Quenching of Myosin Intrinsic Fluorescence Unravels the Existence of a High Affinity Binding Site for Decavanadate

Decavanadate, one of the aggregated species of vanadate, is a potent inhibitor of several enzymes, including skeletal muscle myosin. However, its putative binding sites in myosin are largely unknown. Titration of the intrinsic fluorescence of myosin, purified from rabbit skeletal muscle, have been carried out in 0.3 M KCl, 5 mM CaCl₂ and 25 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.0), with 0.1 mg/ml myosin. In the 0-200 M total vanadate concentration range, decavanadate produced approximately 25% quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of myosin, with an apparent dissociation constant in the micromolar range. This effect was found to be specific of decavanadate, because titration with metavanadate up to 200 M did not produce a significant quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of myosin. This quenching was accompanied by a parallel decrease of the accessibility of myosin tryptophans to the water-soluble collisional quencher KI, with an apparent dissociation constant also in the micromolar range. It is concluded that the binding of decavanadate to high-affinity sites in myosin produces local conformational change(s) near the tryptophans more accessible to water in the three-dimensional structure of this protein.     

Influence of Solvent Polarity and Viscosity on Nonradiative Processes in Oligothiophenes with Intramolecular Charge Transfer

By the methods of luminescence, picosecond spectroscopy, and quantumchemical calculations the mechanisms of electron excitation energy deactivation in some oligothiophenes with intramolecular charge transfer depending on the solvent polarity and viscosity have been investigated. While for 2Npiperidino5(2,2dicyanovinyl)thiophene (PDCVT) the main channel of nonradiative deactivation is the transition to a lower intermediate state with a twisted double bond controlled by the medium viscosity, in the case of (E){2[25piperidino2thienyl]6(trifluoridemethyl)4H4pyranylidene}propanedinitryl (PTFDN) fluorescence quenching is initiated by the solvent polarity. For two other oligothiophenes, 2Npiperidino5cyanothiophene (PCT) and 2Npiperidino5cyanoterthiophene (PCTT), differing in the length of the thiophene chain, we have revealed, along with the effective quenching of fluorescence in shortchain PCT (independent of the solvent polarity and viscosity), an increase in the radiation capacity in PCTT with increasing polarity of the solvent. The possible mechanisms of nonradiative deactivation in the investigated oligothiophenes are discussed.     

Instantaneous Fluorescence Quantum Yield—A New Quantity with Characteristic “Fingerprints” for Excited-State Processes

The instantaneous fluorescence quantum yield _ins—a new quantity for fluorescence studies defined as the ratio of the fluorescence intensity to the optical density, both measured at the moment of the maximum of the exciting pulse—proves to be a very sensitive function for excited-state processes. Dependent on the excitation intensity _ins exhibits characteristic features (maxima/minima) indicating, for example, excited-state absorptions and annihilation processes. _ins is therefore more informative as the intensity dependence of the usually utilized fluorescence yield, the information content of which is restricted because this function is hardly structured. In the paper the influences of specific molecular parameters (excited-state absorption cross section, annihilation constant) on _ins are given, problems of the experimental accessibility of _ins are discussed, and an experimental setup for determination of this new quantity is presented. The application of the method is demonstrated for identification of excited-state absorptions of organic molecules in solution.     

The inelastic reactions πp→λ(⌆) K with allowance for the contribution of branch cuts

The method of complex angular moments is used to analyze the experimental data on the inelastic reactions p ()K, taking into account branch cuts in the j-plane in the eikonal approximation. An optical model for the backward scattering is considered. Agreement with experiment is obtained in the region of small angles for the reactions (⁰)K⁰. In the case of ^–P K⁰(^–K⁺) processes, agreement is obtained with the experimental results for large (180) scattering angles.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 26–30, August, 1972.     

Diffuse optical harmonic generation in SiC nanopowder films: hunting scattered photons

Second- and third-harmonic generation in polymer films doped with silicon carbide nanopowders is experimentally studied in the regime of weak scattering, with the size of nanoparticles a, the elastic scattering length l, the radiation wavelength , and the film thickness L meeting the relations alL. The strong wavelength dependence of diffuse second- and third-harmonic generation observed under these conditions indicates a significant role of scattering effects in nonlinear optical interactions in nanopowder materials, which allows diffuse harmonic generation to be controlled by varying the ratio of the characteristic size of the nanoparticles to the wavelength of the pump radiation. The contribution of scattering-delayed pump photons to diffuse third-harmonic generation in a SiC nanopowder film is visualized by measuring the third-harmonic intensity as a function of the delay time between two pump pulses. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.25.Dd; 61.46.+w     

