Core-level photoemission of the Si(1 1 1)– -Ag surface using synchrotron radiation

The evolution of Si 2p core-level photoemission during a structural conversion from the Si (1 1 1)– -Ag to the Si(1 1 1)– -Ag superstructures induced by Ag adatoms adsorption at 140 K was studied using synchrotron radiation. The component from the top-layer Si-trimer atoms on the former surface was found to split into two components in the latter surface. The result is discussed in terms of a relaxation in some of the Si trimers induced by Ag adatoms sitting on the nearby Ag triangles of the -Ag substrate. The intensity ratio between the split components is a key to exclude some structure models proposed so far for the phases.     

Specificity and biomineralization activities of Ti-binding peptide-1 (TBP-1)

Numerous peptide aptamers that recognize inorganic materials have been isolated using in vitro peptide evolution systems. However, it remains unknown how peptides interact with inorganic materials or how specific those interactions are. We, therefore, assessed the target specificities of the peptide aptamer TBP-1 (RKLPDAPGMHTW) by monitoring its ability to bind 10 different metals. We found that phages displaying TBP-1 bound to Ti, Si, and Ag surfaces but not to Au, Cr, Pt, Sn, Zn, Cu, or Fe. As previously seen with Ti, binding to Si and Ag was diminished by R1A, P4A, or D5A mutation, suggesting that the same molecular mechanism underlies TBP-1 binding to all three materials. We also observed that a synthetic TBP-1 peptide mediated mineralization of both silica and Ag. It, thus, appears that although the overall chemical characteristics of Ti, Si, and Ag surfaces are dissimilar, they share a common subnanometric structure that is recognized by TBP-1.     

Design and synthesis of novel chiral spiro ionic liquids

[reaction: see text] Novel chiral imidazolium salts have been synthesized as examples of chiral ionic liquids with a spiro skeleton. Effects of N-substituents and counteranions on the melting point of spiro imidazolium salts and their chiral discrimination abilities are described.     

Necessary conditions for constrained optimal control problems via mathematical programming

Necessary conditions for optimal control problems with state-control variable inequality constraints are obtained via mathematical programming formulation and functional analysis in Banach space. These conditions are general ones that hold without any constraint qualifications but differentiability. Furthermore, these conditions are shown to be equivalent to the classical result in the presence of the linear independence constraint qualification.     

A green process for coupling manganese oxides with titanium(IV) dioxide

MnO(2) nanoparticle-loaded TiO(2) prepared by a green process capable of removing harmful MnO(4)(-) ions from water exhibits catalytic activity for a test reaction, H(2)O(2) decomposition, in the dark with its activity enhanced by UV light irradiation.     

Structural properties of an artificial protein that regulates the nucleation of inorganic and organic crystals

Technological advances have facilitated the generation of artificial proteins that possess the capabilities of recognizing and binding to inorganic solids and/or controlling nucleation processes that form inorganic solids. However, very little is known regarding the structure of these interesting polypeptides and how their structure contributes to functionality. To address this deficiency, we report structural investigations of an artificial protein, p288, that self-assembles and controls the nucleation of simple salts and organic compounds into dendrite-like crystals. Under aqueous conditions at low pH and in the presence of high salt, p288 is conformationally labile and exists primarily as a random coil conformer in equilibrium with other undefined secondary structures, including polyproline type II and beta turn. We note that p288 can fold into either a partial beta strand (at neutral pH) or a predominantly alpha helical (in the presence of TFE) conformation. Solid-state 13C-15N NMR experiments also reveal that p288 in the lyophilized, hydrated state possesses some degree of nonrandom coil structure. These results indicate that p288 is conformationally labile but can undergo conformational transitions to a more stable structure when water solvent loss/displacement occurs and protein concentrations increase. We believe that conformational instability and the ability to adopt different structures as a function of different environmental conditions represent important molecular features that impact p288 supramolecular assembly and crystal nucleation processes.     

Time-Resolved Measurements of in vivo Optical Properties of Piglet Brain

The in vivo optical properties of a piglet brain were measured using a time-resolved system at three different wavelengths (759, 794, 824 nm). To separate the contribution of different head layers to the detected signals, the measurements were acquired from the surfaces of skin, skull, dura mater and brain. The source detector distance was chosen to assure a mean penetration depth within each layer. Measurements were analyzed and compared with the results of other in vivo measurements reported in literature.     

Two deformation paths in fission of light actinides

The correlation among the fission threshold energy, the scission configuration and the mass yield distribution has been studied in proton-induced fission of light actinides. It was found that there exist at least two fission paths from the threshold region to the scission. The elongated scission configuration is related with the fission process that goes over a higher threshold energy and results in a symmetric mass division mode, while the compact scission configuration with the process that experiences a lower threshold and ends up with an asymmetric mass division mode.