Force-extension behavior of folding polymers

The elastic response of flexible polymers made of elements which can be either folded or unfolded, having different lengths in these two states, is discussed. These situations are common for biopolymers as a result of folding interactions intrinsic to the monomers, or as a result of binding of other smaller molecules along the polymer length. Using simple flexible-chain models, we show that even when the energy ε associated with maintaining the folded state is comparable to k _B T, the elastic response of such a chain can mimic usual polymer linear elasticity, but with a force scale enhanced above that expected from the flexibility of the chain backbone. We discuss recent experiments on single-stranded DNA, chromatin fiber and double-stranded DNA with proteins weakly absorbed along its length which show this effect. Effects of polymer semiflexiblity and torsional stiffness relevant to experiments on proteins binding to dsDNA are analyzed. We finally discuss the competition between electrostatic self-repulsion and folding interactions responsible for the complex elastic response of single-stranded DNA. Received 7 August 2002 and Received in final form 7 March 2003 / Published online: 15 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: jmarko@uic.edu     

Chelation-control in nucleophilic addition to Cr(CO)3-complexed aryl aldehydes

One or more methoxy groups on the benzylic carbon at the ortho-position of tricarbonylchromium-complexed aryl aldehydes (2, 3 or 4) permit chelation-controlled addition of nucleophiles to the carbonyl function in the presence of Lewis acids. In the absence of a Lewis acid additive, a complementary set of diastereomeric products are obtained.     

Left-right model of Quark and Lepton masses without a scalar bidoublet

We propose a left-right model of quarks and leptons based on the gauge group SU(3)(C)xSU(2)(L)xSU(2)(R)xU(1)(B-L), where the scalar sector consists of only two doublets: (1,2,1,1) and (1,1,2,1). As a result, any fermion mass, whether it be Majorana or Dirac, must come from dimension-five operators. This allows us to have a common view of quark and lepton masses, including the smallness of Majorana neutrino masses as the consequence of a double seesaw mechanism.     

Electron beam irradiation induced changes in liquid-crystal compound 5CB

Electron beam irradiation studies on liquid crystal material 5CB have been carried out at a temperature where the compound exists in the isotropic liquid phase. In situ time-resolved spectroscopic characterization was carried out during the irradiation. Three different transients were observed during the 2-μs electron pulse. After about 50 μs, only one transient species was found to be present, which has an absorption peak at 360 nm. Radiolysed sample exhibits a broad absorption at ∼400 nm. The dielectric measurements show that even a low level of irradiation results in a dramatic increase in the component of dielectric permittivity normal to the long axes of the molecules ε_⊥^′, and a corresponding decrease in the dielectric anisotropy (Δε′=ε_∥^′−ε_⊥^′ ). These studies show that 5CB is prone to substantial radiation damage on exposure to the beam of high-energy electrons.     

Performance of an optical wideband WDM system considering stimulated Raman scattering,fiber attenuation and chromatic dispersion

The performance of an optical wideband wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) communication system is analyzed considering the effects of stimulated Raman scattering, fiber attenuation and chromatic dispersion. Improved models for the Raman gain and the fiber attenuation constant are proposed, which yield better and reliable performance results of the WDM system. Effect of fiber chromatic dispersion is also investigated and it is observed that dispersion can suitably be selected to overcome the limitations imposed by the stimulated Raman scattering phenomenon.     

Energy localization and transport in two-dimensional Fermi–Pasta–Ulam lattices

We investigate energy localization and transport in the form of discrete breathers and their movability in two-dimensional Fermi–Pasta–Ulam(FPU) lattices. We study the dynamics of the two-dimensional Fermi–Pasta–Ulam(FPU) lattice, incorporating the complicated effects of geometry, long-range interactions as well as nonlinear dispersion. We obtain several exact discrete breather(DB) solutions, such as the odd-parity and even-parity DBs, compact-like DBs and moving DBs for various geometries of the two-dimensional FPU chain. We show that DBs also exist in the same lattice in presence of next-nearest neighbour interaction. Large-amplitude exact subsonic travelling kink-soliton solutions are obtained in such a periodic chain in presence of long-range nonlinear dispersive interaction in the long-wavelength and weakly nonlinear limit. Such a two-dimensional FPU lattice admits finite amplitude nonlinear sinusoidal wave (NSW) solutions with short commensurate as well as incommensurate wavelengths for different geometries of the chain. The usefulness of these solutions for energy localization and transport in various physical systems are discussed.     

Effects of barrier fluctuation on the tunneling dynamics in the presence of classical chaos in a mixed quantum-classical system

We present a numerical investigation of the tunneling dynamics of a particle moving in a bistable potential with fluctuating barrier which is coupled to a non-integrable classical system and study the interplay between classical chaos and barrier fluctuation in the tunneling dynamics. We found that the coupling of the quantum system with the classical subsystem decreases the tunneling rate irrespective of whether the classical subsystem is regular or chaotic and also irrespective of the fact that whether the barrier fluctuates or not. Presence of classical chaos always enhances the tunneling rate constant. The effect of barrier fluctuation on the tunneling rate in a mixed quantum-classical system is to suppress the tunneling rate. In contrast to the case of regular subsystem, the suppression arising due to barrier fluctuation is more visible when the subsystem is chaotic.      

A FLUORESCENCE LIFETIME ASSAY OF A MEMBRANE-BOUND FLAVIN FROM CORN COLEOPTILES

Abstract— The fluorescence lifetime of a partially-purified membrane fraction containing flavin and b-type cytochrome, presumably on the same protein, has been described. Possible implications of the blue light photoreactivity of the flavin as an assay, on the basis of its short fluorescence lifetime (about 1.37 ns), has been discussed.