Tuning the electrocaloric enhancement near the morphotropic phase boundary in lead-free ceramics

This project was funded by EPSRC (EP/G060940/1 and EP/P505674/1) and the Grant Agency of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (2/0057/14)

A Model for Isotropic Crystal Growth from Vapor on a Patterned Substrate

We developed a consistent mathematical model for isotropic crystal growth on a substrate covered by the mask material with a periodic series of parallel long trenches where the substrate is exposed to the vapor phase. Surface diffusion and the flux of particles from vapor are assumed to be the main mechanisms of growth. A geometrical approach to the motion of crystal surface in two dimensions is adopted and nonlinear evolution equations are solved by a finite-difference method. The model allows the direct computation of the crystal surface shape, as well as the study of the effects due to mask regions of effectively nonzero thickness. As in experiments, lateral overgrowth of crystal onto the mask and enhanced growth in the region near the contact of the crystal and the mask is found, as well as the comparable crystal shapes. The growth rates in vertical and lateral directions are investigated.Comment: 21 pages; submitted to the Journal of Crystal Growt

Byrsonima Crassa Niedenzu (ik): Antimicrobial Activity And Chemical Study

The methanolic extract of leaves from Byrsonima crassa, a Brazilian medicinal plant, was analyzed by CC and HPLC. Four constituents were isolated and identified as quercetin, methyl gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate and quercetin-3-O-(2″-galloyl)-α-L-arabinopyranoside. The methanolic and hydromethanolic extract, as well as fractions, were evaluated regarding their possible antimicrobial activity using in vitro methods. Results showed that both extracts and fractions exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against all tested strains.2617175Agrawal, P.K., (1989) Carbon 13NMR of Flavonoids, , Amsterdam:ElsevierAlzoreky, N.S., Nakahara, K., Antibacterial activity of extracts from some edible plants commonly consumed in Asia (2003) Int J Food Microbiol, 80, pp. 223-230Amarqiuise, A., Che, C.T., Bejar, E., Malone, M.H., Fong, H.H.S., A New Glycolipid from Byrsonima crassifolia (1994) Planta Med, 60, pp. 85-86Basile, A., Sorbo, S., Giordano, S., Ricciardi, L., Ferrara, S., Montesano, D., Cobianchi, R.C., Ferrara, L., Antibacterial and allelopathic activity of extract from Castanea sativa leaves (2000) Fitoterapia, 71, pp. S110-S116Bauer, A.W., Kirby, M.D.K., Sherries, J.C., Truck, M., Antibiotic susceptibilities testing by standard single disc diffusion method (1966) Am J Clin Pathol, 45, pp. 493-496Bejar, E., Amarquaye, A., Che, C.T., Malone, M.H., Fong, H.H.S., Constituents of Byrsonima crassifolia and their spasmogenic activity (1995) Int J Pharmacog, 33, pp. 25-32Binutu, O.A., Cordell, G.A., Gallic acid derivatives from Mezoneuron benthamianum leaves (2000) Pharm Biol, 38, pp. 284-286Djipa, C.D., Delmee, M., Quetin-Leclercq, J., Antimicrobial activity of bark extracts of Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston (Myrtaceae) (2000) J Ethnopharmacol, 71, pp. 307-313Geiss, F., Heinrich, M., Hunkler, D., Rimpler, H., Heinrich, M., Proanthocyanidins with (+)-epicatechin units from Byrsonima crassifolia bark (1995) Phytochemistry, 39, pp. 635-643Gottlieb, O.R., Henriques Mendes, P., Taveira Magalhães, M., Triterpenoids from Byrsonima verbascifolia (1975) Phytochemistry, 14, pp. 1456-1456Harborne, J.B., (1996) The Flavonoids: Advances in Research since 1986, , New York:Chapman & HallLopez, A., Hudson, J.B., Towers, G.H.N., Antiviral and antimicrobial activities of Colombian medicinal plants (2001) J Ethnopharmacol, 77, pp. 189-196Martínez-Vasquéz, M., González-Esquinca, A.R., Cazares Luna, L., Moreno Gutiérrez, M.N., García-Argáez, A.N., Antimicrobial activity of Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) H.B.K (1999) J Ethnopharmacol, 66, pp. 79-82Mendes, C.C., Cruz, F.G., David, J.M., Nascimento, I.P., David, J.P., Triterpenes esterified with fatty acid and triterpene acids isolated from Byrsonima microphylla (1999) Quím Nova, 22, pp. 185-188Nascimento, G.G.F., Locatelli, J., Freitas, P.C., Silva, G.L., Antibacterial activity of plants extracts and phytochemicals on antibiotic-resistant bacteria (2000) Braz J Microbiol, 31, pp. 247-256(2003) Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Disc Susceptibility Tests, , Approved Standard M2-A7, Pennsylvania:WaynePenna, C., Marino, S., Vivot, E., Cruanes, M.C., Munoz, J.D., Cruanes, J., Ferraro, G., Martino, V., Antimicrobial activity of Argentine plants used in the treatment of infectious diseases. Isolation of active compounds from Sebastiania brasiliensis (2001) J Ethnopharmacol, 77, pp. 37-40Pretorius, J.C., Magama, S., Zietsman, P.C., Purification and identification of antibacterial compounds from Euclea crispa subsp crispa (Ebenaceae) leaves (2003) S Afr J Bot, 69, pp. 579-586Rastrelli, L., De Tommasi, N., Berger, I., Caceres, A., Saravia, A., De Simone, F., Glycolipids from Byrsonima crassifolia (1997) Phytochemistry, 45, pp. 647-650Sannomiya, M., Rodrigues, C.M., Coelho, R.G., Santos, L.C., Hiruma-Lima, C.A., Souza Brito, A.R.M., Vilegas, W., Application of preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography for the separation of flavonoids from the leaves of Byrsonima crassa Niedenzu (IK) (2004) J Chromatogr A, 1035, pp. 47-51Sannomiya, M., Fonseca, V.B., Da Silva, M.A., Rocha, L.R.M., Dos Santos, L.C., Souza, H.C.A., Brito, A.R.M., Vilegas, W., Flavonoids and antiulcerogenic activity from Byrsonima crassa leaves extracts (2005) J Ethnopharmacol, 97, pp. 1-6Silva, S.R., Silva, A.P., Munhoz, C.B., Silva Jr., M.C., Medeiros, M.B., (2001) Guia de Plantas Do Cerrado Utilizadas Na Chapada Dos Veadeiros, , Brasília:WWF58pSrinivasan, D., Nathan, S., Suresh, T., Perumalsamy, P.L., Antimicrobial activity of certain Indian medicinal plants used in folkloric medicine (2001) J Ethnopharmacol, 74, pp. 217-220Wagner, H., Bladt, H., Zgainski, E.M., (1984) Plant Drug Analysis, , Berlin:Springer320

