SilverSil: A New Class of Antibacterial Materials of Broad Scope

Consisting of organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) physically doped with Ag nanoparticles, the SilverSil new class of antibacterial materials of broad scope reported herein shows remarkably high and stable activity against representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The low cost, ease of application and excellent health and environmental profile of SilverSil hybrid glassy coatings open the route to their widespread utilization across domestic, hospital, school, industrial and commercial environments and in consumer products.     

A comparison of μSR and thermopower in Hg 1:2:0:1 high‐Tc cuprates

We present the results of μSR measurements of the transverse field relaxation rate below T_c for seven samples of HgBa₂ CuO_4+\delta, spanning the underdoped, optimally doped, and nominally overdoped regions of the superconducting phase. On comparison with the “anomalous” thermopower data for these compounds, we find that nominally “overdoped” Hg 1:2:0:1 resembles underdoped compounds in certain respects. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the quasisimilarity of subnormal operators

This paper deals with the following problem: whether the quasisimilarity of subnormal operators would imply the equality of their essential spectrum. It is shown that if a subnormal operator is quasisimilar to a quasinormal operator, then they have the same essential spectrum. Furthermore, if the quasinormal operator in this case is almost normal, then they are unitarily equivalent up to a compact perturbation.     

Positive ion mass spectra of a glow discharge in oxygen

Positive ion mass spectra in the T and H form of a glow discharge in oxygen were measured. The positive charge carriers in the T-form are O₂⁺ and O⁺, while in the H-form they are O₂⁺ only. An explanation of the discharge mechanism is proposed, based on the measured ion spectra.     

The protonated Schiff base of halorhodopsin from Natronobacterium pharaonis is hydrolyzed at elevated temperatures

Halorhodopsin from Natronobacterium pharaonis (pHR) is a light-driven chloride pump in which photoisomerzation of a retinal chromophore triggers a photocycle which leads to a chloride anion transport across the plasma membrane. Similarly to other retinal proteins the protonated Schiff base (PSB), which covalently links the retinal to the protein, does not experience hydrolysis reaction at room temperature even though several water molecules are located in the protonated Schiff base (PSB) vicinity. In the present studies we have revealed that in contrast to other studied archaeal rhodopsins, temperature increase to about 70 degrees C hydrolyses the PSB linkage of pHR. The rate of the reaction is affected by Cl-concentration and reveals an anion binding site (in addition to the Cl- in the SB vicinity) with a binding constant of 100mM (measured at 70 degrees C). We suggest that this binding site is located on the extracellular side and its possible role in the Cl-pumping mechanism is discussed. The rate of the hydrolysis reaction is affected by the nature of the anion bound to pHR. Substitution of the Cl- anion by Br-, I- and SCN- exhibits similar behavior to that of CI- in the region of 100mM but higher concentrations are needed for N3-, HCOO- and NO2-to achieve similar behavior. Steady state pigment illumination accelerates the reaction and reduces the energy of activation and the frequency factor. Adjusting the sample temperature to 25 degrees C following the hydrolysis reaction led to about 80% pigment recovery. However, the newly reformed pigment is different from the mother pigment and has different characteristics. It is concluded that the apo-membrane adopts a modified conformation and/or aggregated state which rebinds the retinal to give a new conformation of the pHR pigment.     

Transmission of high-data-rate optical signals through a micrometer-scale silicon ring resonator

The effects of a micrometer-scale silicon ring resonator with a FWHM of 0.078 nm (9.6 GHz) on a nonreturn to zero amplitude-modulated optical signal with a modulation rate of 10 Gbps are experimentally investigated. By transmitting the optical signal through the device, significant spectral distortion and side band attenuation is introduced, as characterized by amplitude Bode plots, and a power penalty of 0.8 dB is observed. Carrier wavelengths within the transmission resonance, but detuned from the center wavelength, are investigated as well. Numerical simulations further support the experimental results.     

Pure nuclear quadrupole resonance determination of the electric field gradient asymmetry for broad lines

We present an angle dependent nuclear quadrupole resonance (ADNQR) method to determine the electric field gradient asymmetry parameter eta in systems where the resonance line is so broad that the radio frequency field can excite only a portion of the nuclear spins. In this situation, the recently developed spectroscopic methods are not applicable. ADNQR is useful for single crystals and oriented powders, and, for small eta determines eta4. Therefore, it can be used to evaluate fluctuations in eta due to inhomogeneities. We demonstrate the application of ADNQR experimentally to oriented superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 powder.     

Dynamic properties of a diluted pyrochlore cooperative paramagnet (Tb(p)Y(1-p))2Ti2O7

Investigations of the spin dynamics of the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore (Tb(p)Y(1-p))2Ti2O7, using muon spin relaxation and neutron spin echo, as a function of magnetic coverage p, have been carried out. Our major finding is that paramagnetic fluctuations prevail as T-->0 for all values of p, and that they are sensitive to dilution, indicating a cooperative spin motion. However, the percolation threshold pc is not a critical point for the fluctuations. We also find that the low temperature spectral density has a 1/f behavior, and that dilution slows down the spin fluctuations.