Sensitizing effects of ZnO quantum dots on red-emitting Pr-doped SiO2 phosphor

In this study, red cathodoluminescence (CL) (λ_emission=614 nm) was observed from Pr³⁺ ions in a glassy (amorphous) SiO₂ host. This emission was enhanced considerably when ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were incorporated in the SiO₂:Pr³⁺ suggesting that the ZnO QDs transferred excitation energy to Pr³⁺ ions. That is, ZnO QDs acted to sensitize the Pr³⁺ emission. The sol–gel method was used to prepare ZnO–SiO₂:Pr³⁺ phosphors with different molar ratios of Zn to Si. The effects of the ZnO QDs concentration and the possible mechanisms of energy transfer from ZnO to Pr³⁺ are discussed. In addition, the electronic states and the chemical composition of the ZnO–SiO₂:Pr³⁺ phosphors were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Semiclassical matrix model for quantum chaotic transport with time-reversal symmetry

We show that the semiclassical approach to chaotic quantum transport in the presence of time-reversal symmetry can be described by a matrix model. In other words, we construct a matrix integral whose perturbative expansion satisfies the semiclassical diagrammatic rules for the calculation of transport statistics. One of the virtues of this approach is that it leads very naturally to the semiclassical derivation of universal predictions from random matrix theory.     

Optimal branching asymmetry of hydrodynamic pulsatile trees

Most of the studies on optimal transport are done for steady state regime conditions. Yet, there exists numerous examples in living systems where supply tree networks have to deliver products in a limited time due to the pulsatile character of the flow, as it is the case for mammalian respiration. We report here that introducing a systematic branching asymmetry allows the tree to reduce the average delivery time of the products. It simultaneously increases its robustness against the inevitable variability of sizes related to morphogenesis. We then apply this approach to the human tracheobronchial tree. We show that in this case all extremities are supplied with fresh air, provided that the asymmetry is smaller than a critical threshold which happens to match the asymmetry measured in the human lung. This could indicate that the structure is tuned at the maximum asymmetry level that allows the lung to feed all terminal units with fresh air.     

Analysis of surface layers of an iron axe from Early Medieval Age

An ancient axe from Early Medieval Age which was unearthed on a territory of the archaeological excavation site near the village Borovce (Slovakia) is investigated. The surface of the axe was supposed to be covered with a sort of glassy system. Mössbauer effect measurements performed in backscattering and transmission geometry upon original as well as powdered pieces of the axe confirmed that the surface layers of the axe consist of goethite, lepidocrite, akageneite, and/or magnetite. After temperature treatment at 400°C/100 min hematite and maghemite were found; these are products of thermal decomposition of the above mentioned iron phases. These findings ruled out the hypothesis that the surface covering substance was put on the axe by intention.     

Molecular origin of model membrane bending rigidity

The behavior of the bending modulus kappa of bilayers in lamellar phases was studied by Small Angle X-ray Scattering technique for various nonionic C(i)E(j) surfactants. The bilayers are either unswollen and dispersed in water or swollen by water and dispersed in dodecane. For unswollen bilayers, the values of kappa decrease with both an increase in the area per surfactant molecule and in the polar head length. They increase when the aliphatic chain length increases at constant area per surfactant molecule. Whereas for water-swollen membranes, the values of kappa decrease as the content of water increases converging to the value of the single monolayer bending modulus. Such a behavior results from the decoupling of the fluctuations of the two surfactant membrane monolayers. Our results emphasize the determinant contribution of the surfactant conformation to kappa.     

Characterization of rapidly solidified powder of high-speed steel

Ionization and excitation cross sections as well as electron-energy spectra and stopping powers of the alkali metal atoms Li, Na, K, and Rb colliding with antiprotons were calculated using a time-dependent channel-coupling approach. An impact-energy range from 0.25 to 4000 keV was considered. The target atoms are treated as effective one-electron systems using a model potential. The results are compared with calculated cross sections for antiproton-hydrogen atom collisions.     

