Observation of Upsilon(3S)-->tau+tau- and tests of lepton universality in Upsilon decays

Using data collected with the CLEO III detector at the CESR e+e- collider, we report on a first observation of the decay Upsilon(3S)-->tau+tau-, and precisely measure the ratio of branching fractions of Upsilon(nS), n=1, 2, 3, to tau+tau- and mu+mu- final states, finding agreement with expectations from lepton universality. We derive absolute branching fractions for these decays, and also set a limit on the influence of a low mass CP-odd Higgs boson in the decay of the Upsilon(1S).     

Superiority of N-methyl pyrrolidone over albumin with hypericin for fluorescence diagnosis of human bladder cancer cells implanted in the chick chorioallantoic membrane model

Formulations of hypericin (HY) with plasma protein have been conventionally used, but to date, no alternative pharmaceutical formulation has been developed for clinical use. Previously, it was reported that formulation of HY containing a biocompatible solvent and penetration enhancer, N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) was found to be effective for the delivery of HY across in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). This present study reports further investigations on the HY-NMP formulations in CAM implanted with human bladder cancer cells as a potential fluorescence diagnostic agent of cancer. The conventional formulation of HY (HY-HSA 0.5%) was included as control. The red-to-blue (I(R)/I(B)) intensity ratio of fluorescence images was used as a diagnostic algorithm, to differentiate the uptake of HY between tumor and adjacent regions on CAM. Results indicated that HY-NMP 0.05% was significantly better than HY-HSA 0.5%. The findings of the I(R)/I(B) ratios between tumor and adjacent tissues, indicated the potential of using NMP as an alternative to plasma protein in clinical fluorescence diagnosis with HY. The NMP formulations investigated were able to produce significantly higher contrast for tumor tissues and at earlier time points than was possible with HY-HSA 0.5%.     

A new salicin derivative from the stem bark of Populus davidiana

Phytochemical study on the BuOH-soluble fraction of the stem bark of Populus davidiana resulted in the isolation of a new salicin derivative(1),named davidianoside.The structure was elucidated on the basis of extensive physicochemical and spectroscopic analyses.     

On the limit and applicability of dynamic homogenization

Recent years have seen considerable research success in the field of dynamic homogenization which seeks to define frequency dependent effective properties for heterogeneous composites for the purpose of studying wave propagation. There is an approximation involved in replacing a heterogeneous composite with its homogenized equivalent. In this paper we propose a quantification to this approximation. We study the problem of reflection at the interface of a layered periodic composite and its dynamic homogenized equivalent. It is shown that if the homogenized parameters are to appropriately represent the layered composite in a finite setting and at a given frequency, then reflection at this special interface must be close to zero at that frequency. We show that a comprehensive homogenization scheme proposed in an earlier paper results in negligible reflection in the low frequency regime, thereby suggesting its applicability in a finite composite setting. In this paper we explicitly study a 2-phase composite and a 3-phase composite which exhibits negative effective properties over its second branch. We show that based upon the reflected energy profile of the two cases, there exist good arguments for considering the second branch of a 3-phase composite a true negative branch with negative group velocity. Through arguments of calculated reflected energy we note that infinite-domain homogenization is much more applicable to finite cases of the 3-phase composite than it is to the 2-phase composite. In fact, the applicability of dynamic homogenization extends to most of the first branch (negligible reflection) for the 3-phase composite. This is in contrast with a periodic composite without local resonance where the approximation of homogenization worsens with increasing frequency over the first branch and is demonstrably bad on the second branch. We also study the effect of the interface location on the applicability of homogenization. The results open intriguing questions regarding the effects of replacing a semi-infinite periodic composite with its Bloch-wave (infinite domain) dynamic properties on such phenomenon as negative refraction.     

Precision measurements of the timelike electromagnetic form factors of pion, kaon, and proton

Using 20.7 pb(-1) of e(+)e(-) annihilation data taken at sq.rt(r) = 3.671 GeV with the CLEO-c detector, precision measurements of the electromagnetic form factors of the charged pion, charged kaon, and proton have been made for timelike momentum transfer of |Q(2)| = 13.48 GeV(2) by the reaction e(+)e(-) --> h(+)h(-). The measurements are the first ever with identified pions and kaons of |Q(2)| > 4 GeV(2), with the results F(13.48 GeV(2)) = 0.075 +/- 0.008(stat) +/- 0.005(syst) and F(K)(13.48 GeV(2)) = 0.063 +/- 0.004(stat) +/- 0.001(syst). The result for the proton, assuming G(p)(E) = G(p)(M), is G(p)(M)(13.48 GeV(2)) = 0.014 +/- 0.002(stat) +/- 0.001(syst), which is in agreement with earlier results.     

