The strong, long-range electrostatic forces described by Coulomb's law disappear for ions in water, and the behavior of these ions is instead controlled by their water affinity – a weak, short-range force which arises from their charge density. This was established experimentally in the mid-1980s by size-exclusion chromatography on carefully calibrated Sephadex® G-10 (which measures the effective volume and thus the water affinity of an ion) and by neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution (which measures the density and orientation of water molecules near the diffracting ion and thus its water affinity). These conclusions have been confirmed more recently by molecular dynamics simulations, which explicitly model each individual water molecule. This surprising change in force regime occurs because the oppositely charged ions in aqueous salt solutions exist functionally as ion pairs (separated by 0, 1 or 2 water molecules) as has now been shown by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy; this cancels out the strong long-range electrostatic forces and allows the weak, short-range water affinity effects to come to the fore. This microscopic structure of aqueous salt solutions is not captured by models utilizing a macroscopic dielectric constant. Additionally, the Law of Matching Water Affinity, first described in 1997 and 2004, establishes that contact ion pair formation is controlled by water affinity and is a major determinant of the solubility of charged species since only a net neutral species can change phases.

The paper presents results of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of ion beam acceleration at the interactions of a 130-fs laser pulse of intensity in the range 1021–1023 W/cm2, predicted for the Extreme Light Infrastructure lasers, with thin hydrocarbon (CH) or erbium hydride (ErH3) targets. A special attention is paid to the effect of the laser pulse intensity and polarization (linear, circular) on the proton energy spectrum, the proton beam spatial distribution and the proton pulse shape and intensity. It is shown that for the low laser intensities (~1021 W/cm2) considerably higher proton beam parameters (proton energies, beam intensities) are achieved for the ErH3 target for both polarizations and the effect of polarization on the beam parameters is significant (higher parameters are achieved for the linear polarization). However, for the highest, ultra-relativistic intensities (~1023 W/cm2) higher proton beam parameters are attained for the CH target and the effect of polarization on these parameters is relatively low. In this case, for both polarizations quasi-monoenergetic proton beams are generated from the CH target of the mean proton energy ~2 GeV and $dE_{\rm p} /\bar E_{\rm p} \approx 0.3$ for the linear polarization and $dE_{\rm p} /\bar E_{\rm p} \approx 0.2$ for the circular one. At the highest laser intensities also the proton pulse peak intensities are higher for the CH target and for both polarizations they reach values well above 1021 W/cm2. In the paper, the properties of proton beam generation indicated above are discussed in detail and a physical explanation of the observed effects is done.

Using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, the properties of a proton beam generated from a thin erbium hydride target irradiated by a 25 fs laser pulse of intensity ranging from 1020 to 1021 W/cm2 are investigated and compared with the features of a proton beam produced from a hydrocarbon (CH) target. It is shown that in case of using the hydride target the mean proton energy and the number of high-energy (>10 MeV) protons as well as the peak proton pulse intensity can be higher by a factor ~10 than the ones obtained from the CH target.

The status of DIB research (Herbig 1995) has strongly advanced since the DIB conference in Boulder in 1994. In the same year we reported the discovery of two near IR diffuse bands coincident with C60+, that was confirmed in subsequent years. Since then a number of DIB observational studies have been published such as DIB surveys, measurements of DIB families, correlations and environment dependences as well as DIBs in extra-galactic sources. Resolved substructures were measured and compared to predicted rotational contours of large molecules. Polarisation studies provided constraints on possible carrier molecules and upper limits. DIBs carriers have been linked with several classes of organic molecules observed in the interstellar medium, in particular to the UIR bands (assigned to PAHs), the Extended Red Emission (ERE) or the recently detected Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME, assigned to spinning dust). In particular fullerenes and PAHs have been proposed to explain some DIBs and specific molecules were searched for in DIB spectra. DIB carriers could be present in various dehydrogenation and ionization states. Experiments in the laboratory and in space contribute to our understanding of the photo-stability of possible DIB carriers. In summary, the status of DIB research in the last 20 years has strongly advanced. We review DIB observational results and their interpretation and introduce the relevant plenary discussion.

PAHs are among the most commonly proposed and popular candidates for DIB carriers. We present a critical assessment of the PAH-DIB model in view of the progress and the advances that have recently been achieved through a series of complementary studies involving astronomical observations of DIBs, laboratory simulation of interstellar analogs for PAHs (neutrals and ions), space exposure experiments of PAHs, theoretical calculations of PAH spectra and the modeling of diffuse and translucent interstellar clouds. What have we learned from these complementary studies? What are the constraints that can now be derived for the PAHs as DIB carriers? What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the PAH model to account for the DIBs?

