Spectral luminescence properties of indotricarbocyanine dye in biological tissues

We have established that the shape and position of the maximum in the fluorescence spectrum of an indotricarbocyanine dye in tumor and normal tissues in vivo change over time after intravenous injection of the dye. Based on analysis of the spectral properties of the dye in vivo and in blood plasma, the dependence of the properties on the time since injection has shown that in the living body, the environment of the dye molecule changes as the photosensitizer goes from the skin into the tissue. We have established that in tissues in vivo, the dye molecules are localized in a region with low dielectric constant of the medium. We have shown that the change in the ratio of the concentrations of the different forms of hemoglobin in the blood has an effect on the absorption and shape of the fluorescence spectrum of the dye in tissues in vivo.     

Effect of ausforming temperature and strain on the bainitic transformation kinetics of a low carbon boron steel

The effect of ausforming temperature and strain on the bainitic transformation kinetics was investigated in a low carbon boron steel. A new mechanism, which is based on the competition between the increase in nucleation rate and the decrease in average volume of bainite sheaf after deformation, is proposed. The increase in nucleation rate is due to the decrease in boron concentration at the grain boundaries after small deformation and the formation of sub-grain boundaries at the grain interior after large deformation. The decrease in average volume of bainite sheaf is ascribed to the frequent impingement of bainite sub-units after deformation. The increase in nucleation rate after deformation results in the decrease in incubation time, which is confirmed from the experiment. The increase in nucleation rate overcomes the decrease in average volume of bainite sheaf, resulting in the increase in transformation velocity and volume fraction after small deformation. On the contrary, the decrease in the average volume of bainite sheaf overcomes the increase in nucleation rate after large deformation, leading to the decrease in transformation velocity and volume fraction of bainite.     

Spectral Properties of Single BODIPY Dyes in Polystyrene Microspheres and in Solutions

The absorption, fluorescence, fluorescence quantum yield, and photostability of five BODIPY dyes are characterized and compared as single dyes in two environments, in 40-nm polystyrene spheres and in solution. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the dyes in spheres are similar in profile but shifted to lower energies compared to those in solution. All the dyes are highly fluorescent, with three having fluorescence quantum yields of 1.0. For three of the five dyes, the yields were the same in spheres as in solution (1.00, 1.00, and 0.73). The high concentration of these dyes in spheres does not quench their fluorescence. For two other dyes the yields dropped, from 1.00 to 0.55 in one case and 0.83 to 0.50 in another, comparing the dyes in solution versus in spheres. The photodegradation of the dyes decreases in spheres compared to in solution in all but one case. For one dye, it decreases as much as 800-fold. Dyes overlooked because of low fluorescence or stability in solution could become useful fluorescent materials in the microsphere environment.     

夏秋两季洱海、太湖表层混合层的深度变化特征及其机理分析

湖泊表层混合层深度的变化不仅影响湖泊水生生态系统的演变, 而且影响流域的局地气候、降水量的时空格局等. 基于2008年夏秋两季洱海(高原湖泊)和太湖(平原湖泊)的气象与水温廓线观测资料, 分析探讨了两湖表层混合层深度的变化特征及其机制. 结果表明: 夏季洱海能维持持续的分层现象, 秋季有明显的日分层现象, 而在相应的两季中, 太湖仅可能存在日分层现象; 洱海表层混合层深度较同期太湖更浅; 太湖两季的表层混合层深度变化较洱海频繁, 即太湖水体混合与分层的交替过程对气象条件的响应较洱海更为迅速. 太湖这类浅水湖泊, 水深是抑制其存在稳定、持续分层的关键因素, 在合适的辐射条件下, 可形成日分层现象; 而洱海这类深度的湖泊, 净热量通量是影响其是否存在持续、稳定分层的主要因子. 该研究为进一步探讨湖泊与大气两种湍流运动的耦合机制及水生生态环境演替规律等提供了有力的参考.     

