Nanoparticle Formation by Laser Ablation

The properties of nanoparticle aerosols of size ranging from 4.9nm to 13nm, generated by laser ablation of solid surfaces are described. The experimental system consisted of a pulsed excimer laser, which irradiated a rotating target mounted in a cylindrical chamber 4cm in diameter and 18-cm long. Aerosols of oxides of aluminum, titanium, iron, niobium, tungsten and silicon were generated in an oxygen carrier gas as a result of a reactive laser ablation process. Gold and carbon aerosols were generated in nitrogen by non-reactive laser ablation. The aerosols were produced in the form of aggregates of primary particles in the nanometer size range. The aggregates were characterized using a differential mobility analyzer and electron microscopy. Aggregate mass and number concentration, electrical mobility size distribution, primary particle size distribution and fractal dimension were measured. System operating parameters including laser power (100mJ/pulse) and frequency (2Hz), and carrier gas flow rate (1l/min) were held constant.A striking result was the similarity in the properties of the aerosols. Primary particle size ranged between 4.9 and 13nm for the eight substances studied. The previous studies with flame reactors produced a wider spread in primary particle size, but the order of increasing primary particle size follows the same trend. While the solid-state diffusion coefficient probably influences the size of the aerosol in flame reactors, its effect is reduced for aerosols generated by laser ablation. It is hypothesized that the reduced effect can be explained by the collision-coalescence mechanism and the very fast quenching of the laser generated aerosol.     

Remarks on the global Markov property

The global Markov property is established for the + state and the – state of attractive lattice systems (e.g., the ferromagnetic Ising model and most other systems for which the FKG inequalities are satisfied) and of the (continuum) Widom Rowlinson model.Supported in part by NSF Grant No. PHY 78-03816     

On the Role of Density Matrices in Bohmian Mechanics

It is well known that density matrices can be used in quantum mechanics to represent the information available to an observer about either a system with a random wave function (statistical mixture) or a system that is entangled with another system (reduced density matrix). We point out another role, previously unnoticed in the literature, that a density matrix can play: it can be the conditional density matrix, conditional on the configuration of the environment. A precise definition can be given in the context of Bohmian mechanics, whereas orthodox quantum mechanics is too vague to allow a sharp definition, except perhaps in special cases. In contrast to statistical and reduced density matrices, forming the conditional density matrix involves no averaging. In Bohmian mechanics with spin, the conditional density matrix replaces the notion of conditional wave function, as the object with the same dynamical significance as the wave function of a Bohmian system.PACS number:03.65.Ta (foundations of quantum mechanics)     

A concise synthesis of beta-asparaginyladenylate

Stable analogues of acyladenylate intermediates, such as N-acylphosphoramidates, are useful probes of tRNA aminoacylation and enzyme mechanism, and have potential application as enzyme inhibitors. We now report a concise, "one-pot" synthesis of beta-asparaginyladenylate using a novel coupling protocol that yields the target N-acylphosphoramidate in three reactions from readily available precursors. This simple synthetic procedure may represent a general approach for the preparation of functionalized N-acylphosphoramidates from amides that do not undergo coupling under the conditions of existing literature protocols.     

Proteomic analysis of the atrophying rat soleus muscle following denervation

A proteomic analysis was performed comparing normal rat soleus muscle to denervated soleus muscle at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days post denervation. Muscle mass measurements demonstrated that the times of major mass changes occurred between 2 and 4 days post denervation. Proteomic analysis of the denervated soleus muscle during the atrophy process demonstrated statistically significant (at the p < 0.01 level) changes in 73 soleus proteins, including coordinated changes in select groups of proteins. Sequence analysis of ten differentially regulated proteins identified metabolic proteins, chaperone and contractile apparatus proteins. Together these data indicate that coordinated temporally regulated changes in the proteome occur during denervation-induced soleus muscle atrophy, including changes in muscle metabolism and contractile apparatus proteins.     

Entropy increase in dynamical systems

The rate of increase of the non-equilibrium entropy introduced by Goldstein and Penrose, defined on nonstationary probability measures for an abstract dynamical system, is quantitatively related to the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy of the system. It is shown in particular that for ergodic systems the asymptotic rate of entropy increase coincides with the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy. Supported in part by NSF Grant No. PHY 78-03816.     

Cu(II)-nitroxyl radicals as catalytic galactose oxidase mimics

Results from Hammett correlation studies and primary kinetic isotope effects for the CuCl-TEMPO catalysed aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidations are inconsistent with an oxoammonium based mechanism. We postulate a copper-mediated dehydrogenation mechanism, in which TEMPO regenerates the active Cu(II)-species. This mechanism is analogous to that observed for Galactose Oxidase and mimics thereof.     

Sensitivity of MRI in metastatic neoplasia: a case report

Serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) were performed on a patient with metastatic lung cancer to brain. Magnetic resonance (MR) visualized two foci of intracerebral metastasis six weeks prior to CT.