We describe director distortions in the nematic liquid crystal (LC) caused by a spherical particle with tangential surface orientation of the director and show that light transmittance through the distorted region is a steep function of the particle's size. The effect allows us to propose a real-time microbial sensor based on a nontoxic lyotropic chromonic LC (LCLC) that detects and amplifies the presence of immune complexes. A cassette is filled with LCLC, antibody, and antigen-bearing particles. Small and isolated particles cause no macroscopic distortions of the LCLC. Upon antibody-antigen binding, the growing immune complexes distort the director and cause detectable optical transmittance between crossed polarizers.

We describe director distortions in the nematic liquid crystal (LC) caused by a spherical particle with tangential surface orientation of the director and show that light transmittance through the distorted region is a steep function of the particle's size. The effect allows us to propose a real-time microbial sensor based on a lyotropic chromonic LC (LCLC) that detects and amplifies the presence of immune complexes. A cassette is filled with LCLC, antibody, and antigen-bearing particles. Small and isolated particles cause no macroscopic distortions of the uniformly aligned LCLC. Upon antibody-antigen binding, the growing immune complexes

We visualize undulations in layered systems using a cholesteric stripe phase with a macroscopic supramicron periodicity. The wave vector of stripe pattern is in the cell's plane. The undulation is induced by an in-plane magnetic field normal to the stripes. The observed displacement of layers is much larger than the value predicted by the Helfrich-Hurault classic theory. We propose a model of undulations that explains the data by finite surface anchoring of layers.

The displacement field around an isolated elementary dislocation in a medium with one-dimensional periodicity is established experimentally. The system studied is a cholesteric fingerprint texture with a macroscopic ( approximately 10 microm) periodicity. The characteristic elastic length is smaller than the "interlayer" distance. As a result, the experimental dislocation profile deviates from the classic pattern predicted by the linear elastic theory but fits well with the recently suggested nonlinear theory of dislocation [Phys. Rev. E 59, R4752 (1999)].

To clarify the relationship between Li + transport rate in glyme-based electrolytes and Li deposition/dissolution behavior at Li metal negative electrode (NE) in Li-air batteries (LAB) systems, 1.0 M tetraglyme (G4) electrolytes were prepared containing a Li salt of LiSO 3 CF 3 , LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 , or LiN(SO 2 F) 2 . Two aspects of Li + transfer between the two phases, i.e., G4 electrolyte | Li metal NE, were evaluated, namely i) Li + supplying rate and ii) Li + charge transfer rate through solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films. The former was investigated by self-diffusion coefficients D of Li + , anions, and G4 solvent together with ionic conductivity σ, viscosity, density, and apparent dissociation degree α app of the Li salts estimated by the Nernst-Einstein equation. The latter was evaluated with Li | Li symmetric and LAB (Li | O 2 ) cells containing the electrolytes. The Li deposition/dissolution reaction basically depended on the Li + supplying rate in the Li | Li cell; however Li dendrites were formed. Conversely, the LAB cell performance was controlled by Li oxide layers formed on the NE, resulting in similar discharge/charge properties without Li dendrites. The effects of surface-oxidation was also confirmed with Li | Li cells containing O 2 gas, where both SEI and charge transfer resistances were In recent years, rechargeable non-aqueous Li-air batteries (LABs) have received increasing attention as large-scale energy storage devices for long-range electric vehicles (EVs), because of their high energy density, more than five times greater than that of conventional Liion batteries (LIBs).1-4 However, some problems need to be addressed to enable the realization of this technology, including choking of the air electrode by Li 2 O 2 generated during discharging and the high overpotential required by Li 2 O 2 oxidation reaction during charging. These factors lead to oxidative deterioration of the electrolytes and the air electrode, which consists of porous carbon materials. At the Li metal negative electrode (NE), Li dendrite growth during discharge/charge cycles also poses serious safety problems. 15 has been suggested as a way of avoiding the short circuiting of cells caused by Li dendrite growth. However, the additives commonly used to control the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film do not effectively work in LAB systems. In these systems the Li dissolution/deposition reaction is repeated many times and O 2 gas is fed in from the air electrode, resulting in destabilization of the SEI films. Furthermore, carbonatetype electrolytes are decomposed by O 2 − radicals generated at the air electrode during the discharge process. Recently, ether-based electrolytes, based on 1,2 dimethoxyethane (DME or G1), diglyme (G2), triglyme (G3), or tetraglyme (G4) as a solvent, have been widely investigated for non-aqueous LAB systems. 16 These ethers have high oxygen solubility and relatively low electric constants, resulting in lower reactivity toward O 2 − radicals than that of carbonate-based electrolytes.17 H...

