Finite dimensional representations of the double affine Hecke algebra of rank 1

We classify the finite dimensional irreducible representations of the double affine Hecke algebra (DAHA) of type C^∨C₁ in the case when q is not a root of unity.     

Direct electron transfer--a favorite electron route for cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from Trametes villosa. Comparison with CDH from Phanerochaete chrysosporium

This paper presents some functional differences as well as similarities observed when comparing the newly discovered cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from Trametes villosa (T.v.) with the well-characterized one from Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P.c.). The enzymes were physically adsorbed on spectrographic graphite electrodes placed in an amperometric flow through cell connected to a flow system. In the case of T.v.-CDH-modified graphite electrodes, a high direct electron transfer (DET) current was registered at the polarized electrode in the presence of the enzyme substrate reflecting a very efficient internal electron transfer (IET) process between the reduced FAD-cofactor and the oxidized heme-cofactor. In the case of P.c.-CDH-modified graphite electrodes, the DET process is not as efficient, and the current will greatly increase in the presence of a mediator (mediated electron transfer, MET). As a consequence, when comparing the two types of enzyme-modified electrodes an inverted DET/MET ratio for T.v.-CDH is shown, in comparison with P.c.-CDH. The rates of the catalytic reaction were estimated to be comparable for both enzymes, by measuring the combined DET + MET currents. The inverted DET/MET ratio for T.v.-CDH-modified electrodes might suggest that probably there is a better docking between the two domains of this enzyme and that the linker region of P.c.-CDH might have an active role in modulating the rate of the IET (by changing the interdomain distance), with respect to pH. Based on the new properties of T.v.-CDH emphasized in the present study, an analytical application of a third-generation biosensor for lactose was recently published.     

On uniform exponential stability for skew-evolution semiflows on Banach spaces

The aim of this paper is to give several characterizations for the property of stability for skew-evolution semiflows on Banach spaces. Thus, we obtain generalizations of some well known results due to Barbashin, Datko and Rolewicz in the case of evolution equations in Banach spaces. A unified treatment in the uniform setting is provided.     

Wideband RELAX and wideband CLEAN for aeroacoustic imaging

Microphone arrays can be used for acoustic source localization and characterization in wind tunnel testing. In this paper, the wideband RELAX (WB-RELAX) and the wideband CLEAN (WB-CLEAN) algorithms are presented for aeroacoustic imaging using an acoustic array. WB-RELAX is a parametric approach that can be used efficiently for point source imaging without the sidelobe problems suffered by the delay-and-sum beamforming approaches. WB-CLEAN does not have sidelobe problems either, but it behaves more like a nonparametric approach and can be used for both point source and distributed source imaging. Moreover, neither of the algorithms suffers from the severe performance degradations encountered by the adaptive beamforming methods when the number of snapshots is small and/or the sources are highly correlated or coherent with each other. A two-step optimization procedure is used to implement the WB-RELAX and WB-CLEAN algorithms efficiently. The performance of WB-RELAX and WB-CLEAN is demonstrated by applying them to measured data obtained at the NASA Langley Quiet Flow Facility using a small aperture directional array (SADA). Somewhat surprisingly, using these approaches, not only were the parameters of the dominant source accurately determined, but a highly correlated multipath of the dominant source was also discovered.     

Frequency-domain method based on the singular value decomposition for frequency-selective NMR spectroscopy

In several applications of NMR spectroscopy the user is interested only in the components lying in a small frequency band of the spectrum. A frequency selective analysis deals precisely with this kind of NMR spectroscopy: parameter estimation of only those spectroscopic components that lie in a preselected frequency band of the NMR data spectrum, with as little interference as possible from the out-of-band components and in a computationally efficient way. In this paper we introduce a frequency-domain singular value decomposition (SVD)-based method for frequency selective spectroscopy that is computationally simple, statistically accurate, and which has a firm theoretical basis. To illustrate the good performance of the proposed method we present a number of numerical examples for both simulated and in vitro NMR data.     

Three-dimensional laser-induced photoacoustic tomography of mouse brain with the skin and skull intact

Three-dimensional laser-induced photoacoustic tomography, also referred to as optoacoustic tomography, is developed to image animal brain structures noninvasively with the skin and skull intact. This imaging modality combines the advantages of optical contrast and ultrasonic resolution. The distribution of optical absorption in a mouse brain is imaged successfully. The intrinsic optical contrast reveals not only blood vessels but also other detailed brain structures, such as the cerebellum, hippocampus, and ventriculi lateralis. The spatial resolution is primarily diffraction limited by the received photoacoustic waves. Imaged structures of the brain at different depths match the corresponding histological pictures well.     

An interferometric electron density estimate of a TE-CO2 laser sustained plasma in front of a metallic target

A Mach-Zehnder interferometer, using a Q-switched ruby laser as a light source was constructed. It was used for the prime investigation of a TE-CO₂ laser produced plasma in front of a solid target. Plasma refractivity analysis indicates an electron density of 10¹⁸ cm^-3 on the detonation front.     

Noninvasive photoacoustic angiography of animal brains in vivo with near-infrared light and an optical contrast agent

Optical contrast agents have been widely applied to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of optical imaging with near-infrared (NIR) light. However, because of the overwhelming scattering of light in biological tissues, the spatial resolution of traditional optical imaging degrades drastically as the imaging depth increases. Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we present noninvasive photoacoustic angiography of animal brains in vivo with NIR light and an optical contrast agent. When indocyanine green polyethylene glycol, a novel absorption dye with prolonged clearance, is injected into the circulatory system of a rat, it obviously enhances the absorption contrast between the blood vessels and the background tissues. Because NIR light can penetrate deep into the brain tissues through the skin and skull, we are able to successfully reconstruct the vascular distribution in the rat brain from the photoacoustic signals. On the basis of differential optical absorption with and without contrast enhancement, a photoacoustic angiograph of a rat brain is acquired that matches the anatomical photograph well and exhibits high spatial resolution and a much-reduced background. This new technology demonstrates the potential for dynamic and molecular biomedical imaging.     

Size distribution and optical properties of self-assembled Ge on Si

The distribution of Ge islands is analysed in order to understand their optical behaviour. The Ge islands described in this paper were deposited by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition at relatively high temperature (700 °C), therefore the diffusion length of adatoms is high (∼100 μm) and thus, not the limiting factor for nucleation. By changing the deposition time and the coverage, square-based pyramids, domes and relaxed domes are nucleated. Mainly domes emit light, the emission being in the wavelength range 1.38–1.55 μm. When pyramids or relaxed domes are present, the photoluminescence broadens and decreases in intensity. The electroluminescence of vertically correlated islands increases with the number of layers, i.e. with the number of islands. The nucleation of islands on patterned (001) Si is changed when the deposition is performed on Si mesas with high index facets. The size distribution becomes narrower when the mesa size is decreased. An intermixing of up to 40% Si in the 2D layer was determined from photoluminescence data. PIN diodes fabricated on patterned wafers show an area-dependent electroluminecence related to a different microstructure of islands on large and small mesas. Finally, the lateral ordering on {hkl} facets is discussed. Received: 14 April 2000 / Accepted: 17 April 2000 / Published online: 6 September 2000     

Anisotropic two-body problem under the Buckingham potential

Journal of Mathematical Chemistry - We present a qualitative study of the dynamics of two-point masses interacting via an anisotropic generalized Buckingham potential. We describe the asymptotic...