Visualizing of skin chromophore concentrations by use of RGB images

A method is proposed for visualizing simply the concentrations of melanin, oxygenated blood, and deoxygenated blood in skin tissue using digital RGB images. The total blood concentration and oxygen saturation can also be reconstructed. Monte Carlo simulation of light transport specifies a relation between the chromophore concentrations and Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage XYZ, which are compatible with the common RGB working space. Experiments with a tissuelike agar gel phantom demonstrated the possibility of the method. In vivo imaging of a human hand during forearm occlusion demonstrated the ability of the method to evaluate hemodynamics of skin tissue.     

Protein release from yeast cells as an evaluation method of physical effects in ultrasonic field

The release rate of intercellular protein from yeast cells by the ultrasonic action is proposed as a method for evaluating the physical (mechanical) effects of the ultrasonic field. The protein concentration was quantitatively determined using UV absorbance of proteins by spectrophotometry. The detail of the procedures, such as the effects of the origin of yeast cells, pretreatment of the cells, and the wavelengths for spectrophotometric determination of protein content, are examined. The effectiveness of the proposed evaluation method was experimentally demonstrated by changing the irradiation conditions of ultrasound, such as the concentration of yeast cells, temperature, ultrasound power, types of sonicator, and the superposition with the mechanical mixing. The results validate the usefulness of the proposed evaluation method for the quantification of the physical effects of ultrasound fields. Also, the range of cavitational effects of ultrasound sensed by the evaluation procedures were discussed.     

Numerical simulations of acoustic cavitation noise with the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles

Numerical simulations of cavitation noise have been performed under the experimental conditions reported by Ashokkumar et al. (2007) [26]. The results of numerical simulations have indicated that the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles results in the broad-band noise. “Transient” cavitation bubbles, which disintegrate into daughter bubbles mostly in a few acoustic cycles, generate the broad-band noise as their short lifetimes cause the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles. Not only active bubbles in light emission (sonoluminescence) and chemical reactions but also inactive bubbles generate the broad-band noise. On the other hand, “stable” cavitation bubbles do not generate the broad-band noise. The weaker broad-band noise from a low-concentration surfactant solution compared to that from pure water observed experimentally by Ashokkumar et al. is caused by the fact that most bubbles are shape stable in a low-concentration surfactant solution due to the smaller ambient radii than those in pure water. For a relatively high number density of bubbles, the bubble–bubble interaction intensifies the broad-band noise. Harmonics in cavitation noise are generated by both “stable” and “transient” cavitation bubbles which pulsate nonlinearly with the period of ultrasound.     

Dependence of sonochemical parameters on the platinization of rutile titania – An observation of a pronounced increase in photocatalytic efficiencies

Using a standing wave sonochemical reactor (SWSR), the influences of parameters of ultrasonic power input, sonication time, sonication temperature and the amount of propanol (which generates the reducing radicals) were systemically investigated to ascertain and optimize the best conditions for the sonochemical reduction of Pt from its precursor hexachloroplatinic acid and then its deposition on rutile TiO₂ (platinization of rutile titania) catalysts. Catalytic activity of the prepared platinized catalysts was tested in the reaction of methyl orange degradation. The results of photocatalytic activity study in the degradation of methyl orange further demonstrate that sonochemically as-prepared Pt/TiO₂ catalysts show a pronounced increase (～2 times) in photodegradation, even with a deposition of small amounts of platinum (1.4 wt.%), as compared to the unsupported or naked rutile titania. Although there are various parameters that influence the sonochemical platinization of rutile titania, the present optimization results clearly indicate that the best photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange can be obtained when the experimental conditions of the preparation were with an input power of 50 W, an initial hexachloroplatinic acid volume of 70 ml (which results into 1.4 wt.% Pt on TiO₂), sonication time of 90 min, 0.18 g of propanol and a temperature of 10 °C were adopted. The method of ultrasound application to prepare metal supported semiconductors has many advantages such as convenience, safety and high efficiency. Furthermore, it is hopeful that this optimization study can also be extended to the generation of similar metal supported semiconductors.     

Dediazoniation of arenediazonium salts with trivalent-phosphorus compounds. Tool for examination of the reactivity of phosphorus-centered radicals

Trialkyl phosphites ( 1 ), dialkyl phenylphosphinites ( 2 ), and alkyl diphenylphosphonites ( 3 ) as well as 2-phenyl-1,3,2-dioxaphospholan ( 4b ) and 2-phenyl-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinan ( 4b ) give rise to dediazoniation of arenediazonium salt ( 5 ) in an alcoholic solvent under an argon atmosphere at 20°C. The reaction proceeds via a radical-chain mechanism initiated by single-electron transfer (SET) from the trivalent-phosphorus compounds to 5 , as a result of which, an aryl radical Ar⋅ and a cation radical 15 are generated from the former and the latter, respectively. The aryl radical Ar⋅ participates in this chain process abstracting a hydrogen from the solvent alcohol, yielding the corresponding arene ArH. The cation radical 15 undergoes both an ionic reaction with the solvent alcohol and a radical coupling with Ar⋅, giving the phosphoranyl radical 16 and the phosphonium ion 17 , respectively, as intermediates. The phosphoranyl intermediate 16 decomposes through either the SET process to 5 or by β-scission, yielding the oxidation product (phosphate, phosphonate, or phosphinate from 1 , 2 , or 3 , respectively, or phosphonates from 4 ). The phosphonium intermediate 17 affords the arylated product (phosphonate, phosphinate, or phosphine oxide from 1 , 2 , 3 , respectively, or the phosphinate from 4 ). Among the trivalent-phosphorus compounds tested, 1 gives the arylated product in the highest yield. This observation, together with the literature data of ESR for structurally related phosphoranyl radicals, indicates that the radical coupling of 15 with Ar⋅ is facilitated by the high spin density on its central phosphorus atom.     

Reaction of diphenylphosphine oxide with a 10-methylacridinium salt. Reversible formation of a P?C covalent bond

Diphenylphosphine oxide ( 1 ′) reacts reversibly with a 10-methylacridinium salt ( 2 ) in acetonitrile at 20°C to equilibrate with a new salt 3 formed by the addition of 1 ′ to the cation of 2 . The forward reaction in this equilibrium proceeds via nucleophilic attack by the phosphorus atom of diphenylphosphinous acid ( 1 ), the trivalent tautomer of 1 ′, upon the 9-carbon atom of the cation of 2 , forming a phosphorus–carbon covalent bond. The equilibrium constant has been determined by UV-vis and ¹H NMR spectroscopy as well as by HPLC analysis. The reaction has been analyzed kinetically, and the results have been compared with those obtained in the similar reaction of an alkyl ester of 1 , the diphenylphosphinite ( 5 ), with 2 that gives the phosphonium salt 6 . It is suggested that 6 is much more stable than 3 . The equilibrium constant for the tautomerism between 1 ′ and 1 has also been estimated. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.