Polymeric saturable-absorber mirror for passive Q-switching of a laser-diode-pumped Nd3+:YVO4 microchip laser

A polymeric multilayered mirror doped with a saturable dye worked as a passive Q-switch of a laser-diode-pumped Nd(3+):YVO4 microchip laser. The multilayered mirror consisted of alternately spin-coated layers of polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) and cellulose acetate on a glass substrate. A dye of bis-(dimethylaminodithiobenzil)-nickel was doped in one of the layers of PVK, providing the repetitively Q-switched pulses. The pulse width and repetition rate were 4 ns and 68 kHz, respectively, for a laser-cavity length of 5 mm, and the average and the peak power were 40 mW and 156 W, respectively, for the highest pump power of 435 mW. The dependence of the Q-switched characteristics on the pump power and on the concentration of the doped dye is described.     

The Phosphorus Bond,or the Phosphorus-Centered Pnictogen Bond: The Covalently Bound Phosphorus Atom in Molecular Entities and Crystals as a Pnictogen Bond Donor

The phosphorus bond in chemical systems, which is an inter- or intramolecular noncovalent interaction, occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between an electrophilic region associated with a covalently or coordinately bonded phosphorus atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophile in another, or the same, molecular entity. It is the second member of the family of pnictogen bonds, formed by the second member of the pnictogen family of the periodic table. In this overview, we provide the reader with a snapshot of the nature, and possible occurrences, of phosphorus-centered pnictogen bonding in illustrative chemical crystal systems drawn from the ICSD (Inorganic Crystal Structure Database) and CSD (Cambridge Structural Database) databases, some of which date back to the latter part of the last century. The illustrative systems discussed are expected to assist as a guide to researchers in rationalizing phosphorus-centered pnictogen bonding in the rational design of molecular complexes, crystals, and materials and their subsequent characterization.     

Pressure-Sensitive Paint measurement of the flow around a simplified car model

In applying Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP) to low-speed flow wind tunnel testing, it is important to minimize any measurement uncertainties. There are various error sources such as camera noise, misalignment of images due to model displacement and temperature distribution over the model. Among these factors, the effects of temperature distribution change during tests on pressure measurement accuracies were studied in the present paper. Pressure and temperature distributions over a simplified car model (1/10 scale Ahmed model) were measured using PSP and Temperature-Sensitive Paint (TSP). Sequential images were acquired at the same intervals over the entire test period, including for the conditions before and after the tunnel run. As a result, it was found that the measurement error caused by temperature distribution over the model could be reduced using a single-point temperature measurement. In addition, by measuring surface temperature distributions on the model using TSP, it was proved that the most accurate pressure measurement could be made by rationing the wind-off image acquired immediately after shutting down the tunnel to the wind-on image acquired immediately before shutting down the tunnel. Using the present measurement technique, complicated pressure fields over the Ahmed model were successfully visualized.     

The Effects of Comprehensive Exercise Program on the Adjustments of Standing Balance in Community-Dwelling Elderly Persons

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of comprehensive exercise program widely accepted as a community-based physical intervention for the prevention of falling in the elderly persons on their controlling standing balance. Twenty-six community-dwelling elderly persons (13 males and females; 69.8 ± 2.8 years old) participated in this study. Daily exercise was comprised of walking for more than 30 min, stretching, muscle strengthening and balance exercise without exercise equipments. The intervention was continued for three months. Indicators of standing balance related to static balance, dynamic balance and postural response were measured before and after the intervention. As an effect of the intervention on static balance, the sway of center of pressure (COP) in the static stance significantly increased. In the dynamic balance, significant improvements were observed in one leg standing time, the 10-m gait time, functional reach. Additionally, the maximal movable length of COP which subjects can move voluntarily to right and left significantly increased. In the postural response, the integrated electromyography (IEMG) induced by postural response for sudden postural perturbation significantly decreased in the lower leg muscles. Since less muscular activities were sufficient to maintain posture, it was suggested that postural response was elicited more efficiently following the intervention. This study suggested that the comprehensive exercise program, which has been widely introduced as community-based interventions for the prevention of falling, have extensive effects on the control of standing balance covering static balance, dynamic balance and postural response in the elderly persons.     

An Alumanylyttrium Complex with an Absorption due to a Transition from the Al−Y Bond to an Unoccupied d-Orbital

The reaction between a dialkyl-substituted alumanyl anion and [Y(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(thf)₃][BPh₄] resulted in the formation of (dialkylalumanyl)yttrium complex 2 , which exhibits the first 2-center–2-electron (2 c-2 e) Al−Y bond. The ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of 2 together with an X-ray crystallographic analysis indicated a C_2v symmetrical structure. DFT calculations on 2 revealed that its LUMO consists of overlapping 3 p- and 4 d-orbitals of the Al and Y atoms, respectively, and that the HOMO–LUMO gap is narrow. The UV/Vis spectrum of 2 exhibited a visible absorption at 432 nm, which suggests that the strong σ-donating and π-accepting character of the three-coordinate dialkylalumanyl ligand generates a colored d⁰-complex that does not contain any π-electrons.