An invariance principle for reversible Markov processes. Applications to random motions in random environments

We present an invariance principle for antisymmetric functions of a reversible Markov process which immediately implies convergence to Brownian motion for a wide class of random motions in random environments. We apply it to establish convergence to Brownian motion (i) for a walker moving in the infinite cluster of the two-dimensional bond percolation model, (ii) for ad-dimensional walker moving in a symmetric random environment under very mild assumptions on the distribution of the environment, (iii) for a tagged particle in ad-dimensional symmetric lattice gas which allows interchanges, (iv) for a tagged particle in ad-dimensional system of interacting Brownian particles. Our formulation also leads naturally to bounds on the diffusion constant.     

Microscopic origins for the favorable solvation of carbonate ether copolymers in CO2

The strong desire for the wide use of carbon dioxide as an environmentally benign process solvent has spurred a large number of attempts to improve its solubility characteristics. Pioneering experimental work by Beckman and co-workers has pointed to carbonate ether copolymers as promising candidates for nonfluorous surfactants. It is demonstrated here that Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations (using configurational-bias and double-bridging strategies and the transferable potentials for phase equilibria force field) can be employed to accurately predict the phase equilibria of a carbonate ether copolymer with CO2. The simulations indicate that the greater accessibility of the carbonyl oxygen plays a major role for the CO2-philicity of this copolymer surfactant.     

On Quantales and Spectra of C*-Algebras

We study properties of the quantale spectrum MaxA of an arbitrary unital C^*-algebra A. In particular we show that the spatialization of MaxA with respect to one of the notions of spatiality in the literature yields the locale of closed ideals of A when A is commutative. We study under general conditions functors with this property, in addition requiring that colimits be preserved, and we conclude in this case that the spectrum of A necessarily coincides with the locale of closed ideals of the commutative reflection of A. Finally, we address functorial properties of Max, namely studying (non-)preservation of limits and colimits. Although Max is not an equivalence of categories, therefore not providing a direct generalization of Gelfand duality to the noncommutative case, it is a faithful complete invariant of unital C^*-algebras.     

Ultrasensitive Detection of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes by Small‐Molecule Chemiluminescence Probes

Detection of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes in food samples by current diagnostic methods requires relatively long time to results (2–6 days). Furthermore, the ability to perform environmental monitoring at the factory site for these pathogens is limited due to the need for laboratory facilities. Herein, we report new chemiluminescence probes for the ultrasensitive direct detection of viable pathogenic bacteria. The probes are composed of a bright phenoxy‐dioxetane luminophore masked by triggering group, which is activated by a specific bacterial enzyme, and could detect their corresponding bacteria with an LOD value of about 600‐fold lower than that of fluorescent probes. Moreover, we were able to detect a minimum of 10 Salmonella cells within 6 h incubation. The assay allows for bacterial enrichment and detection in one test tube without further sample preparation. We anticipate that this design strategy will be used to prepare analogous chemiluminescence probes for other enzymes relevant to specific bacteria detection and point‐of‐care diagnostics.     

Injury‐Triggered Blueing Reactions of Psilocybe “Magic” Mushrooms

Upon injury, psychotropic psilocybin‐producing mushrooms instantly develop an intense blue color, the chemical basis and mode of formation of which has remained elusive. We report two enzymes from Psilocybe cubensis that carry out a two‐step cascade to prepare psilocybin for oxidative oligomerization that leads to blue products. The phosphatase PsiP removes the 4‐O‐phosphate group to yield psilocin, while PsiL oxidizes its 4‐hydroxy group. The PsiL reaction was monitored by in situ ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, which indicated that oxidative coupling of psilocyl residues occurs primarily via C‐5. MS and IR spectroscopy indicated the formation of a heterogeneous mixture of preferentially psilocyl 3‐ to 13‐mers and suggest multiple oligomerization routes, depending on oxidative power and substrate concentration. The results also imply that phosphate ester of psilocybin serves a reversible protective function.     

Fock space on C∞ and Bose-Fock space

In this paper, we introduce the Fock space on ${\mathbb{C}}^{\infty }$ and obtain an isomorphism between the Fock space on ${\mathbb{C}}^{\infty }$ and Bose-Fock space. Based on this isomorphism, we obtain representations of some operators on the Bose-Fock space and answer a question in [2]. As a physical application, we study the Gibbs state.     

Interlaboratory comparison of size and surface charge measurements on nanoparticles prior to biological impact assessment

The International Alliance for NanoEHS Harmonization (IANH) organises interlaboratory comparisons of methods used to study the potential biological impacts of nanomaterials. The aim of IANH is to identify and reduce or remove sources of variability and irreproducibility in existing protocols. Here, we present results of the first IANH round robin studies into methods to assess the size and surface charge of suspended nanoparticles. The test materials used (suspensions of gold, silica, polystyrene, and ceria nanoparticles, with [primary] particles sizes between 10?nm and 80?nm) were first analysed in repeatability conditions to assess the possible contribution of between-sample heterogeneity to the between-laboratory variability. Reproducibility of the selected methods was investigated in an interlaboratory comparison between ten different laboratories in the USA and Europe. Robust statistical analysis was used to evaluate within- and between-laboratory variability. It is shown that, if detailed shipping, measurement, and reporting protocols are followed, measurement of the hydrodynamic particle diameter of nanoparticles in predispersed monomodal suspensions using the dynamic light scattering method is reproducible. On the other hand, measurements of more polydisperse suspensions of nanoparticle aggregates or agglomerates were not reproducible between laboratories. Ultrasonication, which is commonly used to prepare dispersions before cell exposures, was observed to further increase variability. The variability of the zeta potential values, which were also measured, indicates the need to define better surface charge test protocols and to identify sources of variability.     

Dirac magnetic monopole production from photon fusion in proton collisions

We calculate the lowest-order cross-section for Dirac magnetic monopole production from photon fusion ( in p collisions at = 1.96 TeV, pp collisions at = 14 TeV, and we compare with Drell-Yan (DY) production. We find the total cross-section is comparable with DY at = 1.96 TeV and dominates DY by a factor > 50 at = 14 TeV. We conclude that both the and DY processes allow for a monopole mass limit m > 370 GeV based upon the null results of the recent monopole search at the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). We also conclude that production is the leading mechanism to be considered for direct monopole searches at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).     

Über eine Verallgemeinerung des Begriffs „Charakteristik”︁ bei partiellen Differentialgleichungen erster Ordnung

As, in general, the projections of characteristics into the x-space intersect for finite values of t, the global solution of a conservation law cannot be determined from the characteristic system of the equation, is considered. Only in the linear case, this equation coincides with the equation of the projections of characteristics. For convex h and all x₀ this equation has a solution almost everywhere, and the properties of this solution permit to construct a global solution of the conservation law using strips, in the same way as this is done for linear problems by the method of characteristics.