Antianoxic action and active constituents of evodiae fructus

In order to develop new drugs from natural products, constituents of natural medicines were examined for their effectiveness in the KCN-induced anoxia model in mice. Methanol extract from a Chinese medicine, evodia (fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa Benth. or E. officinalis Dode), had a significant effect in the KCN-induced anoxia model in mice and therefore the active constituents were further examined. The results indicated that the antianoxic action of evodia was found in the fraction containing evodiamine. Further analysis of the active constituent indicated that evodiamine and rutaecarpine, indole-alkaloids found in large amounts in the Chinese medicine evodia, were mainly responsible for the antianoxic action.     

Computation of transition to turbulence in the compression stage of a reciprocating engine

The transition to turbulent flow in the compression stage of a reciprocating engine is studied by obtaining the finite-difference numerical solutions to the governing Navier-Stokes equations without using explicit turbulence models. A computational method is developed under the assumption that the flow is in a low-subsonic regime with strong compression. The numerical method is a simple extension of the well known MAC method. Computations were performed for three different chamber geometries at the engine speed of 1400 rpm. The results of the computations clearly demonstrate the transient process in which large tumbling vortices break down into smaller ones near the end of the compression process. The transition process is also caught experimentally by using Mach-Zehnder interferometry.     

Antianoxic action and active constituents of atractylodis lanceae rhizoma

The screening test was carried out to identify new drugs from natural products for the KCN-induced anoxia model in mice. Acetone extract of Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma (Atractylodes lancea DC. var. Chinensis Kitamura) had a significant effect in the KCN-induced anoxia model and therefore the extract was selected for further study in order to identify the active principles. The result showed that beta-eudesmol was the active component in Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma.     

Hydrogen-induced reordering of the surface

Using elastic recoil detection analysis and low energy electron diffraction we have investigated the adsorption process of hydrogen on the surface. We find that (1) room temperature adsorption of atomic hydrogen induces a structure transformation from the to Si(111)-1 × 1-Ag(H) structures, (2) a saturation coverage of hydrogen is 1.5 monolayer, which almost coincides with the one on a clean 7 × 7 surface, and (3) thermal desorption of hydrogen from the ordered 1 × 1-Ag(H) surface results in the recovery of the original surface.     

Time-resolved fluorescence study on the photomerocyanine form of spiropyran and its derivative with azobenzene

The excited state dynamics of the photomerocyanine (PMC) form originating from spirobenzopyran and the bi-functional photochromic compound spirobenzopyran–azobenzene (SpAz), containing typical photochromic molecules of spirobenzopyran (Sp) and azobenzene (Az), were investigated using picosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements in solution at 200 and 285 K and in a PMMA polymer film at 298 K. While the fluorescence lifetimes of PMC were about twice as long as those of SpAz under all experimental conditions, both lifetimes showed similar strong dependence on viscosity rather than temperature. These results suggest that non-radiative decay to an intermediate state could be accompanied by a significant conformational change. The effect of the Az moiety in this relaxation process is also discussed. It is unlikely that an energy transfer from the PMC moiety to the Az moiety occurs. It was concluded that the PMC moiety in the bi-functional SpAz is independent from the Az moiety.     

Photoreactive fluorinated polyimide protected by a tetrahydropyranyl group (THP) based on photo-induced acidolysis

