Synthesis and magnetic properties of Gd doped EuS nanocrystals with enhanced Curie temperatures

EuS nanocrystals (NCs) were doped with Gd resulting in an enhancement of their magnetic properties. New EuS and GdS single source precursors (SSPs) were synthesized, characterized, and employed to synthesize Eu(1-x)Gd(x)S NCs by decomposition in oleylamine and trioctylphosphine at 290 °C. The doped NCs were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy, which support the uniform distribution of Gd dopants through electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) mapping. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) revealed the dopant ions in Eu(1-x)Gd(x)S NCs to be predominantly Gd(3+). NCs with a variety of doping ratios of Gd (0 ≤ x < 1) were systematically studied using vibrating sample magnetometry and the observed magnetic properties were correlated with the Gd doping levels (x) as quantified with ICP-AES. Enhancement of the Curie temperature (T(C)) was observed for samples with low Gd concentrations (x ≤ 10%) with a maximum T(C) of 29.4 K observed for NCs containing 5.3% Gd. Overall, the observed T(C), Weiss temperature (θ), and hysteretic behavior correspond directly to the doping level in Eu(1-x)Gd(x)S NCs and the trends qualitatively follow those previously reported for bulk and thin film samples.     

An adaptive pneumatic suspension based on the estimation of the excitation frequency

A pneumatic suspension that can adapt itself to the incoming vibration is presented in this paper. A switching control strategy between two different configurations is proposed and studied. The objective is to avoid undesirable resonant frequencies. The control procedure is based on the pre-knowledge of the incoming vibration frequency, and when this frequency is unknown, a very efficient prediction technique is used. The results show that the adaptable suspension has improved performance as compared to any of its passive counterparts. The transient response when switching typically takes less than three cycles and does not hinder the suspension performance.     

Search for sub-eV mass solar axions by the CERN Axion Solar Telescope with 3He buffer gas

The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) has extended its search for solar axions by using (3)He as a buffer gas. At T=1.8 K this allows for larger pressure settings and hence sensitivity to higher axion masses than our previous measurements with (4)He. With about 1 h of data taking at each of 252 different pressure settings we have scanned the axion mass range 0.39 eV?m(a)?0.64 eV. From the absence of excess x rays when the magnet was pointing to the Sun we set a typical upper limit on the axion-photon coupling of g(aγ)?2.3×10(-10) GeV(-1) at 95% C.L., the exact value depending on the pressure setting. Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov axions are excluded at the upper end of our mass range, the first time ever for any solar axion search. In the future we will extend our search to m(a)?1.15 eV, comfortably overlapping with cosmological hot dark matter bounds.     

N-Alkylamines-Based Micelles Aggregation Number Determination by Fluorescence Techniques

Aggregation numbers of micelles based on N-alkylamines and mixed systems CTACl/N-alkylamines have been determined using fluorescence techniques. The values of aggregation number are compared as a function of hydrocarbon chain length and as a function of the molar fraction in the mixed systems.     

Understanding the interaction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with mutagenic organic pollutants using computational modeling and biological experiments

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are very promising materials to remove pollutants from the environment. To develop safe, efficient technologies, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of interaction between CNTs and pollutants. This requires innovative, interdisciplinary approaches. Detailed chemical analysis of the CNTs along with computational modeling can provide important information about the mechanisms of interaction. If biological experiments are included in these studies, useful complementary information is obtained. To exemplify the use of this approach, we present a case study in which detailed calculations and the Salmonella mutagenicity assay were applied to elucidate how multi-walled CNTs interact with 1-nitropyrene, an important mutagenic pollutant.     

ior egf/r3: A murine monoclonal antibody for diagnostic of epithelial tumors

Monoclonal antibody ior egf/r3 is a IgG2a, recognizes the epidermal growth factor receptor. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the^99mTc-labeled ior egf/r3 for the detection of epithelial tumors, its metastasis and its recurrences. The sensitivity by organs was: brain 100%, diegestive tract 90%, head and neck 89%, lung 84% and breast 79%. The overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the immunoscintigraphic imaging were 84.1%, 100%, 86.5%, 100% and 52.4%, respectively. Immunoscintigraphy with^99mTc-ior egf/r3 is useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of epithelial tumors.     

Sufficient conditions for a partially hyperbolic attractor to be a homoclinic class

We prove that a partially hyperbolic attractor with two-dimensional central direction Λ is a homoclinic class if it exhibits a hyperbolic periodic orbit O and a Lorenz-like singularity σ with Wu(σ)∩Ws(O)≠∅ such that Ws(σ) is dense in Λ.     

LIGHT-INDUCED CHANGES IN THE VESICULAR APPARATUS OF Phycomyces SPORANGIOPHORES DURING THE PHOTOTROPIC RESPONSE

Abstract— We studied the ultrastructure of laterally illuminated stage I sporangiophores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus to determine whether the phototropic response had any structural correlate. Stimulated sporangiophores conserved the distinctive division into the four longitudinal zones described for state I, and showed no significant differences in the distribution of major organelles in the sides proximal and distal to the light source. On the other hand, apical vesicles were asymmetrically distributed, being present in lower numbers in the faster growing (distal) side of the sporangiophore. We suggest that this asymmetrical distribution reflects the differential utilization of vesicles necessary to sustain the corresponding growth rate of each side. Illumination therefore, must affect the rate of vesicle migration and utilization, more than their rate of synthesis.     

On differential properties for bivariate orthogonal polynomials

In this paper, we consider bivariate orthogonal polynomials associated with a quasi-definite moment functional which satisfies a Pearson-type partial differential equation. For these polynomials differential properties are obtained. In particular, we deduce some structure and orthogonality relations for the successive partial derivatives of the polynomials.