Abstract:
Disclosed herein are a liquid crystal composition which has a low viscosity and exhibits a high response speed while keeping the characteristic properties (e.g., orientation and switching performance) required of liquid crystal materials, a liquid crystal element based on said liquid crystal composition, and a process for producing said liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a clathrate compound of liquid crystal molecules with cyclodextrin or a derivative thereof. The clathrate compound functions to increase the free volume of liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal composition is prepared by dissolving in a solvent a liquid crystal and cyclodextrin (or a derivative thereof), thereby forming a clathrate compound and adding this clathrate compound to a base liquid crystal material.
Abstract:
A functional molecular element having a function controlled by an electric field on a new principle. In the functional molecular element (1), a Lewis base molecule (14) having a positive dielectric constant anisotropy or a dipole moment along the major axis of the molecule is provided in the form of a pendant to a linear or filmy foundation molecule (2) having a conjugated system and exhibiting a conductivity, with a metal ion (3) capable of acting as a Lewis acid interposed between the molecules. When a voltage is applied, the conformation is changed to exhibit the function. The molecules (2, 14) and the metal ion (3) form a complex. When an electric field is applied to the Lewis base molecule (14) in a direction, for example, perpendicular to the paper as shown in Fig. 1(b), the Lewis molecule (14) oscillates within the range of 90 degrees around a vertical axis in the paper plane. When an electric field is applied to the Lewis base molecule (14) in a vertical direction in the paper plane as shown in Fig. 1(c), the Lewis molecule (14) rocks around an axis perpendicular to the paper plane to switch on/off the conductivity of the conducting foundation molecule (2).
Abstract:
Novel metal complexes of heterocyclic aromatic compounds, which exhibit low activation energies, are structurally stabilized, permit structural modulation, and can function favorably as molecular devices in the field of technology. Such a complex is composed of a transition metal (such as silver ion) as the central atom and basic ligands of a five-membered heterocyclic aromatic compound (such as pyrrole ring), and can be controlled in the number of atoms (electrons) participating in the ability to coordinate through change in the position of the central atom by an internal factor such as charge transfer or an external factor such as application of an electric field or a change in the acidity of the surrounding atmosphere. Further, the complexes can give polymeric substances which can cause conformational change in accordance with the position of the central atom.
Abstract:
[Object] To provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing program, an image processing method, and a microscopic system that are capable of acquiring a high-resolution image that is suitable for scientific verification. [Solving Means] An image processing apparatus according to the present technology includes an image conversion unit and an image generation unit. The image conversion unit converts a first picked-up image and a second picked-up image into frequency components, the first picked-up image being obtained by picking up an image of an observation target object with first illumination light via a microscope optical system, the second picked-up image being obtained by picking up an image of the observation target object with second illumination light via the microscope optical system, the second picked-up image having a contrast in a low frequency band lower than that of the first picked-up image and a contrast in a high frequency band higher than that of the first picked-up image. The image generation unit combines a low frequency component of the first picked-up image and a high frequency component of the second picked-up image with each other to generate a composite image.
Abstract:
[Object] To provide an analysis system, an analysis program, and an analysis method suited for analyzing a 3-dimensional temporal state of an observation object. [Solving Means] An analysis system according to the present technique includes a feature amount calculation section and a reference position calculation section. The feature amount calculation section calculates a feature amount in each of a plurality of moving images of a sample including an observation object, that have been captured at different focal positions, the plurality of moving images having the same phase of movements. The reference position calculation section calculates a reference position of the observation object in a focus direction based on the feature amount.
Abstract:
[Object] To provide a cell analysis system, a cell analysis program and a cell analysis method suitable for analyzing the movement of ions or molecules across cell membranes. [Solving Means] A cell analysis system according to the present disclosure includes a motion information extracting unit and a motion characteristics calculating unit. The motion information extracting unit extracts motion information arising from a movement of ions or molecules across a cell membrane, out of a cell image obtained from imaging a cell in time series. The motion characteristics calculating unit calculates motion characteristics of the motion information.
Abstract:
The present technology relates to a cell evaluation apparatus and method, and a program that are capable of easily searching for an area to be observed within cardiomyocytes without requiring special preparation. The cell evaluation apparatus includes: a motion detecting section configured to detect motion of cultured cardiomyocytes for each of partial areas of a plurality of observation fields on the cultured cardiomyocytes; a motion amount calculating section configured to calculate a motion amount of the detected motion; a pulsation information calculating section configured to calculate pulsation information on a characteristic amount of pulsations of the cultured cardiomyocytes on the basis of the calculated motion amount; an evaluation value calculating section configured to calculate an evaluation value corresponding to the plurality of observation fields, calculated on the basis of the pulsation information; and a field determining section configured to determine an observation field to be observed on the cultured cardiomyocytes, on the basis of the evaluation value.