Where is the sodium in self-assembled monolayers of single-stranded DNA?

Monolayers of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) immobilized on surfaces form the basis of a number of important biotechnology applications, including DNA microarrays and biosensors. The organization of ssDNA as layer on a solid substrate allows one to investigate various properties of the DNA in a controlled manner and to use DNA for analytical applications as well as for exploring futuristic schemes for molecular electronics. It is commonly assumed that the adsorbed DNA layer contains some structural water and the cations. Here we show, based on XPS studies, that when monolayers of ssDNA are formed from sodium phosphate buffer and washed thoroughly, no Na+ signal is detected. A finite concentration of ions is observed when the DNA is made from a solution of Mg2+ ions, but it is still only a fifth of what it would be if all the phosphate ions were fully neutralized by the metal cations.     

Intercalation of a pendant-arm tetraazamacrocycle into molybdenum disulfide

A novel macrocycle-MoS2 nanocomposite has been synthesized and characterized using the exfoliation/restacking properties of LiMoS2, providing the first of a new family of intercalation compounds.     

The thermal effect of urethral warming during cryosurgery

The heating effect of urethral warming during cryosurgery has been investigated theoretically, via heat transfer simulations. Two warmer configurations have been considered: (i). the clinically available urethral warmer, which has a configuration of a counter flow fluid heat exchanger; (ii). a newly designed urethral warmer, based on a temperature controlled electrical heater, termed a "cryoheater". A dramatic effect of thermal resistance to heat transfer through the heat exchanger wall has been identified, which is absent in the cryoheater. It follows that the cryoheater is expected to be more efficient in generating an unfrozen region around the urethra. It is shown that the conventional heat exchanger may fail to prevent freezing around the urethra in a significant number of prostate cases, depending on the layout of cryoprobes around the urethra. On the other hand, clinical reports exist which suggest that the heat exchanger improves in many cases the outcome of cryosurgery, in terms of long term complications. It is speculated in the current report that the cryoheater can further improve the outcome of cryosurgery, by providing protection from freezing in a wider range of cases. It is suggested that a future study be conducted to examine the correlation between the layout of cryoprobes and surgical outcome.     

Probabilistic algorithm for testing primality

We present a practical probabilistic algorithm for testing large numbers of arbitrary form for primality. The algorithm has the feature that when it determines a number composite then the result is always true, but when it asserts that a number is prime there is a provably small probability of error. The algorithm was used to generate large numbers asserted to be primes of arbitrary and special forms, including very large numbers asserted to be twin primes. Theoretical foundations as well as details of implementation and experimental results are given.     

Homology theory of lattice fermion doubling

I give a general discussion of the phenomenon of spectrum degeneracy in transcribing continuum field equations to the lattice, using concepts of homology theory. This leads to a topological understanding of the problems in transcribing the Dirac equation and a unified treatment of the many lattice fermion schemes in the literature. The connection between spectrum degeneracy and chiral symmetry is explained geometrically without appealing to quantum effects such as anomalies.     

Extractive Spectrophotometric Determination of Titanium in Silicate Rocks, Soils and Columbite–Tantalite Minerals

2,3-Dihydroxynaphthalene forms a strong chelate with titanium over the pH range 4 to 9. At pH 4–5, titanium is extracted into ethyl acetate along with iron, leaving behind V, Nb, Mo, and a host of elements present in complex matrices of rock samples. In the extract, titanium is easily separated from iron after raising the pH of the medium and re-extracting. The method is free from any interference. The sensitivity of the method is 3.2×10⁴ L·mol^–1cm^–1. The method has been applied to a number of diverse samples including rocks and minerals. The precision of the Ti method is excellent. This method has been compared with tiron, chromotropic acid, diantipyrilmethane (DAM) and other existing spectrophotometric methods used in the analysis of rocks, ores and minerals. The proposed method has definite advantages over most spectrophotometric methods in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility and simplicity.     

Berezin integration on general fermionic supermanifolds

Recent results on the global structure of supermanifolds are used to define a notion of Berezin integration on any purely fermionic Rogers supermanifold. This leads to an integration theory on a large class of supermanifolds having both bosonic and fermionic coordinates. The existence of global functions and forms on such supermanifolds is discussed, as is some elementary cohomology of supermanifolds.Enrico Fermi Fellow. Research supported by the NSF (PHY 83-01221) and DOE (DE-AC02-82-ER-40073)