Topographic Distribution of Photon Measurement Density Functions on the Brain Surface by Hybrid Radiosity-Diffusion Method

An accurate modelling of light propagation in the head is required to develop an algorithm to reconstruct the image of brain activity. Most previous studies have calculated the light propagation in two dimensional models because of their advantage in computation time and memory requirement over three dimensional models. However, in topographic imaging, the sensitivity distribution in the cross sections parallel to the brain surface which cannot be obtained from a two dimensional model is most important to reconstruct the image. In this study, the light propagation in three dimensional adult head models is calculated by finite element method and hybrid radiosity-diffusion method. The light propagation in the adult head is strongly affected by the non-scattering cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer surrounding the brain. The sensitive area is shifted toward the deeper region, and is spread around the CSF layer. The intensely sensitive region on the brain surface is broadly distributed between the source and detector. However, the sensitive region does not penetrate into the deeper part of the brain.     

Recent development of non-oriented electrical steel sheet for automobile electrical devices

This paper describes non-oriented electrical steel sheet for automobile motors and reactors. Electrical steel sheets for energy efficient motors show high magnetic flux density and low iron loss. They are suitable for HEV traction motors and EPS motors. A thin-gauge electrical steel sheet and a gradient Si steel sheet show low iron loss in the high-frequency range. Therefore, the efficiency of high-frequency devices can be greatly improved. Since a 6.5% Si steel sheet possesses low iron loss and zero magnetostriction, it contributes to reduce the core loss and audible noise of high-frequency reactors.     

Highly Regioselective 5-endo-tet Cyclization of 3,4-Epoxy Amines into 3-Hydroxypyrrolidines Catalyzed by La(OTf)3

Highly regioselective intramolecular aminolysis of 3,4-epoxy amines has been achieved. Key features of this reaction are (1) chemoselective activation of epoxides in the presence of unprotected aliphatic amines in the same molecules by a La(OTf)₃ catalyst and (2) excellent regioselectivity for anti-Baldwin 5-endo-tet cyclization. This reaction affords 3-hydroxy-2-alkylpyrrolidines stereospecifically in high yields. DFT calculations revealed that the regioselectivity might be attributed to distortion energies of epoxy amine substrates. The use of this reaction was demonstrated by the first enantioselective synthesis of an antispasmodic agent prifinium bromide.     

Systematic Evaluation of Substituted Cyclopentadienyl Ruthenium Complexes, [(η5‐C5MenH5−n)RuCl(cod)], for Catalytic Cycloadditions of Diynes

A series of η⁵‐cyclopentadienylruthenium complexes, [(η⁵‐C₅Me_nH_5?n)RuCl(cod)] (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene), are evaluated as catalysts for the cycloaddition of 1,6‐diynes with alkynes. As a result, we unexpectedly found that the complex bearing the 1,2,4‐Me₃Cp ligand is the most efficient catalyst in terms of turnover number (TON) for the cycloaddition of a bulky diiododiyne with acetylene, recording the highest TON of 970 with a catalyst loading of 0.1 mol %. To obtain insight into this result, we evaluate the electron richness of all complexes by cyclic voltammetric analyses, which indicate that the electron density of the ruthenium center increases with an increase in methyl substitution on the Cp′ ligands. The initial rate (up to 10 % conversion) of the cycloaddition was then measured using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The initial rate is found to decrease as the number of methyl substituents increases. According to these results, we assumed that the optimum catalytic performance exhibited by the 1,2,4‐trimethylcyclopentadienyl complex can be attributed to its robustness under the catalytic cycloaddition conditions. The steric and electronic effects of the Cp′ ligands are also investigated in terms of the regioselectivity of the cycloaddition of an unsymmetrical diyne and in terms of the chemoselectivity in the cycloaddition of a 1,6‐heptadiyne with norbornene.     

Skin friction reduction by large air bubbles in a horizontal channel flow

Microbubble and air film methods are believed to be applicable to skin friction reduction in ships. Small bubbles are dispersed into the turbulent boundary layer in the former case, and wide air layers cover the wall surface in the latter case. Previous studies did not specifically address the intermediate case between the microbubble and air film conditions. This study is concerned with the possibility and mechanism of drag reduction using relatively large air bubbles compared to the boundary layer thickness in a horizontal turbulent channel flow. The relationship between local skin friction and the bubble’s interfacial structure is investigated by synchronizing the measurement of wall-shear stress with the image acquisition of bubbles. The bubble sizes range from 2 to 90 mm approximately. As a result, a negative correlation between the local skin friction and the local void fraction is confirmed by the time-resolved measurement. A new observation is the fact that the local skin friction decreases drastically in the rear part of individual large bubbles, and rapidly increases after the bubble’s rear interface passes. This characteristic underlies the bubble-size dependency of the average skin friction in the intermediate bubble size condition.     

