Echoic memory of a single pure tone indexed by change-related brain activity

Background  

The rapid detection of sensory change is important to survival. The process should relate closely to memory since it requires that the brain separate a new stimulus from an ongoing background or past event. Given that sensory memory monitors current sensory status and works to pick-up changes in real-time, any change detected by this system should evoke a change-related cortical response. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether the single presentation of a sound is enough to elicit a change-related cortical response, and therefore, shape a memory trace enough to separate a subsequent stimulus.     

Visible‐Light Sensitization and Photoenergy Storage in Quantum Dot/Polyoxometalate Systems

Recently, the process by which energy is transferred from photoexcited semiconductor nanocrystals, called quantum dots (QDs), to other semiconductors has attracted much attention and has potential application in solar energy conversion (i.e., QD‐sensitized solar cells). Sensitization of wide band gap polyoxometalates (POMs) to visible light by using CuInS₂ QDs dispersed in an organic solution is demonstrated herein. Photoluminescence quenching and lifetime studies revealed efficient electron transfer from the CuInS₂ QDs to POMs, such as SiW₁₂O₄₀ and W₁₀O₃₂, that were hybridized with a cationic surfactant. CuInS₂ QDs function as an antenna that absorbs visible light and supplies electrons to the POMs to enable certain photocatalytic reactions, including noble‐metal‐ion reduction. The photoenergy storage capabilities of the QD‐POM system, in which electrons photogenerated in QDs by visible‐light excitation are trapped and accommodated by POMs to form reduced POM, are also demonstrated. Electrons stored in the POM can be later discharged through reductive reactions, such as oxygen reduction, in the dark.     

Fabrication of novel multilayered thin films based on inclusion complex formation between amylose derivatives and guest polymers

Novel types of layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly films were successfully fabricated onto a solid substrate through the inclusion complex formation between partially 2,3- O-methylated amyloses (MAs) and polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF). The formation of the LbL assembly films was confirmed by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) observation, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. The film formation was significantly affected by the methylation degree of amylose. When MAs with 8 and 20% methylation were used as hosts, the formation of LbL assembly films with PTHF was clearly observed. On the other hand, MAs with more than 33% methylation barely formed LbL assembly films with PTHF.     

Microstructure control of WO3 film by adding nano-particles of SnO2 for NO2 detection in ppb level

To fabricate more excellent NO₂ sensor with high sensor response and good linearity between the sensor response and NO₂ concentration, the microstructure of WO₃ lamellae was controlled by adding nano-particles of SnO₂. It was found that the sintering of WO₃ lamellae was inhibited by adding nano-particles of SnO₂. The device using WO₃ lamellae added a small amount of SnO₂ nano-particles had the highest sensor response, exhibiting a high sensor response (S = 60-540) even to dilute NO₂ (100–1000 ppb) in air at 200°C.     

Enhanced optical magnetoelectric effect in a patterned polar ferrimagnet

A simple method to dramatically enhance the optical magnetoelectric (ME) effect, i.e., nonreciprocal directional birefringence, is proposed and demonstrated for a polar ferrimagnet GaFeO3 as a typical example. We patterned a simple grating with a period of 4 microm on a surface of GaFeO3 crystal and used the diffracted light as a probe. The optical ME modulation signal for the Bragg spot of the order n=1 becomes gigantic in the photon energy 1-4 eV and reaches 1-2% of the bare diffracted light intensity in a magnetic field of 500 Oe. This is amplified by more than 3 orders of magnitude compared to that for the reflection of bulk GaFeO3. Fabricating a photonic crystal will make it possible to lead the way for the practical use of the optical ME effect.     

