concentration and microwave input power—conditions routinely met in various FMR experiments—lead to the strong distortion of the FMR shape due to the sublinear operating regime of the microwave detector. We introduce the additional imbalance term in the FMR Lorentzian fitting function that allows extracting correct values of the Gilbert damping parameter under such conditions. Our results are crucial for the quantitative estimation of the Gilbert damping—the key parameter in many magnetic and spintronics measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have difficulties inhaling as the diaphragm becomes flattened and weakened due to lung hyperinflation. This weakened respiratory function is compensated for by the increased activity of the accessory respiratory muscles, such as the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM). Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the difference in the SCM thickening fraction (SCM TF) of each respiratory phase (end-expiration, resting inspiration, and end-inspiration), as measured using ultrasonography (US), between patients with COPD and control subjects. We also evaluate the correlation between the SCM TF of each respiratory phase and exercise tolerance in patients with COPD. Methods: Patients with COPD (n = 44) and age-matched controls (n = 20) underwent US for determination of the SCM TF. Ventilation parameters, including the peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) and the change in the inspiratory capacity, were measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The SCM thickness and TF was measured during end-expiration, resting breathing, and end-inspiration. Results: The SCM was significantly thinner in patients with COPD than in controls at end-expiration. The increase in the SCM TF from end-expiration to end-inspiration in patients with COPD did not differ significantly from that in control subjects. In contrast, the SCM TF from end-expiration to resting inspiration was significantly greater in patients with COPD than in control subjects. The peak VO2 was strongly positively correlated with the SCM TF from end-expiration to end-inspiration in patients with COPD (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The SCM may be thinner in patients with COPD than in controls. The SCM TF may also be associated with exercise tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological quantum materials (TQMs) possess abundant and attractive spin physics, and a Weyl semimetal is the representative material because of the generation of spin polarization that is available for spin devices due to its Weyl nature. Meanwhile, a Weyl semimetal allows the other but unexplored spin polarization due to local symmetry breaking. Here, all‐electric spin device operation using a type‐II Weyl semimetal, WTe2, at room temperature is reported. The polarization of spins propagating in the all‐electric device is perpendicular to the WTe2 plane, which is ascribed to local in‐plane symmetry breaking in WTe2, yielding the spin polarization creation of propagating charged carriers, namely, the spin‐polarized state creation from the nonpolarized state. Systematic control experiments unequivocally negate unexpected artifacts, such as the anomalous Hall effect, the anisotropic magnetoresistance, etc. Creation of all‐electric spin devices made of TQMs and their operation at room temperature can pave a new pathway for novel spin devices made of TQMs resilient to thermal fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task allocation is a characteristic feature of social insects. This phenomenon is self-organized by workers in a colony without central instructions. Workers perform the necessary tasks while communicating and determining their colony's local situations or outside environments. They can also allocate the workload of the task to finish quickly. To explain the self-organized phenomenon, we develop a theoretical model that includes the local interaction mechanism among the workers. We extend the fixed response threshold model by introducing the interaction network among workers. The new model is called the interaction network response threshold model. This model analyzes the effects of the interaction network structure on the workload allocation mechanism using the Gini coefficient. We find that the network structure affects the information diffusion process, and the network features affect workload allocation. Our results indicate that communication among the workers in a colony is an essential system for workload allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysphagia is frequently observed in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Decreased tongue strength is one of the causes of dysphagia, and it is often observed in patients with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is also frequently observed in COPD patients. We hypothesized that tongue strength is lower in COPD patients compared to normal subjects. This was a single-center, observational, cross-sectional study. Maximum tongue pressure (MTP) was measured in 27 patients with COPD and 24 age-matched control subjects. We also evaluated handgrip strength, gait speed, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass to define subjects as having