Excess noise generation during spectral broadening in a microstructured fiber

We observe that nanojoule femtosecond pulses that are spectrally broadened in a microstructured fiber acquire excess noise. The excess noise is manifested as an increase in the noise floor of the rf spectrum of the photocurrent from a photodetector illuminated by the pulse train from the laser oscillator. Measurements are made of the intensity dependence of the excess noise for both 100 fs and sub-10 fs pulses. The excess noise is very strong for 100 fs pulses, but barely measurable for sub-10 fs pulses. A rigorous quantum treatment of the nonlinear propagation of ultrashort pulses predicts that, for a fixed generated bandwidth, the amount of excess noise decreases with pulse duration, in agreement with the experimental results.     

WITCH: A Penning Trap Retardation Spectrometer Combination for Precision Studies of the Weak Interaction

We present data from three seasons of experimental field work designed to recreate ancient Andean coastal ceramic firing techniques. Based on the recent discovery of two different archaeological ceramic production sites in the La Leche river valley of northern coastal Peru, the opportunity arose to apply Mössbauer spectroscopy and other analytical methods to reconstruct ancient firing procedures. Two sets of firings took place in 1993 and 1997 in Batán Grande using a partially restored Formative kiln from about 800 BC, local hardwood and cow dung as fuel. A third experiment followed in 2000 after the discovery of a Middle Sicán ceramics workshop in use between ca. AD 950 and 1050 at Huaca Sialupe, where an exact replica of an ancient kiln was built from local clay, and fired with local wood and cow dung. Additionally, inverted urns found at Huaca Sialupe were tested for their potential use as furnaces for metal working. Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to compare the physical and chemical state of specimens produced in the field experiments with ancient ceramics and with specimens produced in controlled laboratory experiments.     

利用低能质子束产生高强度放射性束流

加拿大TRIUMF实验室利用¹¹C成功验证了一种产生高强度(～10⁸ions/s)放射性束流的方法. 该方法不同于普通在线同位素分离方法, 它利用了13MeV的低能强流质子束, 可以产生一系列核天体物理实验感兴趣的高强度放射性束流.     

STRUCTURE OF DYE AGGREGATES AND THE MECHANISM(S) OF PHOTOSENSITIZATION OF AgBr*,†

Abstract— This paper reports the present conclusions of an extended investigation on photo-sensitization of silver bromide. A general molecular packing structure for dye aggregates on the AgBr (111) surface is proposed. This structure, along with the observed spectral absorption displacements of small aggregates, is used to elucidate the phenomena of antisensitization and supersensitization. Supersensitization is seen as a partitioning of large dye aggregates into small aggregates by a deliberately added second component or by gaps between the aggregates. This partitioning isolates antisensitizing dye in a small fraction of the aggregates and minimizes its effect. The smallest aggregates are least likely to contain an antisensitizer, and show the highest quantum efficiency for photoconductivity and photographic action. Photoconductivity measurements establish that supersensitization occurs before the electron appears in the AgBr phase.
The question of direct electron injection vs. energy transfer as mechanisms for AgBr photosensitization is examined in terms of radiationless transfer to surface Ag₂S on AgBr. The absorption of surface Ag₂S is shown to be adequate for acceptance of Förster transfer from the dye, and surface Ag₂S is known to be photographically active. However, this mechanism is inefficient, and inadequate to account for observed high efficiency infrared sensitization. Direct electron injection is seen as the more probable mechanism for efficient dye sensitization of AgBr.     

Novel approaches to the analysis of the Maillard reaction of proteins

The Maillard reaction comprises a complex network of reactions which has proven to be of great importance in both food science and medicine. The majority of methods developed for studying the Maillard reaction in food have focused on model systems containing amino acids and monosaccharides. In this study, a number of electrophoretic techniques, including two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis, are presented. These have been developed specifically for the analysis of the Maillard reaction of food proteins, and are giving important insights into this complex process.     

The development and application of capillary electrophoresis methods for food analysis

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) offers the analyst a number of key advantages for the analysis of the components of foods. CE offers better resolution than, say, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and is more adept at the simultaneous separation of a number of components of different chemistries within a single matrix. In addition, CE requires less rigorous sample cleanup procedures than HPLC, while offering the same degree of automation. However, despite these advantages, CE remains under-utilized by food analysts. Therefore, this review consolidates and discusses the currently reported applications of CE that are relevant to the analysis of foods. Some discussion is also devoted to the development of these reported methods and to the advantages/disadvantages compared with the more usual methods for each particular analysis. It is the aim of this review to give practicing food analysts an overview of the current scope of CE.     

Acylhydroperoxide oxidations of the anticancer agent hexamethylmelamine

The clinically effective anticancer agent hexamethylmelamine undergoes an unusual acylhydroperoxide oxidative transformation to give the novel product 2,4-bis(dimethylamino)-6-[(dimethylamino)oxy]-1,3,5-triazine.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay and preclinical pharmacological studies of pibenzimol (bisbenzimidazole)

A sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with ultraviolet or fluorescence detection has been developed for the experimental antitumor agent pibenzimol. Drug is isolated from plasma or other aqueous solutions with reversed-phase C18 disposable extraction columns and chromatography afforded with a deactivated reversed-phase C18 column and phosphate buffer--methanol mobile phase. Plasma standard curves are linear for concentrations for pibenzimol from 0.01 to 5.0 micrograms/ml. Pibenzimol is stable in fresh human plasma and whole blood. Pibenzimol appears to bind to plasma proteins; however, drug adsorption to glass, plastic, membranes, and filters precludes accurate determination of pibenzimol plasma protein binding. Plasma concentrations of pibenzimol fall rapidly following rapid intravenous administration to rabbits, but parent drug is detectable in plasma 24 h after drug administration. The 24-h urinary recovery of pibenzimol is 10-20%.     

Some reactions of 3-halogenocinnolines catalysed by palladium compounds

3-Bromo- or 3-iodo-cinnoline (and 4-substituted analogues) are condensed with terminal alkynes in the presence of Pd and Cu compounds as catalysts to give the 3-alkynyl-derivatives. When 4-chloro- or 4-phenoxy-compounds are used, the products react with amines, in the presence of copper(I) iodide, to form pyrrolo[3,2-c]cinnolines and with hydrazines to give either the same ring system or a pyrazolo[4,3-c]cinnoline. Hydrolysis of 3-alkynyl-4-phenoxycinnoline to 3-alkynyl-4(1H)-cinnoline, followed by cyclisation, yields the furo[3,2-c]cinnoline. Attempts to condense 3-halogenocinnolines with alkenes gave variable results: 3-phenyl ethenyl- and 3(2-pyridylethenyl)-4-(1H)-cinnolinones were obtained but 3-bromocinnoline gave the 3,3′-bicinnolinyl. Action of palladium acetate in the presence of ethyl acrylate converted 3-bromo-4-phenoxycinnoline into benzofuro[3,2-c]cinnoline and 3-bromo-4-phenylaminocinnoline into indolo[3,2-c]cinnoline.