Single chain force spectroscopy - Reading the sequence of HP protein models

We study the elastic properties of single A/B random copolymer chains, with a specific sequence and use them as theoretical model for so called HP proteins. HP proteins carry hydrophilic (P) and hydrophobic (H) monomers. We predict a rich structure in the force-extension relations which can be attributed to the information in the sequence. The variational method is used to probe local minima on the path of stretching and releasing for the chain molecules. At a given force, we find multiple configurations which are separated by energy barriers. A collapsed globular configuration consists of several domains which unravel cooperatively. Upon stretching, the unfolding path shows a stepwise pattern corresponding to the unfolding of each domain. While releasing, several cores can be created simultaneously in the middle of the chain, resulting in a different path of collapse. The long-range interactions and stiffness of the chain simplify the potential landscape given by the disorder in sequence. Received 5 March 2002 / Received in final form 16 May 2002 Published online 13 August 2002     

Tunneling and EPR linewidths due to dislocations in Mn acetate

We compute the width and shape of the EPR and tunneling resonances due to dislocations in Mn₁₂ acetate crystals. Uncorrelated dislocations produce the Gaussian shape of resonances while dislocations bound in pairs produce the Lorentzian shape. We stress that the uniaxial spin Hamiltonian together with crystal defects can explain the totality of experimental data on Mn₁₂. Received 2 August 2001 / Received in final form 15 March 2002 Published online 17 September 2002     

Synthesis and structures of nitroxyalkyl methylphosphonates

The reactions of ethylene glycol mononitrate and glycerol 1,3-dinitrate with methylphosphonic dichloride afforded new nitroxyalkyl methylphosphonates.     

Wave propagation through a high-velocity elastic layer

We consider theoretical seismographs of a wave field passing through an elastic layer with high propagation velocity. We note the presence of a low-frequency part of the seismogram for longitudinal waves. It is shown that the propagation time of low-frequency vibrations is equal to that of longitudinal disturbances screened by the layer.Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Matematicheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova, AN SSSR, Vol. 173, pp. 134–141, 1988.     

Transformation of the excitation energy in excimers and exciplexes of aromatic hydrocarbons

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 26–32, January, 1991.     

Difference between canonical and grand canonical ensembles in discrete lattice gas models

We calculate the site occupation probabilities of one-dimensional lattice gas models within the canonical and grand canonical ensembles. The appearing differences do not vanish if we increase the system size keeping the site energies discrete. In this way one can explain the surprising numerical results of Barszczak and Kutner. This effect in the single-site occupation number disappears in higher dimensions.     

Bragg diffraction of light in a restricted homogeneous system of tunnel-coupled waveguides

A system of tunnel-coupled rectilinear waveguides is studied. The dependence of the number of modes in this system on the number of waveguides N, the distance between the waveguides, and the number of modes in a separate waveguide is considered. It is shown that the modes of the m = N and N + 1 orders in such a system are Bragg modes; i.e., the angle between the direction of their propagation and the system axis is close to the Bragg angle. The effective refractive indices n ^* of these modes change stepwise. The step size Δn ^* is found to be dependent on the distance s between the waveguides and on the number of modes in a separate waveguide. A system of single-mode waveguides with the number of guided modes M = 34 < N = 50 is studied experimentally. It is shown that the Bragg modes of the system lie among the leakage modes of the system and have rather low losses. It is demonstrated that the localization of the Bragg modes among the leakage modes may be favorable for their selection upon light generation.     

NMR protocol for on-line Brix determination

Water suppression by diffusive attenuation was used to measure Brix in intact cellular tissue of apple and strawberry. Given the signal-to-noise ratio, the correlation for apple was established without repeated acquisition, so this protocol should also be useful for rapid, on-line measurements at low spectrometer frequencies. Water suppression by theT ₁-Null method fails with cellular tissue because of the considerable variation in the longitudinal relaxation times of vacuolar and cytoplasmic water.