The polarization sensitivity of optical absorption in tensile strained GaAs/InAlAs double quantum wells

The electric field dependence of the polarization sensitivity of optical absorption in tensile-strained GaAs/InAlAs double quantum wells (DQWs) was investigated theoretically. The coupling effects and electric-field-induced change of eigenstates in various DQW structures were analysed within the framework of the Bastard envelope function approximation using the transfer matrix method (TMM). The absorption coefficient was calculated with excitonic effects included. The simulation results show that it is possible to change the polarization characteristics in the DQW structures by adjusting the applied electric field.     

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Detection of Choline Based on CNTs and Metal Oxide Nanomaterials

Choline is an officially established essential nutrient and precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It is employed as a cholinergic activity marker in the early diagnosis of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Low levels of choline in diets and biological fluids, such as blood plasma, urine, cerebrospinal and amniotic fluid, could be an indication of neurological disorder, fatty liver disease, neural tube defects and hemorrhagic kidney necrosis. Meanwhile, it is known that choline metabolism involves oxidation, which frees its methyl groups for entrance into single-C metabolism occurring in three phases: choline oxidase, betaine synthesis and transfer of methyl groups to homocysteine. Electrocatalytic detection of choline is of physiological and pathological significance because choline is involved in the physiological processes in the mammalian central and peripheral nervous systems and thus requires a more reliable assay for its determination in biological, food and pharmaceutical samples. Despite the use of several methods for choline determination, the superior sensitivity, high selectivity and fast analysis response time of bioanalytical-based sensors invariably have a comparative advantage over conventional analytical techniques. This review focuses on the electrocatalytic activity of nanomaterials, specifically carbon nanotubes (CNTs), CNT nanocomposites and metal/metal oxide-modified electrodes, towards choline detection using electrochemical sensors (enzyme and non-enzyme based), and various electrochemical techniques. From the survey, the electrochemical performance of the choline sensors investigated, in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and stability, is ascribed to the presence of these nanomaterials.     

Orientin Improves Substrate Utilization and the Expression of Major Genes Involved in Insulin Signaling and Energy Regulation in Cultured Insulin-Resistant Liver Cells

Our group has progressively reported on the impact of bioactive compounds found in rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and their capacity to modulate glucose homeostasis to improve metabolic function in experimental models of type 2 diabetes. In the current study, we investigated how the dietary flavone, orientin, modulates the essential genes involved in energy regulation to enhance substrate metabolism. We used a well-established hepatic insulin resistance model of exposing C3A liver cells to a high concentration of palmitate (0.75 mM) for 16 hrs. These insulin-resistant liver cells were treated with orientin (10 µM) for 3 h to assess the therapeutic effect of orientin. In addition to assessing the rate of metabolic activity, end point measurements assessed include the uptake or utilization of glucose and palmitate, as well as the expression of genes involved in insulin signaling and regulating cellular energy homeostasis. Our results showed that orientin effectively improved metabolic activity, mainly by maintaining substrate utilization which was marked by enhanced glucose and palmitate uptake by liver cells subjected to insulin resistance. Interestingly, these effects can be explained by the improvement in the expression of genes involved in glucose transport (Glut2), insulin signaling (Irs1 and Pi3k), and energy regulation (Ampk and Cpt1). These preliminary findings lay an important foundation for future research to determine the bioactive properties of orientin against dyslipidemia or insulin resistance in reliable and well-established models of type 2 diabetes.     

Effect of viscosity on the fission dynamics of the excited compound nucleus 251Es produced in fusion reaction

A stochastic approach based on two-dimensional dynamical model has been used to simulate the fission dynamics of the excited compound nucleus ²⁵¹Es produced in ¹⁹F+²³²Th reaction. In the dynamical calculations the elongation parameter has been used as the first dimension and the projection of the total spin of the compound nucleus onto the symmetry axis, K, considered as the second dimension. The value of post-saddle friction was inferred by reproducing experimental data on the mean pre-scission neutron multiplicity for ²⁵¹Es. It was shown that the results of calculations are in good agreement with the experimental data by applying values of the post-saddle friction equal to 13−15×10²¹s⁻¹.     

