Effects of enantiomeric solvents on the activity, thermostability and activation energy of lipoprotein lipase

The kinetic parameters (K_m and V_max) of lipoprotein lipase (LPL)-catalyzed transesterification were determined in (R)- and (S)-carvone, and in mixtures of the two. It was found that only V_max was significantly affected by solvent chirality. LPL thermostability was not influenced by solvent config- uration, whereas activation energy was twice as high in (R)-carvone as in (S)-carvone.     

Spectral analysis of the rotational component of seismic ground motion

An algorithm for the spectrum of the rotational component of surface ground motion during earthquake is derived. To obtain the rotation the total motion is decomposed into the wave components. Then the rotational motion is obtained in terms of the horizontal and vertical components treated as non-stationary random processes. The evolutionary spectrum of the rotational acceleration is a function of respective translational spectra, their co-spectrum and respective wave parameters. The analysis shows a shift of the higher frequency components in the rotational spectrum. The rotation is a function of the time derivative of translational components.     

Quantum Erasure of Decoherence

We consider the classical algebra of observables that are diagonal in a given orthonormal basis, and define a complete decoherence process as a completely positive map that asymptotically converts any quantum observable into a diagonal one, while preserving the elements of the classical algebra. For quantum systems in dimension two and three any decoherence process can be undone by collecting classical information from the environment and using such an information to restore the initial system state. As a relevant example, we illustrate the quantum eraser of Scully et al. [Nature 351, 111 (1991)] as an example of environment-assisted correction, and present the generalization of the eraser setup for d-dimensional systems. Presented at the 38th Symposium on Mathematical Physics “Quantum Entanglement & Geometry”, Toruń, June 4–7, 2006.     

Evaluation of electromagnetic power deposition in a spherical multilayer head in the near field of a linear antenna

The canonical problem of the radiation of an elementary dipole close to a stratified sphere representing a simplified model of human head is investigated in this paper. The proposed approach is a flexible method of investigation about the influence on Specific Absorption Rate (S.A.R.) evaluation of tissue dielectric parameters and geometry as well as a useful tool to test numerical codes. The solution of the electromagnetic (e.m.) problem is achieved in a closed form; results highlight the position of maximum S.A.R. values and their dependence on frequency: for particular layer thicknesses and dielectric parameters, the maximum absorption can occur in the frequency range of cellular phones.     

GFAP, S-100 and vimentin proteins in rat after cerebral post-ischemic reperfusion

Mutation of the TP53 gene is one of the most common molecular alterations in a variety of tumors, but it occurs infrequently in childhood and adult hematological malignancies. Protein accumulation often results from mutations that lead to inactivation of the p53 protein. Other causes of functional inactivation of the p53 protein include stabilization of p53 via proteins such as MDM2, an oncoprotein capable of forming specific complexes with p53. In the present study, protein expressions of MDM2 and p53 were investigated by immunohistochemistry from bone marrow samples in 23 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia aged 1-13 years at diagnosis. p53 protein overexpression was detected in only one case, while overexpression of MDM2 was detected in samples from five patients. All five patients overexpressing MDM2 belonged to a group with unfavorable prognostic signs at diagnosis and three of them relapsed or died within 6 months after diagnosis.     

Monoazo dyes for polyamide derived from 4-alkylamido-2-hydroxybenzoic acids

Data on a series of 65 azo dyes derived from 4-alkylamido-2-hydroxybenzoic acids are reported. The dyes are suitable for application to polyamide fibres.Many correlations between the nature of substituents and the physical, spectroscopic or tinctorial properties of dyes were established. Correlations between structure and colour of dyed fabrics were also found.     

Digital-sampling systems in high-resolution and wide dynamic-range energy measurements: Comparison with peak sensing ADCs

The use of fast digital sampling techniques in Nuclear Physics experiments as a replacement of the standard analog signal processing methods is discussed for applications needing high-resolution signal amplitude measurements. This is for example the case of a solid-state detector with a charge-sensitive preamplifier, processed using fast digital sampling methods. Under very general assumptions, an expression for the achievable resolution and dynamic range of the system is reported, valid for any detector/digitizer/digital-filter combination, taking into account the detector noise and the ADC properties, namely the Effective Number of Bits (ENOB) and the sampling frequency. The system properties are summarized using the parameter PSENOB, i.e. the “Peak-Sensing-Equivalent Number of Bits”. These results can be used to predict the attainable performances in various applications, possibly requiring a resolution/dynamic-range trade-off. Numerical examples for some representative cases in γ-ray spectroscopy and charged particle experiments are reported, demonstrating that the equivalent performances of a 15 bit peak-sensing ADC are feasible with today-available sampling ADCs. For ease of presentation, other non-trivial effects as baseline- and non-linearity-related issues as well as experimental tests of the proposed approach are presented in a companion paper [L. Bardelli, G. Poggi, Digital sampling-systems in high-resolution and wide dynamic-range energy measurements: finite time window, baseline effects, and experimental tests, this issue].     

Determination of fructose and glucose in cucurbitaceae by h.p.l.c.

High performance liquid chromatography (h.p.l.c.) was used to characterise and quantify fructose and glucose in seven members of the Cucurbitaceae family. The h.p.l.c. system consisted of a μ-Bondapak/Carbohydrate packed column, a solvent system of acetonitrile-water (800 ml l^?-1) with a flow rate of 2.5 ml min^?-1, and a refractive index detector. The analysis, including sample preparation, was completed in less than 45 min. The quantities of fructose and glucose obtained were, except for one sample, <1% on a fresh weight basis, and the glucose: fructose ratios ranged from 0.41:1 to 0.93:1.