On attributes of achromatic and chromatic object‐color perceptions

Adapting luminance dependencies of various color attributes of object colors (lightness, brightness, whiteness‐blackness, whiteness‐blackness strength, chroma, and colorfulness) were clarified under white illumination with various adapting illuminances. The correlation between the perceptions of lightness and brightness and those of whiteness‐blackness and whiteness‐blackness strength is also clarified for achromatic object colors. The difference between the increase of brightness and that of whiteness‐blackness contrast (the effect studied by Stevens and Jameson—Hurvich) by raising their adapting illuminance is resolved without any contradiction. It is also shown that the nonlinear color‐appearance model developed by the author and his colleagues is able to explain the complex characteristics of all the above color attributes of object colors by making minor modifications to it. In addition, two kinds of classifications of various color attributes are given; one is based on the similarity of perception level, and the other on the degree of adapting illuminance dependency. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 25, 318–332, 2000     

Relations between the two kinds of representation methods in the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect

There are two kinds of representation methods of the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect; one is the Variable-Achromatic-Color method, and the other the Variable-Chromatic-Color method. The following three items are described in detail. (1) How to use and adapt the prediction equations of the two methods to their practical applications. (2) Theoretical derivations of the prediction equations in both methods, and clarification of the simple relation existing between the numerical coefficients used in the prediction equations on the two methods. (3) Logical consistency between the long series of studies on the H-K effect by the author and his colleagues. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 23, 288–301, 1998     

Tensile test of poly(vinyl chloride) filled with ground calcium carbonate particles

The fracture behavior of poly(vinyl chloride) filled with ground calcium carbonate particles during a tensile test was studied. The particles were prepared by crushing natural raw crystalline limestone. For this purpose, 10–50 parts of the particles having two different mean sizes (2 and 8 μm) without further surface treatment were mixed with 100 parts of poly(vinyl chloride) and 3 parts of lead stearate as a stabilizer using a mixing roll. A tensile test was carried out using a dumbbell specimen. As a result, the yield stress decreased with increase in the particle content; however, there was no significant influence of particle size. From scanning electron microscopic observations of the specimen's surfaces during the tensile test, it was found that the particle/matrix interfaces were delaminated and formed voids around the particles when the applied stress approached the yield stress, that is, the particles acted as voids and the matrix around the voids was plastically deformed effectively. These observations appear to be the reason for the decrease of yield stress by the incorporation of the particles. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 70: 311–316, 1998     

Development of Nb-Ti cable with ultrafine filament and high-resistivity matrix for ac use

Superconducting ac machines such as transformers and reactors are expected to have an important role in future electric power transport lines. In these machines, superconducting coils are wound with superconducting cables that have low ac loss, stable ac quenching current, and high normal resistivity. We have developed Nb-Ti superconducting cables with ultrafine filaments and high-resistivity matrix for these coils. One such cable is a double-stranded round structure using 0.2-mm strands with 0.14-μm filaments and Cu-30wt%Ni as a matrix material. The 50-Hz quenching current without external magnetic field exceeds 1400 Arms. The ac loss is 15 kW/m³ at a transverse external magnetic field of 0.5 T, 50 Hz, and the normal resistivity is 0.21 Ω/m at 0 T, 10 K. © 1997 Scripta Technica, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 120(2): 8–18, 1997     

A simple estimation method for effective adaptation coefficient

A method was proposed in a previous article (CRA, 22, 240–258, 1997) to estimate the state of incomplete adaptation by using the effective chromatic adaptation coefficient α_min. The method could be applied to any experiment on chromatic adaptation using object-color or luminous-color stimuli, but its computational procedure was rather tedious. For this reason, the two simple methods, Methods I and II, are proposed to give the approximate estimates of α_min. Method I uses the corresponding reference color under reference illuminant to a test achromatic color under test illuminant. Method II uses the two kinds of relation equations between test adapting luminance and α_min. The estimates of α_min by each of the two methods agree fairly well with those given in the previous article to the three experiments studied. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 22, 259–268, 1997     