Construction of periodic and solitary wave solutions by the extended Jacobi elliptic function expansion method

In this paper, an extended Jacobi elliptic function expansion method is used with a computerized symbolic computation for constructing the exact periodic solutions of some polynomials or nonlinear evolution equations. The validity and reliability of the method is tested by its applications on a class of nonlinear evolution equations of special interest in nonlinear mathematical physics. As a result, many exact travelling wave solutions are obtained which include new solitary or shock wave solution and envelope solitary and shock wave solutions. The method is straightforward and concise, and it can also be applied to other nonlinear evolution equations in mathematical physics.     

Organotin(IV) complexes derived from N-ethyl-N-phenyldithiocarbamate: Synthesis,characterization and thermal studies

Organotin(IV) dithiocarbamate complexes, RSnClL₂ and R₂SnL₂ (R = Me, Bu, Ph, and L = N-ethyl-N-phenyldithiocarbamate), have been synthesized by the reaction of mono- and disubstituted organotin(IV) with ammonium dithiocarbamate. The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, and spectroscopic techniques (¹H, ¹³C NMR and FTIR). The structures of Me₂SnL₂ and Bu₂SnL₂ were further established by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The crystal structure analysis showed that both complexes (Me₂SnL₂ and Bu₂SnL₂) exist as monomers. One of the dithiocarbamate ligands formed a chelate, while the other dithiocarbamate bonded to the central tin atom through one of the sulfur atoms and the second sulfur atom existed as a pendant to form distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The thermal stability of all the complexes was studied using simultaneous thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The TG-DSC results showed that Me₂SnL₂, BuSnClL₂, Bu₂SnL₂, and PhSnClL₂ displayed similar decomposition pathway via isothiocyanate intermediate, while MeSnClL₂ and Ph₂SnL₂ showed decomposition pathways different from the rest of the complexes. All the complexes resulted in SnS as the final product of the thermal decomposition process.     

Syntheses and characterization of nickel(II) dithiocarbamate complexes containing NiS4 and NiS2PN moieties: Nickel sulphide nanoparticles from a single source precursor

In this study, ammonium N-benzyldithiocarbamate was synthesized and used to prepare homoleptic Ni(II) bis(N-benzyldithiocarbamate) (1) and heteroleptic Ni(II) complexes involving isocyanate (2) and cyanide (3) ions. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectroscopic techniques. Complex 2 was further characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The FTIR showed bidentate co-ordination for all the complexes as the v(CN) stretching frequency were in the 980–1050 cm^?1 region without any splitting. Thermal decomposition profile of the complexes showed decomposition resulting in the formation of nickel sulphides. The homoleptic complex 1 was utilized as single source precursor (SSP) to prepare Nickel sulphide nanoparticles. The synthesis of the nanoparticles was conducted using different capping molecules (with various alkyl chain lengths), and at different reaction temperature and time. Pure phase Heazlewoodite (Ni₃S₂) nanoparticles were obtained from the X-ray diffraction study. The TEM analysis showed that the type of capping agent, reaction temperature, and time of reaction have significant effect on the morphology and size of the nanoparticles. The optical properties of the nanoparticles were studied using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies, and they displayed evidence of quantum confinement effect.     

Elucidating linear and nonlinear optical properties of defect chalcopyrite compounds ZnX2Te4 (X=Al,Ga, In) from electronic transitions

We presented a theoretical study of electronic band structure of three compounds ZnAl₂Te₄, ZnGa₂Te₄ and ZnIn₂Te₄ using pseudo potential method within density functional theory. Calculated band structures show that all band gaps are direct with at Γ with values of 1.639eV for ZnAl₂Te₄, 1.026eV for ZnGa₂Te₄and 0.836eV ZnIn₂Te₄. The linear properties based on dielectric function and non-linear optical properties based on second harmonic generation (SHG) were computed. The origin of four critical points (peaks) determined from the second derivative of the imaginary part of the dielectric function is elucidated. The use of individual k-points and individual combination of valence and conduction bands dependent matrix of the dielectric function and the nonlinear optical susceptibility allowed to a precise determination of inter band optical transitions. Indeed, inter-band analysis shows the high intensity of non-linear effect compared to linear effect. Moreover, non-linear inter-band optical transitions involve lower valence bands and higher conduction bands.