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Background Cardiac fibrosis is one of the main causes of diastolic dysfunction in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a novel pro-fibrotic protein expressed especially in activated fibroblast, so-call myofibroblast [1]. Although our previous study showed that HE4 functioned as a secretory factor promoting cardiac fibrosis in dilated cardiomyopathy [2], little is known about the role of HE4 in HFpEF. Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the pathophysiological role of HE4 in HFpEF and the association between serum HE4 levels and clinical course of HFpEF. Methods In basic research, we administered high-fat diet and NOS inhibitor (L-NAME) to mice for 5 weeks to induce HFpEF. We analyzed echocardiographic findings and mRNA expressions of fibrosis-related genes including HE4 by real time PCR. In clinical research, we measured serum HE4 levels of 79 patients with HFpEF and divided these patients into low and high HE4 group using median values of HE4 (102.0 pmol/L). Then, we evaluated their mortality and cardiovascular events retrospectively. Results In vivo, the administration of high fat diet and L-NAME induced significant increase in left ventricular mass on echocardiography compared with control group (p=0.006). The mRNA expressions of aSMA and collagen3a1 in heart tissue was upregulated in HFpEF model mice (p=0.008 and p=0.003, respectively). Furthermore, the mRNA expression of HE4 was also upregulated in HFpEF model mice (n=6) than in control mice (n=5), although these differences did not reach statistical significance (p=0.238). In vitro, recombinant HE4 upregulated mRNA expression of pro-fibrotic genes, such as periostin (p=0.001), collagen3a1 (p=0.037), aSMA (p=0.095), and PAI-1 (p=0.17), indicating HE4 facilitate the activation of fibroblast and cardiac fibrosis although some did not reach statistical significance. In clinical research, Kaplan-Meier curve revealed that the rate of all cause death and rehospitalization for worsening heart failure were significantly higher in the high than the low HE4 group, suggesting HE4 can predicts prognosis in patients with HFpEF. Conclusion HE4 induces the activation of cardiac fibroblasts and is upregulated in the heart of HFpEF model mice. Furthermore, it is a useful biomarker for predicting cardiovascular events in patients with HFpEF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

The charge transfer (CT) complex 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbendizine-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TMB-TCNQ) was found to display the thermosalient effect, in which crystals exhibit mechanical respo...

When a metal is soaked in an electrolyte solution, the metal and solution affect each other through the formation of electric double layers (EDLs) at their interfaces. The EDLs at metal-electrolyte interfaces can realize high-density charge-carrier injections and accumulations, and thus have recently attracted attention for their potential application to energy storage, and electronic and electrochemical devices. In such EDL-based devices, including field-effect transistors (FETs), the potential energy of surface electrons in the metal electrodes (EM) governs the transistor device performance. This is in clear contrast to redox-driven electrochemical devices such as dye-sensitized solar cells and electrochromic devices, whose performance is primarily governed by the potentials of the redox-active species. However, there has been no systematic research to bridge the distance between metal electrons and electrolyte ions. In the present study, we carefully examined the dependence of EM of ITO, Au and Pt electrodes on the concentration of the PEG solutions of LiCl and MgCl2, because it has been well established that the chemical potential of electrolyte solutions is dependent on the solution concentrations. Our results showed that, at the same electrolyte concentration, the values of EM increased in the order of ITO, Au and Pt; moreover, on the same electrode, EM showed linear decreases as a function of the logarithm of the electrolyte concentrations. To understand these behaviors, we developed a theoretical treatment of the EDLs based on the simple Gouy-Chapman model, and obtained the theoretical expressions of EM in terms of the concentration of electrolyte and the work function of the metal electrode (ΦM), which were found to successfully explain the dependences of EM on the electrolyte concentration and the electrode materials. We also examined the EDL-FETs of platinum phthalocyanine (PtPc), with various LiCl-PEG solutions of different concentrations as gate electrolytes. The threshold voltage eVT and EM exhibited a linear relation, which was well explained by the relation between EM and the valence band energy EVB of PtPc. The transfer characteristics at various gate voltage VG were found to be well normalized by a function of eVG + EM.

