Phase diagram and critical properties of the asymmetric Mattis model

We extend the well-known Mattis model to the case of asymmetric bond distributions. Although the partition function is identical with that of the pure ferromagnetic Ising model (FIM) when the external field is absent, the response to the external field is nontrivial even at zero field. There are some exact relations between the present model and the FIM in the correlation functions, from which the phase diagram and critical exponents can be determined. Multicritical behavior and some other interesting phenomena typical for a random system are demonstrated by this model.     

Multiple photosynthetic reaction centres composed of supramolecular assemblies of zinc porphyrin dendrimers with a fullerene acceptor

Multiple photosynthetic reaction centres have successfully been constructed using supramolecular complexes of zinc porphyrin dendrimers [D(ZnP)(n): n = 4, 8, 16] with fulleropyrrolidine bearing a pyridine ligand (C(60)py). Efficient energy migration occurs completely between the ZnP units of dendrimers prior to the electron transfer with increasing the generation of dendrimers to attain an extremely long charge-separation lifetime.     

Effects of quartz particle size and water-to-solid ratio on hydrothermal synthesis of tobermorite studied by in-situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction

Hydrothermal synthesis process of tobermorite (5CaO·6SiO₂·5H₂O) has been investigated by in-situ X-ray diffraction using high-energy X-rays from a synchrotron radiation source in combination with a purpose-build autoclave cell. Dissolution rates of quartz were largely affected by its particle size distribution in the starting mixtures. However, the composition (Ca/Si) of non-crystalline C-S-H at the start of tobermorite formation was identical regardless of the quartz dissolution rate. An effect of water-to-solid ratio (w/s) was investigated for samples using fine particle quartz. Tobermorite did not occur with w/s of 1.7 but occurred with w/s higher than 3.0. Surprisingly, however, the dissolution curves of quartz were nearly identical for all samples with w/s from 1.7 to 9, indicating that the dissolution rate is predominated by surface area. Possible reaction mechanism for tobermorite formation will be discussed in terms of Ca and/or silicate ion concentration in the liquid phase and distribution of Ca/Si in non-crystalline C-S-H.     

Identification of degranulation inhibitors from rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea in rat basophilic leukaemia cells

Quercetin, luteolin and chrysoeriol were identified from rooibos tea as degranulation inhibitors in rat basophilic leukaemia cells. The degranulation inhibitory activity of chrysoeriol was first discovered in the present study. When quercetin, luteolin and chrysoeriol were mixed in the ratio that occurs in rooibos tea extract, the mixture inhibited antigen- and calcium ionophore-stimulated degranulation to the same degree as that by the whole rooibos tea extract. These findings indicate that these three flavonoids are the key factors underlying the degranulation inhibitory activity of rooibos tea.     

Unbiased Rotational Motions of an Ellipsoidal Guest in a Tight Yet Pliable Host

In the design of machinery such as steel bearings, a fundamental understanding of material characteristics provides an indispensable basis for the design. Although hydrocarbon cycloarylenes have started to be used for providing unique supramolecular bearings with anomalous dynamic behaviors, their fundamental understanding is immature. A unique property of the cycloarylene host is now reported: the cyclic host is so pliable that it tracks the orientational changes of the ellipsoidal guest, that is, C₇₀ fullerene. Unique structures of the complex were revealed by spectroscopic and crystallographic analyses, and additional theoretical investigations deepened our understanding by revealing the structural changes associated with unbiased rotational motions.     

Retarded Solid‐State Rotations of an Oval‐Shaped Guest in a Deformed Cylinder with CH–π Arrays

Upon encapsulating an oval‐shaped hydrocarbon guest, a cylindrical host deforms its shape to maximize intermolecular contacts. Structure–assembly relationship studies with a series of hydrocarbon guests disclosed the importance of molecular shapes and CH–π contacts. Multiple contacts and weak CH–π hydrogen bonds resulted in an optimal assembly; however, the shape deformation resulted in severe retardation of rotational motions in the crystal. Thus, unlike a circular guest, the oval‐shaped guest did not change its orientation in the host. Unexpectedly, the planar guest did not affect the packing structure to form a double helix in intertwined host arrays.     

Spontaneous homeotropic alignment of nematic liquid crystals induced by a double-armed side chain liquid crystalline polymethacrylate

A liquid crystalline polymethacrylate having two cyclohexylphenyl mesogens on its side-chain (PMG0) was synthesized by the radical polymerization of the corresponding methacrylate monomer (MG0). PMG0 exhibited a smectic A phase around room temperature showing a focalconic fan texture in POM observations and a broad diffusion in a wide angle range of its WAXD profile. Upon slow cooling at ?1 °C min^?1 from the isotropic melt, PMG0 exhibited spontaneous homeotropic alignment between two native glass surfaces. A mixture of the commercial nematic liquid crystal (ZLI-4792) containing 1.0 wt% PMG0 also exhibited a homeotropic alignment, which easily covered hydrophilic surfaces such as glass or polyacrylamide.     

N-Acetylaspartate concentrations in the thalami of neuropathic pain patients and healthy comparison subjects measured with (1)H-MRS

We investigated the absolute concentration of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in the thalami of neuropathic pain patients and healthy comparison subjects by single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS). (1)H-MRS was performed with a 1.5-T MR system on a voxel in the thalamus bilaterally in 9 neuropathic pain patients and 14 healthy control subjects. We measured the absolute concentration of NAA using a linear combination model. The NAA concentration in the thalamus decreased significantly on the contralateral side in seven patients and on the ipsilateral side in two patients, as compared with the mean NAA concentration of the healthy control subjects. The NAA concentrations in two patients who did not respond to standard pain treatments were extremely decreased. Our results using (1)H-MRS suggest that neuropathic pain seems to be associated with an abnormal balance of the neural activity in the thalamus. The NAA concentration of the thalamus may be related to the efficacy of therapy. (1)H-MRS may serve as a useful noninvasive tool for evaluating thalamic neural activity in neuropathic pain patients.