In situ observation of the formation of Si clathrate Ba8Si46 at high pressures and high temperatures

X-ray diffraction measurements at high pressures and high temperatures revealed that Si clathrate Ba 8Si 46 is formed by a solid-phase reaction of an 8:30 molar mixture of SrSi 2-phase BaSi 2 and Si after BaSi 2 undergoes the BaSi 2-to-EuGe 2 and the EuGe 2-to-SrSi 2 transitions. The volume reduction during the formation of Ba 8Si 46 is the largest, 7.6%, among the observed transitions. On the other hand, an 8:30 molar mixture of SrSi 2-phase SrSi 2 and Si does not result in the formation of Sr 8Si 46 at high pressures and high temperatures; only SrSi 2 transforms from the SrSi 2 phase into the alpha-ThSi 2 phase, and Si remains in the diamond phase.     

Excellent chiralselectivity in sulfur-bridged CoIIIMCoIII (M = NiII and PdII) trinuclear complexes containing 1,2-cyclohexanediamine

The reaction of [Ni(aet)2] with [CoCl2(R,R-chxn)2]+ (aet = 2-aminoethanethiolate, R,R-chxn = 1R,2R-cyclohexanediamine) in water gave a CoIIINiIICoIII trinuclear complex, DeltaRRDeltaRR-[Ni(Co(aet)(2-)(R,R-chxn))2]4+ ([1a]4+), in which two cis(S)-[Co(aet)2(R,R-chxn)]+ units are linked by a central NiII ion through sulfur bridges. The two CoIII units in [1a]4+ uniformly adopt the Delta configuration, which is induced by the chirality of the terminal R,R-chxn ligands. The central NiII ion in [1a]4+ was replaced by a PdII ion to produce an analogous CoIIIPdIICoIII trinuclear complex, DeltaRRDeltaRR-[Pd(Co(aet)2(R,R-chxn))2]4+ ([2a]4+), with retention of the Delta configuration. When racemic R,R/S,S-chxn was employed instead of R,R-chxn, not only the chirality about two CoIII centers but also the chirality about two chxn ligands was unified in the S-bridged trinuclear structure, leading to the selective formation of a pair of enantiomers, DeltaRRDeltaRR/LambdaSSLambdaSS-[M(Co(aet)2(chxn))2]4+ (M = NiII ([1b]4+) and PdII ([2b]4+)). The stereochemical and spectroscopic features of these complexes are discussed on the basis of the electronic absorption, CD, and NMR spectroscopies, along with the crystal structures of [1a]4+ and [2a]4+.     

Curvature integrals under the Ricci flow on surfaces

In this paper, we consider the behavior of the total absolute and the total curvature under the Ricci flow on complete surfaces with bounded curvature. It is shown that they are monotone non-increasing and constant in time, respectively, if they exist and are finite at the initial time. As a related result, we prove that the asymptotic volume ratio is constant under the Ricci flow with non-negative Ricci curvature, at the end of the paper.      

Macroscopic Polarization Change of Mononuclear Valence Tautomeric Cobalt Complexes Through the Use of Enantiopure Ligand

The crystallization of a complex having electron transfer properties in a polar space group can induce the polarization switching of a crystal in a specific direction, which is attractive for the development of sensors, memory devices, and capacitors. Unfortunately, the probability of crystallization in a polar space group is usually low. Noticing that enantiopure compounds crystallize in Sohncke space groups, this paper reports a strategy for the molecular design of non-ferroelectric polarization switching crystals based on the use of intramolecular electron transfer and chirality. In addition, this paper describes the synthesis of a mononuclear valence tautomeric (VT) cobalt complex bearing an enantiopure ligand. The introduction of enantiomer enables the crystallization of the complex in the polar space group (P2₁). The polarization of the crystals along the b-axis direction is not canceled out and the VT transition is accompanied by a change in the macroscopic polarization of the polar crystal. Polarization switching via electron transfer is realized at around room temperature.     

Melt rheology of hyperbranched‐polystyrene synthesized with multisite macromonomer

Melt rheological behaviors of hyperbranched‐polystyrene (PS) copolymerized by dendric macromonomer technique are presented. The time–temperature superposition principle was applicable to the hyperbranched‐PS. The branched‐PS showed slightly lower zero‐shear viscosity in comparison with linear PS regardless of a presence of a number of branches expected from the dendric macromonomer technique. Although the influence of use of multimethacryloyl macromonomer in the polymerization process was marginal for linear viscoelastic regime, nonlinear shear and uniaxial elongational flows showed distinct differences between linear and branched‐PS. The strain dependence of the damping function became weak as increase of macromonomer content. The branched‐PS exhibited the growing elongational viscosity function comparing with linear PS. This prominent effect on the elongational flow behavior can be explained by the molecular architecture of the branched‐PS. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2226–2237, 2009     

Cepaic acid, a novel yellow xanthylium pigment from the dried outer scales of the yellow onion Allium cepa

Cepaic acid was isolated as a novel xanthylium yellow pigment from the dried outer scales of the yellow onion Allium cepa Linne. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of ESI-MS and 2D NMR spectroscopy as a 9-carboxy-1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxyxanthylium, which suggests that cepaic acid and other yellow pigments in the dried outer skin of onion were formed by the nucleophilic reaction of phloroglucinol derived from quercetin, a flavonol in onion scales, by autoxidation to glyoxylic acid. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such a pigment in yellow onion.     

