Does bulk metallic glass of elemental Zr and Ti exist?

To verify the high-pressure formation of the bulk metallic glass in elemental Zr and Ti, which Zhang and Zhao [Nature (London) 430, 332 (2004)] and Y. Wang et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 155501 (2005)] recently reported, the high-pressure states were investigated by our newly developed in situ angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction using a two-dimensional detector and x-ray transparent anvils. Despite the disappearance of all the Bragg peaks in the one-dimensional energy-dispersive data, two-dimensional angle-dispersive data showed several intense Bragg spots even at the conditions where the amorphization was reported. This finding suggests that Zr and Ti do not transform into an amorphous state, but that their grain size becomes large, which causes the missing Bragg peaks in energy-dispersive data.     

Effects of Contrast and Character Size upon Legibility of Japanese Text Stimuli Presented on Visual Display Terminal

We examined effects of contrast and character size upon legibility of Japanese text stimuli presented on visual display terminal (VDT). In the experiment, three different character sizes were employed and the text stimulus was presented under a variety of conditions where contrast between the text and the background changed. Reading speed and the rate of readable characters were measured. Subjective rating for legibility was also evaluated. Results showed that legibility increases with luminance contrast for all character sizes examined here. A strong correlation was found between the subjective rating index and reading speed.     

Three-Step Spin State Transition and Hysteretic Proton Transfer in the Crystal of an Iron(II) Hydrazone Complex

A proton–electron coupling system, exhibiting unique bistability or multistability of the protonated state, is an attractive target for developing new switchable materials based on proton dynamics. Herein, we present an iron(II) hydrazone crystalline compound, which displays the stepwise transition and bistability of proton transfer at the crystal level. These phenomena are realized through the coupling with spin transition. Although the multi-step transition with hysteresis has been observed in various systems, the corresponding behavior of proton transfer has not been reported in crystalline systems; thus, the described iron(II) complex is the first example. Furthermore, because proton transfer occurs only in one of the two ligands and π electrons redistribute in it, the dipole moment of the iron(II) complexes changes with the proton transfer, wherein the total dipole moment in the crystal was canceled out owing to the antiferroelectric-like arrangement.     

Two new cyclopentenone derivatives and a new cyclooctadienone derivative from Erigeron annuus (L.) PERS., Erigeron philadelphicus L., and Erigeron sumatrensis RETZ

Two new cyclopentenone derivatives, erigerenones A (1) and B (2), and a new cyclooctadienone derivative, erigerenone C (3), were isolated from the aerial parts of Erigeron philadelphicus L. Compound 2 was also isolated from the aerial parts of Erigeron annuus (L.) PERS. and Erigeron sumatrensis RETZ. The structures of 1-3 were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data.     

LOV-like flavin-Cys adduct formation by introducing a Cys residue in the BLUF domain of TePixD

BLUF and LOV are blue-light sensor domains that possess flavin as a common chromophore but exhibit distinct photoreactions. Ile66 located in the BLUF domain of a cyanobacterial photosensor protein, TePixD, was replaced with Cys to mimic the LOV domain. Light-induced Fourier transform infrared spectra of the I66C TePixD showed that a flavin-Cys adduct, typical of the photoinduced intermediates of LOV domains, was formed in the I66C BLUF domain. This result demonstrates that different types of flavin photoreactions can be realized in the same domain if key amino acids are properly arranged near the flavin and the domain structure itself is not a crucial factor to determine the photoreaction type.     

Synthesis of aromatic polyamide-phthalimidines from chloroformylphthalides and aromatic diamines

New polymer-forming monomers, 3-benzylidene-5-chloroformylphthalide and 3-benzylidene-6-chloroformylphthalide, were synthesized by the Perkin reaction of trimellitic anhydride with phenylacetic acid, followed by chlorination. The polycondensation of these monomers with aromatic diamines in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone at 200°C afforded aromatic polyamide-phthalimidines having inherent viscosities of 0.2-0.5 dL/g. All the polymers were readily soluble in m-cresol, pyridine, dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide. Glass transition temperatures of some of the polymers were in the range of 255–282°C. The polyamide-phthalimidines began to lose weight at around 300°C in both air and nitrogen atmospheres, with 10% weight losses being recorded at 435–475°C in nitrogen by thermogravimetry.     

Study on broad line magnetic resonance absorption of drawn poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Summary The structural changes of drawn poly(ethylene terephthalate) are observed as a function of the temperature of heat-treatment and the angle between the fiber axis and the magnetic field, using with NMR. The results of this experiment show that the low stretched sample C-2 is structureless, but that samples C-3 and C-4 stretched higher than sample C-2 are the doublet structure, and that the more highly stretched sample C-5 is structureless again.The calculated line shapes are compared with the observed line shapes, and they are found in satisfactory agreement with the observed ones. From the results, it becomes clear that the condition of the occurrence of the doublet structure depends on the orientation of the benzene ring proton pair.

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Zusammenfassung Die Strukturänderung von gestrecktem Polyäthylenterephthalat wurde mittels der NMR als Funktion der Wärmebehandlungstemperatur und des Winkels zwischen der Faserachse und dem magnetischen Feld beobachtet. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchungen zeigen, daß die schwach gestreckte Probe C-2 strukturlos ist, während die stärker gestreckten Proben C-3 und C-4 eine Dublettstruktur haben.Eine noch stärker gestreckte Probe C-5 ist wiederum strukturlos. Die gerechneten Linienformen der NMR wurden mit den beobachteten Linienformen verglichen, und es wurde gefunden, daß die vorigen mit den letzteren genügend gut übereinstimmen. Es ist offenbar, daß es von der Orientierung des Protonenpaares des Benzolrings abhängig ist, ob die Dublettstruktur beobachtet wird.