Modification of the surface state of rough substrates by two different varnishes and influence on the reflected light

Modification of the visual appearance when a rough surface is covered by a varnish is mostly attributed to the levelling of the substrate surface, which depends on the molecular weight of the varnish. The topography of varnished surfaces, however, has never been measured directly. Surfaces of varnishes applied over glass substrates of varying roughness were studied, therefore, using mechanical profilometry. Two different varnishes made with a low and a high molecular weight resin were studied. Both varnishes lower the r.m.s. roughness of the substrates and filter the high spatial frequencies. These results are amplified for the varnish containing the low molecular weight resin. The light reflected by the varnished samples is modelled from these topographical data. Its angular distribution, calculated from the probability density of slopes is presented, taking into account separately the air/varnish and the varnish/substrate interfaces. These analyses are presented in a back-scattering configuration. They show that varnishing significantly reduces the angular width of the reflected light and that this effect is magnified for the low molecular weight resin. Modelling furthermore shows that the influence of the roughness of the varnish/substrate interface is negligible in the total reflected light.     

On the group extension of the transformation associated to non-archimedean continued fractions

Summary Let F_q be a finite field with q elements. We consider formal Laurent series of F_q -coefficients with their continued fraction expansions by F_q -polynomials. We prove some arithmetic properties for almost every formal Laurent series with respect to the Haar measure. We construct a group extension of the non-archimedean continued fraction transformation and show its ergodicity. Then we get some results as an application of the individual ergodic theorem. We also discuss the convergence rate for limit behaviors.     

Near-infrared photorefractivity in Cr-doped potassium sodium strontium barium niobate single crystal

We report on the photorefractive properties of a Cr-doped (K_1–x Na _x )_2A–2 (Sr _y Ba_1–y )_2–A Nb₁₀O₃₀ (x=0.586, y=0.659, A=1.12) single crystal in the near-infrared spectrum. The sample exhibits photorefractivity for wavelengths up to at least 840 nm where the steady-state two-beam coupling gain is found to be larger than 2 cm^–1. Photorefractive gain and decay rate are measured as a function of wavelength, grating spacing and intensity. The wavelength dependence of gain fluctuations in two-beam coupling are also measured.     

Synthesis of 3-hydroxyindolin-2-one alkaloids, (±)-donaxaridine and (±)-convolutamydines A and E, through enolization-Claisen rearrangement of 2-allyloxyindolin-3-ones

Claisen rearrangement triggered by enolization of 2-allyloxyindolin-3-ones with DBU was performed in order to prepare 3-allyl-3-hydroxyindolin-2-ones. Total synthesis of 3-hydroxyindolin-2-one alkaloids, (±)-donaxaridine, as well as (±)-convolutamydines A and E, was achieved by transformation of the allyl moiety of 3-allyl-3-hydroxyindolin-2-ones.     

On the Metrical Theory of Continued Fraction Mixing Fibred Systems and Its Application to Jacobi-Perron Algorithm

 We study the metrical theory of fibred systems, in particular, in the case of continued fraction mixing systems. We get the limit distribution of the largest value of a continued fraction mixing stationary stochastic process with infinite expectation and some related results. These are analogous to J. Galambos, W. Philipp, and H. G. Diamond–J. D. Vaaler theorems for the regular continued fractions. As an application, we see that these theorems hold for Jacobi-Perron algorithm. Received September 30, 2001; in revised form January 8, 2002     

Improvement of Dispersion and Release Properties of Nifedipine in Suppositories by Complexation with 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

Geometries, electronic properties and NMR-shielding of cucurbit[5]uril, decamethylcucurbit[5]uril, cucurbit[6]uril, cucurbit[7]uril, and cucurbit[8]uril are investigated with DFT calculations. All molecules are highly symmetrical with a distinct geometric flexibility. In addition with a characteristic partial charge distribution these findings account for their chemical complex building ability.     

Studies on the formation of aliphatic aldehydes in the plasma and liver of vitamin E-deficient rats

The effects of vitamin E (E) deficiency on the formation of aliphatic aldehydes in rat plasma and liver were studied. Three-week-old Wistar male rats were fed either an E supplemented diet (2-ambo-alpha-tocopheryl acetate 20 mg/kg diet, designated as E supplemented diet group) or an E deficient diet (E deficient diet group). After 8 weeks, n-hexanal and (E)-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HN) in the plasma of the E deficient diet group were found to be 2.0 and 2.5-fold greater than those of the E supplemented diet group, respectively. The contents of aldehydes such as n-pentanal, n-hexanal, 4-HN in the liver were also significantly higher in the E deficient diet group than in the E supplemented diet group. These results indicate that some aldehydes, arising possibly from lipid peroxides, are produced and detected in the plasma and liver of rats under the condition like E deficiency. In this study we further found that the activity of the liver aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, EC 1.2.1.3) was significantly changed; 5 and 8 weeks after the start it was lower in the E deficient diet group when compared to that in the E supplemented diet group. The decrease of enzyme activity was related to the increase of aldehydes such as n-hexanal in the liver. the aldehyde increase in the plasma of the E deficient diet group was thought to raise the injury of cells, namely, a strong hemolysis on erythrocytes prepared from the blood of rats fed the E deficient diet.