Alteration of the Axial Met Ligand to Electron Acceptor A0 in Photosystem I: Effect on the Generation of P 700 ·+ A 1 ·− Radical Pairs as Studied by W-band Transient EPR

Photosystem I (PS I) mutants from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 bearing point mutations to the axial ligands of A_0A (M688N_PsaA) and A_0B (M668N_PsaB) were studied by high-field W-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. It was found that the EPR observables of PS I from the M668N_PsaB mutant were virtual identical to that of the wild type (WT), and are clearly distinct from the M688N_PsaA mutant. In particular, the P ₇₀₀ ^·+ decay kinetics in the M688N_PsaA mutant is significantly slower than in the WT or the M668N_PsaB mutant. The analysis of the out-of-phase electron–electron dipolar electron spin echo envelope modulation shows that in the M668N_PsaB mutant, the estimated distance of 26.0 ± 0.3 Å agrees well with the 25.8 Å distance for the P ₇₀₀ ^·+ A _1A ^·? radical pair measured in the X-ray crystal structure. In the M688N_PsaA mutant, two populations are found with estimated distances of 26.0 ± 0.3 and 25.0 ± 0.3 Å in a ratio of 0.7–0.3, which agree well with the 25.8 Å distance for the P ₇₀₀ ^·+ A _1A ^·? radical pair and the 24.6 Å distance for the P ₇₀₀ ^·+ A _1B ^·? radical pair measured in the X-ray crystal structure. The data confirm that under the experimental conditions employed in this work, which involve dark-adapted samples without the pre-reduction of the iron–sulfur clusters, electron transport in cyanobacterial PS I is asymmetrical at 100 K, with the majority of electron transfer taking place through the A-branch of cofactors.     

Spectroscopy study of air plasma induced by IR CO2 laser pulses

A spectroscopic study of ambient air plasma, initially at room temperature and pressures ranging from 32 to 101 kPa, produced by high-power transverse excitation atmospheric (TEA) CO₂ laser (λ=9.621 and 10.591 μm; τ _FWHM≈64 ns; power densities ranging from 0.29 to 6.31 GW cm⁻²) has been carried out in an attempt to clarify the processes involved in laser-induced breakdown (LIB) air plasma. The strong emission observed in the plasma region is mainly due to electronic relaxation of excited N, O and ionic fragments N⁺. The medium-weak emission is due to excited species O⁺, N²⁺, O²⁺, C, C⁺, C²⁺, H, Ar and molecular band systems of N ₂⁺(_{2}^{+}( B ²\varSigma _u⁺^{2}\varSigma _{\mathrm{u}}^{+} –X ²\varSigma _g⁺)^{2}\varSigma _{\mathrm{g}}^{+}) , N₂(C³ Π _u–B³ Π _g), N ₂⁺(_{2}^{+}( D² Π _g–A² Π _u) and OH(A² Σ ⁺–X² Π). Excitation temperatures of 23400±700 K and 26600±1400 K were estimated by means of N⁺ and O⁺ ionic lines, respectively. Electron number densities of the order of (0.5–2.4)×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ and (0.6–7.5)×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ were deduced from the Stark broadening of several ionic N⁺ and O⁺ lines, respectively. Estimates of vibrational and rotational temperatures of N ₂⁺_{2}^{+} electronically excited species are reported. The characteristics of the spectral emission intensities from different species have been investigated as functions of the air pressure and laser irradiance. Optical breakdown threshold intensities in air at 10.591 μm have been measured.     

Synthesis, Characterization, DNA-Binding and Antiproliferative Activity of Nd(III) Complexes With N-(Nitrogen Heterocyclic) Norcantharidin Acylamide Acid

