Photochemical reactions of some organic molecules on titanium dioxide were investigated in methanol. A methanolic solution of trans-cinnamic acid and titanium dioxide was irradiated with 300 nm UV lamps for 24 h to afford methyl cinnamate. In the case of trans-cinnamamide, the major product was found to be 3-phenylpropionamide, i.e., a saturation product of ethylenic double bond. However, irradiation of urocanic acid, caffeic acid, ethyl cinnamate, trans-chalcone, trans-cinnamonitrile, trans-stilbene or trans, trans-1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene on titanium dioxide under the same conditions did not give any noticeable products. Meanwhile, when irradiated some aromatic aldehydes, such as trans-cinnamaldehyde, l-naphthaldehyde, and 2-naphthaldehyde in methanol, vicinal diols and alcohols derived from the diols were produced. On the other hand, irradiation of 9-anthraldehyde and titanium dioxide in methanol afforded only alcohols, in which diol was not observed.

The preparation and the photophysics of organometallic Pt(II) and Ir(III) complexes with 6-ch1oro-3-phenylpyridazine (H6Clppdz) are reported. $K_2$PtCl$_4$ and IrCl$_3$ㆍn$H_{2}O$ cleanly cyclometalate with H6Clppdz, forming the corresponding chloro-bridged dimers, (6Clppdz)Pt($\mu$-Cl)$_2$Pt(6Clppdz) and (6Clppdz)$_2$Ir($\mu$-Cl)$_2$Ir(6Clppdz)$_2$ in good yield. These chloro-bridged dimers are cleaved with acetylacetone (Hacac) to give the corresponding monomer, (6Clppdz)Pt(acac) and (6Clppdz)$_2$ Ir(acac), respectively. Both complexes show bright orange luminescence at room temperature and the emission wavelengths are different depending on the metal and the structure of complexes. (6Clppdz)Pt(acac) shows two sharp emission bands in shorter wavelength ($\lambda$$_{em}$=541 and 580 nm), while (6Clppdz)$_2$ Ir(acac) shows a broad emission band in longer wavelength ($\lambda$$_{em}$=615 nm). Strong spinorbit coupling due to the heavy metal atom allows for the formally forbidden mixing of the $^1$MLCT with the $^3$MLCT and $^3$$\pi$-$\pi$$^{*}$ states.

The effects of light on the regulation of ethylene biosynthesis during development of mung bean seedlings were investigated by monitoring the differential expression of seven 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and two ACC oxidase genes. Among them, only the expression of VR-ACS1, VR-ACS6, VR-ACS7, VR-ACO1 and VR-AC02 was observable in etiolated mung bean hypocotyls. When the seedlings were de-etiolated for 1 d under a light/dark cycle of 16 h/8 h, the expression of VR-ACS6, VR-ACS7 and VR-ACO2 was controlled negatively by light. The expression of VR-ACS1 showed a tendency to increase until 6 h after a dark-to-light transition and then decreased at 12 h. On the other hand, the expression of VR-ACO1 was mostly constitutive up to 12 h after the dark-to-light transition. The opening of hypocotyl hooks during de-etiolation in the light was stimulated by the inhibition of the action of endogenous ethylene in the presence of 1-MCP. These results suggest that the negative regulation of light on the expression of ACC synthase and ACC oxidase genes eventually results in the inhibition of ethylene production with an acceleration of the opening of apical hooks.

In the cellular response to DNA damaging agents, cells undergo cell cycle arrest or apoptosis against irrepairable DNA damage. RpS3 is known to function as UV DNA repair endonuclease III and ribosomal protein S3. In this study, we used normal and rpS3-overexpressed 293T cells to examine the role of rpS3 in response to DNA damaging agents. When 293T cells transfected with rpS3 were irradiated with UV, the pattern of cell cycle was dramatically changed in comparison with un-transfected 293T cells. We also found that the expression of rpS3 in normal cells was increased by treatment with DNA damaging agents. By means of Western and Northern blot analyses in rat tissues, we showed the expression pattern of rpS3 protein and its mRNA. These data suggest that DNA repair and cell cycle arrest are interrelated to each other through rpS3, and the increased expression of rpS3 seems to regulate the cell cycle arrest by DNA damaging agents.

