Palladium-catalyzed tandem carbonylation and intramolecular diels-alder reaction of 4-alken-2-ynyl carbonates: a new synthetic method for polycyclic compounds

A new synthetic method for polycyclic compounds via the palladium-catalyzed tandem carbonylation and intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction is described.     

Strong-coupled polarons via the deformation potential

Strong-coupled polarons via the deformation potential are investigated within the scheme of variational approach based on the unitary transformation and the method of a Lagrange multiplier.     

Inelastic behaviour of polycrystalline metals under complex loading condition

In this paper, a simple mechanical model of polycrystal is suggested on the basis of the crystal plasticity. This model incorporates interactions among grains in polycrystal and interactions among slip systems in a crystal grain component. Especially, an equation for a slip strain of slip system is based on a theory of thermo-activation motion of dislocation. In this way, the model can take into account rate (creep) properties and temperature effects as well as an induced plastic anisotropy depending on deformation path, under multi-axial condition.Some computations are done by using the model for typical sets of strain paths and compared with corresponding experimental results of aluminum alloy at 200°C. The computational results reproduce accurately typical features observed in the experiments.     

Pfaffian Expressions for Random Matrix Correlation Functions

It is well known that Pfaffian formulas for eigenvalue correlations are useful in the analysis of real and quaternion random matrices. Moreover the parametric correlations in the crossover to complex random matrices are evaluated in the forms of Pfaffians. In this article, we review the formulations and applications of Pfaffian formulas. For that purpose, we first present the general Pfaffian expressions in terms of the corresponding skew orthogonal polynomials. Then we clarify the relation to Eynard and Mehta’s determinant formula for hermitian matrix models and explain how the evaluation is simplified in the cases related to the classical orthogonal polynomials. Applications of Pfaffian formulas to random matrix theory and other fields are also mentioned.     

Protonation states of buried histidine residues in human deoxyhemoglobin revealed by neutron crystallography

The protonation states of buried histidine residues in human deoxyhemoglobin were unambiguously identified by using a neutron crystallographic technique. Unexpectedly, the neutron structure reveals that both the alpha- and beta-distal histidines (Hisalpha58 and Hisbeta63) adopt a positively charged, fully (doubly) protonated form, suggesting their contribution to the Bohr effect. In addition, the neutron data provide an accurate picture of the alpha1beta1 hydrogen-bonding network and allow us to observe unambiguously the nature of the intradimeric interactions at an atomic level.     

Improving background suppression in diffusion-weighted imaging of the abdomen and pelvis using STIR with single-axis diffusion encoding

Bowel contents and peripheral nerves often show high signal intensity at diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the abdomen and pelvis, obscuring or mimicking pathology. This study introduced and compared short tau inversion recovery (STIR) with single-axis DWI to the usual combination of spectral fat suppression (SFS) with trace DWI in the suppression of bowel contents and peripheral nerves. Five volunteers underwent both STIR with single-axis DWI and SFS with trace DWI of the abdomen and pelvis. Images were evaluated by two observers with respect to the suppression of signal of bowel contents and peripheral nerves using four-point grading scales (4=poor suppression; 3=moderate suppression; 2=good suppression; 1=excellent suppression). Mean scores (±S.D.) regarding the suppression of bowel contents were 1.60±0.55 and 1.40±0.89 for STIR with single-axis DWI and 3.40±0.55 and 3.00±1.00 for SFS with trace DWI for observers 1 and 2, respectively. Mean scores regarding the suppression of peripheral nerves were 1.20±0.45 and 1.20±0.45 for STIR with single-axis DWI and 2.40±0.89 and 2.80±0.84 for SFS with trace DWI for observers 1 and 2, respectively. In conclusion, STIR with single-axis DWI is superior to SFS with trace DWI in the suppression of bowel signal and peripheral nerves.     

Highly efficient CdS/CdSe-sensitized solar cells controlled by the structural properties of compact porous TiO2 photoelectrodes

At present, the photovoltaic performance of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) is still much lower than conventional DSCs. Appropriate porous TiO(2) photoanodes for QDSCs need to be further investigated, and optimization of the nanoparticle-based photoanodes is highly desirable as well. In this article, the influence of the structural properties of various TiO(2) photoanodes on CdS/CdSe-sensitized solar cells have been systematically studied. Quantitative analyses of light-harvesting efficiency (LHE) and electron-transfer yield (Φ(ET)) for the QDSCs are investigated for the first time. It is revealed that the LHE increases in the long wavelength region with the addition of large size TiO(2) particles to the transparent film. In the meantime, the balance between the light scattering and surface area also needs to be controlled, which can significantly restrain the dark current of the device. A double-layer photoanodic structure can give 4.92% of light-to-electricity conversion efficiency with a photoactive area of 0.15 cm(2).