Optimization of Gold Nanoparticle-Based DNA Detection for Microarrays

DNA microarrays are promising tools for fast and highly parallel DNA detection by means of fluorescence or gold nanoparticle labeling. However, substrate modification with silanes (as a prerequisite for capture DNA binding) often leads to inhomogeneous surfaces and/or nonspecific binding of the labeled DNA. We examined both different substrate cleaning and activating protocols and also different blocking strategies for optimizing the procedures, especially those for nanoparticle labeling. Contact angle measurements as well as fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and a flatbed scanner were used to analyze the multiple-step process. Although the examined different cleaning and activating protocols resulted in considerably different contact angles, meaning different substrate wettability, silanization led to similar hydrophobic surfaces which could be revealed as smooth surfaces of about 2–4 nm roughness. The two examined silanes (3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPS) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)) differed in their DNA binding homogeneity, maximum signal intensities, and sensitivity. Nonspecific gold binding on APTES/PDC surfaces could be blocked by treatment in 3% bovine serum albumin (BSA).     

High precision wavelength measurements of QED-sensitive forbidden transitions in highly charged argon ions

We present the results of an experimental study of magnetic dipole (M1) transitions in highly charged argon ions (Ar X, Ar XI, Ar XIV, Ar XV) in the visible spectral range using an electron beam ion trap. Their wavelengths were determined with, for highly charged ions, unprecedented accuracy up to the sub-ppm level and compared with theoretical calculations. The QED contributions, calculated in this Letter, are found to be 4 orders of magnitude larger than the experimental error and are absolutely indispensable to bring theory and experiment to a good agreement. This method shows great potential for the study of QED effects in relativistic few-electron systems.     

Nanodissection of human chromosomes with near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses

Near-infrared laser pulses of a compact 80-MHz femtosecond laser source at 800 nm, a mean power of 15-100 mW, 170-fs pulse width, and millisecond beam dwell times at the target have been used for multiphoton-mediated nanoprocessing of human chromosomes. By focusing of the laser beam with high-numerical-aperture objectives of a scanning microscope to diffraction-limited spots and with light intensities of terawatts per cubic centimeter, precise submicrometer holes and cuts in human chromosomes have been processed by single-point exposure and line scans. A minimum FWHM cut size of ~100 nm during a partial dissection of chromosome 1, which is below the diffraction-limited spot size, and a minimum material removal of ~0.003mum (3) were determined by a scanning-force microscope. The plasma-induced ablated material corresponds to ~1/400 of the chromosome 1 volume and to ~65x10(3) base pairs of chromosomal DNA. A complete dissection could be performed with FWHM cut sizes below 200 nm. High-repetition-frequency femtosecond lasers at low mean power in combination with high-numerical-aperture focusing optics appear therefore as appropriate noncontact tools for nanoprocessing of bulk and (or) surfaces of transparent materials such as chromosomes. In particular, the noninvasive inactivation of certain genomic regions on single chromosomes within living cells becomes possible.     

The atomic structure and the properties of ununbium (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis> = 112) and Mercury (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis> = 80)

A super heavy element Uub (Z = 112) has been studied theoretically in conjunction with rela-tivistic effects and the effects of electron correlations. The atomic structure and the oscillator strengths of low-lying levels have been calculated, and the ground states have also been determined for the singly and doubly charged ions. The influence of relativity and correlation effects to the atomic properties of such a super heavy element has been investigated in detail. The results have been compared with the properties of an element Hg. Two energy levels at wave numbers 64470 and 94392 are suggested to be of good candidates for experimental observations.     

Uptake and release kinetics of 22 polar organic chemicals in the Chemcatcher passive sampler

The Chemcatcher passive sampler, which uses Empore? disks as sampling phase, is frequently used to monitor polar organic chemicals in river water and effluents. Uptake kinetics need to be quantified to calculate time-weighted average concentrations from Chemcatcher field deployments. Information on release kinetics is needed if performance reference compounds (PRCs) are used to quantify the influence of environmental conditions on the uptake. In a series of uptake and elimination experiments, we used Empore? SDB disks (poly(styrenedivinylbenzene) copolymer modified with sulfonic acid groups) as a sampling phase and 22 compounds with a logK _ow (octanol–water partitioning coefficient) range from ?2.6 to 3.8. Uptake experiments were conducted in river water or tap water and lasted up to 25 days. Only 1 of 22 compounds (sulfamethoxazole) approached equilibrium in the uptake trials. Other compounds showed continuing non-linear uptake, even after 25 days. All compounds could be released from SDB disks, and desorption was proportionally higher in disks loaded for shorter periods. Desorption showed two-phase characteristics, and desorption was proportionally higher for passively sorbed compounds compared to actively loaded compounds (active loading was performed by pulling spiked river water over SDB disks using vacuum). We hypothesise that the two-phase kinetics and better retention of actively loaded compounds—and compounds loaded for a longer period—may be caused by slow diffusion of chemicals within the polymer. As sorption and desorption did not show isotropic kinetics, it is not possible to develop robust PRCs for adsorbent material like SDB disks.     