Most temperate fruit tree species enter dormancy in autumn and come out of dormancy after exposure to a certain amount of chilling. Recent global climate change affects bud dormancy of temperate fruit trees in Japan and might interfere with bud dormancy and blooming dates in apple trees (Malus × domestica) in the future. However, our knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying endodormancy release and the genetic factors controlling chilling requirements and blooming date in apple is limited. In peach (Prunus persica) and P. mume (Rosaceae), DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-box (DAM) genes have been identified as candidate key factors controlling chilling requirements. We previously analysed gene expressions of two apple DAM-like genes, MdDAM1 (MDP0000322567) and MdDAM2 (MDP0000259294), in dormant buds collected from apple trees grown in Kyoto, Japan, and reported that MdDAM2 was constantly downregulated during dormancy release in the same manner as Prunus DAMs. In this study, we performed seasonal expression analysis of two apple DAM-like genes in ‘Fuji’ flower buds collected from trees grown in Nagano, Japan, with special attention to the morphological changes of internal flower structure. The analysis revealed that both genes were upregulated during the flowering initiation stage, from June to Aug. After inflorescence development, MdDAM2 was constantly downregulated during the flower organ differentiation stage, while MdDAM1 was expressed at a relatively higher level throughout the flower organ differentiation stage. Based on these results the relationship between flower organ development and the expressions of DAMs in fruit tree species of Rosaceae is discussed.

Molecule-based ferroelectrics has attracted much attention because of its advantages, such as flexibility, light weight, and low environmental load. In the present work, we examined an organic metal|insulator|semiconductor|insulator|metal (MISIM) device structure to stabilize the interfacial polarization in the S layer and to induce polarization hysteresis even without bulk ferroelectrics. The MISIM devices with I = parylene C and S = TMB (=3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine)-TCNQ (=tetracyanoquinodimethane) exhibited hysteresis loops in the polarization-voltage (P-V) curves not only at room temperature but also over a wide temperature range down to 80 K. The presence of polarization hysteresis for MISIM devices was theoretically confirmed by an electrostatic model, which also explained the observed thickness dependence of the I layers on the P-V curves. Polarization hysteresis curves were also obtained in MISIM devices using typical organic semiconductors (ZnPc, C60, and TCNQ) as the S layer, demonstrating the versatility of the interfacial polarization mechanism.

BackgroundThe risk of pregnancy complications, such as gestational hypertension is high in pregnancies with SLE. In addition, the risk of flare is elevated if pregnancy occurs during the high disease activity. The EULAR recommendation provides a checklist for preconception counseling, in which patients with SLE desiring pregnancy were required the condition that the disease activity prior to pregnancy should be stable for 6-12 months in terms of serological activity (1). However, it does not provide specific criteria for serological activity so that physicians should evaluate the risk of pregnancy in each case by their clinical intuitions.ObjectivesIn order to uncover the present clinical situation for the acceptability of pregnancy in patients with SLE, we performed questionnaire survey to physicians regarding to the degree of serological activity.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed to physicians registered with the Japanese College of Rheumatology from December 2020 to January 2021 using the online survey. The questionnaire asked about the characteristics of physicians, facilities and the permission of pregnancies with SLE using vignette scenarios. In this study, data from vignettes of women visiting a regular outpatient clinic were used. The vignettes varied in age (28 or 35 years), duration of stable disease and serological activity. Analysis methods were descriptive statistics, chi-square test. generalized estimating equations (GEE) was performed to investigate the relationship between the determining permission for pregnancy and the scenario patient’s characteristics (age, period of stable disease, titer of anti ds-DNA antibody)ResultsThe questionnaire was distributed to 4946 physicians, and 463 responded. Completion rate (ratio agreed to participate/finished survey) of survey was 91.1%. The median age of physicians was 46 (interquartile range (IQR) 2-10). The specialty was rheumatology (84.9%), other internal medicine (8%), and pediatrics (5.6%). There were no significant differences in patient’s age about the acceptability of pregnancy (coeffficianet -0.02, 95% CI -0.17 -0.01, p=0.42). Case who had been stable for 6 months were more tolerant of pregnancy than case who had been stable for 3 months (coeffficianet 0.12, 95% CI 0.09-0.15, PConclusionWe found that even mild serological activity alone had a significant negative effect on the physician’s decision to allow pregnancy. We conclude that current physicians make cautious decisions about pregnancies of patients with SLE following the recommendation. On the other hand, an additional investigation should be performed about the results of pregnancies in patients with serological abnormalities, since there are some physicians who thought that pregnancy may be acceptable for patients with only serological abnormalities if the clinical symptoms are stable.References[1]Ann Rheum Dis．2017 Mar;76(3):476-485AcknowledgementsI would like to express my gratitude to the members of Japan College of Rheumatology who cooperated in filling out the questionnaire.Disclosure of InterestsSakiko Isojima: None declared, Nobuyuki Yajima: None declared, Ryo Yanai: None declared, Yoko Miura: None declared, Shingo Fukuma: None declared, Kayoko Kaneko: None declared, Keishi Fujio: None declared, Kenji Oku: None declared, Masakazu Matsushita: None declared, Takako Miyamae: None declared, Takashi Wada: None declared, Yuko Kaneko: None declared, Yoshiya Tanaka Speakers bureau: Y. Tanaka has received speaking fees and/or honoraria from Gilead, Abbvie, Behringer-Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Mitsubishi-Tanabe, Chugai, Amgen, YL Biologics, Eisai, Astellas, Bristol-Myers, Astra-Zeneca, Grant/research support from: Y. Tanaka has received research grants from Asahi-Kasei, Abbvie, Chugai, Mitsubishi-Tanabe, Eisai, Takeda, Corrona, Daiichi-Sankyo, Kowa, Behringer-Ingelheim, and consultant fee from Eli Lilly, Daiichi-Sankyo, Taisho, Ayumi, Sanofi, GSK, Abbvie., Ayako Nakajima: None declared, ATSUKO MURASHIMA: None declared

