Spectral Properties of Thioflavin T and Its Complexes with Amyloid Fibrils

Comparative analysis of the absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence excitation spectra of thioflavin T (ThT) in various solvents and in the composition of amyloid fibrils has shown that ThT, when excited in the region of the long-wavelength absorption band, fluoresces in the spectral region with a maximum at 478–484 nm. The appearance in aqueous and alcohol solutions of a fluorescence band with a maximum near 440 nm has been attributed to the presence in the composition of the ThT preparations of an impurity with an absorption band in the 340–350-nm range. The literature data showing that in glycerol ThT has a wide fluorescence spectrum with two maxima are due to the artifact connected with the use of a high concentration of the dye. It has been suggested that the cause of the low quantum yield of ThT aqueous and alcohol solutions is the breakage of the system of conjugated bonds due to the reorientation of the benzothiozole and benzaminic rings of ThT in the excited state with respect to one another. The main factor determining the high quantum yield of fluorescence of ThT incorporated in fibrils is the steric restriction of the rotation of the rings about one another under these conditions. The suggestions made have been verified by the quantum-chemical calculation of the ThT molecule geometry in the ground and excited states.     

Exploring magnetic properties of ultrathin epitaxial magnetic structures using magneto-optical techniques

We describe magneto-optic Kerr effect studies of ultrathin Fe and Ni films on single crystal surfaces of Ag and Cu. Monolayer Fe films on Ag(100) exhibit the theoretically predicted spin-orbit anisotropy, but also yield some interesting discrepancies between behavior predicted by Kerr effect and by spin-polarized photoemission experiments. Layer-dependent studies of the magnetic moment of Ni on Ag(111) and Ag(100) suggest sp-d hybridization effects quench the first layer magnetic moment on Ag(111) but not on Ag(100). Temperature dependent studies of thin film magnetization obtained from Kerr effect measurements yield thickness dependent Curie temperatures, and critical exponents for several thin film systems.     

Local Entropy Conditions in Transonic Potential Flow Problems

The transonic potential flow problem is handled as a variational problem over a closed convex set which is given by a bound for the gas velocity and by a local entropy condition. It can be shown that the minimum problem has a solution though the functional need not be convex and the given set is not compact. Furthermore, the convergence of an approximation method (KATCHANOV'S method) for the solution to the corresponding variational inequality is proved.     

Gamma ray photon-induced modifications in Triafol-TN and Triafol-BN polymeric track detectors

Photon induced modifications in Triafol-TN and Triafol-BN polymers have been studied in the dose range of 10¹–10⁶ Gy at room temperature using a ⁶⁰Co source. To monitor the chemical and structural changes induced by gamma rays, UV, IR, and ESR studies were carried out. Thermal studies were also conducted for understanding the effects of gamma irradiations on these polymers. Variation of track etching characteristics and activation energy for bulk etching have been studied at different gamma rays doses. The experimental results are presented and discussed.     

Electronic structure and Fermi surface of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

Applying angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of high angular and energy resolution we have measured the electronic structure of single crystals of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈ near the Fermi energy. Along the high symmetry direction X a band is observed to disperse upwards and to cross the Fermi level, whose unoccupied part constitutes the hole-like carriers responsible for the superconductivity. From spectra along the M direction we find evidence for an electron pocket around the M point. The measured band widths appear to be drastically reduced compared with band structure calculations indicating strong electronic correlation effects. From the observation of Fermi-Dirac-like cut-offs in the spectra due to band crossings through the Fermi level we can confirm the existence and, in particular, the shape of the Fermi surface as calculated by band structure calculations.     

Preparation of micro- and nanopatterns of polymer chains grafted onto flexible polymer substrates

In this work a simple novel method for preparing micro- and nanoscale patterns of polymer chains grafted onto flexible polymer substrates is described. A combination of the two techniques of radiation grafting and "grafting-from" has been made. This combination makes it possible to prepare grafted structures having micro- or nanoscale lateral dimensions that are determined by the electron beam or X-ray irradiation patterns used. The height of the grafted features can be controlled by the irradiation dose or such grafting reaction conditions as time, temperature, or monomer concentration. Our first results for nanopatterned samples demonstrate resolution comparable to those of other polymer-based lithography processes.