Evaluation of the Kushida Method of short-term earthquake prediction

Kushida and Kushida found that FM radio waves from stations at distances over-the-horizon are received before earthquakes. Based on this finding, since the mid-1990’s, the Kushidas have been practicing “Earthquake Precursor Detection Experiment”. The performance of the Kushida method during 2000–2003 has been evaluated by checking their predictions against the actual seismicity. During the period, there were 92 Kushida predictions mentioning the possibility of M ≥ 5.5 event, whereas there were 49 M ≥ 5.5 earthquakes in the Japanese region. If the criteria for successful prediction are set as: the errors in date is less than one day, epicentral position is roughly within specified area, and error in M is less than 0.5, the success rate was 20% and the alarm rate was 12%. If we relax the criteria to: the errors in dates within 10 days, epicenter within additional 100 km of specified area and the magnitude error less than 1.0, the success rate was 40% and the alarm rate was 27%. These rates may look insufficient for a practical prediction method. Considering, however, the fact that no other short-term prediction has ever been made in Japan so far it is a significant achievement. Moreover, it was found that in almost all failed predictions, meaningful signals were detected although the interpretations were incorrect. This indicates that the method is promising provided further investigation is carried out. The same evaluation at the M ≥ 6.0 level showed that the general performance was similar to the M ≥ 5.5 level, except that both success rate and alarm rate were lower at the M ≥ 6.0 level. If this unexpected finding is real, it might be inherent to the methodology using scattering of short-wave length radio waves as suggested by M. Hayakawa and may contain important information in understanding the earthquake physics and LAI-coupling. The results of the present study indicate strongly that the earthquake prediction research using anomalous transmission of VHF FM radio waves should be enhanced in parallel with complementary research in other frequency ranges.     

Multicolor photochromism of two- and three-component diarylethene crystals

Novel photochromic single crystals composed of three different kinds of diarylethenes, 1,2-bis(3,5-dimethyl-2-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1a), 1,2-bis(2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (2a), and 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-p-methoxyphenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (3a), have been prepared. The three-component crystals turned yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, green, or black upon irradiation with light of appropriate wavelengths. The colors of the crystals were thermally stable in the dark and completely bleached by irradiation with visible light. Such multicolored photochromic crystals have potential for the application to optoelectronic devices, such as multifrequency three-dimensional optical memory media or full-color displays.     

Crystal engineering of photochromic diarylethene single crystals

Photochromic performance of diarylethene single crystals was controlled by crystal engineering using non-covalent aromatic-aromatic interactions as the directional intermolecular force. A diarylethene derivative with two pentafluorophenyl groups, 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-pentafluorophenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1a), formed stoichiometric co-crystals with benzene (Bz) and naphthalene (Np) by aryl-perfluoroaryl interactions. Face-to-face pi-stacking interactions between the pentafluorophenyl groups of 1a and the aromatic molecules are responsible for 2:1 and 1:1 stoichiometric compositions in 1a/Bz and 1a/Np co-crystals, respectively. The diarylethene underwent thermally stable and photoreversible photochromic reactions in a homo-crystal of 1a and co-crystals 1a/Bz and 1a/Np. The absorption spectra of the photogenerated closed-ring isomers varied depending on the conformation of the diarylethene molecules packed in the crystals. The diarylethene 1a also formed 1:1 stoichiometric co-crystals with different kinds of diarylethenes, 1,2-bis(2-ethyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (2a) and 1,2-bis[2-methyl-5-(1-naphthyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene (3a). Both co-crystals 1a/2a and 1a/3a showed photochromism. Although 1a, 2a, and 3a underwent efficient photocyclization reactions in their homo-crystals, highly selective photocyclization reactions of 2a or 3a were observed in the co-crystals. The selective reactions were confirmed by HPLC and X-ray crystallography. Excited energy transfers from 1a to 2a and from 1a to 3a are considered to occur and cause the selective reactions.     

Amperometric biosensor based on reductive H2O2 detection using pentacyanoferrate-bound polymer for creatinine determination

Pentacyanoferrate-bound poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVI[Fe(CN)₅]) was selected as a mediator for amperometric creatinine determination based on the reductive H₂O₂ detection. Creatinine amidohydrolase (CNH), creatine amidohydrolase (CRH), sarcosine oxidase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and PVI[Fe(CN)₅] were crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE) on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode for a creatinine biosensor fabrication. Reduction current was monitored at −0.1 V in the presence of creatinine and O₂. It is revealed that PVI[Fe(CN)₅] is suitable as a mediator for a bioelectrocatalytic reaction of POD, since PVI[Fe(CN)₅] neither reacts with reactants nor works as an electron acceptor of SOD. The amounts of PVI[Fe(CN)₅], PEGDGE, and enzymes were optimized toward creatinine detection. Nafion as a protecting film successfully prevented the enzyme layer from interferences. The detection limit and linear range in creatinine determination were 12 μM and 12–500 μM (R² = 0.993), respectively, and the sensitivity was 11 mA cm⁻² M⁻¹, which is applicable for urine creatinine tests. The results of the creatinine determination for four urine samples measured with this proposed method were compared with Jaffe method, and a good correlation was obtained between the results.     

Synthesis of Benzopyran-4-Amides Potassium Channel Openers Via Palladium-Catalyzed Amidation

The novel potassium channel openers benzopyran-4-amides have been synthesized via palladium-catalyzed amidation of 4-bromobenzopyrans under an atmoshere in the presence of an equivalent of potassium iodide.     

Temperature dependence of methanol and ethanol vapor sorption in polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) containing methacrylate membranes

This study aimed to determine the solubility and temperature dependence of methanol and ethanol vapor caused by the difference in the substituents of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-containing polymethacrylate membranes and the spacer length between the backbone and POSS backbone. Vapor sorption of methanol and ethanol was measured at 25°C, 35°C, and 45°C for three kinds of POSS-containing polymer membranes, namely, poly(methacryl isobutyl POSS), poly(methacrylate isobutyl POSS), and poly(methacryl phenyl POSS). The primary structures of the three POSS-containing polymer chains were columnar. The solubility of alcohol vapor on the POSS-containing polymer membranes followed the mechanism of solid adsorption and not the general dissolution diffusion. The sorption amount at all three temperatures was related to the surface area of the cylindrical primary structure and the solid adsorption property of the alcohol molecule of the POSS substituent. The sorption amount increased because of the large surface area and adsorption property of alcohol molecules. Although a typical glassy polymer shows exothermic mixing and a rubbery polymer displays endothermic mixing, the sample with the POSS substituent of isobutyl group exhibited an unusual behavior of endothermic mixing despite being a glassy polymer.     

Geometrical Evolution and Formation of the Photoproduct in the Cycloreversion Reaction of a Diarylethene Derivative Probed by Vibrational Spectroscopy

The geometrical evolution of the reactant and formation of the photoproduct in the cycloreversion reaction of a diarylethene derivative were probed using time-resolved absorption spectroscopies in the visible to near-infrared and mid-infrared regions. The time-domain vibrational data in the visible region show that the initially formed Franck-Condon state is geometrically relaxed into the minimum in the excited state potential energy surface, concomitantly with the low-frequency coherent vibrations. Theoretical calculations indicate that the nuclear displacement in this coherent vibration is nearly parallel to that in the geometrical relaxation. Time-resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy directly detected the formation of the open-ring isomer with the same time constant as the decrease of the closed-ring isomer in the excited state minimum. This observation reveals that no detectable intermediate, in which the population is accumulated, is present between the excited closed-ring isomer and the open-ring isomer in the ground state.