BackgroundIn cases of systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that lead to surgery due to the development of heart diseases such as valvular disease, ischemic heart disease and aortic aneurysm, early detection and careful monitoring are important. An absence of background diseases or immunopathological examination of the myocardial tissue in SLE cases with cardiovascular lesions demonstrates the lack of knowledge in this area. In recent years, however, there have been reports of neutrophil extracellular traps being involved in the fulminant onset of SLE.ObjectivesThis study aimed to analyze clinically and immunohistopathologically the pathophysiology of heart diseases associated with SLE.MethodsWe performed left atrial appendage resection in 34 patients, including patients with cardiovascular lesions, who underwent heart surgery for SLE complications from 2012 to 2021. Tissue analysis was conducted in 9 cases. The left atrial appendage, in cases of non-collagen valvular disease, was used as the control. Tissue staining of cardiomyocytes was carried out by adding anti-neutrophil extracellular(NE) antibodies(Abs) to anti-human IgG antibody (Ab), anti-IgM Ab and anti-C3 Ab.ResultsOf the 34 SLE patients 14 had valvular disease, 8 had ischemic heart disease and 12 had aneurysms. Preoperative SLE activity was relatively stable with only 1 patient below the CH50 standard and 6 patients above the anti-DNA Ab standard. The Ab positivity rate for the patients in this study was higher than that of the 687 SLE patients who were previously tested in 2019. The presence of anti-CL Abs was 55.6%, which was higher than the 25.5% observed in previous SLE patients. In this study, anti-SS-A and anti-RNP Abs tended to be relatively numerous. An example of immunohistochemical staining of IgG in the left atrial appendage is presented (Figure 1a). IgG deposits were not observed on the left side of the myocardial fibers in the control group, whereas IgG deposits were observed on the right side in the SLE group. Deposits were also observed in tissues that were not located in the affected areas. The presence or absence of tissue deposition in the myocardial fibers and clinical findings in 2 cases of the control group and 9 cases of the SLE complication group are reported in Table 1. IgG deposits were found in the myocardial fibers of 6 of the 9 patients in the SLE complication group, and deposits were found in the left atrial appendage tissue regardless of the type of heart disease, suggesting a potential change in the heart tissue. In the SLE group, 5 cases were positive for antiphospholipid (APS) Abs, while 7 cases were positive for either anti-SS-A or anti-RNP Abs. Only 2 cases had elevated preoperative anti-DNA Ab and complement reduction. Of the SLE complication group, 2 of the 9 cases were negative for all Abs but IgG deposits were observed in a case. Of these 4 cases were selected and stained with anti-IgM, anti-C3 and anti-NE Abs. However IgM and C3 deposits were only observed in one patient who developed myocardial infarction at the age of 39 and was triple positive for APS, anti-SS-A and anti-RNP Abs (Figure 1b). There were also no NE deposits in any of the cases. Even if complement and anti-DNA Ab levels in the serum are normal, attention should be paid to heart disease complications during the long-term observation of SLE patients. In particular, attention should be paid to various autoantibody-positive cases such as APS, anti-SS-A Ab and anti-RNP Ab. The anti-NE Ab was not stained in this study because the tissue was different from the lesion site and because it occurred during the chronic course.ConclusionIn SLE patients who developed cardiovascular lesions and required surgery, immunological abnormalities may occur in the myocardial tissue even if serum complement and anti-DNA Ab levels are stable.References[1]Stephane Zuily et al. Valvular Curr Rheumatol Rep (2013) 15:320.[2]Zawadowski GM et al. Lupus. 2012;21(13):1378-84.[3]Daniel Appelgren et al. Autoimmunity 2018,vol51,No.6,310-318.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

