Synthesis of molybdenum oxide nanoparticles by nanosecond laser ablation

Phothermal therapy (PTT) is one of the most promising techniques to treat cancer. Finding the ideal PTT agent nanomaterial has remained a challenge and has brought the interest of several researchers. In this work, we report the synthesis of molybdenum oxide (MoOx) nanoparticles (NPs), which exhibit absorption in the biological optical window ~840 nm, by using the laser ablation of solids in liquids (LASL) technique with nanosecond (ns) pulses. A Nd:YAG laser was used to synthesize the NPs in deionized (DI) water, free of surfactants or additives, which were optically characterized by absorption spectroscopy and TEM-EDX microscopy. Semi spherical NPs with a suitable average size and shape for potential use as PTT agents were obtained by laser ablation and ablation + fragmentation. The calculated band gap is 3.1 eV, which corresponds to MoO3. Micro-Raman spectroscopy studies determined that these NPs are composed of amorphous molybdenum oxide hydrates (MoO3 · xH2O)

Networks with arbitrary edge multiplicities

One of the main characteristics of real-world networks is their large clustering. Clustering is one aspect of a more general but much less studied structural organization of networks, i.e. edge multiplicity, defined as the number of triangles in which edges, rather than vertices, participate. Here we show that the multiplicity distribution of real networks is in many cases scale free, and in general very broad. Thus, besides the fact that in real networks the number of edges attached to vertices often has a scale-free distribution, we find that the number of triangles attached to edges can have a scale-free distribution as well. We show that current models, even when they generate clustered networks, systematically fail to reproduce the observed multiplicity distributions. We therefore propose a generalized model that can reproduce networks with arbitrary distributions of vertex degrees and edge multiplicities, and study many of its properties analytically

Individual nodes contribution to the mesoscale of complex networks

The analysis of complex networks is devoted to the statistical characterization of the topology of graphs at different scales of organization in order to understand their functionality. While the modular structure of networks has become an essential element to better apprehend their complexity, the efforts to characterize the mesoscale of networks have focused on the identification of the modules rather than describing the mesoscale in an informative manner. Here we propose a framework to characterize the position every node takes within the modular configuration of complex networks and to evaluate their function accordingly. For illustration, we apply this framework to a set of synthetic networks, empirical neural networks, and to the transcriptional regulatory network of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We find that the architecture of both neuronal and transcriptional networks are optimized for the processing of multisensory information with the coexistence of well-defined modules of specialized components and the presence of hubs conveying information from and to the distinct functional domains

Caracterização do ambiente de ocorrência de espécies arbóreas nativas em ecossistemas de pastagens de Rondônia.

Com o objetivo de caracterizar o ambiente de ocorrência de espécies arbóreas nativas em ecossistemas de pastagens cultivadas em Rondônia, foram realizados levantamentos de campo para coleta de material botânico e georeferenciamento das espécies arbóreas em cinco municípios de Rondônia. Essas informações foram processadas utilizando-se programa de análise de informações geográficas (Terraview 3.3.1). As espécies arbóreas identificadas foram: Enterolobium schomburgkii (Benth.) Benth., Samanea tubulosa (Benth.) Bameby & J.W.Grimes, Amburana acreana (Ducke) A. C. Smith, Swartzia acreana R.S Cowan, Schizolobium amazonicum Hubert ex Ducke, Hymenaea courbaril L., Attalea princeps, Astrocaryum aculeatum G.Mey., Attalea speciosa Mart. ex Spreng., Tabebuia serratifolia (Vahl) G. Nichols, Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. ex DC.) Standl., Jacaranda copia (Aubl.) D. Don, Cordia bicolor A. DC., Ceiba lupuna P.E.Gibbs & Semir., Spondias mombin L., Hevea brasiliensis (Willd.ex A. Juss.) Müll. Arg, Pyssocalymma scaberrimum Pohl., enipa americana L.,Cedrela odorata L., Zanthoxylum cf. riedelianum Engl.. Essas espécies ocorrem com mais frequência em áreas de Latossolo Vermelho Escuro Eutrófico e Solo Litólico Eutrófico, com precipitação variando de 1800 a 1900 mm, cuja vegetação precedente predominante é a Floresta Ombrófila Aberta

Caracterização do ambiente de ocorrência de espécies arbóreas nativas em ecossistemas de pastagens de Rondônia.

