Recent developments of optical fiber sensors for automotive use

Optical fiber sensing technologies are expected to apply for many future electronic control systems in automobiles, because of their inherent outstanding features, such as high noise immunity, high heat resistance, and flexible light propagation paths which can be applied to measure the movements and directions of the mobiles. In this paper, two typical applications of fiber sensing technologies in automobiles are described in detail. The combustion flame detector is one of the typical applications of a fiber spectroscopic technology which utilizes the feature of high noise and heat resistibility and remote sensibility. Measurement of engine combustion conditions, such as the detonation, the combustion initiation, and the air-fuel ratio, have been demonstrated in an experimental fiber sensing method. Fiber interferometers, such as a fiber gyroscope, have great possibilities in future mobile applications because they are applicable to many kinds of measurements for movements and physical variables. An optical fiber gyroscope utilizing the single polarized optical fiber and other optical devices has been developed. Quite an accurate measurement of vehicle position was displayed on a prototype navigation system which installed the fiber gyroscope as a rotational speed sensor.     

Synchronization engineering: theoretical framework and application to dynamical clustering

A method for engineering the global behavior of populations of rhythmic elements is presented. The framework, which is based on phase models, allows a nonlinear time-delayed global feedback signal to be constructed which produces an interaction function corresponding to the desired behavior of the system. It is shown theoretically and confirmed in numerical simulations that a polynomial, delayed feedback is a versatile tool to tune synchronization patterns. Dynamical states consisting of one to four clusters were engineered to demonstrate the application of synchronization engineering in an experimental electrochemical system.     

Development and testing of a CW-EPR apparatus for imaging of short-lifetime nitroxyl radicals in mouse head

This article describes a method for reducing the acquisition time in three-dimensional (3D) continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) imaging. To visualize nitroxyl spin probes, which have a short lifetime in living organisms, the acquisition time for a data set of spectral projections should be shorter than the lifetime of the spin probes. To decrease the total time required for data acquisition, the duration of magnetic field scanning was reduced to 0.5 s. Moreover, the number of projections was decreased by using the concept of a uniform distribution. To demonstrate this faster data acquisition, two kinds of nitroxyl radicals with different decay rates were measured in mice. 3D EPR imaging of 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-d₁₇-1-¹⁵N-1-oxyl in mouse head was successfully carried out. 3D EPR imaging of nitroxyl spin probes with a half-life of a few minutes was achieved for the first time in live animals.     

A loop resonator for slice-selective in vivo EPR imaging in rats

A loop resonator was developed for 300 MHz continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) spectroscopy and imaging in live rats. A single-turn loop (55 mm in diameter) was used to provide sufficient space for the rat body. Efficiency for generating a radiofrequency magnetic field of 38 microT/W(1/2) was achieved at the center of the loop. For the resonator itself, an unloaded quality factor of 430 was obtained. When a 350 g rat was placed in the resonator at the level of the lower abdomen, the quality factor decreased to 18. The sensitive volume in the loop was visualized with a bottle filled with an aqueous solution of the nitroxide spin probe 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolin-1-yloxy (3-CP). The resonator was shown to enable EPR imaging in live rats. Imaging was performed for 3-CP that had been infused intravenously into the rat and its distribution was visualized within the lower abdomen.     

New aplysiatoxin derivatives from the Okinawan cyanobacterium Moorea producens

The marine cyanobacterium Moorea producens is a rich source of diverse compounds that possess a variety of biological activities. In the present study, eight new aplysiatoxin derivatives, namely 6, 8–13, and 15, along with aplysiatoxin (1), debromoaplysiatoxin (2), 3-methoxyaplysiatoxin (3), anhydroaplysiatoxin (4), anhydrodebromoaplysiatoxin (5), oscillatoxin B2 (7), and 30-methyloscillatoxin D (14) were isolated and identified from the Okinawan M. producens. In cytotoxicity and diatom growth inhibition tests, the fifteen compounds tested (1–15) showed moderate or no activity at a concentration of 10?μg/mL.     

