Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

Composition of particles emitted at largep T and medium angles inpp,dd, andαα collisions at the CERN intersecting storage rings

The relative yields of kaons and protons compared with the yield of pions at highp _T and polar angles θ away from 90° (in the range from 10° to 45°) are presented forpp, dd, and αα interactions at a centre-of-mass energy \(\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 31\) GeV per nucleon-nucleon collision. The measured particle ratios depend on the atomic mass numberA of the beam particles and on θ. TheA dependence of the ratios becomes stronger for largerp _T and is more pronounced at smaller polar angles.     

High-p T αα andαp interactions

Properties of secondaries associated with a high-p _T charged trigger particle (3<p _T <5 GeV/c) were studied for αp and αα interactions at c.m. energies \(\sqrt s = 88\) GeV and 125 GeV, respectively. Thep _T distributions of secondaries in the away-jet and trigger-jet regions were compared with those for high-p _{T pp} interactions. No statistically significant differences were seen, except at lowp _T . Momentum and angular distributions of spectator and leading protons were studied as a function of charge and rapidity of the trigger hadron. The observed correlations between trigger charge and number of spectator protons provide evidence of valence quark contributions to the trigger jet.     

The decay of 31Ga34

Ge(Li) single γ-ray measurements and a NaI(Tl)Ge(Li) coincidence experiment were performed in a reinvestigation of the decay of 15 min ⁶⁵Ga. Eighty-nine γ-rays were attributed to this decay. In the proposed decay scheme 32 of these γ-rays (representing about 99.5 % of the total intensity of the γ-rays) were placed. The intensity of the annihilation radiation was determined using also a mass-separated source.     

Hypernuclear production in the (K, π) reaction

Cross sections for the production of hypernuclei were measured in the reaction A(K⁻, π⁻) _ΛA. on light and heavy nuclear targets, using a separated K⁻ beam at the CERN Proton Synchrotron. The pions were detected in the forward direction. The results are compared with cross sections calculated under the assumption that the reaction took place on a single neutron. The good agreement between the measured and the calculated cross sections justifies the use of the (K⁻, π⁻) reaction in order to obtain spectroscopic information on hypernuclei.     

Transverse momentum distributions of hadrons produced in αα and αp collisions at the CERN intersecting storage rings

The inclusive production of charged hadrons has been measured in αα and αp collisions at nucleon-nucleon c.m. energies (√s_nn)of 31 and 44 GeV, respectively, for transverse momenta p_T up to 5 GeV/c in the central rapidity (y) region. at high p_T the yields are consistent with being 4 times and 16 times highere than the ones in pp interactions at y=0, for αp and αα interactions, respectively. However, an enhancement over these factors, as expected from an earlier FNAL experiment, cannot be ruled out.     

Half-life andg-factor of the 11/2− isomeric states in115Sb and117Sb

Using the time-differential perturbed angular distribution method (TDPAD) theg-factors of the 11/2^? isomeric states in¹¹⁵Sb and¹⁷Sb have been measured to beg(¹¹⁵Sb, 11/2^?)=0.97 ±0.10 andg(¹¹⁷Sb, 11/2^?)=1.02 ±0.07. The experimental half-lives and theg-factors are compared to the single-particle estimates.     

Optical pumping system design for large production of hyperpolarized

We present a design for a spin-exchange optical pumping system to produce large quantities of highly polarized 129Xe. Low xenon concentrations in the flowing gas mixture allow the laser to maintain high Rb polarization. The large spin-exchange rate between Rb and 129Xe through the long-lived van der Waals molecules at low pressure, combined with a high flow rate, results in large production rates of hyperpolarized xenon. We report a maximum polarization of 64% achieved for a 0.3 l/h Xe flow rate, and maximum magnetization output of 6 l/h at 22% polarization. Our findings regarding the polarization dependence on temperature, nitrogen partial pressure, and gas mixture flow velocity are also reported.     

Charged particle spectra in αα and αp collisions at the CERN ISR

Momenta of charged particles produced in inelastic αα, αp, andpp collisions were measured using the Split-Field-Magnet detector at the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings. Inclusive and semi-in-clusive spectra are presented as a function of rapidityy, Feynman-x, and transverse momentump _T . The inclusivey distributions agree well with predictions of the dual parton model; the highest particle densities are reached aty?0 and the momenta of leading protons decrease significantly for increasing total multiplicity. ‘Temperatures’ are equal in αα, αp, andpp interactions. Thep _T distributions depend weakly on the multiplicity.