Coherent and semiclassical states in a magnetic field in the presence of the Aharonov-Bohm solenoid

A new approach to constructing coherent states (CS) and semiclassical states (SS) in a magnetic-solenoid field is proposed. The main idea is based on the fact that the AB solenoid breaks the translational symmetry in the xy-plane; this has a topological effect such that there appear two types of trajectories which embrace and do not embrace the solenoid. Due to this fact, one has to construct two different kinds of CS/SS which correspond to such trajectories in the semiclassical limit. Following this idea, we construct CS in two steps, first the instantaneous CS (ICS) and then the time-dependent CS/SS as an evolution of the ICS. The construction is realized for nonrelativistic and relativistic spinning particles both in (2 + 1) and (3 + 1) dimensions and gives a non-trivial example of SS/CS for systems with a nonquadratic Hamiltonian. It is stressed that CS depending on their parameters (quantum numbers) describe both pure quantum and semiclassical states. An analysis is represented that classifies parameters of the CS in such respect. Such a classification is used for the semiclassical decompositions of various physical quantities.

On ""Schwinger mechanism for gluon pair production in the presence of arbitrary time dependent chromo-electric field""

Recently the paper ""Schwinger mechanism for gluon pair production in the presence of arbitrary time dependent chromo-electric field"" by G. C. Nayak was published [Eur. Phys. J. C 59: 715, 2009; arXiv:0708.2430]. Its aim is to obtain an exact expression for the probability of non-perturbative gluon pair production per unit time per unit volume and per unit transverse momentum in an arbitrary time-dependent chromo-electric background field. We believe that the obtained expression is open to question. We demonstrate its inconsistency on some well-known examples. We think that this is a consequence of using the socalled ""shift theorem""[arXiv:hep-th/0609192] in deriving the expression for the probability. We make some critical comments on the theorem and its applicability to the problem in question.

Conformational Properties of Angiotensin II and Its Active and Inactive TOAC-Labeled Analogs in the Presence of Micelles. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Fluorescence, and Circular Dichroism Studies

The interaction between angiotensin II (AII, DRVYIHPF) and its analogs carrying 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-amino-4-carboxylic acid (TOAC) and detergents-negatively charged sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and zwitterionic N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS)-was examined by means of EPR, CD, and fluorescence. EPR spectra of partially active TOAC(1)-AII and inactive TOAC(3)-AII in aqueous solution indicated fast tumbling, the freedom of motion being greater at the N-terminus. Line broadening occurred upon interaction with micelles. Below SDS critical micelle concentration, broader lines indicated complex formation with tighter molecular packing than in micelles. Small changes in hyperfine splittings evinced TOAC location at the micelle-water interface. The interaction with anionic micelles was more effective than with zwitterionic micelles. Peptide-micelle interaction caused fluorescence increase. The TOAC-promoted intramolecular fluorescence quenching was more, pronounced for TOAC(3)-AII because of the proximity between the nitroxide and Tyr(4). CD spectra showed that although both AII and TOAC(1)-AII presented flexible conformations in water, TOAC(3)-AII displayed conformational restriction because of the TOAC-imposed bend (Schreier et al., Biopolymers 2004, 74, 389). In HPS, conformational changes were observed for the labeled peptides at neutral and basic pH. In SDS, all peptides underwent pH-dependent conformational changes. Although the spectra suggested similar folds for All and TOAC(1)-AII, different conformations were acquired by TOAC(3)-AII. The membrane environment has been hypothesized to shift conformational equilibria so as to stabilize the receptor-bound conformation of ligands. The fact that TOAC(3)-AII is unable to acquire conformations similar to those of native AII and partially active TOAC(1)-AII is probably the explanation for its lack of biological activity. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 92: 525-537, 2009.

Effect of some antioxidants on oxidative DNA damage induced by autoxidation of microquantities of sulfite in the presence of Ni(II)/Gly-Gly-L-His

Ni(II)GGH (GGH, glycylglycyl-L-histidine) reacts rapidly with S(IV), in air-saturated solution, to produce Ni(III)GGH. A mechanism is proposed where Ni(III) oxidizes SO(3)(2-) to SO(3)(center dot-), which reacts with dissolved oxygen to produce SO(5)(center dot-), initiating radical chain reactions. DNA strand breaks and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-20-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) formation were observed in air-saturated solutions containing micromolar concentrations of nickel(II) and S(IV). The efficacies of melatonin, (-)-epigallocatechin-gallate (from green tea), resveratrol, tannic, and ascorbic acids in terms of their inhibitory activities of DNA strand breaks and 8-oxodGuo formation were evaluated.

Electrochemical studies of the interface Fe/0.5 mol L(-1) H(2)SO(4) in the presence of benzotriazole and tolytriazole

The effect of benzotriazole (BTAH) and tolytriazole (TTAH) on the electrochemical behaviour of the Fe/0.5 mol L(-1) H(2)SO(4) interface at 25 degrees C was studied using cronopotentiometry, anodic and cathodic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. BTAH and TTAH are inhibitors of anodic iron dissolution and the subsequent hydrogen evolution in 0.5 mol L(-1) H(2)SO(4) medium. Mass transport is an important step in the anodic process of inhibitive film formation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to investigate the iron dissolution mechanism in the presence of the inhibitors and showed that BTAH and TTAH are adsorbed on the iron surface, thereby changing its dissolution mechanism in sulfate media. Starting from an iron dissolution model, it was possible to suggest two different mechanisms for iron dissolution in 0.5 mol L(-1) H(2)SO(4) containing BTAH or TTAH that involve a complex Fe(II)-inhibitor. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Fluorimetric study of the pro-oxidant activity of EUK8 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide

The catalase mimetic complex Mn(III)-salen chloride (EUK8) was found to be pro-oxidant under low hydrogen peroxide concentrations. The increase in the fluorescence rate of the probe 1,2,3-dihydrorhodamine (DHR) in solution, as well as the carbonyl content of human serum albumin were found to be maximum at H(2)O(2):EUK8 molar ratios ranging from 0 to 2, supporting previous findings regarding the mechanism of EUK8 catalase activity and the formation of highly oxidative Mn(V)-O(2-) species. This pro-oxidant effect is precluded by the presence of glutathione. Cytotoxicity to HeLa cells, as probed by increased rate of oxidation of intracellular DHR, was not observed. Our findings suggest that the combination of H(2)O(2) and EUK8 at specific molar ratios, in the absence of reductants/antioxidants, induces the oxidation of organic molecules. It is shown that the fluorimetric determination of pro-oxidant activity of metal complexes is more sensitive than the colorimetric quantification of protein carbonyl content. The implications of our findings with respect to the somewhat confusing results arising from in vivo studies of EUK8 and other Mn(III) anti-oxidant metal complexes are discussed.

Reduction of Models in the Presence of Nuisance Parameters

In many statistical inference problems, there is interest in estimation of only some elements of the parameter vector that defines the adopted model. In general, such elements are associated to measures of location and the additional terms, known as nuisance parameters, to control the dispersion and asymmetry of the underlying distributions. To estimate all the parameters of the model and to draw inferences only on the parameters of interest. Depending on the adopted model, this procedure can be both algebraically is common and computationally very costly and thus it is convenient to reduce it, so that it depends only on the parameters of interest. This article reviews estimation methods in the presence of nuisance parameters and consider some applications in models recently discussed in the literature.