New Finding of the Glass Transition Phenomenon in Surfactant Gel Phase: The Binary System of Water and Dioctadecyldimethyl-Ammonium Chloride

Differential scanning calorimetry on the two-component system of dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride (DOAC)–water was carried out in the temperature region from 80 °C down to -100 °C. As the result, a new type of glassy state was found around at -40 °C for the supercooled complete gel phase.     

Review: Different types of ordering

Homogeneous structures A_xB_y with identical A–A or B–B self‐coordination numbers T₁, T₂, T₃, of nearest, next‐nearest and third neighbors are selected. The maximum T_i values are 2 2 2 (1D row), 6 6 6 (2D hexagonal net) and 12 6 24 (3D cubic close‐packing). Reduced T₁ or T₂ values for A_xB_y can be related with attractive or repulsive A–A (or B–B) interactions. A single set of T₁ T₂ T₃; y/x values was obtained for y/x = 1–4 and 6. The y/x = 2 structures of three equivalent positions A, B and C are unfavourable for A = ⊕ and B = ⊖ charge or direction of magnetic moments. The spatial distribution of positive and negative potential near A⁺ and B⁻ positions gives rise to neutral C positions. Frustrated magnetic moments at C positions are disordered. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

4-(Pyrrolidinyl)methoxybenzoic acid derivatives as a potent, orally active VLA-4 antagonist

A novel series of benzoic acid derivatives as VLA-4 antagonists were synthesized. Optimization, focusing on activity and lipophilicity needed for cell permeability, resulted in the identification of 15b and 15e with good activity (IC50 = 1.6 nM each) and moderate lipophilicity (Log D = 2.0, 1.8). Furthermore, 15e demonstrated efficacy in murine asthma model by an oral dose of 30 mg/kg.     

Nickelmodifiedlarge poremesoporoussilicas ascatalysts for methanol decomposition

Summary Ni-modifiedlarge poremesoporous silicasarecharacterized by XRD, N₂physisorption and TPR with H₂. Theeffectof the supportpore structure on their catalytic behaviorin methanol decomposition to H₂, CO and CH₄is studied.     

Asymptotic relationship between telegraphic and diffusion equations

In the paper it is considered the generalized telegraphic equation represented by the system of four evolution equations, containing a small positive parameter multiplying some of the time derivatives. It is shown that if the small parameter tends to zero, the solution to the telegraphic equation tends asymptotically to the solution of the diffusion equation obtained from the former one by putting the small parameter equal to zero.     

Early stages of ZnS growth studied by stopped-flow UV absorption spectroscopy: effects of educt concentrations on the nanoparticle formation

The growth of ZnS nanoparticles by precipitation from supersaturated aqueous solution is studied by stopped-flow UV absorption spectroscopy. The average size, size distribution, and concentration of the particles are monitored within the sub-second time regime with a resolution of 1.28 ms. Particle growth at these early stages is governed by pronounced ripening. The UV absorption data strongly suggest that growth occurs by preferential adsorption of HS- anions relative to Zn(2+) or ZnOH(+) cations. Correspondingly, the initial sulfide concentration has a much more pronounced influence on the growth kinetics than the initial zinc concentration. These findings are verified by zeta-potential measurements which confirm that the particle surfaces are negatively charged under near-neutral pH conditions.     

Thermoluminescence study of persistent luminescence materials: Eu2+- and R3+-doped calcium aluminates, CaAl2O4:Eu2+,R3+

Thermoluminescence properties of the Eu2+-, R3+-doped calcium aluminate materials, CaAl2O4:Eu2+,R3+, were studied above room temperature. The trap depths were estimated with the aid of the preheating and initial rise methods. The seemingly simple glow curve of CaAl2O4:Eu2+ peaking at ca. 80 degrees C was found to correspond to several traps. The Nd3+ and Tm3+ ions, which enhance most the intensity of the high-temperature TL peaks, form the most suitable traps for intense and long-lasting persistent luminescence, too. The location of the 4f and 5d ground levels of the R3+ and R2+ ions were deduced in relation to the band structure of CaAl2O4. No clear correlation was found between the trap depths and the R3+ or R2+ level locations. The traps may thus involve more complex mechanisms than the simple charge transfer to (or from) the R3+ ions. A new persistent luminescence mechanism presented is based on the photoionization of the electrons from Eu2+ to the conduction band followed by the electron trapping to an oxygen vacancy, which is aggregated with a calcium vacancy and a R3+ ion. The migration of the electron from one trap to another and also to the aggregated R3+ ion forming R2+ (or R3+-e-) is then occurring. The reverse process of a release of the electron from traps to Eu2+ will produce the persistent luminescence. The ability of the R3+ ions to trap electrons is probably based on the different reduction potentials and size of the R3+ ions. Hole trapping to a calcium vacancy and/or the R3+ ion may also occur. The mechanism presented can also explain why Na+, Sm3+, and Yb3+ suppress the persistent luminescence.     

Measurement of a linkage among environmental,operational, and financial performance in Japanese manufacturing firms: A use of Data Envelopment Analysis with strong complementary slackness condition

This study investigates a linkage among environmental, operational and financial performance in Japanese manufacturing industry. All manufacturing firms examined in this study are listed in Tokyo stock exchange market. We use DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) as an evaluation methodology. This study finds that large firms have managerial capabilities to improve their operational and environmental performance. The improvement leads to the enhancement of their financial performance. However, we cannot find such a business linkage in small and medium-sized firms. They improve their operational performance and then direct themselves toward the improvement of their environmental performance. Their environmental performance is, not the first priority, the second priority for the small and medium-sized firms even though Japanese government is currently making a policy pressure on all manufacturing firms to pay attention to various environmental issues related to the global warming and climate change. The environmental protection policy is effective on only large Japanese manufacturing firms that have technological and financial capabilities for environmental protection.     

Multiscale modeling of submonolayer growth for Fe/Mo (110)

We use a multiscale approach to study a lattice-gas model of submonolayer growth of Fe/Mo (110) by Molecular Beam Epitaxy. To begin with, we construct a two-dimensional lattice-gas model of the Fe/Mo (110) system based on our first-principles calculations of the monomer diffusion barrier and adatom-adatom interactions. The model is investigated by equilibrium Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to compute the diffusion coefficients of Fe islands of different sizes. These diffusion coefficients are used as input to the coarse-grained kinetic rate equation (KRE) approach. We also evaluate effects of the range of Fe-Fe interaction, restriction of interaction to third nearest neighbors allowed to develop feasible atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model. We calculate time evolution of the island size distributions by both KMC and KRE methods and find good agreement between the two methods.