ABNORMAL EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN SEA URCHIN FOLLOWING ILLUMINATION OF GAMETES WITH VISIBLE LIGHT FROM A PHOTOTHERAPY UNIT

Abstract— The unfertilized oocytes and spermatozoa of the American sea urchin ( Arbacia punctulata ) were exposed to phototherapy lights in order to determine the effect of this treatment regimen on post-irradiation fertilization and embryonic development. Light treatment revealed dose-dependent abnormalities in fertilization and subsequent embryonic development.     

Classical physics and Penrose's thesis

We expose and discussPenrose's thesis: Nature produces harnessable noncomputable processes, but none at the classical level. We then suggest a partial counterexample to it, based on aGedanken experiment about an undecidable family of integrable Hamiltonian systems that could lead to a sort of idealized solution to the Halting problem for Turing machines.1. Partially supported by a Fulbright/CNP_q-Brazil grant. Permanent address after November 5, 1990: Center for the Study of Mathematical Theories of Communication, IDEA/School of Communications, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Pasteur 250, 22290 Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil.     

Photoactivatable V-Shaped Bifunctional Quinone Methide Precursors as a New Class of Selective G-quadruplex Alkylating Agents

Combining the selectivity of G-quadruplex (G4) ligands with the spatial and temporal control of photochemistry is an emerging strategy to elucidate the biological relevance of these structures. In this work, we developed six novel V-shaped G4 ligands that can, upon irradiation, form stable covalent adducts with G4 structures via the reactive intermediate, quinone methide (QM). We thoroughly investigated the photochemical properties of the ligands and their ability to generate QMs. Subsequently, we analyzed their specificity for various topologies of G4 and discovered a preferential binding towards the human telomeric sequence. Finally, we tested the ligand ability to act as photochemical alkylating agents, identifying the covalent adducts with G4 structures. This work introduces a novel molecular tool in the chemical biology toolkit for G4s.     

An Aggregating Amphiphilic Squaraine: A Light-up Probe That Discriminates Parallel G-Quadruplexes

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are peculiar DNA or RNA tertiary structures that are involved in the regulation of many biological events within mammalian cells, bacteria, and viruses. Although their role as versatile therapeutic targets has been emphasized for 35 years, G4 selectivity over ubiquitous double-stranded DNA/RNA, as well as G4 differentiation by small molecules, still remains challenging. Here, a new amphiphilic dicyanovinyl-substituted squaraine, SQgl , is reported to act as an NIR fluorescent light-up probe discriminating an extensive panel of parallel G4s while it is non-fluorescent in the aggregated state. The squaraine can form an unconventional sandwich π-complex binding two quadruplexes, which leads to a strongly fluorescent (Φ_F=0.61) supramolecular architecture. SQgl is highly selective against non-quadruplex and non-parallel G4 sequences without altering their topology, as desired for applications in selective in vivo high-resolution imaging and theranostics.     

Active electric near field imaging of electronic devices

An active two dimensional near field imaging of a High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) used as THz detector has been performed. The reflective imaging system developed at the ENEA FEL Facility in Frascati has been used to this purpose. This imaging technique has shown to be particularly powerful in resolving various coupling mechanisms of the incident radiation with the device.     

Spontaneous emission in Ĉerenkov FEL devices: a preliminary theoretical analysis

Summary The main features of the spectral characteristics of the spontaneously emitted Ĉerenkov light in circular and rectangular wave guides filled with dielectric are discussed. The characteristics of the radiation emitted by an electron beam moving near and parallel to the surface of a dielectric slab are also analysed. Finally, the relevance of these results to a possible FEL-Ĉerenkov operation is briefly discussed.

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Riassunto In questo lavoro si discutono le caratteristiche dello spettro della radiazione Ĉerenkov, emessa in guide d'onde circolari e rettangolari riempite con dielettrico. Si analizzano inoltre le proprietà della radiazione emessa da un fascio di elettroni in moto in prossimità e parallelamente alla superficie di una ?slab? di dielettrico. Si discute, infine, brevemente, l'importanza di questi risultati per la realizzazione di un possibile FEL-Ĉerenkov.

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Резюме Обсуждаются основиые особенности спектральных характеристик спонтанного черенковского излучения в круговых и прямоугольных волноводах, заполненных диэлектриком. Также анализируются характеристики излучения, испущенного электронным пучком, движущимся вблизи и пораллелйно поверхности диэлектрической пластинки. В заключение, вкратце обсуждется применимость полученных результатов в возможных FEL-черенковских приборах.

     

A control problem governed by a second-order differential inclusion

This article studies some Bolza-type problems governed by second-order differential inclusions with two boundary conditions, where the controls are Young measures.