Alternating copolymerization of ethylene with maleic anhydride

The copolymerization of ethylene with maleic anhydride was carried out with γ-radiation and a radical initiator, i.e., 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile and diisopropyl peroxydicarbonate under pressure at various reaction conditions. The homopolymerization of neither monomer was observed in this system. In the γ-ray-initiated copolymerization the G value (polymerized monomer molecules per 100 e.v.) was shown to be between 10³ and 10⁴. It was found that the dose rate exponent of the rate is approximately unity, and the rate is proportional to the amount of ethylene monomer. Apparent activation energies of 1.8 and 27.5 kcal./mole were obtained for γ-ray-initiated and AIBN-initiated copolymerization, respectively. Since the composition of copolymer is independent of monomer molar ratio and the molar ratio of ethylene to maleic anhydride in the polymer is approximately unity, the monomer reactivity ratios were obtained as r_E ? 0 and r_M ? 0 for γ-ray-initiated polymerization at 40°C. Alternating copolymerization was, therefore, concluded to occur. Infrared analysis of the copolymer is almost consistent with this. The copolymer in the solid state is amorphous. It is soluble in water, cyclohexane, and dimethylformamide and insoluble in lower alcohols, ether, and aromatic hydrocarbons. The aqueous solution of polymer gave a strong acid.     

Liquid crystals with a 5-phenyltropone core

Liquid crystals with a 5-phenyltropone structure were prepared. 5-(4-Alkanoylaminophenyl)tropone derivatives ( 5 and 6 ) showed smectic A and C phases. From the layer spacing, compound 5q formed an interdigitated bilayer smectic A phase. The variable temperature FTIR spectra of 5q indicated the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the amide carbonyl group and the NH group on the phenyl ring of neighbouring molecules. The amide groups of the 2-alkanoylamino-5-phenyltropones controlled the occurrence of mesophases through not only inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds, but also dipole-dipole interaction with the tropone carbonyl group of neighbouring molecules.     

Strong guest binding by cyclodextrin hosts in competing nonpolar solvents and the unique crystalline structure

6-O-Modified β-cyclodextrins, such as heptakis(6-O-triisopropylsilyl)-β-cyclodextrin (TIPS-β-CD) and heptakis(6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-cyclodextrin (TBDMS-β-CD), formed 2:1 inclusion complexes with pyrene in benzene and cyclohexane with high association constants. The X-ray crystalline structure of the TIPS-β-CD-pyrene complex obtained from the benzene solution showed that one pyrene molecule was incorporated in the form of a sandwich-type complex with two benzene molecules within the cavity of the dimer formed by two TIPS-β-CD molecules.     

Study on spin configuration in photoresponsive iron mixed-valence complexes by Mössbauer spectroscopy

We have investigated magnetic properties in a series of photoresponsive dithiooxalato (dto)-bridged iron mixed-valence complexes, (SP-R)[Fe^IIFe^III(dto)₃] (SP-R = R-substituted pyridospiropyran cation; R = Me, Et, and Pr; abbreviated as 1 ^Me, 1 ^Et, and 1 ^Pr, respectively). As for our previous reports, 1 ^Me and 1 ^Et show two-step succeeding ferromagnetic transitions at T _C?=?25 & 8 K and 22 & 5 K, respectively. However, 1 ^Et has no hysteresis in the magnetic susceptibility, while 1 ^Me undergoes the charge transfer phase transition with thermal hysteresis around 75 K. To elucidate the two-step transitions of them, we measured ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra of 1 ^Et. The spectra of Fe^II (S?=?2) and Fe^III (S?=?1/2) in the HTP were observed in the magnetically ordered state as well as the paramagnetic state, and revealed that only HTP exists in a temperature range up to 5 K. The result is consistent with that of 1 ^Pr, where one ferromagnetic phase transition occurs at T _C?=?10 K. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy is useful to clarify the origin of the succeeding magnetic transition for these systems.     

Femtosecond pulses cleaning by transient-grating process in Kerr-optical media

We use a transient-grating (TG) process in a Kerr bulk medium to clean a femtosecond laser pulse. Using the technique, the temporal contrast of the generated TG signal is improved by more than two orders of magnitude in comparison with the incident pulse in a 0.5-mm-thick fused silica plate. The laser spectrum is smoothed and broadened, and the pulse duration is shortened simultaneously. We expect to extend this technique to a clean pulse with broadband spectral bandwidth at a wide spectral range because it is a phase-matched process.