A pilot study on improving the absorptivity of a thick microperforated panel absorber

Microperforated panel (MPP) absorbers are promising as a basis for the next-generation of sound absorbing materials. MPPs are typically made of a thin metal or plastic panel. However, thin limp panels are generally not suitable as an interior finish of room walls because they do not have sufficient strength, which prevents practical application of MPPs as an interior finish of room walls. In order to overcome the lack of appropriate strength required for room walls, it is possible to make an MPP out of a thick panel. However, thick MPPs are usually not efficient because the resistance and/or reactance become too high. In this study, trial production of thick MPPs and measurement of their normal absorption coefficients were carried out. Results show that efficient absorption can be given with a thick MPP by using a tapered perforation.     

Visualization of mitotic HeLa cells by advanced polarized light microscopy

The conventional polarized light imaging system can observe sub-microscopic molecular order non-destructively, quantitatively and without labeling or staining. Recently, a more sophisticated version, Abrio imaging system, than the conventional polarized light imaging system, was developed. This advanced polarized light imaging system has simplified the process of birefringent imaging, higher sensitivity and accuracy irrespective of sample orientation. By performing time-lapse observations using the advanced polarized light microscopy, we visualized mitotic spindles, especially kinetochore microtubules, of HeLa cells. Moreover, we successfully visualized the detailed structure of several filament bundles, which possibly are components of the contractile ring. Here, we report the potential of advanced polarized light imaging systems for imaging mitotic HeLa cells and the new insights obtained during this microscopic study.     

Diffusion and reactions of interstitial oxygen species in amorphous SiO2: A review

This article briefly summarizes the diffusion and reactions of interstitial oxygen species in amorphous SiO₂ (a-SiO₂). The most common form of interstitial oxygen species is oxygen molecule (O₂), which is sensitively detectable via its characteristic infrared photoluminescence (PL) at 1272 nm. The PL observation of interstitial O₂ provides key data to verify various processes related to interstitial oxygen species: the dominant role of interstitial O₂ in long-range oxygen transport in a-SiO₂; formation of the Frenkel defect pair (Si–Si bond and interstitial oxygen atom, O⁰) by dense electronic excitation; efficient photolysis of interstitial O₂ into O⁰ with F₂ laser light (λ = 157 nm, hν = 7.9 eV); and creation of interstitial ozone molecule via reaction of interstitial O₂ with photogenerated O⁰. The efficient formation of interstitial O⁰ by F₂ laser photolysis makes it possible to investigate the mobility, optical absorption, and chemical reactions of interstitial O⁰. The observed properties of O⁰ are consistent with the model that O⁰ takes the configuration of Si–O–O–Si bond. Interstitial O₂ and O⁰ react with dangling bonds, oxygen vacancies, and chloride groups in a-SiO₂. Reactions of interstitial O₂ and O⁰ with mobile interstitial hydrogen species produce interstitial water molecules and hydroperoxy radicals. Interstitial hydroxyl radicals are formed by F₂ laser photolysis of interstitial water molecules.     

Low-threshold strained multi-quantum well lasers fabricated by selective metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy without a semiconductor etching process

Strained InGaAsP multi-quantum well (MQW) buried hetero- (BH) laser diodes (LDs) on a p-InP substrate were fabricated by selective metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). In the laser fabrication process, both the strained MQW active layer and current blocking structure were directly formed by selective MOVPE without a semiconductor etching process. This novel laser fabrication process produces extremely uniform device characteristics that are essential to the deployment of optical subscriber systems. Furthermore, important device design parameters (e.g. the active stripe shape or the leakage current path configuration) are precisely controlled by only the epitaxial growth steps. This highly controllable laser fabrication method results in a very low-threshold current with excellent uniformity (I_th = 1.78 ± 0.19 mA) for 20 consecutive LDs (L = 200 μm with 70%–90% coatings).     

Fine-tuning of boron complexes with cage-shaped ligand geometry: rational design of triphenolic ligand as a template for structure control

Boron complexes surrounded with organic cages were controlled precisely by a remote atom placed at the bottom of the cage. A replacement of the bottom tether atom (carbon or silicon) changed the characteristics (kinetic and thermodynamic factors) of boron complexes by geometric effects. A theoretical study shows that the bottom atoms also control eigenvalues of MO. This cage complex will provide a systematic template for fine-tuning of metal complexes to create various properties.     

Synthesis and characterization of thiochromone S,S-dioxides as new photolabile protecting groups

3-Arylthiochromone derivatives were synthesized as new photolabile protecting groups, in which the photoreactivity was switchable based on oxidation of the sulfur atom (sulfide and sulfone); the protected substrates , released the corresponding alcohols, amines or carbonxylic acids almost quantitatively under UV-light in neutral condition and the photoproduct showed high fluorescence intensity.     

Liposome modified with Mn-porphyrin complex can simultaneously induce antioxidative enzyme-like activity of both superoxide dismutase and peroxidase

An antioxidative liposome catalysis that mimics both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities has been developed by using the liposomes modified with lipophilic Mn-(5,10,15,20-tetrakis[1-hexadecylpyridium-4-yl]-21H,23H-porphyrin) (Mn-HPyP). The SOD- and POD-like activities of the Mn-HPyP-modified liposome were first investigated by varying the type of phospholipid, such as 1,2-distearyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), and 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC). Higher SOD-like activity was obtained in the case of DLPC and DMPC liposomes, in which the ligands were well-dispersed on the membrane in the liquid crystalline phase. The POD-like activity was maximal in the case of DMPC liposome, in which the Mn-HPyP complex was appropriately clustered on the membrane in the gel phase. On the basis of the above results, the co-induction of the SOD and POD activities to eliminate the superoxide and also hydrogen peroxide as a one-pot reaction was finally performed by using the Mn-HPyP-modified DMPC liposome, resulting in an increase in the efficiency of the elimination of both superoxide and hydrogen peroxide.     

New concept of solute distribution around a diffusive crystal-solution interface of a binary Lennard-Jones mixture from the viewpoint of molecular dynamics

Directional crystallization from a binary mixture was performed by pseudo-NpT ensemble molecular dynamics. The initial crystal phase having a face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure grew toward the whole cell according to the temperature gradient in the universal cell. The growing crystal phase was not planar even though the solute molecules grew in two-dimensional coordinates because the solvent molecules disturbed the crystallization of the solute molecules at the diffusive crystal-solution interface. This represented the essential phenomenon of solute distribution during crystallization. Consequently, the growing crystal phase still contained solvent molecules having a liquid structure. The time change of the solute composition in the early phase of crystal growth showed an increase in solute composition as the time step proceeded. The resulting solute composition in this early phase was considered at different temperature gradients in the universal cell and it increased as the temperature of the initial crystal-solution interface increased. A new distribution coefficient model was proposed as a function of the difference between the local solute composition and bulk solute composition in the solution around the crystal-solution interface. The impurity-solvent distribution coefficient could be represented by the new model for faster growth of the lower temperature's initial interface. As regards a better distribution coefficient, there was found to be a very dilute solution phase over the crystal phase. The new variable "distribution rate" instead of the ambiguous variable "growth rate" was considered as a function of temperature gradient in the universal cell.