Mapping analyses of Fe-diffused mc-Si using M?ssbauer microscope and photoluminescence

Twenty CK chondrites collected in the Antarctica Continent were characterized by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), prompt gamma ray analysis (PGA), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and ⁵⁷Fe-M?ssbauer spectroscopy. As a result of elemental analysis, it was revealed that 18.2~26.4 mass% of iron was included in the each chondrite. M?ssbauer spectrum of LEW86258, classified as a typical CK chondrite, was found to be composed of two paramagnetic doublets and two magnetic sextets. M?ssbauer spectra were assigned to the absorption due to forsterite (Mg_1.36Fe_0.64SiO₄) and magnetite (Fe₃O₄), as also confirmed by XRD. XRD study of LAP03834, reclassified from CK to R chondrite, revealed the presence of crystalline phase due to forsterite. These results indicate that LAP03834 and related chondrites, i.e., MET01149, LAP03923 and MAC02453, should be reclassified as R or LL chondrite.     

Synthesis and Hydrolysis of Polymers Having Anesthetic or Amantadine Residues in Sidechains

The polymerizable derivatives of chemotherapeutic agents such as benzocaine, procaine, and amantadine were prepared and free-radical copolymerized with styrene or methyl methacrylate in order to obtain polymers with pharmacological activity and increased duration of action of the drugs. The monomeric and polymeric derivatives were subjected to hydrolysis in vitro in order to measure the release of the active ingredient.     

Radical Copolymerization of Vinylidene Chloride with 3(2-Methyl)-6-methylpyridazinone in Several Solvents

The radical copolymerization of vinylidene chloride (Vc, M₁) with 3(2-methyl)-6-methylpyridazinone (I, M₂) was carried out in benzene, ethanol, phenol, and acetic acid at 60 and 80°C. The monomer reactivity ratios were found to vary with the reaction conditions. The linear correlationships were obtained by plotting the values of log r₁ against those of ^V C[dbnd]O and ^V C[dbnd]C of monomers determined in the solvents.     

An analytical method for measuring α‐amylase activity in starch‐containing foods

The quality of starch‐containing foods may be significantly impaired by contamination with very small amounts of α‐amylase, which can enzymatically hydrolyze the starch and cause viscosity loss. Thus, for quality control, it is necessary to have an analytical method that can measure low amylase activity. We developed a sensitive analytical method for measuring the activity of α‐amylase (from Bacillus subtilis) in starch‐containing foods. The method consists of six steps: (1) crude extraction of α‐amylase by centrifugation and filtration; (2) α‐amylase purification by desalting and anion‐exchange chromatography; (3) reaction of the purified amylase with boron‐dipyrromethene (BODIPY)‐labeled substrate, which releases a fluorescent fragment upon digestion of the substrate, thus avoiding interference from starch derivatives in the sample; (4) stopping the reaction with acetonitrile; (5) reversed‐phase solid‐phase extraction of the fluorescent substrate to remove contaminating dye and impurities; and (6) separation and measurement of BODIPY fluorescence by HPLC. The proposed method could quantify α‐amylase activities as low as 10 mU/mL, which is enough to reduce the viscosity of starch‐containing foods. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quinoid-Aromatic Resonance for Very Small Optical Energy Gaps in Small-Molecule Organic Semiconductors: A Naphthodithiophenedione-oligothiophene Triad System

Organic semiconductors with very small optical energy gaps have attracted a lot of attention for near-infrared-active optoelectronic applications. Herein, we present a series of donor-acceptor-donor (D−A−D) organic semiconductors consisting of a highly electron-deficient naphtho[1,2-b:5,6-b′]dithiophene-2,7-dione quinoidal acceptor and oligothiophene donors that show very small optical energy gaps of down to 0.72 eV in the solid state. Investigation of the physicochemical properties of the D−A−D molecules as well as theoretical calculations of their electronic structures revealed an efficient intramolecular interaction between the quinoidal acceptor and the aromatic oligothiophene donors in the D−A−D molecules; this significantly enhances the backbone resonance and thus reduces the bond length alternation along the π-conjugated backbones. Despite the very small optical energy gaps, the D−A−D molecules have low-lying frontier orbital energy levels that give rise to air-stable ambipolar carrier transport properties with hole and electron mobilities of up to 0.026 and 0.043 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively, in field-effect transistors.     

Development of health monitoring method for pecan nut trees using side video data and computer vision

Optical Review - Increasing efficiency and productivity in the field of agriculture is important to provide sufficient food to the world’s increasing population. It is important to monitor...     

NMR‐based analysis of the chemical composition of Japanese persimmon aqueous extracts

Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) is recognized as an outstanding source of biologically active compounds relating to many health benefits. In the present study, NMR spectroscopy provided a comprehensive metabolic overview of Japanese persimmon juice. Detailed signal assignments of Japanese persimmon juice were carried out using various 2D NMR techniques incorporated with broadband water suppression enhanced through T₁ effects (BB‐WET) or WET sequences, and 26 components, including minor components, were identified. In addition, most components were quantitatively evaluated by the integration of signals using conventional ¹H NMR and BB‐WET NMR. This is the first detailed analysis combined with quantitative characterization of chemical components using NMR for Japanese persimmon. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Alternative Method for the Stereospecific Synthesis of Conjugated Alkenynes Via the Copper (I) Iodide Assisted Cross-Coupling Reaction of 1-Akyens with Haloalkenes

Conjugated alkenynes were prepared stereospecifically in moderate to good yields by heating haloalkenes with 1-alkynes in the presence of copper(I) iodide in hexamethylphosphoric triamide (HMPA).     

Synthesis of 1-Trimethylsilyladamantane

The title compound was obtained from 1,3-dichloro-adamantane and some silylating reagents with Na-HMPA.     

Effect of hydrogen dilution on the optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-nitrogen films prepared by plasma deposition

The effect of the dilution of silane and nitrogen with hydrogen on the optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-nitrogen films prepared by plasma deposition has been investigated as functions of the gas-volume ratio γ (= ([SiH₄] + [N₂])/([SiH₄] + [N₂] + [H₂]) and the substrate temperature. The prepared films are characterized by the values of the deposition rate, the optical gap, the Urbach energy, the defect density, the integrated infrared absorption intensity and the refractive index, and by correlations between these parameters and the type of hydrogen- and nitrogen-bonding configurations estimated from infrared absorption spectra. The hydrogen dilution effect is discussed in terms of the above and compared with that in hydrogenated amorphous silicon reported in a previous paper by the present authors. It is pointed out that nitrogen atoms incorporated into the silicon network cause more disorder than incorporated hydrogen atoms, from the γ dependence of the Urbach energy and the integrated infrared intensities associated with the hydrogen and nitrogen bondings.