In the last decades, surgical pathology has undergone rapid, profound transformations to adapt to the growing need in identifying specific biological markers at the same extent that the emerging “Personalized Medicine” becomes an everyday reality. The incorporation of molecular aspects in the different subspecialties of pathology is reflected in the classifications of neoplasms adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO). To do so, significant capital investments in equipment and reagents are needed, adding costs that did not exist before in an anatomical pathological examination. However, different countries present very different economic, political, cultural, and social realities. In some developing countries, such as Brazil, all the existing resources for molecular diagnosis are present, but with limited accessibility to these resources for the vast majority of the population. The great challenge is to be effective, while making it accessible to increasingly large segments of the population.

Background Edge restenosis still occurs after stent implantation, even by using new generation drug-eluting stents (DES) considered to have favorable biomechanical properties. Mechanical stress imposed on the stent edge are thought to be aggravated by hinge motion at a point between the stented and unstented segments, inducing chronic local inflammation and neointimal overgrowth. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the development of edge restenosis and hinge motion in right coronary artery (RCA) where the excessive vessel movement is commonly observed. Methods Among consecutive 650 lesions in RCA where new generation DESs were implanted between 2009 and 2019, 427 serial lesions with sets of angiographies at baseline and follow-up (6–18 month) were included. In addition to conventional quantitative angiography analysis, hinge angle at stent edges was measured (Fig. 1). All the appropriate data for intravascular imaging were analyzed for both stent edges and reference segments. Results Binary restenosis occurred in 43 lesions, and 39 of them were referred to re-intervention. Fifty five percent of them were related to stent edges (15 at proximal and 9 at distal edges). Classical risk factors including diabetes and hemodialysis were more prevalent in the restenosis group (p Conclusion Substantial stress determined by angulation at the stent edge and its interaction with residual plaque can be considered as one of the plausible mechanisms for edge restenosis. For tortuous RCA lesions, it would be important to decide the stent-landing zone for minimizing hinge motion and optimize the future stent design. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Molecular donor–acceptor heterostructures have been utilized to obtain ambipolar characteristics in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). In the present work, we examined the surface morphologies of the double-layer thin films of the donor–acceptor pair of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and its fluorinated analogue (F16CuPc). We then performed in situ real-time measurements on the formation processes of ambipolar transport channels in the double-layer CuPc/F16CuPc and F16CuPc/CuPc FETs, with gradual growths of the top layers on the bottom layers under high vacuum conditions. When CuPc was deposited on the F16CuPc bottom layer, the n-type mobility was immediately enhanced because of an electron carrier injection to the F16CuPc layer. In the case of CuPc top-layer growth, ambipolar properties were clearly seen when the top layer was thicker than 2.4 ML. Finally, the CuPc/F16CuPc FET exhibited a well-balanced ambipolar transport with p- and n-type mobilities of 2.6 × 10–2 and 1.4 × 10–2 cm2/V s, respective...

