Encapsulation dehydration colligative cryoprotective strategies and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers to verify the identity and genetic stability of euglenoids following cryopreservation

An encapsulation/dehydration procedure was developed for Euglena gracilis Klebs as a 'model alga' to examine various cryoprotective regimes combined with controlled rate cooling to cryopreserve other Euglenoid taxa. Cryoprotective variables were optimised to enable reproducible growth following a combination of alginate encapsulation, sucrose osmotic dehydration, air desiccation, methanol treatment, cooling to -40 degrees C and plunging into liquid nitrogen (LN). Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was adapted to: (i) verify algal identity by discriminating between different Euglenoids and (ii) examine the genetic stability of algal cultures prior to various stages of cryoprotective treatments and following exposure to LN. AFLPs were highly reproducible (> 99%) as reliable diagnostic markers, where a single DNA fragment change accounted for -0.4% of the detectable variation in an AFLP pattern. AFLP changes were detected in cryoprotective treatments following LN exposure. Successive stages of the dehydration and desiccation treatments did not accumulate AFLP changes indicating these are random events.     

Effect of substitution of Ce on superconducting properties of Bi1.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca2−x Ce x Cu3O10+δ system

We have investigated the superconducting properties of the Bi_1.7 Pb_0.3Sr₂Ca_2−xCe _x Cu₃O_10+δ system with x=0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.1 by X-ray diffraction and magnetic susceptibility. The substitution of Ce for Ca has been found to drastically change the superconducting properties of the system. X-ray diffraction studies on these compounds indicate decrease in the c-parameter with increased substitution of Ce at Ca site and volume fraction of high T _c (2 : 2 : 2 : 3) phase decreases and low T _c phase increases. The magnetic susceptibility of this compound shows that the diamagnetic on set superconducting transition temperature (onset) varies from 109 K to 51 K for x=0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.1. These results suggest the possible existence of Ce in a tetravalent state rather than a trivalent state in this system; that is, Ca²⁺ → Ce⁴⁺ replacement changes the hole carrier concentration. Hole filling is the cause of lowering T _c of the system.     

Antimicrobial activities of single aroma compounds

Commercially available aroma samples were evaluated for their olfactory quality by professional perfumers and tested for their antimicrobial activity. Agar diffusion and agar-dilution were used as test methods and a set of two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and four Gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris G, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella abony) and a yeast, Candida albicans, were the test microorganisms. All the investigated compounds were active against Gram-positive bacteria, especially beta-caryophyllene against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC 6 ppm), but only few substances showed activity towards Gram-negative bacteria, except for cinnamic acid, which was active against all (MIC 60 ppm) and Candida albicans, against which cinnamic acid and caryophyllene oxide showed high activity (MIC < 60 ppm).     

Search for pair production of second-generation scalar leptoquarks in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

A search for pair production of second-generation scalar leptoquarks in the final state with two muons and two jets is performed using proton-proton collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb?1. The number of observed events is in good agreement with the predictions from the standard model processes. An upper limit is set on the second-generation leptoquark cross section times β2 as a function of the leptoquark mass, and leptoquarks with masses below 394 GeV are excluded at a 95% confidence level for β = 1, where β is the leptoquark branching fraction into a muon and a quark. These limits are the most stringent to date.     

Nontrivial Alexander polynomials of knots and links

In this paper we present a sequence of link invariants, definedfrom twisted Alexander polynomials, and discuss their effectivenessin distinguishing knots. In particular, we recast and extendby geometric means a recent result of Silver and Williams onthe nontriviality of twisted Alexander polynomials for nontrivialknots. Furthermore we prove that these invariants decide ifa genus one knot is fibered. Finally we also show that theseinvariants distinguish all mutants with up to 12 crossings.     

Charged-particle multiplicity near midrapidity in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[SNN]=56 and 130 GeV

We present the first measurement of pseudorapidity densities of primary charged particles near midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 56 and 130 GeV. For the most central collisions, we find the charged-particle pseudorapidity density to be dN/deta|(|eta|<1) = 408+/-12(stat)+/-30(syst) at 56 GeV and 555+/-12(stat)+/-35(syst) at 130 GeV, values that are higher than any previously observed in nuclear collisions. Compared to proton-antiproton collisions, our data show an increase in the pseudorapidity density per participant by more than 40% at the higher energy.     

Symplectic , subgroup separability, and vanishing Thurston norm

Let be a closed, oriented -manifold. A folklore conjecture states that admits a symplectic structure if and only if admits a fibration over the circle. We will prove this conjecture in the case when is irreducible and its fundamental group satisfies appropriate subgroup separability conditions. This statement includes -manifolds with vanishing Thurston norm, graph manifolds and -manifolds with surface subgroup separability (a condition satisfied conjecturally by all hyperbolic -manifolds). Our result covers, in particular, the case of 0-framed surgeries along knots of genus one. The statement follows from the proof that twisted Alexander polynomials decide fiberability for all the -manifolds listed above. As a corollary, it follows that twisted Alexander polynomials decide if a knot of genus one is fibered.

     

Über die Temperatur-und Konzentrationsabhängigkeit der Bildung und Struktur von Molekülschichten der Arachinund der Stearinsäure

Zusammenfassung An der Phasengrenze Dekalin/Phosphatpufferlösung kommt es bei Verwendung von Archin- oder Stearinsäure als grenzflächenaktive Substanzen nur dann zu einer sofortigen Einstellung der Gleichgewichtswerte der Grenzflächenspannung, wenn kondensierte Molekülschichten gebildet werden. Die für die Bildung expandierter Schichten erforderliche Zeit von mehreren Stunden ergibt sich als Folge der nur sehr langsamen Einstellung des Gleichgewichtes zwischen den Assoziaten in der Lösung und den Einzelmolekülen in der Grenzschicht. Auch das Schmelzen kondensierter Schichten ist im Gegensatz zur Kondensation ein langsam verlaufender Vorgang; letztere ist mit einer Abnahme des Spreitungsdruckes, bzw. mit einer Zunahme der Grenzflächenspannung verbunden, aus der sich die Kohäsion der Moleküle im zweidimensionalen Kristallgitter ermitteln läßt. Die Lage des Schmelzpunktes der Molekülschicht ist vom SpreitungsdruckP _S () abhängig. Die experimentell ermittelte Konzentrationsabhängigkeit der Grenzflächenspannung entspricht nicht der GleichungSzyszkowskis, da die Assoziation der Fettsäuren in Dekalin konzentrationsabhängig ist und die Assoziate weniger grenzflächenaktiv sind als die Einzelmoleküle.Unter bestimmten Bedingungen kann eine Erhöhung der Temperatur eine beträchtliche Erhöhung der Grenzflächenspannung zur Folge haben; dieser Effekt ist reversibel und beruht auf der Erhöhung der Löslichkeit der Fettsäure in Dekalin bei Temperaturzunahme. Aus dem Verlauf der Grenzflächenspannung/Temperaturkurve läßt sich die Lage des Schmelzpunktes kondensierter Molekülschichten entnehmen und auf diesem Wege mit einer Fehlerbreite von zirka 1°C bestimmen.Es wird auf die Bedeutung der beschriebenen Reaktionsmöglichkeiten mehrphasiger Systeme für das Verständnis biologischer Reaktionen hingewiesen.Mit 11 Abbildungen.