Synthesis of poly(conjugated ester)s by ring-opening polymerization of cyclic hemiacetal ester bearing acryl skeleton

Available online 20 August 2019Ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of 2,6-dimethyl-5-methylene-1,3-dioxan-4-one (DMDO), a cyclic hemiacetal ester containing an acrylate skeleton, was investigated. Although the ROPs catalyzed by tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate [Sn(Oct)(2)] and 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) did not yield polymeric products, diphenyl phosphate (DPP) functioned a catalyst for the ROP through acyl scission accompanying with the elimination of acetaldehyde at 50 degrees C and 80 degrees C. The resulting polymer was a poly(conjugated ester) that had similar structure to the polymer of alpha-methylene-beta-butyrolactone (M beta BL), an alpha-exomethylene lactone with four-membered ring. Copolymerizations of epsilon-caprolactone and delta-valerolactone were also performed to yield the corresponding polyesters. The chemoselective main chain scission of the copolymers at the conjugated ester units were achieved by conjugate substitution reaction with benzyl mercaptan. Although the ROP of DMDO left a problem in the control of molecular weight, DMDO exhibited a potential as an easier accessible monomer alternative to M beta BL for the preparation of bio- and chemo-degradable polyesters.ArticleEUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL.120:109185(2019)journal articl

A Study on Prediction of Improvement of Watertightness of Rock Mass by Grouting

Grouting is a principal technique to improve watertightness of the foundation of dams. But it is not easy to predict the amount of grouting work until attaining the required improvement of watertightness of rock mass, since the improvement mechanism of watertightness by grouting is not understood comprehensively. Therefore, the grouting work is conducted with the split spacing method until attaining the required improvement. In this paper, the method to predict the effects of grouting is discussed analyzing grouting data obtained from the Hattabara Dam construction site. As the result or the analysis, it is understood that the logarithm of the Lugeon values (logLu) and the logarithm of the amount of cement take (logC) can be dealt with as statistic values and the relationships of their mean values between the i-th order of grouting holes and the i+Ith order of grouting holes can be expressed as the recurrence equation. The improvement of watertightness of rock mass can be predicted according to these relationships

Experimental Determination of Bose-Hubbard Energies

We present the first experimental measurement of the ensemble averages of both the kinetic and interaction energies of the three-dimensional Bose--Hubbard model at finite temperature and various optical lattice depths across weakly to strongly interacting regimes, for an almost unit filling factor. The kinetic energy is obtained through Fourier transformation of a time-of-flight signal, and the interaction energy is measured using a newly developed atom-number-projection spectroscopy technique, by exploiting an ultra-narrow optical transition of two-electron atoms. The obtained experimental results can be used as benchmarks for state-of-the-art numerical methods of quantum many-body theory. As an illustrative example, we compare the measured energies with numerical calculations involving the Gutzwiller and cluster-Gutzwiller approximations, assuming realistic trap potentials and particle numbers at nonzero entropy (finite temperature); we obtain good agreement without fitting parameters. We also discuss the possible application of this method to temperature estimations for atoms in optical lattices using the thermodynamic relation. This study offers a unique advantage of cold atom system for `quantum simulators', because, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first experimental determination of both the kinetic and interaction energies of quantum many-body system.Comment: 22 pages, 20 figure

Efficacy and safety of spot heating and ultrasound irradiation on in vitro and in vivo thrombolysis models

The feasibility of transcranial sonothrombolysis has been demonstrated, although little is known about the relationships between thermal or mechanical mechanisms and thrombolytic outcomes. Therefore, the present study aims to reveal the effect and safety of temperature and ultrasound through in vitro and in vivo thrombolysis models. Artificial clots in microtubes were heated in a water bath or sonicated by ultrasound irradiation, and then clots weight decrease with rising temperature and sonication time was confirmed. In the in vitro thrombotic occlusion model, based on spot heating, clot volume was reduced and clots moved to the distal side, followed by recanalization of the occlusion. In the in vivo study, the common carotid artery of rats was exposed to a spot heater or to sonication. No brain infarct or brain blood barrier disruption was shown, but endothelial junctional dysintegrity and an inflammatory response in the carotid artery were detected. The present spot heating and ultrasound irradiation models seem to be effective for disintegrating clots in vitro, but the safety of the in vivo model was not fully supported by the data. However, the data indicates that a shorter time exposure could be less invasive than a longer exposure. </jats:p

A unique stroke case with contralateral sulcal hyperintensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image changed to linear serpiginous structures

An 83-year-old man developed acute ischemic stroke. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed ischemic stroke in the left parietal lobe gyri, but fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) showed hyperintensity in the contralateral right temporal-occipital lobe sulci. Follow-up FLAIR image showed the gradual disappearance of the sulcal hyperintensity in the sulci and changed to linear serpiginous structures. This is a unique stroke case showing transitioned FLAIR findings suggesting that the sulcal hyperintensity findings are more severe and an earlier ischemic condition than the linear serpiginous structures

Legalization, Moralization, and Disciplination in Modern Japanese Education System

After the defeat of the World War II, Japanese people tried to rebuild their society by relying on humanistic and democratic values. It was the renewal of education system that constituted one of the key aspects of the reform. Teachers and scholars gathered together to find, a way to construct an autonomous realm of education with the aim to get rid of militaristic and ultra-nationalistic ideology which was precisely the fundamental principle of education during the imperial period of Japan. However, their effort ended up succumbing to political power, seeking to control education for a more efficient governance of people. The main purpose of this article is to consider the following questions: Why has Japanese school become once again a place of indoctrination of values and norms conforming to the government at the time? How did teachers at school lose their freedom to determine what to teach? From interdisciplinary perspective, this paper tries to answer these questions through analyzing the following three important processes realized in modem Japanese education: Legalization, Moralization, and Disciplination. 1> I) This paper is based on oral presentation at the Asian Law & Society Association 4th Annual Meeting (Osaka, Japan, 2019)