A photo-alignment of nematic liquid crystals (NLC) on a photopolymer film of polyvinyl cinnamate (PVCi) has been achieved by using linearlypolarized UV light. The mechanism of the LC alignment is clarified and good unidirectional LC alignment with pretilt angle is obtained by appropriate combination of normal and oblique exposure of linearly-polarized UV light to the PVCi films. This photo-alignment method is applied to fabricate super-multidomain (SMD) TN-LCDs making a feature of quartered pixels, and we demonstrate that reverse tilt disclination (RTD)-free SMD TN-LCDs is successfully fabricated by using the photo-alignment method. IntroductionRecent progress in the fabrication process of active matrix TN-LCDs enable us to produce large-size LCD panels up to 21 inch diagonal. This in turn strongly demands to improve viewing angle characteristics and a grayscale capability of the LCDs. There have been reported several display modes to overcome these problems so far; dual subpixel (DS) TN-LCDs [1], amorphous (a) TN-LCDs [2], and so on. By computer simulations, we previously demonstrated that TN-LCDs with quartered pixels (SMD TN-LCDs) showed the best electro-optical (EO) performances [3] and preliminary results to confirm the simulation were also given. [4] In this paper, we present a detailed mechanism of LC alignment on PVCi films exposed by linearly-polarized UV light and give a new method to generate pretilt angle on the PVCi film. We also try to fabricate SMD TN-LCDs using the photo-alignment method, and successful results of the RTD-free SMD TN-LCDs is presented. ExperimentalA photopolymer material used was polyvinyl cinnamate (PVCi), which was dissolved into the mixture of monochloro-benzen and dichloro-methane. The PVCi solution with a concentration of 2

Pb targets have been used, first at Dubna (for elements 100-106) and more recently at GSI, for cold synthesis of new elements 108-112. The beams used with Pb targets are exactly the same as were predicted by Gupta et al in 1976-77 on the basis of quantum mechanical fragmentation theory. This theory suggested the use of cold target-projectile combinations, referring to potential energy minima. Optimizing conditions of smallest interaction barrier, largest interaction radius and non-necked nuclear shapes were then imposed, which selected the Pb + corresponding projectiles as the best cold reactions. These early calculations were made for Z = 100-114. An extension of these calculations here to the element 120 shows that the Pb valley is still there for the cold synthesis of the 302 120 isotope. The suggested cold reaction is 94 Sr + 208 Pb. Other cold reaction valleys are predicted at 136 Xe + 166 Dy (or 132 Te + 170 Er), 50 Ca + 252 Fm and 34 Si + 268 106. Cold Ca-valleys have also been predicted in the past and 50 Ca + 252 Fm offers an interesting new possibility here too for element 120. The last valley at 34 Si and others present at 14 C, 10 Be and 4 He are of interest at this time mainly for cluster decay studies. Calculations are also presented for 64 Ni + 238 U in order to illustrate the mass drift mode (in this case of quasifission) for target-projectile combinations coming from outside the minima in the 302 120 potential energy surface.

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We have succeeded in measuring the polar anchoring energy of a nematic liquid crystal (5CB) aligned on rubbed polyimide films. The polar anchoring energy gradually weakens with increasing temperature and tends to zero as the nematic-isotropic (NI) transition temperature (35.3 °C) is approached. This indicates a strong correlation between the polar anchoring energy and the surface order parameter. Under the weakest rubbing condition, a polar anchoring energy of 8×10−4 J/m2 is obtained at a cell temperature T=30 °C. This result indicates that, even with the weakest rubbing strength, the anchoring strength of the rubbed polyimide films is stronger than that of other alignment films.

The photopolymer material of poly(vinyl cinnamate) (PVCi) has been used to investigate the contribution of the anisotropic van der Waals force to the azimuthal anchoring energy in a pentyl cyanobiphenyl (5CB)/PVCi system. The optical anisotropy of a PVCi film is precisely controlled by varying the exposure time of linearly polarized UV light, and the azimuthal anchoring energy in the film is estimated by measuring the width of the Néel wall. The result shows that the azimuthal anchoring energy in the 5CB/PVCi system increases exponentially with increasing optical anisotropy, indicating the existence of additional contributions to the LC alignment.

The structure and function of the N-linked carbohydrate chains in laccase 111, one of the ligninolytic glycoenzymes from the white-rot fungus Cuviulus versiculuv, have been partially characterized using endoglycosidases (Endo F and Endo H) and the N-asparagine-specific inhibitor, tunicamycin. In the presence of 10 pg tunicamycin ml-' laccase and proteinase activities in culture filtrates of C. vevsiculur were measured over 3 weeks. Laccase activity was slightly decreased by the addition of tunicamycin, whereas proteinase activity was increased. The N-linked carbohydrate chains were not necessary for laccase secretion and activity. Endo-glycosidase digestion showed that laccase I11 contained at least four N-linked carbohydrate chains, of which two were high-mannose type or hybrid type and two were complex type. Judging from the differences in the resistance of the native and the carbohydratedepleted laccase to proteolytic digestion and high temperature, the four N-linked carbohydrate chains have important protective functions against proteolytic attack and elevated temperature.

A magneto-optical (MO) microscope that uses the polarization modulation method has been developed for quantitative MO imaging. In this technique, images of MO rotation and ellipticity are reconstructed from three images for different polarization states; i.e., linear, right-circular, and left-circular polarization states. The three polarization states are generated either by rotating a quarter-wave plate or by changing the voltage applied to a liquid crystal modulator (LCM). Measurements are performed using a patterned thin film of Bi,Ga-substituted yttrium iron garnet prepared on a glass substrate. The values of MO rotation and ellipticity obtained from the images for several wavelengths between 450 and 650 nm are found to agree quantitatively with those obtained by an MO spectrometer. Hysteresis loops at any point of the image can be displayed by simply placing a pointer at the position. A real-time MO imaging with a rate of 1 frame/s is also achieved by using the LCM and a high-speed charge-coupled device camera.

The phytoremediation of soils contaminated with organic pollutants offers a low-cost method for removal of such pollutants. We have attempted to enhance the environmental decontamination functions of plants by introducing appropriate enzymatic activities from microorganisms. In the present study, we introduced an extracellular fungal enzyme, the laccase of Coriolus versicolor, into tobacco plants. One transgenic plant, designated FL4, produced laccase that was secreted into the rhizosphere. FL4 was able to remove 20 micromol bisphenol A or pentachlorophenol per gram dry weight. The efficiency of this removal was apparently greater than that of control lines. Our results should stimulate efforts to develop plant-based technologies for the removal of environmental pollutants from contaminated environments.