Spectral-luminescent properties of chlorin <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Subscript>6</Subscript> and malate dehydrogenase complexes

Spectral confirmation of the formation of stable equilibrium complexes (association constant K _as = 210⁶ M^–1) of the Krebs cycle enzyme — malate dehydrogenase (MDH) — and one of the promising photodynamic sensitizers — chlorin e ₆ — have been obtained. It is shown that the incorporation of dye molecules into the protein globule of dimeric MDH (each subunit of which contains 4 tryptophan amino acid residues, each binding one molecule of chlorin e ₆) is accompanied by quenching of the tryptophan fluorescence of the enzyme. However, despite the overlapping of the fluorescence spectra of tryptophanyls of MDH and the absorption spectrum of chlorin e ₆, the fluorescence quenching observed is not caused by singlet-singlet inductive-resonant transfer of energy from the donor to the acceptor. The conclusion has been drawn that the reason for the absence of energy transfer from tryptophanyls to the dye is the more effective intertryptophan migration of energy to one of the most longwave amino acid residues, the quenching of the luminescence of which occurs due to the reversible photoinduced transfer of an electron to chlorin e ₆ (formation of a complex with charge transfer). The formation of a complex with charge transfer between chlorin e ₆ (when it is excited) and one of the amino acid residues of the enzyme that contact with the dye at its binding site on the protein molecule is also the most noncontradictory explanation of the observed (when bound with MDH) decrease in the quantum yield of fluorescence of chlorin e ₆ upon increase in the duration of its quenching. The question of the ability of MDH to act as one of the most sensitive targets responsible for the disturbance of mitochondrial functions and initiation of the apoptosis of tumor cells in the process of photodynamic therapy is discussed.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 71, No. 6, pp. 749–758, November–December, 2004.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Transition prediction of a hypersonic boundary layer over a cone at small angle of attack—with the improvement of e<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis></Superscript> method

The problem of transition prediction for hypersonic boundary layers over a sharp cone has been studied in this work. The Mach number of the oncoming flow is 6, the cone half-angle is 5°, and the angle of attack is 1°. The conventional e ^N method is used, but the transition location so obtained is obviously incorrect. The reason is that in the conventional method, only the amplifying waves are taken into account, while in fact, for different meridians the decay processes of the disturbances before they begin to grow are different. Based on our own previous work, new interpretation and essential improvement for the e ^N method are proposed. Not only the amplification process but also the decay process is considered. The location, where by linear stability theory, the amplitude of disturbance wave is amplified from its initial small value to 1%, is considered to be the transition location. The new result for transition prediction thus obtained is found to be fairly satisfactory. It is also indicated that for the calculation of base flow, boundary layer equations can be used for a small angle of attack. Its computational cost is much smaller than those for DNS. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10632050 and 90716007), the Special Foundation for the Authors of National Excellent Doctoral Dissertations (Grant No. 200328), and the Foundation of Liu-Hui Center of Applied Mathematics of Nankai University and Tianjin University     

Scaling of cross-sections for asymmetric (e, 3e) process on helium-like ions by fast electrons

An approximate simple scaling law is obtained for asymmetric (e, 3e) process on helium-like ions for double ionization by fast electrons. It is based on the equation (Z ^′3π) exp[-Z(r₁ + r₂)],Z′ = Z – (5/16) for ground state wave function of helium-like ions and Z^′2 scaling of energies. The scaling law is found to work very well if the lower energy electron is ejected along the momentum transfer direction and the other one is ejected in the opposite direction. It also works quite well if this electron is ejected within about 90° of the momentum transfer direction with the other electron going in the opposite direction. The scaling law becomes increasingly accurate as the target nuclear charge and the energy increase.     

Perturbative QCD results on pion production in <Emphasis Type="Italic">pp,pA</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">AA</Emphasis> collisions

We summarize new pQCD results on pion production in proton–proton (pp), proton–nucleus (pA) and nucleus–nucleus (AA) collisions. Our calculation introduces intrinsic parton transverse momentum (k_T) and is performed effectively at next-to-leading order (NLO), applying a K factor extracted for jet events. Two different factorization scales, Q = p_Tjet/2 and p_Tjet are used. Experimental data in pA collisions imply a preference for the latter choice at NLO level. We display our results at CERN SPS for AA collisions.     

