Distribution of double bonds in thermally degraded polyisobutylene

The distribution of double bonds in thermally degraded polyisobutylene was determined quantitatively by using pulsed Fourier transform ¹H n.m.r. spectroscopic analysis. The double bonds in the degraded polymer did not exist in the interior but at the terminal positions of the polymer chain. These olefins were of the terminal trisubstituted and terminal vinylidene types. The content of the former was much greater than that of the latter. This shows that radical chain transfer predominantly occurs at the methylene hydrogen rather than at the methyl groups of the polymer chain. The average number of double bonds per molecule, f, was greater than 1 and tended to be near 2. Thereby most of the degraded polyisobutylene was shown to have two terminal unsaturations per molecule.     

Discrimination of psychoactive fungi (commonly called "magic mushrooms") based on the DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region

'Magic mushrooms' (MMs) are psychoactive fungi containing the hallucinogenic compounds, psilocin (1) and psilocybin (2). Since June 6, 2002, these fungi have been regulated by the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law in Japan. Because there are many kinds of MMs and they are sold even as dry powders in local markets, it is very difficult to identify the original species of the MMs by morphological observation. Therefore, we investigated the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region in the ribosomal RNA gene of MMs obtained in Japanese markets to classify them by a genetic approach. Based on the size and nucleotide sequence of the ITS region amplified by PCR, tested MMs were classified into 6 groups. Furthermore, a comparison of the DNA sequences of the MMs with those of authentic samples or with those found in the databases (GenBank, EMBL and DDBJ) made it possible to identify the species of tested MMs. Analysis by LC revealed that psilocin (1) was contained at the highest level in Panaeolus cyanescens among the MMs, but was absent in the Amanita species.     

Flow in Open-Channel Embayments

This study investigates flows in a square and a rectangular embayment located on the side bank of an open channel. It is found that the main flow of the open channel induces a circulatory flow in the square and rectangular embayment and the center of the circulatory flow is shifted downstream in comparison with the center of the embayment. A solution of the shallow water equations solved using the method of variation yields results of the 95% confidence intervals within 10% of mean errors between the observed and computed nondimensional velocities.     

The use of indoline dyes in a zinc oxide dye-sensitized solar cell

The effects of the position and the type of carboxyl anchor group in double rhodanine-type indoline dyes on the performance of a zinc oxide dye-sensitized solar cell were examined. The optimum position for the carboxymethyl group was on the inner rhodanine moiety; a carboxymethyl group gave optimum results among carboxymethyl, -ethyl, and -propyl derivatives.     

Measurements, analyses and evaluation of residential PV systems by Japanese monitoring program

This paper is about measurements, analyses and evaluation of residential PV systems in the Japanese Monitoring Program, on which JQA was subsidized by NEDO (New Energy Development and Industrial Technology Organization) that is currently proceeding [NSS R&D] from FY1997 to FY 2000.The aim of this investigation refers, through the data evaluation and analyses, to obtain knowledge required for optimizing design of PV systems, such as system performance, characteristics and regional dependency under practical operation and to develop the system evaluation technology on the design parameter method.     

Synthesis of non-equilibrium phases in immiscible metals mechanically mixed by high pressure torsion

The structural changes in mechanically mixed metals of immiscible combinations of elements caused by bulk mechanical alloying (MA) through the use of high pressure torsion (HPT) were investigated in Ag–Ni and Nb–Zr systems. There was no alloying between Ag and Ni on atomic scale even after 100 rotations of HPT. On the other hand, the β-Zr phase started to appear after HPT 2 rotations in the Nb–Zr system, even though β-Zr is a high temperature phase. Further, Nb and Zr were completely mixed to form a bcc structured single phase after HPT 100 rotations. The sequence of alloying in the Nb–Zr system during HPT was discussed. These results clearly suggest that non-equilibrium phases can form in the Nb–Zr system by bulk MA by the use of HPT.     

Discharge Ratio of Side Outflow to Supercritical Channel Flow

This study presents the effects of width changes of a side breach, Froude numbers, and bottom slopes on discharge ratios of a side outflow to the main channel flow when a flow is supercritical. The results compare the differences between theoretical discharge ratios and experimental ones. The differences increase in one of three conditions: increase of the side breach, increase of the bottom slope, and decrease of the Froude number.     

Dynamics of Hollow and Solid Alumina Particle Formation in Spray Flames

Thermophoretic sampling (TS) of the aerosol was conducted to manifest the formation of hollow and solid alumina particles in spray flames. The collected particles were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Hollow particles with a thin shell (e.g., 10 nm) were formed from the aluminum nitrate precursor emulsion at less than 4-cm flame height. Hollow particles maintained their shapes in the flame using air as dispersion/oxidant gas, whereas hollow-to-solid restructuring of the particles took place in the flame using oxygen. With oxygen, nanoparticles were formed in the gas phase from the aluminum butoxide/2-propanol precursor solution only, whereas gas-phase reaction was hindered, forming large particles from the aluminum nitrate/2-propanol precursor solution.     

Conventional Fabrication Method for TCNQ Radical Anion Salts Molecular Wires

NMP-TCNQ (NMP=N-methylphenazinium, TCNQ=7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) and (NEt₄)TCNQ gave molecular wires on a glass substrate by recrystallization from the acetone solution coexistence with the substrate. The width of the wires largely depends on the evaporation ratio of the solvent through recrystallization. When evaporating ratio of NMP-TCNQ solution was 167 μl/min, the width was minimized to 35 nm. Comparison of the IR spectra and XRD patterns with the corresponding single crystals clearly indicates that these wires have same crystallinity as the single crystals.     

Correlation between thermal stability of soft magnetic properties and structural relaxation in Co58Fe5Ni10Si11B16 metallic glass

Effects of isochronal and isothermal annealings on permeability, coercive field, field-induced anisotropy and electrical resistivity in Co₅₈Fe₅Ni₁₀Si₁₁B₁₆ metallic glass pre-annealed at 743 K for 60 min were examined to clarify the correlation between thermal stability of soft magnetic properties and structural relaxation. It was found that both soft magnetic properties and electrical resistivity changed reversibly, depending on annealing temperature, and the values of activation energy for the changes in these properties were very close, lying in the range 1.8 and 2.0 eV. However, although the deterioration of soft magnetic properties was observed in the specimens annealed below the Curie temperature (T _c), the resistivity changes occurred significantly even in the specimens above (T _c), The results strongly suggest that the changes in soft magnetic properties are attributed to an anisotropic chemical short-range ordering (CSRO) among the cobalt, iron and nickel atoms, and the resistivity changes (structural relaxation) are mainly due to an isotropic CSRO.