sarcopenia. We used bioelectrical impedance analysis to assess body composition. The eating assessment test-10 was used to diagnose dysphagia. MTP was significantly lower in COPD patients than in control subjects (33.8 ± 8.4 vs 38.0 ± 5.3; p = 0.032). All measures of muscle and fat free body mass, handgrip strength, and gait speed were also significantly lower in COPD patients compared to control subjects (p < 0.01). The prevalence of sarcopenia in COPD patients was higher than that in control subjects (6/27 versus 0/24; p = 0.007), but the prevalence of dysphagia was not different between groups (COPD: 5/27, versus control: 1/24; p = 0.112). MTP was moderately correlated with skeletal muscle mass index (r = 0.56, p = 0.003) and handgrip strength (r = 0.43, p = 0.027) in COPD patients. Tongue strength was lower in COPD patients compared to normal subjects, and decreased tongue strength may be correlated with sarcopenia in COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spin Hall effect (SHE) and inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) have played central roles in modern condensed matter physics especially in spintronics and spin-orbitronics, and much effort has been paid to fundamental and application-oriented research towards the discovery of novel spin–orbit physics and the creation of novel spintronic devices. However, studies on gate-tunability of such spintronics devices have been limited, because most of them are made of metallic materials, where the high bulk carrier densities hinder the tuning of physical properties by gating. Here, we show an experimental demonstration of the gate-tunable spin–orbit torque in Pt/Ni80Fe20 (Py) devices by controlling the SHE using nanometer-thick Pt with low carrier densities and ionic gating. The Gilbert damping parameter of Py and the spin-memory loss at the Pt/Py interface were modulated by ionic gating to Pt, which are compelling results for the successful tuning of spin–orbit interaction in Pt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the maximum level of diaphragm excursion (DEmax) is correlated with dynamic lung hyperinflation and exercise tolerance. This study aimed to elucidate the utility of DEmax to predict the improvement in exercise tolerance after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with COPD.Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Of the 62 patients with stable COPD who participated in the outpatient PR programme from April 2018 to February 2021, 50 completed the programme. Six-minute walk distance (6MWD) was performed to evaluate exercise tolerance, and ultrasonography was performed to measure DEmax. Responders to PR in exercise capacity were defined as patients who demonstrated an increase of > 30 m in 6MWD. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off point of DEmax to predict responses to PR.Results: Baseline levels of forced expiratory volume in 1 s, 6MWD, maximum inspiratory pressure, DEmax and quadriceps muscle strength were significantly higher, and peak dyspnoea of modified Borg (mBorg) scale score was lower in responders (n = 30) than in non-responders (n = 20) to PR (p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, DEmax was significantly correlated with an increase of > 30 m in 6MWD. The area under the ROC curve of DEmax to predict responders was 0.915, with a sensitivity and specificity of 83% and 95%, respectively, at a cut-off value of 44.9 mm of DEmax.Conclusion: DEmax could adequately predict the improvement in exercise tolerance after PR in patients with COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron selenide telluride, FeTeSe, is an attractive layered material for both superconductivity and spintronics applications. FeTeSe enables Ising-type superconductivity, which involves spin-momentum locking. We report superconductivity of mechanically exfoliated thin film FeTe0.6Se0.4 that equips ferromagnetic electrodes with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy to detect possible Ising spin paring. The superconducting transition is observed at T = 15 K. More importantly, the upper critical field of FeTe0.6Se0.4 is anisotropic and the in-plane upper critical field is measured to be 145 T. These results show that the superconductivity of thin film FeTe0.6Se0.4 is robust and FeTe0.6Se0.4 can be a potential material stage for super-spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the relationship between the activity rhythms of Camponotus japonicus worker ants and their interactions. Specifically, one or two workers collected from either inside or outside the nest in a breeding colony were placed in a measurement system under a constant dark condition, and their activity rhythms were measured for 14 days. We thereby examined the relationship between the activity rhythm in the system and the experimental conditions, which consisted of four different combinations of working locations during breeding (in/outside the nest) and single/double workers (one ant / two ants) in the measurement system, over a total of 96 samples. A large number of the sampled ants (about 90% of the total) showed circadian activity rhythms. The proportion of circadian activity rhythm was lower and the dispersion of the period was larger in the circadian activity rhythm