Biomimetic biosensor based on lipidic layers containing tyrosinase and lutetium bisphthalocyanine for the detection of antioxidants

This paper describes the preparation of a biomimetic Langmuir-Blodgett film of tyrosinase incorporated in a lipidic layer and the use of lutetium bisphthalocyanine as an electron mediator for the voltammetric detection of phenol derivatives, which include one monophenol (vanillic acid), two diphenols (catechol and caffeic acid) and two triphenols (gallic acid and pyrogallol). The first redox process of the voltammetric responses is associated with the reduction of the enzymatically formed o-quinone and is favoured by the lutetium bisphthalocyanine because significant signal amplification is observed, while the second is associated with the electrochemical oxidation of the antioxidant and occurs at lower potentials in the presence of an electron mediator. The biosensor shows low detection limit (1.98 x 10(-6)-27.49 x 10(-6) M), good reproducibility, and high affinity to antioxidants (Km in the range of 62.31-144.87 mu M). The excellent functionality of the enzyme obtained using a biomimetic immobilisation method, the selectivity afforded by enzyme catalysis, the signal enhancement caused by the lutetium bisphthalocyanine mediator and the increased selectivity of the curves due to the occurrence of two redox processes make these sensors exceptionally suitable for the detection of phenolic compounds. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Axially symmetric soliton solutions in a Skyrme-Faddeev-type model with Gies`s extension

We construct static soliton solutions with non-zero Hopf topological charges to a theory which is the extended Skyrme-Faddeev model with a further quartic term in derivatives. We use an axially symmetric ansatz based on toroidal coordinates, and solve the resulting two coupled nonlinear partial differential equations in two variables by a successive over-relaxation method. We construct numerical solutions with the Hopf charge up to 4. The solutions present an interesting behavior under the changes of a special combination of the coupling constants of the quartic terms.

Properties of lipophilic nucleoside monolayers at the air-water interface

The capability of self-assembly and molecular recognition of biomolecules is essential for many nanotechnological applications, as in the use of alkyl-modified nucleosides and oligonucleotides to increase the cellular uptake of DNA and RNA. In this study, we show that a lipophilic nucleoside, which is an isomer mixture of 2`-palmitoyluridin und 3`-palmitoyluridin, forms Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett films as a typical amphiphile, though with a smaller elasticity. The nucleoside may be incorporated into dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC) monolayers that serve as a simplified cell membrane model. The molecular-level interactions between the nucleoside and DPPC led to a remarkable condensation of the mixed monolayer, which affected both surface pressure and surface potential isotherms. The morphology of the mixed monolayers was dominated by the small domains of the nucleoside. The mixed monolayers could be deposited onto solid substrates as a one-layer Langmuir Blodgett film that displayed UV-vis absorption spectra typical of aggregated nucleosides owing to the interaction between the nucleoside and DPPC. The formation of solid films with DNA building blocks in the polar heads may open the way for devices and sensors be produced to exploit their molecular recognition properties. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trigger and aperture of the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory consists of 1600 water-Cherenkov detectors, for the study of extensive air showers (EAS) generated by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. We describe the trigger hierarchy, from the identification of candidate showers at the level of a single detector, amongst a large background (mainly random single cosmic ray muons), up to the selection of real events and the rejection of random coincidences. Such trigger makes the surface detector array fully efficient for the detection of EAS with energy above 3 x 10(18) eV, for all zenith angles between 0 degrees and 60 degrees, independently of the position of the impact point and of the mass of the primary particle. In these range of energies and angles, the exposure of the surface array can be determined purely on the basis of the geometrical acceptance. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger observatory

Atmospheric parameters, Such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density (rho proportional to P/T), affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have Studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The rate of events shows a similar to 10% seasonal modulation and similar to 2% diurnal one. We find that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects associated with the variations of P and rho. The former affects the longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Moliere radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon fraction at EeV energies from the Pierre Auger Observatory