High‐Pressure Synthesis of A2NiO2Ag2Se2 (A=Sr,Ba) with a High‐Spin Ni2+ in Square‐Planar Coordination

Square‐planar coordinate Ni²⁺ ions in oxides are exclusively limited to a low‐spin state (S=0) owing to extensive crystal field splitting. Layered oxychalcogenides A₂Ni^IIO₂Ag₂Se₂ (A=Sr, Ba) with the S=1 NiO₂ square lattice are now reported. The structural analysis revealed that the Ni²⁺ ion is under‐bonded by a significant tensile strain from neighboring Ag₂Se₂ layers, leading to the reduction in crystal field splitting. Ba₂NiO₂Ag₂Se₂ exhibits a G‐type spin order at 130 K, indicating fairly strong in‐plane interactions. The high‐pressure synthesis employed here possibly assists the expansion of NiO₂ square lattice by taking the advantage of the difference in compressibility in oxide and selenide layers.     

Disulfide‐Unit Conjugation Enables Ultrafast Cytosolic Internalization of Antisense DNA and siRNA

Development of intracellular delivery methods for antisense DNA and siRNA is important. Previously reported methods using liposomes or receptor‐ligands take several hours or more to deliver oligonucleotides to the cytoplasm due to their retention in endosomes. Oligonucleotides modified with low molecular weight disulfide units at a terminus reach the cytoplasm 10 minutes after administration to cultured cells. This rapid cytoplasmic internalization of disulfide‐modified oligonucleotides suggests the existence of an uptake pathway other than endocytosis. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the modified oligonucleotides are efficiently internalized into the cytoplasm through disulfide exchange reactions with the thiol groups on the cellular surface. This approach solves several critical problems with the currently available methods for enhancing cellular uptake of oligonucleotides and may be an effective approach in the medicinal application of antisense DNA and siRNA.     

Mechanochromism,Twisted/Folded Structure Determination,and Derivatization of (N‐Phenylfluorenylidene)acridane

(N‐Phenylfluorenylidene)acridane (Ph‐FA) compounds with electron‐withdrawing and ‐donating substituents (H, MeO, Ph, NO₂, Br, F) at the para position of the phenyl group were successfully synthesized by Barton–Kellogg reactions of N‐aryl thioacridones and diazofluorene. By using the substituent on the nitrogen atom to alter the electronic properties, both the folded and twisted conformers of p‐NO₂‐C₆H₄‐FA could be crystallographically characterized, which enabled the charge transfer from the electron‐donating acridane moiety to the electron‐accepting fluorenylidene moiety to be understood. Ground‐state mechanochromism, thermochromism, vapochromism, and proton‐induced chromism were demonstrated between the folded and twisted conformations of the conformers. Protonation and chemical oxidation of Ph‐FA gave two stable acridinium compounds, namely, the fluorenylacridinium and acridinium radical cations. The present study will contribute to the development of functional dyes and organic semiconductors.     

The First Study on the Reactivity of Water Vapor in Metal–Organic Frameworks with Platinum Nanocrystals

We first studied the reactivity of H₂O vapor in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with Pt nanocrystals (NCs) through the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction. A water‐stable MOF, UiO‐66, serves as a highly effective support material for the WGS reaction compared with ZrO₂. The origin of the high catalytic performance was investigated using in situ IR spectroscopy. In addition, from a comparison of the catalytic activities of Pt on UiO‐66, where Pt NCs are located on the surface of UiO‐66 and Pt@UiO‐66, where Pt NCs are coated with UiO‐66, we found that the competitive effects of H₂O condensation and diffusion in the UiO‐66 play important roles in the catalytic activity of Pt NCs. A thinner UiO‐66 coating further enhanced the WGS reaction activity of Pt NCs by minimizing the negative effect of slow H₂O diffusion in UiO‐66.