Moments of a Single Entry of Circular Orthogonal Ensembles and Weingarten Calculus

Consider a symmetric unitary random matrix V = (v _ij )_{1 ≤ i, j ≤ N} from a circular orthogonal ensemble. In this paper, we study moments of a single entry v _ij . For a diagonal entry v _ii , we give the explicit values of the moments, and for an off-diagonal entry v _ij , we give leading and subleading terms in the asymptotic expansion with respect to a large matrix size N. Our technique is to apply the Weingarten calculus for a Haar-distributed unitary matrix.     

Stable Sugar‐Chain‐Immobilized Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Probing Lectin and Cells

Sugar chains are important molecules in cellular recognition and signaling, and quantum dots (QDs) are a very powerful tool for in vitro and in vivo imaging. Herein, we report the preparation of stable sugar‐chain‐immobilized fluorescent nanoparticles (SFNPs) and their application to the analysis of sugar‐chain–protein interactions and cellular imaging. SFNPs were easily prepared by mixing CdTe/CdS core/shell QDs with our previously developed sugar‐chain–ligand conjugates. The obtained SFNPs were very stable and could be stored for several months. In the binding analysis, β‐galactose‐ and α‐glucose‐immobilized SFNPs were specifically interacted with Ricinus communis agglutinin I and concanavalin A, respectively, and made into aggregates. The binding interaction was detected visually, fluorescently, or both. In the experiment for cellular imaging, it was found that SFNPs were predominantly taken up by human hepatocyto carcinoma cells (HepG2), suggesting the possible usage of our designed SFNPs for various biochemical analyses of sugar chains.     

Kinematical Reduction of Spatial Degrees of Freedom and Holographic Relation in Yang’s Quantized Space-Time Algebra

We try to find a possible origin of the holographic principle in the Lorentz-covariant Yang’s quantized space-time algebra (YSTA). YSTA, which is intrinsically equipped with short- and long-scale parameters, λ and R, gives a finite number of spatial degrees of freedom for any bounded spatial region, providing a basis for divergence-free quantum field theory. Furthermore, it gives a definite kinematical reduction of spatial degrees of freedom, compared with the ordinary lattice space. On account of the latter fact, we find a certain kind of kinematical holographic relation in YSTA, which may be regarded as a primordial form of the holographic principle suggested so far in the framework of the present quantum theory that appears now in the contraction limit of YSTA, λ→0 and R→∞. S. Tanaka is an Em. Professor of Kyoto University.     

Viscosity bound and causality violation

In recent work we showed that, for a class of conformal field theories (CFT) with Gauss-Bonnet gravity dual, the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio, eta/s, could violate the conjectured Kovtun-Starinets-Son viscosity bound, eta/s > or = 1/4 pi. In this Letter we argue, in the context of the same model, that tuning eta/s below (16/25)(1/4 pi) induces microcausality violation in the CFT, rendering the theory inconsistent. This is a concrete example in which inconsistency of a theory and a lower bound on viscosity are correlated, supporting the idea of a possible universal lower bound on eta/s for all consistent theories.     

Modelling and simulation of dynamic recrystallisation based on multi-phase-field and dislocation-based crystal plasticity models

ABSTRACT

The mechanical properties of metals used as structural materials are significantly affected by hot (or warm) plastic working. Therefore, it is industrially important to predict the microscopic behaviour of materials in the deformation process during heat treatment. In this process, a number of nuclei are generated in the vicinity of grain boundaries owing to thermal fluctuation or the coalescence of subgrains, and dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) occurs along with the deformation. In this paper, we develop a DRX model by coupling a dislocation-based crystal plasticity model and a multi-phase-field (MPF) model through the dislocation density. Then, the temperature dependence of the hardening tendency in the recrystallisation process is introduced into the DRX model. A multiphysics simulation for pure Ni is conducted, and then the validity of the DRX model is investigated by comparing the numerical results of microstructure formation and the nominal stress–strain curve during DRX with experimental results. The obtained results indicate that in the process of DRX, nucleation and grain growth occur mainly around grain boundaries with high dislocation density. As deformation progresses, new dislocations pile up and subsequent nucleation occurs in the recrystallised grains. The influence of such microstructural evolution appears as oscillation in the stress–strain curve. From the stress–strain curves, the temperature dependence in DRX is observed mainly in terms of the yield stress, the hardening ratio, and the change in the hardening tendency after nucleation occurs.     