On the Energy of a “Two-Dimensional” Two-Electron Atom

With the use of the known solution of the Schrödinger equation for an electron in the nucleus field in the polar coordinates, the energy of a “two-dimensional” two-electron atom in the ground state, as well as its single ionization energy, has been calculated both in perturbation theory and with an almost century-old method of variation of the parameter Z in a trial wavefunction of the ground state. Since such two-dimensional atoms, e.g., helium atoms, can in principle be implemented in experiments by “freezing” of one degree of freedom in the phase of Bose–Einstein condensate, the conclusions made in this work can be tested. Fundamental features of the calculation of the energy of “one-dimensional” two-electron atoms and the formation of their Bose–Einstein condensate have also been discussed. The results obtained in this work coincide in a number of particular cases with the results obtained in a previous work, where some results were absent.     

Stability of bilayer lipid membrane in the presence of Co-containing metalloporphyrins

Stability of bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) in an electric field in the presence of Co-porphyrin in the solution surrounding BLM is investigated. We have shown that the presence of porphyrin in a solution reduces line tension of the pore edge and surface tension of BLM and increases the number of pores on the BLM. It is also shown that a decrease in the stability of BLM in the electric field in the presence of the porphyrin is a result of the reduction of line tension of the pore edge and increase in the number of pores.     

Influence of X-ray on the autophagic-lysosomal system in rat pancreatic acini

Lysosomes have an important role in radiation injury of cells and tissues. Activation of autophagy is frequently observed in different types of pathological tissue degeneration. In radiation response it increases in some cases, and lysosomes are responsible for regulated degradation of the autophagic vacuoles. Lysosomes are also involved in ionizing radiation induced cell death. In apoptosis lysosomes degrade content of the phagocytotic vacuoles derived from engulfed apoptotic blebs. On the other hand lysosomal enzymes discharged from disintegrated cells have a key role in induction of necrotic changes. In this work we investigate autophagy and lysosomal protein degradation in the relatively radiation insensitive exocrine pancreatic acini in vivo and in vitro. Type of cell death induced by X-ray was also examined in relation to the changes of the lysosomal processes. In 5h after 16 Gy in vivo whole body irradiation we observed significant increase in the cytoplasmic volume fraction of autophagic vacuoles and in the number of apoptotic cells in vivo. But in the acini isolated from irradiated rats we could not detect a change in the lysosomal degradation of intracellular proteins. Therefore irradiation probably influences the autophagy in an earlier step than lysosomal degradation. Extended necrotic lesions were not observed in vivo as long as 48 h. Isolated pancreatic acini usually contain more autophagic vacuoles than in vivo, but we could not observe additional increase in autophagy after 8 Gy, in vitro irradiation. Lysosomal degradation of intracellular proteins was also unaltered after 8 Gy, in vitro irradiation. Other biochemical functional parameters of the isolated pancreatic acini, like protein synthesis and amylase secretion were not changed either after 8 Gy, in vitro X-ray treatment. These results indicate that pancreatic acinar cells in vitro have a high tolerance to irradiation. The observed in vivo radiation induced changes of the exocrine pancreas are possibly indirectly induced by injuries of more sensitive mechanisms.     

Influence of the Concentration of Aqueous Solutions of Sulfuric Acid on the Reflection Spectra of Pine Needles

The effect of solutions of sulfuric acid of different concentrations on the optical characteristics of pine needles was investigated. It is found that an increase in the acid concentration results in a decrease in the content of pigments in pine needles and in their reflectance in the visible region. An analysis of experimental data by using the LIBERTY model has shown that the decrease in the pine needle reflectance with decrease in the pigment content depends on the change in the refractive index at the cell wall–binding medium interface.     

