Simultaneous operation of distributed feedback and grating tuned dye lasers

Multiphoton absorption (MPA) of the CO₂ laser 9 μmR(30) line (pulse width 60 ns, FWHM) by NH₃ and NH₃/N₂ mixtures was studied as a function of gas composition, pressure and laser fluence (Φ). MPA occurs for Φ smaller than those that have been used for optically pumped NH₃/N₂ lasers; consequently a simple two-level absorption model will not adequately describe laser action in these systems. The photon energy deposited in NH₃/N₂ mixtures can be calculated from the MPA cross-section and the fluence dependence of the illumination geometry. An examination of the efficiency of conversion of this absorbed energy to the reported radiant energy of optically pumped NH₃/N₂ lasers shows an optimum value which depends on pressure, and gas composition.     

Targeting Bone Metastases with a Bispecific Anticancer and Antiangiogenic Polymer–Alendronate–Taxane Conjugate

A polymer therapeutic designed for combination anticancer and antiangiogenic therapy inhibited the proliferation of prostate carcinoma cells and the proliferation, migration, and tube‐formation of endothelial cells. The nanoconjugate was formed from an N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer, the bisphosphonate alendronate (for bone targeting), and the chemotherapy agent paclitaxel (PTX), which is cleaved by cathepsin B (see scheme).

     

Ultrafast proton transfer of three novel quinone cyanine photoacids

Steady-state and time-resolved emission techniques were used to study the photoprotolytic properties of three recently synthesized strong quinone cyanine photoacids (QCy7 and its sulfonated derivatives). The rate coefficient of the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT), k(PT), of the three dyes is roughly 1.5 × 10(12) s(-1), a high value that is comparable to the solvation dynamics rate of large polar organic molecules in H(2)O and D(2)O. It is twice as fast as the proton transfer rate between two adjacent water molecules in liquid water. We found that, as expected, two of the sulfonated photoacids geminately recombines with the proton at an elevated rate. The accelerated geminate recombination process of the sulfonated derivatives is different from a simple diffusion process of protons. The ESPT rate coefficient of these molecules is the highest recorded thus far.     

Ion mobility spectrometry: a personal retrospective

With a background in mass spectrometric studies of gas-phase ion chemistry the atmospheric pressure technology of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) presented me with challenges and opportunities. Fundamental studies of the parameters that influence the mobility of ions in a low electric field yielded insights about the effects of temperature, drift gas composition and the conformation of ions on the collision cross section. The inadequacy of current rigid-sphere, polarization limit and hard-core models to predict the mobility of ions particularly at low temperature and in heavy drift gases, led to inclusion of additional terms to the hard-core model to account for these effects. These studies eventually resulted in the two monographs entitled “Ion Mobility Spectrometry” and “Ion Mobility Spectrometry –Second Edition” co-authored with Prof. Gary Eiceman and published by Taylor & Francis, CRC Press in 1994 and 2005, respectively. Novel applications for biological and medical applications were developed on the basis of measurement of biogenic amines by IMS, in particular the rapid, accurate and inexpensive diagnosis of vaginal infections.     

Empirical extraction of mechanisms underlying real world network generation

The generation mechanisms of real world networks have been described using multiple models. The mathematical features of these models are usually extrapolated from statistical properties of a snapshot of these networks. We here propose an alternative method based on direct measurement of a sequence of consecutive snapshots to uncover the dynamics underlying real world generation. We assume that the probability of adding a node or an edge depends only on local features surrounding the newly added node/edge, and directly measure the contribution of these features to the node/edge addition probability. These measurements are performed using newly defined N-node local structures. Each N-node local structure represents the configuration of edges surrounding a newly added edge. The N-node local structure measurements reproduce for some networks the now classical addition of edges between high degree node mechanisms. It also provides quantitative estimates of more complex mechanisms driving other networks’ evolution, such as the effect of common first and second neighbors. This new methodology reveals the relative importance of different generation mechanisms. We show, for example, that the main mechanism driving hyperlink addition between two websites is the existence of a third website linking to both the source and the target of the new hyperlink.     

Ultrafast excited-state intermolecular proton transfer of cyanine fluorochrome dyes

Steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy techniques were employed to study the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) to water and D(2)O from QCy7, a recently synthesized near-infrared (NIR)-emissive dye with a fluorescence band maximum at 700 nm. We found that the ESPT rate constant, k(PT), of QCy7 excited from its protonated form, ROH, is ~1.5 × 10(12) s(-1). This is the highest ever reported value in the literature thus far, and it is comparable to the reciprocal of the longest solvation dynamics time component in water, τ(S) = 0.8 ps. We found a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) on the ESPT rate of ~1.7. This value is lower than that of weaker photoacids, which usually have KIE value of ~3, but comparable to the KIE on proton diffusion in water of ~1.45, for which the average time of proton transfer between adjacent water molecules is similar to that of QCy7.     

Scaling of the discharge heated copper vapor laser

Optimum working temperature of 1650 ± 50°C was determined for the longitudinal copper vapor laser. Using neon in the pressure range 20–200 torr we were able to operate lasers of volumes up to 600 cm³ at optimum temperature. Power output was proportional to tube volume and efficiency to the square of tube radius. Average power of 19.5 W was obtained at 4 kHz with 0.7% efficiency.     

Propagation-invariant vectorial Bessel beams obtained by use of quantized Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements

Propagation-invariant vectorial Bessel beams with linearly polarized axial symmetry based on quantized Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements are described. The geometric phase is formed through the use of discrete computer-generated space-variant subwavelength dielectric gratings. We have verified the polarization properties of our elements for laser radiation at 10.6-microm wavelength and also demonstrated propagation-invariant, controlled rotation of a propeller-shaped intensity pattern through the simple rotation of a polarizer.     

On Even Generalized Table Algebras

Generalized table algebras were introduced in Arad, Fisman and Muzychuk (Israel J. Math. 114 (1999), 29–60) as an axiomatic closure of some algebraic properties of the Bose-Mesner algebras of association schemes. In this note we show that if all non-trivial degrees of a generalized integral table algebra are even, then the number of real basic elements of the algebra is bounded from below (Theorem 2.2). As a consequence we obtain some interesting facts about association schemes the non-trivial valencies of which are even. For example, we proved that if all non-identical relations of an association scheme have the same valency which is even, then the scheme is symmetric.