In situ biochemical characterization of Venus cloud particles using a life-signature detection microscope.

Much of the information about the size and shape of aerosols forming haze and the cloud layer of Venus is obtained from indirect inferences from nephelometers on probes and from the analysis of the variation of polarization with the phase angle and the glory feature from images of Venus. The microscopic imaging of Venus' aerosols has recently been advocated. Direct measurements from a fluorescence microscope can provide information on the morphology, density, and biochemical characteristics of the particles; thus, fluorescence microscopy is attractive for in situ particle characterization of the Venus cloud layer.

Cell culture on hydrophilicity-controlled silicon nitride surfaces.

Cell culture on silicon nitride membranes is required for atmospheric scanning electron microscopy, electron beam excitation assisted optical microscopy, and various biological sensors. Cell adhesion to silicon nitride membranes is typically weak, and cell proliferation is limited. We increased the adhesion force and proliferation of cultured HeLa cells by controlling the surface hydrophilicity of silicon nitride membranes.

Intracellular calcium ion concentration measurement using a phase-modulation fluorescence lifetime method with compensation for phase shift due to the presence of proteins.

The calcium ion concentration in cells was measured by a phase-modulation fluorescence lifetime method with compensation for proteins. A high-accuracy measurement of the calcium ion concentration is best realized by fluorescence lifetime measurements, because the fluorescence lifetime is independent of the fluorescence intensity. The fluorescence intensity is easily varied by the scattering of excitation and emission light in cells, photobleaching, the concentration of fluorochromes, and wavelength dispersion of optical elements.

Dynamic and high-resolution live cell imaging by direct electron beam excitation.

We propose a direct electron-beam excitation assisted optical microscope with a resolution of a few tens of nanometers and it can be applied for observation of dynamic movements of nanoparticles in liquid. The technique is also useful for live cell imaging under physiological conditions as well as observation of colloidal solution, microcrystal growth in solutions, etc. In the microscope, fluorescent materials are directly excited with a focused electron beam.

Electron beam excitation assisted optical microscope with ultra-high resolution.

We propose electron beam excitation assisted optical microscope, and demonstrated its resolution higher than 50 nm. In the microscope, a light source in a few nanometers size is excited by focused electron beam in a luminescent film. The microscope makes it possible to observe dynamic behavior of living biological specimens in various surroundings, such as air or liquids.

Intravital oxygen radical imaging in normal and ischemic rat cortex.

Objective: We examined reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion by intravital fluorescence imaging.

Methods: In anesthetized adult rats, a fluorescent dye (5 microL), MitoSOX (5 micromol/L) for superoxide radical (.O2-), and hydroxyphenyl fluorescein (20 micromol/L) for hydroxyl radical (.

Three-dimensional measurement endoscope system with virtual rulers.

Conventional endoscopic images do not provide quantitative 3-D information. We present an endoscope system that can measure the size and position of an object in real time. Our endoscope contains four laser beam sources and a camera.

In vivo calcium imaging of cerebral cortex in hypoxia-ischemia followed by developmental stage-specific injury in rats.

The parietal area is a part of the cortex that is vulnerable in the rat to hypoxia-ischemia (HI) within the early postnatal period. To investigate the localizing mechanism of this cortical injury, we spatiotemporally detected the cortical intracellular calcium changes, as revealed by a calcium-sensitive fluorescence dye, Rhod 2-AM, during 1h of HI on postnatal days 7-21 in vivo. The calcium level rose to different levels at different cortical points in all animals within the first 20 min.