On laminar-turbulent transition in nanofluid flows

The paper presents experimental data on the laminar-turbulent transition in the nanofluid flow in the pipe. The transition in the flows of such fluids is shown to have lower Reynolds numbers than in the base fluid. The degree of the flow destabilization increases with an increase in concentration of nanoparticles and a decrease in their size. On the other hand, in the turbulent flow regime, the presence of particles in the flow leads to the suppression of smallscale turbulent fluctuations. The correlation of the measured viscosity coefficient of considered nanofluids is presented.     

动力学阿尔文波及其在太阳和空间等离子体中的应用

动力学阿尔文波是短波长的色散阿尔文波,其色散主要是由于垂直波长接近离子回旋半径或电子惯性长度等微观粒子动力学特征尺度而引起的。在频率远低于离子回旋频率的低频条件下,其平行波长通常仍然远大于离子惯性长度,这导致动力学阿尔文波在电磁偏振和传播方向上呈现显著各向异性的重要特性,并因此使其在磁等离子体的粒子能化现象和结构丝化现象中起重要作用。动力学阿尔文波早期于1970年代由Chen和Hasegawa研究聚变等离子体加热问题时首先提出。随后,在1980年代受到空间等离子体、特别是电离层-磁层耦合与极光现象研究的广泛关注。进入1990年代后,由于在空间卫星探测技术和地面等离子体实验技术的不断发展,特别是一些高分辨空间等离子体探测仪器和地面大型等离子体实验设备投入工作以来,在动力学阿尔文波的实验研究上取得了一系列突破性的重要进展。这不仅导致对动力学阿尔文波在磁等离子体动力学现象中重要作用的重新估价和正视,并再次激发了对动力学阿尔文波理论及其在实验室、空间和天体环境下各类等离子体活动现象中应用研究的广泛兴趣。自1990年代中期以来,我们在中国科学院紫金山天文台的研究小组一直致力于动力学阿尔文波及其在太阳和空间等离子体粒子能化现象中应用的研究。这篇综述性报告主要介绍了有关动力学阿尔文波非线性孤波理论及其在空间和太阳等离子体粒子能化现象中应用的研究进展,也是我们这十几年来在这一领域研究工作的一个总结。报告的第一章简要介绍动力学阿尔文波的一些主要特征及其在磁等离子体动力学现象中的重要作用。然后,在第二章中利用等离子体的双流体方程、结合有关的实验观测,系统介绍了动力学阿尔文波的色散、传播、偏振等基本特性和在一维孤波与二维涡旋等非线性结构理论方面的研究进展。接下来的第三、四、五章将聚焦在动力学阿尔文波的耗散机制及其在太阳和空间等离子体粒子能化现象中的应用研究上,分别包括：动力学阿尔文孤波的耗散结构及其在极光高能电子加速现象中的应用（第三章）;动力学阿尔文孤波中重离子的各向异性能化机制及其在延伸日冕中少量重离子反常加热现象中的应用（第四章）;以及动力学阿尔文波的反常耗散机制及其在日冕磁等离子体结构非均匀加热现象中的应用（第五章）。最后的第六章是一个简要的总结和几点进一步发展的展望。     

序列脉冲激光在不同大气模型下的热晕效应研究

考虑到大气中吸收系数随高度变化,通过内插法得到不同大气模型一定高度下大气的吸收系数,建立序列脉冲激光在地对空垂直传输的热晕模型。通过数值计算方法分析风场渡越时间内脉冲数为2时的序列脉冲在中纬度地区夏季和冬季、热带地区、近北极地区夏季和冬季5种大气模型下的热晕效应。结果表明:当光束孔径为0.25 m,初始功率为200 kW,波形为高斯状的激光束在近北极冬季传输10 km后沿横轴方向光强峰值偏移0.056 9 m,而热带光强峰值强度偏移最远为0.224 m,为近北极冬季时的4倍;脉冲激光在热带传输10 km后的靶面功率仅为15.06 kW,近北极冬季靶面功率为热带的10.5倍。热带地区的热晕效应最明显,中纬度地区次之,近北极地区最弱。激光在夏季传输要比冬季传输的热晕效应严重,而且近北极地区夏季要比中纬度地区冬季的热晕效应更严重。     

