Strain relaxation in the epitaxy of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 grown by pulsed-laser deposition on SrTiO3(001)

With a Curie point at 370?K, the half-metal (La_0.7Sr_0.3)MnO₃ (LSMO) is one of the most interesting candidates for electronic devices based on tunnel magnetoresistance. SrTiO₃ (STO) is up to now the best substrate for the epitaxy of suitable thin films of LSMO. The pseudocubic unit cell of rhombohedral LSMO has a parameter a _LSMO such that (a _STO ? a _LSMO)/a _LSMO = +?0.83% (where a _STO is the parameter of cubic STO) and an angle of 90.26°. As strained growth is tetragonal, relaxation implies recovery of both the pseudocubic parameter and of the original angle. In the LSMO layers that we prepare by pulsed-laser deposition, we show that these two processes are quite independent. The angular distortion is partially recovered by twinning in films 25?nm thick, while recovery of the parameter never occurs in the thickness range that we explored (up to 432?nm). A relaxation, however, takes place above a thickness of 100?nm, associated with a transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional columnar growth. It is accompanied by chemical fluctuations. Our magnetic measurements exhibit Curie temperatures and magnetic moments very close to the bulk values in those layers where the crystal parameter is strained but the angle partially relaxed.     

Gapless-excitation induced resistivity in ferromagnetic layers

Magnetic domains in a two-dimensional ferromagnetic metal and the existence of gapless magnons confined along the domain walls are studied starting from the XXZ model for localized spins. The relevance for transport properties of the inelastic interaction between conduction electrons and the localized magnons is analysed, and conductivity calculations presented.     

Synthesis, fluorescent properties and aggregation of 2,3-dihydroisoindolenylcalix[4]arenes

New derivatives of calix[4]arenes, containing two isoindole fragments in distal positions of the macrocycle upper rim were synthesized. According to NMR and molecular modeling data, the obtained calixarenes exist in “flattened cone” conformation with inclination angles of benzene rings to the macrocycle plane equal to 133–140° and 92–100°. Fluorometric studies showed the presence of self-aggregation of isoindolenylcalixarenes in acetone solutions starting from micromolar concentrations.     

Host–guest system of etodolac in native and modified β-cyclodextrins: preparation and physicochemical characterization

Etodolac, being a practically insoluble candidate, exhibits certain toxic effects and a limited bioavailability. Upon chronic use, it causes gastro-intestinal injury and increases the risk of ulcer complications. The approach of this study was to improve the physicochemical properties of the drug utilizing complexation phenomenon with β-, methyl-β- and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins, which may enhance the aqueous solubility and dissolution rate of etodolac, in an effort to increase oral bioavailability. In certain instances, this approach can be used to increase drug solubility, improve organoleptic properties and maximize the gastrointestinal tolerance by reducing drug irritation after oral administration. Differential UV measurements as well as continuous variation plots revealed the formation of equimolar complex with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and 1:2 complexes with β-cyclodextrin and its methyl derivative. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray and FT-IR measurements were applied to prove inclusion complex formation and characterize the complexes. These results lend support to the idea that solubilization of etodolac is mainly related to inclusion complex formation and to a lesser extent to cyclodextrin aggregates. Understanding the factors that influence the performance of etodolac, will allow us to state that molecular encapsulation of the drug and other modifications with appropriate hydroxylation or methylation of parent β-cyclodextrin is able to overcome its problems and facilitate safe and efficient delivery of the drug.     

