Hokkaido University

About: Hokkaido University is a education organization based out in Sapporo, Hokkaidô, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 53925 authors who have published 115403 publications receiving 2651647 citations. The organization is also known as: Hokudai & Hokkaidō daigaku.

Ferroelectricity and polarity control in solid-state flip-flop supramolecular rotators.

Abstract: Molecular rotation has attracted much attention with respect to the development of artificial molecular motors, in an attempt to mimic the intelligent and useful functions of biological molecular motors. Random motion of molecular rotators—for example the 180∘ flip-flop motion of a rotatory unit—causes a rotation of the local structure. Here, we show that such motion is controllable using an external electric field and demonstrate how such molecular rotators can be used as polarization rotation units in ferroelectric molecules. In particular, m-fluoroanilinium forms a hydrogen-bonding assembly with dibenzo[18]crown-6, which was introduced as the counter cation of [Ni(dmit)2]− anions (dmit2−=2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolate). The supramolecular rotator of m-fluoroanilinium exhibited dipole rotation by the application of an electric field, and the crystal showed a ferroelectric transition at 348 K. These findings will open up new strategies for ferroelectric molecules where a chemically designed dipole unit enables control of the nature of the ferroelectric transition temperature. Molecular rotors have seen considerable interest as functional molecules on surfaces or for applications as memory devices. However, it is now shown that molecular rotation may also be used to induce ferroelectricity in a molecule.

MASSUGU2 Encodes Aux/IAA19, an Auxin-Regulated Protein That Functions Together with the Transcriptional Activator NPH4/ARF7 to Regulate Differential Growth Responses of Hypocotyl and Formation of Lateral Roots in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract: We have isolated a dominant, auxin-insensitive mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, massugu2 (msg2), that displays neither hypocotyl gravitropism nor phototropism, fails to maintain an apical hook as an etiolated seedling, and is defective in lateral root formation. Yet other aspects of growth and development of msg2 plants are almost normal. These characteristics of msg2 are similar to those of another auxin-insensitive mutant, non-phototropic hypocotyl4 (nph4), which is a loss-of-function mutant of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR7 (ARF7) (Harper et al., 2000). Map-based cloning of the MSG2 locus reveals that all four mutant alleles result in amino acid substitutions in the conserved domain II of an Auxin/Indole-3-Acetic Acid protein, IAA19. Interestingly, auxin inducibility of MSG2/IAA19 gene expression is reduced by 65% in nph4/arf7. Moreover, MSG2/IAA19 protein binds to the C-terminal domain of NPH4/ARF7 in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) two-hybrid assay and to the whole latter protein in vitro by pull-down assay. These results suggest that MSG2/IAA19 and NPH4/ARF7 may constitute a negative feedback loop to regulate differential growth responses of hypocotyls and lateral root formation.

Taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales: update 2016

Abstract: In 2016, the order Mononegavirales was emended through the addition of two new families (Mymonaviridae and Sunviridae), the elevation of the paramyxoviral subfamily Pneumovirinae to family status (Pneumoviridae), the addition of five free-floating genera (Anphevirus, Arlivirus, Chengtivirus, Crustavirus, and Wastrivirus), and several other changes at the genus and species levels. This article presents the updated taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales as now accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).

Electrostatic Self-Assembly of Nanosized Carbon Nitride Nanosheet onto a Zirconium Metal–Organic Framework for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Abstract: UiO-66, a zirconium based metal–organic framework, is incorporated with nanosized carbon nitride nanosheets via a facile electrostatic self-assembly method. This hybrid structure exhibits a large surface area and strong CO2 capture ability due to the introduction of UiO-66. We demonstrate that electrons from the photoexcited carbon nitride nanosheet can transfer to UiO-66, which can substantially suppress electron–hole pair recombination in the carbon nitride nanosheet, as well as supply long-lived electrons for the reduction of CO2 molecules that are adsorbed in UiO-66. As a result, the UiO-66/carbon nitride nanosheet heterogeneous photocatalyst exhibits a much higher photocatalytic activity for the CO2 conversion than that of bare carbon nitride nanosheets. We believe this self-assembly method can be extended to other carbon nitride nanosheet loaded materials.