Measurement of the polarization parameter for antiproton-proton annihilation into charged pion and kaon pairs between 1.0 and 2.2 GeV/c

The polarization parameter P for the reactions $\text{p}\text{p}\text{→ π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ and $\text{p}\text{p}\text{→}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ has been measured over essentially the full angular range at ll laboratory momenta between 1.0 and 2.2. GeV/c, using a proton target polarized perpendicular to the scattering plane. The angles and momenta of both final state particles were determined from wire spark chambers, using the deflection caused by the polarized target magnet. Between 1000 and 5300 π^?π⁺ events, and 140 and 1300 K^?K⁺ events, were measured at each momentum. Differential cross sections for $\text{p}\text{p}\text{→ π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ were obtained. These are in excellent agreement with previous results. The polarization parameter for both channels is very close to +1 over much of the angular range. Legendre polynomial fits to the data are presented.     

Cancellation of Linearized Axion-Dilaton Self-Action Divergence in Strings

The force densities exerted on a localizedmaterial system by linearized interaction with fields ofaxionic and dilatonic type are shown to be describablevery generally by relatively simple expressions that are well behaved for fields of purelyexternal origin, but that will be subject to ultravioletdivergences requiring regularization for fields arisingfrom self-interaction in submanifold-supported brane-type systems. In theparticular case of a two-dimensionally supported, i.e.,string-type, system in an ordinary four-dimensionalbackground it is shown how the result of thisregularization is expressible in terms of the worldsheetcurvature vector K, and more particularlythat (contrary to what was suggested by early work onthis subject) for a string of Nambu-Goto type thedivergent contribution from the dilatonic self-action will always bedirected oppositely to its axionic counterpart. Thismakes it possible for the dilatonic and axionicdivergences entirely to cancel each other out (so that there is no need of a renormalization to getrid of infinities) when the relevantcoupling coefficents are related by the appropriateproportionality condition provided by the low-energylimit of superstring theory.     

Bunting identity and Mazur identity for non-linear elliptic systems including the black hole equilibrium problem

Recent work by G. Bunting and by P. O. Mazur has developed new techniques for proving uniqueness theorems for extensive classes of non-linear elliptic boundary value problems including that of the equilibrium state of an electromagnetically charged black hole. These methods are described and compared. It is shown that the rather general class of harmonic mappings that can be dealt with by the Bunting method (which needs no internal symmetry group) can be regarded as a generalisation of the particular (totally symetric) class of non-linear-models that can be dealt with by the Mazur method.     

Double parton scattering inpp collisions at\sqrt s = 63 GeV

In a study ofpp collisions at \(\sqrt s = 63\) GeV with more than 29 GeV total transverse energy emitted into 1.8 units of rapidity in the central region, we have extracted a sample of 4-jet events and compared it with models of the two sources of 4-jet production: double bremsstrahlung and double parton scattering. The data cannot be described by bremsstrahlung alone, and we extract the fraction of 4-jet events attributed to double parton scattering for various definitions of the 4-jet sample. We determine the double parton scattering/2-jet yield ratio, and this leads to a determination of the proton radius. We discuss the implications of our observations for the general understanding of high-ΣE _T events.     

Ticlopidine quantification in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Application to bioequivalence study

A rapid, sensitive and specific method to quantify ticlopidine in human plasma using clopidogrel as the internal standard (IS) is described. The analyte and the IS were extracted from acidified plasma by liquid-liquid extraction using diethyl ether-hexane (80 : 20, v/v). The extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). Chromatography was performed isocratically on a Jones Genesis C(8) 4 microm analytical column (150 x 4.1 mm i.d.). The method had a chromatographic run time of 3.0 min and a linear calibration curve over the range 1.0-1000 ng ml(-1) (r(2) > 0.999427). The limit of quantification was 1.0 ng ml(-1). This HPLC/MS/MS procedure was used to assess the bioequivalence of two ticlopidine 250 mg tablet formulations (ticlopidine test formulation from Apotex do Brasil, Brazil, and Ticlid from Sanofi-Synthelabo, standard reference formulation). A single 250 mg dose of each formulation was administered to healthy volunteers. The study was conducted using an open, randomized, two-period crossover design with a 2 week washout interval. Since the 90% confidence interval for C(max) and area under the curve ratios were all inside the 80-125% interval proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration, it was concluded that ticlopidine formulation from Apotex do Brasil is bioequivalent to Ticlid formulation with respect to both the rate and the extent of absorption.     

A versatile method for tuning the chemistry and size of nanoscopic features by living free radical polymerization

A novel approach is presented for manipulating the size and chemistry of nanoscopic features using a combination of contact molding and living free radical polymerization. In this approach a highly cross-linked photopolymer, based on a methacrylate/acrylate mixture, was patterned into submicrometer-sized features on a silicon wafer using a contact-molding technique. A critical component of the monomer mixture was the incorporation of an initiator containing monomer into the network structure, which provides sites for functional group amplification. Features ranging in size from 5 microm to <60 nm were accurately replicated by this process and living free radical polymerizations, both atom transfer radical and nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP), could be conducted from these initiating sites to yield polymer brushes which represent a grafted layer of linear chains attached to the original network polymer. Grafts consisting of polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(2-hydroxyethyl)methacrylate were grown with controlled thicknesses ranging from 10 to 143 nm and graft molecular weights of between 18 000 to 290 000 amu. As a result of this secondary graft process, feature sizes could be tuned from the original 100 nm down to 20 nm, and the surface chemistry varied from hydrophilic to hydrophobic starting from the same initial master pattern. The thin films and patterned features were characterized by contact angle, ellipsometry, optical, and atomic force microscopies.     

Diels--Alder bioconjugation of diene-modified oligonucleotides

In an effort to offer complementary technology for covalent biomolecule modification (bioconjugation), we have developed a method that exploits the aqueous acceleration of Diels--Alder reactions for this purpose. Three different diene phosphoramidite reagents have been synthesized that enable diene modification of synthetic oligonucleotides prepared by the phosphoramidite method. Clean and efficient Diels--Alder cycloaddition of these diene oligonucleotides with maleimide dieneophiles was carried out, and the labeled oligonucleotide bioconjugates were characterized by HPLC and electrospray mass spectrometry. Dieneophile stoichiometry, temperature, and pH are all parameters that were shown to influence the efficiency of the process.