日本大学教育的重整计划

日本的教育体制大体上类似于其他国家，即小学6年，初中3年，高中3年，大学本科4年。大学本科毕业后另有2年硕士学位，再加3年博士学位的教育。当前在校学习的人数逐年增加，人均在校学习的时间也逐渐延长。到2000年已有将近一半的18岁同龄人进入大学学习。为适应上述教育情况的变化，日本政府目前开始了一个重整大学教育体制的计划。该计划将所有原来模式相同的649所大学划分为两大类，一类是研究和教学型的，另一类是教学型的。目前已有9所大学已被认定为第一类型的大学。本文介绍日本教育体制的变化以及上述重整计划的长远目标。     

Numerical-Asymptotic Expansion Matching for Computing a Viscous Flow Around a Sharp Expansion Corner

A computational technique which is based on a numerical-asymptotic expansion matching for computing the local singular behavior of a viscous flow around a sharp right-angle expansion corner is presented. Moffatt's (1964) asymptotic solution is extended and a matching with a time-marching finite-difference scheme of the Navier--Stokes equations is formulated. Local mesh refinement around the corner is required to meet the validity of the asymptotic solution. Flows in an expanding channel with expansion ratio D/d=3 at various Reynolds numbers 1≤Re≤700 are simulated. The results are compared with those from a standard finite-difference scheme that uses second-order forward/backward differences near the corner. It is found that the results of the standard scheme converge toward those of the present technique as the level of local refinement near the corner is increased. The time-dependent parameters of the first two terms of the asymptotic solution at the steady-state solution are also described for various cases of Re and D/d. It is demonstrated that the present method enhances the accuracy of the simulations and requires less refinements near the corners to achieve converged numerical results. Received 14 August 2000 and accepted 25 October 2001     

Direct-contact heat transfer to a spherical liquid/vapor two-phase bubble trailing a wake

The paper deals with the heat transfer causing evaporation of liquid drops in a medium of an immiscible, less volatile liquid. Each drop turns into a two-phase bubble, consisting of a growing vapor phase and a reducing liquid phase, which continues to buoy up in the medium. The bubble is modeled as a sphere in which the yet-to-be vaporized liquid spreads over the rear surface while the rest is occupied by the heat-insulating vapor phase. The rear surface to serve as the effective heat transfer area is assumed to be covered with an axisymmetric wake instead of a boundary layer flow. The quasi-steady, overall heat transfer through the wake in the medium and the layer of the yet-to-be vaporized liquid in the bubble is predicted and compared with relevant experimental results.Die Untersuchung befaßt sich mit der durch die Verdampfung von Flüssigkeitstropfen in einem aus unvermischbarer, flüchtiger Flüssigkeit bestehendem, Medium verursachten Wärmeübertragung. Aus jedem Tropfen entsteht eine Zweiphasenblase, bestehend aus einer wachsenden Dampfphase und einer abnehmenden Flüssigkeitsphase, die in das Medium aufsteigt. Die Blase wird anhand eines Kugelmodells betrachtet, an dem sich die noch nicht verdampfte Flüssigkeit über die Rückseite verteilt und die restliche Fläche mit der wärmeisolierenden Dampfphase behaftet ist. Es wird angenommen, daß sich an der Rückseite als wirksamer Wärmeübergangsbereich ein achsensymmetrischer Nachlauf bildet. Es werden die quasi-gleichförmige Wärmeübertragung durch den Nachlauf in das Medium und durch die Schicht Lage der nicht verdampften Flüssigkeit in der Blase mathematisch berechnet und mit relevanten Versuchsergebnissen verglichen.     

Cinnamomum verum J. Presl Bark Contains High Contents of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide

The global population is aging, and intervention strategies for anti-aging and the prevention of aging-related diseases have become a topic actively explored today. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is an important molecule in the metabolic process, and its content in tissues and cells decreases with age. The supplementation of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), an important intermediate and precursor of NAD⁺, has increased NAD⁺ levels, and its safety has been demonstrated in rodents and human studies. However, the high content of NMN in natural plants has not been fully explored as herbal medicines for drug development. Here, we identified that the leaf of Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (C. verum) was the highest NMN content among the Plant Extract Library (PEL) with food experience, using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). To validate this result, the extraction and quantitative analysis of bark, leaf, root, and stem of fresh C. verum was conducted. The results revealed that the bark had the highest NMN content in C. verum (0.471 mg/100 g). Our study shed light on the prospects of developing natural plants in the context of NMN as drugs for anti-aging and prevention of aging-related diseases. The future should focus on the development and application of C. verum pharmaceutical formulations.