Uplifted supersymmetric Higgs region

We show that the parameter space of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model includes a region where the down-type fermion masses are generated by the loop-induced couplings to the up-type Higgs doublet. In this region the down-type Higgs doublet does not acquire a vacuum expectation value at tree level, and has sizable couplings in the superpotential to the tau leptons and bottom quarks. Besides a light standard-like Higgs boson, the Higgs spectrum includes the nearly degenerate states of a heavy spin-0 doublet which can be produced through their couplings to the b quark and decay predominantly into τ ⁺ τ ^? or τν.     

Integral conditions for exponential dichotomy: A nonlinear approach

We give new necessary and sufficient integral conditions for the existence of exponential dichotomy of skew-product flows. Our methods are based on the structure of the associated stable subspace and unstable subspace. We propose a nonlinear approach, extending the study of exponential stability in terms of integral conditions to the case of uniform exponential dichotomy. We apply the main results to the study of uniform exponential dichotomy of non-autonomous systems.     

241Pu in the biggest Polish rivers

In the paper the results of ²⁴¹Pu activity concentration determination in the biggest Polish rivers are presented. The analysis of more than 100 river water samples showed the Vistula and the Odra as well as three Pomeranian Rivers are important sources of ²⁴¹Pu in the southern Baltic Sea. There were differences in ²⁴¹Pu activities depending on season and sampling site and the plutonium contamination came mainly from the global atmospheric fallout as well as the Chernobyl accident, which is confirmed by plutonium activity ratios of ²⁴¹Pu/^239+240Pu and ²³⁸Pu/^239+240Pu.     

Synthesis of polyamino nitriles, en route to acylpolyamine neurotoxins, via the regioselective michael cyanoethylation of unprotected polyamines. Unusual behaviour of 1-(2-aminoethyl)piperazine

The Michael cyanoethylation of 1-(2-aminoethyl)piperazine, 4,4′-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine) and bis(3-aminopropylamine)amine, leading to acrylonitrile free (<100 ppm) polyamino nitriles, as a key step in the synthesis of higher polyamines useful in the synthesis of acylpolyamine neurotoxins, was carried out regioselectively on a multigram scale by careful tuning of reaction conditions, without a necessity to protect nitrogen atoms. The higher reactivity of primary amino groups in aliphatic diamines and triamines [as in bis(3-aminopropylamine)amine] was also observed in the cyclic amine, 4,4′-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine), but reversed in 1-(2-aminoethyl)piperazine. The compounds with a dicyanoethylated nitrogen atom were thermally less stable than the monocyanoethylated ones.     

Structural characterization and photoluminescence of nanocrystalline Ho-doped BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> derived from sol–gel method

Nanocrystalline Ho-doped BaTiO₃, with average nanocrystals size of 20 nm, have been prepared using a sol–gel combustion technique. The structural and morphological properties of the powders have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Chemical states of the holmium on the Ba_0.97Ho_0.03TiO₃ ceramic surface were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, their photoluminescence properties were analyzed.     

Specific cell-permeable inhibitor of proteasome trypsin-like sites selectively sensitizes myeloma cells to bortezomib and carfilzomib

Proteasomes degrade the majority of proteins in mammalian cells, are involved in the regulation of multiple physiological functions, and are established targets of anticancer drugs. The proteasome has three types of active sites. Chymotrypsin-like sites are the most important for protein breakdown and have long been considered the only suitable targets for antineoplastic drugs; however, our recent work demonstrated that inhibitors of caspase-like sites sensitize malignant cells to inhibitors of the chymotrypsin-like sites. Here, we describe the development of specific cell-permeable inhibitors and an activity-based probe of the trypsin-like sites. These compounds selectively sensitize multiple myeloma cells to inhibitors of the chymotrypsin-like sites, including antimyeloma agents bortezomib and carfilzomib. Thus, trypsin-like sites are cotargets for anticancers drugs. Together with inhibitors of chymotrypsin- and caspase-like sites developed earlier, we provide the scientific community with a complete set of tools to separately modulate proteasome active sites in living cells.     

Eco-friendly combustion-based synthesis of metal aluminates MAl<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> (M = Ni,Co)

Nanosized metal aluminates, MAl₂O₄ (M = Ni, Co), have been prepared following a nonpolluting, low temperature, and self-sustaining starch single-fuel combustion synthesis. The mixed fuel-coordinating actions of starch have given rise to an intermediary precursor which afforded monodisperse metal aluminate nanoparticles. The thermal analysis of the [M(II), Al(III)]-starch precursors indicates a similar thermochemical reactivity for the two compounds, displaying a sequence of well-defined decomposition stages associated with three endothermic effects and three/four (nickel/cobalt) exothermic ones. The XRD data confirm the formation of spinelic phase and a continuous growth of particle sizes with the increase of calcination temperatures. The mechanisms proposed for the formation of metal aluminates essentially consist in a combination of solid-state reactions of amorphous NiO/Co₃O₄ and Al₂O₃ simple oxides. The evaluation criterion of Ni(II) cations into the spinelic lattice is original and is based on the distinct occupancy degree of tetrahedral and octahedral sites in NiAl₂O₄ and γ-Al₂O₃. TEM/HRTEM investigations performed on the cobalt(II) and nickel(II) aluminate oxide powders resulted after calcination at 800 and 900 °C, respectively, for 1 h show the formation of irregular and isolated plate-like particles for Co(II)-based spinelic oxides (the average particle size is 16.6 nm) and submicron aggregates of small, bimodal, and almost uniform (as shape and size) of NiAl₂O₄ mixed oxide (the mean particle size is 33.6 nm). The NIR–UV–Vis spectra for the resulted MAl₂O₄ (M = Co, Ni) mixed oxides reveal a massive presence of tetrahedral divalent cations both for short- and long-time calcined samples. NiO impurities are detected using FTIR and electronic spectra for all NiAl₂O₄ samples.