Aryltriazene photopolymer thin films as sacrificial release layers for laser-assisted forward transfer systems: study of photoablative decomposition and transfer behavior

Thin films of a tailor-made photodecomposible aryltriazene polymer were applied in a modified laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) process as sacrificial release layers. The photopolymer film acts as an intermediate energy-absorbing dynamic release layer (DRL) that decomposes efficiently into small volatile fragments upon UV laser irradiation. A fast-expanding pressure jet is generated which is used to propel an overlying transfer material from the source target onto a receiver. This DRL-assisted laser direct-write process allows the precise deposition of intact material pixels with micrometer resolution and by single laser pulses. Triazene-based photopolymer DRL donor systems were studied to derive optimum conditions for film thickness and laser fluences necessary for a defined transfer process at the emission wavelength of a XeCl excimer laser (308 nm). Photoablation, surface detachment, delamination and transfer behavior of aryltriazene polymer films with a thickness from 25 nm to ∼400 nm were investigated in order to improve the process control parameters for the fabrication of functional thin-film devices of microdeposited heat- and UV-sensitive materials.     

Polysialylated-neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) in the human trigeminal ganglion and brainstem at prenatal and adult ages

Background  

The polysialylated neuronal cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) is considered a marker of developing and migrating neurons and of synaptogenesis in the immature vertebrate nervous system. However, it persists in the mature normal brain in some regions which retain a capability for morphofunctional reorganization throughout life. With the aim of providing information relevant to the potential for dynamic changes of specific neuronal populations in man, this study analyses the immunohistochemical occurrence of PSA-NCAM in the human trigeminal ganglion (TG) and brainstem neuronal populations at prenatal and adult age.     

Radiolabelling of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles for radiotracer studies

Industrially manufactured titanium dioxide nanoparticles have been successfully radiolabelled with ⁴⁸V by irradiation with a cyclotron-generated proton beam. Centrifugation tests showed that the ⁴⁸V radiolabels were stably bound within the nanoparticle structure in an aqueous medium, while X-ray diffraction indicated that no major structural modifications to the nanoparticles resulted from the proton irradiation. In vitro tests of the uptake of cold and radiolabelled nanoparticles using the human cell line Calu-3 showed no significant difference in the uptake between both batches of nanoparticles. The uptake was quantified by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and high resolution γ-ray spectrometry for cold and radiolabelled nanoparticles, respectively. These preliminary results indicate that alterations to the nanoparticles’ properties introduced by proton bombardment can be controlled to a sufficient extent that their further use as radiotracers for biological investigations can be envisaged and elaborated.     

Design of the spatial filter window for digital holographic convolution reconstruction of object beam field

In the convolution reconstruction process of digital holographic object beam field, the object beam fields with different magnifications can be obtained when the reconstructing beams are spherical waves with different wave curvature radii. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental discussion on the useful spatial frequency spectrum of the hologram numerically illuminated by the spherical wave. The result shows that there would be an image in the spatial frequency spectrum of digital hologram, which is completely the same as the object, if the wave surface radius of the spherical wave is equal to the distance from the object to the CCD sensor. Taking this image as a reference and designing a filter, the position of the reconstructed images with different magnifications can be predicted correctly in the reconstructed plane. Additionally, since the spectrum distribution of zero-order diffraction can be forecasted accurately in theory, its contribution can be effectively eliminated through changing the spatial filter shape; then a reconstructed object field containing more high-frequency information can be obtained.     

(19)F-(19)F and (19)F-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants in cyclic FH polymers (FH)(n), n=2-6

Spin-spin coupling constants (2h)J(F-F), (1)J(F-H), and (1h)J(H-F) have been obtained for cyclic complexes (FH)(n), with n=2-6, from ab initio equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) calculations. Although both the Fermi-contact (FC) term and (2h)J(F-F) increase and become positive as the cluster size increases, the FC term is not a good quantitative approximation to (2h)J(F-F). The paramagnetic spin-orbit (PSO) and spin-dipole (SD) terms which contribute to (2h)J(F-F) appear to be sensitive to the orientation of the hydrogen-bonded pair. However, the large increase in the FC term and (2h)J(F-F) as the size of the cluster increases is due primarily to the reorganization of sigma electron densities in both ground and excited states, and is another manifestation of cooperativity effects in hydrogen-bonded cyclic polymers. The FC term and (1)J(F-H) always increase upon complex formation, but (1)J(F-H) increases only slightly as the size of the cluster increases due to a concurrent decrease in the PSO term. The changes in (1)J(F-H) as a function of polymer size reflect the polarization of electron density away from H and toward F in the ground state, and the electron reorganization which occurs in the excited states which couple to the ground states through the FC and PSO operators. The FC term is a good approximation to (1h)J(H-F), and is always negative, indicating that the hydrogen bonds in the FH clusters are traditional hydrogen bonds.     

The vibration-rotation spectrum of methinophosphide: The overtone bands 2ν1 and 2ν3, the summation bands ν1 + ν2 and ν2 + ν3, and the difference band ν1 - ν2

The vibration-rotation bands 2ν₁, 2ν₃, ν₁ + ν₂, ν₂ + ν₃, and ν₁ - ν₂ of H¹²CP were recorded and analyzed. These data were combined with previously reported results for this molecule to obtain an improved and extended set of vibrational and rotational constants. All x_ij and γ_ij were calculated except those that require data from a summation band involving ν₁ and ν₃.     

Nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS) applied to damage assessment in bone

Nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS) is a resonance-based technique exploiting the significant nonlinear behavior of damaged materials. In NRUS, the resonant frequency(ies) of an object is studied as a function of the excitation level. As the excitation level increases, the elastic nonlinearity is manifest by a shift in the resonance frequency. This study shows the feasibility of this technique for application to damage assessment in bone. Two samples of bovine cortical bone were subjected to progressive damage induced by application of mechanical cycling. Before cycling commenced, and at each step in the cycling process, NRUS was applied for damage assessment. For independent assessment of damage, high-energy x-ray computed tomography imaging was performed but was only useful in identifying the prominent cracks. As the integral quantity of damage increased, NRUS revealed a corresponding increase in the nonlinear response. The measured change in nonlinear response is much more sensitive than the change in linear modulus. The results suggest that NRUS could be a potential tool for micro-damage assessment in bone. Further work must be carried out for a better understanding of the physical nature of damaged bone and for the ultimate goal of the challenging in vivo implementation of the technique.     

A review of the dynamical susceptibility in different complex systems

The dynamical susceptibility has been introduced to characterize the dynamical heterogeneities in glass forming liquids. We have used it as a tool to investigate the slow dynamics of other disordered systems such as gels, granular media and spin glasses. We review here the results obtained via numerical simulations of different model systems. The comparative study of the behaviour of the dynamical susceptibility sheds some light on the significant differences in the complex slow dynamics of glasses, spin glasses, granular media, irreversible gels, and colloidal gels.