Beryllium (boron) clustering quest in relativistic multifragmentation (BECQUEREL Project)

A physical program of irradiation of emulsions in beams of relativistic nuclei named the BECQUEREL Project is reviewed. It is destined to study in detail the processes of relativistic fragmentation of light radioactive and stable nuclei. The expected results would make it possible to answer some topical questions concerning the cluster structure of light nuclei. Owing to the best spatial resolution, the nuclear emulsions would enable one to obtain unique and evident results. The most important irradiations will be performed in the secondary beams of He, Be, B, C, and N radioactive nuclei formed on the basis of JINR Nuclotron beams of stable nuclei. We present results on the charged state topology of relativistic fragmentation of the ¹⁰B nucleus at low energy-momentum transfers as the first step of the research.     

Investigation of clustering in light nuclei by means of relativistic-multifragmentation processes

New results concerning the topology of the fragmentation of relativistic nuclei ⁷Li and ¹⁰B are presented. A program is proposed for studying the cluster structure of stable and radioactive nuclei. The use of emulsions in the investigation of nuclear clustering in the fragmentation of light nuclei at energies are in excess of 1 GeV per nucleon is discussed.     

Tensor analyzing power T 20 of the dd → 3Hen and dd → 3Hp reactions at zero angle for energies 140, 200, and 270 MeV

RIKEN Accelerator Research Facility data on the tensor analyzing power T ₂₀ of the dd → ³Hen and dd → ³Hp reactions at zero angle for deuteron kinetic energies of 140, 200, and 270 MeV are reported. The observed positive sign of T ₂₀ clearly demonstrates the sensitivity to the D/S-wave ratio in the ³He and ³H wave functions in the energy range of the experiment. Data on T ₂₀ for the ³Hen channel are in agreement with those for the ³Hp channel within the experimental errors.     

Sorption of carbon dioxide by the composite sorbent “potassium carbonate in porous matrix”

Sorption of CO₂ in the presence of water vapor by the K₂CO₃—-Al₂O₃ composite sorbent was studied by IR spectroscopy in situ, X-ray diffraction analysis, and the differentiating dissolution method and reasons for a decrease in its dynamic capacity are given. The samples containing K₂CO₃·1.5H₂O in pores are characterized by the maximal dynamic capacity. A mechanism for CO₂ sorption was proposed, which qualitatively explains the obtained dependence of the capacity on the water content in the composite sorbent. A high dynamic capacity can be maintained by regeneration of the sorbents by water vapor at 170 °N. The capacity of the sorbents decreases during the first 10 sorption—regeneration cycles due to the formation of an inactive phase of potassium aluminum carbonate.     

Total stepwise solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotide-(3'-->N)-peptide conjugates

[structure: see text] An efficient total stepwise solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotide-(3'-->N)-peptide conjugates is described that makes use of either a controlled pore glass support or macroporous polystyrene beads. Extending our previous homoserine linker approach, we prepared a range of conjugates containing one of four different cell or nuclear penetration peptides together with oligonucleotides containing 2'-deoxynucleoside or 2'-O-methylribonucleoside phosphodiesters, or gapmers containing 2'-deoxyphosphorothioates. The route also allows incorporation of a fluorescent label within the conjugate for cell uptake studies.     

Analytical Chemistry of Phases of Variable Composition and the Principles of Stoichiographic Determination of Such Phases in Multielement Multiphase Samples

The general problems of determining the stoichiometry and content of solid phases of variable composition in multielement multiphase substances are discussed. The possibilities and conditions of application of a reference-free stoichiographic method based on the differential dissolution (DD) of components for the analysis of samples containing spatially homogeneous and inhomogeneous phases are considered. The results of mathematical modeling of the DD process for a mixture of phases of constant and variable composition are presented. These data substantiate the use of the stoichiogram affinity criterion for the identification of spatially inhomogeneous phases of variable composition. Examples of applying the DD method to the phase analysis of various substances containing phases of variable composition are given.     

Determination of chemical composition of solid inorganic substances and materials using the principles of stoichiography and voltammetry

The state of the art in determination of the phase composition of complex inorganic solids by chemical and electrochemical methods is discussed. The theoretical and practical essentials of stoichiography and the new stoichiographic method of differential dissolution (DD) are reported. The unique feature of this method is that reference samples of the analyzed solid phases are not necessary. The development of this stoichiographic method was strongly affected by voltammetry. The application of the DD method for determining the chemical composition of various substances and materials is presented. The complementary use of voltammetry and DD for the detection, identification, and quantitative determination of inhomogeneity of the chemical composition of high-temperature superconductors was shown to be efficient.     

Fully Protected Glycosylated Zinc (II) Phthalocyanine Shows High Uptake and Photodynamic Cytotoxicity in MCF‐7 Cancer Cells

Phthalocyanine photosensitizers are effective in anticancer photodynamic therapy (PDT) but suffer from limited solubility, limited cellular uptake and limited selectivity for cancer cells. To improve these characteristics, we synthesized isopropylidene‐protected and partially deprotected tetra β‐glycosylated zinc (II) phthalocyanines and compared their uptake and accumulation kinetics, subcellular localization, in vitro photocytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species generation with those of disulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine. In MCF‐7 cancer cells, one of the compounds, zinc phthalocyanine {4}, demonstrated 10‐fold higher uptake, 5‐fold greater PDT‐induced cellular reactive oxygen species concentration and 2‐fold greater phototoxicity than equimolar (9 μm ) disulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine. Thus, isopropylidene‐protected β‐glycosylation of phthalocyanines provides a simple method of improving the efficacy of PDT.     

Determination of the chemical composition of fiberglass silicate materials by the differential dissolution method

The standardless method of differential dissolution (DD) was used for determining the chemical composition of aluminosilicate and zirconium silicate glass-fiber clothes at different stages of their preparation and modification. Conditions for the detection, identification, and quantitative determination of various forms of heterogeneity in the elemental, phase, and surface compositions of these materials are considered. The distribution of the elements that constitute the glass-fiber clothes between various forms—surface ion-exchange (Na), hydrated (Al, Si), and framework (Al, Si) species—was quantitatively determined for the first time.     

Electromagnetic dissociation of relativistic 8B nuclei in nuclear track emulsion

Experimental data on fragmentation channels in peripheral interactions of ⁸B nuclei in nuclear track emulsions are presented. A detailed analysis made it possible to justify selections of events of the electromagnetic-dissociation process ⁸B → ⁷Be + p and to estimate its cross section. Events of ¹⁰C peripheral dissociation that were observed in the same exposure are described.