Niche-dependent development of functional neuronal networks from embryonic stem cell-derived neural populations

Background  

The present work was performed to investigate the ability of two different embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived neural precursor populations to generate functional neuronal networks in vitro. The first ES cell-derived neural precursor population was cultivated as free-floating neural aggregates which are known to form a developmental niche comprising different types of neural cells, including neural precursor cells (NPCs), progenitor cells and even further matured cells. This niche provides by itself a variety of different growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins that influence the proliferation and differentiation of neural precursor and progenitor cells. The second population was cultivated adherently in monolayer cultures to control most stringently the extracellular environment. This population comprises highly homogeneous NPCs which are supposed to represent an attractive way to provide well-defined neuronal progeny. However, the ability of these different ES cell-derived immature neural cell populations to generate functional neuronal networks has not been assessed so far.     

Damage induced in garnets by heavy ion irradiations: a study by optical spectroscopies

The damage induced by heavy-ion irradiation has been studied in yttrium iron garnet (Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ or YIG) films, doped with Ca, Tb and Tm, grown by liquid-phase epitaxy on gadolinium gallium garnet (Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂ or GGG) substrates. Irradiations of doped-YIG epitaxial films and GGG substrates with 36-MeV ¹⁸³W and 12-MeV ¹⁹⁷Au ions were applied for fluences between 1 × 10¹³ and 3 × 10¹⁵ cm^–2 near room temperature. The radiation damage was monitored by micro-Raman spectroscopy and UV–visible optical absorption spectroscopy. Raman spectra revealed that amorphisation was achieved in YIG for both ions, whereas a high lattice disorder was induced in GGG without reaching amorphisation for the Au ion irradiation. Raman spectra also showed that a major damage of the tetrahedral sites was induced in GGG, as previously found for YIG. It is concluded that with such ions reaching the stopping power threshold of track formation in YIG and GGG the observed rate of amorphisation may result from a combination of electronic and nuclear energy losses as calculated using the unified thermal spike model.     

Experimental and modeling assessment of sulfur release from coal under low and high heating rates

Coal combustion releases elevated amounts of pollutants to the atmosphere including SO_X. During the pyrolysis step, sulfur present in the coal is released to the gas phase as many different chemical species such as H₂S, COS, SO₂, CS₂, thiols and larger tars, also called SO_X precursors, as they form SO_X during combustion. Understanding the sulfur release process is crucial to the development of reliable kinetic models, which support the design of improved reactors for cleaner coal conversion processes. Sulfur release from two bituminous coals, Colombian hard coal (K1) and American high sulfur coal (U2), were studied in the present work. Low heating rate (LHR) experiments were performed in a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS), allowing to track the mass loss and the evolution of many volatile species (CO, CO₂, CH₄, SO₂, H₂S, COS, HCl and H₂O). High heating rate (HHR) experiments were performed in an entrained flow reactor (drop-tube reactor – DTR), coupled with MS and nondispersive infrared sensor (NDIR). HHR experiments were complemented with CFD simulation of the multidimentional reacting flow field. A kinetic model of coal pyrolysis is employed to reproduce the experiments allowing a comprehensive assessment of the process. The suitability of this model is confirmed for LHR. The combination of HHR experiments with CFD simulations and kinetic modeling revealed the complexity of sulfur chemistry in coal combustion and allowed to better understand of the individual phenomena resulting in the formation of the different SO_X precursors. LHR and HHR operating conditions lead to different distribution of sulfur species released, highly-dependent on the gas-phase temperature and residence time. Higher retention of total sulfur in char is observed at LHR (63%) when compared to HHR (37–44%), at 1273 K. These data support the development of reliable models with improved predictability.     

Quantum nonintegrability and the classical limit for usp(4) systems

We investigate the transition from integrability to chaos in a system built of usp(4) elements, both in the quantum case and in its classical limit, obtained using coherent states. This algebraic Hamiltonian consists in an integrable term plus a nonlinear perturbation, and we see that the level spacing distribution for the quantum system is well approximated by the Berry-Robnik-Brody distribution, and accordingly the classical limit displays mixed dynamics.