Few methods permit the hydrogenation of alkenes to a thermodynamically favored configuration when steric effects dictate the alternative trajectory of hydrogen delivery. Dissolving metal reduction achieves this control, but with extremely low functional group tolerance. Here we demonstrate a catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes that affords the thermodynamic alkane products with remarkably broad functional group compatibility and rapid reaction rates at standard temperature and pressure.

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Background and purpose: A traditional Japanese herbal medicine, hochu-ekki-to, has been used for the symptomatic treatment of the common cold and to reduce the frequency of colds in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the inhibitory effects of hochu-ekki-to on infection by rhinovirus (RV), the major cause of common colds, have not been studied. Experimental approach: Human tracheal epithelial cells in culture were infected with a major group rhinovirus-RV14. Virus output and viral RNA were measured along with interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a), mRNA for intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and acidic endosomes in cells. Key results: RV14 infection increased virus titers, the content of cytokines in supernatants and RV14 RNA in the cells. Hochuekki-to decreased virus output, RV14 RNA in the cells, susceptibility to RV infection and supernatant cytokine concentrations after RV14 infection. Hochu-ekki-to reduced mRNA for ICAM-1, the receptor for RV14, the concentration of the soluble form of ICAM-1 and the number and fluorescence intensity of acidic endosomes in the cells, from which RV RNA enters into the cytoplasm, at RV14 infection. Glycyrrhizin, one of the chemical constituents of hochu-ekki-to, reduced supernatant virus titers dose-dependently. Conclusion and implications: Hochu-ekki-to inhibited RV14 infection by decreasing ICAM-1 and by blocking entry of viral RNA into the cytoplasm from the endosomes, in airway epithelial cells. Glycyrrhizin may be partly responsible for inhibition of RV infection by hochu-ekki-to. Hochu-ekki-to could modulate airway inflammation by reducing production of cytokines in RV infections.

The authors have demonstrated white light emission of rare earth (RE)-free Mn-doped SnO-ZnO-P(2)O(5) glass. The RE-free glass shows white light emission with a high value of quantum efficiency (QE) comparable to conventional crystalline phosphor. It is notable that the high QE value is attained for RE-free transparent glass, and the broad emission can be continuously tuned by both the amount of activator and the composition of the glass. Since this glass possesses low-melting property, we emphasize that the glass phosphor will lead to the development of a novel inorganic white-light-emitting device in combination with a solid state UV light-emitting source.

We investigated CaO–Al2O3–SiO2 glass partially crystallized with molybdenum particles as nucleating agents. Microstructure of the material was characterized as a house‐of‐cards structure composed of plate‐like crystals. Microcracks propagated along the crystal plane parallel to the double layer of SiO4/AlO4 tetrahedrons separated by layers of calcium atoms. To investigate the fracture behavior of the hexagonal CaAl2Si2O8 crystals, molecular dynamics simulations were performed, which demonstrated that a crack can be easily triggered by shear deformation along the calcium layer. Additionally, once a crack was generated in the calcium layer, it propagated rapidly, whereas the crack perpendicular to the calcium layer hardly propagated. This simulated behavior is consistent with the experimentally observed cleavage behavior of the hexagonal CaAl2Si2O8 crystal. The experimental and simulation results effectively explained the non‐elastic fracture behavior of the material.

We synthesized Ti-bearing bazirite (BaZr(1-x)Ti(x)Si(3)O(9), x=0-0.2) and examined their spectroscopic features comprehensively, in order to elucidate the photoluminescent properties in the bazirite phase. Strong emission around 2.79 eV was observed in the synthetic bazirite phase with x=0.01 by UV excitation, which exhibited an internal quantum yield of 72% at room temperature. In addition, the bazirite phases also showed clear afterglow with peak around 2.62 eV in the range of x=0.005-0.03, whereas no afterglow property was confirmed in Ti-bearing pabstite (BaSnSi(3)O(9)) phases, in spite of being isostructural of bazirite. It was demonstrated that presence of Zr-related center is a necessary condition for evolution of the afterglow property in the bazirite structure.

We demonstrated the selective introduction of interstitial Zn defects (Zni•) into willemite-type semiconductive Zn2GeO4 by nanocrystallization of 15Li2O–15ZnO–70GeO2 glass. The resulting nanocrystallized glass consisting of Zn2GeO4 exhibited a long-lasting photoluminescence (LLP). It is suggested that the Zni• is produced by capturing a zinc ion through six-membered rings of the Zn2GeO4 phase during nanocrystallization and the excess Zni• acts as an electron trap for the LLP. This defect activation through nanocrystallization is a promising new approach to functionalization.

White light emission of rare earth (RE)-free Mn-doped SnOZnOP 2 O 5 glass is demonstrated. Glass transition temperature of the obtained glass is below 440°C, which assures the application to sealant of solid state light emitting devices. The RE-free transparent glass shows white light emission with a high value of quantum efficiency (QE) comparable to conventional crystalline phosphor by excitation of deep UV light. The broad emission of RE-free transparent glass can be continuously tuned by both the amount of activator and the composition of the glass without decrease of the QE value.