Syntheses of functional condensation polymer. I. Polyesters having pendant functional groups such as hydroxyl,formyl, aldoxime,aminomethyl and hydroxymethyl

Unsaturated polyesters having pendant functional groups such as hydroxyl, formyl, aldoxime, aminomethyl and hydroxymethyl, have been prepared and characterized, and some of their properties were investigated. Reaction conditions for the epoxidation of unsaturated polyesters and hydrolysis of the epoxy groups in the polyesters were established to control the amount of pendant diol groups. It was possible to incorporate up to 90 mole-% of formyl side groups into the unsaturated polyester by the hydroformylation with the rhodium catalyst. In addition, the formyl side groups of the modified polyester were converted into hydroxymethyl or aldoxime groups and were then converted to amino groups. The melting points of the modified polyesters decreased with increasing the pendant group content of the polyesters, as expected. Aliphatic polyesters having pendant hydroxyl or amino groups had a high affinity for moisture, which might be ascribed to the participation of the hydrophilic pendant groups in the modified polyesters.     

Room-temperature crystallography using a microfluidic protein crystal array device and its application to protein–ligand complex structure analysis

Room-temperature (RT) protein crystallography provides significant information to elucidate protein function under physiological conditions. In particular, contrary to typical binding assays, X-ray crystal structure analysis of a protein–ligand complex can determine the three-dimensional (3D) configuration of its binding site. This allows the development of effective drugs by structure-based and fragment-based (FBDD) drug design. However, RT crystallography and RT crystallography-based protein–ligand complex analyses require the preparation and measurement of numerous crystals to avoid the X-ray radiation damage. Thus, for the application of RT crystallography to protein–ligand complex analysis, the simultaneous preparation of protein–ligand complex crystals and sequential X-ray diffraction measurement remain challenging. Here, we report an RT crystallography technique using a microfluidic protein crystal array device for protein–ligand complex structure analysis. We demonstrate the microfluidic sorting of protein crystals into microwells without any complicated procedures and apparatus, whereby the sorted protein crystals are fixed into microwells and sequentially measured to collect X-ray diffraction data. This is followed by automatic data processing to calculate the 3D protein structure. The microfluidic device allows the high-throughput preparation of the protein–ligand complex solely by the replacement of the microchannel content with the required ligand solution. We determined eight trypsin–ligand complex structures for the proof of concept experiment and found differences in the ligand coordination of the corresponding RT and conventional cryogenic structures. This methodology can be applied to easily obtain more natural structures. Moreover, drug development by FBDD could be more effective using the proposed methodology.

Room temperature protein crystallography and its application to protein–ligand complex structure analysis was demonstrated using a microfluidic protein crystal array device.     

Acids direct 2-styrylcyclobutanone into two distinctly different reaction pathways

Two structurally distinct carbocycles were selectively obtained by the reactions of 2-(o-styryl)cyclobutanones promoted by ytterbium salts. Treatment of the cyclobutanones with YbCl(3) in 1,4-dioxane at 100 degrees C afforded 2-(2-chloroethyl)naphthalenes. On the other hand, the reaction with Yb(OTf)(3) in chlorobenzene at 130 degrees C gave 9,10-dihydrobenzocycloocten-7(8H)-ones.     

Toward Extreme Biophysics: Deciphering the Infrared Response of Biomolecular Solutions at High Pressures

Biophysics under extreme conditions is the fundamental platform for scrutinizing life in unusual habitats, such as those in the deep sea or continental subsurfaces, but also for putative extraterrestrial organisms. Therefore, an important thermodynamic variable to explore is pressure. It is shown that the combination of infrared spectroscopy with simulation is an exquisite approach for unraveling the intricate pressure response of the solvation pattern of TMAO in water, which is expected to be transferable to biomolecules in their native solvent. Pressure‐enhanced hydrogen bonding was found for TMAO in water. TMAO is a molecule known to stabilize proteins against pressure‐induced denaturation in deep‐sea organisms.