Accretion disks in Algols: progenitors and evolution

There are only a few Algols with measured accretion disk parameters. These measurements provide additional constraints for tracing the origin of individual systems, narrowing down the initial parameter space. We investigate the origin and evolution of 6 Algol systems with accretion disks to find the initial parameters and evolutionary constraints for them. With a modified binary evolution code, series of close binary evolution are calculated to obtain the best match for observed individual systems. Initial parameters for 6 Algol systems with accretion disks were determined matching both the present system parameters and the observed disk characteristics. When RLOF starts during core hydrogen burning of the donor, the disk lifetime was found to be short. The disk luminosity is comparable to the luminosity of the gainer during a large fraction of the disk lifetime.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures , accepted by A&

Raman anemometry, a method for component-selective velocity measurements of particles in a flow

An anemometer for the measurement of the velocity of particles of different substances in a flow, separate and apart from that of the flow itself, is described. The substances are distinguished by Raman scattering. The velocity is obtained by relating the autocorrelated scattering signal to the known laser beam profile

A Raman spectroscopic study of the interaction between nucleotides and the DNA binding protein gp32 of bacteriophage T4

Raman spectra of the bacteriophage T4 denaturing protein gp32, its complex with the polynucleotides poly(rA), poly(dA), poly(dT), poly(rU), and poly(rC), and with the oligonucleotides (dA)8 and (dA)2, were recorded and interpreted. According to an analysis of the gp32 spectra with the reference intensity profiles of Alix and co-workers [M. Berjot, L. Marx, and A.J.P. Alix (1985) J. Ramanspectrosc., submitted; A.J.P. Alix, M. Berjot, and J. Marx (1985) in Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules, A. J. P. Alix, L. Bernard, and M. Manfait, Eds., pp. 149-154], 1 gp32 contains ≈ 45% helix, ≈ 40% β-sheet, and 15% undefined structure. Aggregation of gp32 at concentrations higher than 40 mg/mL leads to a coordination of the phenolic OH groups of 4-6 tyrosines and of all the sulfhydryl (SH) groups present in the protein with the COO- groups of protein. The latter coordination persists even at concentrations as low as 1 mg/mL. In polynucleotide-protein complexes the nucleotide shields the 4-6 tyrosine residues from coordination by the COO- groups even at high protein concentration. The presence of the nucleotide causes no shielding of the SH groups. With Raman difference spectroscopy it is shown that binding of the protein to a single-stranded nucleotide involves both tyrosine and trytophan residues. A change in the secondary structure of the protein upon binding is observed. In the complex, gp32 contains more -sheet structure than when uncomplexed. A comparison of the spectra of complexed poly(rA) and poly(dA) with the spectra of their solution conformations at 15°C reveals that in both polynucleotides the phosphodiester vibration changes upon complex formation in the same way as upon a transition from a regular to a more disordered conformation. Distortion of the phosphate-sugar-base conformation occurs upon complex formation, so that the spectra of poly(rA) and poly(dA) are more alike in the complex than they are in the free polynucleotides. The decrease in intensity of the Raman bands at 1304 cm-1 in poly(rA), at 1230 cm-1 in poly(rU), and at 1240 and 1378 cm-1 of poly(dT) may be indicative of increased stacking interactions in the complex. No influence of the nucleotide chain length upon the Raman spectrum of gp322 in the complex was detected. Both the nucleotide lines and the protein lines in the spectrum of a complex are identical in poly(dA) and (dA)8

The cytodisk: A cytometer based upon a new principle of cell alignment

A new method is described for one-dimensional alignment of small particles such as biological cells. A drop of the particle suspension is spread out on a flat disk or plate equipped with V-shaped grooves such as are present on a gramophone disk. After drying, the particles are located on the bottom of the grooves and are thus aligned in a one-dimensional array. The new alignment procedure is demonstrated with a suspension of fluorescent polystyrene micropheres (diameter 3.8 µm) and a suspension of the unicellular algae chlorella vulgaris (diameter about 3 µm). It appears that the alignment of cells and spheres is very good. \ud When using microspheres, more than 95% of the particles in the grooves are located within ±2 µm of the centre line of the groove. Based upon this cell-alignment principle, a new cytometer, named the cytodisk, is proposed. The proposed system has a number of advantages over the flow cytometer, among which is the unique ability of relocating a previously measured cell for further measurement or visual examination. \ud A prototype of a cytodisk, developed for initial test measurements, was built in our laboratory. The apparatus, constructed from a record player and ordinary long-playing records, uses a simple mechanical tracking system and a single optical fiber for fluorescence excitation and detection. With this apparatus it is demonstrated that a cytodisk can indeed perform quite well: A histogram of fluorescing microspheres could be measured with a coefficient of variation of 4.1%. The performance of this prototype is limited by the quality of the mechanical tracking system and the optical system used. It is expected that considerable improvements may be obtained by using a more sophisticated optical detection system such as the tracking system in use in optical disk players

The effect of intermediate mass close binaries on the chemical evolution of Globular Clusters

