Femtosecond laser-induced stimulation of a single neuron in a neuronal network

We demonstrated the stimulation of neurons at a single-cell level in cultured neuronal network by a focused femtosecond laser. When the femtosecond laser was focused on a neuron loaded with a fluorescent calcium indicator, the fluorescence intensity immediately increased at the laser spot, suggesting that intracellular Ca²⁺ increases in the neuronal cell due to the femtosecond laser irradiation. The probability of Ca²⁺ elevation at the laser spot depended on the average laser power, irradiation time, and position of the focal point along the optical axis, indicating that the femtosecond laser activates neurons because of multiphoton absorption. Moreover, after laser irradiation of a single neuron cultured on multielectrode arrays, the evoked electrical activity of the neurons was demonstrated by electrophysiological systems, which concluded that the focused femtosecond laser could achieve stimulating a single neuron in a neuronal network with high spatial and temporal resolution.     

Synthesis of poly(isobutyl‐co‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate) with 5,10,15,20‐tetraphenylporphinato platinum(II) moiety as an oxygen‐sensing dye for pressure‐sensitive paint

Pressure‐sensitive paint (PSP), which consists of luminescent molecules embedded in an oxygen‐permeable polymer, has been developed for use in wind‐tunnel experiments. To improve the PSP technique, a novel luminescent methacrylate monomer, 5‐[4‐(2‐methacryloyloxyethoxycarbonyl)phenyl]‐10,15,20‐triphenylporphinato platinum(II), was synthesized and copolymerized with isobutyl methacrylate and 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate to produce a dye‐pendant copolymer ( 2 ). The introduction of 5,10,15,20‐tetraphenylporphinato platinum(II) (PtTPP) dye into 2 was confirmed by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and extended X‐ray absorption fine structure measurements. The extent of PtTPP dye incorporation in 2 was proportional to the molar fraction of the PtTPP‐pendant methacrylate monomer in the feed. The oxygen‐sensing property of 2 was compared with that of a PSP consisting of PtTPP dye embedded in poly(isobutyl‐co‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate). Although the simple mixture of PtTPP and poly(isobutyl‐co‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate) showed a marked deviation from a single Stern–Volmer relation, novel copolymer 2 gave a highly linear Stern–Volmer plot. This was unequivocal evidence of dye conjugation on the oxygen‐sensing polymer film. © 2005Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2997–3006, 2005     

Proposition of Single Molecular Orientation Determination Using polarization Controlled Beam by Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulators

We have proposed a method to control the three-dimensional electric field in the focus of an optical microscope using two non-twisted liquid crystal spatial light modulators, and to detect the molecular orientation of a single molecule. The three-dimensional electric field is generated by focusing the beam with two dimensional spatial distribution of polarization. The possibility of detection of three-dimensional single molecular orientation was shown by numerical calculations. © 2005 The Optical Society of Japan     

Crystal structure of acetyl 29-methyl-29-methylidene-D:C-friedoolean-8-en-3beta-ol.

Acetyl 29-methyl-29-methylidene-D:C-friedoolean-8-en-3beta-o1 (2), derived from bryonolic acid (D:C-friedoolean-8-en-3beta-ol-29-oic acid) (1), was crystallographically analyzed. Rings A-E of 2 adopted chair, half-chair, half-chair, boat (with bow and stern at C-13 and C-16), boat (with bow and stem at C-19 and C-22) conformations, respectively. Good agreement was found between the structures from X-ray crystallography and that from MM2 calculations.     

S 3 flavor symmetry and leptogenesis

We consider leptogenesis in a minimal S₃ extension of the standard model with an additional Z₂ symmetry in the leptonic sector. It is found that the CP phase appearing in the mass matrix of the left-handed neutrinos is the same as that for the CP asymmetries responsible for leptogenesis. Because of the discrete S₃ x Z₂ flavor symmetries, the CP asymmetries are strongly suppressed. To obtain a realistic size of the baryon number asymmetry in the universe, we therefore have to assume that resonant enhancement of the CP asymmetries takes place, and that three degenerate right-handed neutrino masses of O(10) TeV are present. Arrival of the final proofs: 22 November 2005 PACS: 11.30.Hv, 12.15.Ff, 14.60.Pq     

A Simple Frequency Lock of Green YAG Laser to Dispersion Line of the Linear Absorption Spectrum of Iodine Molecules Utilizing an Acousto-Optic Frequency Shifter

Frequency of a 532 nm emission line of a diode-laser-pumped Nd:YAG laser is stabilized by lock of the output line to the linear absorption line of iodine molecules. The stabilization method is very simple utilizing the frequency shift caused with an acousto-optic modulator. The laser frequency was stabilized at the zero-crossing point of the second-derivative of the dispersion curve. Instability obtained by the error signal is affected by the phase-characteristics of detectors, which results in 3^*10^-8.     

Finding of Optimal Calcium Ion Probes for Fluorescence Lifetime Measurement

We have investigated the fluorescence lifetime properties of 8 calcium ion probes, calcium-green-1, calcium green-2, calcium green-5N, calcium orange, oregon green 488 BAPTA-6F, fluo-3, fluo-4, and fluo-5N. We found that the decay time of calcium green-5N varied more sensitively with calcium concentration than calcium green-1 which was known to be a highly sensitive probe. We have also found that the center of observable range of calcium concentration by fluorescence lifetime measurement is lower than that by fluorescence intensity measurement.     

Precise measurement of the magnetic moment of17F(I x =5/2+,T 1/2=64.5 s) and its hyperfine interactions in ionic crystals

Hyperfine interactions of β-emitting¹⁷F implanted in single crystals of NaF and CaF₂ were studied. The nuclear magnetic moment of theT ^π=5/2⁺ state was determined with an improved precision to be |μ(¹⁷F;π=5/2⁺,T _1/2=64.5s|=4.72130±0.00025. nm. Isoscalar magnetic moments of the doubly closed shell ±1 nucleon nuclei around mass number 16 were derived and the effective nucleon mass in the nucleus was discussed.     

Preparation of mixed isopropyl/trimethylsilyl derivatives of boric acid, (Me3SiO)nB(OiPr)3-n(n = 1–3), and their GC-M

Boric acid was trimethylsilylated with Me₃SiCl/(Me₃Si)₂O in the presence of 2-propanol. The resulting mixture was analysed by using a combi