Twinning superlattices in indium phosphide nanowires

Here, we show that we control the crystal structure of indium phosphide (InP) nanowires by impurity dopants. We have found that zinc decreases the activation barrier for 2D nucleation growth of zinc-blende InP and therefore promotes the InP nanowires to crystallise in the zinc blende, instead of the commonly found wurtzite crystal structure. More importantly, we demonstrate that we can, by controlling the crystal structure, induce twinning superlattices with long-range order in InP nanowires. We can tune the spacing of the superlattices by the wire diameter and the zinc concentration and present a model based on the cross-sectional shape of the zinc-blende InP nanowires to quantitatively explain the formation of the periodic twinning.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Identification of productive and futile encounters in an electron transfer protein complex

Macromolecular Biochemistr

Search for the Θ+\Theta^{+} pentaquark via the π−p→K−X\pi^-p\to K^-X reaction at 1.92 GeV/cc

The $\Theta^+$ pentaquark baryon was searched for via the $\pi^-p\to K^-X$ reaction in a missing-mass resolution of 1.4 MeV/$c^2$(FWHM) at J-PARC. $\pi^-$ meson beams were incident on the liquid hydrogen target with the beam momentum of 1.92 GeV/$c$. No peak structure corresponding to the $\Theta^+$ mass was observed. The upper limit of the production cross section averaged over the scattering angle of 2$^{\circ}$ to 15$^{\circ}$ in the laboratory frame was obtained to be 0.26 $\mu$b/sr in the mass region of 1.51$-$1.55 GeV/$c^2$.The upper limit of the $\Theta^+$ decay width using the effective Lagrangian approach was obtained to be 0.72 MeV/$c^2$ and 3.1 MeV/$c^2$ for $J^P_{\Theta}=1/2^+$ and $J^P_{\Theta}=1/2^-$, respectively.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Gastric Ulcers in Middle-Aged Rats: The Healing Effect of Essential Oil from Citrus aurantium

The elderly population has experienced increased life expectancy as well as the increased incidence of gastric ulcers. The peels of fruits from Citrus aurantium L., popularly known in Brazil as orange bitter, are commonly used asatea form for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract disorders, such as ulcer and gastritis. We evaluated the healing effects of essential oil from the peels of Citrus aurantium fruits (OEC) on gastric ulcers in middle-aged rats. We examined the effects of a 14-day chronic OEC treatment on gastric mucosa in middle-aged male Wistar rats that were given acetic-acid-induced gastric lesions by morphometric and immunohistological analyses. Oral OEC treatment significantly reduced the lesion area (76%) within the gastric mucosa and significantly increased (P<.05) the height of regenerated mucosa (59%) when compared to the negative control group. Immunohistochemical analysis of the molecular markers such as COX-2, HSP-70, VEGF, and PCNA in the gastric mucosa confirmed that OEC treatment induced healing effects by increasing the number of new blood vessels and by augmenting gastric mucus in the mucosa glands. These results suggest that the oil from Citrus aurantium effectively heals gastric ulcers in middle-aged animals; however, safe use of OEC demands special care and precautions

Prediction of Anisotropic Single-Dirac-Cones in Bi1−x{}_{1-x}Sbx{}_{x} Thin Films

The electronic band structures of Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_{x}$ thin films can be varied as a function of temperature, pressure, stoichiometry, film thickness and growth orientation. We here show how different anisotropic single-Dirac-cones can be constructed in a Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_{x}$ thin film for different applications or research purposes. For predicting anisotropic single-Dirac-cones, we have developed an iterative-two-dimensional-two-band model to get a consistent inverse-effective-mass-tensor and band-gap, which can be used in a general two-dimensional system that has a non-parabolic dispersion relation as in a Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_{x}$ thin film system