From direct observations of the longitudinal development of ultra-high energy air showers performed with the Pierre Auger Observatory, upper limits of 3.8%, 2.4%, 3.5% and 11.7% (at 95% c.l.) are obtained on the fraction of cosmic-ray photons above 2, 3, 5 and 10 EeV (1 EeV equivalent to 10(18) eV), respectively. These are the first experimental limits on ultra-high energy photons at energies below 10 EeV. The results complement previous constraints on top-down models from array data and they reduce systematic uncertainties in the interpretation of shower data in terms of primary flux, nuclear composition and proton-air cross-section. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anisotropy and chemical composition of ultra-high energy cosmic rays using arrival directions measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Collaboration has reported. evidence for anisotropy in the distribution of arrival directions of the cosmic rays with energies E > E(th) = 5.5 x 10(19) eV. These show a correlation with the distribution of nearby extragalactic objects, including an apparent excess around the direction of Centaurus A. If the particles responsible for these excesses at E > E(th) are heavy nuclei with charge Z, the proton component of the sources should lead to excesses in the same regions at energies E/Z. We here report the lack of anisotropies in these directions at energies above E(th)/Z (for illustrative values of Z = 6, 13, 26). If the anisotropies above E(th) are due to nuclei with charge Z, and under reasonable assumptions about the acceleration process, these observations imply stringent constraints on the allowed proton fraction at the lower energies.

Restoring the azimuthal symmetry of lateral distributions of charged particles in the range of the KASCADE-Grande experiment

The reconstruction of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) observed by particle detectors at the ground is based on the characteristics of observables like the lateral particle density and the arrival times. The lateral densities, inferred for different EAS components from detector data, are usually parameterised by applying various lateral distribution functions (LDFs). The LDFs are used in turn for evaluating quantities like the total number of particles or the density at particular radial distances. Typical expressions for LDFs anticipate azimuthal symmetry of the density around the shower axis. The deviations of the lateral particle density from this assumption arising from various reasons are smoothed out in the case of compact arrays like KASCADE, but not in the case of arrays like Grande, which only sample a smaller part of the azimuthal variation. KASCADE-Grande, an extension of the former KASCADE experiment, is a multi-component Extensive Air Shower (EAS) experiment located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Campus North), Germany. The lateral distributions of charged particles are deduced from the basic information provided by the Grande scintillators - the energy deposits - first in the observation plane, then in the intrinsic shower plane. In all steps azimuthal dependences should be taken into account. As the energy deposit in the scintillators is dependent on the angles of incidence of the particles, azimuthal dependences are already involved in the first step: the conversion from the energy deposits to the charged particle density. This is done by using the Lateral Energy Correction Function (LECF) that evaluates the mean energy deposited by a charged particle taking into account the contribution of other particles (e.g. photons) to the energy deposit. By using a very fast procedure for the evaluation of the energy deposited by various particles we prepared realistic LECFs depending on the angle of incidence of the shower and on the radial and azimuthal coordinates of the location of the detector. Mapping the lateral density from the observation plane onto the intrinsic shower plane does not remove the azimuthal dependences arising from geometric and attenuation effects, in particular for inclined showers. Realistic procedures for applying correction factors are developed. Specific examples of the bias due to neglecting the azimuthal asymmetries in the conversion from the energy deposit in the Grande detectors to the lateral density of charged particles in the intrinsic shower plane are given. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Search for first harmonic modulation in the right ascension distribution of cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory

We present the results of searches for dipolar-type anisotropies in different energy ranges above 2.5 x 10(17) eV with the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, reporting on both the phase and the amplitude measurements of the first harmonic modulation in the right-ascension distribution. Upper limits on the amplitudes are obtained, which provide the most stringent bounds at present, being below 2% at 99% C.L. for EeV energies. We also compare our results to those of previous experiments as well as with some theoretical expectations. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Pierre Auger Observatory scaler mode for the study of solar activity modulation of galactic cosmic rays

Since data-taking began in January 2004, the Pierre Auger Observatory has been recording the count rates of low energy secondary cosmic ray particles for the self-calibration of the ground detectors of its surface detector array. After correcting for atmospheric effects, modulations of galactic cosmic rays due to solar activity and transient events are observed. Temporal variations related with the activity of the heliosphere can be determined with high accuracy due to the high total count rates. In this study, the available data are presented together with an analysis focused on the observation of Forbush decreases, where a strong correlation with neutron monitor data is found.

