Anomalous thermal denaturing of proteins adsorbed to nanoparticles

We have used localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) to monitor the structural changes that accompany thermal denaturing of bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed onto gold nanospheres of size 5nm-60nm. The effect of the protein on the LSPR was monitored by visible extinction spectroscopy. The position of the resonance is affected by the conformation of the adsorbed protein layer, and as such can be used as a very sensitive probe of thermal denaturing that is specific to the adsorbed protein. The results are compared to detailed calculations and show that full calculations can lead to significant increases in knowledge where gold nanospheres are used as biosensors. Thermal denaturing on spheres with diameter > 20 nm show strong similarity to bulk calorimetric studies of BSA in solution. BSA adsorbed on nanospheres with d ⩽ 15nm shows a qualitative difference in behavior, suggesting a sensitivity of denaturing characteristics on local surface curvature. This may have important implications for other protein-nanoparticle interactions.     

Collective bands in 104,106,108Mo

We have used our analysis of γ-γ-γ data (5.7 × 10¹¹ triples and higher folds) taken with Gammasphere from prompt γ rays emitted in the spontaneous fission of ²⁵²Cf to study the collective bands in ^104,106,108Mo. The one-phonon and two-phonon γ-vibrational bands and known two-quasiparticle bands in neutron-rich ^104,106Mo were extended to higher spins. The one-and two-phonon γ-vibrational bands have remarkably close energies for transitions from the same spin states and identical moments of inertia. Several new bands are observed and are proposed as quasiparticle bands in ^104,106Mo, along with the first β-type vibrational band in ¹⁰⁶Mo. The quasiparticle bands have essentially constant moments of inertia near the rigid-body value that indicate blocking of the pairing interaction. Candidates for chiral doublet bands in ¹⁰⁶Mo are strong. These are the first reported chiral vibrational bands in an even-even nucleus. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Cosmic ray studies with the L3-cosmics program at CERN

The L3 detector at the CERN electron-positron collider had a muon spectrometer which was employed during the last years of LEP operation for cosmic ray studies. The results of this program include a precise muon spectrum and charge ratio between 20 GeV and 3 TeV, a limit on TeV primary antiprotons from a study of the Moon’s shadow, the (possible) observation of a are signal from a fixed position in the northern hemisphere through muons, a solar anisotropy of 200 GeV protons, and other results. Negative limits on muons associated with known H.E. gamma sources or gamma bursts, the search for anomalous H.E. interaction or decay events such as reported from the Kolar Gold Fields, and a search for muons correlated with a solar are are also noted.     

An Approach to Paracyclophane-Based Tetrathiafulvalenes: Synthesis and Characterization of a Pseudo-Geminal [2.2]Paracyclophane 1,3-Dithia-2-Thione

The synthesis of paracyclophane-based tetrathiafulvalene precursors is described in the context of the importance of these compounds in the field of material chemistry. Pseudo-geminal bis(1,3-dithia-2-thione) was synthesized via the corresponding 1,3-dithiol-2-ylium salt. The latter was obtained by a synthetic procedure that involves 4,15-bis(acetyl)[2.2]paracyclophane, a new compound of interest for many researchers.     

Effect of operating parameters on noise emission from individual road vehicles

A noise survey has been undertaken on over 1000 vehicles operating on public roads. By the use of a remote device, vehicle velocity and acceleration have been measured and related to the instantaneous sound pressure level emission from the vehicle. The relationship is expressed in terms of A-weighted sound pressure level as a function of both velocity and acceleration. Octave band sound pressure levels are also expressed as functions of these variables. Light and heavy vehicle groups are considered separately.     

Forward four-wave interactions in bismuth silicon oxide-theory and experiment

The interaction between two strong pump beams and two signal beams is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that the frequencies of the beams need to satisfy the relation that the sum of the pump beam frequencies should be equal to the sum of the signal beam frequencies. The gain is shown to depend on the detuning of the pump beams relative to the incident signal beam and on the direction of the signal beam. Maximum gain is obtained when the signal beams bisect the pump beams.     

Halogen adsorption on Fe(100): I. The adsorption of Cl2 studied by AES,LEED, work function change and thermal desorption

The initial sticking probability of chlorine on Fe(100) at room temperature is calculated to be 0.13, and there is evidence to suggest that the chlorine adsorbs into a short lived mobile precursor state above the surface. The work function change, Δφ, is proportional to coverage and reaches a maximum value of 1.43 eV at saturation. At this coverage a c(2 × 4) LEED pattern is formed. On heating, chlorine is lost from the surface, but the mechanism is such that no detectable loss is incurred at a constant elevated temperature. The c(2 × 4) pattern is shown to be a coincidence structure formed from a $\text{(}\text{1}\text{2}\text{3}\text{?1}\text{2}\text{3}\text{)}$ net of chlorine atoms on the Fe(100) substrate. This structure is a special case of the more general $\text{(}\text{1}\text{2}\text{tan}\text{α}\text{?1}\text{2}\text{tan}\text{α}\text{)}$ structure formed at lower concentrations of chlorine. The c(2 × 4) is formed when α = 56.31°, which gives the chlorine atoms a hard sphere diameter of 0.345 nm and a concentration of 0.75 atoms per four-fold site.     

Tunneling spectroscopy of a two-dimensionally periodic electron system

The tunneling current between an electron gas with a periodic potential in two dimensions and a plain two-dimensional electron system (2DES) has been studied. The strength of the periodic potential, the subband energy of the plain 2DES, and an applied in-plane magnetic field were varied, mapping the Fourier transform of the periodic wave function. Periodic peaks were observed and explained by translations in the reciprocal lattice. When the potential was strongly modulated to form an array of antidots, commensurability peaks were seen in lateral transport, but, as expected, not in tunneling.