An oxyhydride of BaTiO3 exhibiting hydride exchange and electronic conductivity

In oxides, the substitution of non-oxide anions (F(-),S(2-),N(3-) and so on) for oxide introduces many properties, but the least commonly encountered substitution is where the hydride anion (H(-)) replaces oxygen to form an oxyhydride. Only a handful of oxyhydrides have been reported, mainly with electropositive main group elements or as layered cobalt oxides with unusually low oxidation states. Here, we present an oxyhydride of the perhaps most well-known perovskite, BaTiO(3), as an O(2-)/H(-) solid solution with hydride concentrations up to 20% of the anion sites. BaTiO(3-x)H(x) is electronically conducting, and stable in air and water at ambient conditions. Furthermore, the hydride species is exchangeable with hydrogen gas at 400 °C. Such an exchange implies diffusion of hydride, and interesting diffusion mechanisms specific to hydrogen may be at play. Moreover, such a labile anion in an oxide framework should be useful in further expanding the mixed-anion chemistry of the solid state.     

Metal-doped magnetite thin films

This paper investigates magnetite (Fe3O4) thin film containing a small amount of a metal element. The films are prepared by rf sputtering with a composite target of ceramic iron oxide with metal chips. Low-temperature magnetization of magnetite containing 5.3%Ge reveals that the film contains some magnetically weak coupling grains. The metal element Mg reduces both hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) and magnetite, resulting in single-phase wüstite (Fe1-xO). In contrast, adding Ge selectively reduces hematite, while magnetite remains unreactive. According to the free energy of reaction, the element Ge is able to reduce hematite only, whereas the element Mg is capable of reducing both hematite and magnetite. This property is in good agreement with the experiment results.     

Nanoscale localization sampling based on nanoantenna arrays for super-resolution imaging of fluorescent monomers on sliding microtubules

Sub-diffraction-limited imaging of fluorescent monomers on sliding microtubules in vitro by nanoscale localization sampling (NLS) is reported. NLS is based on periodic nanohole antenna arrays that create locally amplified electromagnetic hot spots through surface plasmon localization. The localized near-field hot spot temporally samples microtubular movement for enhanced spatial resolution. A fourfold improvement in spatial resolution compared to conventional wide-field microscopy is demonstrated. The resolution enhancement is achieved by imaging rhodamine-labeled microtubules that are sampled by the hot spots to provide sub-diffraction-limited images at 76 nm resolution in the direction of movement and 135 nm orthogonally. The intensity distribution produced by the NLS is measured to be broader than that of conventional imaging, which is consistent with the improvement of imaging resolution. Correlation studies between neighboring nanoantennas are also performed. This confirms the possibility of measuring microtubular transport dynamics. NLS can be useful for moving objects that have a high labeling density or for performing fluctuation spectroscopy in small volumes, and may allow "super-resolution on demand" by customizing nanoantenna structures for specific resolution needs.     

Inhibitory Effects of Saururus chinensis Extract on Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-Products-Dependent Inflammation and Diabetes-Induced Dysregulation of Vasodilation

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) are implicated in inflammatory reactions and vascular complications in diabetes. Signaling pathways downstream of RAGE are involved in NF-κB activation. In this study, we examined whether ethanol extracts of Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill. (SE) could affect RAGE signaling and vascular relaxation in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Treatment with SE inhibited AGEs-modified bovine serum albumin (AGEs-BSA)-elicited activation of NF-κB and could compete with AGEs-BSA binding to RAGE in a dose-dependent manner. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)—a RAGE ligand—was also reduced by SE treatment in wild-type Ager^+/+ mice as well as in cultured peritoneal macrophages from Ager^+/+ mice but not in Ager^−/− mice. SE administration significantly ameliorated diabetes-related dysregulation of acetylcholine-mediated vascular relaxation in STZ-induced diabetic rats. These results suggest that SE would inhibit RAGE signaling and would be useful for the improvement of vascular endothelial dysfunction in diabetes.     