Microfluidic devices fabricated in poly(dimethylsiloxane) for biological studies

This review describes microfluidic systems in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for biological studies. Properties of PDMS that make it a suitable platform for miniaturized biological studies, techniques for fabricating PDMS microstructures, and methods for controlling fluid flow in microchannels are discussed. Biological procedures that have been miniaturized into PDMS-based microdevices include immunoassays, separation of proteins and DNA, sorting and manipulation of cells, studies of cells in microchannels exposed to laminar flows of fluids, and large-scale, combinatorial screening. The review emphasizes the advantages of miniaturization for biological analysis, such as efficiency of the device and special insights into cell biology.     

Another example of carborane based trianionic ligand: Syntheses and catalytic activities of cyclohexylamino tailed ortho-carboranyl zirconium and titanium dicarbollides

In situ reaction of Li[closo-1-Ph-1,2-C₂B₁₀H₁₀] with 7-azabicyclo [4.1.0] heptane results in the formation of the disubstituted carborane, closo-1-Ph-2-(2′-aminocyclohexyl)-1,2-C₂B₁₀H₁₀ (1), in 63% yield. Decapitation of (1) with potassium hydroxide in refluxing ethanol produces the cage-opened nido-carborane, K[nido-7-Ph-8-(2′-aminocyclohexyl)-7,8-C₂B₉H₁₀]⁻ (2), in 80% yield. Deprotonation of the above monoanion with two equivalents of n-butyllithium followed by reaction with anhydrous MCl₄ · 2THF (M = Zr, Ti) provides d⁰-half-sandwich metallocarboranes, closo-1-M(Cl)-2-Ph-3-(2′-σ-(H)N-cyclohexyl)-2,3-η⁵-C₂B₉H₉ (3 M = Zr; 4 M = Ti) in 53% and 42% yields, respectively. The reaction of Li[closo-1,2-C₂B₁₀H₁₁] with 7-azabicyclo [4.1.0] heptane in THF affords closo-1-(2′-aminocyclohexyl)-1,2-C₂B₁₀H₁₀ (5) in 59% yield. Immobilization of the carboranyl amino ligand (1) to an organic support, Merrifield’s peptide resin (1%), has been achieved by the reaction of the sodium salt of (5) with polystyryl chloride in THF to produce closo-1-(2′-aminocyclohexyl)-2-polystyryl-1,2-C₂B₁₀H₁₀ (6) in 87% yield. Further reaction of the dianion derived from (6) with anhydrous ZrCl₄ · 2THF led to the formation of the organic polystyryl supported d⁰-half-sandwich metallocarborane, closo-1-Zr(Cl)-2-(2′-σ-(H)N-cyclohexyl)-3-polystyryl-2,3-η⁵-C₂B₉H₉ (7), in 38% yield. These new compounds have been characterized by elemental analyses, NMR, and IR spectra. Polymerizations of both ethylene and vinyl chloride with (3) and (7) have been performed in toluene using MMAO-7 (13% ISOPAR-E) as the co-catalyst. Molecular weights up to 32.8 × 10³ (M_w/M_n = 1.8) and 9.5 × 10³ (M_w/M_n = 2.1) were obtained for PE and PVC, respectively.     

Anti-tack action of polyvinylpyrrolidone on hydroxypropylmethylcellulose solution

The anti-tack action of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) solution was elucidated using a probe test method. The influence of PVP of varying molecular weights at various PVP concentrations and solution temperatures on the tackiness of HPMC solution was studied. The viscosity, surface tension, cloud point and solution spectroscopy of HPMC solutions and glass transition temperature of HPMC films, with and without PVP, were investigated. The tackiness of HPMC solutions in response to the addition of PVP, at different concentrations of HPMC and using HPMC with varying contents of hydroxypropyl/methoxyl substitution, was also evaluated. PVP is a commonly used binder and adhesive. However, it reduced the tack of the HPMC solution when used at low concentrations, without affecting the state of hydration of HPMC. Lower molecular weight PVP was more effective as an anti-tack agent owing to suitable hydrodynamic size to intersperse among the HPMC chains. The degree of reduction in tack values was more pronounced for HPMC that showed a greater extent of interaction between polymer chains such as when high concentration of HPMC or low solution temperature was employed. This indicated that the tack reduction property of PVP relied on its ability to interact with the HPMC chains. The profile of reduction in tack values was affected by the contents of HPMC substitution and was a result of net reduction in the extent of hydrogen bonding between HPMC chains. It was significantly correlated to the changes of viscosity and surface tension of the HPMC solutions but not to the glass transition temperatures of the polymers prepared as solid films. The results suggested that the anti-tack action of PVP was attributed to its ability to interact with HPMC chains in the aqueous medium and consequently to reduce the extent of HPMC-HPMC bonding.