Direct Visualization of Electromagnetic Microfields by Superposition of Two Kinds of Electron Holograms

A new electron holographic method is presented to directly visualize pure phase objects such as electromagnetic microfields, which is achieved by superposition of two kinds of electron holograms. The method is very simple and is twice as sensitive as the conventional double-exposure electron holography and the four-electron-wave interference. Using this technique, an electric field around a charged latex sphere and a magnetic field around a barium ferrite particle have been directly observed.     

Raman spectra of stilbene negative ions in tetrahydrofuran solution

Raman spectra of stilbene mono- and di-negative ions in tetrahydrofuran solution were obtained by Ar⁺ laser exciting lines. A considerable frequency shift was observed for several vibrations in the successive steps: stilbene → (stilbene)^? → (stilbene)^2?. The observed shift is discussed in a simple VB scheme, particularly in comparison with the results on anthracene negative ions. The resonance Raman effect was striking for both ions with intensity maxima at the exciting wavelengths close to the absorption maxima.     

Glutathione Isopropyl Ester Reduces UVB-lnduced Skin Damage in Hairless Mice

Abstract— The protective effect of administration of glutathione (GSH) isopropyl ester on photodamage, such as lipid peroxidation, inflammation and tumorigenesis induced by UV exposure (290–400 nm, max. 312 nm), was investigated using hairless mice. Pretreatment with 20 mg/kg GSH isopropyl ester prevented the increases of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) formation in skin and serum sialic acid, indices of lipid peroxidation and inflammatory reaction, respectively, which were caused by a single dose (15 kj/m²) of UV irradiation. The level of epidermal GSH in skins of the GSH ester-treated mice was maintained within normal limits. When mice were exposed to UV at a dose of 2 kj/m², three times weekly, skin tumors developed in all of them after 25 weeks. The formation of skin tumors was significantly inhibited by administration of 10 mg/kg GSH ester prior to each UV irradiation for 25 weeks. Moreover, the increases of cutaneous TBARS and serum sialic acid in the tumor-bearing mice were also prevented by continuous pretreatment with GSH ester. Even after 24 weeks, the epidermal GSH content of the pretreated mice was mostly retained compared to nonirradiated mice. However, administration of GSH prior to acute or chronic UV irradiation had no effect on the UV-induced damage. The present results suggest that the protection from photo-damage afforded by pretreatment with GSH ester is due to maintenance of a normal GSH level.     

Binary mixtures of cyclohexanone, 2-butanone, 1,4-dioxane and 1,2-dimethoxyethane

Densities and sound velocities of binary mixtures of cyclohexanone, 2-butanone, 1,4-dioxane and 1,2-dimethoxyethane were measured at 298.15 K and also the densities at 303.15 K. Excess volumes were determined from densities. Isentropic compressibilities were determined from densities and sound velocities, and excess thermal expansion factors were determined from excess volumes of two temperatures. Excess isothermal compressibilities and excess isochoric heat capacities were then estimated using excess isobaric heat capacities previously reported. Excess volumes and excess isentropic and isothermal compressibilities were negative except for cyclohexanone+1,4-dioxane system. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Uneven distribution of ventilation—perfusion ratios in lungs estimated by a modified Newton method

The uneven distribution of ventilation—perfusion ratios ( ) in diseased lungs is the major cause of arterial hypoxemia. Farhi and Yokoyama (1967) and Yokoyama and Farhi (1967) were the first who used physiologically inert gases as indicator gases to assess the uneven distribution of Wagner and his coworkers in San Diego (1977b) extended the method and elaborated the multiple inert gas elimination technique in which blood flows in 50 compartments with different were estimated based on data for 6 indicator gases. They analyzed the indicator gas data through an enforced smoothing technique with the ridge regression. To get smooth distributions, they introduced a weighting function for compartments and an additional treatment for the non-negativity of the blood flow. The weighting function was empirically obtained. We analyzed the data without putting any weights on compartments nor any additional treatment for non-negativity of blood flow. The analytical method in the present study was a modified Newton method, which is one of the enforced smoothing method. Our method was capable of recovering all distribution patterns that were found through the method reported by Wagner et al. (1977b).     

Preparation of Secondary Carbinamines via Alkylation of N-Boryl Imines Generated from Partial Reduction of Nitriles with NABH4-Carboxylic Acid

Secondary carbinamines have been prepared from alkylation of N-boryl imines which were generated in situ from partial reduction of nitriles with sodium brohydride modified by carboxylic acid.     

Polymerization-induced self-assembly of amino-acid-based nano-objects by reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer dispersion polymerization

A series of amino-acid-based amphiphilic diblock copolymer nano-objects having different morphologies were developed by reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization of styrene (St) in methanol. This was mediated by six different hydrophilic poly(N-acryloyl amino acid) macro-chain transfer agents (CTAs), including three carboxylic-acid-containing ones, poly(N-acryloyl-l -proline) (PAProOH), poly(N-acryloyl-4-trans-hydroxy-l -proline) (PAHypOH), and poly(N-acryloyl-l -threonine) (PAThrOH) prepared by RAFT polymerization, and their methyl ester forms, PAProOMe, PAHypOMe, and PAThrOMe. The effects of polymerization conditions on RAFT dispersion polymerization of St using a dithiocarbamate-terminated PAProOH was investigated. A systematic study of the effects of monomer conversion and concentration afforded the formation of various morphologies (i.e., spheres, worms, and vesicles). The effects of hydrogen-bonding and ionic interactions of the macro-CTAs on the assembled structures of the nano-objects were evaluated using six different macro-CTAs. Transforming the products from methanol to water via dialysis produced amino-acid-based block copolymer nano-objects, exhibiting pH-responsive morphological change, in aqueous solution.     

In vivo multispectral imaging of the absorption and scattering properties of exposed brain using a digital red–green–blue camera

Optical Review - To evaluate multi-spectral images of the absorption and scattering properties in the cerebral cortex of rat brain, we investigated spectral reflectance images estimated by the...     

Enhancement of Mn red emission in CaGa2S4 compounds by co-doping rare-earth elements

When certain trivalent rare-earth ions (Ln's) are co-doped in CaGa₂S₄:Mn²⁺ as sensitizers, the Mn red emission of the compound is strikingly enhanced. In this work, efficiency of each lanthanide is studied. The best efficiencies are achieved with La³⁺-, Pr³⁺-, and Tb³⁺- co-doped compounds, for each of which the effects of concentrations of the co-doped ions on the Mn²⁺ emission are investigated. The energy-transfer mechanisms and the location of electronic energy levels of both the trivalent and the divalent lanthanides in the energy band gap of the host material are discussed. Depending on Ln's, charge transfer or cross-relaxation should be taken into account.