Local approximations for maximum partial subgraph problem

We deal with MAXH₀-FREE PARTIAL SUBGRAPH. We mainly prove that 3-locally optimum solutions achieve approximation ratio (δ₀+1)/(B+2+ν₀), where B=max_v∈Vd_G(v), δ₀=min_v∈V(H0)d_H0(v) and ν₀=(|V(H₀)|+1)/δ₀. Next, we show that this ratio rises up to 3/(B+1) when H₀=K₃. Finally, we provide hardness results for MAXK₃-FREE PARTIAL SUBGRAPH.     

Inclusive production of neutral vector mesons in hadronic Z decays

A data sample of about 3.0 million hadronicZ decays collected by the ALEPH experiment at LEP in the years 1991 through 1994 is used to make an inclusive selection of B hadron events. In this event sample 4227±140±252B* mesons in the decayB*→Bγ and 1944±108±161B** _u,d mesons decaying into a B meson and a charged pion are reconstructed. Here and in the followingB** _u,d denotes the eightL=1(bū) and (bd) states and their charge conjugate. For the well establishedB* meson the following quantities are obtained:ΔM=M _B*−M_B=(45.30±0.35±0.87) MeV/c² andN _B*/(N _B+N _B*)=(77.1±2.6±7.0)%. The angular distribution of the photons in theB* rest frame is used to measure the relative contribution of longitudinalB* polarization states to beσ _L/(σ _L+σ _T)=(33±6±5)%.     

Novel fiber-optic biosensor based on immobilized glutathione S-transferase and sol–gel entrapped bromcresol green for the determination of atrazine

The aim of this work was to investigate, for the first time, the potential of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase I (isoenzyme GST-I) for uses in analytical chemistry. A novel fiber-optic biosensor for the detection and determination of the triazine herbicide atrazine was developed based on maize GST-I expressed in E. coli. The sensing bioactive material was a three-layer mini-sandwich. The enzyme was immobilized on the outer layer that consisted of a hydrophilic polyvinylidenefluoride membrane. This membrane was supported on an inner glass disk by means of an intermediate binder sol–gel layer that incorporated bromcresol green (BCG). The biosensor operated in a static mode at 25 °C and the rate of the enzymatic reaction, using atrazine as a substrate, served as an analytical signal. A calibration curve was obtained for atrazine, with analytically useful concentration range 2.52–125 μM. The sensor detection limit was 0.84 μM. The reproducibility of atrazine sensing was in the order of ±3–5%. The method was successfully applied to the determination of this herbicide in real water samples, without sample preparation steps. Atrazine recovery ranged between 85 and 110%. No interference from other pesticides, such as alachlor and carbaryl was observed in the absence of atrazine. The immobilized enzyme retained about 75% of its original activity after 1 month use. Simply unscrewing the terminal holding ring of the probe and placing a new bioactive sandwich could easily replace a deteriorated mini-sandwich.     

Determination of sin2 θ weff using jet charge measurements in hadronic Z decays

The electroweak mixing angle is determined with high precision from measurements of the mean difference between forward and backward hemisphere charges in hadronic decays of the Z. A data sample of 2.5 million hadronic Z decays recorded over the period 1990 to 1994 in the ALEPH detector at LEP is used. The mean charge separation between event hemispheres containing the original quark and antiquark is measured for and events in subsamples selected by their long lifetimes or using fastD*’s. The corresponding average charge separation for light quarks is measured in an inclusive sample from the anticorrelation between charges of opposite hemispheres and agrees with predictions of hadronisation models with a precision of 2%. It is shown that differences between light quark charge separations and the measured average can be determined using hadronisation models, with systematic uncertainties constrained by measurements of inclusive production of kaons, protons andΛ’s. The separations are used to measure the electroweak mixing angle precisely as sin² ϑ _w ^eff =0.2322±0.0008(exp.stat.) ±0.0007(exp.syst.)±0.0008(sep.). The first two errors are due to purely experimental sources whereas the third stems from uncertainties in the quark charge separations. Supported by Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Técnica, Spain     

Improved measurement of theB0 andB+ meson lifetimes

The lifetimes of theB ⁰ andB ⁺ mesons have been measured with theAleph detector at LEP, using approximately 3 million hadronic Z decays collected in the period 1991–1994. In the first of three methods, semileptonic decays ofB ⁰ andB ⁺ mesons were partially reconstructed by identifying events containing a lepton with an associatedD*⁻ or meson. The second method used fully reconstructedB ⁰ andB ⁺ mesons. The third method, used to measure theB ⁰ lifetime, employed a partial reconstruction technique to identifyB ⁰→D*⁻ π ⁺ X decays.     

Synthesis of a first thiophene containing analog of the HIV protease inhibitor nelfinavir

A stereoselective and efficient preparation of a thiophene containing intermediate 2 from ethyl 3-thienyl propenoate 4 as the core of new possible HIV protease inhibitors is described. The chiral intermediate has been successfully used for the preparation of the analog 1 of the potent HIV inhibitor nelfinavir.     

Optical emission spectroscopy investigation of an ultra-short laser induced titanium plasma reheated by a ns laser pulse

The dynamics of a titanium plasma species, induced in air by coupling a fs-ablating laser pulse with an orthogonal ns-reheating laser source placed at the fixed distance of 1.0 mm from the target surface, has been followed by temporally resolved emission spectroscopy. The temporal evolutions of plasma features such as excitation temperatures and electron densities have been evaluated by using two different laser energies of the first fs-ablating laser pulse (0.8 mJ and 3.0 mJ). Optimum inter-pulse delay times, experimentally determined, of 250 μs and 500 μs were used for the fs laser energy of 3.0 mJ and 0.8 mJ, respectively. By experimental inspections of the main plasma species electronic transitions so obtained, a strong enhancement was evaluated up to one and two orders of magnitude for Ti(I) and Ti(II), respectively. Independently from the fs laser energy employed, the plasma features showed the same temporal behaviour implying that the ns-reheating characteristics of this process belong to the reheating mechanism itself. The experimental results have been discussed and the excited species evolutions and elementary processes involved, as well as, the local thermodynamic equilibrium departures, have been outlined.     

Universal series induced by approximate identities and some relevant applications

We prove the existence of series ∑a_nψ_n, whose coefficients (a_n) are in ∩_p>1?^p and whose terms (ψ_n) are translates by rational vectors in R^d of a family of approximations to the identity, having the property that the partial sums are dense in various spaces of functions such as Wiener’s algebra W(C₀,?¹), C_b(R^d), C₀(R^d), L^p(R^d), for every p∈[1,∞), and the space of measurable functions. Applying this theory to particular situations, we establish approximations by such series to solutions of the heat and Laplace equations as well as to probability density functions.