The exclusive reaction of pion quasi-elastic knockout from nucleon <Emphasis Type="Italic">p(e,e′ π)B</Emphasis> to various states of the final baryon-spectator <Emphasis Type="Italic">B</Emphasis> and the quark models for the pion cloud of nucleon

The pion momentum distributions (MDs) in four channels of virtual decay p→B+π, B = N, Δ, N _1/2-(1535), N _1/2+(1440) are calculated in two models, the microscopic model of ³ P ₀ scalar q−q fluctuation with the pion as a composite q−q-system and the chiral semi-microscopic model of πq interaction with the pion as a structureless Goldstone boson. The results of the above models are similar for the baryon states B = N, Δ, N _1/2-(1535) but are rather different for the Roper resonance N _1/2+(1440) which corresponds to excitation of two oscillator quanta in the nucleon. The experimental investigation of pion MDs by means of the reaction of quasi-elastic knockout of pion by an electron of a few GeV energy p(e, e′ π)B may be very suitable for Jefferson Laboratory, Virginia (JLab).     

Neutron scattering from <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-Ce at epithermal neutron energies

Neutron scattering data, using neutrons of incident energies as high as 2 eV, on α-Ce and α-Ce-like systems such as CeRh₂, CeNi₂, CeFe₂, CeRu₂, and many others that point clearly to the substantially localized 4f electronic state in these systems are reviewed. The present interpretation is contrary to the widely held view that the 4f electrons in these systems form a narrow itinerant electron 4f band.      

Dual properties of orthogonal polynomials of discrete variables associated with the quantum algebra <Emphasis Type="Italic">U</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis></Subscript>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">su</Emphasis>(2))

We show that for every set of discrete polynomials y _n (x(s)) on the lattice x(s), defined on a finite interval (a, b), it is possible to construct two sets of dual polynomials z _k (ξ(t)) of degrees k = s-a and k = b-s-1. Here we do this for the classical and alternative Hahn and Racah polynomials as well as for their q-analogs. Also we establish the connection between classical and alternative families. This allows us to obtain new expressions for the Clerbsch-Gordan and Racah coefficients of the quantum algebra U _q (su(2)) in terms of various Hahn and Racah q-polynomials. Dedicated to the memory of our teacher and friend Arnold F. Nikiforov (18.11.1930–27.12.2005).     

Leptonic constant of the pseudoscalar <Emphasis Type="Italic">B</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis></Subscript> meson

We calculate the leptonic constant for the pseudoscalar ground state of the B _c meson in the framework of a QCD-motivated potential model taking into account the two-loop anomalous dimension for the heavy quark current in nonrelativistic QCD as matched with full QCD.     

Bacteriochlorin <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Subscript>6</Subscript> as a sensitizer for photodynamic therapy

A simple scheme of modification of the native pigment bacteriochlorophyll a, extracted from the biomass of phototropic bacteria, for the purpose of obtaining a water-soluble derivative — bacteriochlorin e ₆ — which is similar in molecular structure to the effective sensitizer chlorin e ₆ and, in addition, has an intense longwave absorption band in the near-infrared region of the spectrum where biological tissues weakly absorb light — has been developed. The ease of production of bacteriochlorin e ₆ in combination with its physicochemical and spectral properties allow it to be considered as a promising sensitizer for photodynamic therapy.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 71, No. 6, pp. 745–748, November–December, 2004.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

The determination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis></Subscript> from <Emphasis Type="Italic">τ</Emphasis> decays revisited

