Motzkin numbers out of Random Domino Automaton

Motzkin numbers are derived from a special case of Random Domino Automaton – recently proposed a slowly driven system being a stochastic toy model of earthquakes. It is also a generalisation of 1D Drossel–Schwabl forest-fire model. A solution of the set of equations describing stationary state of Random Domino Automaton in inverse-power case is presented. A link with Motzkin numbers allows to present explicit form of asymptotic behaviour of the automaton.     

Sol–gel synthesis of 8 nm magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles and their magnetic properties

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a sol–gel method. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) and Mössbauer spectrometry. XRD and Mössbauer measurements indicate that the obtained nanoparticles are single phase. TEM analysis shows the presence of spherical nanoparticles with homogeneous size distribution of about 8 nm. Room temperature ferromagnetics behavior was confirmed by SQUID measurements. The mechanism of nanoparticles formation and the comparison with recent results are discussed. Finally, the synthesized nanoparticles present a potential candidate for hyperthermia application given their saturation magnetization.     

Possible mechanisms of the influence of hexylresorcinol on the structure-dynamic and functional properties of lysozyme protein

The influence of hexylresorcinol on the structure, equilibrium fluctuations, and functional activity of water-soluble enzyme lysozyme was studied over a wide range of hexylresorcinol concentrations. Hexylresorcinol was found to be not only a stabilizer of lysozyme. At low hexylresorcinol concentrations (2 to 10 molecules per lysozyme globule), the activity of lysozyme sharply increased; activity began to decrease as the concentration grew. The influence of hexylresorcinol on the structural, dynamic, and functional lysozyme characteristics is well described by models of preferential hydration and preferential protein interaction with hexylresorcinol. The hexylresorcinol molecule consists of hydrophobic (alkyl radical) and hydrophilic (aromatic nucleus) moieties, which has additional regulatory action on the functional activity of lysozyme. As the concentration of hexylresorcinol increases, the effect of regions with preferential hydration begins to noticeably predominate over the effect of preferential interaction with hexylresorcinol. At hexylresorcinol concentrations higher than 100 molecules per lysozyme globule, the activity of lysozyme is fully inhibited. This is caused by the preferential hydration of the protein with the displacement of hexylresorcinol from direct contacts with it. The displacement of hexylresorcinol causes the formation of high-density hexylresorcinol micelles. Dense micelles interfere with the approach of substrates to the protein and fully inhibit its functional activity. The complete inhibition of lysozyme activity occurs at hexylresorcinol concentrations lower by an order of magnitude than glycerol inhibiting concentrations.     

Pulse generation at 1.5-μm wavelength in new EAT14 glasses doped with Er<Superscript>3+</Superscript> and Yb<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions

The paper describes investigation of pulse laser generation in newly developed EAT14 glasses with the use of MALO saturable absorber. Different initial transmission of the saturable absorbers and different transmission of the output coupler were investigated. The laser generation was carried out using 976-nm pump wavelength. Comparison of peak powers, slop efficiencies and thresholds was made with a view to choose the best set of glass and saturable absorber for “eye-safe” microchip laser range-finder. The generated wavelengths by each sample were measured.     

dc and ac characterizations of electrical conducting nanoporous carbon structures based on resorcinol-formaldehyde

Structural, electrical and morphological properties of electrical conducting nanoporous carbon structures, prepared at different pyrolysis temperatures by sol–gel method, were investigated. The effect of the measurement temperature on the electrical properties of the obtained sample pyrolysed at 675 °C was studied. The imaginary and real parts of the sample impedance versus frequency, in the range of 40 Hz–100 MHz, are investigated. The Nyquist diagrams were used to identify an equivalent circuit and the fundamental parameters of the circuit are determined at different temperatures with the aim to study the contributions of the grains and boundary grains to the conductivity.     

Frequency aspects of the THz photomixer

In the paper methods of the terahertz photomixer operational frequency estimation are considered. Three methods are investigated — estimation of the frequency via direct measurements of the laser heterodyne compounds, via calculations from datasheets, and via calculations from raw collected data obtained from the photomixer system.     

