The influence of Bose-Einstein correlations on intermittency inp\bar p collisions at\sqrt s = 630 GeV

The influence of Bose-Einstein correlations on the rise of factorial moments is small in the 1-dimensional phase space given by the pseudorapidity η, where the 2-body correlation function is dominated by unlike-sign particle correlations. Contraily, the influence is dominant in the higher dimensional phase space. This is shown by using correlation integrals. They exhibit clear power law dependences on the four-momentum transferQ ² for all orders investigated (i=2–5). When searching for the origin of this behaviour, we found that the Bose-Einstein ratio itself shows a steep rise forQ ²→0, compatible with a power law.     

Enantiospecific interactions between cholesterol and phospholipids

The effects of cholesterol on various membrane proteins have received considerable attention. An important question regarding each of these effects is whether the cholesterol exerts its influence by binding directly to membrane proteins or by changing the properties of lipid bilayers. Recently it was suggested that a difference in the effects of natural cholesterol and its enantiomer, ent-cholesterol, would originate from direct binding of cholesterol to a target protein. This strategy rests on the fact that ent-cholesterol has appeared to have effects on lipid films similar to those of cholesterol, yet fluorescence microscopy studies of phospholipid monolayers have provided striking demonstrations of the enantiomer effects, showing opposite chirality of domain shapes for phospholipid enantiomer pairs. We observed the shapes of ordered domains in phospholipid monolayers containing either cholesterol or ent-cholesterol and found that the phospholipid chirality had a great effect on the domain chirality, whereas a minor (quantitative) effect of cholesterol chirality could be observed only in monolayers with racemic dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. The latter is likely to derive from cholesterol-cholesterol interactions. Accordingly, cholesterol chirality has only a modest effect that is highly likely to require the presence of solidlike domains and, accordingly, is unlikely to play a role in biological membranes.     

A Versatile Method for Determining the Molar Ligand-Membrane Partition Coefficient

A novel method for the quantitative assessment of the membrane partitioning of a ligand from the aqueous phase is described, demonstrated here with the thoroughly studied antipsychotic chlorpromazine (CPZ). More specifically, collisional quenching of the fluorescence of a pyrene labeled fluorescent lipid analog 1-palmitoyl-2[10-(pyren-1-yl)]decanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PPDPC) by CPZ was utilized, using 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and -serine (POPC and POPS) liposomes as model membranes. The molar partition coefficient is obtained from two series of titrations, one with constant [phospholipid] and increasing [drug] and the other with constant [drug] and varying total [phospholipid], the latter further comprising of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) of POPC/POPS/PPDPC at a constant concentration of 10 μM and indicated concentrations of POPC/POPS LUVs. Notably, the approach described is generic and can be employed in screening for the membrane partitioning of compounds, providing that a suitable fluorescence parameter can be incorporated into one population of liposomes utilized as model membranes.     

Polar sets on metric spaces

We show that if is a proper metric measure space equipped with a doubling measure supporting a Poincaré inequality, then subsets of with zero -capacity are precisely the -polar sets; that is, a relatively compact subset of a domain in is of zero -capacity if and only if there exists a -superharmonic function whose set of singularities contains the given set. In addition, we prove that if is a -hyperbolic metric space, then the -superharmonic function can be required to be -superharmonic on the entire space . We also study the the following question: If a set is of zero -capacity, does there exist a -superharmonic function whose set of singularities is precisely the given set?

     

Regularity of quasi-minimizers on metric spaces

Using the theory of Sobolev spaces on a metric measure space we are able to apply calculus of variations and define p-harmonic functions as minimizers of the p-Dirichlet integral. More generally, we study regularity properties of quasi-minimizers of p-Dirichlet integrals in a metric measure space. Applying the De Giorgi method we show that quasi-minimizers, and in particular p-harmonic functions, satisfy Harnack's inequality, the strong maximum principle, and are locally H?lder continuous, if the space is doubling and supports a Poincaré inequality. Received: 12 May 2000 / Revised version: 20 April 2001     

Counterion-controlled transition of a cationic gemini from submicroscopic to giant vesicles

While much is known about the self-assembly of lipids on nanoscale, our understanding of their biologically relevant mesoscale organization remains incomplete. Here, we show for a cationic gemini lipid a sharp and reversible transition from small vesicles with an average diameter of approximately 40 nm to giant vesicles (GVs) with an average diameter of approximately 11 microm. This transition is dependent on proper [NaCl] and specific temperature. Below this transition and in the vicinity of the air/water interface, a series of mesoscale morphological transitions was observed, revealing complex structures resembling biological membranes. On the basis of microscopy experiments, a tentative [NaCl] versus temperature shape/size phase diagram was constructed. To explain this unprecedented transition, we propose a novel mechanism whereby a specific interaction of Cl(-) counterion with the cationic gemini surfactant initiates the formation of a commensurate solute counterion lattice with low spontaneous curvature. In keeping with the high bending rigidity of NaCl crystal, this tightly associated ionic lattice enslaves membrane curvature and the mesoscale 3-D organization of this lipid.     

Signatures of superfluidity for Feshbach-resonant Fermi gases

We consider atomic Fermi gases where Feshbach resonances can be used to study the whole BCS-Bose-Einstein condensate crossover. We show how a probing field transferring atoms out of the superfluid can be used to detect the onset of the superfluid transition in the high-T(c) and BCS regimes. The number of transferred atoms, as a function of the energy given by the probing field, peaks at the gap energy. The shape of the peak is asymmetric due to the single particle excitation gap. Since the excitation gap also includes a pseudogap contribution, the asymmetry alone is not a signature of superfluidity. The incoherent nature of the noncondensed pairs leads to broadening of the peak. The broadening decays below the critical temperature, causing a drastic increase in the asymmetry. This provides a signature of the transition.     

Regularity of the Fractional Maximal Function

The purpose of this work is to show that the fractional maximaloperator has somewhat unexpected regularity properties. Themain result shows that the fractional maximal operator mapsL^p-spaces boundedly into certain first-order Sobolev spaces.It is also proved that the fractional maximal operator preservesfirst-order Sobolev spaces. This extends known results for theHardy-Littlewood maximal operator. 2000 Mathematics SubjectClassification 42B25, 46E35.     

FTIR-ATR characterization of langmuir-blodgett assemblies of 1-palmitoyl-2-pyrenedecanoylphosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine

Langmuir-Blodgett assemblies of 1-palmitoyl-2-pyrenedecanoylphosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine were transferred from an air/water interface onto germanium or silicon attenuated total reflection (ATR) crystals and were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A detailed attention has been paid to optimize the deposition conditions and to study the organization of transferred mono- and multimolecular layers.