Determination of Quality Factor for Highly Overcoupled EPR Resonators

We reported determination of the loaded quality factor (Q) of highly overcoupled (dielectric, loop-gap, and cavity) resonators used in time-domain electron paramagnetic resonance. We introduced a microwave absorber into resonators and achieved critical-coupling. Due to the deep “Q-dip” of critical-coupling, we can easily determine the loaded Q as low as 10. The loaded Q of resonators with and without the microwave absorber was examined under various overcoupling conditions. We found that the radiation Q (Q _r) can be calculated from the loaded Q of the resonator that contains the microwave absorber. We proposed a simple model that represents the loaded Q of the overcoupled resonator in terms of two parameters, Q ₀ and Q _r. Q ₀ is the effective unloaded Q of the resonator determined for the critically coupled resonator without the microwave absorber and is independent of a degree of coupling. The model can be applied to overcoupling in which the coupling parameter (Q ₀/Q _r) is in the range of 1 to ca. 20.     

Control of carrier concentration in Bi-2212

We realized highly underdoped Bi-2212 crystals by using a Bi substitution into a Sr site (x), together with the excess oxygen (δ) control. The samples with x = 0–0.3 were grown by a traveling solvent floating zone method. For each x, δ was varied using the precision annealing method [1]. Under several assumptions, the effective Bi valence was evaluated to be +2.2, which is much lower than the formal valence +3. This indicates that the Bi substitution accompanies additional uptake in excess oxygen. The x dependent δ-doping level p relation and the observed shrink in the c-axis length are consistent with this assumption. Based on the decomposition phase diagram obtained in this study, T_c of 22 K was realized by careful annealing treatments. The samples showed a superconducting volume fraction of over 50%.     

Self-compensation of third-order dispersion for ultrashort pulse generation demonstrated in an Yb fiber oscillator

Compensation of the intracavity dispersion in the mode-locked oscillator is known to be one of the most important factors for ultrashort pulse generation. However, recent investigations of a Yb-doped fiber mode-locked oscillator revealed that precise third-order dispersion (TOD) compensation is not always necessary for ultrashort pulse generation, owing to the strong nonlinearity that compensates residual TOD without reducing its spectral bandwidth. The origin of the nonlinear TOD compensation has remained unclear. To investigate the process in detail, we studied the pulse evolution inside a 30 fs Yb-doped fiber mode-locked oscillator both experimentally and numerically, and we found that the nonlinear phase shift with a temporally asymmetric pulse shape introduces an appropriate amount of TOD that exactly cancels the residual cavity dispersion.     

TL, OSL and ESR studies on beryllium oxide

Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to identify the defect centres responsible for the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) processes in BeO phosphor. Two defect centres were identified in irradiated BeO phosphor by ESR measurements, which were carried out at room temperature and these were assigned to an O⁻ ion and Al²⁺ centre. The O⁻ ion (hole centre) correlates with the main 190 °C TL peak. The Al²⁺ centre (electron centre), which acts as a recombination centre, also correlates to the 190 °C TL peak. A third centre, observed during thermal annealing studies, is assigned to an O⁻ ion and is related to the high temperature TL at 317 °C. This centre also appears to be responsible for the observed OSL process in BeO phosphor.     

Ultrastructure of the myotendinous junction of the medial pterygoid muscle of adult and aged Wistar rats

The myotendon junction (MTJ) is a specialised area into the muscle fibers where the sarcoplasmic membranes connect to the collagen fibers bundles. There are few data about plasticity of the MTJ in aging processes. The aim of this study is to analyse the ultrastructure characteristics of MTJ of medial pterygoid muscle of adult and aged rats. Employing the transmission electron microscopy method, twenty male rats Wistar (Rattus norvegicus) were divided into two groups: A (n = 10) with 12 months of age; B (n = 10) 24 months of age. The animals were anaesthetised with overdose the urethane (3 g/kg, i.p.) and sacrified during the perfusion with modified Karnovsky solution. The specimens were post-fixed in a 1% osmium tetroxide solution, dehydrated in ascending concentration of ethanol and embedded in Spurr resin. The thin sections, of 90 nm thick, were counterstained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate solution, and examined in a Jeol 1010 transmission electron microscope. The fine structure of the MTJ of group A revealed the defined interdigitations and disposed in several levels of deep formations containing the collagen fibers. In the group B, such structures did not observed, detecting the projections irregular in shape, and large of extra matrix with in aspect of remodelling. In conclusion it was possible to identify the plasticity of MTJ in the group B which presented several morphological alterations comparing to the adult animals. These data of group B suggested the occurrence of aging processes in the MTJ in rats.     

Physical properties of the probe electrospray ionization (PESI) needle applied to the biological samples

Probe electrospray ionization (PESI) is a recently developed technique that uses a fine solid needle as a probe for sampling biological materials. In this study, we quantified the volume of liquid sample picked up by the solid needle with the tip diameter of ～700 nm and the apex angle of ～60°. The amounts of low‐viscosity samples (rat urine) loaded on the tip of the needle by a single stroke were 0.35 ± 0.09 pl. Interestingly, the amount of liquid adhered to the tip did not significantly depend on the protein concentration, but viscosity and surface tension of the sample. Under these conditions, we successfully obtained mass spectra for each biological sample. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of the ABC and IJ ring fragments of yessotoxin

Synthesis of a 6/6/6 tricyclic ether system (3) corresponding to the ABC ring fragment of yessotoxin (1) has been achieved via coupling of a triflate and a 2-lithiofuran followed by intramolecular hetero-Michael addition. The IJ ring fragment (4) of 1 was readily synthesized via successive Sharpless epoxidation and 6-endo cyclization of the resulting vinyl epoxide.