Human mobility and COVID-19 initial dynamics

Nonlinear Dynamics - Countries in Europe took different mobility containment measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. The European Commission asked mobile network operators to share on a...     

Iron/multiwalled carbon nanotube (Fe/MWCNT) hybrid materials characterization: thermogravimetric analysis as a powerful characterization technique

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Nanomaterials and nanocomposites have gained relevance in science and technology due to their excellent properties. Therefore, the characterization of...     

Sphaerococcus coronopifolius (Rhodophyta,Gigartinales): a Mediterranean red alga with potential and applications in restoration

Abstract

Experimental studies conducted on some species of Mediterranean red algae allowed to identify Sphaerococcus coronopifolius Stackhouse as a valid alternative to the Pacific alga Gloiopeltis furcata (Postels & Ruprecht) J. Agardh, for the extraction of a material usable as natural consolidant and adhesive in the field of restoration. Promising results have been observed by comparing the extracts obtained from these two algae after the same extraction procedure. Chemical analysis (FTIR) revealed that S. coronopifolius has qualities similar to G. furcata. Even more promising results for S. coronopifolius compared to G. furcata were observed after the analysis of pH and conductivity, and the adhesion tests carried out on both extracts.     

Rheological behavior and microstructure of 2,2′‐dioxy‐ 1,1′‐binaphthylphosphazene R/S random copolymer

Solutions of a binaphthoxy phosphazene copolymer (containing chiral 2,2′‐dioxy‐1,1′‐binaphthyl units with 50% R and S configurations distributed along the chains) in N‐methyl pyrrolidone were studied by means of continuous flow experiments and small amplitude oscillatory flow tests. A sudden viscosity decrease was observed in the polymer concentration range (39–40 wt %), evidencing a liquid‐crystalline polymer behavior. This has been confirmed by other rheological methods which have demonstrated that, for a sufficiently high concentration, the solutions of the binaphthoxy phosphazene copolymer give rise to a lyotropic system with formation of rigid rods (axial ratio of 10) stacked parallel to each other. The lyotropic properties of our binaphthoxy phosphazene copolymer are compatible with a regular helical structure, similar to that found for a homoleptic binaphthoxy phosphazene, which contains only S configuration. This suggests that the chains of 50% R/S binaphthoxy phosphazene copolymer are, in average, close to the strictly alternating R‐S copolymeric structure of the syndiotactic isomer. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010     

Solution processable high band gap hosts based on carbazole functionalized cyclic phosphazene cores for application in organic light‐emitting diodes

A new class of solution processable dendrimers based on cyclic phosphazene (CP) cores have been prepared and used as host materials for blue and green organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The dendrimers are prepared in high yield from minimal step reactions, are soluble in common solvents for solution processing, are amorphous, and have excellent thermal properties necessary for application in OLEDs. OLED efficiencies of 10.3 cd/A (4.2 lm/W) and 35.3 cd/A (33.5 lm/W) were achieved using commercially available FIrpic and Ir(mppy)₃ as blue and green phosphorescent emitters, respectively. These efficiencies were 2× higher than control devices prepared using poly(N‐vinylcarbazole), the most commonly used host material in solution processed phosphorescent OLEDs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Astrophysical bound on the majoron-Higgs-boson coupling

We show that the coupling of the “standard” Higgs boson to majorons, that could lead to a very fast decay of the neutral Higgs scalar to invisible modes, can be bounded using astrophysical arguments. We discuss the relevance of this bound for low-energy phenomenology related to majoron production. The bound so obtained may also jeopardize the stability of the VEV hierarchy in the doublet and triplet majoron models if the mass of the top quark is less than the W mass. A similar analysis may be applied to other models which exhibit Goldstone-or pseudo-Goldstone-bosons in the spectrum.     

Improvement of the properties of polyarylate reinforced with liquid crystalline polymers

Blends of polyarylate of bisphenol A, PAr, with two commercial main chain liquid crystalline polymers, Vectra A950 and Vectra B950, are studied. From dynamic viscoelastic measurements it is deduced that both systems (PAr/Vectra A950 and PAr/Vectra B950) are immiscible and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs show the presence of spherical domains of the liquid crystalline polymer when PAr constitutes the matrix. Extrusion capillary measurements reveal that, under conditions of temperature and shear rate similar to those of processing, the viscosity is reduced to approximately 10% of its value when the content of liquid crystalline polymer is only 20%. This great improvement of the rheological properties is observed in both PAr/Vectra A950 and PAr/Vectra B950 blends. The effect of draw ratio on Young's modulus for different compositions is also analyzed, pointing out the reinforcing action of both liquid crystalline polymers on polyarylate: for instance, 20% of Vectra B950 in the blend gives rise to a 700% increase of the modulus of fibres prepared at a draw ratio of 50. SEM of the extrudates reveals that the spherical domains are elongated at the entrance of the capillary giving rise to a microfibrillar morphology which is related to the excellent rheological and mechanical properties of the blends.     

Structure and cytotoxicity of phidianidines A and B: first finding of 1,2,4-oxadiazole system in a marine natural product

Two indole alkaloids, phidianidines A (1) and B (2), exhibiting an uncommon 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring linked to the indole system, have been isolated from the marine opisthobranch mollusk Phidiana militaris. The structures of the two metabolites have been elucidated by spectroscopic techniques. Phidianidines exhibit high cytotoxicity against tumor and nontumor mammalian cell lines in in vitro assays.