Back-to-back Schottky diodes: the generalization of the diode theory in analysis and extraction of electrical parameters of nanodevices

We report on the analysis of nonlinear current-voltage characteristics exhibited by a set of blocking metal/SnO(2)/metal. Schottky barrier heights in both interfaces were independently extracted and their dependence on the metal work function was analyzed. The disorder-induced interface states effectively pinned the Fermi level at the SnO(2) surface, leading to the observed Schottky barriers. The model is useful for any two-terminal device which cannot be described by a conventional diode configuration.     

Computational fragment-based drug design to explore the hydrophobic sub-pocket of the mitotic kinesin Eg5 allosteric binding site

Eg5, a mitotic kinesin exclusively involved in the formation and function of the mitotic spindle has attracted interest as an anticancer drug target. Eg5 is co-crystallized with several inhibitors bound to its allosteric binding pocket. Each of these occupies a pocket formed by loop 5/helix α2 (L5/α2). Recently designed inhibitors additionally occupy a hydrophobic pocket of this site. The goal of the present study was to explore this hydrophobic pocket with our MED-SuMo fragment-based protocol, and thus discover novel chemical structures that might bind as inhibitors. The MED-SuMo software is able to compare and superimpose similar interaction surfaces upon the whole protein data bank (PDB). In a fragment-based protocol, MED-SuMo retrieves MED-Portions that encode protein-fragment binding sites and are derived from cross-mining protein-ligand structures with libraries of small molecules. Furthermore we have excluded intra-family MED-Portions derived from Eg5 ligands that occupy the hydrophobic pocket and predicted new potential ligands by hybridization that would fill simultaneously both pockets. Some of the latter having original scaffolds and substituents in the hydrophobic pocket are identified in libraries of synthetically accessible molecules by the MED-Search software. Ksenia Oguievetskaia and Laetitia Martin-Chanas contributed equally to this work.     

Composite Particles From Pickering‐Stabilized Radical Mediated Thiol‐Ene Suspension Polymerizations

Pickering stabilization is a facile method to create composite colloidal particles. Inorganic colloidal SiO₂ nanoparticles are often used as the stabilizer for particles instead of the more common amphiphilic surfactants. Here the use of this approach in radical‐mediated thiol‐ene suspension polymerizations using monomers 1,3,5‐triallyl‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)‐trione (TTT) and pentaerythritol tetrakis (3‐mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) is described. The resulting micron‐sized crosslinked poly(thioether) colloidal particles are coated with 80 nm silica nanoparticles. The addition of a small amount of various costabilizers is examined (hexadecane, cetyl alcohol and toluene), and while all yielded particles, cetyl alcohol provide more consistent results. Scanning electron microscopy and thermal analysis of the composite particles demonstrate morphologies that are consistent with a raspberry‐like structure. No significant changes to the glass transition temperature are observed, which is consistent with the silica nanoparticles being located at the surface of the polymer particles.     

Synthesis and spectral properties of 2‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)aminophenyl] ‐3H‐5‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)phenyl]‐7‐chloro‐1,4‐benzodiazepines

A series of twelve new 2‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)aminophenyl]‐3H‐5‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)phenyl]‐7‐chloro‐1,4‐benzodiazepines, which have possible pharmacological properties has been obtained. The synthesis was carried out following six steps. The structure of all products was corroborated by ir, ¹H nmr, ¹³C nmr and ms. In addition for the compound 2‐(o‐chloroaminophenyl)‐3H‐5‐(o‐fluorophenyl)‐7‐chloro‐1,4‐benzodiazepine 7, its structure was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction.     

Manipulation of the Phytochemical Profile of Tenderstem® Broccoli Florets by Short Duration,Pre-Harvest LED Lighting

Light quality has been reported to influence the phytochemical profile of broccoli sprouts/microgreens; however, few studies have researched the influence on mature broccoli. This is the first study to investigate how exposing a mature glasshouse grown vegetable brassica, Tenderstem^® broccoli, to different light wavelengths before harvest influences the phytochemical content. Sixty broccoli plants were grown in a controlled environment glasshouse under ambient light until axial meristems reached >1 cm diameter, whereupon a third were placed under either green/red/far-red LED, blue LED, or remained in the original compartment. Primary and secondary spears were harvested after one and three weeks, respectively. Plant morphology, glucosinolate, carotenoid, tocopherol, and total polyphenol content were determined for each sample. Exposure to green/red/far-red light increased the total polyphenol content by up to 13% and maintained a comparable total glucosinolate content to the control. Blue light increased three of the four indole glucosinolates studied. The effect of light treatments on carotenoid and tocopherol content was inconclusive due to inconsistencies between trials, indicating that they are more sensitive to other environmental factors. These results have shown that by carefully selecting the wavelength, the nutritional content of mature broccoli prior to harvest could be manipulated according to demand.     

A retarded integral inequality and its applications

We prove a retarded nonlinear integral inequality and present some applications of it to the global existence of solutions to differential equations with time delay.     

Peroxidase catalyzed polymerization of phenol

effect of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and H₂O₂ concentrations on the removal efficiency of phenol, defined as the percentage of phenol removed from solution as a function of time, has been investigated. When phenol and H₂O₂ react with an approximately one-to-one stoichiometry, the phenol is almost completely precipitated within 10 min. The reaction is inhibited at higher concentrations of H₂O₂. The removal efficiency increases with an increase in the concentration of HRP, but an increase in the time of treatment cannot be used to offset the reduction in removal efficiency at low concentrations of the enzyme, because of inactivation of the enzyme. One molecule of HRP is needed to remove approximately 1100 molecules of phenol when the reaction is conducted at pH 8.0 and at ambient temperature.