observed in single workers collected from within the nest than in the other three experimental conditions. In all four experimental conditions, the amplitude of the circadian activity rhythm decayed on an approximate 5-day scale. These results provide quantitative evidence that the activity rhythm of ants is determined by the location of labor and individual interactions during breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DC voltages via spin rectification effect (SRE), VDC, under microwave irradiation are investigated for three platinum (Pt)/ferromagnetic metal (FM) bilayer structures: Pt/Ni80Fe20, Pt/Co, and Pt/Fe. At the microwave frequency region lower than the resonant frequency, large VDC is obtained at zero DC magnetic field for all devices. In frequency dependence just around the resonant frequency, sharp rise and drop of magnitude in VDC are observed. These behaviors are well explained by the numerically calculated magnetic susceptibility. It is also found that the magnitude of VDC is strongly dependent on the slope of magnetoresistance spectrum. These findings lead to developments of sensitive detection technique for nano-scale magnetization switching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gate-induced modulation of the spin–orbit interaction (SOI) in a 1.5 nm-thick Pd thin film grown on a ferrimagnetic insulator was investigated. Efficient charge accumulation by ionic gating enables a substantial upshift in the Fermi level of the Pd film, which was corroborated by the suppression of the resistivity in the Pd. Electromotive forces arising from the inverse spin Hall effect in Pd under spin pumping were substantially modulated by the gating, in consequence of the modulation of the spin Hall conductivity of Pd as in an ultrathin Pt film. The same experiment using a thin Cu film, for which the band structure is largely different from Pd and Pt and its SOI is quite small, provides further results supporting our claim. The results obtained help in developing a holistic understanding of the gate-tunable SOI in solids and confirm a previous explanation of the significant modulation of the spin Hall conductivity in an ultrathin Pt film by gating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for efficient spin conversion in Bi has attracted great attention in spin–orbitronics. In the present work, we employ spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance to investigate spin conversion in Bi/Ni80Fe20(Py) bilayer films with a continuously varying Bi thickness. In contrast with previous studies, sizable spin-transfer torque (i.e., a sizable spin-conversion effect) is observed in the Bi/Py bilayer film. Considering the absence of spin conversion in Bi/yttrium–iron–garnet bilayers and the enhancement of spin conversion in the Bi-doped Cu, the present results indicate the importance of material combinations to generate substantial spin-conversion effects in Bi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study spin transport through a suspended Cu channel by an electrical non-local 4-terminal measurement for future spin mechanics applications. A magnetoresistance due to spin transport through the suspended Cu channel is observed, and its magnitude is comparable to that of a conventional fixed Cu lateral spin valve. The spin diffusion length in the suspended Cu channel is estimated to be 340 nm at room temperature from the spin signal dependence on the distance between the ferromagnetic injector and detector electrodes. This value is found to be slightly shorter than in a fixed Cu. The decrease in the spin diffusion length in the suspended Cu channel is attributed to an increase in spin scattering originating from naturally oxidized Cu at the bottom of the Cu channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gate voltage application in a Si-based spin metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (spin MOSFET) modulates spin accumulation voltages, where both electrical conductivity and drift velocity are modified while keeping constant electric current. An unprecedented reduction in the spin accumulation voltages in a Si spin MOSFET under negative gate voltage applications is observed in a high electric bias current regime. To support our claim, the electric bias current dependence of the spin accumulation voltage under the gate voltage applications is investigated in detail and compared with a spin drift diffusion model including the conductance mismatch effect. The drastic decrease in the mobility and spin lifetime in the Si channel is ascribable to the optical phonon emission at the high electric bias current, which consequently reduced the spin accumulation voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The band structure of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/metal system, including a shift in the vacuum level which appears at the SWNT/metal interface, was characterized by using a Kelvin-probe force microscopy method. In the SWNT/gold system, the shift (Δ) of the vacuum level was observed to be +5.2 meV, which is one order of magnitude smaller than previously observed. When we carried out carrier doping of the SWNTs, the observed Δ was downshifted from +5.2 to -52 meV, which introduced some upshift in the band structure of the doped