Wavelet-analysis of gastric microcirculation in rats with ulcer bleedings

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in regulation of central and peripheral circulation in normal state and during hemorrhagic stress. Because the impaired gastric mucosal blood flow is the major cause of gastroduodenal lesions including ulcer bleeding (UB), we study in this work the NO-ergic mechanism responsible for regulation of this blood flow. Our study is performed in rats with a model of stress-induced UB using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) that characterizes the rate of blood flow by measuring a Doppler shift of the laser beam scattered by the moving red blood cells. Numerical analysis of LDF-data is based on the discrete wavelet-transform (DWT) using Daubechies wavelets aiming to quantify influences of NO on the gastric microcirculation. We show that the stress-induced UB is associated with an increased level of NO in the gastric tissue and a stronger vascular sensitivity to pharmacological modulation of NO-production by L-NAME. We demonstrate that wavelet-based analyses of NO-dependent regulation of gastric microcirculation can provide an effective endoscopic diagnostics of a risk of UB.     

Grenvillian orogeny in the Southern Cathaysia Block: Constraints from U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes in zircon from metamorphic basement

Metamorphic basement rocks in the Cathaysia Block are composed mainly of meta-sediments with different ages. New zircon U-Pb geochronological results from the meta-sedimentary rocks exposed in the Zengcheng and Hezi areas, southern Cathaysia Block, show that they consist dominantly of early Neoproterozoic （1.0-0.9 Ga） materials with minor Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic and late Neoproterozoic （0.8-0.6 Ga） components, suggesting that the detritus mostly come from a Grenvillian orogen. The youngest detrital zircon ages place a constraint on the deposition time of these sediments in Late Neoproterozoic. Zircon Hf isotopic compositions indicate that the Grenvillian zircons were derived from the reworking of Mesoproterozoic arc magmatic rocks and Paleoproterozoic continental crust, implying an arc-continent collisional setting. Single-peak age spectra and the presence of abundant euhedral Grenvillian zircons suggest that the sedimentary provenance is not far away from the sample location. Thus, the Grenvillian orogen probably preexisted along the southern margin of the Cathaysia Block, or very close to the south. Similarity in the ages of Grenvillian orogeny and the influence of the assembly of Gondwana in South China with India and East Antarctic are discussed, with suggestion that South China was more likely linked with the India-East Antarctica continents in Early Neoproterozoic rather than between western Laurentia and eastern Australia.     

Effects of hydrogen bonds and the solubility of onium hexafluorosilicates

The relationship between the water solubility of hexafluorosilicates with different types of onium cations and the characteristics of interionic H-bonds in their structures was analyzed. The antibate correlation between the solubility and the number of short interionic H-bonds was revealed for salts with aromatic heterocyclic and arylammonium cations.     

Magnetochemistry of dimers with iron group ions

General theory of matrix interactions of dimers of iron group ions is considered. Equations for calculation of matrix elements of the exchange energy of dimers and equations for calculation of the magnetic moments of dimers of different d ⁿ configurations and different exchange parameters are reported. The energies of the spin states of dimers are calculated with inclusion of exchange interactions of the first J ₀ and second J ₂ orders, and energy state diagrams for dimers with different spins and exchange energies are reported. For heterospin dimers, equations for calculation of the magnetic moment ?? and magnetic susceptibility ?? are introduced, and for homospin dimers, analytical formulas of calculation are presented. The tables of magnetic moments are calculated and their diagrams as a function of J ₀ for homospin dimers with spins S = 5/2, 2, 3/2, 1, and 1/2 are given. The experimental data are interpreted for Co²⁺ dimers as an example: the experimental and theoretical dependences of ?? and ?? on temperature are considered.     

Ion-selective and complexation properties, vibrational spectra, and crystal and molecular structure of 1,5-bis[2-(hydroxyethoxyphosphoryl)phenoxy]-3-oxapentane

The ion-selective properties of 1,5-bis[2-(hydroxyethoxyphosphoryl)phenoxy]-3-oxapentane H₂R² have been described. The molecular and crystal structure of H₂R² has been determined by powder X-ray crystallography and IR spectroscopy. The molecule has the twofold symmetry axis, orthorhombic crystal system, space group Pbcn, a = 16.830(2) ?, b = 8.866(15) ?, c = 15.7190(2) ?, V = 2346.1(6) ?³, Z = 4. A new CuR² · 2H₂O complex has been synthesized and characterized.