Determination of the partial electron capture- and spontaneous-fission half-lives of254No

The isotope²⁵⁴No was produced in the fusion reaction⁴⁸Ca +²⁰⁸Pb. Using the velocity filter SHIP and radiochemical techniques it was found that the nuclide²⁵⁴No with a half-life of 55 s decays byα, EC, and spontaneous-fission. Deduced partial half-lives are (61±2) s forα-decay, (550 _?160 ⁺³⁷⁰ ) s for EC and [2.2 _?1.0 ^+2.0 ]×10⁴ s for spontaneous fission.     

Structural investigation of icosahedral Pd58.8U20.6Si20.6

The structure factors of the amorphous, icosahedral and crystalline Pd_58.8U_20.6Si_20.6 were measured with X-rays and neutrons. By comparing the radial distribution functions of the three phases, we find a similar short range order in the amorphous and icosahedral phase, but a different atomic arrangement in the crystalline phase. A magnetic long range order observed in the crystalline material is absent in the icosahedral phase.Dedicated to Professor Harry Thomas on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

An analysis of the two-vortex case in the Chern-Simons Higgs model

Extending work of Caffarelli-Yang and Tarantello, we present a variational existence proof for two-vortex solutions of the periodic Chern-Simons Higgs model and analyze the asymptotic behavior of these solutions as the parameter coupling the gauge field with the scalar field tends to 0. Received September 24, 1997 / Accepted October 2, 1997     

Floating Electrode Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma in Air Promoting Apoptotic Behavior in Melanoma Skin Cancer Cell Lines

Initiation of apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an important issue in cancer treatment as cancer cells frequently have acquired the ability to block apoptosis and thus are more resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs. Targeted and perhaps selective destruction of cancerous tissue is desirable for many reasons, ranging from the enhancement of or aid to current medical methods to problems currently lacking a solution, i.e., lung cancer. Demonstrated in this publication is the inactivation (killing) of human Melanoma skin cancer cell lines, in vitro, by Floating Electrode Dielectric Barrier Discharge (FE-DBD) plasma. Not only are these cells shown to be killed immediately by high doses of plasma treatment, but low doses are shown to promote apoptotic behavior as detected by TUNEL staining and subsequent flow cytometry. It is shown that plasma acts on the cells directly and not by “poisoning” the solution surrounding the cells, even through a layer of such solution. Potential mechanisms of interaction of plasma with cells are discussed and further steps are proposed to develop an understanding of such systems.