Nanospheres Prepared by Self-Assembly of Random Copolymers in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

The synthesis of spherical particles was attained by the direct self-assembly of poly[2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl acrylate-random-acrylic acid], P(POA-r-AA), and by the indirect self-assembly poly[POA-random-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate], P(POA-r-DAA), with dicarboxylic acids in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). The copolymers formed spherical particles with hundreds of nanometer diameters in a heterogeneous state at pressures lower than the cloud point pressure. The formation of spherical particles was also dependent on the temperature. The formation of spherical particles could be optimized through varying the solvent quality by the manipulation of the CO2 pressure and temperature for the different copolymer compositions. The dynamic light scattering and 1H NMR studies demonstrated that the nanospheres had the micellar structures consisting of the CO2-philic POA shells and the CO2-phobic AA or DAA cores including the main chain cores. The nanospheres produced the superhydrophobic surfaces based on the water-proof shells of the POA units

Constructing Goeritz matrix from Dehn coloring matrix

Associated to a knot diagram, Goeritz introduced an integral matrix, which is now called a Goeritz matrix. It was shown by Traldi that the solution space of the equations with Goeritz matrix (precisely, unreduced Goeritz matrix called in his paper) as a coefficient matrix is isomorphic to the linear space consisting of the Dehn colorings for a knot. In this paper, we give a construction of a Goeritz matrix from a Dehn coloring matrix, from which Dehn colorings are induced. Moreover, if the knot diagram is prime, we give a purely algebraic construction of a Goeritz matrix from a Dehn coloring matrix.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Rarefied gas flows through a curved channel: Application of a diffusion-type equation

Rarefied gas flows through a curved two-dimensional channel, caused by a pressure or a temperature gradient, are investigated numerically by using a macroscopic equation of convection-diffusion type. The equation, which was derived systematically from the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook model of the Boltzmann equation and diffuse-reflection boundary condition in a previous paper [K. Aoki et al., “A diffusion model for rarefied flows in curved channels, ” Multiscale Model. Simul. 6, 1281 (2008)], is valid irrespective of the degree of gas rarefaction when the channel width is much shorter than the scale of variations of physical quantities and curvature along the channel. Attention is also paid to a variant of the Knudsen compressor that can produce a pressure raise by the effect of the change of channel curvature and periodic temperature distributions without any help of moving parts. In the process of analysis, the macroscopic equation is (partially) extended to the case of the ellipsoidal-statistical model of the Boltzmann equation

Behavioural differences between breeding and nonbreeding pairs of protandry monogamous false clown anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris

Anemonefishes are some of the most popular marine ornamental fishes. Due to the adverse impacts of commercial fishing on the wild populations of anemonefishes, a more suitable and efficient captive breeding programme must be promoted. In the wild, anemonefishes are protandrous sex-changing fish, but when two immature individuals with ambisexual gonads are raised together in captivity, the two differentiate directly into a male and a female, to form a breeding pair. However, not all the formed pairs spawn, explaining the great care required in captive breeding. This behaviour appears to be counter-adaptative, as anemonefish social groups form randomly in the wild, and such phenomenon would disturb their breeding success. This study evaluated the behavioural and physiological differences between breeding and nonbreeding pairs of false clown anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris under captive conditions. Behavioural observations revealed that nonbreeding females monopolized the shelter provided, whereas breeding females allowed breeding males to use the shelter and the pair frequently stayed together in the shelter. Both nonbreeding and breeding females possessed mature ovarian tissue and similar level of plasma estradiol concentrations, but nonbreeding males had a smaller amount of testicular tissue and lower plasma 11-ketotestosterone levels compared to breeding males

First Total Synthesis of (+/-)-6 '-Methoxyretrojusticidin B Using Regiocontrolled Benzannulation: Structural Inconsistency with Procumphthalide A and Its Revision to 5 '-Methoxyretrochinensin

We achieved the first total synthesis of a novel (+/-)-6'-methoxyretrojusticidin B, which was proposed as procumphthalide A, utilizing regiocontrolled benzannulation of an aryl(aryl')-2,2-dichlorocyclopropylmethanol as the key step. (1)H NMR spectral data suggested that the structure of the synthesized product, 6'-methoxyretrojusticidin B, was inconsistent with that of natural procumphthalide A. A computational study of the rotational barrier rationally supports the existence of a rigid chiral axis in 6'-methoxyretrojusticidin B. The revised structural elucidation of natural procumphthalide A was concluded to be 5'-methoxyretrochinensin.ArticleSYNLETT. 2010(15):2275-2278 (2010)journal articl

