Origin of the enhanced copper spin echo decay rate in the pseudogap regime of the multilayer high-T(c) cuprates

We report measurements of the anisotropy of the spin echo decay for the inner layer Cu site of the triple layer cuprate Hg(0.8)Re(0.2)Ba(2)Ca(2)Cu(3)O(8) (T(c)=126 K). The angular dependence of the second moment (T(-2)(2M) identical with ) deduced from the decay curves indicates that T(-2)(2M) for H0 parallel c is enhanced in the pseudogap regime below T(pg) approximately 170 K, as seen in bilayer systems. Comparison of T(-2)(2M) between H0 parallel c and H0 perpendicular c indicates that this enhancement is caused by electron spin correlations between the inner and the outer CuO2 layers. The results provide the answer to the long-standing controversy regarding the opposite T dependences of (T1T)(-1) and T(-2)(2G) (T(2G): Gaussian component) in the pseudogap regime of multilayer systems.     

Anomalous scattering from dielectric bispheres in the specular direction

Resonant scattering from dielectric bispheres in the specular direction (the so-called specular resonance), previously known only in the microwave range, has been observed at the optical wavelength. Systematic experiments with micrometer-sized dielectric bispheres assembled by micromanipulation, together with rigorous numerical calculations, reveal that this scattering is a precursor of the classical rainbow and is a general phenomenon observed in the wide range of size parameters (>5 for n=1.59) for various refractive indices.     

Epitaxial silicon oxynitride layer on a 6H-SiC(0001) surface

Hydrogen-gas etching of a 6H-SiC(0001) surface and subsequent annealing in nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of a silicon oxynitride (SiON) epitaxial layer. A quantitative low-energy electron diffraction analysis revealed that the SiON layer has a hetero-double-layer structure: a silicate monolayer on a silicon nitride monolayer via Si-O-Si bridge bonds. There are no dangling bonds in the unit cell, which explains the fact that the structure is robust against air exposure. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy measured on the SiON layer shows a bulk SiO2-like band gap of approximately 9 eV. Great potential of this new epitaxial layer for device applications is described.     

Molecular dynamics study for the thermal conductivity of diatomic liquid

The thermal conductivity of diatomic liquids was analyzed using a nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) method. Five liquids, namely, O₂, CO, CS₂, Cl₂ and Br₂, were assumed. The two-center Lennard-Jones (2CLJ) model was used to express the intermolecular potential acting on liquid molecules. First, the equation of state of each liquid was obtained using MD simulation, and the critical temperature, density and pressure of each liquid were determined. Heat conduction of each liquid at various liquid states [metastable (ρ=1.9ρ_cr), saturated (ρ=2.1ρ_cr), and stable (ρ=2.3ρ_cr)] at T=0.7T_cr was simulated and the thermal conductivity was estimated. These values were compared with experimental results and it was confirmed that the simulated results were consistent with the experimental data within 10%. Obtained thermal conductivities at saturated state were reduced by the critical temperature, density and mass of molecules and these values were compared with each other. It was found that the reduced thermal conductivity increased with the increase in the molecular elongation. Detailed analysis of the molecular contribution to the thermal conductivity revealed that the contribution of the heat flux caused by energy transport and by translational energy transfer to the thermal conductivity is independent of the molecular elongation while the contribution of the heat flux caused by rotational energy transfer to the thermal conductivity increases with the increase in the molecular elongation. Moreover, by comparing the reduced thermal conductivity at various states, it was found that the increase of thermal conductivity with the increase in the density, or pressure, was caused by the increase of the contribution of energy transfer due to molecular interaction.     

The detection limit of a Gd3+-based T1 agent is substantially reduced when targeted to a protein microdomain

