Vibrational properties of superionic glasses (AgI)x(Ag2O nB2O3)1-x

In this letter we refer on the Raman-scattering measurements in superionic glasses (AgI)_x(Ag₂O nB₂O₃)_1-x where 0 ? x ? 0.5. The behaviour of the low-frequency Raman spectra, Δν < 250 cm^?1, has been interpreted as due to a vibrational density of states mainly due to the silver halide. Nonlinear increase of the Raman efficiency with the increase of AgI concentration has been found: a phenomenological explanation is presented.     

Dual-wavelength operation of two coupled dye lasers

The analysis of the influence of an intracavity absorbing dye cell on the spectral characteristics of a free running dye laser leads to the operation of two coupled dye lasers. A powerful flashlamp-pumped dye ring laser pumps a secondary intracavity dye laser with a conversion efficiency of 30 %. Both wavelengths are independently tunable and cover the spectral range from 580 nm to 652 nm in the case of the dye combination rhodamine 6G and cresyl violet.     

Ethene adsorption, dehydrogenation and reaction with Pd(110): Pd as a carbon 'sponge'

The interaction of ethene with the Pd(110) surface has been investigated, mainly with a view to understanding the dehydrogenation reactions of the molecule and mainly using a molecular beam reactor. Ethene adsorbs with a high probability over the temperature range 130 to 800 K with the low-coverage sticking probability dropping from 0.8 at 130 K to 0.35 at 800 K. The adsorption is of the precursor type, with a weakly held form of ethene being the intermediate between the gas phase and strong chemisorption. Dehydrogenation begins at approximately 300 K and is fast above 350 K. If adsorption is carried out at temperatures up to approximately 380 K, adsorption saturates after about 0.25 monolayer have adsorbed, but above approximately 450 K, adsorption continues at a high rate with continuous hydrogen evolution and C deposition onto the surface. It appears that, in the intermediate temperature range, the carbonaceous species formed is located in the top layer and thus interferes with adsorption, whereas the C goes subsurface above 450 K, the adsorption is almost unaffected, and the C signal is significantly attenuated in XPS. However, the deposited carbon can easily be removed again by reaction with oxygen, thus implying that the carbon remains in the selvedge, that is, in the immediate subsurface region probably consisting of a few atomic layers. No well-ordered structures are identified in either LEED or STM, though some evidence of a c(2 x 2) structure can be seen. The Pd surface, at least above 450 K, appears to act as a "sponge" for carbon atoms, and this effect is also seen for the adsorption of other hydrocarbons such as acetaldehyde and acetic acid.     

A new linker for anchoring/masking primary amines on solid support

A polymer-supported diketone was synthesized and used to fully protect/mask primary amines by the formation of a pyrrole ring. Various reactions can be performed on this system which then can be cleaved with full restoration of the amine functionality. The resin can also be recycled at least once without loss of purity of the final compound. [structure: see text]     

MR enteroclysis using iron oxide particles (ferristene) as an endoluminal contrast agent: an open phase III trial

To evaluate efficacy and safety of a superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent (ferristene) as an endoluminal contrast medium for magnetic resonance (MR) enteroclysis in a phase III trial. Twenty-three patients with history of known or suspected small bowel Crohn's disease underwent MR imaging of the abdomen at 0.5 T unit. The imaging protocol included two phases: the first one without administration of any contrast agent and the second one, where the small bowel was filled by enteroclysis with 800 ml of the luminal iron oxide contrast medium and Gd-DTPA (0.1 mmol/Kg) was administered intravenously. Axial Spin-Echo (SE) T1-weighted (T1w), proton-density and T2w images, sagittal and coronal SE T1w and Short TI Inversion Recovery (STIR) sequences were subsequently obtained. Three investigators blindly evaluated images to determine small bowel distribution of ferristene, presence of artifacts, delineation of bowel lesion/wall and the diagnostic value of ferristene combined with gadolinium. Pre- and postcontrast signal intensity measurements of bowel lesion/wall, bowel lumen and background noise were also calculated. Three patients withdrew before the procedure, therefore 20 patients were effectively included in the study. No significant difference between the three investigators' evaluations of the improvement of the diagnostic information was found (percentage of improvement of 90% with 95% confidence limits of 68% and 99%). A statistically significant difference between the first and third investigators was found for grading of quality of delineation of bowel lesion/wall. Signal intensity measures showed a significant increase of the bowel lesion/wall and background noise/lesion for the SE T1w images. No serious adverse event was reported in our series. MR enteroclysis using ferristene as an endoluminal contrast agent appears to be a safe and efficient procedure for the study of the small bowel.     

Ultimate state of thermal convection

The ultimate regime of thermal convection, the so-called Kraichnan regime [R. H. Kraichnan, Phys. Fluids 5, 1374 (1962)]], hitherto has been elusive. Here numerical evidence for that regime is presented by performing simulations of the bulk of turbulence only, eliminating the thermal and kinetic boundary layers and replacing them with periodic boundary conditions.     

Enrichment from activated sludges of aerobic mixed cultures capable to degrade vinyl chloride (VC) as the sole carbon source

Two microbial cultures able to degrade high concentrations of VC as the sole carbon source have been obtained by enrichment from activated sludge. The cultures began consuming VC (0.02 mmol l(-1)) only after a long initial acclimation period (1-2 months). After then the concentration of VC was gradually increased (from 0.02 to 0.8 mmol l(-1)) and the cultures were able to maintain VC degrading ability for long time (over 500 days). VC-degrading biomass in the two cultures was characterized by low specific maximum growth rates (0.19-0.21 d(-1)) compared to heterotrophic organisms typically present in activated sludge processes. Monod half-saturation constant was rather low (0.7-1.6 mg VC l(-1)) indicating that it is possible to effectively remove VC to low residual concentrations. The cultures were highly sensitive to even short periods of VC lack (with quick decrease of VC degradation rates) whereas they were not to sudden load increases (up to 3.4 mmol l(-1)). After being cultured with only ethene as the sole carbon and energy source, the cultures kept the ability of degrading VC. Possibility of maintaining the mixed cultures on non-toxic ethene, without loosing VC degradation ability, is very promising for bioaugmentation treatments.     

A Discussion on Particle Number and Quantum Indistinguishability

The concept of individuality in quantum mechanics shows radical differences from the concept of individuality in classical physics, as E. Schr?dinger pointed out in the early steps of the theory. Regarding this fact, some authors suggested that quantum mechanics does not possess its own language, and therefore, quantum indistinguishability is not incorporated in the theory from the beginning. Nevertheless, it is possible to represent the idea of quantum indistinguishability with a first-order language using quasiset theory (Q). In this work, we show that Q cannot capture one of the most important features of quantum non-individuality, which is the fact that there are quantum systems for which particle number is not well defined. An axiomatic variant of Q, in which quasicardinal is not a primitive concept (for a kind of quasisets called finite quasisets), is also given. This result encourages the searching of theories in which the quasicardinal, being a secondary concept, stands undefined for some quasisets, besides showing explicitly that in a set theory about collections of truly indistinguishable entities, the quasicardinal needs not necessarily be a primitive concept. Graciela Domenech — Fellow of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET).