Tips and Tricks for the Surface Engineering of Well-Ordered Morphologically Driven Silver-Based Nanomaterials

Particularly-shaped silver nanostructures are successfully applied in many scientific fields, such as nanotechnology, catalysis, (nano)engineering, optoelectronics, and sensing. In recent years, the production of shape-controlled silver-based nanostructures and the knowledge around this topic has grown significantly. Hence, on the basis of the most recent results reported in the literature, a critical analysis around the driving forces behind the synthesis of such nanostructures are proposed herein, pointing out the important role of surface-regulating agents in driving crystalline growth by favoring (or opposing) development along specific directions. Additionally, growth mechanisms of the different morphologies considered here are discussed in depth, and critical points highlighted.     

Approximate Entropy of Brain Network in the Study of Hemispheric Differences

Human brain, a dynamic complex system, can be studied with different approaches, including linear and nonlinear ones. One of the nonlinear approaches widely used in electroencephalographic (EEG) analyses is the entropy, the measurement of disorder in a system. The present study investigates brain networks applying approximate entropy (ApEn) measure for assessing the hemispheric EEG differences; reproducibility and stability of ApEn data across separate recording sessions were evaluated. Twenty healthy adult volunteers were submitted to eyes-closed resting EEG recordings, for 80 recordings. Significant differences in the occipital region, with higher values of entropy in the left hemisphere than in the right one, show that the hemispheres become active with different intensities according to the performed function. Besides, the present methodology proved to be reproducible and stable, when carried out on relatively brief EEG epochs but also at a 1-week distance in a group of 36 subjects. Nonlinear approaches represent an interesting probe to study the dynamics of brain networks. ApEn technique might provide more insight into the pathophysiological processes underlying age-related brain disconnection as well as for monitoring the impact of pharmacological and rehabilitation treatments.     

CuPc molecules adsorbed on Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2): growth morphology and evolution of valence band states

We present the growth morphology, the long-range ordering, and the evolution of the valence band electronic states of ultrathin films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) deposited on the Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface, as a function of the organic molecule coverage. The low energy electron diffraction patterns present a (5 × 3) reconstruction from the early adsorption stages. High-resolution UV photoelectron spectroscopy data show the disappearance of the Au surface states related to the (1 × 2) reconstruction, and the presence of new electronic features related to the molecule-substrate interaction and to the CuPc molecular states. The CuPc highest occupied molecular orbital gradually emerges in the valence band, while the interface electronic states are quenched, upon increasing the coverage.     

Long‐range dependence and performance in telecom networks

Telecommunications systems have recently undergone significant innovations. These call for suitable statistical models that can properly describe the behaviour of the input traffic in a network. Here we use fractional Brownian motion (FBM) to model cumulative traffic network, thus taking into account the possible presence of long‐range dependence in the data. A Bayesian approach is devised in such a way that we are able to: (a) estimate the Hurst parameter H of the FBM; (b) estimate the overflow probability which is a parameter measuring the quality of service of a network: (c) develop a test for comparing the null hypothesis of long‐range dependence in the data versus the alternative of short‐range dependence. In order to achieve these inferential results, we elaborate an MCMC sampling scheme whose output enables us to obtain an approximation of the quantities of interest. An application to three real datasets, corresponding to three different levels of traffic, is finally considered. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Generalized Mukai conjecture for special Fano varieties

Let X be a Fano variety of dimension n, pseudoindex i _X and Picard number ρ_X. A generalization of a conjecture of Mukai says that ρ_X(i _X −1)≤n. We prove that the conjecture holds for a variety X of pseudoindex i _X ≥n+3/3 if X admits an unsplit covering family of rational curves; we also prove that this condition is satisfied if ρ_X> and either X has a fiber type extremal contraction or has not small extremal contractions. Finally we prove that the conjecture holds if X has dimension five.     

A non-isothermal Ginzburg–Landau model in superconductivity: Existence,uniqueness and asymptotic behaviour

In this paper we study a Ginzburg–Landau model which describes the behaviour of a superconducting material including thermal effects. We extend the traditional formulation of the problem, by introducing the temperature as an additional state variable. Accordingly, together with the Gor’kov–Eliashberg system, we introduce an evolution equation for the absolute temperature. We examine in detail the case which allows only variations of the concentration of superconducting electrons and of the temperature, neglecting the electromagnetic field. For this problem existence and uniqueness of the solution are shown. Finally we analyze the asymptotic behaviour of the solutions, proving that the system possesses a global attractor.     

Characterization theorems for the projective space and vector bundle adjunction

 We consider some conditions under which a smooth projective variety X is actually the projective space. We also extend to the case of positive characteristic some results in the theory of vector bundle adjunction. We use methods and techniques of the so called Mori theory, in particular the study of rational curves on projective manifolds. Received: 16 May 2002 / Revised version: 18 November 2002 Published online: 3 March 2003 Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 14E30, 14J40, 14J45     

Synthesis of pyrazolo[4,5-d]- and pyrazolo[4,5-c][1]benzazepine derivatives. IV

Following our reports on synthetic tricyclic analogues of antitumor anthramycin the synthesis of some isomers pyrazolo[4,5-d]- and pyrazolo[4,5-c][1]benzazepine derivatives is reported.     

Toward efficient Zn(II)-based artificial nucleases

A series of cis-cis-triaminocyclohexane Zn(II) complex-anthraquinone intercalator conjugates, designed in such a way to allow their easy synthesis and modification, have been investigated as hydrolytic cleaving agents for plasmid DNA. The ligand structure comprises a triaminocyclohexane platform linked by means of alkyl spacers of different length (from C(4) to C(8)) to the anthraquinone group which may intercalate the DNA. At a concentration of 5 microM, the complex of the derivative with a C(8) alkyl spacer induces the hydrolytic stand scission of supercoiled DNA with a rate of 4.6 x 10(-6) s(-1) at pH 7 and 37 degrees C. The conjugation of the metal complex with the anthraquinone group leads to a 15-fold increase of the cleavage efficiency when compared with the anthraquinone lacking Zn-triaminocyclohexane complex. The straightforward synthetic procedure employed, allowing a systematic change of the spacer length, made possible to gain more insight on the role of the intercalating group in determining the reactivity of the systems. Comparison of the reactivity of the different complexes shows a remarkable increase of the DNA cleaving efficiency with the length of the spacer. In the case of too-short spacers, the advantages due to the increased DNA affinity are canceled due to the incorrect positioning of the reactive group, thus leading to cleavage inhibition.     

An artificial ionophore based on a polyhydroxylated steroid dimer

The Na+ transporting properties of the first member of a new class of artificial ionophores, based on a C2-symmetric polyhydroxylated steroid dimer, are described.