Spectroscopic factors of neutron-hole and proton-hole states in ^{131}Sn and ^{131}In, respectively, were measured using one-nucleon removal reactions from doubly magic ^{132}Sn at relativistic energies. For ^{131}In, a 2910(50)-keV γ ray was observed for the first time and tentatively assigned to a decay from a 5/2^{-} state at 3275(50) keV to the known 1/2^{-} level at 365 keV. The spectroscopic factors determined for this new excited state and three other single-hole states provide first evidence for a strong fragmentation of single-hole strength in ^{131}Sn and ^{131}In. The experimental results are compared to theoretical calculations based on the relativistic particle-vibration coupling model and to experimental information for single-hole states in the stable doubly magic nucleus ^{208}Pb.

The pyren-1′-yl-functionalized dithiadiazolyl (DTDA) radical, C16H9CNSSN (1), is monomeric in solution and exhibits fluorescence in the deep-blue region of the visible spectrum (440 nm) upon excitation at 241 nm. The salt [1][GaCl4] exhibits similar emission, reflecting the largely spectator nature of the radical in the fluorescence process, although the presence of the radical leads to a modest quenching of emission (ΦF = 98% for 1+ and 50% for 1) through enhancement of non-radiative decay processes. Time-dependent density functional theory studies on 1 coupled with the similar emission profiles of both 1+ and 1 are consistent with the initial excitation being of predominantly pyrene π–π* character. Spectroscopic studies indicate stabilization of the excited state in polar media, with the fluorescence lifetime for 1 (τ = 5 ns) indicative of a short-lived excited state. Comparative studies between the energies of the frontier orbitals of pyren-1′-yl nitronyl nitroxide (2, which is not fluorescent) and 1 r...

We examined the influence of atmospheric gases on the photoelectric properties of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) thin films, using in situ photocurrent measurements under high vacuum without/with exposure to air. Prior to air exposure, the photocurrent of amorphous and Phase II thin films of TiOPc with thicknesses of 24 nm exhibited low external quantum efficiencies (EQE) of 0.05% and 0.52%, respectively, in the Q-band regions, and these values were enhanced to 0.21% and 12.0%, respectively, by air exposure. In contrast, this treatment resulted in a decrease in the photosensitivity, defined as the photo-to-dark current ratio, by 1 or 2 orders of magnitude. Once these thin films experienced air exposure, their photoelectric properties did not recover to the original ones even after restoration to high vacuum.

Authors thank the University of St Andrews, the Leverhulme Trust (International Network Grant IN-2012-094) and the JSPS Core-to Core Program, A. Advanced Research Networks for support. The magnetic, structural, conductivity and magnetoresistance properties of [Ni(quinoline-8-selenoate)2] ([Ni(qs)2]) have been studied. Despite the insolubility of the material necessitating its study as a powdered sample, a remarkably high conductivity has been measured. The conductivity is an order of magnitude greater than the thin-film processable thiol analogue previously reported and has been interpreted through the same space-charge limited conduction mechanism with charges injected from the electrodes. The introduction of selenium, results in a material with conductivity approaching metallic due to the enhanced interaction between adjacent molecules. Additionally, under an applied magnetic field, the material displays a negative magnetoresistance effect above 35% at 2 K. The effect can still be observed at 200 K and is interpreted in terms of a double-exchange mechanism. Publisher PDF

A tetracyanoquaterthienoquinoid (TCT4Q)-based field effect transistor is characterized by the ambipolar transfer characteristics and the facile shift of the threshold voltage induced by the bias stress. The trapping and detrapping kinetics of charge carriers was investigated in detail by the temperature dependence of the decay of source-drain current (ISD). We found a repeatable formation of a molecular floating gate is derived from a ‘charge carrier-and-gate’ cycle comprising four stages, trapping of mobile carriers, formation of a floating gate, induction of oppositely charged mobile carriers, and recombination between mobile and trapped carriers to restore the initial state.