The exposure of the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It consists of a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level and a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The ""hybrid"" detection mode combines the information from the two subsystems. We describe the determination of the hybrid exposure for events observed by the fluorescence telescopes in coincidence with at least one water-Cherenkov detector of the surface array. A detailed knowledge of the time dependence of the detection operations is crucial for an accurate evaluation of the exposure. We discuss the relevance of monitoring data collected during operations, such as the status of the fluorescence detector, background light and atmospheric conditions, that are used in both simulation and reconstruction. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter

Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz`min energy threshold, 6 x 10(19) eV. The anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less than 3.1 degrees from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc (using the Veron-Cetty and Veron 12th catalog). An updated measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009. The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more precise measurement. The correlating fraction is (38(-6)(+7))%, compared with 21% expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early estimate of (69-(+11)(13))%. The enlarged set of arrival directions is examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects: galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic expectation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 10(18) eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory

We report a measurement of the flux of cosmic rays with unprecedented precision and Statistics using the Pierre Auger Observatory Based on fluorescence observations in coincidence with at least one Surface detector we derive a spectrum for energies above 10(18) eV We also update the previously published energy spectrum obtained with the surface detector array The two spectra are combined addressing the systematic uncertainties and, in particular. the influence of the energy resolution on the spectral shape The spectrum can be described by a broken power law E(-gamma) with index gamma = 3 3 below the ankle which is measured at log(10)(E(ankle)/eV) = 18 6 Above the ankle the spectrum is described by a power law with index 2 6 followed by a flux suppression, above about log(10)(E/eV) = 19 5, detected with high statistical significance (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved

Interactions of Diorganolead(IV) with 3-(2-Thienyl)-2-sulfanylpropenoic Acid and/or Thiamine: Chemical and in Vitro and in Vivo Toxicological Results

The reactions of PbR(2)(OAc)(2) (R=Me, Ph) with 3-(2-thienyl)-2-sulfanylpropenoic acid (H(2)tSpa) in methanol or ethanol afforded complexes [PbR(2)(tspa)] that electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and IR data suggest are polymeric. X-ray studies showed that [PbPh(2)(tspa)(dmso)] center dot dmso, crystallized from a solution of [PbPh(2)(tspa)] in dmso, is dimeric, and that [HQ](2)[PbPh(2)(tspa)(2)] (Q=diisopropylamine), obtained after removal of [PbPh(2)(tspa)] from a reaction including Q, contains the monomeric anion [PbPh(2)(tSpa)(2)](2-). In the solid state the lead atoms are O,S-chelated by the tspa ligands in all these products, and in the latter two have distorted octahedral coordination environments. NMR data suggest that tspa(2-) remains coordinated to PbR(2)(2+) in solution in dmso. Neither thiamine nor thiamine diphosphate reacted with PbMe(2)(NO(3))(2) in D(2)O. Prior addition of H(2)tSpa protected LLC center dot PK1 renal proximal tubule cells against PbMe(2)(NO(3))(2); thiamine had no statistically significant effect by itself, but greatly potentiated the action of H(2)tSpa. Administration of either H(2)tspa or thiamine to male albino Sprague-Dawley rats dosed 30 min previously with PbMe(2)(NO(3))(2) was associated with reduced inhibition of delta-ALAD by the organolead compound, and with lower lead levels in kidney and brain, but joint administration of both H(2)tspa and thiamine only lowered lead concentration in the kidney.