Between the accelerator and fusion chamber, the heavy ion beams are subject to a dramatic but vital series of manipulations, some of which are carried out simultaneously and involve large space charge forces. The beams' quality must be maintained at a level sufficient for the fusion application; this general requirement significantly impacts beam line design, especially in the considerations of momentum dispersion. Immediately prior to final focus onto a fusion target, heavy ion driver beams are compressed in length by typically an order of magnitude. This process is simultaneous with bending through large angles to achieve the required target illumination configuration. The large increase in beam current is accommodated by a combination of decreased lattice period, increased beam radius, and increased strength of the beamline quadrupoles. However, the large head-to-tail momentum tilt (up to 5%) needed to compress the pulse results in a very significant dispersion of the pulse centroid from the design axis. General design features are discussed. A principal design goal is to minimize the magnitude of the dispersion while maintaining approximate first order achromaticity through the complete compression/bend system. Configurations of bends and quadrupoles, which achieve this goal while simultaneously maintaining a locally matched beam-envelope, are analyzed.

We present a case of accidental epidural administration of potassium chloride, which was diagnosed by clinical signs. The genesis of symptoms and signs following such administration is discussed and compared with other published reports.

The contractile response of smooth muscles to spasmogens can be divided into two components by modifying the extracellular Ca2+ concentration. The phasic component depends on the mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores whereas the tonic component depends, to a large extent, on the influx of extracellular Ca2+. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of ketamine on the tonic response to carbachol or histamine in the guinea pig trachea. Tracheal spirals from female guinea pigs were mounted in organ baths filled with aerated physiological buffer, and their isometric tension was measured. The phasic response to 10−7m carbachol or 10−5m histamine in Ca2+ -free, ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N, N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-containing buffer and the tonic response to each spasmogen after restoring [Ca2+] in the buffer was measured in the absence or presence of ketamine. In the presence of normal physiological buffer, ketamine decreased the contractions induced by carbachol or histamine in a dose-dependent fashion. No measurable phasic response to either carbachol or histamine was obtained in our preparation. Ketamine (5 × 10−5m−10−3m) reduced the tonic response to 10−7m carbachol to 79.5±2.7−4.3±0.7% of the response without ketamine. Similarly, ketamine (5 × 10−4m−2 × 10−3m) decreased the tonic response to 10−5m histamine to 80.7±3.9−23.0±3.2% of the response in the absence of ketamine. Our findings support the hypothesis that ketamine inhibits the paracrine agent-induced contractions of smooth muscles by interfering with the influx of extracellular Ca2+ or with an intracellular event(s) requiring extracellular Ca2+.

We have investigated the effects of midazolam and diazepam on intracellular calcium (Ca2+) handling in foetal mouse ventricular myocytes using the Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent indicator, indo-1. We also investigated separately whether flumazenil or the L-type Ca2+channel agonist, Bay K8644, antagonized these myocardial depressive effects. Midazolam and diazepam decreased the Ca2+transient and beating rate in a concentration-dependent manner, and these decreases were prevented by Bay K8644. Flumazenil did not antagonize the myocardial depressive effects. In myocytes whose sarcoplasmic reticulum was inhibited by ryanodine, midazolam and diazepam had the same potent cardiodepressive effects. Midazolam and diazepam are direct cardiac depressants, which decrease the Ca2+transient and beating rate, and the L-type Ca2+channel is important in the negative inotropism and chronotropism caused by these drugs.

Sperm was collected from testes and from three or four parts of the deferent ducts of 4 to 6 winter-spawning male rainbow trout, about every two weeks over a three month period (January toMarch). Milt volume, spermatocrit, sperm motility, 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) and 17α-hydroxy,20β dihydroprogesterone (17,20P) levels and ionic composition were determined. Steroids and ions were also measured in blood plasma. The K+ concentrations and steroid levels in the seminal fluid from each part of the ducts did not vary significantly over the period of study. In two out of the three parts of the ducts, Na+ (parts 1 and III) Ca2+ (parts I and III) and Mg2+ (parts I and II) levels were significantly higher at the end of March than two months earlier. Motility of testicular sperm peaked (42%) in mid-February while that of sperm from ducts usually remained stable (80 to 100%) throughout the three months. Seminal fluids and blood plasma were confirmed to be isotonic (300 mmol/kg). Levels of K+, Na+, Ca2+, 11-KT and 17.20P in the plasma and seminal fluid differed significantly (respectively 0.3 vs 34 mmol, 134 vs 116 mmol, 3.4 vs 2.0 mmol, 87 vs 17 to 39 ng/ml, 11 vs 3 to 13 ng/ml), with the Na+ and steroid levels being positively correlated in both liquids. Osmolality, Cl-, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrationsremained constant along the genital tract. In contrast, spermatocrit and 11-KT and 17.20P levels decreased significantly and progressively from testis to the posterior or middle part of the ducts (respectively 97 to 49%, 39 to 17 ng/ml, 13 to 3 ng/ml) while sperm motility (percentage of motile cells and duration of motility) increased (74 to 96% and 41 to 51 s). No significant correlation was found between sperm motility and the studied physicochemical parameters of the seminal fluid.