Strain analysis of multiferroic BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 nanostructures by Raman scattering

We report a Raman scattering investigation of columnar BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 (BFO-CFO) epitaxial thin film nanostructures, where BFO pillars are embedded in a CFO matrix. The feasibility of a strain analysis is illustrated through an investigation of two nanostructures with different BFO-CFO ratios. We show that the CFO matrix presents the same strain state in both nanostructures, while the strain state of the BFO pillars depends on the BFO/CFO ratio with an increasing tensile strain along the out-of-plane direction with decreasing BFO content. Our results demonstrate that Raman scattering allows monitoring strain states in complex 3D multiferroic pillar/matrix composites.Comment: revised version submitted to Appl. Phys. Let

Plant/Leaf traits and adaptive strategies of Cistus species to Mediterranean drought and insolation in southern Portugal

The effects of climate change can result in dramatic consequences in specific ecosystems such as montados that are seriously threatened by the absence of cork and holm oak (Quercus suber and Q. rotundifolia) natural regeneration. Shrubs of the genus Cistus, which are among the most important elements of encroached montados, seem to promote soil rehabilitation and enhance oak regeneration (Simões et al. 2009). In this context, we compared the life strategies and evaluated the potential ability of Cistus species to adapt to the increasing drought expected for the Mediterranean region, and thus their role on the sustainability of cork oak montados

Simultaneous Determination of Human Plasma Levels of Citalopram, Paroxetine, Sertraline, and Their Metabolites by Gas Chromatography—Mass Spectrometry

A gas chromatography—mass spectrometry method is presented which allows the simultaneous determination of the plasma concentrations of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline, and their pharmacologically active N-demethylated metabolites (desmethylcitalopram, didesmethylcitalopram, and desmethylsertraline) after derivatization with the reagent N-methyl-bis(trifluoroacetamide). No interferences from endogenous compounds are observed following the extraction of plasma samples from six different human subjects. The standard curves are linear over a working range of 10-500 ng/mL for citalopram, 10-300 ng/mL for desmethylcitalopram, 5-60 ng/mL for didesmethylcitalopram, 20-400 ng/mL for sertraline and desmethylsertraline, and 10-200 ng/mL for paroxetine. Recoveries measured at three concentrations range from 81 to 118% for the tertiary amines (citalopram and the internal standard methylmaprotiline), 73 to 95% for the secondary amines (desmethylcitalopram, paroxetine and sertraline), and 39 to 66% for the primary amines (didesmethylcitalopram and desmethylsertraline). Intra- and interday coefficients of variation determined at three concentrations range from 3 to 11 % for citalopram and its metabolites, 4 to 15% for paroxetine, and 5 to 13% for sertraline and desmethylsertraline. The limits of quantitation of the method are 2 ng/mL for citalopram and paroxetine, 1 ng/mL for sertraline, and 0.5 ng/mL for desmethylcitalopram, didesmethylcitalopram, and desmethylsertraline. No interferences are noted from 20 other psychotropic drugs. This sensitive and specific method can be used for single-dose pharmacokinetics. It is also useful for therapeutic drug monitoring of these three drugs and could possibly be adapted for the quantitation of the two other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on the market, namely fluoxetine and fluvoxamin

The Effect of Quantum Dot Shell Structure on Fluorescence Quenching By Acridine Ligand

The current strategy for the development of advanced methods of tumor treatment focuses on targeted drug delivery to tumor cells. Quantum dot (QD) - semiconductor fluorescent nanocrystal, conjugated with a pharmacological ligand, such as acridine, ensures real-time tracking of the delivery process of the active substance. However, the problem of QD fluorescence quenching caused by charge transfer can arise in the case when acridine is bound to the QD. We found that QD shell structure has a defining role on photoinduced electron transfer from QD on acridine ligand which leads to quenching of QD photoluminescence. We have found that multishell CdSe/ZnS/CdS/ZnS QD structure provides minimal reduction of photoluminescence quantum yield at minimal shell thickness compared to classical thin ZnS or “giant” shells. Thus, CdSe/ZnS/CdS/ZnS core/multishell QD could be an optimal choice for engineering of small-sized acridine-based fluorescent labels for tumor diagnosis and treatment systems. Keywords: Quantum dot, photoluminescence quenching, DNA ligand, acridine derivative

Mesure des courbes de dispersion des ondes guidées circonférentielles dans une coque elliptique par retournement temporel

Le retournement temporel permet de déterminer la position de sources acoustiques à partir du signal reçu sur un réseau de récepteurs. On s'intéresse au cas d'une source directive mobile, modélisant une onde guidée circonférentielle dans une coque, rayonnant dans le milieu extérieur. L'analyse de la forme des fronts d'onde aux récepteurs détermine la position de la source effective qui dépend de la vitesse de phase. Cette analyse a permis d'étendre au cas de sections elliptiques une méthode de mesure des courbes de dispersion déjà existante pour des sections circulaires