GaAsN/AlAs/AlGaAs double barrier quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy as an alternative to infrared absorption below 4 μm

In this work, we report on the design, growth and characterization of GaAsN/AlAs/AlGaAs double barrier quantum well infrared detectors to achieve intraband absorption below 4 μm. Due to the high effective mass of N-dilute alloys, it is common for these N-containing double barrier quantum well structures to have more than one bound state within the quantum well, enabling the possibility of achieving multispectral absorption from these confined levels to the quasi-bound. Based on a transfer matrix calculation we will study the influence of the potential parameters, in particular the well width and the introduction of a GaAs spacer layer in between the N-well and the AlAs barriers. We will compare the case in which there are two confined levels with the case in which only one level is bound, like in the conventional AlGaAs/AlAs/GaAs structures. On the basis of the simulation, we have grown and characterized some N-containing double barrier detectors. Moreover, an optimization of the post-growth annealing treatments of the GaAsN quantum well structures has also been performed. Finally, room temperature absorption measurements of both as-grown and annealed samples are presented and analyzed.     

Adhesion hysteresis in dynamic atomic force microscopy

The effects of adhesion hysteresis in the dynamic‐dissipation curves measured in amplitude‐modulation atomic force microscopy are discussed. Hysteresis in the interaction forces is shown to modify the dynamics of the cantilever leading to different power dissipation curves in the repulsive and attractive regimes. Experimental results together with numerical simulations show that power dissipation, as measured in force microscopy, is not always proportional to the energy dissipated in the tip–sample interaction process. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Quantum-corrected finite entropy of noncommutative acoustic black holes

In this paper we consider the generalized uncertainty principle in the tunneling formalism via Hamilton–Jacobi method to determine the quantum-corrected Hawking temperature and entropy for 2+1$2+1$-dimensional noncommutative acoustic black holes. In our results we obtain an area entropy, a correction logarithmic in leading order, a correction term in subleading order proportional to the radiation temperature associated with the noncommutative acoustic black holes and an extra term that depends on a conserved charge. Thus, as in the gravitational case, there is no need to introduce the ultraviolet cut-off and divergences are eliminated.     

Nematic phase transitions in mixtures of thin and thick colloidal rods

We report experimental measurements of the phase behavior of mixtures of thin (charged semiflexible fd virus) and thick (fd-PEG, fd virus covalently coated with polyethylene glycol) rods with diameter ratio varying from 3.7 to 1.1. The phase diagrams of the rod mixtures reveal isotropic-nematic, isotropic-nematic-nematic, and nematic-nematic coexisting phases with increasing concentration. In stark contrast to predictions from earlier theoretical work, we observe a nematic-nematic coexistence region bound by a lower critical point. Moreover, we show that a rescaled Onsager-type theory for binary hard-rod mixtures qualitatively describes the observed phase behavior.     

Heme oxygenase-2 gene deletion attenuates oxidative stress in neurons exposed to extracellular hemin

Background

Hemin, the oxidized form of heme, accumulates in intracranial hematomas and is a potent oxidant. Growing evidence suggests that it contributes to delayed injury to surrounding tissue, and that this process is affected by the heme oxygenase enzymes. In a prior study, heme oxygenase-2 gene deletion increased the vulnerability of cultured cortical astrocytes to hemin. The present study tested the effect of HO-2 gene deletion on protein oxidation, reactive oxygen species formation, and cell viability after mixed cortical neuron/astrocyte cultures were incubated with neurotoxic concentrations of hemin.

