We introduce the development of conductive organic molecular assemblies including organic metals, superconductors, single component conductors, conductive films, and conductive liquids, particularl...

Development of Conductive Organic Molecular Assemblies: Organic Metals, Superconductors, and Exotic Functional Materials

The effects of on-site Coulomb interaction in two-dimensional organic conductors, κ-(BEDT-TTF) 2 X, α-(BEDT-TTF) 2 I 3 and (BEDT-TTF) 2 MHg(SCN) 4 , have been studied within the Hartree-Fock approximation. If the strength of Coulomb interaction exceeds some critical value, various kinds of antiferromagnetic states appear and these phases have been classified on a phase diagram with two key parameters, which leads to a unified view on the ground states of this unique family.

Phase Diagram of Two-Dimensional Organic Conductors: (BEDT-TTF) 2X

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has a high mortality rate, and current therapies are only marginally effective. A serum biomarker that predicts clinical outcome would be useful to stage disease, indicate prognosis and the need for aggressive therapy, and help stratify patients for clinical trials. The goals of this study were to determine whether serum levels of surfactant protein-A (SP-A) or surfactant protein-D (SP-D) would distinguish between IPF and other types of interstitial lung disease and whether serum SP-A or SP-D levels predict outcome in patients with IPF. The authors found that serum SP-A and SP-D levels were significantly elevated in patients with IPF and systemic sclerosis compared to sarcoidosis, beryllium disease and normal controls, and that SP-D correlated with radiographic abnormalities in patients with IPF. In addition, the authors found that both serum SP-A and SP-D levels were highly predictive of survival in patients with IPF. This is the largest North American data set of surfactant protein measurements in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the first report using multivariate analysis comparing serum surfactant proteins-A and -D to other commonly measured predictors of survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Based on these results, the authors propose that serum surfactant proteins may prove to be useful biomarkers in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/19/3/439.full.pdf

Serum surfactant proteins‐A and ‐D as biomarkers in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, life-threatening, interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. For optimal therapeutic management of IPF an accurate tool is required for discrimination between reversible and irreversible types of the disease. However, such noninvasive tools are few, and even with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), which is the most trusted method for doing so, the nature of the disease activity in IPF cannot always be accurately predicted. The aims of the present study were to assess the values of surfactant protein (SP)-A and SP-D in semiquantifying the extent of disease in IPF and in predicting deterioration in restrictive pulmonary function and survival over a follow-up period of 3-yr. SP-A and SP-D in sera were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays as previously described. Fifty-two IPF patients were studied to evaluate the association between serum SP-A and SP-D and disease extent on HRCT, deterioration in pulmonary function, and survival during 3 yr of follow-up. Both SP-A and SP-D concentrations were significantly correlated with the extent of alveolitis (a reversible change), whereas they did not correlate with the progression of fibrosis (an irreversible change). The SP-D concentration, unlike that of SP-A, was also related to the extent of parenchymal collapse and the rate of deterioration per year in pulmonary function. The concentrations of SP-A and SP-D in patients who died within 3 yr were significantly higher than in patients who were still alive after 3 yr. We propose that assays of SP-A and SP-D in sera from IPF patients are useful tools for understanding some pathologic characteristics of the disease, that SP-D may be a good predictive indicator of the rate of decline in pulmonary function, and that a combination of the assays for SP-A and SP-D may be helpful in predicting the outcome of patients with IPF.

https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1164/ajrccm.162.3.9910080

Serum surfactant proteins A and D as prognostic factors in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and their relationship to disease extent

Recent studies of charge-transfer salts of the ion bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF or ET) are reviewed, focusing in particular on experimental techniques which involve high magnetic fields and on data obtained since 1996. Novel experimental techniques developed in the past few years, including angle-dependent magnetoresistance oscillations, periodic orbit resonances and Fermi-surface traversal resonances are described in detail; briefer descriptions of more traditional techniques such as the Shubnikov-de Haas effect are also included. The applications of these techniques to the ?, ?, ? and ?'' BEDT-TTF salts is described. Theoretical developments related to the experimental data are also mentioned.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0034-4885/63/8/201/pdf

Studies of quasi-two-dimensional organic conductors based on BEDT-TTF using high magnetic fields

Magnetic breakdown effect in organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2

We report on dc magnetization measurements of high-quality single crystals of the title organic super-conductor. The temperature dependence of the magnetic penetration depth is estimated from the slope of the linear $M(\mathrm{ln}H)$ dependence in the London regime. An excellent agreement with the BCS theory for a weak-coupling superconductor in the clean limit is found. An attempt is made to relate the mixed-state-derived penetration depth, $\ensuremath{\gamma}(T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0)=535\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20$ mm, to normal-state Fermi-surface parameters. The strongly correlated heavy carriers appear to be of crucial importance to explain superconductivity in this material.

Magnetic penetration depth of kappa -(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2: Strong evidence for conventional Cooper pairing.

A simple, improved immunoassay for the determination of human surfactant protein A (SP-A) in human amniotic fluid was developed. The immunoreaction with a monoclonal antibody PC6-immobilized plastic bead, peroxidase-labeled monoclonal antibody PE10 and amniotic fluid sample diluting in the buffer containing 0.6% sodium dodecyl sulfate/2% Triton X-100, was carried out simultaneously at 45 degrees C for 30 min in test tubes. After washing the bead with 2% skimmilk in phosphate buffered saline containing 1% Triton X-100, the peroxidase reaction was developed by adding the substrate reagent and the absorbance was measured. The amniotic fluid obtained at full term was used as a standard instead of purified SP-A, because of the stability of the antigenicity. This immunoassay method was used to measure SP-A in 69 samples of amniotic fluid from 22 to 41 weeks of gestation. The result indicated that the SP-A values obtained by the present immunoassay can be used for predicting the fetal lung maturity. This simplified monoclonal immunoassay completed the measurement within 1 hr, and so it could be used routinely in clinical laboratory.

Hideki Sato

Papers

Magnetic breakdown effect in organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2

Magnetic penetration depth of kappa -(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2: Strong evidence for conventional Cooper pairing.

Improved immunoassay for the determination of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in human amniotic fluid.

Electrochemical characterization of cast Ti-Hf binary alloys.

Evaluation of cast Ti–Fe–O–N alloys for dental applications☆