Measurement of the negative muon anomalous magnetic moment to 0.7 ppm

The anomalous magnetic moment of the negative muon has been measured to a precision of 0.7 ppm (ppm) at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. This result is based on data collected in 2001, and is over an order of magnitude more precise than the previous measurement for the negative muon. The result a(mu(-))=11 659 214(8)(3) x 10(-10) (0.7 ppm), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, is consistent with previous measurements of the anomaly for the positive and the negative muon. The average of the measurements of the muon anomaly is a(mu)(exp)=11 659 208(6) x 10(-10) (0.5 ppm).     

A statistical and geometrical edge detector for SAR images

A constant-false-alarm-rate (CFAR) edge detector based on the ratio between pixel values is described. The probability distribution of the image obtained by applying the edge detector is derived. Hence, the decision threshold can be theoretically determined for a given probability of false alarm as a function of the number of looks of the image under study and the size of the processing neighborhood. For a better and finer detection, the edge detector operates along the four usual directions over windows of increasing sizes. A test performed, for a given direction, on a radar image of an agricultural scene shows good agreement with the theoretical study. The operator is compared with the CFAR edge detectors suitable for radar images     

Photocrosslinking of elastomer systems. II. Ultraviolet light-induced reactions in an EPDM modified by grafting of benzoin derivatives

Photocrosslinking experiments were performed on elastomeric polymer films (EPDM) previously modified by grafting a photosensitive initiator (benzoin derivative) onto the macromolecular backbone. This modification was performed by a series of Friedel–Crafts reactions and the resulting materials were characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy in conjunction with model reactions. After ultraviolet (UV) irradiation the photocrosslinked samples were studied by IR spectroscopy in conjunction with the measurement of physical properties. It apperared that grafting the photosensitizer onto the elastomer considerably enhances the crosslinking reaction even with a limited quantity of grafted benzoin derivative. Moreover, the results obtained suggest that the structure of the resulting networks is strongly dependent on the crosslinking process used; that is, curing the elastomer with peroxide or UV irradiation either of a blend of elastomer and photosensitizer or of the same elastomer modified by grafting the chromophore.     

Synthesis of 1H-imidazo[3′,4′:4,5]thieno[2,3-b]pyridines. A new ring system

A facile and convenient synthesis of the title compounds is described, using as starting materials the 2-nitro-3-aminothieno[2,3-b]pyridines. Mass spectral data of the above mentioned compounds are briefly discussed.     

Capture of Gaseous Iodine in Isoreticular Zirconium-Based UiO-n Metal-Organic Frameworks: Influence of Amino Functionalization,DFT Calculations,Raman and EPR Spectroscopic Investigation

A series of Zr-based UiO-n MOF materials (n=66, 67, 68) have been studied for iodine capture. Gaseous iodine adsorption was collected kinetically from a home-made set-up allowing the continuous measurement of iodine content trapped within UiO-n compounds, with organic functionalities (−H, −CH₃, −Cl, −Br, −(OH)₂, −NO₂, −NH₂, (−NH₂)₂, −CH₂ NH₂) by in-situ UV-Vis spectroscopy. This study emphasizes the role of the amino groups attached to the aromatic rings of the ligands connecting the {Zr₆O₄(OH)₄} brick. In particular, the preferential interaction of iodine with lone-pair groups, such as amino functions, has been experimentally observed and is also based on DFT calculations. Indeed, higher iodine contents were systematically measured for amino-functionalized UiO-66 or UiO-67, compared to the pristine material (up to 1211 mg/g for UiO-67-(NH₂)₂). However, DFT calculations revealed the highest computed interaction energies for alkylamine groups (−CH₂NH₂) in UiO-67 (−128.5 kJ/mol for the octahedral cavity), and pointed out the influence of this specific functionality compared with that of an aromatic amine. The encapsulation of iodine within the pore system of UiO-n materials and their amino-derivatives has been analyzed by UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopy. We showed that a systematic conversion of molecular iodine (I₂) species into anionic I⁻ ones, stabilized as I⁻⋅⋅⋅I₂ or I₃⁻ complexes within the MOF cavities, occurs when I₂@UiO-n samples are left in ambient light.     

