The effect of annealing on the proton conductivity of Mg-doped α-Al2O3

In order to evaluate the effect of annealing treatment on the proton conductivity of ??-alumina, the electrical conductivity of Mg-doped polycrystalline ??-alumina kept at 1,873?K under various conditions of the surrounding atmosphere and then cooled in the furnace was measured in the temperature range 1,173?C1,473?K. The H⁺/D⁺ isotope effect on the electrical conductivity was also examined under a hydrogen atmosphere at 1,273?K. The protonic conductivity measured at 1,273?K increased with the increase in the activity of oxygen and water vapor in the annealing atmosphere at 1,873?K. It is considered that the solubility limit of magnesium ions in ??-alumina in equilibrium with the small amount of the spinel phase increased with the increase in the activity of oxygen and water vapor at 1,873?K. This enhanced amount of magnesium ions is frozen in a non-equilibrium state to 1,273?K and works as the enriched acceptor dopant for the incorporation of protons.     

Nuclear Moment Studies with Polarized Radioactive Nuclear Beams

Magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments of nuclei in the light-mass neutron-rich region have been studied by taking advantage of spin-polarized radioactive nuclear beams that have been obtained from the projectile fragmentation reaction. Analyses of the results reveal a few interesting phenomena characteristic of nuclear structures in this region. In particular, we report in some detail the latest result on the magnetic moment of the ¹⁷C ground state. The distinctly small value of the g-factor obtained, |g(¹⁷C)|=0.5054±0.0025, clearly excludes a I ^π=1/2⁺ candidate for the spin-parity assignment of this marginally bound nucleus, providing a reasonable account of the non-halo nature reported in recent breakup reaction experiments. Finally, future plans at the upcoming radioactive beam facility presently under construction at RIKEN are briefly mentioned. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Molecular design of potent inhibitor specific for cathepsin B based on the tertiary structure prediction.

To design a potent inhibitor specific for cathepsin B (rat liver), the tertiary structure was predicted based on the crystal structure of the papain complexed with (+)-(2S,3S)-3-(1-[N-(3-methylbutyl)amino]leucylcarbonyl)oxirane-2- carbolylic acid (E-64-c), a thiol protease inhibitor. Taking advantage of the structural characteristics of the predicted active site, seventeen inhibitors were chemically synthesized by molecular modeling, and one of them, N-(L-3-trans-propylcarbamoyloxirane-2-carbonyl)-L-isoleucyl-L-p rol ine (CA-074) was shown to be the first potent inhibitor specific for cathepsin B. The relationship between the structure and inhibitory activity is discussed based on the model structure of the cathepsin B-inhibitor complex.     

A new efficient decarboxylative reduction of γ-carbamoyloxy-α,β-unsaturated esters with lithium dialkylcuprate

A new synthetically useful decarboxylative reduction of γ-carbamoyloxy-α,β-unsaturated esters with lithium dialkylcuprate under mild condition was described.     

Reaction of α-chloroketones with 1,4-dianion of acetophenone n-ethoxy-carbonylhydrazone

1,4-Dianion of acetophenone N-ethoxycarbonylhydrazone (2) reacts with α-chloroketones such as phenacyl chloride, 1-chloroacetone, 3-chloro-2-butanone, and 1,3-dichloroacetone to give pyrazoline derivatives in good yields. In the reactions of 2-chlorocyclohexanone and 3-chloro-2-norbornanone with 2, cis-chlorohydrin and exo-chlorohydrin were selectively obtained, respectively.     

Quadrupole collectivity of Ne and the boundary of the island of inversion

The excitation of the neutron-rich nucleus ²⁸Ne has been investigated via heavy-ion inelastic scattering in reversed kinematics. The value was determined to be , which is smaller than expected from the low excitation energy of the first state. A comparison with theoretical predictions suggests that the suppressed collectivity in ²⁸Ne is characteristic of nuclei lying on the boundary of the ‘island of inversion’.     

β-delayed neutron decay of drip line nuclei 11Li and 14Be

Experimental studies of β-decay measurements of the neutron drip line nuclei ¹¹Li and ¹⁴Be are presented. β- decay schemes of these nuclei are determined by measuring β-rays, delayed neutrons and γ-rays in triple coincidence. The decay schemes of both ¹¹Li and ¹⁴Be associated with single neutron emission are unambiguously determined. New levels in their daughter nuclei, ¹¹Be and ¹⁴B, are found. In addition, the deduced level scheme of 14B indicates the lowering of 2s _1/2 single neutron orbital with respect to 1p _1/2 orbital in the N=9 isotones. Such behavior is known to exist in N=7.     

An estimation of the distribution functions of doped Tb and Nd in glasses by fluorescence measurements

The distribution functions of doped Tb³⁺ and Nd³⁺ in silicate, germanate, borate and phosphate glasses, in which cross-relaxation among active ions plays an important role, have been estimated by fluorescence measurements. In order to analyze both the steady state and the transient fluorescence characteristics, a non-linear model for the resonant energy transfer has recently been developed. The experimental fluorescence intensity and decay curves, measured as a function of acceptor concentration, suggested a modified distribution function, which included the effect of the segregation of donors and acceptors. The number of segregated Tb³⁺ ions at the second nearest neighbor position around a Tb³⁺ ion was estimated to be 0.1–3.4, depending on the host glass.