We revisit the determination of α _S (m _τ ²) using a fit to inclusive τ hadronic spectral moments in light of (1) the recent calculation of the fourth-order perturbative coefficient K ₄ in the expansion of the Adler function, (2) new precision measurements from BABAR of e⁺e⁻ annihilation cross sections, which decrease the uncertainty in the separation of vector and axial-vector spectral functions, and (3) improved results from BABAR and Belle on τ branching fractions involving kaons. We estimate that the fourth-order perturbative prediction reduces the theoretical uncertainty, introduced by the truncation of the series, by 20% with respect to earlier determinations. We discuss to some detail the perturbative prediction of two different methods: fixed-order perturbation theory (FOPT) and contour-improved perturbative theory (CIPT). The corresponding theoretical uncertainties are studied at the τ and Z mass scales. The CIPT method is found to be more stable with respect to the missing higher order contributions and to renormalization scale variations. It is also shown that FOPT suffers from convergence problems along the complex integration contour. Nonperturbative contributions extracted from the most inclusive fit are small, in agreement with earlier determinations. Systematic effects from quark-hadron duality violation are estimated with simple models and found to be within the quoted systematic errors. The fit based on CIPT gives α _S (m _τ ²)=0.344±0.005±0.007, where the first error is experimental and the second theoretical. After evolution to M _Z we obtain α _S (M _Z ²)=0.1212±0.0005±0.0008±0.0005, where the errors are respectively experimental, theoretical and due to the evolution. The result is in agreement with the corresponding N³LO value derived from essentially the Z width in the global electroweak fit. The α _S (M _Z ²) determination from τ decays is the most precise one to date.     

δ/γ transformation in non-equilibrium solidified peritectic Fe-Ni alloy

Through phase transformation kinetic analysis and experimental observation, the δ/γ transformation occurring in the non-equilibrium peritectic Fe-4.33at.%Ni alloys was systematically investigated. According to JMA solid-state transformation kinetic theory, the Time-Temperature-Transformation (TTT) curves of the δ/γ transformation in peritectic Fe-Ni alloy were calculated. On this basis, the physical correlation between the δ/γ transformation and the initial undercooling of melt (△T) was elucidated. The results indicate that the change of △T can alter not only the overall δ/γ transformation pathways but also the transformation fraction with respect to each transformation mechanism.     

Contribution of superstring <Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>′ boson on the polarization effects in proton proton collisions

In this work we investigate the single- and the double-spin asymmetries at the collisions of polarized protons pp → (γ ^*, Z ⁰, Z′) + X within the scope of QCD, the electroweak interaction and superstring E ₆ theory. The helicity amplitude method is used. Analytical expressions for the single- and the double-spin asymmetries are obtained and their dependence on the transverse momentum of the lepton pair is investigated at the three different values of invariant masses of the lepton pair. The pure contribution coming from the superstring Z′ boson on the single- and double- spin asymmetries has been extracted. The results obtained allow investigation of the spin structure of the proton.     

Testing the minimal supersymmetric standard model with the mass of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">W</Emphasis> boson

We review the currently most accurate evaluation of the W boson mass, M _W , in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). It consists of a full one-loop calculation, including the complex phase dependence, all available MSSM two-loop corrections as well as the full standard model result. We analyse the impact of the phases in the scalar quark sector on M _W and compare the prediction for M _W based on all known higher-order contributions with the experimental results.      

Polarons in axial transport in single-layer high-T<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis></Subscript> superconductors

The temperatureT dependencies ρ(T) of normal state electric resistivitiesρ _c (axial) andρ _ab (in plane) of single-layer high-T _c superconductors show common trends: AsT is raised, the resistivity first drops steeply before it starts rising αT above an apparent semiconductor-to-metal crossoverT _cross . To analyze ρ(T) we plottT/ρ againstT at various dopingsx for bothρ _c andρ _ab .T/ρ is inversely proportional to the traversal time across a potential barrier as an ionic particle drifts in an electric field. We findT/ρ in good agreement with theT dependence of the quantum rate of migrating particles: AsT is raised, a zero-point rate at the lowestT is extended to a nearly flat plateau before a thermally activated branch sets in. We also find evidence for the admixture of 1- & 2-phonon absorptions below the Arrhenius range. These features shape the semiconductor-like branch below T _cross . AboveT _cross a metallic-like branch sets in, its αT character deriving from the field coupling of the migrating particle. Our analysis suggests that metal physics may not suffice if ionic features play a role in transport. We attribute our conclusions to the drift of strong-coupling polarons along Cu−O bonds. These “bond polarons” originate from carrier scattering by double-well potentials associated with the bonds. A bond polaron dissociates to a free hole as it passes onto a neighboring O-O link.     