SWNTs. This change induced easier hole injection, which coincides with the field effect transistor characteristics of undoped and doped SWNT transistors. A similar analysis was also carried out for a SWNT/ferromagnet system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With information technology consuming a sizeable part of the total energy, “Green IT” information storage and computing technology will have a major impact on addressing societal challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate stability of the spin exclusive or (XOR) gate operation in silicon(Si) -based lateral spin devices whose spin transport properties have large variations. The optimum charge current, I0, for the spin XOR gate operation is calculated by using the one dimensional spin-drift-diffusion model with variable spin polarization, interface resistance of the ferromagnetic contact, channel length and channel conductivity. I0 is strongly modulated by changing the spin transport parameters particularly under the condition with small spin polarization and short channel length. In contrast, I0 shows constant value irrespective of the interface resistance of one ferromagnetic contact under spin extraction condition. Our results provide a device design guideline for the robust spin XOR gate operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lateral thermal gradient of an yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film under microwave application in the cavity of the electron spin resonance system (ESR) was measured at room temperature by fabricating a Cu/Sb thermocouple onto it. To date, thermal transport in YIG films caused by the Damon-Eshbach mode (DEM)—the unidirectional spin-wave heat conveyer effect—was demonstrated only by the excitation using coplanar waveguides. Here, we show that the effect exists even under YIG excitation using the ESR cavity—a tool often employed to realize spin pumping. The temperature difference observed around the ferromagnetic resonance field under 4 mW microwave power peaked at 13 mK. The observed thermoelectric signal indicates the imbalance of the population between the DEMs that propagate near the top and bottom surfaces of the YIG film. We attribute the DEM population imbalance to different magnetic dampings near the top and bottom YIG surfaces. Additionally, the spin wave dynamics of the system were investigated using the micromagnetic simulations. The micromagnetic simulations confirmed the existence of the DEM imbalance in the system with increased Gilbert damping at one of the YIG interfaces. The reported results are indispensable to the quantitative estimation of the electromotive force in the spin-charge conversion experiments using ESR cavities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Although the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR) have been well defined for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD), it remains controversial whether PR improves physical activity ( PA). The purpose of the present study was to identify factors associated with the effect of PR on PA. Methods This was a prospective study of 29 patients with COPD. They underwent pulmonary rehabilitation twice weekly for 12 weeks, and were assessed using the hospital anxiety and depression score, 6-min walk distance ( 6MWD), and the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire ( SGRQ) before and after they underwent PR. The PA of patients was measured by a three-axis accelerometer. Physical activity level ( PAL) was calculated by dividing each patient's total energy expenditure by basal metabolic rate. Correlations between changes in PAL after PR and 6MWD, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire, and hospital anxiety and depression score scores, and clinical parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s were determined. Results 6MWD was significantly increased, but PAL was unchanged after PR. PAL was positively correlated with 6MWD, but not with percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s nor St. George Respiratory Questionnaire scores before PR. The increase in PAL was negatively correlated with changes in hospital anxiety and depression score anxiety and depression scores, but was not correlated with the change in 6MWD. Conclusions A PR program for COPD patients improved results of the 6MWD, but not PAL. Increased PAL was associated with improvements in anxiety and depression, but not with increased exercise capacity. Treating the depression and anxiety of patients with COPD might not only reduce emotional distress, but also improve their PAL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 17-23. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Physical activity ( PA) has been associated with an improvement in survival for individuals with cancer. However, little is known about the effect of postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation on PA after lobectomy in patients with lung cancer. The present study investigated the effect of outpatient rehabilitation on PA in patients with cancer after lung resection. Methods A total of 19 patients with lung cancer were recruited for this study and completed a preoperative rehabilitation program. One group of nine patients completed a postoperative outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program (rehabilitation) and another group of 10 patients did not (control), but were similarly followed up. Preoperative lung function, assessed by forced expiratory volume in 1 s ( FEV1), body mass index ( BMI) and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire ( SGRQ) score were not different between groups. PA was measured before and 2 months after surgery using a three-axis accelerometer for 5-6 days. PA level ( PAL) was defined as total energy expenditure divided by basal metabolic rate. Results Preoperative PAL was not different between groups. However, postoperative versus preoperative PAL was significantly lower in the control versus the rehabilitation group ( P < 0.01), and PAL decline was less for the rehabilitation versus the control group ( P < 0.001). A subgroup analysis showed improvement in postoperative PAL in rehabilitation patients aged <75 years and older. Conclusions Two months after lung resection surgery, patients had not recovered to the preoperative PAL. However, compared with the control group, there was an improvement in the postoperative PAL in patients, including older patients, who underwent outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 550-555. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband ferromagnetic resonance (bbFMR) spectroscopy is an established experimental tool to quantify magnetic properties. Due to frequency-dependent transmission of the microwave setup, bbFMR measurements in the frequency domain require a suitable background removal method. Here, we present a measurement and data analysis protocol that allows us to perform quantitative frequency-swept bbFMR measurements without the need for a calibration of the microwave setup. We furthermore compare the results of the proposed frequency space analysis and a conventional analysis in field-space of bbFMR data obtained from a permalloy thin film. The very good agreement of the extracted parameters using the two methods shows the reliability of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room temperature local magnetoresistance in two-terminal scheme is reported. By employing 1.6 nm-thick MgO tunnel barrier, spin injection efficiency is increased, resulting in large non-local magnetoresistance. The magnitude of the non-local magnetoresistance is estimated to be 0.0057 Ω at room temperature. As a result, a clear rectangle signal is observed in local magnetoresistance measurement even at room temperature. We also investigate the origin of local magnetoresistance by measuring the spin accumulation voltage of each contact separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Purpose] To clarify the cortical blood flow response during the Miyake paired verbal association learning test (Miyake memory test), we measured blood flow using a near-infrared spectroscope. [Subjects] The subjects were 8 healthy male volunteers: average age, 23.6±3.9 years. [Method] Using a near-infrared spectroscope, we measured the blood flow responses in the prefrontal area during the Miyake memory test. Under the two conditions of related and unrelated pairs of words, we assessed the changes in cortical activation and scores in tasks repeated 3 times. [Results] In the comparison of the score for the third task with that for the first task, we found an increase in the number of correct answers for both related and unrelated pairs of words, and a significant decrease in the oxygenated haemoglobin value. [Conclusion] The results suggest that even in verbal memory tasks, the increase in correct answers arising from frequent repetition of an identical task leads to a reduction in cortical blood flow volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the evidence of electrical spin injection into silicon (Si) using the Fe/MgO tunnel barrier by the following two methods: 1) non-local (NL) four-terminal magnetoresistance (MR) scheme with their respective corresponding ferromagnetic (FM) electrode and 2) Hanle-type spin precession scheme. These results are compatible and in agreement with each other. The spin injection signals in the non-local scheme were observed up to 150 K, and the spin diffusion length (λN) was estimated to be 2.8 µm at 8 K. The experimental data completely matches every detail of the Hanle measurements equation, and spin lifetime (τ) was estimated to be 9.44 ns at 8 K. We will be able to discuss the physical properties of a pure spin current in silicon by this compelling data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a data-driven approach to automatically generate a scene where tens to hundreds of characters densely interact with each other. During off-line processing, the close interactions between characters are precomputed by expanding a game tree, and these are stored as data structures called interaction patches. Then, during run-time, the system spatlo-temporally concatenates the interaction patches to create scenes where a large number of characters closely interact with one another. Using our method, it is possible to automatically or interactively produce animations of crowds interacting with each other in a stylized way. The method can be used for a variety of applications including TV programs, advertisements and