Simple low molecular weight (MW) chelates of Gd(3+) such as those currently used in clinical MRI are considered too insensitive for most molecular imaging applications. Here, we evaluated the detection limit (DL) of a molecularly targeted low MW Gd(3+)-based T(1) agent in a model where the receptor concentration was precisely known. The data demonstrate that receptors clustered together to form a microdomain of high local concentration can be imaged successfully even when the bulk concentration of the receptor is quite low. A GdDO3A-peptide identified by phage display to target the anti-FLAG antibody was synthesized, purified and characterized. T(1-)weighted MR images were compared with the agent bound to antibody in bulk solution and with the agent bound to the antibody localized on agarose beads. Fluorescence competition binding assays show that the agent has a high binding affinity (K(D)=150 nM) for the antibody, while the fully bound relaxivity of the GdDO3A-peptide/anti-FLAG antibody in solution was a relatively modest 17 mM(-1) s(-1). The agent/antibody complex was MR silent at concentrations below approximately 9 microM but was detectable down to 4 microM bulk concentrations when presented to antibody clustered together on the surface of agarose beads. These results provided an estimate of the DLs for other T(1)-based agents with higher fully bound relaxivities or multimeric structures bound to clustered receptor molecules. The results demonstrate that the sensitivity of molecularly targeted contrast agents depends on the local microdomain concentration of the target protein and the molecular relaxivity of the bound complex. A model is presented, which predicts that for a molecularly targeted agent consisting of a single Gd(3+) complex with bound relaxivity of 100 mM(-1) s(-1) or, more reasonably, four tethered Gd(3+) complexes each having a bound relaxivity of 25 mM(-1) s(-1), the DL of a protein microdomain is approximately 690 nM at 9.4 T. These experimental and extrapolated DLs are both well below current literature estimates and suggests that detection of low MW molecularly targeted T(1) agents is not an unrealistic goal.     

Flow and heat transfer over a backward-facing step with a cylinder mounted near its top corner

A study was made to see if it is possible to enhance the heat transfer in the downstream region of a backward-facing step, where heat transfer is normally deteriorated, by the insertion of a cylinder near the top corner of the step. Cylinder size and streamwise position of the cylinder were kept constant but the cross-stream position of the cylinder was changed in three steps. Results of the heat transfer experiment, flow visualization, and measurement of the averaged and fluctuating flow fields were reported. When the cylinder was mounted at a position, a little higher than the top surface of the step, a jet-like flow pattern emerged in the averaged velocity profile beneath the cylinder and the recirculating flow was intensified. Therefore, the velocity of recirculating flow near the wall is increased at some streamwise positions. Additionally, the velocity fluctuation was intensified not only in the shear layer between the jet-like flow and the recirculating flow regions but also in the near wall region, resulting in the effective augmentation of heat transfer in this case. Therefore, it is concluded that the mounting of a cylinder is effective in the enhancement of deteriorated heat transfer in the recirculating flow region, if its is mounted in a proper position.     

The cyclodextrin-nicotinamide compound as a dehydrogenase model simulating apoenzyme-coenzyme-substrate ternary complex system

The cyclodextrin-dihydronicotinamde had a dihydronicotinamde group at the open side of cyclodextrin cavity, and showed a large rate enhancement in the reduction of substrate upon complexation comparing with NADH.     

Photocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate in Water on Meso-Porous Hollandite Catalyst: A New Pathway on Removal of Nitrate in Water

Photocatalysis of a hollandite compound K_xGa_xSn_8–xO₁₆ (x = ca. 1.8) was examined for the reduction of nitrate to N₂ with a reducing agent of methanol in water under UV irradiation. Hollandites have a characteristic one-dimensional tunnel structure. The meso-porous hollandite was prepared by sol-gel method. This hollandite was used as the photocatalyst and its reaction process was quantitatively analyzed by using ion chromatograph and on-line mass spectrometry. The hollandite photocatalyst showed a significant activity for the formation of N₂ from NO₃^–. Two factors, an increase in UV intensity and a lowering in pH of the solution, contributed to improvement in the selectivity for N₂. The selectivity for N₂ was improved to reach the perfect level by adjusting the factors. Although, in the previous report, the nitrate was mainly reduced to NH₄⁺ or NO₂^–, the present photocatalytic conditions converted it to N₂. The observed photocatalytic reduction of NO₃^– to N₂ with reducing agent CH₃OH was conjugated to the partial oxidation of CH₃OH to HCOOH. This high selective photocatalytic decomposition of NO₃^– to N₂ may be a new pathway among the others reported so far, and it would be useful for environmental protection of water.     

1,15‐Penta­decane­diol

In the title compound, C₁₅H₃₂O₂, one of the terminal hydroxyl groups has a gauche conformation with respect to the hydro­carbon skeleton, while the other is trans. The mol­ecules lie parallel to the longest axis and form layers similar to those of the smectic A structure of liquid crystals. These features are similar to those of the homologues with an odd number of C atoms, but different from those with an even number.