Promotion of sheet formation in alpha-peptide strands by a beta-peptide reverse turn

[structure: see text]We show that a tetrapeptide with a heterogeneous backbone, i.e., with two different classes of amino acid residues, adopts a hairpin conformation in which each type of residue plays a different structural role. The alpha-residues at the ends form hydrogen bonds characteristic of antiparallel beta-sheet secondary structure, while the central di-beta-peptide segment forms a reverse turn. The configuration of the turn residues is critical to sheet formation.     

The N = Z nucleus 76 Sr: Gamow-Teller strength and nuclear deformation

Challenged by recent theoretical work, a study of the -EC decay of the N = Z even-even nucleus ⁷⁶ Sr has been undertaken in order to assign the parent ground-state deformation. In this study 13 levels with have been located in ⁷⁶ Rb. The beta-delayed proton emission has been observed for the first time in an N = Z even-even nucleus. The p branching ratio has been determined to be . The ⁷⁶ Sr half-life has been remeasured and a more precise value of s has been obtained. On the basis of the comparison of measured Gamow-Teller strength with calculated strength distributions for both oblate and prolate deformation, it is concluded that the ⁷⁶ Sr has strong prolate deformation in the ground state.Received: 26 June 2003, Revised: 5 November 2003, Published online: 18 June 2004PACS: 21.10.Hw Spin, parity, and isobaric spin - 23.20.Lv transitions and level energies - 23.40.Hc Relation with nuclear matrix elements and nuclear structure - 27.50. + e J. Giovinazzo: Present address: Centre d Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan, Le Haut Vigneau, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex, France.M. Ramdhane: Present address: University Mentouri, 25000 Constantine, Algeria.     

A nanoscale dendrimer-based Fe24 cluster: synthesis and molecular self-assembly

We report the synthesis, characterisation and self-assembly of a nanoscopic Fe24 cluster using an organic dendrimer as a molecular substrate for building up well-defined molecular nanostructures.     

Simultaneous Quantification of Neomycin and Bacitracin by LC-ELSD

The first simultaneous quantification of neomycin and bacitracin using liquid chromatography evaporative light scattering detection as an alternative to MS detection and pre-/post-column derivatisation, respectively, was the aim of this study. The developed method was validated for two strength of neomycin and one strength of bacitracin in sterile pharmaceutical formulation and is a fast and efficient tool for content uniformity tests in quality control. With this method the separation of neomycin from sulfate and the base line separation of the four major components of bacitracin (bacitracin A, B1, B2 and B3) was achieved. These four components are responsible for 96% of the microbiological activity. A Phenomenex Synergi POLAR analytical column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 4 μm I.D.) in combination with 0.5% perfluoropropionic acid and acetonitrile in gradient mode, the peaks of interest could be separated with high efficiency within 14 min. The calibration was performed using a second order regression with an R ² = 0.9999 for neomycin (B and C) sulfate and R ² = 0.9996 for bacitracin A, B1, B2 and B3. The results of the accuracy evaluation were 99.2 and 99.7%, respectively, for neomycin and 100.8% for bacitracin. Injection precision results are 0.4–1.5 RSD% recorded for six injections. The established method has a high potential for routine high-throughput analyses in the pharmaceutical industry.     

Controlled coupling of a single nitrogen-vacancy center to a silver nanowire

We report on the controlled coupling of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center to a surface plasmon mode propagating along a chemically grown silver nanowire (NW). We locate and optically characterize a single NV center in a uniform dielectric environment before we controllably position this emitter in the close proximity of the NW. We are thus able to control the coupling of this particular emitter to the NW and directly compare the photon emission properties before and after the coupling. The excitation of single plasmonic modes is witnessed and a total rate enhancement by a factor of up to 4.6 is demonstrated.     

Polycatenar, bent-core pyridines and their discotic complexes with silver(I)

New, bent-core, polycatenar pyridine mesogens are described. Binding to silver(I) leads to complexes properly described as discotic.     

Stability of the Cournot process – experimental evidence

We report results of experiments designed to test the predictions of the best-reply process. In a Cournot oligopoly with four firms, the best-reply process should theoretically explode if demand and cost functions are linear. We find, however, no experimental evidence of such instability. Moreover, we find no differences between a market which theoretically should not converge to Nash equilibrium and one which should converge because of inertia. We investigate the power of several learning dynamics to explain this unpredicted stability. Received May 1997/Revised June 2002