To elucidate the determination factors affecting Li-ion transport in glyme-based electrolytes, six kinds of 1.0 M tetraglyme (G4) electrolytes were prepared containing a Li salt (LiSO 3 CF 3 , LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 , or LiN(SO 2 F) 2 ) or different concentrations (0.5, 2.0, or 2.7 M) of LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 . In addition to conventional bulk parameters such as ionic conductivity (s), viscosity (h), and density, self-diffusion coefficients of Li + , anions, and G4 were measured by pulsed-gradient spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance method.Interaction energies (DE) were determined by density functional theory calculations based on the supermolecule method for Li + -anion (salt dissociation) and G4-Li + (Li + solvation) interactions. The DE values corresponded to ion diffusion radii formed by solvation and/or ion pairs. The order of dissociation energies DE was LiSO 3 CF 3 > LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 > LiN(SO 2 F) 2 , which agreed well with the dissociation degree of these salts in the electrolytes. From the obtained knowledge, we also demonstrated that increasing the mobility and number of carrier ions are effective ways to enhance s of glyme-based electrolytes by using 1,2-dimethoxyethane with lower h and similar dielectric constant to those of G4.

Recently, LiNO3-based electrolytes using tetraglyme (G4) solvent (LiNO3/G4) have attracted increasing attention for non-aqueous rechargeable Li-air (O2) batteries (LAB) because of the bifunctional effect of NO3 − anion as both redox mediator (RM) at air electrode and additive to form Li2O layer on the surface of Li metal negative electrode (NE), which suppresses Li dendrite growth and electrolyte decomposition. However, the dissociation degree of LiNO3 salt was quite low, which causes to low ionic conductivity and the above effects of NO3 − would not work effectively in the electrolyte. In this study, we tried to apply dual solvent system to the LiNO3/G4 electrolyte. Namely, acetonitrile and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with relatively high dielectric constant and low viscosity were mixed with G4 solvent to increase the number per volume and mobility of Li+ and NO3 − as carrier ions for reduction of the large overpotential during charge process and enhancement of the power density. The DMSO mixed electrolyte greatly reduced the large charge overpotential and relative stable operation for the LAB (Li ∣ O2) cells. Furthermore, the Li2O passivation layer formed by NO3 − anion effectively suppressed the electrolyte decomposition at Li metal NE. These effects were enhanced especially at higher rate of discharge/charge operation.

Key words：Advance Care Planning, an explanation of the prognosis including problems likely to occur in daily life, confrmation of the chosen place of death, patients with end-stage cancer, visiting nurses AbstractPurpose: To examine the association between advance care planning (ACP) by a visiting nurse and achieving the desired place of death for patients with end-stage cancer.Methods: A cross-sectional nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted for visiting nurses at 1,000 randomly selected home care agencies. Items included the actual place of death, patients' preferences for place for death, ACP (support for understanding of life expectancy and confrmation and adjustment of the chosen place of death) by nurses at each home visit, and factors related to ACP in nurses' practice. Logistic regression was conducted with achieving the desired place of death as the dependent variable.Results: A total of 374 responses were analyzed. Regarding the place of death, 65.0% of patients died at home and 73.8% died at their chosen place. Te rate of an explanation of the prognosis, including problems likely to occur in daily life was low (27.8-31.8%). Factors related to death at the desired place included confrmation of the chosen place of death during the whole period (adjusted odds ratio: 19.92, 95% confdence interval: 9. 48-41.87; 21.10, 9.53-46.71; 187.35, 51.79-677.64) and the explanation of the prognosis (2.44, 1.05-5.66) at the progression stage.Conclusions: Tese results suggest that patients are more likely to die in their desired place if visiting nurses confrm the chosen place of death repeatedly until close to the end of life and explain the infuence of the disease prognosis on daily life, with updates of this information based on changes in symptoms. 要 旨 目的：訪問看護による終末期がん患者への訪問時期別のアドバンスケアプランニング（Advance CarePlanning；以下 ACP）の実態を把握し，希望死亡場所での死亡の実現との関連を明らかにする． 方法：全国より無作為抽出した 1,000 事業所の訪問看護師に，受け持った終末期がん患者についての 受付日：2016 年 9 月 28 日 受理日：2017 年 3 月 19 日