movies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain fundamental information for the effective use of scallop Patinopecten yessoensis mantle, which is one of the underutilized marine resources. Some properties of collagen contained in the mantle were examined by chemical and histochemical techniques. Collagen content in the mantle varied annually, ranging from 0.98 to 1.72% of wet tissue, 7.7 to 12.6% of dry tissue and 13.5 to 26.5% of total protein, being relatively in high level of collagen content of invertebrate muscles. Collagen fiber was densely distributed in the inner connective tissue matrix of the mantle pallial, in contrast to the inner fold part which was rich in muscle fibers. The collagen contained in the crude collagen fraction (residue after alkali extraction), prepared from the mantle, was revealed to have considerably low solubility on hot-water extraction, constantly less than 20% of the total collagen at the temperatures in the range of 20–90°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure of the interface between rubrene (C42H28) single crystal and ferromagnetic Ni is studied using an electrical method from a viewpoint of spintronics applications of organic single crystals. The Schottky barrier height at the interface is estimated to be 0.56 eV, and our finding is compared with previous results in spectroscopic method. This study clarifies the importance of electrical investigations of the Schottky barriers for various ferromagnet/organic systems and suggests that functionalization and carrier doping to rubrene single crystals are potential for obtaining the thinner barriers and yielding conclusive electrical spin injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-terminal (3T) measurement is a method of detecting spin accumulation at a ferromagnetic/semiconductor interface. Spin polarization (P) at the injector with an electric field (Pinjector) and that at the detector without an electric field (Pdetector) were measured separately by using the nonlocal (NL)-Hanle and 3T measurements, and Pinjector and Pdetector exhibited the same behavior with increasing temperature. We also found that the spin lifetime (τsp) in highly doped silicon measured by using the 3T method coincides with that estimated by the NL-Hanle measurement, which shows that the localized state does not exist at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the effect of spin-transfer-torque (STT) on artificial magnetic structures, STT-induced and magnetic field-induced ferromagnetic resonances (FMRs) were investigated for Fe/Cr/Fe layers with an antiferromagnetic coupling field. The magnetic field-induced FMR showed high resonant frequency at zero magnetic field owing to the antiferromagnetic coupling field. FMR modes characteristic of antiferromagnetic coupling were induced by STT. From the STT-FMR spectra, the critical current density for magnetization instability was estimated to be ∼7×107 A/cm2, suggesting the possibility that STT gives rise to the dynamic phase of magnetization in such artificial magnetic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene field-effect transistors with Co contacts as source and drain electrodes show anomalous distorted transfer characteristics. The anomaly appears only in short-channel devices (shorter than approximately 3 μm) and originates from a contact-induced effect. Band alteration of a graphene channel by the contacts is discussed as a possible mechanism for the anomalous characteristics observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We implemented a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study on rubrene (C42H28)-Co nanocomposites that exhibit an enhanced magnetoresistance (MR) ratio of 80%. The 59Co NMR spin echo experiment enabled clarification of the hyperfine field of Co at the interface between the ferromagnet and the molecules, which has not been investigated for molecular spintronics. An enhanced hyperfine field of the Co was observed in the rubrene-Co nanocomposites, which may be related to the enhancement of the MR ratio. This study demonstrates the importance of microscopic investigation of the interface between molecules and ferromagnets that governs spin-dependent transport in molecular spin devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter reports on the realization of logic circuits employing solution-processed networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes. We constructed basic logic gates (inverter and NAND) with n- and p-type field-effect transistors fabricated by solution-based chemical doping. Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor inverters exhibited voltage gains of up to 20, which illustrates the great potential of carbon nanotube networks for printable flexible electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have observed magnetoresistance (MR) ratios of 12% and 0.1% at 4.2 and 290 K, respectively, in a nanocomposite in which Co nanoparticles are embedded in the fine molecular structure of a tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) matrix. Structural analyses, magnetization measurements, and conduction properties of the device reveal that the MR effect is induced by spin-dependent transport in the Alq3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]