Prediction of nanocomposite properties and process optimization using persistent homology and machine learning.

Physical property prediction and synthesis process optimization are key targets in material informatics. In this study, we propose a machine learning approach that utilizes ridge regression to predict the oxygen permeability at fuel cell electrode surfaces and determine the optimal process temperature. These predictions are based on a persistence diagram derived from tomographic images captured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Through machine learning analysis of the complex structures present in the Pt/CeO2 nanocomposites, we discovered that l2 regularization considering diverse structural elements is more appropriate than l1 regularization (sparse modeling). Notably, our model successfully captured the activation energy of oxygen permeability, a phenomenon that could not be solely explained by the geometric feature of the Betti numbers, as demonstrated in a previous study. The correspondence between the ridge regression coefficient and persistence diagram revealed the formation process of the local and three-dimensional structures of CeO2 and their contributions to pre-exponential factor and activation energies. This analysis facilitated the determination of the annealing temperature required to achieve the optimal structure and accurately predict the physical properties.

Classification for transmission electron microscope images from different amorphous states using persistent homology.

It is difficult to discriminate the amorphous state using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). We discriminated different amorphous states on TEM images using persistent homology, which is a mathematical analysis technique that employs the homology concept and focuses on 'holes'. The structural models of the different amorphous states, that is, amorphous and liquid states, were created using classical molecular dynamic simulation. TEM images in several defocus conditions were simulated by the multi-slice method using the created amorphous and liquid states, and their persistent diagrams were calculated. Finally, logistic regression and support vector classification machine learning algorithms were applied for discrimination. Consequently, we found that the amorphous and liquid phases can be discriminated by more than 85%. Because the contrast of TEM images depends on sample thickness, focus, lens aberration, etc., radial distribution function cannot be classified; however, the persistent homology can discriminate different amorphous states in a wide focus range.

Supercooling of functional alkyl-π molecular liquids.

Metastable states of soft matters are extensively used in designing stimuli-responsive materials. However, the non-steady properties may obstruct consistent performance. Here we report an approach to eradicate the indistinguishable metastable supercooled state of functional molecular liquids (FMLs), which remains as a liquid for weeks or months before crystallizing, via rational molecular design. The phases (solid, kinetically stable liquid, and supercooled liquid) of a model FML, branched alkyl chain-substituted 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA), are found to be governed by subtle alterations of the molecular structure (alkyl-DPA ratio and bulkiness of the DPA unit). We thus outline molecular design principles to avoid supercooled FML formation. Moreover, we demonstrate a practical technique to rapidly discriminate supercooled FMLs (within 5 h) by accelerating their crystallization in differential scanning calorimetry heating via pre-annealing or relatively slow scanning.

Corrigendum to "Relationship between the Direction of Ophthalmic Artery Blood Flow and Ocular Microcirculation before and after Carotid Artery Stenting".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2016/2530914.].

A Guide to Design Functional Molecular Liquids with Tailorable Properties using Pyrene-Fluorescence as a Probe.

Solvent-free, nonvolatile, room-temperature alkylated-π functional molecular liquids (FMLs) are rapidly emerging as a new generation of fluid matter. However, precision design to tune their physicochemical properties remains a serious challenge because the properties are governed by subtle π-π interactions among functional π-units, which are very hard to control and characterize. Herein, we address the issue by probing π-π interactions with highly sensitive pyrene-fluorescence. A series of alkylated pyrene FMLs were synthesized. The photophysical properties were artfully engineered with rational modulation of the number, length, and substituent motif of alkyl chains attached to the pyrene unit. The different emission from the excimer to uncommon intermediate to the monomer scaled the pyrene-pyrene interactions in a clear trend, from stronger to weaker to negligible. Synchronously, the physical nature of these FMLs was regulated from inhomogeneous to isotropic. The inhomogeneity, unexplored before, was thoroughly investigated by ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy techniques. The result provides a clearer image of liquid matter. Our methodology demonstrates a potential to unambiguously determine local molecular organizations of amorphous materials, which cannot be achieved by conventional structural analysis. Therefore this study provides a guide to design alkylated-π FMLs with tailorable physicochemical properties.

Dimerization of emission centers in Eu-doped GaN red light-emitting diode: cooperative charge capturing using valence states coupling.

Despite the recent progress in red light-emitting diodes (LED) made of gallium nitride doped with europium (GaN:Eu) having sharp emission lines due to the 5D0 → 7F2 transition of Eu3+, unexpected subsidiary Eu emission centers radiate several satellite lines. We investigated these subsidiary emission centers by analyzing the harmonic contents through electronic means, and observed the originally forbidden even harmonics in a specific frequency region of 23-45 MHz. The even-harmonic generation was formulized with a binary response caused by the electronic coupling of emission centers in valence states, i.e. dimerization. The coupling was consistent with the results of the optical analyses of former studies. The binary response was experimentally quantified by using a parameter such as the phase difference between the responses of coupled centers, and a significant phase difference of 63° was observed at 36 MHz. The injection charges were cooperatively captured by the coupled emission centers and were branched into the constituent centers for recombination, resulting in undesired satellite emission lines.

Relationship between the Direction of Ophthalmic Artery Blood Flow and Ocular Microcirculation before and after Carotid Artery Stenting.

