Analysis of thickness-extensional waves propagating in the lateral direction of solidly mounted piezoelectric thin film resonators

In a solidly mounted piezoelectric thin film resonator (SMR), acoustic waves propagate not only in the thickness direction but also in the lateral direction. In this study, we analyzed the acoustic wave in the SMR-type piezoelectric thin film resonator and derived the dispersion relation between the lateral wave number and frequency, considering wave propagation in the lateral direction. The lateral wave number was shown to be a complex number due to the leak of the acoustic energy to a substrate. It also was shown that the Q factor could be calculated from the complex cutoff frequency, and it becomes higher when the number of quarter-wave (lambda/4) layers increases. Using the dispersion relation, the trapped-energy resonant modes of an SMR were analyzed, considering the boundary conditions at the edge of the electrode.     

New optical heterodyne detector with integrated diffraction grating

A new optical heterodyne detector, consisting of a silicon photodiode and an integrated diffraction grating on the diode surface, is proposed and its successful operation is demonstrated. The detector is shown to be compact in structure and quite stable to mechanical misalignment with respect to incident optical waves.     

Development of a digital control system for high-performance pneumatic servo valve

Pneumatic servo systems are used in many fields, such as pneumatic robot systems or vibration isolation systems. To improve the controllability of the pneumatic servo system, a higher performance servo valve is needed.In the present paper, a pneumatic spool type servo valve having an air bearing and a high-resolution position sensor was developed. We attempted to achieve high-frequency, high-accuracy flow rate control by digitization of the controller. We present herein a control algorithm for digital control of this valve.The characteristics of this valve were measured and the natural frequency of the valve was clarified to be up to 300 Hz. The spool position accuracy and the dynamic characteristics of the developed servo valve are greatly improved compared to existing valves.     

Platinum on Carbon‐Catalyzed Hydrodefluorination of Fluoroarenes using Isopropyl Alcohol‐Water‐Sodium Carbonate Combination

We have developed a platinum on carbon‐isopropyl alcohol‐catalyzed and widely applicable defluorination method for fluoroarenes, and the addition of water and sodium carbonate efficiently accelerated the reaction. The defluorination readily occurred under the reaction conditions in comparison with the dehalogenation of other aromatic halides (fluorine>chlorine>bromine≫iodine).     

Construction and electro-optic properties of liquid-crystal display doped by rhodium nanoparticles

We prepared 4'-pentylbiphenyl-4-carbonitrile (5CB)-stabilized rhodium (5CB-Rh) nanoparticles and poly(cyclodextrin) (PCyD)-stabilized rhodium (PCyD-Rh) nanoparticles. The average diameter of Rh nanoparticles stabilized by 5CB, PalphaCyD, PbetaCyD, and PgammaCyD are 1.2, 5.4, 6.8, and 5.2 nm, respectively. The nanoparticles were dispersed in liquid crystal 5CB to construct novel twisted nematic liquid crystal device (TN-LCD). Voltage holding ratio was measured for TN-LCD fabricated by doping PbetaCyD-Rh nanoparticles. The decrement of the voltage was very much reduced for that doped with PbetaCyD-Rh. The response time of this TN-LCD in the presence of PbetaCyD-Rh nanoparticles was faster than that in the absence.     

The PC motif: a novel and evolutionarily conserved sequence involved in interaction between p40phox and p67phox, SH3 domain-containing cytosolic factors of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase

The superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase, dormant in resting phagocytes, is activated during phagocytosis following assembly of the membrane-integrated protein cytochrome b558 and cytosolic factors. Among the latter are the three proteins containing Src homology 3 (SH3) domains, p67phox, p47phox and p40phox. While the first two factors are indispensable for the activity, p40phox is tightly associated with p67phox in resting cells and is suggested to have some modulatory role. Here we describe a systematic analysis of the interaction between p40phox and p67phox using the yeast two-hybrid system and in vitro binding assays with recombinant proteins. Both methods unequivocally showed that the minimum requirements for stable interaction are the C-terminal region of p40phox and the region between the two SH3 domains of p67phox. This interaction is maintained even in the presence of anionic amphiphiles used for the activation of the NADPH oxidase, raising a possibility that it mediates constitutive association of the two factors in both resting and activated cells. The C-terminal region of p40phox responsible for the interaction contains a characteristic stretch of amino acids designated as the PC motif, that also exists in other signal-transducing proteins from yeast to human. Intensive site-directed mutagenesis to the motif in p40phox revealed that it plays a critical role in the binding to p67phox. Thus the PC motif appears to represent a novel module for protein-protein interaction used in a variety of signaling pathways.     

Direct observation of the energy gap in lutetium bisphthalocyanine thin films

The energies of the frontier electronic states of neutral radical lutetium bisphthalocyanine (LuPc₂) thin films are reported based on direct observation by a combination of ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and inversion photoemission spectroscopy (IPES) techniques. Quantum chemical calculations are used to identify the states derived from the singly occupied molecular orbitals (SOMO) and singly unoccupied molecular orbitals (SUMO). The energy gap defined by the threshold onset values of the broadened SOMO and SUMO states is found to be 0.4 ± 0.1 eV.     

Hypothalamic hamartoma associated with dural arteriovenous fistula of the transverse-sigmoid sinus--case report

A 32-year-old female presented with a hypothalamic hamartoma associated with a dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) of the left transverse-sigmoid sinus. She complained of pulsatile tinnitus in the left retroauricular region and infertility. Endocrinological examination revealed that the luteinizing hormone reaction to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone was exceedingly high. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a distinct mass occupying the suprasellar cistern and protruding into the third ventricle. Left carotid angiography demonstrated a DAVF of the left transverse-sigmoid sinus, which was treated by embolization. Histological examination of a biopsy specimen of the tumor revealed a hamartoma. She was free from pulsatile tinnitus after treatment for the DAVF.     

OPTIMAL CONTROL OF AN ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEMEMPLOYING HIGH SPEED ON/OFF SOLENOID VALVE

Conventionalpassivesuspensionistypicallycomposedofcoilspringandhydraulicdampers.Toimproveridecomfort,thesepassiveelementsmustbesetonthesoftside,buttoimprovehandling,springsanddampersmustbemadestiffertodampwheelvibrationandreducebodyrollingandpitchingmotions.Thesecontrarypurposesformtheclassicsuspensiondesigncompromise.Differingfromapassivesuspension,anactivesuspensionhasitsownpowersource,andcancontinuallysupplyandmodulatetheflowofenergyandgeneratethecontrolforcewhichcanbeafunctionsofanyvariabl…     

Palladium on Carbon‐Catalyzed One‐Pot N‐Arylindole Synthesis: Intramolecular Aromatic Amination,Aromatization, and Intermolecular Aromatic Amination

Indole and indoline derivatives were selectively and temperature dependently synthesized via the intramolecular cross‐coupling reaction between the amino and aromatic bromine functionalities of 2‐bromophenethylamine derivatives in the presence of 10% palladium on carbon (Pd/C), 1,1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (DPPF), and sodium tert‐butoxide (NaO‐t‐Bu) in mesitylene at 140 and 200 °C, respectively. The neutralization using acetic acid after formation of the indoline derivatives effectively promoted their aromatization, and the corresponding indole derivatives were obtained at 140 °C. Furthermore, various aryl groups were also introduced to the N‐1 position of the indole, pyrrole, and carbazole rings by their direct intramolecular arylation with aryl halides and a one‐pot protocol for N‐arylindole synthesis from 2‐bromophenethylamine was developed.