Helically Assembled Pyrene Arrays on an RNA Duplex That Exhibit Circularly Polarized Luminescence with Excimer Formation

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) was observed in pyrene zipper arrays helically arranged on an RNA duplex. Hybridization of complementary RNA strands having multiple (two to five) 2′‐O‐pyrenylmethyl modified nucleosides affords an RNA duplex with normal thermal stability. The pyrene fluorophores are assembled like a zipper in a well‐defined helical manner along the axis of RNA duplex, which, upon 350 nm UV illumination, resulted in CPL emission with pyrene excimer formation. CPL (g_lum) levels observed for the pyrene arrays in dilute aqueous solution were +2×10^?2–+3.5×10^?2, which are comparable with |g_lum| for chiral organic molecules and related systems. The positive CPL signals are consistent with a right‐handed helical structure. Temperature dependence on CPL emission indicates that the stable rigid RNA structure is responsible for the strong CPL signals. The single pyrene‐modified RNA duplex did not show any CPL signal.     

Fouling effects of geothermal water scale upon heat transfer around an elliptic cylinder

An experimental investigation has been conducted to clarify fouling effects of geothermal water scale deposited onto a surface upon its forced convection heat transfer characteristics. Examined is an elliptic cylinder of an axis ratio 1∶3, on which particles of silica scale are uniformly distributed. Local and mean heat transfer characteristics were measured for angles of attack 0° and 90°. Subsequently the fouling resistance is estimated from those results. Mean and turbulent fluctuating velocities were also measured in order to correlate the heat transfer features with the velocity field in the near wake of the elliptic cylinder.     

Prediction of wheel performance by analysis of normal and tengential stress distributions under the wheel-soil interface

Prediction of wheel performance by analysis of normal stress distribution under the wheel-soil interface was reported by one of our research members. In this study analysis of both normal and tangential stress distributions are included for the prediction of wheel performance. A visco-elastic soil model based on a three-element Maxwell model is used to evaluate normal stress distribution under a wheel running on soft ground. The values of the parameters characterizing the visco-elastic behavior of the soil can be derived from plate penetration tests. A rigid wheel-soil interface model is used to evaluate the tangential stress distribution under the wheel-soil interface. Shear deformation modulus, cohesion and angle of internal shearing resistance of the soil are derived from shear-displacement tests. Test results indicate that both maximum normal and shear stress occur in front of the wheel axle, and the location of peak normal stress shifts backwards towards the wheel axle while that of tangential stress shifts forwards when slippage is increased from a low value. Increasing slippage also causes a decrease in normal stress and an increase in tangential stress. Coefficients of traction and tractive efficiency are low at low slippage, increase with an increase in slippage, and level off at higher slippage.     

Temperature field of a slightly heated jet in a cross flow

This paper deals with a temperature field of a slightly heated two-dimensional jet injected normal to a cold cross flow. At the blowing rates of 0.2, 1.5 and 3.0 in two kinds of approaching boundary layer, the thermal mixing characteristics of the heated jet with the cross flow are experimentally clarified. The correlation between the temperature field and the complex flow one in the downstream region of the jet is made clear, in relation to the typical jet flow patterns. Comparison of the present results with the existing experimental data are represented.     

Synthesis of N-acetyl Glucosamine Analogs as Inhibitors for Hyaluronan Biosynthesis

Elevated hyaluronan expression is a hallmark of many types of cancer. Therefore, inhibition of hyaluronan biosynthesis can potentially slow the growth of tumor cells. Herein, we explore a chain termination strategy to reduce hyaluronan synthesis by tumor cells. Several analogs of glucosamine were prepared, which contained modifications at the C-3 positions. These analogs can possibly cap the nonreducing end of a growing hyaluronan chain, thus lowering the amount of hyaluronan synthesized. Upon incubation with pancreatic cancer cells, a fluorine-containing glucosamine analog was found to exhibit significant inhibitory activities of hyaluronan synthesis. Furthermore, it drastically reduced the proliferation of cancer cells.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry to view the supplemental file.     

Common origin of the circular-dichroism pattern in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of SrTiO3 and Cu(x)Bi2Se3

Circular dichroism in the angular distribution of photoelectrons from SrTiO(3):Nb and Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3) is investigated by 7-eV laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. In addition to the well-known node that occurs in the circular dichroism pattern when the incidence plane matches the mirror plane of the crystal, we show that another type of node occurs when the mirror plane of the crystal is vertical to the incidence plane and the electronic state is two-dimensional. The flower-shaped circular dichroism patterns in the angular distribution occurring around the Fermi level of SrTiO(3):Nb and around the Dirac point of Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3) are explained on equal footings. We point out that the penetration depth of the topological states of Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3) depends on momentum.     

Low-frequency spin fluctuations in Skyrmions confined by wires: measurements of local nuclear spin relaxation

We investigate low-frequency electron spin dynamics in a quantum Hall system with wire confinement by nuclear spin relaxation measurements. We developed a technique to measure the local nuclear spin relaxation rate T(1)(-1). T(1)(-1) is enhanced on both sides of the local filling factor ν(wire)=1, reflecting low-frequency fluctuations of electron spins associated with Skyrmions inside the wire. As the wire width is decreased, the fast nuclear spin relaxation is suppressed in a certain range of Skyrmion density. This suggests that the multi-Skyrmion state is modified and the low-frequency spin fluctuations are suppressed by the wire confinement.     

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic diphase ZnFe(2)O(4) /γ-Fe(2)O(3) electrospun fibers

Magnetic nanofibers of ZnFe₂O₄/γ-Fe₂O₃ composite were synthesized by electrospinning from a sol-gel solution containing a molar ratio (Fe/Zn) of 3. The effects of the calcination temperature on phase composition, particle size and magnetic properties have been investigated. Zinc ferrite fibers were obtained by calcinating the electrospun fibers in air from 300 to 800 °C and characterized by thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, vibration sample magnetometry and magnetic force microscopy. The resulting fibers, with diameters ranging from 90 to 150 nm, were ferrimagnetic with high saturation magnetization as compared to bulk. An increase in the calcination temperature resulted in an increase in particle size and saturation magnetization. The observed increase in saturation magnetization was most likely due to the formation and growth of ZnFe₂O₄/γ-Fe₂O₃ diphase crystals. The highest saturation magnetization (45 emu/g) was obtained for fibers calcined at 800 °C.     

Challenge of advanced low temperature fuel cells based on high degree of freedom of group 4 and 5 metal oxides

To obtain an ideal electrocatalysts for hydrogen fuel cells, we investigated group 4 and 5 oxide-based compounds because of their high degree of freedom. First-principles calculations revealed that oxide surfaces such as those of titanium oxide could break down the universal scaling to achieve the ideal state of the oxygen reduction reaction. We experimentally clarified that the active sites were oxygen vacancies for tantalum and zirconium oxides, in addition to doped foreign elements and crystalline structures for titanium oxide. We successfully demonstrated that precious metal-free and carbon-free oxide-based cathodes have high quality active sites and superior durability in 0.1 M sulfuric acid at 80°C. Our strategy was developed as follows: (1) Active sites are created on the oxide surface by modifying the crystalline structure and electronic states and (2) electrons participating in the oxygen reduction reaction are supplied by nanosized oxide particles and oxide films through the tunneling effect of electrons.