Prediction of measurement uncertainty in isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

An equation is theoretically derived which describes the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the amount ratios of analyte to its isotope-labeled variant in gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using the stable isotope dilution method. The determination of methyltestosterone is taken as an example. The uncertainty equation proposed is justified by comparing the theoretical RSD values with the experimental RSD values obtained by replication over a wide range of analyte amount. The detection limit and quantitation limit are estimated from the continuous plot (precision profile) of the theoretical RSD against analyte amount.     

Assisting the diagnosis of thyroid diseases with Bayesian-type and SOM-type neural networks making use of routine test data

Patients with hyperthyroidism sometimes take much time to receive the final diagnosis. To improve patient QOL, simple screening for hyperthyroidism by thyroid non-specialists at the physical check-up is highly expected. Therefore, we applied both Bayesian-type and SOM-type neural networks since we assured the approach useful in analysing thyroid function diagnosis in the previous work. Routine test (14 parameters) data from 66 subjects with a known diagnosis (18 patients with hyperthyroidism and 48 healthy volunteers) were adopted as learning data, and then 142 individuals who also received the same routine tests at the Tohoku University Hospital were screened to predict patients with hyperthyroidism. Both neural networks using 14 parameters predicted several patients as having hyperthyroidism with high probability, including all three hyperthyroid patients diagnosed later by the physician. Further detailed analysis of the routine test parameters that were important for classification found that screening with a set of three parameters (alkaline phosphatase, serum creatinine and total cholesterol) or plus aspartate aminotransferase allowed for quite accurate screening. These results showed that the same neural networks as previous work allows simple screening of patients for hyperthyroidism on the basis of routine test data, and that physicians not specializing in the thyroid can rapidly identify individuals suspected of having hyperthyroidism, to permit a rapid referral for examination and treatment by thyroid specialists.     

Synthesis of D- and L-selenomethionine double-labeled with deuterium and selenium-82

The synthesis of D- and L-selenomethionine labeled with ?2Se and three deuteriums at Se-methyl group (D- and L-[2H?, ?2Se]selenomethionine) was described. D- And L-[2H?, ?2Se]selenomethionine were prepared by condensation of (R)- and (S)-2-amino-4-bromobutylic acid with lithium [2H?, ?2Se]methaneselenolate, which was prepared from metal (82)Se and [2H?]methyl iodide. The optical purities of D- and L-[2H?, ?2Se]selenomethionine were determined by HPLC with a chiral stationary phase column and were found more than 99% ee. The chemical ionization mass spectra showed that the molecular related ion for N-isobutyloxycarbonyl ethyl ester derivatives of [2H?, ?2Se]selenomethionine did not overlap with the m/z values known from that of non-labeled selenomethionine.     

Visible light sensitive photocatalyst, delafossite structured alpha-AgGaO(2)

Delafossite structured alpha-AgGaO(2) powder was successfully synthesized through a cation exchange reaction. alpha-AgGaO(2) has a band gap of 2.4 eV, absorbs visible light up to 520 nm, and effectively decomposes 2-propanol to CO2 via acetone by irradiating with either UV light (300-400 nm) or visible light (420-530 nm). The values of the quantum efficiency are similar (ca. 0.6%) under light irradiations with wavelengths of 365, 390, 430, 470, and 510 +/- 10 nm, but steeply decrease with wavelengths longer than 530 +/- 10 nm, which support a 2.4 eV band gap. In contrast, the other polymorph, alpha-AgGaO(2) powder, which has a band gap of 2.1 eV, shows a negligible activity when irradiating with either UV light or visible light. The higher oxidation activity of alpha-AgGaO(2) is probably due to its larger band gap, which is formed at the top of its valence band in a lower energy region as compared to alpha-AgGaO(2). Moreover, the first-principle calculations of alpha-AgGaO(2) and alpha-AgGaO(2) clearly indicate that alpha-AgGaO(2) has a remarkably larger dispersed valence band as compared to alpha-AgGaO(2), which is advantageous to the photocatalytic activity due to the efficient hole conduction.     

Ru(II)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,2-bis(propiolyl)benzenes with monoalkynes leading to substituted anthraquinones

[2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of 1,2-bis(propiolyl)benzenes with monoalkynes were effectively catalysed by Cp*RuCl(cod) under mild conditions to give substituted anthraquinones in moderate to high yields.