Asymptotic Expansions of Posterior Distributions in Nonregular Cases

We study the asymptotic behaviour of the posterior distributions for a one-parameter family of discontinuous densities. It is shown that a suitably centered and normalized posterior converges almost surely to an exponential limit in the total variation norm. Further, asymptotic expansions for the density, distribution function, moments and quantiles of the posterior are also obtained. It is to be noted that, in view of the results of Ghosh et al. (1994, Statistical Decision Theory and Related Topics V, 183-199, Springer, New York) and Ghosal et al. (1995, Ann. Statist., 23, 2145-2152), the nonregular cases considered here are essentially the only ones for which the posterior distributions converge. The results obtained here are also supported by a simulation experiment.     

Self-organized ZnAl2O4 nanostructures grown on -sapphire

Self-organized ZnAl₂O₄ nanostructures with the appearance (in SEM) of high aspect ratio horizontal nanowires are grown on uncatalysed c-sapphire by vapour phase transport. The nanostructures grow as three equivalent crystallographic variants on c-sapphire. Raman and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy confirm that the nanostructures are not ZnO and TEM shows that they are the cubic spinel, zinc aluminate, ZnAl₂O₄, formed by the reaction of Zn and O with the sapphire substrate.     

Working group report: Neutrino and astroparticle physics

This is the report of neutrino and astroparticle physics working group at WHEPP-7. Discussions and work on CP violation in long baseline neutrino experiments, ultra high energy neutrinos, supernova neutrinos and water Cerenkov detectors are discussed.     

Spectral distributions in nuclei: General principles and applications

The subject of spectral distribution methods where one derives and applies the locally smoothed forms of observables in nuclei is briefly reviewed. It is well understood that the local forms (with respect to energy) of the level density function, expectation values and strength densities are Gaussian, linear (or ratio of Gaussians) and a bivariate Gaussian respectively. To accomodate symmetries in the above forms, one has to deal with multivariate distributions in general; for example the angular-momentum (J) decomposition leads to a bivariate Gaussian form for the level density. These results extend to indefinitely large spaces by method of partitioning and they generate convolution forms. The origin of these remarkable spectral properties is discussed and shell model examples are given to substantiate their applicability to nuclear systems. Spectral distribution theory is a practical, usable theory because the smoothed forms are defined in terms of traces of low particle-rank operators, and the trace information propagates. Finally we discuss the application of the spectral methods for a wide range of nuclear problems; these include binding energies, orbit occupancies, electromagnetic andβ-decay sum rule quantities, analysis of operators, symmetry breaking, numerical level densities, and determination of bounds on time-reversal non-invariant part of nucleon-nucleon interaction.     

An evaluation of exogenous application of protoporphyrin IX and its dimethyl ester as a photodynamic diagnostic agent in poorly differentiated human nasopharyngeal carcinoma

5-Aminolevulinic acid and its esterified analogues have been under much investigation to enhance the endogenous production of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor cells. However, in this work, we studied the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of exogenously administered PpIX and its esterified analogue, PpIX dimethyl ester (PME), in poorly differentiated human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC/CNE-2) as a photodynamic diagnostic (PDD) agent. NPC/CNE-2 at its earliest time, 1 h after incubation with PME in in vitro studies, has exhibited 64% (P <0.01) higher tumor to normal cell (T/N) fluorescence ratio than with PpIX. In an in vivo mouse xenograft model, comparable photosensitizer concentration in tumor after intravenous administration was observed at 1-3 h time points, but at 9 h, PME had 31% (P=0.05) greater concentration in tumor compared with PpIX. In addition, by constituting PME and PpIX in different topical gel composites, of which, PME gel composition of 8:2 Plasdone and Gantrez resulted in the highest T/N ratio at 6 h after application (34%; P <0.05) in comparison with other gel composites. Evaluation of PME and PpIX constituted in the delivery vehicles investigated showed comparable selectivity for tumor at 1-3 h, thus neither photosensitizer is more efficient than the other for PDD at the early time points; however, beyond 6 h, PME had higher selectivity for tumor compared with PpIX. Thus, further investigation is warranted to improve the drug delivery vehicle for greater tumor selectivity at a shorter incubation time.     

Chain-transfer constant of fluoroalcohols

Chain transfer constants of some fluoroalcohols [HCF₂(CF₂)_n?1CH₂OH, n = 2, 4, 6] in the catalyzed polymerization of vinyl acetate, styrene, acrylonitrile, and methyl methacrylate at 60°C have been evaluated by a method based on degree of polymerization. Since fluoroalcohols are normally nonsolvents for polymers, a homogeneous reaction phase is maintained by carrying out the polymerization in benzene (except in case of acrylonitrile, where no solvent was used). The transfer constants vary, depending on the reactivity as well as the polarity of the radicals, in the following order: vinyl acetate > styrene > methyl methacrylate > acrylonitrile. Of the three fluoroalcohols studied, the transfer constants increase with the increasing value of n. The results have been interpreted in terms of polar structure contribution in the transition state of the transfer reactions.     

Conformational effects on vibronic spectra and excited state dynamics of 3-fluorobenzoic acid dimer

Two conformational isomers of 3-fluorobenzoic acid dimer (3-FBA(2)) have been identified in a supersonic jet expansion by use of laser-induced fluorescence excitation (FE), UV-UV hole-burning, and dispersed fluorescence (DF) spectroscopic methods. In the FE spectrum, the S(1) origins of the two isomeric species appear at a frequency gap of only 24 cm(-1), and the vibronic intensities of the redshifted dimer (dimer I) are about two times weaker than those of dimer II. However, ab initio quantum chemistry calculations at the MP2/6-31G(**) level of theory predict that all the isomeric species of 3-FBA(2) have almost the same binding energy (approximately 17 kcal/mol) in the ground state. Furthermore, unlike benzoic acid dimer, the present system shows intense activity for a low-frequency mode in both the FE and DF spectra. With the aid of DFT (B3LYP/6-311G(**)) predicted normal mode frequencies, we have assigned the mode to the in-plane gear (cogwheel) vibration of the cyclic hydrogen-bonded frame of the dimer. The Franck-Condon profiles for vibronic excitation of the mode indicate that the distortion of the cyclic hydrogen bond frame as a result of S(1)<--S(0) excitation is larger for dimer I than dimer II. Moreover, the fluorescence lifetime at the S(1) zero-point level of the former is also significantly smaller than the latter. Using the predictions of configuration interaction singles calculations, we have proposed that the spectral and dynamical differences between the two isomeric species observed in this study are manifestations of the different characteristics of their S(1) surfaces. By measuring FE, DF, and hole-burning spectra of a mixed dimer between 3-fluobenzoic acid and benzoic acid we have shown that the isomeric features in the homodimer spectra are due to two locally excited rotamers of the 3-fluorobenzoic acid moiety.