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The cyanosilylation was performed by using metavanadate catalysts, and in situ measurements revealed the formation of [VO2(CN)3]2− and [VO4TMS2]− under reaction conditions. The reaction of [VO2(CN)3]2−, trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN), and water afforded [VO4TMS2]− and CN−, which reacted with ketones to yield the corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers over [VO2(CN)3]2−. Compound [VO2(CN)3]2− showed high catalytic performance for cyanosilylation of various carbonyl compounds. In the case of n-hexanal, turnover frequency reached up to 250 s−1.

Clarifying the endogenous processes that construct gross aerial shapes such as branching architecture in plants is crucial to understanding how branching contributes to plant adaptation to environments. Architectural analysis is powerful in decomposing the branching process, by comparing observations of plant growth among closely related taxa. The genus Sasa (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) contains three major sections Crassinodi, Sasa and Macrochlamys. These sections exhibit characteristic branching architectures and are distributed separately across the Japanese archipelago, in relation to macroclimatic conditions such as snow accumulation. Our study aimed to quantitatively reveal the endogenous processes underlying branching architectures in the three sections of Sasa. Long-term observations were carried out branch architectural development on Hokkaido Island from 1979 to 2012, which corresponded to the flowering interval of the genus. The results revealed that the three characteristic branching systems of the genus arise mainly from four endogenous processes (distribution of lateral buds on a culm, internode length arrangement along a culm, determination of the fate of lateral buds, development of branching with culm fragility due to ageing) and their interactions with environmental conditions, especially snow accumulation. These processes are coordinated with each other over the life span of a single shoot in developing branching architecture.

In this study,we conducted an educational program that focused on the following two points in order to propose classes in public junior high schools that dealt with Kimono.① Propose class contents feasible for public junior high school teachers to conduct.This educational program consisted of 3classroom periods,and was carried out in the usual classroom environment and style as much as possible.When in shortage of the Yukata,we used rental Yukatas,and students learnt how to wear the Yukata through pair learning.Because students in the first year of junior high school were the targets,we aimed to encourage pleasure and elation and not an evaluation on wearing skills.② Propose class contents that are not limited to wearing the Yukata but encourage appreciation for Kimono.In order to promote“understanding”and to provoke“interest and concern”towards the Kimono culture as a whole,we focused on the rites of passage performed at the turning points of our lives and Kimonos worn at such moments,stressing on the“knowledge about the types,colors,patterns,purpose and significance of such Kimonos”.In addition,we studied the possibility to utilize ICT for broadcast class that allowed students to interact with specialists while being in the classroom and deepen their understanding on the Kimono.

In this study, the questionnaire survey for slimming intention and body size, self-acceptance, self-confidence, and clothing behavior was conducted on 444 young female. We considered how intention towards body slimming was related to self-consciousness and clothing behavior, based on comparison between groups with higher and lower consciousness towards slimming. The results were as follows: (1) 87% female hoped to be slender and their ideal figure was extremely thin. Even in the higher slimming intention group, 90 percent or more belonged to thin or standard level in medical body mass index. They hoped to lose more weight and to be thinner especially in the lower part of their bodies. (2) Higher slimming intention group answered in the negative for self-acceptance, and tendency to lack in independency and confidence could be seen in their Cinderella complex questionnaire results. (3) Analysis on clothing expenses and purchase frequency showed that higher slimming intention group had stronger interest in clothing, were more ingenious in trying to look thinner and that this intention led them to gain more psychological stability. As a result, we conclude that slimming intention is now widely accepted in the modern society for the reasons that being thinner and wearing smartly lead to self-acceptance, self-confidence and mental stability.

This study was conducted to clarify the influences of the lining properties of skirts upon comfort and movement. The comfort of lining fabrics and real skirts with and without lining was rated by sensory tests on the basis of sensorial comfort on the skin and body movement. Actual body movements were investigated by motion analysis while the skirts were being worn. The results are described: (1) Comfort on the skin, movement and overall preference for the lining fabrics were evaluated by sensory testing, comparing skirts made with five kinds of lining fabrics. Conventional non-stretch cupro lining was ranked first on the basis of smoothness and good feel to the skin. Two-way stretch lining was also ranked highly in terms of ease of movement. We discuss how sensorial comfort on the skin and ease of movement related to overall preference for lining fabrics. (2) Sensory test of the actual skirts with and without lining clearly confirmed that lining played a role in improving comfort. (3) For a non-stretch fabric skirt, conventional lining was ranked highly for good feel to the skin, and two-way stretch lining was considered useful for ease of movement. There was no significant difference between the two lining fabrics in overall preference. (4) For a stretch fabric skirt, stretch lining is the most useful because it maintains easy extension of the outer fabric, thus allowing ease of body movement. (5) Motion analysis showed that a combination of knitted stretch skirts with stretch lining was the best for ease of movement. Comparing the sidelines and the hemline of the stretch fabric skirts demonstrated a better shape using lining.

The clothing purchase behaviour of US and Japanese female university students was compared. Evaluative criteria when buying clothing, an interest in clothing and fashion and source of fashion information were studied. Relationships between variables were investigated and the difference and similarity between the two countries were discussed. For evaluative criteria, fit and style/design were ranked the most important in both countries. US students tended to give higher scores for fit, quality, fashion and brand/designer name than Japanese students. Japanese students were more economical, and colour and style/design were important. We found differences in the meaning of fashion between the two countries by cluster analysis. Interest in clothing was almost at the same level in the two countries. But interest in fashion was different; Japanese students were more interested in fashion when they spent more money on clothing. The fashion information sources most frequently used were fashion magazines, store displays, friends and TV. US students were more active in collecting information about fashion and used family members and non-personal sources, such as catalogues, the cinema, newspapers and electronic sources. Japanese students used more retail-oriented sources such as store displays and sales people. In both countries, students who were information search oriented tended to rank evaluative criteria highly and to have more interest in clothing/fashion.

When a G. hirsutum cotton fiber was suspended under tension in water and then allowed to dry without removing the stress, its strength increased and its extensibility decreased. If the sample was slack mercerized before the treatment, its strength and extensibility changes were not as marked. The altered properties of the nonmercerized cotton are ascribed to the water inducing plasticization of the fiber, thus permitting the structural units of the sample to readjust as its convolutions began to untwist and as creep occurs. By comparing the properties of the nonmercerized and mercerized counterparts, we propose that the increased strength and extensibility of cotton with slack mercerization is due to the swelling effects of this treatment, which causes un twisting of the fiber and reduces its degree of crystallinity and its crystallite lengths.

An idea to estimate the pressure brought on a human body by his clothes from the measurements on the deformation of the fabric is presented with a few experimental verifications. To this end, an experimental model system is used; a rubber film substrate and a sample fabric model are put on an even stage, and they are fastened by a circular or an elliptical ring; the fabric together with the rubber film is ballooned into a dome-like shape by air pressure; the air pressure measured is a direct estimation for the garment pressure.For the indirect estimation, the strains of the threads are measured and transformed into the tensions through their stress-strain relationships; the garment pressure (P) is calculated through the relationP=N1/R1+N2/R2, where N1 and N2 are the effective tensions in the directions corresponding to the principal curvatures R1 and R2. The pressure thus estimated coincides approximately with the one measured directly.