Increasing the dynamic range for the analysis of boron in PGAA

Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) is especially sensitive for elements with high neutron-capture cross sections, like boron, which can be detected down to a level of ng/g. However, if it is a major component, the high count rate from its signal will distort the spectra, making the evaluation difficult. A lead attenuator was introduced in front of the HPGe-detector to reduce low-energy gamma radiation and specifically the boron gamma rays reaching the detector, whose thickness was found to be optimal at 10 mm. Detection efficiencies with and without the lead attenuator were compared, and it was shown that the dynamic range of the PGAA technique was significantly increased. The method was verified with the analyses of stoichiometric compounds: TiB₂, NiB, PVC, Alborex, and Alborite.     

High Resolution MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry of Retinal Tissue Lipids

Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) has the ability to provide an enormous amount of information on the abundances and spatial distributions of molecules within biological tissues. The rapid progress in the development of this technology significantly improves our ability to analyze smaller and smaller areas and features within tissues. The mammalian eye has evolved over millions of years to become an essential asset for survival, providing important sensory input of an organism’s surroundings. The highly complex sensory retina of the eye is comprised of numerous cell types organized into specific layers with varying dimensions, the thinnest of which is the 10 μm retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This single cell layer and the photoreceptor layer contain the complex biochemical machinery required to convert photons of light into electrical signals that are transported to the brain by axons of retinal ganglion cells. Diseases of the retina, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy, occur when the functions of these cells are interrupted by molecular processes that are not fully understood. In this report, we demonstrate the use of high spatial resolution MALDI IMS and FT-ICR tandem mass spectrometry in the Abca4 ^–/– knockout mouse model of Stargardt disease, a juvenile onset form of macular degeneration. The spatial distributions and identity of lipid and retinoid metabolites are shown to be unique to specific retinal cell layers.

Effect of mobile phase composition on the liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of bulky monoterpene‐based β‐amino acids by applying chiral stationary phases based on Cinchona alkaloid

Stereoselective HPLC separations of five sterically constrained monoterpene‐based 2‐aminocarboxylic acid enantiomers were carried out by using the newly developed zwitterionic chiral stationary phases Chiralpak ZWIX(+)? and ZWIX(?)? based on Cinchona alkaloid. In order to optimize the retention and enantioselectivity parameters, the ratio of the different organic solvents in the mobile phase and the nature of the acid and base additives (counter‐ and co‐ions) were systematically varied. The effects of structure variants of the analytes on the resolution were investigated. The elution sequence was determined in all cases and observed to be opposite on ZWIX(+)? and ZWIX(?)?.     

The irregularity strength and cost of the union of cliques

Assign positive integer weights to the edges of a simple graph with no component isomorphic to K₁ or K₂, in such a way that the graph becomes irregular, i.e., the weight sums at the vertices become pairwise distinct. The minimum of the largest weights assigned over all such irregular assignments on the vertex-disjoint union of complete graphs is determined. The method of proof also yields the smallest possible total increase in the sum of edge weights in irregular asignments, called irregularity cost.     

Algorithmic complexity of list colorings

Given a graph G = (V,E) and a finite set L(v) at each vertex v ε V, the List Coloring problem asks whether there exists a function f:V → _vεVL(V) such that (i) f(v)εL(v) for each vεV and (ii) f(u) ≠f(v) whenever u, vεV and uvεE. One of our results states that this decision problem remains NP-complete even if all of the followingconditions are met: (1) each set L(v) has at most three elements, (2) each “color” xε_vεVL(v) occurs in at most three sets L(v), (3) each vertex vεV has degree at most three, and (4) G is a planar graph. On the other hand, strengthening any of the assumptions (1)–(3) yields a polynomially solvable problem. The connection between List Coloring and Boolean Satisfiability is discussed, too.     

Rainbow subgraphs in properly edge-colored graphs

We prove that there exist graphs G with arbitrarily large girth such that every proper edge coloring of G contains a rainbow cycle (i.e., a cycle having no pair of monochromatic edges). This answers a problem raised by J. Spencer more than 10 years ago.     

Structural properties of nonionic surfactant/glycerol/paraffin lyotropic liquid crystals

Lamellar lyotropic liquid-crystalline systems are thermodynamically stable, optically isotropic and are formed spontaneously. New possibilities for the development of controlled drug delivery systems are inherent in these systems in consequence of their stability and special, skin-friendly structure. The aim was to formulate and study two-component or multicomponent compositions with a relatively low Brij 96V content, liquid paraffin, glycerol and water for therapeutic purposes. The liquid crystals were examined by polarizing light microscopy and transmission electron microscopic observation of replicas produced by the freeze–fracture technique to demonstrate the presence of lamellar liquid-crystalline domains. The existence of a regular structure was determined by X-ray diffraction.     

Improved lower bounds on k-independence

A vertex set Y in a (hyper)graph is called k-independent if in the sub(hyper)-graph induced by Y every vertex is incident to less than k edges. We prove a lower bound for the maximum cardinality of a k-independent set—in terms of degree sequences—which strengthens and generalizes several previously known results, including Turán's theorem.     

An implementation of the Deutsch–Jozsa algorithm on molecular vibronic coherences through four-wave mixing: a theoretical study

Time-frequency resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (TFRCARS) was recently proposed as a means to implement quantum logic using the molecular ro-vibrational manifold as a quantum register [R. Zadoyan et al., Chem. Phys. 266 (2001) 323]. We give a concrete example of how this can be accomplished through an illustrative algorithm that solves the Deutsch–Jozsa (DJ) problem. We use realistic molecular parameters to recognize that, as the problem size expands, shaped pulses must be tailored to maintain fidelity of the algorithm.