Molecules with multiple switching units on a Au(111) surface: self-organization and single-molecule manipulation

Three different molecules, each containing two azobenzene switching units, were synthesized, successfully deposited onto a Au(111) surface by sublimation and studied by scanning tunneling microscopy at low temperatures. To investigate the influence of electronic coupling between the switching units as well as to the surface, the two azo moieties were connected either via π-conjugated para-phenylene or decoupling meta-phenylene bridges, and the number of tert-butyl groups was varied in the meta-phenylene-linked derivatives. Single molecules were found to be intact after deposition as identified by their characteristic appearance in STM images. Due to their mobility on the Au(111) surface at room temperature, the molecules spontaneously formed self-organized molecular arrangements that reflected their chemical structure. While lateral displacement of the molecules was accomplished by manipulation, trans-cis isomerization processes, typical for azobenzene switches, could not be induced.     

Age-dependent acoustic and microelastic properties of red blood cells determined by vector contrast acoustic microscopy

Variations of the mechanical properties of red blood cells that occur during their life span have long been an intriguing task for investigations. The research presented is based on noninvasive monitoring of red blood cells of different ages performed by scanning acoustic microscopy with magnitude and phase contrast. The characteristic signature of fixed cells from groups of three different ages fractionated according to mass density is obtained from the acoustic microscope images, with the data represented in polar graphs. The analysis of these data enables the determination of averaged values for the velocities of ultrasound propagating in the cells from the different groups ranging from (1,681 ± 16) m s(-1) in the youngest to (1,986 ± 20) m s(-1) in the oldest group. The determined bulk modulus varies with age from (3.04 ± 0.05) GPa to (4.34 ± 0.08) GPa. An approach to determine for an age-mixed population of red blood cells, collected from a healthy person, the age of the individual cells and the age dependence of the cell parameters including density, velocity, and attenuation of longitudinal polarized ultrasonic waves traveling in the cells is demonstrated.     

An adeno-associated viral vector transduces the rat hypothalamus and amygdala more efficient than a lentiviral vector

Background  

This study compared the transduction efficiencies of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, which was pseudotyped with an AAV1 capsid and encoded the green fluorescent protein (GFP), with a lentiviral (LV) vector, which was pseudotyped with a VSV-G envelop and encoded the discosoma red fluorescent protein (dsRed), to investigate which viral vector transduced the lateral hypothalamus or the amygdala more efficiently. The LV-dsRed and AAV1-GFP vector were mixed and injected into the lateral hypothalamus or into the amygdala of adult rats. The titers that were injected were 1 × 10⁸ or 1 × 10⁹ genomic copies of AAV1-GFP and 1 × 10⁵ transducing units of LV-dsRed.     

Some Remarks on Chung's Law

We discuss the notion of a "functional version of Chung's law of the iterated logarithm", and prove a result that incorporates both possible interpretations.     

Initial stages of praseodymium growth on Si(111): morphology and electronic structure

An STM study of the Pr---Si(111)-(7 × 7) interface reveals a much more heterogeneous growth morphology than is suggested by diffraction techniques and spectroscopies which average over the surface. Deposition of 1 ML followed by annealing at 650°C gives the most orderly growth, but this falls short of 2D epitaxy. At high temperatures (> 1000°C), the small amount of rare earth remaining on the surface stabilises some novel Si(111) surface reconstructions.     

The first-passage problem for diffusion through a cylindrical pore with sticky walls

We calculate the first-passage time distribution for diffusion through a cylindrical pore with sticky walls. A particle diffusively explores the interior of the pore through a series of binding and unbinding events with the cylinder wall. Through a diagrammatic expansion we obtain first-passage time statistics for the particle’s exit from the pore. Connections between the model and nucleocytoplasmic transport in cells are discussed.     

Magnetic ordering in rare earth iron silicides and germanides of the RFe2X2 type

Rare earth iron silicides and germanides of the RFe₂Si₂ or RFe₂Ge₂ type with R = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd and Dy were measured for their magnetic susceptibility. The silicides and germanides of Nd and Gd are antiferromagnetically ordered below a Neel point of, respectively, 11 and 7°K for the silicides and 13 and 11 for the germanides. The Nd sublattice under-goes a spin-flop transition which at 4.2°K is at 11 KOe. Although the Fe sublattice is diamagnetic, all the samples showed a weak ferromagnetic ordering below a temperature of about 700°K. The ratio between the dia- and ferromagnetic phases is 94:6 per cent in the silicides and 80:20 in the germanides, as determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy and supported by magnetization measurements.     

Inversion of acoustic diffraction fields in anisotropic solids

We show that the fast Fourier transform (FFT) technique provides a computationally efficient method of calculating 2D amplitude and phase images of complex wave fields generated and measured in elastically anisotropic solids by phase sensitive acoustic microscopy. Further, we discuss how this technique can be used to treat inverse problems such as source reconstruction, image quality assessment, and the determination of elastic constants.