Angular correlations in proton-proton collisions producing a high transverse momentum π0

In an experiment at the CERN ISR, a streamer chamber detector surrounding one of the intersection regions was triggered on large transverse momentum π⁰'s by means of an array of lead-glass counters. The directions of charged particles and γ rays converted in lead-oxide plates inside the streamer chamber were measured. Data were taken at c.m. energy of √s = 53 GeV at two production angles of the high p_Tπ⁰ (90° and 53°). They indicate an enhancement of particles mostly in the hemisphere opposite to the π⁰. In the 53° data, a shift of this enhancement towards rapidities opposite to the rapidity of the π⁰ and confined to a ±30° azimuthal region around the collision plane is observed. In addition, a short-range angular correlation is evidenced between the high p_Tπ⁰ and the other collisions products (photons or charged particles). Two-particle correlations between charged particles produced in association with the high p_Tπ⁰ are found similar to those     

A versatile structural domain analysis server using profile weight matrices

The WEB tool "AnDom" assigns to a given protein sequence all experimentally determined structural domains contained within it, including multidomain and large proteins. The server uses profile specific matrices from custom generated multiple sequence alignments of all known SCOP domains (SCOP version 1.50). Prediction time is short allowing numerous applications for structural genomics including investigation of complex eucaryotic protein families. The WWW server is at http://www.bork.embl-heidelberg.de/AnDom, and profiles can be downloaded at ftp.bork.embl-heidelberg.de/pub/users/ schmidt/AnDom.     

Crystal-driven distortion of ligands in copper coordination complexes: conformational pseudo-enantiomers

The ligand in [Cu(6)CH3CN]-(ClO4)2 adopts two conformations that may be described as "pseudo-enantiomers" in that they possess approximately mirror-image molecular helicity, although they differ in the orientation of a single methyl substituent. The two conformations differ in energy as judged by analogy to other compounds studied previously, computation of the relative free energies of formation of the isomers, and measurement of solution circular dichroism spectra. The solid-state structures of both single enantiomer and racemic forms of the complex were determined by X-ray crystallography. In the chiral complex, a quasi-racemate was observed with both pseudo-enantiomeric conformers present in the asymmetric unit. Packing forces induce a higher energy conformation in order to achieve higher apparent symmetry in the solid state. In contrast, the racemic complex only displayed a single conformation corresponding to the lower energy one of the two observed in the single enantiomer structure.     

Investigations of cyclophilin interactions with oligopeptides containing proline by affinity capillary electrophoresis

Affinity capillary electrophoresis using mobility-shift analysis was utilized to characterize the binding of peptide ligands to cyclophilins, which are members of the enzyme family of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases. Peptides derived from the human immunodeficiency virus capsid protein p24 exhibited different affinities to the isoenzymes cyclophilin18 and cyclophilin20. For the interaction of the peptide hormone bradykinin with cyclophilin18, a dissociation constant of 1.4 +/- 0.1 mM was determined. Finally, the affinity of cyclophilin20 to peptides from a cellulose-bound peptide library scanning the sequence of Drosophila melanogaster protein cappuccino was investigated. The affinities of selected peptides to cyclophilin20 and a green fluorescent fusion protein with cyclophilin20 were compared.     

EPR investigation of persistent radicals produced from the photolysis of dibenzyl ketones adsorbed on ZSM-5 zeolites

Photolysis of ketones (1, 1-oMe, 2, 2-oMe, 3, and 4) adsorbed on ZSM-5 zeolites produces persistent carbon-centered radicals that can be readily observed by conventional steady-state EPR spectroscopy. The radicals are persistent for time periods of seconds to many hours depending on the supramolecular structure of the initial radical@zeolite complex and the diffusion and reaction dynamics of radicals produced by photolysis. The structures of the persistent radicals responsible for the observed EPR spectra are determined by a combination of alternate methods of generation of the same radical, by deuterium substitution, and by spectral simulation. A clear requirement for persistence is that the radicals produced by photolysis must either separate and diffuse from the external to the internal surface or be generated within the internal surface and separate and diffuse apart. The persistence of radicals located on the internal surface is the result of inhibition of radical-radical reactions. Radicals that are produced on the external surface and whose molecular structure prevents diffusion into the internal surface are transient because radical-radical reactions occur rapidly on the external surface. The reactions of the persistent radicals with oxygen and nitric oxide were directly studied in situ by EPR analysis. In the case of reaction with oxygen, persistent peroxy radicals are formed in high yield. The addition of nitric oxide scavenges persistent radicals and leads initially to a diamagnetic nitroso compound, which is transformed into a persistent nitroxide radical by further photolysis. The influence of variation of radical structure on transience/persistence is discussed and correlated with supramolecular structure and reactivity of the radicals and their parent ketones.     

Evidence for a Soft Nuclear Equation-of-State from Kaon Production in Heavy-Ion Collisions

The production of pions and kaons has been measured in 197Au+197Au collisions at beam energies from 0.6 to 1.5A GeV with the kaon spectrometer at SIS/GSI. The K+ meson multiplicity per nucleon is enhanced in Au+Au collisions by factors up to 6 relative to C+C reactions, whereas the corresponding pion ratio is reduced. The ratio of the K+ meson excitation functions for Au+Au and C+C collisions increases with decreasing beam energy. This behavior is expected for a soft nuclear equation-of-state.