Gewinnung von alkoholfreiem Aether (D. R. P. Nr. 88051)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Electron capture into few-electron heavy ions: Independent particle model

We apply the density matrix theory to re-investigate the radiative electron capture into heavy ions with one valence electron. Attention has been paid particularly to the magnetic sublevel population of the residual ions, as described in terms of alignment parameters. Simple method, based on an independent particle model, which takes into account the Pauli principle, is proposed for evaluating the alignment of the excited ionic states. By making use of this method, detailed calculations are performed for electron capture into (initially) hydrogen-like and lithium-like europium, gold and uranium ions, and are compared with the results of the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock approach.As seen from the calculations and from the comparison with available experimental results, the independent particle model provides a good estimate for the alignment parameters of few-electron heavy ions. Therefore, our simple model may help to understand the basic properties of the X-ray emission from heavy, few-electron ions without the need for invoking sophisticated MCDF calculations.     

Novel Bottom‐Up SERS Substrates for Quantitative and Parallelized Analytics

Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an emerging technology in the field of analytics. Due to the high sensitivity in connection with specific Raman molecular fingerprint information SERS can be used in a variety of analytical, bioanalytical, and biosensing applications. However, for the SERS effect substrates with metal nanostructures are needed. The broad application of this technology is greatly hampered by the lack of reliable and reproducible substrates. Usually the activity of a given substrate has to be determined by time‐consuming experiments such as calibration or ultramicroscopic studies. To use SERS as a standard analytical tool, cheap and reproducible substrates are required, preferably with a characterization technique that does not interfere with the subsequent measurements. Herein we introduce an innovative approach to produce low‐cost and large‐scale reproducible substrates for SERS applications, which allows easy and economical production of micropatterned SERS active surfaces on a large scale. This approach is based on an enzyme‐induced growth of silver nanostructures. The special structural feature of the enzymatically deposited silver nanoparticles prevents the breakdown of SERS activity even at high particle densities (particle density >60 %) that lead to a conductive layer. In contrast to other approaches, this substrate exhibits a relationship between electrical conductivity and the resulting SERS activity of a given spot. This enables the prediction of the SERS activity of the nanostructure ensemble and therewith the controllable and reproducible production of SERS substrates of enzymatic silver nanoparticles on a large scale, utilizing a simple measurement of the electrical conductivity. Furthermore, through a correlation between the conductivity and the SERS activity of the substrates it is possible to quantify SERS measurements with these substrates.     

Novel ‘Nano in Nano’ Composites for Sustained Drug Delivery: Biodegradable Nanoparticles Encapsulated into Nanofiber Non‐Wovens

Novel ‘nano in nano’ composites consisting of biodegradable polymer nanoparticles incorporated into polymer nanofibers may efficiently modulate drug delivery. This is shown here using a combination of model compound‐loaded biodegradable nanoparticles encapsulated in electrospun fibers. The dye coumarin 6 is used as model compound for a drug in order to simulate drug release from loaded poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) nanoparticles. Dye release from the nanoparticles occurs immediately in aqueous solution. Dye‐loaded nanoparticles which are encapsulated by electrospun polymer nanofibers display a significantly retarded release.

     

Shift operators contained in contractions, pseudocontinuable Schur functions and orthogonal systems on the unit circle

The main aim of this paper is to establish the connection between well-known criteria for the pseudocontinuability of a non-inner Schur function ?? in the unit disk (see Theorems 3.9, 4.2). In a canonical way we associate a probability measure ?? on the unit circle with ??. One of the two criteria will be reformulated in the face of ??, whereas the other one is drafted in view of a completely nonunitary contraction T having ?? as corresponding characteristic function. Our main result clarifies an immediate connection between the above-mentioned two criteria. In this way, we rewrite these criteria in terms of orthogonal systems with respect to the measure ?? (see Theorem 7.2).