Gelation process of amylose-DMSO-water system

Amylose gel is obtained by cooling amylose aqueous solution at a certain cooling rate. In order to clarify the gelation process of amylose in the mixed solvent of water and DMSO, the characteristics of turbidity and dynamic viscoelasticity of the solution as a function of temperature have been studied by optical and rheological methods, respectively. Accordingly, cloud temperature (Tc) at which the aggregation of amylose occurs, and gelation temperature (Tgel) at which the elasticity began to appear were obtained. Tc and Tgel were strongly dependent on cooling rate, and these values shifted to higher temperatures with decreasing cooling rate. However, there was difference between Tc and Tgel, and Tc was higher than Tgel, indicating the gelation process occurs in two stages.     

Gold nanoparticles located at the interface of anatase/rutile TiO2 particles as active plasmonic photocatalysts for aerobic oxidation

Visible-light irradiation (λ > 450 nm) of gold nanoparticles loaded on a mixture of anatase/rutile TiO(2) particles (Degussa, P25) promotes efficient aerobic oxidation at room temperature. The photocatalytic activity critically depends on the catalyst architecture: Au particles with <5 nm diameter located at the interface of anatase/rutile TiO(2) particles behave as the active sites for reaction. This photocatalysis is promoted via plasmon activation of the Au particles by visible light followed by consecutive electron transfer in the Au/rutile/anatase contact site. The activated Au particles transfer their conduction electrons to rutile and then to adjacent anatase TiO(2). This catalyzes the oxidation of substrates by the positively charged Au particles along with reduction of O(2) by the conduction band electrons on the surface of anatase TiO(2). This plasmonic photocatalysis is successfully promoted by sunlight exposure and enables efficient and selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols at ambient temperature.     

Molecular imprinting of bisphenol A and alkylphenols using amylose as a host matrix

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer has been created by a radical polymerisation of acryloylamylose in the presence of a template.     

Theory of ferromagnetism in Ca(1-x)La(x)B(6)

Novel ferromagnetism in Ca(1-x)La(x)B(6) is studied in terms of the Ginzburg-Landau theory for excitonic-order parameters, taking into account symmetry of the wave functions. We found that the minima of the free energy break both inversion and time-reversal symmetries, while the product of these two remains preserved. This explains various novelties of the ferromagnetism and predicts a number of magnetic properties, including the magnetoelectric effect, which can be tested experimentally.     

Crying and Behavioral Characteristics in Premature Infants

The aims of this study were to analyze 1) whether there was the relationship between the neonatal behavioral characteristics and amount of crying in premature infants at term age, and 2) what kind of difference between infants with high levels of crying and cry less on neonatal behavioral characteristics using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). The study participants consisted of 69 healthy low birth-weight infants who were admitted to the NICU at the Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan. This study analyzed the relationship between NBAS scores measured neonatal behavioral performance and crying at term age. This study results indicate that there was significant statistical negative correlation between the amount of total daily crying and Habituation, Range of state, Regulation of state, and Autonomic stability cluster scores and some individual items scores (Response decrement to light, Response decrement to tactile of foot, Alert responsiveness, Examiner persistence, Motor maturity, Irritability, General irritability, Cuddliness, Consolability, Self-quieting activity, and State regulation). The high levels crying group also showed higher responsivity than less crying group in the items of Peak of excitement, Rapidity of build-up, Irritability and General irritability. In conclusion, neonatal behavioral characteristics such as poor inhibit discrete stimuli while asleep, hyper-responsivity and poor state regulation abilities were risk factors of high levels of crying.     

Hole transport in polymers of (N-ethylcarbazol-3-yl) methyl acrylate and methacrylate

(N-Ethylcarbazol-3-yl)methyl acrylate and methacrylate were polymerized anionically and radically. Anionically-polymerized polyacrylate using ethylmagnesium chloride-benzalacetophenone as catalyst is an isotactic rich polymer with 85% isotactic dyad. All polymers except anionically polymerized polymethacrylate showed good film forming property. Hole drift mobilities measured by the time-of-flight method at room temperature and at 5 × 10⁵ V/cm are in the following order: isotactic polyacrylate (1.0 × 10^-5 cm²/V s) > atactic polyacrylate (1.8 × 10^-6 cm²/V s) > atactic polymethacrylate (1.2 × 10^-6 cm²/V s) at 5 × 10⁵ V/cm. These results are discussed in terms of the hopping model between localized sites.