A spreadsheet-based fuzzy retrieval system

Under the downsizing boom and cost decrease in computer-related industries, both business and individual computer users have been greatly influenced. For instance, the users will come up against the chance to handle imprecise data in real life with their computers more than ever. Therefore, solutions for easily developing fuzzy systems are strongly needed. In response to this need, many studies have been done in the fuzzy database area because fuzzy retrieval is one of the suitable ways to deal with those kind of data. In this article, the development of a fuzzy retrieval system which can be used on a personal computer is described, especially from an industrial point of view. Additionally, the effects of fuzzy retrieval are proposed and its thinkable applications are introduced. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Self-surface passivation of CdX (X = Se, Te) quantum dots

A small portion of a reaction mixture including unpurified CdX (X = Se or Te) quantum dots (QDs), in which unreacted Cd and Se ions were left together with coordinating solvents, was dropped into an organic solvent. The CdX QDs in this organic solution showed enhancement of photoluminescence (PL) efficiency, growth of particles, and focusing of size distribution for more than 10 h at room temperature (RT, -23 degrees C). These effects were attributed to passivation of QDs' surface by Cd and X ions present in the solution. No external energy source was used for these achievements; therefore, the process is termed as self-surface passivation. The self-surface passivation was reproduced using purified CdX QDs with additional Cd and X ions in an organic solvent. The self-surface passivation method was applied to RT-synthesized CdSe QDs, which is characterized by a broad PL spectrum (fwhm - 150 nm) for monodispersed QDs, to modify their emission characteristics. On self-surface passivation, the broad PL spectrum was narrowed (fwhm - 35 nm) and the QDs were grown. The X-ray diffraction measurements of RT-synthesized CdSe QDs and that subsequently aged in 1-butanol showed that crystallinity of the samples was improved on aging.     

Aqueous phase synthesized CdSe magic-sized clusters: solution composition dependence of adsorption layer structure

We report dispersion solution composition dependence of the adsorption layer structure and the physical and optical properties of aqueous phase-synthesized semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs). We synthesized cysteine (Cys)-capped CdSe NPs with well-defined core structures, dispersed them in a series of aqueous solutions with different compositions, and then investigated their adsorption layer structure and physical and optical properties. Each CdSe NP consisted of a (CdSe)33 or (CdSe)34 magic-sized cluster (d - 1.45 nm) core, a ligand-Cys shell, and an adsorption layer. The dispersion solution composition strongly affected the adsorption layer structure of the CdSe NPs. The solution with a composition close to that of the as-prepared solution stabilized the physical and optical properties of the NPs. The solution with a composition different from that of the as-prepared solution, however, resulted in large changes in their adsorption layer structure and thus their physical and optical properties. The solution composed of neutral or weakly charged Cys and Cd-Cys complexes led to the adsorption layer with low charge density and that destabilized the NPs. The solution containing only neutral or weakly charged forms of Cys, without Cd-Cys complexes, was favorable to the formation of a thick adsorption layer with low charge density and that destabilized the NPs. The amount of adsorbed Cys in the adsorption layer depended on the dispersion solution composition. However, the amount of adsorbed Cd-Cys complexes in the adsorption layer was almost constant regardless of the dispersion solution composition.     

A constitutive model of particulate-reinforced composites taking account of particle size effects and damage evolution

This paper deals with a constitutive model of particulate-reinforced composites which can describe the evolution of debonding damage, matrix plasticity and particle size effects on deformation and damage. An incremental damage model of particulate-reinforced composites based on the Mori–Tanaka’s mean field concept has been extended to consider the particle size effects by using the Nan–Clarke’s simple method. The particle size effect on deformation is realized by introducing dislocation plasticity for stress–strain relation of in situ matrix in composites, and the particle size effect on damage is described by a critical energy criterion for particle–matrix interfacial debonding. For composites containing particles of various sizes, the effects of particle size distribution is incorporated into the model. Influence of debonding damage, particle size and particle volume fraction on overall stress–strain response of composites is discussed based on numerical results.