Affinity liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis of seminal plasma proteins

Interactions of boar, bull, and human seminal plasma proteins with heparin and phosphorylcholine were studied by affinity LC using heparin immobilized to a Toyopearl support. A step gradient elution from 0.15 to 1.50 M NaCl was employed to elute the seminal plasma proteins. Relative amounts of the heparin-binding fraction of seminal plasma proteins (H+) in seminal plasma of three species were determined. Further on, the fraction of seminal plasma proteins interacting with phosphorylcholine-binding proteins (P+) was evaluated. P+ proteins were not found in human seminal plasma and their highest amount was present in bull seminal plasma. A CE method was developed for separation of seminal plasma proteins. Various capillaries and separation conditions were tested; the best resolution was obtained in a bare-silica capillary, with a micellar system consisting of a 0.02 M borate buffer and 0.05 M SDS pH 10.0. The optimized conditions were applied to the identification of the components in boar plasma.     

Optical sensing system for ATP using porphyrin-alkaloid conjugates

Tetrabrucin-porphyrin as a sensor for ATP was designed and tested; selectivity for ATP was proved in the presence of ADP and AMP.     

Internal magnetic fields in submicron particles of barium hexaferrite detected by 57Fe NMR

⁵⁷Fe nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of hexaferrite BaFe₁₂O₁₉ powder samples prepared by glass crystallization method were measured at 4.2 K and analyzed in comparison to spectra of single crystals. Samples with various mean particle dimensions were tested. NMR spectral lines corresponding to individual iron sublattices showed pronounced frequency shifts of their positions and a significant line broadening compared to single crystals. The significant contribution to the line shifts and line shape had a uniform macroscopic origin giving identical absolute value of shifts and the same line shapes for all measured lines of a particular sample. Estimations of demagnetization fields based on mean particle dimensions reasonably corresponded to the observed frequency shifts for particle mean diameter 67 nm, or had a higher value for a sample with mean diameter of 340 nm, for which a presence of domain walls was detected by NMR. In the spectrum of a sample with the smallest particles (～16 nm), an additional contribution having broader lines and faster spin-spin relaxations was found. It could be assigned to weaker exchange interactions or deviations of magnetic moment directions from the hexagonal axis in a surface layer.     

Diamond/graphite content and biocompatibility of DLC films fabricated by PLD

Biocompatibility and physicochemical properties of diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin layers prepared by pulsed laser deposition method were studied. The films of high and low diamond/graphite content were prepared by changing the laser energy density on the graphite target from 4 to 11 J cm⁻². The bonds and surface properties as roughness, atomic force microscopy topology, contact angle parameters, and zeta potential were measured. The cell adhesion/proliferation on DLC layers was tested using normal human fibroblasts and keratinocytes.     

Numerical Analysis of the Rebellious Voter Model

The rebellious voter model, introduced by Sturm and Swart (2008), is a variation of the standard, one-dimensional voter model, in which types that are locally in the minority have an advantage. It is related, both through duality and through the evolution of its interfaces, to a system of branching annihilating random walks that is believed to belong to the ‘parity-conservation’ universality class. This paper presents numerical data for the rebellious voter model and for a closely related one-sided version of the model. Both models appear to exhibit a phase transition between noncoexistence and coexistence as the advantage for minority types is increased. For the one-sided model (but not for the original, two-sided rebellious voter model), it appears that the critical point is exactly a half and two important functions of the process are given by simple, explicit formulas, a fact for which we have no explanation.     

Fabrication of diamond nanorods for gas sensing applications

Diamond nanorods were fabricated for a sensing device by utilizing reactive ion etching in CF₄/O₂ radio frequency plasma. The length of the nanorods has been controlled by the ion etching time. The obtained morphologies were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The gas sensing properties of the H-terminated diamond-based sensor structures are indicating that we have achieved high sensitivity to detect phosgene gas. Also, our sensor exhibited good selectivity between humid air and phosgene gas if the measurement is conducted at elevated temperatures, such as 140 °C. Furthermore, such sensor response rating could reach as high value as 4344 for the phosgene gas, which was evaluated for the sample consisting of the longest nanorods (up to 200 nm).     

On the Geometric Diversity of Wavefronts for the Scalar Kolmogorov Ecological Equation

We answer three fundamental questions concerning monostable traveling fronts for the scalar Kolmogorov ecological equation with diffusion and spatiotemporal interaction: These are the questions about their existence, uniqueness and geometric shape. In the particular case of the food-limited model, we give a rigorous proof of the existence of a peculiar, yet substantive and nonlinearly determined class of non-monotone and non-oscillating wavefronts.

     

Are economically advanced countries more efficient in basic and applied research?

Research and development (R&D) of countries play a major role in a long-term development of the economy. We measure the R&D efficiency of all 28 member countries of the European Union in the years 2008–2014. Super-efficient data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on robustness of classification into efficient and inefficient units is adopted. We use the number of citations as output of basic research, the number of patents as output of applied research and R&D expenditures with manpower as inputs. To meet DEA assumptions and to capture R&D characteristics, we analyze a homogeneous sample of countries, adjust prices using purchasing power parity and consider time lag between inputs and outputs. We find that the efficiency of general R&D is higher for countries with higher GDP per capita. This relation also holds for specialized efficiencies of basic and applied research. However, it is much stronger for applied research suggesting its outputs are more easily distinguished and captured. Our findings are important in the evaluation of research and policy making.     

Computer Study of the Association Behavior of Gradient Copolymers: Analysis of Simulation Results Based on a New Algorithm for Recognition and Classification of Aggregates

We present a computer study of the association behavior of copolymer chains with a gradient part and soluble tail of variable length. As a simulation method we use dynamic Monte Carlo simulation on a simple cubic lattice with pair interaction parameters. The solvent quality and selectivity is modeled by the variation of pair interaction parameters between nearest neighbors on the lattice. The role of the length of soluble part in the self‐assembly and its effect on the structure of aggregates was the main goal of this work. The size and structure of aggregates were analyzed using an improved topological classification method which has been developed and tested in the present study. The structure and association numbers of aggregates were compared with those of linear diblock copolymers.