A limiting case for the divergence equation

We consider the equation $\text{ div}\,\mathbb{Y }=f$ , with $f$ a zero average function on the torus $\mathbb{T }^d$ . In their seminal paper, Bourgain and Brezis [J Am Math Soc 16(2):393–426, 2003 (electronic)] proved the existence of a solution $\mathbb{Y }\in W^{1,d}\cap L^\infty $ for a datum $f\in L^d$ . We extend their result to the critical Sobolev spaces $W^{s,p}$ with $(s+1)p=d$ and $p\ge 2$ . More generally, we prove a similar result in the scale of Triebel–Lizorkin spaces. We also consider the equation $\text{ div} \,\mathbb{Y }=f$ in a bounded domain $\varOmega $ subject to zero Dirichlet boundary condition.     

Unexpectedly large electronic contribution to linear magnetoelectricity

We show that the electronic part of the linear magnetoelectric response, usually omitted in first-principles studies, can be comparable in magnitude to that mediated by polar lattice distortions, even in strong magnetoelectrics. Using a self-consistent response to a Zeeman field for noncollinear spins, we show how polarization emerges in magnetoelectrics through both electronic and lattice contributions--analogous to the high- and low-frequency responses of dielectrics. The approach we use is computationally simple, and can be used to study linear and nonlinear responses to magnetic fields.     

Development of a mobile system based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and dedicated to in situ analysis of polluted soils

Principal Components Analysis (PCA) is successfully applied to the full laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) spectra of soil samples, defining classes according to the concentrations of the major elements. The large variability of the LIBS data is related to the heterogeneity of the samples and the representativeness of the data is finally discussed.     

Limit laws for embedded trees: Applications to the integrated superBrownian excursion

We study three families of labeled plane trees. In all these trees, the root is labeled 0 and the labels of two adjacent nodes differ by 0,1, or ?1. One part of the paper is devoted to enumerative results. For each family, and for all j ∈ ?, we obtain closed form expressions for the following three generating functions: the generating function of trees having no label larger than j; the (bivariate) generating function of trees, counted by the number of edges and the number of nodes labeled j; and finally the (bivariate) generating function of trees, counted by the number of edges and the number of nodes labeled at least, j. Strangely enough, all these series turn out to be algebraic, but we have no combinatorial intuition for this algebraicity. The other part of the paper is devoted to deriving limit laws from these enumerative results. In each of our families of trees, we endow the trees of size n with the uniform distribution and study the following random variables: M_n, the largest label occurring in a (random) tree; X_n(j), the number of nodes labeled j; and X(j), the number of nodes labeled j or more. We obtain limit laws for scaled versions of these random variables. Finally, we translate the above limit results into statements dealing with the integrated superBrownian excursion. In particular, we describe the law of the supremum of its support (thus recovering some earlier results obtained by Delmas) and the law of its distribution function at a given point. We also conjecture the law of its density (at a given point). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2006     

A proteomic approach to investigate potential biomarkers directed against membrane-associated breast cancer proteins

The identification of specific protein markers for breast cancer would provide the basis for early diagnosis. Particularly, membrane and membrane-associated proteins are rich in targets for antibodies that may constitute suitable biomarkers of carcinogenesis. However, membrane proteins separation using 2-DE remains difficult. In this work, the breast cancer cell line MCF7 was used as source of proteins for the screening of potential cell membrane-associated antigens recognized by autoantibodies in patients with breast cancer and healthy volunteers. The protein extract obtained using trifluoroethanol (TFE) as cosolvent was compared to a total cell lysate protein extract prepared by a current technique. After 2-DE separation of the two extracts, their protein patterns clearly differed. About 63% of the proteins identified in the TFE-extract were predicted to possess at least one transmembrane domain. 2-D blots probed with sera from cancer patients or from healthy volunteers showed that, as expected, additional antigens were provided in the TFE-extract. Thus, the method described here appeared well suited for proteomic investigation of potential biomarkers undetected by current techniques.