Hydrogel‐like elastic membrane consisting of semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks based on a phosphorylcholine polymer and a segmented polyurethane

To obtain a hydrogel‐like elastic membrane, we prepared semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) by the radical polymerization of methacrylates such as 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate, and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate diffused into segmented polyurethane (SPU) membranes swollen with a monomer mixture. The values of Young's modulus for the hydrated semi‐IPN membranes were less than that for an SPU membrane because of higher hydration, but they were much higher than that for a hydrated MPC polymer gel (non‐SPU). According to a thermal analysis, the MPC polymer influenced the segment association of SPU. The diffusion coefficient of 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt from the semi‐IPN membrane could be controlled with different MPC unit concentrations in the membrane, and it was about 7 × 10² times higher than that of the SPU membrane. Fibroblast cell adhesion on the semi‐IPN membrane was effectively reduced by the MPC units. We concluded that semi‐IPNs composed of the MPC polymer and SPU may be novel polymer materials possessing attractive mechanical, diffusive‐release, and nonbiofouling properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 68–75, 2003     

Light-driven molecular hinge: a new molecular machine showing a light-intensity-dependent photoresponse that utilizes the trans-cis isomerization of azobenzene

[reaction: see text] A new class of molecular machine exhibits a hingelike motion upon photoirradiation. The motion (close and open) can be operated by alternate irradiation with UV and visible light. The trans/trans and cis/cis isomers are thermally stable at 40 degrees C, and the photochemical closure reaction (from trans/trans to cis/cis isomer) is dependent on the intensity of the light used because of the short-lived intermediate (trans/cis isomer).     

Efficient decoherence-free entanglement distribution over lossy quantum channels

We propose and demonstrate a scheme for boosting the efficiency of entanglement distribution based on a decoherence-free subspace over lossy quantum channels. By using backward propagation of a coherent light, our scheme achieves an entanglement-sharing rate that is proportional to the transmittance T of the quantum channel in spite of encoding qubits in multipartite systems for the decoherence-free subspace. We experimentally show that highly entangled states, which can violate the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality, are distributed at a rate proportional to T.     

Imprinting modulates processing of visual information in the visual wulst of chicks

Background  

Imprinting behavior is one form of learning and memory in precocial birds. With the aim of elucidating of the neural basis for visual imprinting, we focused on visual information processing.     

Second-harmonic-generation microscope using eight-segment polarization-mode converter to observe three-dimensional molecular orientation

We developed a compact polarization-mode converter for microscopy to control three-dimensional polarization at the focus. The converter consisted of two homogeneously aligned liquid-crystal spatial light modulators with eight independently controllable electrodes (segments), and a quarter-waveplate. The converter converted a linearly polarized beam to three polarization modes: two orthogonal linear polarizations and a pseudo-radial polarization. We applied the converter to second-harmonic-generation microscopy and demonstrated the detection of three-dimensional molecular orientation.     

Three-dimensional susceptibility-weighted imaging at 3 T using various image analysis methods in the estimation of grading intracranial gliomas

Object

Although three-dimensional (3D), high-spatial resolution susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) appears to be valuable in the evaluation of central nervous system gliomas, several evaluation methods are proposed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of 3D SWI for grading intracranial gliomas with various analysis methods.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-three patients suspected of having gliomas participated in this study. SWI was performed in addition to conventional MR sequences. In 15 cases, post-gadolinium enhanced SWI was also obtained. Imaging evaluation criteria were conventional grade, hypointensity ratio in the tumor-dominant structure of hypointensity on SWI (hemorrhage or vascular structure) and presence of abnormal enhancement surrounding the tumor.

Results

Mean grading scores of conventional grade showed no statistically significant difference among WHO grades. Mean grading scores of hypointensity ratios in the tumor were higher for WHO Grades 3 and 4 than for lower grade tumors (P=.05, Mann–Whitney U test). Hemorrhagic foci were more frequently seen in the higher grade tumor. Post-contrast susceptibility-weighted images of five of 11 WHO Grade 3 and 4 cases showed bright enhancement surrounding the tumor, suggesting a breakdown of the blood–brain barrier.

Conclusions

SWI at 3 T may be a useful method to analyze the structural characteristics of gliomas and to evaluate pathology in vivo. Assessment of hypointensity ratios in the glioma was the most preferable method in grading glioma. However, more studies, specifically concerning a suitable method for image analysis, are needed to establish SWI at 3 T as a useful tool in clinical routine.     

Large four-wave mixing of spatially extended excitonic states in thin GaAs layers

We study the size dependence of the nonlinear response of weakly confined excitons for the size region beyond the long wavelength approximation regime. The observed degenerate-four-wave mixing signal of GaAs thin layers exhibits an anomalous size dependence, where the signal is resonantly enhanced at a particular thickness region. The theoretical analysis elucidates that this enhancement is due to the size-resonant enhancement of the internal field with a spatial structure relevant to the nondipole-type excitonic state. These results establish the formerly proposed new type of size dependence of nonlinear response due to the nonlocality induced double resonance.     

40 Gb/s, secure optical communication based upon fast reconfigurable time domain spectral phase en/decoding with 40 Gchip/s optical code and symbol overlapping

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a 40 Gb/s secure optical communication system with on-off-keying (OOK) modulation format by using a time domain spectral phase en/decoding scheme, which employs a highly dispersive element and high-speed phase modulator for introducing significant symbol overlapping for both the encoded and incorrectly decoded noiselike signals to enhance the information security against eavesdropping using a power detector. The influence of dispersion and chip modulation rate on the symbol overlapping of the incorrectly decoded signal has been analytically investigated and experimentally verified. Security enhancement for 40 Gb/s OOK data using fast reconfigurable 40 Gchip/s optical codes with code lengths of up to 1024 has been demonstrated and compared with a 10 Gb/s system.