A new anionic gold dithiolene complex NBu4·[1] has been synthesised from the (1-((1,1 biphenyl)-4-yl-)-ethylene-1,2-dithiolene ligand 1, and the cis and trans isomers separated by recrystallization. The trans isomer is oxidised via electrocrystallisation to the neutral gold dithiolene complex 2. Complex 2 crystallises in one-dimensional chains, held together by short (3.30-3.37 Å) S-S contacts, which are packed in a herringbone arrangement in the ab-plane. The complex exhibits semiconductor behaviour (σRT = 1.5 × 10−4 S cm−1) at room temperature with a small activation energy (Ea = 0.11 eV), with greater conductivity along the stacking direction. The charge transport behaviour of complex 2 was further investigated in single crystal FET measurements, the first such measurements reported for gold dithiolene complexes. Complex 2 showed incredibly balanced ambipolar behaviour in the SC-FET, with high charge carrier mobilities of 0.078 cm2 V–1 s–1, the highest ambipolar mobilities reported for metal dithiolene complexes. This well-balanced behaviour, along with the activated conductivity and band structure calculations, suggests that 2 behaves as a Mott insulator. The magnetic properties were also studied by SQUID magnetometry and solid state 1H NMR, with evidence of a non magnetic ground state at low temperature.

Aim To evaluate the effects of early (≤6 months after starting any medical treatment [baseline] for benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH]), intermediate (between >6 months and 2 years from baseline) and late (2 years after baseline) initiation of add-on dutasteride therapy on the incidence of acute urinary retention (AUR) and BPH-related surgery in Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe BPH. Methods This multicentre, observational, retrospective chart review study used anonymised data from Japanese medical records. Eligible patients (≥50 years) were followed from baseline until first AUR, BPH-related surgery or Year 4. Results Overall, 1206 patients were included (early initiation: n = 793; intermediate: n = 233; late: n = 180). Early dutasteride initiation was not superior to late initiation in reducing the risk of first AUR or BPH-related surgery from baseline (hazard ratio [HR] 0.733; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.468-1.150) but was superior in reducing the risk of first AUR alone (HR 3.449; 95% CI 1.796-6.623). One year after initiation, the cumulative incidence of first AUR rose rapidly in the late vs early and intermediate initiation groups. Incidences of all parameters (first AUR/BPH-related surgery, first AUR alone and BPH-related surgery alone) in patients undergoing BPH-related surgery in low incidence sites (ie clinical sites with ≤ 16% incidence of first AUR or BPH-related surgery) were significantly lower in the early vs late initiation groups. Conclusion Early dutasteride initiation reduced the risk of AUR in a Japanese real-world setting. A randomised controlled trial is warranted to evaluate the benefit of early initiation in preventing BPH-related surgery in Japanese patients.

We examined the morphologies and structures of pentacene and C60 thin films grown on thin layers of an ionic liquid, N,N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)ammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (DEME-TFSI), and found that the characteristics of the films depended significantly on the thickness of DEME-TFSI. In addition, we fabricated organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) of pentacene and C60 in which a thin layer of DEME-TFSI was inserted between the organic semiconductor (pentacene or C60) and the gate insulating layer, and measured their performance in situ. We found that 1.5–2 ML (ML: monolayer) DEME-TFSI produced a large hysteresis loop in the transfer characteristics in these OFETs, but 5 ML DEME-TFSI resulted in the formation of normally-on states with far smaller memory effects. The curvatures of the hysteresis loops were caused by the formation of trap states induced by the DEME-TFSI layers. This novel technique provides a simple tool for creating hysteresis behavior and could potentially be applied to transistor memory devices., ファイル公開：2020/09/21

Fifty-five inclusive single nucleon removal cross sections from medium mass neutron-rich nuclei impinging on a hydrogen target at � 250 MeV/nucleon were measured at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. Systematically higher cross sections are found for proton removal from nuclei with an even number of protons compared to odd-proton number projectiles for a given neutron separation energy. Neutron removal cross sections display no even-odd splitting contrary to nuclear cascade model predictions. Both effects are understood through simple considerations of neutron separation energies and bound state level densities originating in pairing correlations in the daughter nuclei. These conclusions are supported by comparison with semi-microscopic model predictions,highlighting the enhanced role of low-lying level densities in nucleon removal cross sections from loosely-bound nuclei.