Magnetic and transport properties of monocrystalline<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fe</Emphasis><Subscript>3</Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis><Subscript>4</Subscript>

A monocrystal ofFe ₃ O ₄ is characterized by resistance, magnetoresistance and magnetic measurements in a temperature range from 4.2 K to 350 K and magnetic field-cycling from −9 T to 9 T. The resistance measurements revealed a metal-insulator Verwey transition (VT) atT _v =123.76 K with activation energy E=92.5 meV at T >T _v and temperature-substitute for the activation energy below the VT,T ₀=E/k _B ≈3800 K within 70 K–110K. The magnetotransport results independently verified the VT at 123.70 K, with discontinuous change in the magnetic moment ΔM≈0.21 ΔM≈0.21μ _B and resistance hysteresis, dependent on the magnetic field in a narrow temperature range of 0.4° around theT _v . The magnetic characterization established self consistentlyT _v as ≈123.67 K, the jump in the magnetization at the VT≈0.25μ _B and confirmed, that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy is the main microscopic mechanism responsible for the magnetization of the monocrystal (88%) with additional natural and imposed defects contributing as 12%.     

Generation-changing interaction of sneutrinos in <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript> + </Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>-</Superscript> collisions

The measurability of generation mixing is studied on pair production of sneutrinos in e ⁺ e ^- collisions and their subsequent decays into two different charged leptons e and μ with two lighter charginos. The analyses are made systematically in a general framework of the supersymmetric extension of the standard model. The production and decay process depends on the parameters of the chargino sector as well as those of the sneutrino sector. Although generation-changing interactions are severely constrained by radiative charged-lepton decays, sizable regions in the parameter space could still be explored at e ⁺ e ^- colliders in the near future. Received: 6 October 2004, Revised: 14 November 2004, Published online: 14 January 2005 PACS: 11.30.Hv, 12.15.Ff, 12.60.Jv, 14.80.Ly     

Phenomenological applications of<Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis><Subscript>T</Subscript>factorization

We discuss applications of the perturbative QCD approach in the exclusive non-leptonic two-bodyB-meson decays. We briefly review its ingredients and some important theoretical issues on the factorization approach. PQCD results are compatible with present experimental data for charmless B-meson decays. We predict the possibility of large direct CP asymmetry in B⁰ → π⁺π⁻ (23 +7%) and B⁰ →K ⁺π⁻ (− 17 ± 5%). We also investigate the branching ratios, CP asymmetry and isospin symmetry breaking in radiativeB →(K*/ρ)γ decays.     

Re-evaluation of the LHC potential for the measurement of <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">W</Emphasis></Subscript>

We present a study of the LHC sensitivity to the W boson mass based on simulation studies. We find that both experimental and phenomenological sources of systematic uncertainties can be strongly constrained with Z measurements: the lineshape, dσ _Z /dm, is robustly predicted, and its analysis provides an accurate measurement of the detector resolution and absolute scale, while the differential cross-section analysis, d² σ _Z /dydp _T , absorbs the strong interaction uncertainties. A sensitivity δ m _W ∼7 MeV for each decay channel (W→e ν, W→μ ν), and for an integrated luminosity of 10 fb⁻¹, appears as a reasonable goal.     

Associated single photons and doubly-charged scalars at linear <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>−</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>−</Superscript> colliders

Doubly-charged scalars, predicted in many models having exotic Higgs rep-resentations, can in general have lepton-number violating (LFV) couplings. We show that by using an associated monoenergetic final state photon seen at a future linear e ⁻ e ⁻ collider, we can have a clear and distinct signature for a doubly-charged resonance. The strength of the ΔL = 2 coupling can also be probed quite effectively as a function of the recoil mass of the doubly-charged scalar.      

Enhancement of the defect field of one-dimensional photonic crystals containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">ε</Emphasis>-and <Emphasis Type="Italic">μ</Emphasis>-negative layers

Employing the transfer matrix method, we study the electromagnetic field of one-dimensional photonic crystals with a defect inserted by pairs of μ-negative (MNG) and ε-negative (ENG) material layers. The fields within the pairs of layers and the matrix defect are independent of each other, and the whole field is their superposition. The whole defect field can be significantly enhanced by pairs of ε-negative and μ-negative layers. In contrast to the conventional defect modes, the intensity and volume of the defect field with pairs of ε-negative and μ-negative layers can be precisely adjusted.