Dependence of tracking error characteristics on objective lens shift for in-line-type differential push-pull methods using segmented gratings

In this paper, we present the validity of in-line-type differential push-pull methods using segmented gratings with respect to the radial shift of an objective lens by numerical calculation for the first time. In these differential push-pull methods, the segmented gratings for generating sub spots are divided into two to four regions each with a specific phase value and a width. Tracking error signals are calculated with respect to the objective lens shift under parameter conditions of the widths of the segmented regions. The obtained results show that the grating of the simpler configuration with two regions reveals good compatibility between DVD-R and DVD-RAM compared with those with three or four regions     

Lithium secondary batteries using modified-imidazolium room-temperature ionic liquid

Highly reversible, safe lithium secondary batteries that use imidazolium-cation-based room-temperature ionic liquid as an electrolyte and lithium metal as an anode material were realized by the molecular design. To achieve higher reduction stability, an electron-donating substituent was introduced to promote charge delocalization in the imidazolium cation of room-temperature ionic liquids.     

Molecular aggregation of rhodamine dyes in dispersions of layered silicates: influence of dye molecular structure and silicate properties

The molecular aggregation of six rhodamine dyes (rhodamine 560, B, 3B, 19, 6G, 123) in layered silicate (saponite and fluorohectorite) dispersions was investigated by using visible (vis) spectroscopy. The dye molecular aggregation was influenced by the properties of both the silicates and the dyes themselves. The layer charge of the silicates enhanced the molecular aggregation of the hydrophilic, cationic dyes. The presence of a carboxyl acid group in the dye molecules inhibited adsorption of the dyes on the surface of fluorohectorite, a silicate with a high charge density. A lower or no adsorption could be observed by vis spectroscopy. Strong association of the dyes to the silicate surface led to remarkable changes in the dye spectra, mainly due to the molecular aggregation. Dye assemblies initially formed after mixing the dye solutions with silicate dispersions were unstable. Decomposition of the dye molecular assemblies, and the formation of new species or molecular aggregate rearrangements, were studied on the bases of time-difference spectra. The reaction pathways were specific, not only for the dyes, depending upon their molecular structure and properties, but also on the silicate substrates.     

Convergence Properties of the Regularized Newton Method for the Unconstrained Nonconvex Optimization

The regularized Newton method (RNM) is one of the efficient solution methods for the unconstrained convex optimization. It is well-known that the RNM has good convergence properties as compared to the steepest descent method and the pure Newton’s method. For example, Li, Fukushima, Qi and Yamashita showed that the RNM has a quadratic rate of convergence under the local error bound condition. Recently, Polyak showed that the global complexity bound of the RNM, which is the first iteration k such that ‖∇ f(x _k )‖≤ε, is O(ε ⁻⁴), where f is the objective function and ε is a given positive constant. In this paper, we consider a RNM extended to the unconstrained “nonconvex” optimization. We show that the extended RNM (E-RNM) has the following properties. (a) The E-RNM has a global convergence property under appropriate conditions. (b) The global complexity bound of the E-RNM is O(ε ⁻²) if ∇ ² f is Lipschitz continuous on a certain compact set. (c) The E-RNM has a superlinear rate of convergence under the local error bound condition.     

Reminiscences of research on the chemistry and biology of natural sterols in insects,plants and humans

Natural sterols often occur as a heterogeneous mixture of homologs, which had disturbed the progress of steroid research. Development and application of GC methodology overcame this difficulty and enabled us to obtain detailed sterol profiles. Together, fine synthesis of stereo-defined isomers and homologs of steroids having oxygenated side chains allowed us to compare them with natural samples as well as to investigate structure-activity relationship. Advance of HPLC technology also facilitated the determination of the stereochemical structure of naturally occurring steroidal compounds, which were obtained only in minute amounts. This review highlights three topics out of our steroid research that have been performed mainly at Tokyo Institute of Technology around 1970–1990. These are sterol metabolism in insects focusing on the mechanism of the conversion of plant sterols to cholesterol and ecdysone biosynthesis, the synthesis and biochemical research of active forms of vitamin D₃ derivatives, and the synthesis and microanalysis of plant hormone brassinosteroids.     

Magnetic neutron scattering magnetic behaviour of a low-carrier density Kondo-lattice system ceas

Abstract

We have determined the magnetic structure of a low-carrier Kondo-lattice system CeAs, and have observed a softening of the crystalline electric field excitations. Despite the prediction of a recent magnetic polaron model in which CeAs and CeP are expected to show a stacking order of T₇ and T₈ layers, CeAs does not show such a stacking structure under pressure. The ordering in the intermediate phase is a regular ferromagnetic order and that of the low-temperature phase is a canted type-I AF.     

Recoil effects in high-energy photoemission beyond single-site approximation

Recoil effects of photoelectrons excited by high-energy X-rays are studied beyond the simplest approximation where elastic scatterings of photoelectrons are completely neglected (single-site approximation). At first we have shown that the simple free atom energy shift is accurately obtained within the harmonic and the single-site approximations. Beyond the single-site approximation, this simple formula does not work, but still simple classically acceptable formula can be used to explain the recoil energy shift. Illustrative numerical calculations show that the energy shifts caused by the photoelectron diffraction amounts to 5–8 meV for graphite-like carbon and about 100 meV for LiI₆${\text{LiI}}_6$ cluster at _?k=5${?}_k=5$–7 keV, and show oscillations as functions of the photoelectron energy. Furthermore we discuss the recoil effects in photoemission from extended levels by use of the tight-binding approach. Our approach naturally provides not only Debye–Waller factors but also the recoil factors. In addition to the phonon excitation, we also study the recoil effects associated with plasmon losses where intrinsic and extrinsic processes can interfere each other. Only the latter can contribute to the recoil energy shift.     

Ferroelectric Coordination Polymers Self‐Assembled from Mesogenic Zinc(II) Porphyrin and Dipolar Bridging Ligands

A new class of ferroelectric coordination‐based polymers has been developed by the self‐assembly of lipophilic zinc porphyrin ( ZnP ) and ditopic bridging ligands. The ligands contain dipolar benzothiadiazole or fluorobenzene units, which are axially coordinated to ZnP with the dipole moments oriented perpendicular to the coordination axes. The coordination‐based polymers show ferroelectric characteristics in the liquid crystalline state, as revealed by distinctive hysteresis in the polarization–electric field (P–E) loops and inversion current peaks in current–voltage (I–V) loops. The observed ferroelectric properties are explainable by flip–flop rotation of the dipolar axle ligands induced by the applied electric field, as demonstrated by the positive‐up–negative‐down (PUND) measurements. The present system provides a new operating principle in supramolecular ferroelectrics.     

Rationally Designed Semisynthetic Natural Product Analogues for Stabilization of 14‐3‐3 Protein–Protein Interactions

The natural product family of fusicoccanes are stabilizers of 14‐3‐3 mediated protein–protein interactions (PPIs), some of which possess antitumor activity. In this study, the first use of molecular dynamics (MD) to rationally design PPI stabilizers with increased potency is presented. Synthesis of a focused library, with subsequent characterization by fluorescence polarization, mutational studies, and X‐ray crystallography confirmed the power of the MD‐based design approach, revealing the potential for an additional hydrogen bond with the 14‐3‐3 protein to lead to significantly increased potency. Additionally, these compounds exert their action in a cellular environment with increased potency. The newly found polar interaction could provide an anchoring point for new small‐molecule PPI stabilizers. These results facilitate the development of fusicoccanes towards drugs or tool compounds, as well as allowing the study of the fundamental principles behind PPI stabilization.