Photorefractive measurements on electron-irradiated semi-insulating GaAs

We present photorefractive measurements at 1.06 m and 1.3 m performed in electron-irradiated GaAs. Irradiation with electrons of kinetic energies 1 MeV introduces intrinsic electrically active defects which modify the Fermi-level position and allow to modify the electron-hole competition mechanism of the photorefractive effect. Furthermore, it is shown that the optical absorption in the 1.3–1.5 m spectral range can be increased, which might allow to enlarge the useful spectral range of GaAs towards optical telecommunication windows. The native and irradiation-induced defects are assessed by electron paramagnetic resonance and optical absorption spectroscopy conducted at T=300 K and 77 K. The direct influence of an irradiation-induced mid-gap defect on the photorefractive effect is experimentally and theoretically demonstrated.     

Investigation of the interaction of subpicosecond KrF laser pulses with a preformed carbon plasma

The interaction of a subpicosecond KrF laser pulse with a preformed carbon plasma of various scale lengths is investigated. Two different interaction geometries are chosen. In the first one the propagation vector of the short pulse has a component along the density gradient of the preformed plasma (angle of incidence is 45°). In the second geometry the propagation direction of the short pulse is perpendicular to the density gradient of the preplasma (angle of incidence is 90°). The emitted soft X-ray spectrum in the wavelength interval from 10 to 700 is observed while changing several parameters of the experiment. It is found that the emission in the short wavelength part under 200 results from the radiation of ions created by collisional heating near the critical density region. The long wavelength part above 200 , enhanced up to a maximal factor of 20, is mainly produced by radiating particles field—ionized up to the He-like carbon state in the high-intensity laser field. The short wavelength part is missing in the case of 90° angle of incidence because there is no interaction with the critical layer that results in an insufficient collisional heating.     

Three-Mode Entangled State Representation of Continuum Variables and Optical Four-Wave Mixing

We establish a new three-mode entangled state representation , of continuum variables, which make up a complete set. Using optical four-wave mixing and a beam splitter transform we can prepare , . Based on , a new number-difference--operational-phase uncertainty relation is established and the corresponding squeezing dynamics is discussed.     

Photostability of Molecules of Aromatic Amines in a Polymeric Matrix

In the temperature range T = 5–295 K, the spectralluminescent properties and curves of thermostimulated luminescence (TSL) of molecules of triphenylamine (TPA), trirtolylamine (TTA), triranisolamine (TAA), and N,N'diphenylbis(3methylphenyl)(1,1'biphenyl)4,4'diamine (TPD) in polystyrene and 4Brpolystyrene matrices have been investigated. It has been found that photoirradiation at room temperature in the region of the lowest electron transition of molecules leads to a decrease in the intensities of the luminescence, photoluminescence, and TSL bands, as well as to the formation of new deep traps for charge carriers. At equal irradiation doses these changes in TPD are noticeably less pronounced than in TPA, TTA, and TAA. The higher photochemical stability of TPD molecules compared to TPA, TTA, and TAA is attributed to the difference in the mechanisms of nonradiative deactivation of the triplet states of molecules.     

On the Effect of Increasing the Radiative-Transition Rate Near a Nanosize Point

A short review of theoretical and experimental studies concerning the photoexcited florescence and Raman scattering of light for a substance in a space containing small material bodies is presented. Calculations of the radiativetransition probability for atoms (molecules) in the vicinity of bodies with a size much smaller than the light wavelength are performed. The probabilities of the singlephoton and doublephoton transitions are shown to increase by factors of 9 and 81 in the vicinity of a nanosize sphere with dielectric constant ||\ 1. The probability of a radiative transition in the vicinity of the vertex of a conic needle bearing up against a plane (both with || 1) increases by factors of (/R _in)² and (/R _in)⁴ for singlephoton and doublephoton transitions, respectively (R _in is the curvature radius for the needle vertex). This theoretical result is suggested as an explanation of the effect of increasing the radiation process intensity in the experiments carried out in the studies cited below.     