Context. The chemical processes during the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) evolution of intermediate mass single stars predict most of the observations of the different populations in globular clusters although some important issues still need to be further clarified. In particular, to reproduce the observed anticorrelations of Na-O and Al-Mg, chemically enriched gas lost during the AGB phase of intermediate mass single stars must be mixed with matter with a pristine chemical composition. The source of this matter is still a matter of debate. Furthermore, observations reveal that a significant fraction of the intermediate mass and massive stars are born as components of close binaries. Aims. We will investigate the effects of binaries on the chemical evolution of Globular Clusters and on the origin of matter with a pristine chemical composition that is needed for the single star AGB scenario to work Methods. We use a population synthesis code that accounts for binary physics in order to estimate the amount and the composition of the matter returned to the interstellar medium of a population of binaries. Results. We demonstrate in the present paper that the mass lost by a significant population of intermediate mass close binaries in combination with the single star AGB pollution scenario may help to explain the chemical properties of the different populations of stars in Globular Clusters.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. Paper accepted for Astron. & Astrophy

Surface plasmon resonance as a bioanalytical tool

It is shown that Surface PLasmon Resonance is capable of detecting submonolayer quantities of proteins; information concerning the affinity of the surface can be obtained using this method.\ud \ud It is indicated how this method can be used to obtain more detailed information on the conformation of adsorbed macromolecules

Delay time distribution of type Ia supernovae: theory vs. observation

Two formation scenarios are investigated for type Ia supernovae in elliptical galaxies: the single degenerate scenario (a white dwarf reaching the Chandrasekhar limit through accretion of matter transferred from its companion star in a binary) and the double degenerate scenario (the inspiraling and merging of two white dwarfs in a binary as a result of the emission of gravitational wave radiation). A population number synthesis code is used, which includes the latest physical results in binary evolution and allows to differentiate between certain physical scenarios (such as the description of common envelope evolution) and evolutionary parameters (such as the mass transfer efficiency during Roche lobe overflow). The thus obtained theoretical distributions of type Ia supernova delay times are compared to those that are observed, both in morphological shape and absolute number of events. The critical influence of certain parameters on these distributions is used to constrain their values. The single degenerate scenario alone is found to be unable in reproducing the morphological shape of the observational delay time distribution, while use of the double degenerate one (or a combination of both) does result in fair agreement. Most double degenerate type Ia supernovae are formed through a normal, quasi-conservative Roche lobe overflow followed by a common envelope phase, not through two successive common envelope phases as is often assumed. This may cast doubt on the determination of delay times by using analytical formalisms, as is sometimes done in other studies. The theoretical absolute number of events in old elliptical galaxies lies a factor of at least three below the rates that are observed. While this may simply be the result of observational uncertainties, a better treatment of the effects of rotation on stellar structure could mitigate the discrepancy.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in proceedings of "Binary Star Evolution: Mass Loss, Accretion, and Mergers

Age-related changes in local water and protein content of human eye lenses measured by Raman microspectroscopy

The Raman microspectroscopic method was used to determine the local water and protein content in human lenses. In 18 lenses of varying age position-defined water/protein content measurements were carried out along the visual and the equatorial axis.\ud \ud A main characteristic of the human lens is its constant and relatively low protein content. In addition this constant nuclear value is reached within a short distance from the capsular surface. For statistical analysis of age-related changes the data points in individual lenses were piecewise linearized. (1) The mean nuclear water content was calculated from the data points in the inner 80% of the visual axis. (2) The steep drop in water content was linearized using a least-squares linear regression approach. The distance between lenticular surface and the intersection of the regression line with the line representing the nuclear mean was denominated as surface layer width.\ud \ud It proved that: (i) the mean nuclear water content significantly increased with age, (ii) the width of the surface layer was age independent in the anterior and posterior poles of the visual axis, and (iii) in the equatorial axis the surface layer width significantly decreased with age.\ud \ud Seven human lenses with small opaque spots were also investigated. The opaque spots proved to have a normal-for-site water content and some of them were flanked at their capsular side by a zone with a high-for-site water content.\ud \ud The correlation between protein content and refractive index and the observed decrease in nuclear protein content in aging human lenses can be taken as strong evidence that upon aging the refractive index of a major part of the human lens is reduced. The implications of this decrease is discussed with the respect to the problem known as the lens Paradox, i.e. the discrepancy between the theoretically expected age-related loss of far vision due to changes in lens curvature and axial position in the eye and the actually observed loss in near vision upon age

Possibilities and limitations of off-resonance polarization sensitive cars of short chain proteins

Polarization sensitive CARS in the absence of resonance enhancement is applied to a short chain protein. The minimum concentration to record polarization sensitive CARS spectra of protein solutions is estimated to be 10 mg/ml. The effects limiting the protein concentration are discussed and regarded from an experimental point of view. Signal strength and line parameters of polarization sensitive CARS spectra of the short chain protein Lysyl-Tryptophyl-Lysine are compared with those of a normal Raman spectrum