Synthesis and controlled polymerization of p-(1-methylcyclohexyloxy)styrene and quick-response deblocking ability of the obtained polymer

p-(1-Methylcyclohexyloxy)styrene (PC6ST) was synthesized by acid catalyzed addition reaction of p-bromophenol with 1-methylcyclohexene, followed by Grignard coupling with vinyl bromide catalyzed by NiCl₂(dppp). Radical polymerization of PC6ST in the presence or absence of TEMPO afforded poly(PC6ST) with narrow molecular weight distribution without the elimination of the protective group. The obtained poly(PC6ST) showed a higher deprotection ability in response to external stimulation such as an acid compared with poly(p-tert-butoxystyrene).     

Enhanced electrical properties of highly oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride) films prepared by solid‐state coextrusion

Oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films with β‐form crystals have been commonly prepared by cold drawing of a melt‐quenched film consisting of α‐form crystals. In this study, we have successfully produced highly oriented PVDF thin films (20 µm thick) with β‐crystals and a high crystallinity (55–76%), by solid‐state coextrusion of a gel film to eight times the original length at an established optimum extrusion temperature of 160°C, some 10°C below the melting temperature. The resultant drawn films had a highly oriented (orientation function f_c = 0.993) fibrous structure, showing high mechanical properties of an extensional elastic modulus of 8.3 GPa and tensile strength of 0.84 GPa, along the draw direction. Such highly oriented and crystalline films exhibited excellent ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. The square hysteresis loop was significantly sharper than that of a conventional sample. The sharp switching transient yielded the remnant polarization P_r of 90 mC/m², and the electromechanical coupling factor k_t was 0.24 at room temperature. These values are about 1.5 times greater than those of a conventional β‐PVDF film. Thus, solid‐state coextrusion near the melting point was found to be a useful technique for the preparation of highly oriented and highly crystalline β‐PVDF films with superior mechanical and electrical properties. The morphology of the extrudate relevant to such properties is discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2549–2556, 1999     

Electronic Structures and Magnetic Properties of Transition Metal Doped CsPbI3 Perovskite Compounds by First-Principles Calculation

Physics of the Solid State - Transition metal doped cesium lead halide (CsPbI3) perovskite compounds were studied for application in photovoltaic solar cells. Electronic structures, chemical shifts...     

Synthesis of nickel nanoparticles supported on hollow samaria-doped ceria particles via the solution-spray plasma technique: Anode catalysts for SOFCs

Aiming at SOFC anode applications, we have synthesized nanometer-sized nickel catalysts supported on hollow spherical particles of samaria-doped ceria (Ni/SDC) by spraying a mixed solution of nickel, samarium, and cerium nitrates into an atmospheric pressure plasma. The as-prepared particles consisted of SDC (average diameter d_SDC = ca. 0.8 µm) and uniformly dispersed nanometer-sized NiO particles. When reduced in H₂ at 800 °C or 1000 °C, Ni nanoparticles (average diameter d_Ni = 34 nm) were found to be embedded uniformly into the SDC surface.     

An exact algorithm for the fixed-charge multiple knapsack problem

We formulate the fixed-charge multiple knapsack problem (FCMKP) as an extension of the multiple knapsack problem (MKP). The Lagrangian relaxation problem is easily solved, and together with a greedy heuristic we obtain a pair of upper and lower bounds quickly. We make use of these bounds in the pegging test to reduce the problem size. We also present a branch-and-bound (B&B) algorithm to solve FCMKP to optimality. This algorithm exploits the Lagrangian upper bound as well as the pegging result for pruning, and at each terminal subproblem solve MKP exactly by invoking MULKNAP code developed by Pisinger [Pisinger, D., 1999. An exact algorithm for large multiple knapsack problems. European Journal of Operational Research 114, 528–541]. As a result, we are able to solve almost all test problems with up to 32,000 items and 50 knapsacks within a few seconds on an ordinary computing environment, although the algorithm remains some weakness for small instances with relatively many knapsacks.     

Origin of the vertebrate visual cycle: III. Distinct distribution of RPE65 and beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase homologues in Ciona intestinalis

We previously identified three genes that encode putative visual cycle proteins that are homologues of retinal G-protein coupled receptor (Ci-opsin3), cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (Ci-CRALBP) and beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase (Ci-BCO) in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Ci-opsin3 and Ci-CRALBP are localized in both ocellus photoreceptor cells and surrounding non-photoreceptor cells in the brain vesicle of the larva. In the present study, we investigated the possible role and evolutionary origin of the BCO/RPE65 family in the visual cycle by analyzing Ci-BCO localization by immunohistochemistry and by identifying a novel gene that encodes a homologue of retinal pigment epithelium-specific 65 kDa protein (Ci-RPE65) in C. intestinalis. In situ hybridization and expressed sequence tag (EST) profiles consistently suggest that Ci-RPE65 is not significantly expressed in the ocellus and brain vesicle of the larva. Ci-RPE65 is expressed in the neural complex, a photoreceptor organ of the adult ascidian, at a level comparable to that of Ci-opsin3 and Ci-CRALBP. Ci-RPE65 is also expressed in various adult tissues, including the gill, body wall and intestine, suggesting that Ci-RPE65 plays a role in addition to that in the visual cycle. In contrast, Ci-BCO is predominantly localized in ocellus photoreceptor cells of the larva. The larval visual cycle seems to use Ci-opsin3 as a photo-isomerase. Our results also suggest that the RPE65-dependent visual cycle is used in the adult photoreceptors of a primitive chordate.     

Photoinduced reductive repair of thymine glycol: implications for excess electron transfer through DNA containing modified bases

Photoinduced reduction of thymine glycol in oligodeoxynucleotides was investigated using either a reduced form of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH(-)) as an intermolecular electron donor or covalently linked phenothiazine (PTZ) as an intramolecular electron donor. Intermolecular electron donation from photoexcited flavin (FADH(-)) to free thymidine glycol generated thymidine in high yield, along with a small amount of 6-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymidine. In the case of photoreduction of 4-mer long single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides containing thymine glycol by *FADH(-), the restoration yield of thymine was varied depending on the sequence of oligodeoxynucleotides. Time-resolved spectroscopic study on the photoreduction by laser-excited N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) suggested elimination of a hydroxyl ion from the radical anion of thymidine glycol with a rate constant of approximately 10(4) s(-1) generates 6-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymidine (6-HOT(*)) as a key intermediate, followed by further reduction of 6-HOT(*) to thymidine or 6-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrothymdine (6-HOT). On the other hand, an excess electron injected into double-stranded DNA containing thymine glycol was not trapped at the lesion but was further transported along the duplex. Considering redox properties of the nucleobases and PTZ, competitive excess electron trapping at pyrimidine bases (thymine, T and cytosine, C) which leads to protonation of the radical anion (T(-)(*), C(-)(*)) or rapid back electron transfer to the radical cation of PTZ (PTZ(+)(*)), is presumably faster than elimination of the hydroxyl ion from the radical anion of thymine glycol in DNA.     

Direct synthesis of polysubstituted quinoline derivatives by InBr3-promoted dimerization of 2-ethynylaniline derivatives

InBr3 promotes the dimerization of 2-ethynylaniline derivatives containing an unsubstituted terminal carbon leading to the production of polysubstituted quinoline derivatives in good yield.