Some novel photosensitive diacetylene diurethanes and their mixtures in common polymers

Some new octa-3,5-diynylene diurethanes were prepared using 3-butyn-1-ol, and all were found to be highly light-sensitive and to undergo topochemical polymerization on exposure to irradiation. The di-n-octyldiurethane was mixed with vinyl polymers such as poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(N,N-dimethylamino-ethyl methacrylate) and the mixtures were made into thin films by spin coating. The films were then irradiated by an electron beam to polymerize the diacetylene. The purple films thus obtained showed third-order nonlinear susceptibility, χ⁽³⁾, of the order of 10⁻¹⁰–10⁻¹¹ e.s.u.     

FT-NIR Spectroscopy of some long-chain fatty acids and alcohols

Fourier-transform (FT) near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has proved to be a powerful technique in investigating structure and thermodynamic properties of long-chain fatty acids and alcohols. In order to extract useful information from the NIR spectra, bands due to the second as well as first overtones of OH-stretching modes of the monomeric forms were employed. It has been also found that two-dimensional (2D) NIR correlation spectroscopy can accentuate useful information often obscured in the complicated NIR spectral data set.     

Structural characteristics of polysaccharide-based thermotropic liquid crystals

Main mesomorphic properties of cellulose and cello- and chito-oligosaccharide derivatives are overviewed, and their structuring principles are briefly discussed with some new analyses incorporated.     

Fiber-optic distributed measurement of polarization beat length using slope-assisted Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry

Optical Review - We demonstrate distributed measurement of the polarization beat length along single-mode optical fibers (SMFs) using slope-assisted Brillouin optical correlation-domain...     

High-Affinity Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe Based on 6-Amino-2,2′-Bipyridine Scaffold for Endogenous Zn2+ and Its Application to Living Cells

Zinc is an essential trace element involved in many biological activities; however, its functions are not fully understood. To elucidate the role of endogenous labile Zn²⁺, we developed a novel ratiometric fluorescence probe, 5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-(methylsulfanyl)-[2,2′-bipyridin]-6-amine (6 (rBpyZ)) based on the 6-amino-2,2′-bipyridine scaffold, which acts as both the chelating agent for Zn²⁺ and the fluorescent moiety. The methoxy group acted as an electron donor, enabling the intramolecular charge transfer state of 6 (rBpyZ), and a ratiometric fluorescence response consisting of a decrease at the emission wavelength of 438 nm and a corresponding increase at the emission wavelength of 465 nm was observed. The ratiometric probe 6 (rBpyZ) exhibited a nanomolar-level dissociation constant (K_d = 0.77 nM), a large Stokes shift (139 nm), and an excellent detection limit (0.10 nM) under physiological conditions. Moreover, fluorescence imaging using A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells revealed that 6 (rBpyZ) had good cell membrane permeability and could clearly visualize endogenous labile Zn²⁺. These results suggest that the ratiometric fluorescence probe 6 (rBpyZ) has considerable potential as a valuable tool for understanding the role of Zn²⁺ in living systems.     

The Odyssey of Entropy: Cryptography

After being introduced by Shannon as a measure of disorder and unavailable information, the notion of entropy has found its applications in a broad range of scientific disciplines. In this paper, we present a systematic review on the applications of entropy and related information-theoretical concepts in the design, implementation and evaluation of cryptographic schemes, algorithms, devices and systems. Moreover, we study existing trends, and establish a roadmap for future research in these areas.     

Kaluza-Klein theory from the viewpoint of gauge theory of gravity

We consider Kaluza-Klein theory based on the fiber bundle. We obtain the modified Kaluza-Klein metric as an invariant line element of a bundle. Its reduced action includes a higher derivative action in gravitation as well as a term linear inR.     

Note on the computation of the maximal eigenvalue of a non-negative irreducible matrix

Summary We prove the convergence of Wielandt's method in the computation of the maximal eigenvalue and eigenvector of a non-negative irreducible matrix.