Projeto 03.06.06.015.00.0

Potential use of pyriproxyfen for control of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iquitos, Peru

Los efectos del pyriproxyfen fueron evaluados contra una población local de Aedes aegypti (L.) en Iquitos, Perú. Los bioensayos mostraron que el pyriproxyfen previene la emergencia de adultos con concentraciones extremadamente bajas (LC50 = 0,012 ppb). No hubo emergencia de adultos de las muestras de agua obtenidas de los tanques de almacenamiento que habían sido tratados con el equivalente de 50-83 ppb (AI) de pyriproxyfen. Cinco meses después del tratamiento, a pesar de las constantes diluciones de estos tanques, las muestras de agua de estas fuentes continuaron siendo letales para las larvas y pupa

Nitrogen fixation in a landrace of maize is supported by a mucilage-associated diazotrophic microbiota

© 2018 Van Deynze et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Plants are associated with a complex microbiota that contributes to nutrient acquisition, plant growth, and plant defense. Nitrogen-fixing microbial associations are efficient and well characterized in legumes but are limited in cereals, including maize. We studied an indigenous landrace of maize grown in nitrogen-depleted soils in the Sierra Mixe region of Oaxaca, Mexico. This landrace is characterized by the extensive development of aerial roots that secrete a carbohydrate-rich mucilage. Analysis of the mucilage microbiota indicated that it was enriched in taxa for which many known species are diazotrophic, was enriched for homologs of genes encoding nitrogenase subunits, and harbored active nitrogenase activity as assessed by acetylene reduction and 15 N 2 incorporation assays. Field experiments in Sierra Mixe using 15 N natural abundance or 15 N-enrichment assessments over 5 years indicated that atmospheric nitrogen fixation contributed 29%–82% of the nitrogen nutrition of Sierra Mixe maize

Dietary intakes of flavan-3-ols and cardiovascular health: a field synopsis using evidence mapping of randomized trials and prospective cohort studies

Background: There is considerable interest in the impact of increased flavan-3-ol intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes outcomes. Through evidence mapping, we determined the extent of the evidence base to initiate a future systematic review investigating the impact of flavan-3-ol intake on CVD and diabetes outcomes. Methods: We developed a research protocol, convened a technical expert panel (TEP) to refine the specific research questions, conducted a systematic search in multiple databases, double-screened abstracts and full-text articles, performed data extractions, and synthesized the data. We focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies which assessed intakes of flavan-3-ol from foods, beverages, and supplement/extract sources on biomarkers and clinical outcomes of CVD and diabetes. Results: Of 257 eligible articles, 223 and 34 publications contributed to 226 RCTs and 39 prospective cohort studies, respectively. In RCTs, the most frequently studied interventions were cocoa-based products (23.2%); berries (16.1%); tea in the form of green tea (13.9%), black tea (7.2%), or unspecified tea (3.6%); and red wine (11.2%). Mean total flavan-3-ol intake was highest in the cocoa-based trials (618.7 mg/day) and lowest in the interventions feeding red wine (123.7 mg/day). The most frequently reported outcomes were intermediate biomarkers including serum lipid levels (63.4%), blood glucose (50.9%), blood pressure (50.8%), flow-mediated dilation (21.9%), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (21.9%). The included 34 prospective cohort studies predominantly examined exposures to flavan-3-ols (26%), cocoa-based products (23.2%), berries (16.1%), and green tea (13.9%) and CVD incidence and mortality. Conclusion: Through a systematic, evidence-based approach, evidence mapping on flavan-3-ol intake and CVD outcomes demonstrated sufficient data relating to flavan-3ol intake and biomarkers and clinical outcomes of CVD and diabetes. The current evidence base highlights the distribution of available data which both support the development of a future systematic review and identified the research need for future long-term RCTs

The Zoning of Semi-Enclosed Bodies of Water According to the Sediment Pollution: The Bay of Algeciras as a Case Example

This paper reports a study of the occurrence and levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a bay characterised by a chronic persistent impact. A total of 55 sediment samples were taken at different depths up to 111 m in two sampling campaigns. Chemical analyses were carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The results indicate that: (1) significant spatial variations exist, (2) levels of PAHs are related more strongly to the spatial distribution of sediments than to mineralogy/granulometry, (3) the sediments are slightly-to-moderately contaminated by PAHs, and (4) these PAHs derive from pyrolytic and petrogenic sources. Through use of an innovative data classification system (proposed according to depth and spatial location of sampling points), and using factorial and cluster techniques, five zones have been differentiated depending on the contamination level and source

Charge separation relative to the reaction plane in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}= 2.76 TeV

Measurements of charge dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta| < 0.8$ are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudo-rapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.Comment: 12 pages, 3 captioned figures, authors from page 2 to 6, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/286