Isochronous systems and their quantization

We review recent results about classical isochronous systems characterized by the presence of an open (hence fully dimensional) region in their phase space in which all their solutions are completely periodic (i.e., periodic in all degrees of freedom) with the same fixed period (independent of the initial data provided they are inside the isochronicity region). We report a technique for generating such systems, whose wide applicability justifies the statement that isochronous systems are not rare. We also present an analogous technique applicable to a vast class of Hamiltonian systems and generating isochronous Hamiltonian systems. We also report some results concerning the quantized versions of such systems.     

Global weak solutions to the Nordström-Vlasov system

The Nordström-Vlasov system is a Lorentz invariant model for a self-gravitating collisionless gas. We establish suitable a priori bounds on the solutions of this system, which together with energy estimates and the smoothing effect of “momentum averaging” yield the existence of global weak solutions to the corresponding initial value problem. In the process we improve the continuation criterion for classical solutions which was derived recently. The weak solutions are shown to preserve mass.     

The Lax representation for an integrable class of relativistic dynamical systems

We exhibit the Lax pair for the class of relativistic dynamical systems recently introduced by Ruijsenaars and Schneider, whose equations of motion read, whereB is an arbitrary constant and the Weierstrass elliptic function.For the 3 academic years 1983–1986     

A novel Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase from the fungal strain Humicola lutea 110: isolation and physico-chemical characterization

The fungal strain Humicola lutea 110 produces a mangan- and a copper zinc-containing superoxide dismutases (SOD). In this study, the purification, N-terminal sequence and spectroscopic properties of the new Cu,Zn SOD are described. The preparation of the pure metalloenzyme was achieved via treatment of the strain with acetone followed by gel and ion exchange chromatography. The protein consists of 302 amino acid residues and has a molecular mass of approximately 32 kDa, as determined by PAG electrophoresis and 3100 U mg-1 protein-specific activity. It is a dimeric enzyme with two identical subunits of 15,950 Da, as indicated by SDS-PAGE, mass spectroscopic and amino acid analysis. The N-terminal sequence analysis of the Cu,Zn SOD from the fungal strain revealed a high degree of structural homology with enzymes from other eukaryotic sources. Conformational stability and reversibility of unfolding of the dimeric enzyme were determined by fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The critical temperature of deviation from linearity (Tc) of the Arrhenius plot ln (Q-1(-1)) vs. 1/T was calculated to be 68 degrees C and the respective activation energy for the thermal deactivation of the excited indole chromophores is 42 kcal mol-1. The melting temperatures (Tm) were determined by CD measurements to be 69 degrees C for the holo- and 61 degrees C for the apo-enzyme. The fluorescence emission of the Cu,Zn SOD is dominated by 'buried' tryptophyl chromophores. Removal of the copper-dioxygen system from the active site caused a 4-fold increase of the fluorescence quantum yield and a 10 nm shift of the emission maximum position towards higher wavelength.     

Iron-Iridium Mixed-Metal Carbonyl Clusters: A Mössbauer Study of the Structure and of the Adsorption of [Fe2Ir2(CO)12]2− on MgO

¹⁹³Ir and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to investigate the structure of the [Fe₂Ir₂(CO)₁₂]^2- cluster compound and the adsorption of this cluster on hydrated MgO. Supported samples were prepared by impregnation of the magnesia with solutions of [Et₄N]₂[Fe₂Ir₂(CO)₁₂] in acetone. The Mössbauer and FT-IR spectra of the MgO-supported cluster confirm that the bimetallic carbonyl is molecularly physisorbed onto MgO without undergoing any transformation or decomposition. The easy solvent extraction of the intact cluster from the oxide surface excludes ion pairing between the cluster anion and the Mg²⁺ surface sites. Mössbauer spectra are in agreement with the refined structure of the molecular cluster and the temperature dependence of the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra above 80 K is consistent with the low degree of interaction of the cluster with the support. This technique, therefore, appears to be promising in order to infer structural information when X-ray determination fails.     

Trace elements distribution in Antarctic sediments by neutron activation analysis

In the present investigation iron and trace elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in a number of sea bottom sediment samples, collected in the Ross Sea and close to the Italian Station at Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica. Full listing of results is presented and discussed as well as the evaluation of precision and accuracy. In order to find correlations and similarities among the sediment samples, the analytical data were submitted to statistical treatment. In addition rare earth element patterns were obtained. Typical trends were observed with no evident Eu negative anomaly and a depletion of heavy rare earth elements.     

New solvable dynamical systems

New solvable dynamical systems are identified and the properties of their solutions are tersely discussed.     

Dynamics of Robertson–Walker spacetimes with diffusion

We study the dynamics of spatially homogeneous and isotropic spacetimes containing a fluid undergoing microscopic velocity diffusion in a cosmological scalar field. After deriving a few exact solutions of the equations, we continue by analyzing the qualitative behavior of general solutions. To this purpose we recast the equations in the form of a two dimensional dynamical system and perform a global analysis of the flow. Among the admissible behaviors, we find solutions that are asymptotically de-Sitter both in the past and future time directions and which undergo accelerated expansion at all times.     

THE CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF THE POTENTIAL ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT 2-PYRIDYL-PHENYL SULPHONE

Abstract

Crystals of 2-pyridyl-phenyl sulphone are monoclinic, space group P2₁/c, with eight molecules in the unit cell of dimensions a = 11.781, b = 5.903, c = 29.748 Å and B = 94.13°. The dihedral angles between the best planes of the two aromatic rings are significantly different in two crystallographically independent molecules (88.4° and 71.9° for molecule A and molecule B, respectively), as well as those between the CSC plane and the pyridine ring (59.4° and 67.4°) and between the CSC plane and the phenyl ring (51.7° and 81.8°). The average bond distances of interest include C?S 1.77(1) and S?O 1.44(1) Å; among the bond angles there are CSO = 108.1(7), CSC = 105.0(6) and OSO = 118.7(6)°. The packing of the molecule in the crystal is determined by the van der Waals interactions and by two intermolecular H?O contacts of 2.43 and 2.49 Å. The observed conformation in the solid state agrees well with results of previous investigations, in the solution state, by means of dipole moment method and theoretical M.O. calculations, for the analogous di-2-pyridyl sulphone.