Results

Continuous exposure of wild-type cultures to 1–10 μM hemin for 14 h produced concentration-dependent neuronal death, as detected by both LDH release and fluorescence intensity after propidium iodide staining, with an EC₅₀ of 1–2 μM; astrocytes were not injured by these low hemin concentrations. Cell death was consistently reduced by at least 60% in knockout cultures. Exposure to hemin for 4 hours, a time point that preceded cell lysis, increased protein oxidation in wild-type cultures, as detected by staining of immunoblots for protein carbonyl groups. At 10 μM hemin, carbonylation was increased 2.3-fold compared with control sister cultures subjected to medium exchanges only; this effect was reduced by about two-thirds in knockout cultures. Cellular reactive oxygen species, detected by fluorescence intensity after dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR) staining, was markedly increased by hemin in wild-type cultures and was localized to neuronal cell bodies and processes. In contrast, DHR fluorescence intensity in knockout cultures did not differ from that of sham-washed controls. Neuronal death in wild-type cultures was almost completely prevented by the lipid-soluble iron chelator phenanthroline; deferoxamine had a weaker but significant effect.

Conclusions

These results suggest that HO-2 gene deletion protects neurons in mixed neuron-astrocyte cultures from heme-mediated oxidative injury. Selective inhibition of neuronal HO-2 may have a beneficial effect after CNS hemorrhage.     

On the zeros of the Scorer functions

Asymptotic approximations are developed for zeros of the solutions Gi(z) and Hi(z) of the inhomogeneous Airy differential equation . The solutions are also called Scorer functions. Tables are given with numerical values of the zeros.     

Lemon Oils Attenuate the Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Quorum Sensing Inhibition

The chemical composition of three Citrus limon oils: lemon essential oil (LEO), lemon terpenes (LT) and lemon essence (LE), and their influence in the virulence factors production and motility (swarming and swimming) of two Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (ATCC 27853 and a multidrug-resistant HT5) were investigated. The main compound, limonene, was also tested in biological assays. Eighty-four compounds, accounting for a relative peak area of 99.23%, 98.58% and 99.64%, were identified by GC/MS. Limonene (59–60%), γ-terpinene (10–11%) and β-pinene (7–15%) were the main compounds. All lemon oils inhibited specific biofilm production and bacterial metabolic activities into biofilm in a dose-dependent manner (20–65%, in the range of 0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) of both strains. Besides, all samples inhibited about 50% of the elastase activity at 0.1 mg mL⁻¹. Pyocyanin biosynthesis decreases until 64% (0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) for both strains. Swarming motility of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was completely inhibited by 2 mg mL⁻¹ of lemon oils. Furthermore, a decrease (29–55%, 0.1–4 mg mL⁻¹) in the synthesis of Quorum sensing (QS) signals was observed. The oils showed higher biological activities than limonene. Hence, their ability to control the biofilm of P. aeruginosa and reduce the production of virulence factors regulated by QS makes lemon oils good candidates to be applied as preservatives in the food processing industry.     

Novel generation of an o-quinone methide from 2-(2'-cyclohexenyl)phenol by excited state intramolecular proton transfer and subsequent C-C fragmentation

Formation of an o-quinone methide via C-C fragmentation of a zwitterion formed by intramolecular excited state proton transfer from an o-allylphenol derivative is reported for the first time.     

First intermolecular cyclopropanation of Fischer dialkylaminocarbene complexes. Synthesis of 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid derivatives

[reaction: see text] The first cyclopropanation reaction of olefins with Fischer dialkylaminocarbene complexes is presented. The reaction yields 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid derivatives in a single step, usually with high diastereoselectivity. An approach to the asymmetric version of this reaction is also presented. The synthetic utility of the procedure is exemplified by the synthesis of both cycles of metanoproline in a single step. In addition, the synthesis of the first Fischer carbene containing a halocarbonyl group is reported.     

Biocatalytic approaches toward the synthesis of both enantiomers of trans-cyclopentane-1,2-diamine

[reaction: see text] A lipase-catalyzed double monoaminolysis of dimethyl malonate by (+/-)-trans-cyclopentane-1,2-diamine allows the sequential resolution of the latter compound, affording an enantiopure bis(amidoester), which is subsequently transformed into an optically active polyamine. As an alternative, both enantiomers of the diamine can be obtained from enantiopure (+)- or (-)-2-aminocyclopentanol, prepared by enzymatic resolution.