Fifty-five inclusive single nucleon-removal cross sections from medium mass neutron-rich nuclei impinging on a hydrogen target at ∼ 250 MeV / nucleon are measured at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. Systematically higher cross sections are found for proton removal from nuclei with an even number of protons as compared to odd-proton number projectiles for a given neutron separation energy. Neutron removal cross sections display no even-odd splitting, contrary to nuclear cascade model predictions. Both effects are understood through simple considerations of neutron separation energies and bound state level densities originating in pairing correlations in the daughter nuclei. These conclusions are supported by comparison with semimicroscopic model predictions, highlighting the enhanced role of low-lying level densities in nucleon-removal cross sections from loosely bound nuclei.

Nuclear magic numbers, which emerge from the strong nuclear force based on quantum chromodynamics, correspond to fully occupied energy shells of protons, or neutrons inside atomic nuclei. Doubly magic nuclei, with magic numbers for both protons and neutrons, are spherical and extremely rare across the nuclear landscape. While the sequence of magic numbers is well established for stable nuclei, evidence reveals modifications for nuclei with a large proton-to-neutron asymmetry. Here, we provide the first spectroscopic study of the doubly magic nucleus $^{78}$Ni, fourteen neutrons beyond the last stable nickel isotope. We provide direct evidence for its doubly magic nature, which is also predicted by ab initio calculations based on chiral effective field theory interactions and the quasi-particle random-phase approximation. However, our results also provide the first indication of the breakdown of the neutron magic number 50 and proton magic number 28 beyond this stronghold, caused by a competing deformed structure. State-of-the-art phenomenological shell-model calculations reproduce this shape coexistence, predicting further a rapid transition from spherical to deformed ground states with $^{78}$Ni as turning point.

Electrochemical deposition has been used to prepare a thin film of neutral 4',4-(3-alkyl)-thiophene-5',5-hydogen-nickel and copper dithiolenes (Ni-C2, Cu-C2). The application of molecular electrodeposition provides a means to solution process molecular semiconductors of poor solubility, which results from the strong intermolecular interaction required for charge transport. Both Ni-C2 and Cu-C2 form continuous thin films that show intense NIR absorptions, extending to 1800 nm and 2000 nm respectively giving evidence for the strong intermolecular interactions in the solid state. Both films are highly conducting and temperature dependence of resistance gave an activation energy of 0.42 eV and 0.072 eV respectively, with the near-metallic behaviour of Cu-C2 attributed to the additional presence of an unpaired electron.

We report ultrathin-film formation of metal-porphyrins with their molecular plane aligned parallel to the substrate. Such an alignment has been achieved through application of an external magnetic field to a monolayer of the porphyrin derivatives followed by immobilization of the molecules with a layer of a polyion. The orientation of metal-porphyrin molecules in a monolayer responded to the magnetic field due to their anisotropic magnetic moment arising out of unpaired d-electrons of the central atom. In this work, we compared characteristics of different metal-porphyrin molecules in their aligned and unaligned forms. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) of a monolayer of the porphyrins were recorded that in turn yielded density of states (DOS) from which highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO) could be located. We observed that the energies responded upon alignment of the molecules; transport gap of metal porphyrins representing both Soret and Q-bands decreased in the aligned films due to an interaction of the molecular planes with the electrode. We compared the transport gap from STS and optical gap representing Soret and Q-bands in films of aligned and unaligned molecules.

This study reports on the implementation of transient opto-electronic conversion for energy harvesting associated with induced electric double layers (EDLs) at perovskite/ionic liquid interfaces. High speed alternating current (AC) producing photovoltaic devices are successfully fabricated and demonstrated with a device architecture as indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/ionic liquid/aluminum (Al). 52% peak external quantum efficiency with a maximum responsivity of 228 mA W−1 has been observed with a relatively uniform response over the whole visible solar spectrum. Such a new class of devices can produce photocurrent under both light “ON” and “OFF” cycles in response to a pulsed signal. This unique feature makes them inherently capable of producing AC power when illuminated under modulated solar radiation. The large (∼90 dB) linear dynamic range (LDR) of the devices confirms their efficient power conversion capabilities even from very low intensity light sources. At 50 Hz modulation frequency, a photovoltaic device with ∼2% overall effective AC power conversion efficiency, which further increases and gets saturated around ∼3% beyond 160 Hz modulation frequency, is also successfully realized. The mechanism of the AC effect formation is explained based on the energy band diagram and an equivalent resistance (R)–capacitance (C) circuit of the devices.