Effect of shape and interstice on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of molecules adsorbed on gold nanoparticles in the near‐dipole and quadrupole regions

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of adsorbed molecule on colloidal gold nanoparticles of different shapes, namely nanospheres (NSs), nanorods (NRs), and nanoprisms (NPs) as well as the three NPs arrays of different interstice prepared by NS lithography, are studied with incident wavenumbers in the near‐dipole and near‐quadrpole regions of the nanoparticles. In the colloidal gold nanoparticles, the SERS enhancement is the largest for the sharp tip followed by the truncated tip NPs, then the NRs and least enhancement for the NSs. This decreasing order of enhancement occurs although the incident wavenumber was near the dipole resonance of NSs and the quadrupole resonance for the NPs. These varied enhancements are explained in part as due to the binding energies of the nanocrystal facets, but the larger contribution results from the plasmon electromagnetic fields. A parallel finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculations were carried out, which corporate the experimental results and show agreement with ratios of the SERS enhancement for the different shapes. The normalized SERS intensity for NPs of different interstice distances show a sharp rise with the decrease of the interstice distances because of interparticle dipolar and quadrupolar coupling as evidenced also by FDTD calculations. Furthermore, these calculations show that the enhancement is polarization independent for an incident wavelength near quadrupole resonance but polarization dependent for an incident wavelength near the plasmon dipole transition. In the last case, the enhancement is larger by an order of magnitude for a polarization parallel to the NPs bisector than for polarization normal to the bisector with no hot spots for the relatively large interstice dimensions used. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photo-physical and structural interactions between viologen phosphorus-based dendrimers and human serum albumin

This work deals with photo-physical and structural interactions between viologen phosphorus dendrimers and human serum albumin (HSA). Viologens are derivatives of 4,4′-bipyridinium salts. Aiming to rationalize the parameters governing such interactions eight types of these polycationic dendrimers in which the generation, the number of charges, the nature of the core and of the terminal groups vary from one to another, were designed and used. The influence of viologen-based dendrimers' on human serum albumin has been investigated. The photo-physical interactions of the two systems have been monitored by fluorescence quenching of free l-tryptophan and of HSA tryptophan residue. Additionally, using circular dichroism (CD) the effect of dendrimers on the secondary structure of albumin was measured. The obtained results show that viologen dendrimers interact with human serum albumin quenching its fluorescence either by collisional (dynamic) way or by forming complexes in a ground state (static quenching). In some cases the quenching is accompanied by changes of the secondary structure of HSA.     

Σ- atoms and the ΣN interaction

It is shown that among four models of the Nijmegen baryon-baryon interaction only model F --which leads to a repulsive potential felt by the Σ hyperon inside the nucleus-- is consistent both with the analysis of Σ^- atoms and of the (K ^-,π) reactions. The Nijmegen models are used to determine the strong complex single-particle (s.p.) potential of Σ^-, and to calculate the strong-interaction shifts and widths of the lowest observed levels of Σ^- atoms. The results obtained with model F are in best agreement with the experimental data. Received: 15 January 2002 / Accepted: 14 March 2002     

Decay of the neutron-rich isotope 113Ru to 113Rh

The decay of neutron-rich isotope ¹¹³Ru obtained as on-line mass separated product of proton-induced fission has been investigated by γγ coincidence and spectrum multiscaling measurements. Decay schemes for both low- and high-spin isomers of ¹¹³Ru have been constructed. The level scheme of ¹¹³Rh is considerably extended. Systematics of the lowest-lying rhodium levels is smooth. The picture of shape coexistence established for neutron-rich Rh isotopes near-neutron midshell is confirmed with the observation of a K = 1/2 deformed band, with its 3/2⁺ state at 600 keV being the lowest-lying level and of probable 7/2⁺ and 5/2⁺ band members. A large fraction of β feeding is found to populate high-lying levels in ¹¹³Rh. The GT strength in ¹¹³Ru^m decay is significantly larger than for the decay of ¹¹³Ru_g and of lighter rhodium isotopes. Received: 18 January 2001 / Accepted: 14 January 2002