Single-nanometer focusing of hard x-rays by Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors

We have constructed an extremely precise optical system for hard-x-ray nanofocusing in a synchrotron radiation beamline. Precision multilayer mirrors were fabricated, tested, and employed as Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors with a novel phase error compensator. In the phase compensator, an at-wavelength wavefront error sensing method based on x-ray interferometry and an in situ phase compensator mirror, which adaptively deforms with nanometer precision, were developed to satisfy the Rayleigh criterion to achieve diffraction-limited focusing in a single-nanometer range. The performance of the optics was tested at BL29XUL of SPring-8 and was confirmed to realize a spot size of approximately 7 nm.     

2-Acyl-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acids: lead compounds with triple actions, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/γ agonist and protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activities

2-Acyl-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives were synthesized and biologically evaluated. (S)-2-(2,4-Hexadienoyl)-7-[2-(5-methyl-2-phenyloxazol-4-yl)ethoxy]-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (14) showed peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and PPARα agonist activities and protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B) inhibitory activities. PPARγ agonist activity of 14 was comparable to that of rosiglitazone, and PTP-1B inhibitory activity was about 10-fold weaker than that of ertiprotafib, a PTP-1B inhibitor. Compound 14 showed high oral absorption in rats and potent hypoglycemic effects in KK-A(y) mice. In conclusion, 14 would be an excellent lead compound for a new type of anti-diabetic drug with triple actions.     

Design optimization of wide-band Tonpilz piezoelectric transducer with a bending piezoelectric disk on the radiation surface

There is a need for a model that identifies underlying dimensions of soundscape perception, and which may guide measurement and improvement of soundscape quality. With the purpose to develop such a model, a listening experiment was conducted. One hundred listeners measured 50 excerpts of binaural recordings of urban outdoor soundscapes on 116 attribute scales. The average attribute scale values were subjected to principal components analysis, resulting in three components: Pleasantness, eventfulness, and familiarity, explaining 50, 18 and 6% of the total variance, respectively. The principal-component scores were correlated with physical soundscape properties, including categories of dominant sounds and acoustic variables. Soundscape excerpts dominated by technological sounds were found to be unpleasant, whereas soundscape excerpts dominated by natural sounds were pleasant, and soundscape excerpts dominated by human sounds were eventful. These relationships remained after controlling for the overall soundscape loudness (Zwicker's N(10)), which shows that 'informational' properties are substantial contributors to the perception of soundscape. The proposed principal components model provides a framework for future soundscape research and practice. In particular, it suggests which basic dimensions are necessary to measure, how to measure them by a defined set of attribute scales, and how to promote high-quality soundscapes.     

NMR and NQR studies on superconducting Sr2RuO4

We review our nuclear-magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear-quadrupole-resonance (NQR) studies in superconducting Sr₂RuO₄, which have been performed in order to investigate the gap structure and the pairing symmetry in the superconducting state and magnetic fluctuations in the normal state. The spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T₁) of a high-quality sample with shows a sharp decrease without a coherence peak just below T_c, followed by a T³ behavior down to 0.15 K. This result indicates that the superconducting gap in pure Sr₂RuO₄ is a highly anisotropic character with a line-node gap. The Knight shift, which is related to the spin susceptibility, is unchanged in the superconducting state irrespective of the direction of the applied fields and various magnitude of the field. This result strongly suggests that the superconducting pairs are in the spin-triplet state, and the spin direction of the triplet pairs is considered to be changed by small fields of several hundred Oe.     

Nipponium as a new element (Z=75) separated by the Japanese chemist, Masataka Ogawa: a scientific and science historical re-evaluation

This review article deals with a new element 'nipponium' reported by Masataka Ogawa in 1908, and with its scientific and science historical background. Ogawa positioned nipponium between molybdenum and ruthenium in the periodic table. From a modern chemical viewpoint, however, nipponium is ascribable to the element with Z=75, namely rhenium, which was unknown in 1908. The reasons for this corrected assignment of nipponium are (1) its optical spectra, (2) its atomic weight when corrected, (3) its relative abundance in molybdenite, the same being true with rhenium. Recently some important evidence was found among the Ogawa's personal collection preserved by his family. Deciphering the X-ray spectra revealed that the measured spectra of the nipponium sample that Ogawa brought from University College, London clearly showed the presence of the element 75 (rhenium). Thus was resolved the mysterious story of nipponium, which had continued for almost a century. It is concluded that nipponium was identical to rhenium.     

Transformation of benzonitrile into benzyl alcohol and benzoate esters in supercritical alcohols

The reactions of benzonitrile in supercritical methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol were investigated under non-catalytic conditions. In supercritical methanol, benzonitrile was converted to methyl benzoate in high yield. The esterification reaction also occurred in supercritical ethanol to afford ethyl benzoate in moderate yield. The esterification could occur via a route analogous to the Pinner reaction. On the other hand, benzonitrile in supercritical 2-propanol yielded no ester. Benzyl alcohol was the major product in supercritical 2-propanol. We investigated the reaction of the CN bond in supercritical 2-propanol. In supercritical 2-propanol, N-benzylideneaniline was transferred to the reduction product (N-benzylaniline) and hydrolysis products (benzyl alcohol and aniline). The hydrolysis reaction was restricted when the reaction was carried out in supercritical 2-propanol with a low water content. This indicates that the water in the 2-propanol acts as a reagent for the hydrolysis of the CN bond. These results suggested the following reaction process: C₆H₅CN→C₆H₅CHNH→C₆H₅CHO→C₆H₅CH₂OH.     

Solid state structures and photophysical properties of (trimethylsilyl)methyl-substituted anthracenes and pyrenes

(Trimethylsilyl)methyl groups incorporated at 9- and 9,10-positions of anthracenes and at 1,3,6,8-positions of pyrenes were found to orient perpendicular to the aromatic frameworks in their crystals and induce red-shift of UV absorption and fluorescence spectra and enhancement of fluorescence quantum yields as compared with the parent hydrocarbons.