A polyimide (6F-THP) with a tetrahydropyranyl group (THP) in its side chain has been synthesized. The THP group exhibits a high acidolysis rate in this polymer's film. This rate was faster than that of a tertbutoxycarbonyl group (t-BOC), which has been previously reported [1]. Furthermore, the deprotected fluorinated polyimide (6FDA-AHHFP) became soluble in an aqueous base due to the presence of a hydroxyl group attached to the phenyl group of the diamine segment. The polyimide thus provides high performance as a photopolymer when used in conjunction with a photoacid generator after the post-exposure baking process (PEB). The photoacid generators used in this study were p-nitrobenzyl-9,10-dimethoxyanthoracene-2-sulfonate (NBAS) and diphenyliodonium-9,10-dimethoxyanthoracene-2-sulfonate (DIAS). The quantum yields of photodissociation and photoacid generation were also measured. The photoacid-generating quantum yields closely corresponded to the photosensitivities of the photoreactive polyimide system. It was confirmed that the THP group was easily deprotected even in the 6F-THP film with p-toluenesulfonic acid as a model acid catalyst. The activation energy of the THP deprotection reaction was determined to be 12.8 kcal/mol (19.5 kcal/mol in the case of t-BOC). The relationships between the THP deprotecting rate constant (k_d) and acid molecular size and between k_d and polyimide structure were further investigated.     

Influence of the vacuum level upon the growth of carbon nanotubes on silicon carbide surface

We have investigated the influence of the vacuum level upon the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on 6H-SiC () surface.CNTs of about 160 nm in length were formed densely and uniformly on the 6H-SiC surface during annealing at 1700 °C in a high vacuum (∼10⁻² Pa). CNTs of about 1 μm in length were formed during annealing at 1700 °C in an ultra-high vacuum (∼10⁻⁷ Pa). However, CNTs were not formed and SiO₂ layers were formed on the SiC surface at 1700 °C in air. It is found that longer CNTs can grow up in an ultra-high vacuum, moreover, a little aligned and low-density graphite layers, or carbon nanofibers can also grow up.     

Identification of a new excited state responsible for the in vivo unique absorption band of siphonaxanthin in the green alga Codium fragile

A marine green alga, Codium fragile, exhibits a characteristic in vivo absorption band of a specific keto-carotenoid, siphonaxanthin, at 535 nm. We examined the ultrafast fluorescence kinetics by direct excitation of this band after purification of light-harvesting complex II. On the basis of a high fluorescence anisotropy (0.39) up to 1 ps and a very short lifetime (60 fs), we identified the 535 nm band as a new electronically excited state (Sx) located between the S1 and S2 states. Excited-state dynamics of the Sx state were further discussed in relation to the energy transfer processes in the complexes.     

Synthesis and applications of novel fluorinated dendrimer-type copolymers by the use of fluoroalkanoyl peroxide as a key intermediate

Fluoroalkanoyl peroxide reacted with 1,3,5,7-tetravinyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TTRV-Si) to afford fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomers containing some unreacted vinyl segments under very mild conditions. Fluoroalkyl end-capped cyclosiloxane oligomers containing some vinyl segments thus obtained reacted with N,N-dimethylacrylamide and fluoroalkanoyl peroxide to afford new fluorinated dendrimer-type block copolymers in good isolated yield. Similar reactions were also occurred by the use of 1,3,5-trivinyl-1,3,5-trimethylcyclotrisiloxane instead of TTRV-Si, and the corresponding fluorinated dendrimer-type block copolymer was obtained in good isolated yield. These fluorinated dendrimer-type block copolymers had an excellent solubility not only in water but also in traditional organic solvents including aliphatic fluorinated solvents. Interestingly, these fluorinated block copolymers were found to form the self-assembled dendrimer-type polymeric aggregates in aqueous solutions. More interestingly, these fluorinated block copolymers had an extremely higher dispersion ability of not only single-walled carbon nanotube and fullerenes but also magnetic nanoparticles into water, compared to that of the corresponding two fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomers.     

Influence of oxygen on the growth of carbon nanotubes by the SiC surface decomposition method

The influence of oxygen on the development of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) during the annealing process of the surface decomposition method on SiC(000−1) surfaces was investigated. In the case of annealing a SiC substrate under ultra-high vacuum conditions, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) form between the CNT layer and the substrate. However, CNTs form without CNFs by annealing the substrate in an oxygen atmosphere. The mean length of CNTs is longer than those formed without an oxygen atmosphere. From cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images, it was found that oxygen plays an important role in CNT growth by the surface composition method.