Structural characterization of 1,2-polybutadiene by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy: 2. Sequence distribution of 1,2-unit in hydrogenated polybutadienes

The configurational sequences of 1,2-unit in a series of hydrogenated syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadienes were determined in relation to the sequence distribution of 1,2- and 1,4-units on the basis of the ¹³C-n.m.r. signal assignment of the methyl carbons. The observed triad distributions of 1,2- and 1,4-units and configurational distributions of the 1,2-unit are in good agreement with the calculated distributions from transition probabilities. The number average sequence lengths of the 1,2-unit and the 1,2-unit in the racemic addition are 5.7 to 8.0 and 4.1 to 5.4, respectively. From the extrapolation of the plot of the number average sequence length against the crystallinity of the starting 1,2-polybutadienes, the minimum sequence length for crystallization is estimated to be 3.7 for the 1,2-unit in the racemic addition.     

Micromachining of electroformed nickel mold using thick photoresist microstructure for imprint technology

In order to fabricate polymer-based microstructures with feature sizes on the order of micrometers, we have been developing a microimprint technology with a fine nickel (Ni) mold instead of a conventional photolithography technique. The Ni mold was successfully fabricated by electroforming using a positive thick photoresist microstructure patterned on a silicon substrate as a replication master. The photoresist microstructure with excellent edge quality can be obtained under irradiation with single wavelength (g line) selected from a high-pressure mercury lamp. In addition, its sidewall angle in the range of 65° to 84° can be controlled precisely by varying the distance between a photomask and a photoresist surface. On the structured photoresist master, Ni was electroplated up to a thickness of about 110 μm, and then removed from the master. In this process, two-step electroplating at different current densities was carried out in order to prevent deformation of the photoresist master due to stress generated in a Ni electrodeposit. With the Ni mold, fine patterns with a width of 10 or 30 μm and a depth of 24 μm were almost completely transferred to polymetric materials (PMMA). The geometrical dimensions of the fabricated PMMA microstructures were found to be only about 10% reduction against the Ni mold.     

Verified Integration of ODEs and Flows Using Differential Algebraic Methods on High-Order Taylor Models

A method is developed that allows the verified integration of ODEs based on local modeling with high-order Taylor polynomials with remainder bound. The use of such Taylor models of order n allows convenient automated verified inclusion of functional dependencies with an accuracy that scales with the (n + 1)-st order of the domain and substantially reduces blow-up.Utilizing Schauder's fixed point theorem on certain suitable compact and convex sets of functions, we show how explicit nth order integrators can be developed that provide verified nth order inclusions of a solution of the ODE. The method can be used not only for the computation of solutions through a single initial condition, but also to establish the functional dependency between initial and final conditions, the so-called flow of the ODE. The latter can be used efficiently for a substantial reduction of the wrapping effect.Examples of the application of the method to conventional initial value problems as well as flows are given. The orders of the integration range up to twelve, and the verified inclusions of up to thirteen digits of accuracy have been demanded and obtained.     

How to identify water from thickener aqueous solutions by touch

Water detection is one of the most crucial psychological processes for many animals. However, nobody knows the perception mechanism of water through our tactile sense. In the present study, we found that a characteristic frictional stimulus with large acceleration is one of the cues to differentiate water from water contaminated with thickener. When subjects applied small amounts of water to a glass plate, strong stick-slip phenomena with a friction force of 0.46 ± 0.30 N and a vertical force of 0.57 ± 0.36 N were observed at the skin surface, as shown in previous studies. Surprisingly, periodic shears with acceleration seven times greater than gravitational acceleration occurred during the application process. Finite-element analyses predicted that these strong stimuli could activate tactile receptors: Meissner''s corpuscle and Pacinians. When such stimuli were applied to the fingertips by an ultrasonic vibrator, a water-like tactile texture was perceived by some subjects, even though no liquid was present between the fingertip and the vibrator surface. These findings could potentially be applied in the following areas: materials science, information technology, medical treatment and entertainment.     

Uncooled InAs0.09Sb0.91 photoconductors with cutoff wave- length extended to 11.5 μm

Uncooled InAsSb photoconductors were fabricated. The photoconductors were based on InAs0.05Sb0.95 and InAs0.09Sb0.91 thick epilayers grown on InAs substrates by melt epitaxy (ME). Ge immersion lenses were set on the photoconductors. The cutoff wavelength of InAs0.09Sb0.91 detectors is obviously extended to 11.5 mm, and that of InAs0.05Sb0.95 detectors is 8.3 mm. At room temperature, the peak detectivity of Dλp at wavelength of 6.8 mm and modulation frequency of 1 200 Hz is 1.08×109 cm.Hz1/2.W-1 for InAs0.09Sb0.91 photoconductors, the detectivity D at wavelength of 9 mm is 7.56×108 cm.Hz1/2.W-1, and that at 11 mm is 3.92×108 cm.Hz1/2.W-1. The detectivity of InAs0.09Sb0.91 detectors at the wavelengths longer than 9 mm is about one order of magnitude higher than that of InAs0.05Sb0.95 detectors, which rises from the increase of arsenic (As) composition in InAs0.09Sb0.91 materials.     

The correlation between the ionic degree of covalent bond comprising polymer main chain and the ionic yield due to mechanical fracture

The mechanical force to polymeric materials in vacuum at 77 K produces mechano radicals, mechano anions and mechano cations due to homogeneous and heterogeneous scissions of the covalent bonds comprising polymer main chain. The ionic degree of the covalent bond was estimated by calculating the “absolute ΔMulliken atomic charge,” which was defined as the difference between the Mulliken atomic charges of the two adjacent atoms comprising the covalent bond of the polymer main chain. The ionic yield of the covalent bond increased with increasing the absolute ΔMulliken atomic charge. The empirical formula for the ionic yield was obtained with the absolute ΔMulliken atomic charge, and indicates that the ionic yield could be estimated from its chemical structure.     

Direct Reprogramming and Induction of Human Dermal Fibroblasts to Differentiate into iPS-Derived Nucleus Pulposus-like Cells in 3D Culture

Intervertebral disc (IVD) diseases are common spinal disorders that cause neck or back pain in the presence or absence of an underlying neurological disorder. IVD diseases develop on the basis of degeneration, and there are no established treatments for degeneration. IVD diseases may therefore represent a candidate for the application of regenerative medicine, potentially employing normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) induced to differentiate into nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Here, we used a three-dimensional culture system to demonstrate that ectopic expression of MYC, KLF4, NOTO, SOX5, SOX6, and SOX9 in NHDFs generated NP-like cells, detected using Safranin-O staining. Quantitative PCR, microarray analysis, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting revealed that the induced NP cells exhibited a fully differentiated phenotype. These findings may significantly contribute to the development of effective strategies for treating IVD diseases.