Model-Independent Normalization Condition for Gamow Vectors

Two comments on the theory of Gamow states are presented. First, it is shown that Gamow states may be viewed as two resonating states which correspond to two different eigenproblems for the same real value of energy. Second, a universal normalization condition for all Gamow states is derived.     

Temperature and pressure sensitivities of the highly birefringent photonic crystal fiber with core asymmetry

We investigated a particular design of a highly birefringent PCF with attractive features for pressure sensing applications. A plane-wave method together with the finite element method were used to numerically calculate phase and group modal birefringence, pressure and temperature sensitivities of our fiber. The simulation results together with the experiments demonstrate a considerable difference between a very high phase birefringence (B ∼ 10⁻³) and a very low negative group birefringence (G −10⁻³). Our fiber exhibits a low and positive temperature sensitivity (K_T < 0.1 rad/(K⋅m)), and relatively high and negative mechanical (pressure) sensitivity (K_p ≤ −10 rad/(MPa⋅m)), which supports its possible use as a mechanical sensor that does not require any temperature compensation.     

On the correctness of the thermoluminescent high-temperature ratio (HTR) method for estimating ionization density effects in mixed radiation fields

The high-temperature ratio (HTR) method which exploits changes in the LiF:Mg,Ti glow-curve due to high-LET radiation, has been used for several years to estimate LET in an unknown radiation field. As TL efficiency is known to decrease after doses of densely ionizing radiation, a LET estimate is used to correct the TLD-measured values of dose. The HTR method is purely empirical and its general correctness is questionable. The validity of the HTR method was investigated by theoretical simulation of various mixed radiation fields.The LET_eff values estimated with the HTR method for mixed radiation fields were found in general to be incorrect, in some cases underestimating the true values of dose-averaged LET by an order of magnitude. The method produced correct estimates of average LET only in cases of almost mono-energetic fields (i.e. in non-mixed radiation conditions). The value of LET_eff found by the HTR method may therefore be treated as a qualitative indicator of increased LET, but not as a quantitative estimator of average LET.However, HTR-based correction of the TLD-measured dose value (HTR-B method) was found to be quite reliable. In all cases studied, application of this technique improved the result. Most of the measured doses fell within 10% of the true values. A further empirical improvement to the method is proposed. One may therefore recommend the HTR-B method to correct for decreased TL efficiency in mixed high-LET fields.     

Application of multiple quench parameters for confirmation of radionuclide identity in radioanalytical quality control

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Robust and reliable radiochemical analysis is the key factor in the appropriate disposal and management of radioactive wastes arising from the...     

Antimicrobial properties of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles studied by flow cytometry and related techniques

This work reports the effect of silver bionanoparticles (Bio(AgNPs) synthesized by Actinobacteria CGG 11n on selected Gram (+) and Gram (–) bacteria. Flow cytometry, classical antibiogram method and fluorescent microscopy approach was used for evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Bio(AgNPs) and their combination with antibiotics. Furthermore, the performed research specified the capacity of flow cytometry method as an alternative to the standard ones and as a complementary method to electromigration techniques. The study showed antibacterial activity of both BioAgNPs and the combination of antibiotics/BioAgNPs against all the tested bacteria strains in comparison with a diffusion, dilution and bioautographic methods. The synergistic effect of antibiotics/BioAgNPs combination (e.g. kanamycin, ampicillin, neomycin and streptomycin) was found to be more notable against Pseudomonas aeruginosa representing a prototype of multi‐drug resistant “superbugs” for which effective therapeutic options are very limited.     

Photophysical characterization of imidazolium-substituted Pd(II), In(III), and Zn(II) porphyrins as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy

The photophysical properties of four imidazolium-substituted metalloporphyrins have been assessed to gain insights into the relative efficacy of the compounds for photodynamic therapy (PDT). A set of zinc(II), palladium(II), and chloro-indium(III) porphyrins all bear a net positive charge owing to the diethylimidazolium unit; one zinc chelate bears a negative charge owing to a bis(sulfobutyl)imidazolium unit. The photophysical properties of the cationic and anionic zinc porphyrins are very similar to one another in organic solvents, phosphate-buffered saline, and in the presence of bovine serum albumin. The properties of the zinc and palladium porphyrins bearing charged peripheral groups are generally similar to those of neutral analogs in organic solvents. The palladium porphyrin shows an essentially quantitative yield (≥0.99) of the triplet excited state compared to the zinc porphyrins (0.9), and all are quantitatively quenched (at the diffusion limit) by molecular oxygen in air-saturated fluid solution. If the rate constant and yield of quenching of the triplet excited state by energy or electron transfer to molecular oxygen is the same in the cellular environment as in solution, then these processes combined with the triplet yield contribute only a factor of 1.3 to the higher PDT activity of analogous palladium versus zinc porphyrins, which is much smaller than what is observed. Therefore, other factors such as transient reduction of the excited porphyrin or delivery to the target site must predominantly underlie the difference in PDT efficacy of these sensitizers.     

Non-linear effects in acyclic amino acid-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reactions

Non-linear effects were observed in acyclic amino acid-catalyzed direct asymmetric intermolecular aldol reactions. The non-linear effects are due to the equilibrium solid-liquid phase behavior of amino acids. The results suggest that the phase behavior of amino acids linked to asymmetric catalysis may have implications to the evolution of homochirality.     

Real space Hartree-Fock configuration interaction method for complex lateral quantum dot molecules

We present unrestricted Hartree-Fock method coupled with configuration interaction (CI) method (URHF-CI) suitable for the calculation of ground and excited states of large number of electrons localized by complex gate potentials in quasi-two-dimensional quantum dot molecules. The method employs real space finite difference method, incorporating strong magnetic field, for calculating single particle states. The Hartree-Fock method is employed for the calculation of direct and exchange interaction contributions to the ground state energy. The effects of correlations are included in energies and directly in the many-particle wave functions via CI method using a limited set of excitations above the Fermi level. The URHF-CI method and its performance are illustrated on the example of ten electrons confined in a two-dimensional quantum dot molecule.     

The study of the lipophilicity of alpha-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)-gamma-phthalimidobutyramides using chromatographic and computational methods

The lipophilicity of the series of alpha-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)-gamma-phthalimido-butyramides (1-8) has been investigated. Several methods, like reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography using reversed-phase RP18 and IAM.DD2 columns, were applied to determine RMO, log k0 and log k(0IAM) factors. The RP-TLC investigations were performed in mixtures of acetone-water and acetonitrile-water. For RP-HPLC method mixtures of acetonitrile, water and 0.01% TFA were used as the mobile phases while for IAM.DD2 investigations mixtures of acetonitrile and water were applied. The partition coefficients of compounds (1-8) were also calculated with the Pallas and CAChe programs. All the obtained data, both from experimental methods and computational calculations, were compared and a suitable conclusion was reached.     

Inorganic ammonium salts as catalysts for direct aldol reactions in the presence of water

Inorganic ammonium salts catalyze the direct aldol reaction between unmodified ketones and aldehydes to furnish the corresponding β-hydroxy ketones in aqueous media. The reactions are highly chemoselective and operationally simple.