Multifunctional Composites of Chiral Valine Derivative Schiff Base Cu(II) Complexes and TiO2

We have prepared four new Cu(II) complexes containing valine moieties with imidazole ligands at the fourth coordination sites and examined their photo-induced reactions with TiO₂ in order of understanding the reaction mechanisms. Under a nitrogen atmosphere, the intermolecular electron transfer reactions (essentially supramolecular interactions) of these systems, which resulted in the reduction of Cu(II) species to Cu(I) ones, occurred after UV light irradiation. In this study, we have investigated the conditions of the redox reactions in view of substituent effects of aldehyde moieties. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) on an rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) suggested that the substitution effects and redox potentials were correlated. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were also performed to simulate the UV–Vis and circular dichroism (CD) spectra; the results revealed a reasonably good correlation between the substituent effects and the highest occupied molecular orbitals and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO-LUMO) gaps associated with the most intense transition bands. In addition, we summarized the substitution effects of Cu(II) complexes for their corresponding UV light-induced reactions.     

Laterally vibrating MEMS resonant vacuum sensor based on cavity-SOI process for evaluation of wide range of sealed cavity pressure

Microsystem Technologies - This paper reports a laterally vibrating MEMS resonant vacuum sensor which senses ambient pressure based on the squeeze-film damping effect. The single-anchored...     

A case of an old woman with Sj?gren's syndrome associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is thought to result from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-dependent beta cells of the pancreas. Sj?gren's syndrome is also an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of the lacrimal and salivary glands that leads to keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. But it is a very rare case that a patient with Sj?gren's syndrome developed IDDM. We present a case of a 65-year old woman with Sj?gren's syndrome who developed diabetic ketoacidosis due to IDDM. Recent studies have revealed that there was molecular mimicry between glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and coxsackievirus. Furthermore, some reports have shown that sialadenitis was represented in IDDM model mice. This case shows the possibility that a causal relationship between IDDM and Sj?gren's syndrome may exist.     

Automated frequency and quality‐factor matching method for frequency modulated / rate integrating gyroscope

This paper reports an automated tuning method for a frequency modulated / rate integrating gyroscope (FM/RIG). The frequency and quality factor mismatches in a MEMS resonator cause the mode‐coupling, thus degrade the accuracy of the gyroscope. The X‐Y phase difference and amplitude ratio of driving signals are used as the tuning parameters for the mismatch compensation. An automated tuning method based on the relationship between those tuning parameters and mode‐coupling terms were developed. Using the proposed method, the mode‐coupling effect, which comes from the frequency and quality factor mismatch, could be 3 orders of magnitude smaller than the noncompensated one.     

Environmental Dependence of Artifact CD Peaks of Chiral Schiff Base 3d-4f Complexes in Soft Mater PMMA Matrix

Four chiral Schiff base binuclear 3d-4f complexes (NdNi, NdCu, GdNi, and GdCu) have been prepared and characterized by means of electronic and CD spectra, IR spectra, magnetic measurements, and X-ray crystallography (NdNi). A so-called artifact peak of solid state CD spectra, which was characteristic of oriented molecules without free molecular rotation, appeared at about 470 nm. Magnetic data of the complexes in the solid state (powder) and in PMMA cast films or solutions indicated that only GdCu preserved molecular structures in various matrixes of soft maters. For the first time, we have used the changes of intensity of artifact CD peaks to detect properties of environmental (media solid state (KBr pellets), PMMA cast films, concentration dependence of PMMA in acetone solutions, and pure acetone solution) for chiral 3d-4f complexes (GdCu). Rigid matrix keeping anisotropic orientation exhibited a decrease in the intensity of the artifact CD peak toward negative values. The present results suggest that solid state artifact CD peaks can be affected by environmental viscosity of a soft mater matrix.