Investigation of Relationships between Grain Structure and Inhomogeneous Deformation by Means of Laboratory-Based Multimodal X-Ray Tomography: Strain Accuracy Analysis

Experimental Mechanics - The internal strain distribution developing during plastic deformation is important for understanding the mechanical properties of polycrystalline materials. Such...     

Modeling and design of a tuned liquid damper using triangular-bottom tank by a concentrated mass model

Nonlinear Dynamics - Rectangular flat-bottom liquid tanks known as tuned liquid dampers (TLDs) are often used as passive mechanical dampers. Sloped- and triangular-bottom TLDs have been reported to...     

Shimalactone Biosynthesis Involves Spontaneous Double Bicyclo-Ring Formation with 8π-6π Electrocyclization

Shimalactones A and B are neuritogenic polyketides possessing characteristic oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and bicyclo[4.2.0]octadiene ring systems that are produced by the marine fungus Emericella variecolor GF10. We identified a candidate biosynthetic gene cluster and conducted heterologous expression analysis. Expression of ShmA polyketide synthase in Aspergillus oryzae resulted in the production of preshimalactone. Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants expressing ShmA and ShmB produced shimalactones A and B, thus suggesting that the double bicyclo-ring formation reactions proceed non-enzymatically from preshimalactone epoxide. DFT calculations strongly support the idea that oxabicyclo-ring formation and 8π-6π electrocyclization proceed spontaneously after opening of the preshimalactone epoxide ring through protonation. We confirmed the formation of preshimalactone epoxide in vitro, followed by its non-enzymatic conversion to shimalactones in the dark.     

Polarization control of an X‐ray free‐electron laser with a diamond phase retarder

A diamond phase retarder was applied to control the polarization states of a hard X‐ray free‐electron laser (XFEL) in the photon energy range 5–20 keV. The horizontal polarization of the XFEL beam generated from the planar undulators of the SPring‐8 Angstrom Compact Free‐Electron Laser (SACLA) was converted into vertical or circular polarization of either helicity by adjusting the angular offset of the diamond crystal from the exact Bragg condition. Using a 1.5 mm‐thick crystal, a high degree of circular polarization, 97%, was obtained for 11.56 keV monochromatic X‐rays, whereas the degree of vertical polarization was 67%, both of which agreed with the estimations including the energy bandwidth of the Si 111 beamline monochromator.     

Dynamic Lone Pair Expression as Chemical Bonding Origin of Giant Phonon Anharmonicity in Thermoelectric InTe

Loosely bonded (“rattling”) atoms with s² lone pair electrons are usually associated with strong anharmonicity and unexpectedly low thermal conductivity, yet their detailed correlation remains largely unknown. Here we resolve this correlation in thermoelectric InTe by combining chemical bonding analysis, inelastic X-ray and neutron scattering, and first principles phonon calculations. We successfully probe soft low-lying transverse phonons dominated by large In¹⁺ z-axis motions, and their giant anharmonicity. We show that the highly anharmonic phonons arise from the dynamic lone pair expression with unstable occupied antibonding states induced by the covalency between delocalized In¹⁺ 5s² lone pair electrons and Te 5p states. This work pinpoints the microscopic origin of strong anharmonicity driven by rattling atoms with stereochemical lone pair activity, important for designing efficient materials for thermoelectric energy conversion.     

Reconstitution of Biosynthetic Machinery for the Synthesis of the Highly Elaborated Indole Diterpene Penitrem

Penitrem A is one of the most elaborated members of the fungal indole diterpenes. Two separate penitrem gene clusters were identified using genomic and RNA sequencing data, and 13 out of 17 transformations in the penitrem biosynthesis were elucidated by heterologous reconstitution of the relevant genes. These reactions involve 1) a prenylation‐initiated cationic cyclization to install the bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane skeleton (PtmE), 2) a two‐step P450‐catalyzed oxidative processes forming the unique tricyclic penitrem skeleton (PtmK and PtmU), and 3) five sequential oxidative transformations (PtmKULNJ). Importantly, without conventional gene disruption, reconstitution of the biosynthetic machinery provided sufficient data to determine the pathway. It was thus demonstrated that the Aspergillus oryzae reconstitution system is a powerful method for studying the biosynthesis of complex natural products.     

Strain rate sensitivity of flow stress at low temperatures in 304n stainless steel

Strain rate and temperature effects on the flow stress of 304N stainless steel were investigated using data obtained from torsion tests on thin-walled tubular specimens, at given strain rates of between 10⁻³ and 10⁻¹ with temperatures ranging from 83 to 296 K. Initially, the apparent strain rate sensitivity of the flow stress, obtained at test temperatures of 83, 153, 213, and 296 K, was examined. The strain dependence and the strain rate dependence of the mechanical threshold stress (the flow stress at O K) at strains less than 0.1 and at strain rates of 2.4 × 10⁻³ and 8.3 × 10² s⁻¹, is also discussed. It was concluded from the experimental results that the mechanical threshold stress depends not only on the strain but also on the strain rate.