Ground-state energy of a quantum chain with competing interactions

We show rigorously that the ground state of a quantum chain with competing ferromagnetic nearest and antiferromagnetic next nearest interactions undergoes a transition from ferromagnetic to helical type, in the isotropic case, for a certain value of the relevant ratio of coupling constants. Boundaries of the phase diagram are also determined in the anisotropic case. The stability of a special quantum state (corresponding to a classical modulated phase of =/3) is analyzed by an extension of Holstein-Primakoff arguments, along a line of constant ratio of couplings, showing in particular a sequence of (instability) gaps. Finally, a natural adaptation of a variational wave function due to Huse and Elser is used to study several portions of the phase diagram, with very good agreement with previous theoretical results.     

Perfect crystals andq-deformed Fock spaces

In [S], [KMS] the semi-infinite wedge construction of level 1U _q (A _n ⁽¹⁾ ) Fock spaces and their decomposition into the tensor product of an irreducibleU _q (A _n ⁽¹⁾ )-module and a bosonic Fock space were given. Here a general scheme for the wedge construction ofq-deformed Fock spaces using the theory of perfect crystals is presented.LetU _q (g) be a quantum affine algebra. LetV be a finite-dimensionalU _q (g)-module with a perfect crystal base of levell. LetV _aff V [z,z ^–1] be the affinization ofV, with crystal base (L _aff,B _aff). The wedge spaceV _aff V _aff is defined as the quotient ofV _aff V _aff by the subspace generated by the action ofU _q (g) [z ^a z ^b +z ^b z ^a ]_a,b onv v (v an extremal vector). The wedge space ^r V _aff (r ) is defined similarly. Normally ordered wedges are defined by using the energy functionH :B _aff B _aff . Under certain assumptions, it is proved that normally ordered wedges form a base of ^r V _aff.Aq-deformed Fock space is defined as the inductive limit of ^r V _aff asr , taken along the semi-infinite wedge associated to a ground state sequence. It is proved that normally ordered wedges form a base of the Fock space and that the Fock space has the structure of an integrableU _q (g)-module. An action of the bosons, which commute with theU _q (g)-action, is given on the Fock space. It induces the decomposition of theq-deformed Fock space into the tensor product of an irreducibleU _q (g)-module and a bosonic Fock space.As examples, Fock spaces for typesA _2n ⁽²⁾ ,B _n ⁽¹⁾ ,A _2n ^–1/(2) ,D _n ⁽¹⁾ andD _n ^+1/(2) at level 1 andA ₁ ⁽¹⁾ at levelk are constructed. The commutation relations of the bosons in each of these cases are calculated, using two point functions of vertex operators.     

Yields of Br* (4P1/2) as a function of wavelength in the photodissociation of Br2 and IBr

A flashlamp-pumped tunable dye laser has been used to study the photochemical production of Br* (4²P_1/2) atoms from Br₂ and IBr exc     

A DANREF certified reference plastic for measurement of overall migration into the food simulant olive oil by single sided testing

A reference material for the determination of overall migration from a plastic coextrudate into the fatty food simulant olive oil was produced and certified in an interlaboratory study. The analyses were carried out according to the ENV 1186 standard from the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) [ 1, 2, 3] with exposure of the coextrudate to olive oil for 10 days at 40 degrees C. After an initial preliminary interlaboratory study eight laboratories participated in the certification round, and two different methods were used to obtain single sided exposure of the plastic to the oil. The certified value was determined as the mean of laboratory mean values. No outliers were found. A reference value of 8.6 mg/dm2 +/- 1.4 mg/dm2 (+/- half width of the 95% confidence interval) was obtained which is within the range relevant for the regulatory limit (10 mg/ dm2), making this reference material suitable for laboratories measuring according to the EU overall migration limit [4]. The material has been found stable over 45 months.     

Evaluation of recombinant green fluorescent protein, under various culture conditions and purification with HiTrap hydrophobic interaction chromatography resins

To determine the influence of various culture conditions, transformed cells of Escherichia coli expressing recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFPuv) were grown in nine cultures with four variable conditions (storage of inoculated broth at 4°C prior to incubation, agitation speed, isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside [IPTG] concentration, and induction time). The pelleted cells were resuspended in extraction buffer and subjected to the three-phase partitioning (TPP) extraction method. To determine the most appropriate purification resin, protein extracts were eluted through one of four types of HiTrap hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) columns prepacked with methyl, butyl, octyl, or phenyl resins and analyzed further on a 12% sodium dodecylsulfatepolyacrylamidegel. With Coomassie staining, a single band between 27 (standard GFPuv) and 29 kDa (molecular weight standard) was visualized for every HIC column sample. TPP extraction with HIC elution provided about 90% of the GFPuv recovered and eight-fold GFPuv enrichment related to the specific mass. Rotary speed and IPTG concentration showed, respectively, greater negative and positive influences on GFPuv expression at the beginning of the logarithmic phase for the set culture conditions (37°C, 24-h incubation).     

Gas chromatographic quantification of amino acid enantiomers in food matrices by their N(O,S)-ethoxycarbonyl heptafluorobutyl ester derivatives

Several amino acid enantiomer derivatives were prepared with different chloroformates and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) on a Chirasil-L-Val GC column, at a temperature below 200 degrees C. Among them the N(O,S)-ethoxycarbonyl heptafluorobutyl esters presented the best compromise between short retention times, high yield responses and good resolution for almost all the tested amino acids. These derivatives proved to be suited for quantification of amino acids in aqueous media, with L-p-chlorophenylalanine as internal standard. The developed procedure was applied to several food samples for determination of their free amino acid profiles.     

A thieno-2H-chromene alpha-amino acid derivative: synthesis and photochromic properties

[structure: see text] A new photochromic thieno-2H-chromene alpha-amino acid derivative was prepared by C-N palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of a bromothieno-2H-chromene with the aminated aromatic side chain of the methyl ester of a N,N-diprotected amino acid. Its good photochromic properties demonstrated by flash photolysis and continuous irradiation indicate a possible application in ophthalmic lenses. It may also be inserted into peptides to give photoinduced reversible structural changes.