Imaging of nanostructures with sub-100?nm spatial resolution using a desktop EUV microscope

Laser-produced plasma sources of short-wavelength radiation offer an interesting alternative to synchrotron and free-electron laser installations. Recently, we reported on a newly developed desktop EUV microscope based on plasma generated from a gas-puff target and diffractive optics. The half-pitch resolution of the microscope approached 50?nm. Compared to analogous microscopes based on synchrotron sources, our system is compact and cost-effective. In this paper, we present the results of imaging experiments on a thin polycrystalline object that was carried out in order to further examine the applicability of the microscope. We have demonstrated here that EUV microscopy can provide structural information that cannot be accessed by conventional optical microscopy or SEM.     

On Submanifolds with 2-Type Pseudo-Hyperbolic Gauss Map in Pseudo-Hyperbolic Space

In this paper, we study pseudo-Riemannian submanifolds of a pseudo-hyperbolic space \(\mathbb H^{m-1}_s (-1) \subset \mathbb E^m_{s+1}\) with 2-type pseudo-hyperbolic Gauss map. We give a characterization of proper pseudo-Riemannian hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb H^{n+1}_s (-1) \subset \mathbb E^{n+2}_{s+1}\) with non-zero constant mean curvature and 2-type pseudo-hyperbolic Gauss map. For \(n=2\), we prove classification theorems. In addition, we show that the hyperbolic Veronese surface is the only maximal surface fully lying in \(\mathbb H^4_2 (-1) \subset \mathbb H^{m-1}_2 (-1)\) with 2-type pseudo-hyperbolic Gauss map. Moreover, we prove that a flat totally umbilical pseudo-Riemannian hypersurface \(M^n_t\) of the pseudo-hyperbolic space \(\mathbb {H}^{n+1}_t(-1) \subset \mathbb E^{n+2}_{t+1}\) has biharmonic pseudo-hyperbolic Gauss map.     

Nanosensors having dipicolinic acid imprinted nanoshell for Bacillus cereus spores detection

Molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) as a recognition element for sensors are increasingly of interest and MIP nanoclusters have started to appear in the literature. In this study, we have proposed a novel thiol ligand-capping method with polymerizable methacryloylamido-cysteine (MAC) attached to gold–silver nanoclusters, reminiscent of a self-assembled monolayer and have reconstructed surface shell by synthetic host polymers based on molecular imprinting method for recognition. In this method, methacryloylamidoantipyrine–terbium ((MAAP)₂–Tb(III)) has been used as a new metal-chelating monomer via metal coordination–chelation interactions and dipicolinic acid (DPA) which is main participant of Bacillus cereus spores used as a model. Nanoshell sensors with templates give a cavity that is selective for DPA. The DPA can simultaneously chelate to Tb(III) metal ion and fit into the shape-selective cavity. Thus, the interaction between Tb(III) ion and free coordination spheres has an effect on the binding ability of the gold–silver nanoclusters nanosensor. The binding affinity of the DPA imprinted nanoclusters has been investigated by using the Langmuir and Scatchard methods, and the respective affinity constants (K _affinity) determined were found to be 1.43 × 10⁴ and 9.1 × 10⁶ mol L^?1.     

A Runge-Kutta method for index 1 stochastic differential-algebraic equations with scalar noise

The paper deals with the numerical treatment of stochastic differential-algebraic equations of index one with a scalar driving Wiener process. Therefore, a particularly customized stochastic Runge-Kutta method is introduced. Order conditions for convergence with order 1.0 in the mean-square sense are calculated and coefficients for some schemes are presented. The proposed schemes are stiffly accurate and applicable to nonlinear stochastic differential-algebraic equations. As an advantage they do not require the calculation of any pseudo-inverses or projectors. Further, the mean-square stability of the proposed schemes is analyzed and simulation results are presented bringing out their good performance.     

On Spectral Polynomials of the Heun Equation. II

The well-known Heun equation has the form

Direct and Fast Electrochemical Determination of Catechin in Tea Extracts using SWCNT‐Subphthalocyanine Hybrid Material

In this study, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were covalently functionalized by terminal ethynyl bearing subphthalocyanine (SubPc) to obtain a new hybrid material, viz. SWCNT‐SubPc (CS), via “click” reaction for the first time. The structural characterization and study of the electrochemical sensor properties of the CS hybrid material to catechin were carried out. A convenient and fast analytical method was offered for the determination of catechin. It was shown that the deposition of CS on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) led to a 2.2 and 8‐fold increase in the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) responses to catechin in Britton‐Robinson (BR) buffer solution (a pH of 3) in comparison with SWCNT‐modified and bare GCE, respectively. The dynamic range, detection and quantification limits of catechin were determined to be 0.1–1.5 μM, 13 nM and 43 nM, respectively. Selectivity of the suggested CS/GCE sensor was investigated on addition of a number of interfering metal ions, antioxidants and biomolecules. The applicability of the modified electrode for the detection of catechin in real tea samples such as green, rosehip fruit, Turkish and Indian black tea was demonstrated with the standard addition method. Along with the ease in fabrication and low prices, the proposed CS/GCE sensor was reproducible, selective, stable and sensitive to catechin in major types of tea samples.     

Solvent Relaxation in Phospholipid Bilayers: Principles and Recent Applications

Although there exist a number of methods, such as NMR, X-ray, e.g., which explore the hydration of phospholipid bilayers, the solvent relaxation (SR) method has the advantage of simple instrumentation, easy data treatment and possibility of measuring fully hydrated samples. The main information gained from SR by the analysis of recorded “time-resolved emission spectra” (TRES) is micro-viscosity and micro-polarity of the dye microenvironment. Based on these parameters, one can draw conclusions about water structure in the bilayer. In this review, we focus on physical background of this method, on all the procedures that are needed in order to obtain relevant parameters, and on the requirements on the fluorescence dyes. Furthermore, a few recent applications (the effect of curvature, binding of antibacterial peptides and phase transition) illustrating the versatility of this method are mentioned. Moreover, limitations and potential problems are discussed.     

Information Theories with Adversaries,Intrinsic Information,and Entanglement

There are aspects of privacy theory that are analogous to quantum theory. In particular one can define distillable key and key cost in parallel to distillable entanglement and entanglement cost. We present here classical privacy theory as a particular case of information theory with adversaries, where similar general laws hold as in entanglement theory. We place the result of Renner and Wolf—that intrinsic information is lower bound for key cost—into this general formalism. Then we show that the question of whether intrinsic information is equal to key cost is equivalent to the question of whether Alice and Bob can create a distribution product with Eve using I_M bits of secret key. We also propose a natural analogue of relative entropy of entanglement in privacy theory and show that it is equal to the intrinsic information. We also provide a formula analogous to the entanglement of formation for classical distributions. It is our pleasure to dedicate this paper to Asher Peres on the occasion of his seventieth birthday.