ニホン ブンジンガ ケンキュウ ノート エド チュウキ ノ リ リョウ リ リュウオウ イメージ ニ カンスル イチコウサツ

LI　YU（1611－1680）also　known　as　LI　li・weng，　in　presently　recognized　as　an　important　dramatist　and　essayist　in　the history　of　Chinese　literature．　He　was　a　new　type　of　literati　scholar（Chin：wenren，　Jpn：δ槻痂η）．Like　many　others of　this　new　type，　he　failed　to　qualify　in　the　provincial　examination，　retreated　to　the　mountain，　supported　himself　by writing　books　in　which　he　presented　his　own　opinions，　as　was　expected． 　　In　Japan，　LI　Yu　was　known　for　his　manual　on　literati　style　painting（6観ガ㎎α），the　Chieh－t2za　yden　hua－chuan．　This book　was　highly　influential　in　the　development　of　Japanese　literati　painting．　In　addition，　it　is　important　to　note　the effect　LI　Yu’s　various　publications　had　on　literati　taste　in　Edo　period．　In　order　to　understand　how　the　Japanese　of　the midEdo　period　understood　the　lmages　of”bzaniin”，　I　will　attempt　to　reconstruct　what　k｛nd　of　image　LI　YU　had　in Japan　by　examining　the　reception　and　development　of　his　name　and　works． 　　In　cons量dering　the　reception　of　the　books，　Chieh－t2魂yd　zn　hua－chuan　and　HSien－ch　’ing　ou・chi，、乙匹z〃2㎎i－chtz二yen，　it becomes　apparent　that　when　Ch｛nese　literati　books，　carrying　the　popular｛zation　of　Chinese魏θ剛∫，　were　imported　they become　the　foundation　for　a　new　orthodoxy　and　development　in　Japan．　In　addition，　the　spread　of　these　books produced　an　interest　in　literati　accoutermenta．　There　are　no　extant　portraits　of　Li　YU　in　China，　the　tradition　having originated　in　Japan．　For　the　people　of　Japan，　LI　YU　symbolically　represented　the　very　image　of　a“buniin”and　the works　of　Li　Yu　gave　birth　in　Japan　to　the　new　ideal　of‘‘buniin”

Retroviral gp70 antigen in spontaneous mesangial glomerulonephritis of ddY mice

Retroviral gp70 antigen in spontaneous mesangial glomerulonephritis of ddY mice. We examined whether the retroviral envelope antigen, gp70, is a major nephritogenic antigen in ddY mice, a murine model of spontaneous mesangial glomerulonephritis associated with IgA and IgG deposition. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the mesangial gp70 deposition increased with age in mice over 24 weeks old, as did the IgG and IgA deposits. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated the reaction products of gp70 superimposed on the electron dense deposits in the mesangial matrix. Various amounts of serum gp70 were detected in mice as young as 12 weeks without any apparent increase with age. There was no correlation between the serum level of gp70 and the extent of the glomerular gp70 deposition, whereas mice with heavier IgA deposition had higher mean levels of serum IgA. The absorption test demonstrated that significant amounts of serum gp70 composed immune complexes in 40 week-old ddY mice developing glomerulonephritis; however, this bound form of gp70 was not observed in 12 week-old mice without glomerulonephritis. Systemic examinations by immunofluorescence staining showed that gp70 was mainly localized in various lymphoid tissues. These findings suggest that the gp70 antigen, mostly derived from lymphoid cells, may circulate as immune complexes and accumulate in the mesangial area, thus contributing to the development of glomerulonephritis in these mice. In addition, the pathogenic role of the increased IgA production in these mice was discussed

Identification and functional analysis of glutamine transporter inStreptococcus mutans

Background Streptococcus mutans, a biofilm-forming bacterium, possesses several transporters that function as import/export molecules. Among them, the PII protein family is composed of members that regulate glutamine synthesis in bacterial species. Objective In this study, we characterized the function of the glutamine transporter in S. mutans MT8148. Methods The SMU.732 gene, corresponding to glnP in S. mutans, is homologous to the glutamine transporter gene in Bacillus subtilis. We constructed a glnP-inactivated mutant strain (GEMR) and a complement strain (comp-GEMR) and evaluated their biological functions. Results Growth of GEMR was similar in the presence and absence of glutamine, whereas the growth rates of MT8148 and comp-GEMR were significantly lower in the presence of glutamine as compared to its absence. Furthermore, biofilms formed by MT8148 and comp-GEMR were significantly thicker than that formed by GEMR, while the GEMR strain showed a significantly lower survival rate in an acidic environment than the other strains. Addition of n-phenyl-2-naphthylamine, used to label of the membrane, led to increased fluorescence intensity of MT8148 and GEMR, albeit that was significantly lower in the latter. Conclusions These results suggest that glnP is associated with glutamine transport in S. mutans, especially the import of glutamine involved in biofilm formation

A Planetary Companion to the Intermediate-Mass Giant HD 100655

A precise radial velocity survey conducted by a Korean-Japanese planet search program revealed a planetary companion around the intermediate-mass clump giant HD 100655. The radial velocity of the star exhibits a periodic Keplerian variation with a period, semi-amplitude and eccentricity of 157.57 d, 35.2 m s^-1 and 0.085, respectively. Adopting an estimated stellar mass of 2.4 M_Sun, we confirmed the presence of a planetary companion with a semi-major axis of 0.76 AU and a minimum mass of 1.7 M_Jup. The planet is the lowest-mass planet yet discovered around clump giants with masses greater than 1.9 M_Sun.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in PAS