近50年中国降水及温度变化在干旱形成中的影响

根据中国气象局1958—2007年194站的温度、降水和Palmer旱涝指数（Palmer Drought Severity Index, PDSI）均一化数据库,构建统计模型量化了温度和降水变化在干旱形成中所占的比重,尤其讨论了中国8个气候区域温度和降水变化在干旱成因中的特征.受全球增温趋势的影响,未来中国北方地区的干旱化趋势仍将继续.未来五年内干旱发生概率较大的地区主要分布在中国华北,且有持续向南扩张的趋势,一直延伸到江淮地区.在全球变暖的背景下,降水减少仍然是中国东部干旱形成的主要因素.相对于南方地 关键词： 降水 全球变暖 干旱     

Kinetic sonication effects in light of molecular dynamics simulation of the reaction medium

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the structure of ethyl acetate solutions in two water–ethanol mixtures was performed at 280 and 330 K. The MD simulations revealed that ethyl acetate was preferentially solvated by ethanol, water being mainly located in the next solvation layer. With increasing temperature ethanol was gradually replaced by water in the first solvation shell. These findings explain the decrease in the rate of ester hydrolysis with increasing molar ratio of ethanol in the solution as the reaction rate was linearly dependent on the relative ethanol content in the first solvation shell of the ester. Predominance of ethanol results in decreased polarity and water activity in the shell and accordingly in a decreased reaction rate. Based on the results of the MD simulations, the principal conclusion of this work is that ultrasound enhances the kinetic energy (the effective temperature) of species in the solution and, in this way, evokes shifts in the solvation equilibria thus affecting the reaction rate. It appears that ultrasound does not completely break down the solvent shells or clusters in the solution as previously believed. Phenomena of thermo-solvatochromism and reaction rate levelling by ultrasound in binary solvents are described.     

在NaCl和HTAB共存条件下甲基纤维素溶液凝胶化行为

利用流变仪研究了甲基纤维素(MC)溶液在NaCl、十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(HTAB)以及两者共存下MC溶液的凝胶化行为,发现其凝胶化温度随着NaCl浓度的增加而下降,随着HTAB浓度的增加而上升;但是MC/NaCl的凝胶化温度保持不变,与HTAB浓度 无关,而MC/HTAB溶液的凝胶化温度则随着NaCl浓度的增加而下降．以上的实验结果表明,在NaCl存在下,HTAB将被诱导形成胶束,因此MC/NaCl的凝胶化温度保持不变;反之,当NaCl不存在时,HTAB将优先吸附到MC上而不会在溶液中形成胶束,尽管其浓度     

Certain general questions of fast-electron transport II. Kinetic equations and conditions governing the accelerated motion of fast electrons in dielectrics in an electric field

A general kinetic equation for the differential density of fast particles moving in a medium in an external field is derived on the basis of the continuity equation in phase space. An equation is written for the differential flux in the case of fixed target particles. This equation is used to derive equations for fast electrons; account is taken of the coupling of energy-loss and scattering events in an electric field for various particular problems analogous to those studied in the theory of electron transport in the absence of a field. The kinetic equations are used to analyze the conditions governing accelerated motion of electrons in a dielectric in an external electric field in the continuous-deceleration approximation. Account is taken of fluctuations in the energy loss and of multiple scattering. There are two energy ranges of particles moving in a dielectric in which accelerated motion can occur; in the case of an electron beam with a continuous energy spectrum, this acceleration would be accompanied by monochromatization of the beam.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 7–12, February, 1972.     

Visualizing and characterizing white matter fiber structure and architecture in the human pyramidal tract using diffusion tensor MRI.