Enthalpy Change of Amylose Triiodide Complex Formation

The enthalpy change (ΔH) of amylose-triiodide complex formation under the presence of excess KI was directly determined by calorimetric measurement at 25°C for amylose with a degree of polymerization of 50,150 and 2500. The Δ H depended of the degree of saturation for bound triiodide ions. The average number of created hydrogen bonds per glucose residue through the coloring process was estimated on the basis of the following consideration: The heat of evolution comes from excess energy as the difference between energy from the overdone conformational change of amylose lattice due to the cooperative formation of hydrogen bonds and the energy required for the intrinsic electronic change of bound iodide ions. As a result, the number of created hydrogen bonds increased with the DP.     

Automated synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals for PET: an apparatus for [1-11C]labelled aldoses

This paper describes an instrumentation system for positron emission tomography (PET). A variety of [1-¹¹C]labelled aldoses, such as [1-¹¹C]-D-glucose, and galactose by a modification of the Kiliani-Fischer method have been produced. The instrumentation is fully automatic and consists of a synthesis system and control system. The synthesis system has the following functions: supplying reagents; performing reactions; purifying ¹¹C labelled aldose; and preparing an injectable solution of ¹¹C labelled aldose. These operations are performed by the control system in a remote control room. In a preliminary, hot experiment an injectable solution of [1-¹¹C]-D-glucose was obtained. In addition, the operator is exposed to minimal radiation. The radioactivity of [1-¹¹C]-Dglucose was 47 MBq, and the preparation time was 49 min.     

东京Emporium精品服饰店

意大利著名设计师Sergio Calatroni与日本有着不解之缘,他在日本完成了很多重要的空间和产品设计。这是东京Emporium时装店的室内设计,该店具备一系列独立的功能,店内的一大特征就     

Sc2O3 Nanopowders via Hydroxyl Precipitation: Effects of Sulfate Ions on Powder Properties

Hydroxyl-type Sc₂O₃ precursors have been synthesized via precipitation at 80°C with hexamethylenetetramine as the precipitant. The effects of starting salts (scandium nitrate and sulfate) on powder properties are investigated. Characterizations of the powders are achieved by elemental analysis, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetry (DTA/TG), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Hard-aggregated precursors (γ-ScOOH·0.6H₂O) are formed with scandium nitrate, which convert to Sc₂O₃ at temperatures ≥400°C, yielding nanocrystalline oxides of low surface area. The use of sulfate leads to a loosely agglomerated basic sulfate powder having an approximate composition of Sc(OH)_2.6(SO₄)_0.2·H₂O. The powder transforms to Sc₂O₃ via dehydroxylization and desulfurization at temperatures up to 1000°C. Well-dispersed Sc₂O₃ nanopowders (∼64.3 nm) of high purity have been obtained by calcining the basic sulfate at 1000°C for 4 h. The effects of SO₄²⁻ on powder properties are discussed.     

Multi‐Enzymatic Synthesis of Optically Pure β‐Hydroxy α‐Amino Acids

A novel enzymatic production system of optically pure β‐hydroxy α‐amino acids was developed. Two enzymes were used for the system: an N‐succinyl L ‐amino acid β‐hydroxylase (SadA) belonging to the iron(II)/α‐ketoglutarate‐dependent dioxygenase superfamily and an N‐succinyl L ‐amino acid desuccinylase (LasA). The genes encoding the two enzymes are part of a gene set responsible for the biosynthesis of peptidyl compounds found in the Burkholderia ambifaria AMMD genome. SadA stereoselectively hydroxylated several N‐succinyl aliphatic L ‐amino acids and produced N‐succinyl β‐hydroxy L ‐amino acids, such as N‐succinyl‐L ‐β‐hydroxyvaline, N‐succinyl‐L ‐threonine, (2S,3R)‐N‐succinyl‐L ‐β‐hydroxyisoleucine, and N‐succinyl‐L ‐threo‐β‐hydroxyleucine. LasA catalyzed the desuccinylation of various N‐succinyl‐L ‐amino acids. Surprisingly, LasA is the first amide bond‐forming enzyme belonging to the amidohydrolase superfamily, and has succinylation activity towards the amino group of L ‐leucine. By combining SadA and LasA in a preparative scale production using N‐succinyl‐L ‐leucine as substrate, 2.3 mmol of L ‐threo‐β‐hydroxyleucine were successfully produced with 93% conversion and over 99% of diastereomeric excess. Consequently, the new production system described in this study has advantages in optical purity and reaction efficiency for application in the mass production of several β‐hydroxy α‐amino acids.