Superoxide anion-scavenging effect of 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles

We investigated the superoxide anion scavenging effects of thirteen 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles using a highly sensitive quantitative chemiluminescence method. At 166 microM, the 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles scavenged in the range of 14.3 to 96.7% of O2-. 2-Piperidino-1,3-selenazole and 4-phenyl-2-piperidino-1,3-selenazole exhibited the strongest superoxide anion-scavenging activity among the 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 2-piperidino-1,3-selenazole and 4-phenyl-2-piperidino-1,3-selenazole were determined to be 4.03 microM and 92.6 microM, respectively. Thus, these compounds acted in vitro as effective O2- scavengers.     

Three-dimensional crystal alignment using a time-dependent elliptic magnetic field

A theoretical study has been presented to show that it is possible to align three different diamagnetic susceptibility axes (chi(3) < chi(2) < chi(1) < 0) of a crystallite with respect to the laboratory coordinate system (x, y, z). The time-dependent magnetic field that periodically changes in direction and intensity on the xy plane in an elliptic manner (the intensity stronger in the x direction) at a rate quicker than the intrinsic rate of magnetic response causes the three-dimensional alignment, that is, chi(1) parallel x, chi(2) parallel y, and chi(3) parallel z. The fluctuation of the three susceptibility axes around the corresponding laboratory coordinates is estimated in terms of the fluctuation around the minimum of the time-averaged magnetic potential. This technique enables the three-dimensional alignment of the crystallographic axes.     

Structure and ferro-/piezoelectric properties of bimorph-shape CaBi4Ti4O15 films on Pt foils

In-plane c-axis oriented CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (CBTi144) films were fabricated on Pt foils using a complex metal alkoxide solution. The a/b-axis orientation of the ferroelectric films was affected by the preferred orientation of Pt foil, which is associated with the thickness. The 500 nm-thick CBTi144 films showed good ferro- and piezoelectric properties on 0.010 mm-thick Pt foils. The Pr and Ec were 26 C/cm² and 230 kV/cm, respectively, at an applied voltage of 75 V. The d₃₃ was characterized as 25–34 pm/V by piezoresponse force microscopy. The values enhanced compared to those of the CBTi144 thin film with random orientation. The polar-axis oriented CBTi144 films would open for novel devices as Pb-free piezoelectric materials. PACS 77.84.-s; 68.37.-d; 81.15.-z     

Fluctuating hydration structure around nanometer-size hydrophobic solutes. I. Caging and drying around C60 and C60H60 spheres

The hydration structure around nanometer-size hydrophobic solutes is studied with molecular dynamics simulation by taking aqueous solutions of C60 and C60H60 as examples. In the hydration shell around a single C60 or C60H60, dipoles of simulated water molecules tend to be aligned to form the vortexlike coherent pattern which lasts for 100 ps, while individual water molecules stay within the hydration shell for about 10 ps. This structural pattern organized by fluctuating and diffusively moving molecules should be called a "fluctuating cage". In the narrow region between a pair of C60 molecules or a pair of C60H60 molecules, water density strongly fluctuates and is correlated to the mean force between solutes. The fluctuating caging and drying between solutes affect the hydrophobic interaction and dynamical behaviors of solutes.     

Observation of magnetic ripple and nanowidth domains in a layered ferromagnet

We investigated ferromagnetic domain structures on nanometer to micrometer scale for single crystals of a layered ferromagnet, La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn2O7 (0.32 < or = x < or = 0.40), as functions of x and temperature by means of Lorentz electron microscopy. We have succeeded in observing the evolution of magnetic ripple structure, dynamically, related to a spin reorientation transition where the magnetization direction switches between parallel and perpendicular to the layers. Our high-resolution magnetic domain imaging revealed that the ripple state is characterized by the evolution of magnetic nanowidth domains.     

Pressure-induced superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric heavy-fermion CeRhSi3

We report the pressure-induced superconductivity in the noncentrosymmetric heavy-fermion CeRhSi3. The superconductivity emerges above about 12 kbar even though the antiferromagnetic ordering persists. Furthermore, another anomaly is observed in the superconducting phase. The anomalous magnetic field-temperature phase diagram with a high upper critical field suggests that an unconventional superconductivity is realized in CeRhSi3.     

Direct observation of a pair decay of neutral charmed particles produced in 400 GeVc proton interaction

The second evidence of a pair decay of charmed particles has been obtained in an emulsion chamber exposed to $\text{400}\text{GeV}\text{c}$ protons. The life time and production cross section of the charmed particles have been evaluated as several times 10^?13 s and several tens of microbarns.