Spatial Spectrum of Artificial Ionospheric Irregularities Induced by Powerful HF Radiowaves

We present measurement results and spatial-spectrum shapes of the dependence of the relaxation time on the scale across the geomagnetic field for artificial ionospheric irregularities (AIIs) induced in the upper ionosphere by powerful HF radiation of the SURA heating facility. The irregularity diagnostics was based on observing amplitude scintillations of a 243-MHz beacon signal from a quasi-geostationary, solar-synchronous satellite and on measuring field-aligned scattering at frequencies 15 and 20 MHz. The satellite signal was received at the Kazan State University Observatory. The field-aligned scattering signals were received and analyzed by a bistatic HF radar based on the UTR-2 radio telescope located near Kharkov (Ukraine). It is shown that irregularities of the electron density, whose two-dimensional spectrum in the plane perpendicular to the geomagnetic field is the power law æ ^-p with index p2, are developed in the scale range 30–60 l 200–400 m. In this case, the relative fluctuations (N²)^1/2 of the electron density increase with decreasing scale l=2/æ. The estimate N²)^1/2 1–1.5% is obtained for a heating power of 150 MW and irregularity scales l 30–60 m at which the fluctuations are maximum. The measured dependence of the AII relaxation time, defined as the e-folding time of the amplitude-scintillation intensity, has the form _r l . If l 30–60 m, then the index is close to 2, whereas the effective diffusion coefficient D (2–3)· 10^-1 m²/s corresponds to the ambipolar cross-field diffusion coefficient in a magnetized plasma. The time _r for scales l 60–100 m is independent of l and increases with decreasing velocity of regular drift of the plasma. The Doppler-spectrum broadening (²)^1/2 0.6 Hz observed when receiving field-aligned scattered signals can be related to chaotic motions of plasma-density disturbances whose random drift velocities amount to (v²)^1/2 2–3 m/s for scales l 20 m at which the power-law index changes drastically.     

Ray theory of the impulse response of randomly bent multimode fibres

A ray theory based on the time-independent Fokker-Planck equation and the integration of time along ray trajectories provides analytical expressions for the average arrival time and spread of optical pulses propagating in randomly distorted, multimode, optical fibres. A clear physical picture emerges from the theory. The analytical expressions obtained for t and t ² coincide with the ones obtained by Olshansky from coupled-mode theory. The t ³ and t ⁴ moments of the impulse response are also calculated. Simple closed-form formulae are given for the step-index slab. The coupling between all modes is effectively taken into account in our ray theory.On leave of absence at the Laboratoire des Signaux et Systèmes.     

Fluorescence Probes for Cyclodextrin Interiors

6-Propionyl-2-(dimethylamino)naphthalene (PRODAN) emits two fluorescence bands, at 510 and 435 run, when dissolved in -cyclodextrin (CD) aqueous solutions. The relative contributions of these two bands were found to depend on time and temperature. These emissions are attributed to the inclusion of PRODAN with the dimethylamino group toward the larger and smaller rims inside the -CD cavities, respectively. The first position corresponds to a slightly polar and slightly rigid environment, while the second corresponds to a hydrophobic and rigid environment relative to the aqueous polar bulk. In contrast, PRODAN in either -CD or -CD aqueous solutions emits a single fluorescence band at 525 and 510 nm, respectively. The emission of PRODAN in -CD is similar to that in water and indicates no inclusion at all. In -CD, only one kind of inclusion is possible with the dimethylamino group of PRODAN toward the larger rims of -cavities. These results are supported by fluorescence decay lifetime measurements and are consistent with our previous observations made for 4-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (DMABN) and 4-diethylaminobenzonitrile (DEABN) in - and -CD aqueous solutions [23,24]. Therefore the possibility of twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state formation in PRODAN in terms of environmental polarity and local free volume of CD cavities is discussed. These observations put PRODAN, DMABN, and other TICT compounds as fluorescence probes for CD interiors.     

On some frequent but controversial statements concerning the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations

Quite often the compatibility of the EPR correlations with the relativity theory has been questioned; it has been stated that the first in time of two correlated measurements instantaneously collapses the other subsystem; it has been suggested that a causal asymmetry is built into the Feynman propagator. However, the EPR transition amplitude, as derived from the S matrix, is Lorentz andCPT invariant; the correlation formula is symmetric in the two measurements irrespective of their time ordering, so that the link of the correlations is the Feynman zigzag, and that causality isCPT invariant at the microlevel; finally, although the Feynman propagator has theP andCT symmetries, no causal asymmetry follows from that. As for Stapp's views concerning process and becoming, and his Whiteheadean concept of an advancing front, I object that they belong to factlike macrophysics, and are refuted at the microlevel by the EPR phenomenology, which displays direct Fokker-like space-time connections. The reason for this is a radical one. The very blending of a space-time picture and of a probability calculus is a paradox. The only adequate paradigm is one denying objectivity to space-time—but this, of course, is also required by the complementary of the x and the k pictures, which only look compatible at the macrolevel. Therefore, the classical objectivity must yield in favor of intersubjectivity. Only the macroscopic preparing and measuring devices have factlike objectivity; the transition of the quantal system takes place beyond both thex and thek 4-spaces. Then, the intrinsic symmetries between retarded and advanced waves, and statistical prediction and retrodiction, entails that the future has no less (but no more) existence than the past. It is the future that is significant in creative process, the elementary forms of which should be termed precognition or psychokinesis—respectively symmetric to the factlike taboos that we can neither know into the future nor act into the past. It is gratifying that Robert Jahn, at the Engineering School of Princeton University, is conducting (after others) conclusive experiments demonstrating low level psychokinesis—a phenomenon implied by the very symmetry of the negentropy-information transition. So, what pierces the veil of maya is the (rare) occurrence of paranormal phenomena. The essential severance between act and potentia is not a spacelike advancing front, but the out of and the into factlike space-time. Finally, I do not feel that an adequate understanding of the EPR phenomenology requires going beyond the present status of relativistic quantum mechanics. Rather, I believe that the potentialities of this formalism have not yet been fully exploited.     

Optical bistability in the semilinear phase-conjugate mirror

It is shown theoretically that the semilinear phase conjugate mirror exhibits bistability when it is seeded by a weak external pump beam. Full hysteresis in the output intensity is obtained when the seed intensity is swept through the two-stable-states region and the coupling strength is below the self-oscillation threshold.     

Implementation of comparative probability by normal states. Infinite dimensional case

Let be an infinite dimensional Hilbert space and () the set of all (orthogonal) projections on . A comparative probability on () is a linear preorder on () such thatOP1,1O and such that ifP┴R,Q┴R, thenPQP+RQ+R for allP, Q, R in (). We give a sufficient and necessary condition for to be implemented in a canonical way by a normal state onB(), the bounded linear operators on .     

Polarization of the secondary nucleons in thepp → ppπ 0 andpp→npπ+ reactions at 1000 MeV

The calculation of the secondary nucleons polarization in thepppp⁰ andppnp⁺ reactions at 1000 MeV is effected in the framework of the one-pion exchange model. It is shown that polarization is due to the interference of the resonant amplitude with the non-resonant amplitudes of theN virtual scattering. The angular dependence of the polarization is sensitive to the behaivour of theN scattering amplitudes off the mass shell.Submitted to the symposium Mesons and Light Nuclei, Liblice, Czechoslovakia, June 1981.     

Mode-locking of neodymium lasers by glasses doped with PbS nanocrystals

Nonlinear optical absorption properties of silicate glasses doped by the PbS nanocrystals were investigated by means of the picosecond pump-probe absorption spectroscopy and absorption bleaching technique. The glass samples were used as saturable absorbers for passive mode-locking of Nd:YAG and Nd:glass lasers. Application of the PbS doped glass together with the active mode-locking and laser cavity quality control enabled the stable of generation of 28 ps and 5 ps duration pulses in Nd:YAG and Nd:glass lasers respectively. PACS 42.60.Fc; 42.70.Hj; 78.47.+p     

К ТЕОРИИ ГРАВИТАЦИОННОГО ИЗЛУЧЕНИЯ

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On the theory of gravitational radiation

The equations of motion of weakly radiating particles are investigated in a linear approximation in which the pseudo-Euclidian metric remains valid but energy changes caused by gravitational radiation are considered. The classical relativistic equations of motion with variable rest mass are applied. An elementary theory of the gravitational radiation of a rotator is formulated. The results are applied for particles in circular accelerators. It is found that a rotator with non-zero rest mass cannot exist for an unlimited period and that it cannot exceed the velocity of light. This explains why particles with non-zero rest mass cannot attain the velocity of light in circular accelerators; it is also shown that the gravitational radiation of particles in circular accelerators does not exist in practice.

     

Baryon decays and gamma-spectroscopy of hypernuclei

The applicability of (K ^–,^–) - and (K ^–,^– N)-reactions on^13,14C and^14,15N nuclei to the study of -transitions in primary and daughter -hypernuclei is discussed. The intensity of -deexcitation of ¹³C state |S ¹²C(15·11 MeV; 1⁺1): 1/2⁺ has been shown to be comparable with the intensity of baryon decay. Isospin selection rules are used to distinguish excitation energy ranges of primary hypernuclei, where the identification of the secondary -lines is probable.Presented at the symposium Mesons and Light Nuclei, Bechyn, Czechoslovakia, May 27–June 1, 1985.