Uniaxial strain orientation dependence of superconducting transition temperature (Tc) and critical superconducting pressure (Pc) in β-(BDA-TTP)2I3.

Dependence of the superconducting transition temperature (T(c)) and critial superconducting pressure (P(c)) of the pressure-induced superconductor β-(BDA-TTP)(2)I(3) [BDA-TTP = 2,5-bis(1,3-dithian-2-ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene] on the orientation of uniaxial strain has been investigated. On the basis of the overlap between the upper and lower bands in the energy dispersion curve, the pressure orientation is thought to change the half-filled band to the quarter-filled one. The observed variations in T(c) and P(c) are explained by considering the degree of application of the pressure and the degree of contribution of the effective electronic correlation at uniaxial strains with different orientations parallel to the conducting donor layer.

Effects of carpronium chloride on the microvascular blood flow in rat mesentery using intravital videomicroscopy.

Carpronium chloride, a hair growth reagent, is known to have a vasodilatory action, but its direct effect on the microcirculation has been known very primitively. This study was aimed to examine its effects on the vascular smooth muscles and blood flow in rat mesenteric arterioles using intravital videomicroscopy. After topically applying carpronium chloride on the microvasculature, we measured changes of diameter and blood flow in the arterioles.

Melanogenesis stimulation in murine B16 melanoma cells by Piper nigrum leaf extract and its lignan constituents.

A methanolic extract from the leaves of Piper nigrum L. showed a significant stimulatory effect on melanogenesis in cultured murine B16 melanoma cells. Activity-guided fractionation of the methanolic extract led to the isolation of two known lignans, (-)-cubebin (1) and (-)-3,4-dimethoxy-3,4-desmethylenedioxycubebin (2), together with a new lignan, (-)-3-desmethoxycubebinin (3).