When internal carotid artery stenosis is accompanied by ocular ischemic syndrome, intervention is recommended to prevent irreversible visual loss. In this study, we used laser speckle flowgraphy to measure the ocular microcirculation in the optic nerve head before and after carotid artery stenting (CAS) of 40 advanced internal carotid stenosis lesions from 37 patients. The aim was to investigate the relationship between ocular microcirculation and the direction of ophthalmic artery blood flow obtained by angiography. We found that there was a significant increase in blood flow after CAS (P = 0.003). Peak systolic velocity as an indicator of the rate of stenosis was also significantly higher in the group with retrograde/undetected flow of the ophthalmic artery than in the group with antegrade flow (P = 0.002). In all cases where retrograde flow of the ophthalmic artery was observed before stenting, the flow changed to antegrade after stenting. Through the use of laser speckle flowgraphy, this study found that CAS can improve ocular microcirculation. Furthermore, while patients displaying retrograde flow of the ophthalmic artery before stenting have a poor prognosis, CAS corrected the flow to antegrade, suggesting that visual loss can be prevented by improving the ocular microcirculation.

Interaction of Nd dopants with broadband emission centers in Bi2O3-B2O3 glass: local energy balance and its influence on optical properties.

Chemical and energetic interactions between broadband infrared intrinsic emission centers (IECs) of bismuthates and extrinsic emission centers (EECs) of Nd2O3 dopants were optically and electronically investigated. Although no visible absorption from the IEC was found in untreated Bi2O3-B2O3 glass, it was clearly observed after a moderate thermal treatment of <200 °C, indicating chemical activity of O-deficient sites as the origin of IECs. On the other hand, Nd2O3 doping chemically stabilized the Bi2O3-B2O3 glass and suppressed IEC formation. By using a microwave measurement sensitive to electric dipoles, we found a 'switching' in local energy balance resulting from the Nd2O3 doping. This was explained by metallization of the O-deficient sites in the Bi2O3-B2O3 glass and multi-phonon excitation of IEC and EEC complexes in the Nd2O3-Bi2O3-B2O3 glass phosphor. Although the electric dipole observed by the microwave measurement was not necessarily caused by IEC, emission properties of the IEC and EEC complexes were consistent with energy balance switching; emissions from IECs after thermal treatment were quenched by EECs with multi-phonon excitation.

Effect of Notch expression in glioma stem cells on therapeutic response to chemo-radiotherapy in recurrent glioblastoma.

Glioma stem cells (GSCs) have the capacity to repopulate tumors and mediate resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The Notch signaling pathway is important in proliferation, stem cell maintenance, cell differentiation, and tumorigenesis in GSCs. In this study, we compared CD133, Notch, and VEGF expressions in histological sections of primary and recurrent glioblastomas after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In vitro study, the γ-secretase inhibitor inhibited NICD, Hes1 and pVEGFR2 expressions in GSCs. GSCs cultured under endothelial conditions undergo endothelial differentiation. Tumor samples were collected from 27 patients at the time of tumor recurrence. We used immunohistochemical techniques to compare expression of CD133, Notch-1 and VEGF. Expressions of CD133-, Notch-1-, and VEGF-positive glioma cells were higher in recurrent glioblastoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. To determine the clinical importance of Notch-1 expression in glioblastoma, we analyzed 15 patients who had received bevacizumab therapy followed by a second surgery at recurrence. OS was significantly longer in cases with Notch-1 negativity (8.8 months) than in those with I Notch-1 positivity (6.8 months). We noted that GSCs have the potential for endothelial differentiation with Notch activity. We believe that Notch-1 is a potential target and/or biomarker for antiangiogenic treatments.

Surface dielectric relaxation: probing technique and its application to thermal activation dynamics of polymer surface.

For dynamic analyses of a polymer surface, a dielectric relaxation measurement technique with parallel electrodes placed away from the surface was developed. In this technique, a liquid heating medium was filled in the space between the polymer surface and the electrodes. The construction that maintains the surface can clarify the physical interactions between the liquid and the bare surface and controlling the temperature of the liquid reveals the thermal activation property of the surface. The dielectric relaxation spectrum of the surface convoluted into the bulk and liquid spectra can be obtained by a reactance analysis and the surface spectrum is expressed with an equivalent resistance-capacitance parallel circuit. On the basis of the electromechanical analogy, the electric elements can be converted into mechanical elements that indicate the viscoelasticity of the polymer surface. Using these measurement and analysis techniques, the electric and mechanical properties of the surface of a gelatinized chloroprene rubber sample were analyzed.

Static states and dynamic behaviour of charges: observation and control by scanning probe microscopy.

This paper reviews charges that locally functionalize materials. Microscopic analyses and operation of charges using various scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have revealed static, quasi-static/quasi-dynamic and dynamic charge behaviours. Charge-sensitive SPM has allowed for the visualization of the distribution of functionalized charges in electronic devices. When used as bit data in a memory system, the charges can be operated by SPM. The behaviour of quasi-static/quasi-dynamic charges is discussed here. In the data-writing process, spatially dispersive charges rather than a fast injection rate are introduced, but the technical problems can be solved by using nanostructures. Careful charge operations using SPM should realize a memory with a larger density than Tbit/inch(2). Dynamic charges have been introduced in physical analyses and chemical processes. Although the observable timescale is limited by the SPM system response time of the order of several seconds, dynamics such as photon-induced charge redistributions and probe-assisted chemical reactions are observed.

Development of a scanning tunneling microscope for in situ experiments with a synchrotron radiation hard-X-ray microbeam.

A scanning tunneling microscope dedicated to in situ experiments under the irradiation of highly brilliant hard-X-rays of synchrotron radiation has been developed. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observation was enabled by developing an accurate alignment system in ultrahigh vacuum. Despite the noisy conditions of the synchrotron radiation facility and the radiation load around the probe tip, STM images were successfully obtained at atomic resolution. Tip-current spectra were obtained for Ge nano-islands on a clean Si(111) surface by changing the incident photon energy across the Ge absorption edge. A current modification was detected at the absorption edge with a spatial resolution of the order of 10 nm.