Three novel complexes [Nd(L)(NO₃)(H₂O)₂]·NO₃·2H₂O (HL¹ = N-pyrimidine norcantharidin acylamide acid, C₁₂H₁₃N₃O₄; HL² = N-pyridine norcantharidin acylamide acid, C₁₃H₁₄N₂O₄; HL³ = N-phenyl norcantharidin acylamide acid, C₁₄H₁₅NO₄) were synthesized. HL¹, HL² and HL³ are the ligand of complex(1), complex(2) and complex(3), respectively. Their structures were characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurement, infrared spectra and thermogravimetric analysis. The DNA-binding properties of the complexes have been investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. The results suggest that the complexes can bind to DNA by partial intercalation. The liner Stern-Volmer quenching constant K_sq values are 3.3(±0.21)(1), 1.7(±0.19)(2) and 0.9(±0.04)(3), respectively. Complex (1) and (2) have been found to cleave pBR322 plasmid DNA at physiological pH and temperature. The test of antiproliferation activity indicates that complex(1) has strong antiproliferative ability against the SMMC7721 (IC₅₀ = 131.7 ± 23.4 μmol·L⁻¹) and A549 (IC₅₀ = 128.4 ± 19.9 μmol·L⁻¹) cell lines. The inhibition rates of complex(2) (IC₅₀ = 86.3 ± 11.3 μmol·L⁻¹) are much higher than that of NCTD (IC₅₀ = 115.5 ± 9.5 μmol·L⁻¹) and HL² (111.0 ± 5.7 μmol·L⁻¹) against SMMC7721 cell lines.     

New results from the HAPPEX Experiments at Q<Superscript>2</Superscript> = 0.1GeV/c<Superscript>2</Superscript>

The nucleon's strange electric and magnetic form factors G _E ^s and G _M ^s can be probed via parity-violating electron scattering. The HAPPEX Collaboration has made new measurements of the parity-violating asymmetry A _PV in elastic scattering of 3GeV electrons off hydrogen and ⁴He targets with 〈θ_lab〉 ≈ 6.0^° . For ⁴He the preliminary result is A _PV = (+ 6.43±0.23(stat)±0.22(syst))×10^-6 . For hydrogen the preliminary result is A _PV = (- 1.60±0.12(stat)±0.05(syst))×10^-6 . From these values we extract G ^s _E = 0.004±0.014±0.013 at 〈Q ²〉 = 0.077 GeV/c^2 , and G ^s _E +0.09G ^s _M = 0.004±0.011±0.005 at 〈Q ²〉 = 0.109 GeV/c^2 , both consistent with zero, providing stringent new limits on the role of strange quarks in the vector structure of the nucleon.     

Observation of Δ+→ pπ0 decay in heavy-ion collisions

Proton-π⁰ coincidences have been measured at the beam energy of 180A MeV in the reaction Ar+Ca studied by TAPS at SIS/GSI. In the proton-π⁰ invariant mass spectrum we observe a significant excess of strength above the background obtained by event mixing. We attribute this signal to the strength distribution N _Δ of the Δ baryonic resonance. No correlation is observed in the case of deuteron-π⁰ coincidences. Assuming isotropic emission of π⁰ and Δ⁺ from a midrapidity thermal source and isospin symmetry, we determined the global N _Δ/N _πratio of 0.79 ±0.30(stat) ±0.2(syst). This value indicates that most pions produced at subthreshold energy in heavy-ion reaction are mediated by the Δ-resonance. Received: 7 April 2000 / Accepted: 29 August 2000     

Das gyromagnetische Verhältnis des 137 keV Rotationsniveaus von Os185

The rotation of the angular correlation of the 631 keV-137keVγ-γ-cascade in the decay of Re¹⁸⁶ in an external magnetic field of 53 500 gauß was determined to:ωτ=0·098 ± 0·008. The half life of the 137 keV level was measured as: T_1/2=(0·84 ± 0·03) · 10^?9 sec. The coincidences between the 137 keVγ-radiation and theβ-group of 927 keV maximum energy were used in connexion with a time to pulse height converter circuit. The coefficients of the angular correlation of the 631 keV-137 keV γ-γ-cascade were found as: A₂=? 0·073 ± 0·010; A₄=+ 0·310 ± 0·014. These values imply corrections for 3·9% admixture of internal bremsstrahlung and a 1 % contribution by K-X-radiation. The solid angle-corrections were done according to the formula given by E.Rose. The comparison with the theoretical coefficients for a (2⁺ 2⁺ 0⁺)-cascade shows that the multipolarity of the 631 keV radiation is pure E₂, the M₁ admixture being less than 0· 1%. This result is in agreement with the K-selection rule. There is no appreciable attenuation by internal fields. The comparison with the theoretical angular correlation gives for the integral attenuation factor: G₄=0·95±0·04; Assuming only attenuation by electric quadrupole interaction one gets for: G₂=0·92±0·07; The nuclear g-factor of the 137 keV rotational state was derived from these results without any further correction as: g_R= + 0·316±0·028.     