The relationship between the morphology of nanostructured TiO$_2$ films and the photo-injected electron transport has been investigated using intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS). For this purpose, three different TiO$_2$ films with 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ thickness are prepared: The rutile TiO$_2$ film with 500 nm-sized cluster-like spherical bundles composed of the individual needles (Tl), the rutile TiO$_2$ film made up of non-oriented, homogeneously distributed rod-shaped particles having a dimension of approximately 20${\times}$80 nm (T2), and the anatase TiO$_2$ film with 20 nm-sized spherically shaped particles (T3). Cross sectional scanning electron micrographs show that all of the TiO$_2$films have a quite different particle packing density: poorly packed Tl film, loosely packed T2 film and densely packed T3 film. The electron transport is found to be significantly influenced by film morphology. The effective electron diffusion coefficient D$_{eff}$ derived from the IMPS time constant is an order of magnitude lower for T2 than for T3, but the D$_{eff}$ for the Tl sample is much lower than T2. These differences in the rate of electron transport are ascribed to differences in the extent of interparticle connectivity associated with the particle packing density.ity.

Two coupled molecules were successfully synthesized by condensation of amine-donor-substituted barbituric acid derivativies as nonlinear optical chromophores. A flexible spacer of the alkyl chain with different lengths of carbon chains (5 and 6 carbons) was introduced between two chromophores, which prevented crystallization and aggregation of molecules. Two coupled molecules (B-Cn-B, n=5, 6) had glass-transition temperatures on a second heating around 81 and 76$^{\circ}C$ without melting points, respectively. To explore the linear optical properties, thin-films were prepared and examined by a photometry method using Nd:YVO$_4$ CW laser. Also, microscopic and macroscopic nonlinear optical properties were measured by Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering (HRS) and the Maker Fringes method using Nd:YAG ps pulse laser, respectively. In spite of the moderate hyperpolarizabilities of coupled molecules, the second order NLO coefficient (d$\_$33/) was larger than the conventional Disperse Red 1 doped PMMA polymeric system.

A series of coupled-hemicyanine dyes with alkylene spacer were successfully synthesized by a reaction of coupled aldehydes with corresponding salts, respectively. These coupled dyes had more excellent thermal properties (high decomposition temperature, stiff decomposition behavior) and higher molar absorption properties than an uncoupled dye. The coupled dyes with perchlorate anions showed the strongest exothermic decomposition while those with hexafluorophosphorate anions showed endothermic decomposition. As the coupling length (n=3, 4, 5, 6) increased, thermal properties decreased and dyes with even spacer was more thermally stable than dyes with odd spacer. Among several coupled dyes, C4-NP-ClO4 and C4-Cl-ClO4 exhibited the best recording properties with the lowest jitter value of 7.5∼9.5% in authoring disc.

SPEX SkinSkan is a newly developed spectrofluorometer that can calculate transmission of UVA on the surface of human skin as a non-invasive method. We have investigated UVA protection factors of Japanese over-the-counter sunscreens using SPEX SkinSkan. This non-invasive method is useful to know UVA protection of sunscreens in vivo.

A noncoherent, broadband, intense pulsed light source has been used for the symptoms of photoaging skin as a nonablative method. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of intense pulsed light in solar lentigines and ephelides on the face. An open study was performed in patients with solar lentigines and ephelides who received three to five treatments of intense pulsed light. Forty-eight percent of patients had more than 50% improvement and 20% had more than 75% improvement. In the group of solar lentigines, 40% of patients showed more than 50% improvement and 16% did more than 75% improvement. Patients with solar 1entigines＋ephelides and ephelides responded remarkably with 75% and 71 % of patients having more than 50% improvement, respectively. Intense pulsed light was well tolerated and may be a new modality for the therapy of solar lentigines and ephelides.