We used diffusion tensor imaging to assess diffusion anisotropy in the pyramidal tract in ten young, and ten elderly subjects (five males and five females in each group). The purpose of this study was to define normative values for anisotropy at different anatomic levels of the brainstem as well as to assess differences due to age, gender, and laterality. In all subjects, anisotropy was highest in the cerebral peduncle, lowest in the caudal pons, and intermediate in the medulla. In the pons and medulla the regional variability was high, with significant differences in anisotropy even between contiguous slices. Multifactorial ANOVA (performed using the average value of anisotropy within each region of interest) revealed that elderly subjects had significantly lower values than young subjects in the cerebral peduncle, with no differences in the pons and medulla. No significant differences in anisotropy due to gender and side were found. The differences in anisotropy at different levels of the brainstem reflect differences in the local architecture of white matter fibers. Anisotropy is high in the cerebral peduncle because fibers have a highly ordered arrangement, while in the pons and medulla, anisotropy is lower because the local fiber architecture is less coherent due to the presence of other fibers and nuclei. The biologic meaning of the intergroup differences in anisotropy is discussed in light of the structure and architecture of the tissue under investigation. We also consider potential sources of artifacts, such as noise and motion, partial volume contamination, anatomic mismatching, and the use of inappropriate statistical tests. We conclude that the age-related decrease in anisotropy in the cerebral peduncle is not artifactual but rather reflects subtle structural changes of the aging white matter. Our study however shows that caution must be exercised in interpreting diffusion anisotropy data.     

Implications of Analyticity to the Solution of Schwinger-Dyson Equations in Minkowski Space

We discuss some recent developments in nonperturbative studies of quantum field theory (QFT) using the Schwinger-Dyson equations formulated directly in Minkowski space. We begin with the introduction of essential ideas of the integral representation in QFT and a discussion of the renormalization in this approach. The technique based on the integral representation of Green’s functions is exploited to solve Schwinger-Dyson equations in several models of quantum field theory, e.g., in scalar models and in strong coupling QED₃₊₁ in the quenched and in the unquenched approximation. The phenomenon of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in regularized theory is touched. In QCD, the analyticity of the gluon propagator on the complex momentum square plane is exploited to continue some recent lattice data to the timelike momentum axis. We find a contribution to the non-positive absorptive part in the Landau-gauge gluon propagator which is in agreement with some other new recent analyses.     

Photostability of a C<Subscript>60</Subscript> fullerene coating as a solid-phase photosensitizer of singlet oxygen

The stability of the optical properties and the generation efficiency of singlet oxygen of a solidphase photosensitizer based on fullerene in an aqueous suspension subjected to prolonged intense irradiation with visible light are studied in comparison with a photosensitizer based on methylene blue in an aqueous solution. Changes in the absorption spectra show that, as a result of 20-min irradiation, the content of fullerene decreases by 2% from its initial value, while that of methylene blue decreases by 19%. In both cases, the dynamics of the decrease in the photosensitizing ability of the photosensitizers in the course of their irradiation correlates with the changes in their spectra, but the magnitude of this decrease in the case of the solid-phase photosensitizer is greater than the magnitude of its spectral changes because of the surface nature of the photosensitization process. The study of the absorption spectra of fullerene coatings shows that their irradiation in water or in air causes the same photodegradation of fullerene. At the same time, studies with the help of the electron spin resonance (ESR) technique reveal differences in the nature of processes undergone by fullerene in water and in air.     

Introduction: Self-organization in nonequilibrium chemical systems

The field of self-organization in nonequilibrium chemical systems comprises the study of dynamical phenomena in chemically reacting systems far from equilibrium. Systematic exploration of this area began with investigations of the temporal behavior of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky oscillating reaction, discovered accidentally in the former Soviet Union in the 1950s. The field soon advanced into chemical waves in excitable media and propagating fronts. With the systematic design of oscillating reactions in the 1980s and the discovery of Turing patterns in the 1990s, the scope of these studies expanded dramatically. The articles in this Focus Issue provide an overview of the development and current state of the field.