Search for direct CP violating charge asymmetries in K±→π±π+π- and K±→π±π0π0 decays

A measurement of the direct CP violating charge asymmetries of the Dalitz plot linear slopes A_g=(g⁺-g^-)/(g⁺+g^-) in K^±→π^±π⁺π^- and K^±→π^±π⁰π⁰ decays by the NA48/2 experiment at CERN SPS is presented. A new technique of asymmetry measurement involving simultaneous K⁺ and K^- beams and a large data sample collected allowed a result of an unprecedented precision. The charge asymmetries were measured to be A^c _g=(-1.5±2.2)×10^-4 with 3.11×10⁹K^±→π^±π⁺π^- decays, and Aⁿ _g=(1.8±1.8)×10^-4 with 9.13×10⁷K^±→π^±π⁰π⁰ decays. The precision of the results is limited mainly by the size of the data sample.     

Studies on the analytical potential energy function of diatomic molecular ion XY<Superscript>+</Superscript> using variational method

A new analytical potential energy function for diatomic molecular ion XY⁺ is proposed based on the energy consistent method (ECM). The Coulomb potential included in the new ionic potential contains multipole corrections, converges quickly and is variationally, changeable. The new potential and the ECM are applied to variationally studying the potential energies of eight electronic states of several diatomic molecular ions: the A²π state of CO⁺, the X²∑_g⁺ state of Li₂⁺, the X²∑_g⁺ state of He₂⁺, the 1²∏_u state of Na₂⁺, the A²∏_u state of N₂⁺, the X¹∑⁺ state of KrH⁺, the X²∑⁺ state of SiO⁺ and the A²π state of SO⁺ ion. The present results agree excellently with the experiment-based Rydberg-Klein-Rees (RKR) potentials, and are superior to the commonly used Huxley-Murrell-Sorbie (HMS) analytical potentials, and are better in some cases than some quantum mechanicalab initio potentials in the ionic asymptotic and dissociation regions.     

Electromagnetic form factors of nucleons in a relativistic square-root potential model of independent quarks

The nucleon electromagnetic form factorsG _E ^P (q²),G _M ^P (q²) and the axial-vector form factor G_A(q²) are studied in a relativistic model of independent quarks confined by an equally mixed scalar-vector square root potentialV _q(r)=1/2(1+γ ⁰)(ar ^1/2+ν ₀) taking into account the appropriate centre-of-mass corrections. The respective root-mean-square radii associated withG _E ^P (q²) and G _A (q²) come out as [〈r ²〉 _E ^P ]^1/2=0.86 fm and 〈r _A ² 〉^1/2=0.88 fm. Restoration of chiral symmetry in this model is discussed to derive the pion-nucleon form factorG _πNN(q²) and consequently the pion-nucleon coupling constant is obtained asg _πNN(q²)=12.81 as compared tog _πNN(q²)_exp⋍13.     

Progress in pion-decay channelling: Refractory bcc metals at high and low temperatures

By means of π⁺/μ⁺ channelling, positive pions (π⁺) implanted intoTa, Mo, andW are investigated up to high temperatures. A striking observation is that the channelling effect disappears in a rather narrow temperature interval centred at 0.26 (Ta) to 0.51 (W) of the melting temperature. From studies of π⁺ trapping by oxygen atoms inTa estimates for the low-temperature π⁺ diffusivity inTa [D _π(23K)=1.4·10^−10±0.3 m²s⁻¹,D _π(47K)=5.7·10^−10±0.3 m²s⁻¹] as well as for the binding enthalpy of π⁺ to 0 atoms (H _B=7·10⁻² eV) have been obtained. The diffusion data are in reasonable agreement with the theory of phonon-assisted tunnelling.