Raman spectroscopy of topotecan, an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase I

Topotecan (TPT), a water-soluble derivative of camptothecin (inhibitor of human DNA topoiomerase I), has found wide application in cancer chemotherapy. The central problem in using topotecan is the presence of lactone rings in its molecules, which undergo hydrolysis at a physiological pH yielding an inactive and even toxic form of the drug. The analysis of Raman spectra of TPT in H₂O and D₂O solutions made it possible to assign the spectral bands to the vibrations of particular molecular groups. Spectral features indicative of the opening of the lactone rings of the TPT molecules, deprotonation of the hydroxyl groups in their quinoline fragments, and of possible participation of the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in H bonding are found. The data obtained are necessary to study the molecular mechanisms of TPT-DNA interaction and the formation of ternary complexes between TPT, DNA, and DNA topoisomerase I.     

Black-hole horizon and metric singularity at the brane separating two sliding superfluids

An analogue of a black hole can be realized in the low-temperature laboratory. The horizon can be constructed for “relativistic” ripplons (surface waves) living on the brane. The brane is represented by the interface between two superfluid liquids, ³He-A and ³He-B, sliding along each other without friction. A similar experimental arrangement was recently used for the observation and investigation of the Kelvin-Helmholtz type of instability in superfluids [1]. The shear-flow instability in superfluids is characterized by two critical velocities. The lowest threshold measured in recent experiments [1] corresponds to the appearance of the ergoregion for ripplons. In the modified geometry, this will give rise to the black-hole event horizon in the effective metric experienced by ripplons. In the region behind the horizon, the brane vacuum is unstable due to interaction with the higher-dimensional world of bulk superfluids. The time of the development of instability can be made very long at low temperature. This will allow us to reach and investigate the second critical velocity—the proper Kelvin-Helmholtz instability threshold. The latter corresponds to the singularity inside the black hole, where the determinant of the effective metric becomes infinite.     

Linear nonstationary optical dimensional resonances in atomic nanostructures

The existence of linear nonstationary optical resonances in a diatomic nanostructural object with a dipole-dipole atomic interaction has been proved. A new solution to the joint system of modified Bloch optical equations and nonlocal field equations is obtained for time intervals much shorter than the times of phase and energy relaxation. Formulas for effective polarizabilities of the object’s atoms, which have a set of dimensional resonances, are derived. The frequencies of these resonances significantly differ from the eigenfrequencies of the object’s atoms, and their properties depend on the interatomic distance, light-pulse duration, initial atomic inversions, and the orientation of the object’s axis relative to the direction of incidence of the external light wave.     

Laser induced copper electroless plating on polyimide with Q-switch Nd:YAG laser

The results of laser induced deposition of copper on polyimide substrate from copper electrolyte solution are reported. Unlike most work reported in the literatures where CW Ar⁺ lasers were used, a second harmonic (532 nm wavelength) Q-switch Nd:YAG laser was used for our experiments. The deposition process was conducted by laser-catalyzing of the polyimide surface and subsequent photothermal-accelerated reduction of copper-complex ions in an alkaline reducing environment. The characteristics of the deposited copper line were investigated in terms of laser beam scanning speed, and the number of scans. The surface morphology and chemical composition of the deposited copper were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDX). The optimum processing conditions have been identified. The copper deposit was found to adhere well to the substrate.     

Temperature and junction-type dependency of Andreev reflection in MgB2

We studied the voltage and temperature dependency of the dynamic conductance of normal metal-MgB₂ junctions obtained either with the point-contact technique (with Au and Pt tips) or by making Ag-paint spots on the surface of MgB₂ samples. The fit of the conductance curves with the generalized BTK model gives evidence of pure s-wave gap symmetry. The temperature dependency of the gap, measured in Ag-paint junctions (dirty limit), follows the standard BCS curve with 2Δ/k_BT_c=3.3. In out-of-plane, high-pressure point-contacts we obtained almost ideal Andreev reflection characteristics showing a single small s-wave gap Δ=2.6±0.2 meV (clean limit).     

Towards Treating Correlations in Bose Condensates

 We use the adiabatic hyperspheric expansion and the Faddeev decomposition of the wave function with only s-waves. We derive for a fixed hyperradius an integro-differential equation for the angular eigenvalue and wave function. The correlations lower the interaction energy for N = 20 by about a factor of 5. Received October 22, 2001; accepted for publication November 5, 2001     

Balancing a Rotor with Two Coupled Perfectly Rigid Bodies

The steady motions of a vertical rotor balanced by two coupled perfectly rigid bodies (PRBs) are analyzed for stability. The rotor executes plane-parallel motions. The PRBs can rotate together about the rotor axis and about its transverse axes through equal angles but in opposite directions. It is established that when the mass of the PRBs is much less than that of the rotor and the rotor spins with a superresonant speed, only the basic steady motions, which are those of the best-balanced rotor, are asymptotically stable.     

Finslerian Extension of Lorentz Transformations and First-Order Censorship Theorem

Granted the post-Lorentzian relativistic kinematic transformations are described in the Finslerian framework, the uniformity between the actual light-velocity anisotropy change and the anisotropic deformation of measuring rods can be the reason proper for the null results of the Michelson-Morley-type experiments at the first-order level.     

Decay and fission of oriented nuclei

The angular distributions of fragments originating from the binary decay of oriented spherical and deformed nuclei are investigated with allowance for correct transformation properties of wave functions under time inversion. It is shown that, as in the case of protonic decay, the adiabatic approximation for collective rotational degrees of freedom of the systems under investigation is inapplicable in describing the angular distributions of fragments of the deep-subbarrier alpha and cluster decays of nuclei. It is demonstrated that this approximation is justified in describing spontaneous and induced low-energy nuclear fission. The dependence of partial fission widths on the orientation of intrinsic axes, spins, and projections of spins and relative orbital angular momenta of fission fragments is analyzed by using the formalism of the unified theory of nuclear reactions and the theory of open Fermi systems. It is shown that the adiabatic approximation leads to the coherent interference between the wave functions for the relative motion of fragments, whereby the universal angular distributions of fission fragments of oriented nuclei is formed. Deviations from the A. Bohr formula are investigated for these distributions.