Synthesis of Enantiopure Dehydropiperidinones from α-Amino Acids and Alkynes via Azetidin-3-ones

Chiral dehydropiperidinones were synthesized in enantiopure form from α-amino acids and alkynes via azetidin-3-ones.     

Biological activity and tissue specific accumulation of fluorescently labeled methyl jasmonate

The C-7 position of jasmonate is practical for synthesis of a probe to use for chemical biological studies. To confirm the utility, we synthesized fluorescent-labeled methyl jasmonate. The synthesized compound exhibited Arabidopsis thaliana root growth inhibitory and meandering activity, and potent fluorescence was observed inside the root and root hairs.     

Phthalocyanines: a new class of G-quadruplex-ligands with many potential applications

A G-quadruplex is a four-stranded DNA structure featuring stacked guanine tetrads, G-quartets. Formation of a G-quadruplex in telomere DNA can inhibit telomerase activity; therefore, development of G-quadruplex-ligands, which induce and/or stabilize G-quadruplexes, has become an area of great interest. Phthalocyanine derivatives have substantial potential as high-affinity G-quadruplex-ligands because these planar chromophores are similar in size and shape to the G-quartets. Here, we focus on the latest findings on phthalocyanine derivatives as G-quadruplex-ligands, and discuss the mechanisms by which phthalocyanines bind to G-quadruplexes with high affinity and selectivity. We also discuss potential biomedical and organic electronic applications of phthalocyanines that are dependent on their photophysical properties.     

Electron-transfer through potential gradient based on a dendrimer architecture

A dendritic nano-shell based on rigid phenylazomethine units can rectify electron transfer. By use of this function, the photo-induced charge separation was significantly enhanced due to the facilitated and stabilized radical ion pair.     

Vibration testing based on impulse response excited by pulsed-laser ablation: Measurement of frequency response function with detection-free input

We have developed a non-contact vibration-measurement system that is based on impulse excitation by laser ablation (i.e. laser excitation) to measure the high-frequency-vibration characteristics of objects. The proposed method makes it possible to analyse the frequency response function just by measuring the output (acceleration response) of a test object excited by pulsed-laser ablation. This technique does not require detection of the input force. Firstly, using a rigid block, the pulsed-laser-ablation force is calibrated via Newton's second law. Secondly, an experiment is conducted in which an object whose natural frequency lies in the high-frequency domain is excited by pulsed-laser ablation. The complex frequency spectrum obtained by Fourier transform of the measured response is then divided by the estimated pulsed-laser-ablation force. Finally, because of the error involved in the trigger position of the response with respect to the impulse arrival time, the phase of the complex Fourier transform is modified by accounting for the response dead time. The result is the frequency response function of the object. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by a vibration test of an aluminium block.     

Measurement of the cosmic-ray antiproton spectrum at solar minimum with a long-duration balloon flight over antarctica

The energy spectrum of cosmic-ray antiprotons (p's) from 0.17 to 3.5 GeV has been measured using 7886 p's detected by BESS-Polar II during a long-duration flight over Antarctica near solar minimum in December 2007 and January 2008. This shows good consistency with secondary p calculations. Cosmologically primary p's have been investigated by comparing measured and calculated p spectra. BESS-Polar II data show no evidence of primary p's from the evaporation of primordial black holes.     

Polar antiferromagnets produced with orbital order

Polar states are realized in pseudocubic manganite films fabricated on high-index substrates, in which a Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion remains an active variable. Several types of orbital orders (OOs) were found to develop large optical second harmonics, signaling broken-inversion symmetry distinct from their bulk forms and films on (100) substrates. The observed symmetry lifting and first-principles calculation both indicate that the modified JT q2 mode drives Mn-site off centering, which can be controlled by a magnetic-field-induced phase transition via a coupling of OO and spin orders.     

Search for antihelium with the BESS-Polar spectrometer

In two long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica, the Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) collaboration has searched for antihelium in the cosmic radiation with the highest sensitivity reported. BESS-Polar I flew in 2004, observing for 8.5 days. BESS-Polar II flew in 2007-2008, observing for 24.5 days. No antihelium candidate was found in BESS-Polar I data among 8.4×10(6) |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 20 GV or in BESS-Polar II data among 4.0×10(7) |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 14 GV. Assuming antihelium to have the same spectral shape as helium, a 95% confidence upper limit to the possible abundance of antihelium relative to helium of 6.9×10(-8)} was determined combining all BESS data, including the two BESS-Polar flights. With no assumed antihelium spectrum and a weighted average of the lowest antihelium efficiencies for each flight, an upper limit of 1.0×10(-7) from 1.6 to 14 GV was determined for the combined BESS-Polar data. Under both antihelium spectral assumptions, these are the lowest limits obtained to date.     

Synthesis of main-chain chiral quaternary ammonium polymers for asymmetric catalysis using quaternization polymerization

Main-chain chiral quaternary ammonium polymers were successfully synthesized by the quaternization polymerization of cinchonidine dimer with dihalides. The polymerization occurred smoothly under optimized conditions to give novel type of main-chain chiral quaternary ammonium polymers. The catalytic activity of the polymeric chiral organocatalysts was investigated on the asymmetric benzylation of N-(diphenylmethylidene)glycine tert-butyl ester.