The Periodic Instability of Diameter of ZnO Nanowires via a Self-oscillatory Mechanism

ZnO nanowires with a periodic instability of diameter were successfully prepared by a thermal physical vapor deposition method. The morphology of ZnO nanowires was investigated by SEM. SEM shows ZnO possess periodic bead-like structure. The instability only appears when the diameter of ZnO nanowires is small. The kinetics and mechanism of Instability was discussed at length. The appearance of the instability is due to negative feed-back mechanism under certain experimental conditions (crystallization temperature, vapor supersaturation, etc)

Chemical Bonding in Tl Cuprates Studied by X-Ray Photoemission

Epitaxial thin films of the Tl cuprate superconductors Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}, and TL{sub 0.78}Bi{sub 0.22}Ba{sub 0.4}Sr{sub 1.6}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 9{minus}{delta}} are studied with x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. These data, together with previous measurements in this lab of Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}CuO{sub 6+{delta}} and TlBa{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}}, comprise a comprehensive data set for a comparative study of Tl cuprates with a range of chemical and electronic properties. In the Cu 2p spectra, a larger energy separation between the satellite and main peaks (E{sub s}-E{sub m}) and a lower intensity ratio (I{sub s}/I{sub m}) are found to correlate with higher values of T{sub c}. Analysis of these spectra within a simple configuration interaction model suggests that higher values of T{sub c} are related to low values of the O 2p {r_arrow} Cu 3d charge transfer energy. In the O 1s region, a smaller bond length between Ba and Cu-O planar oxygen is found to correlate with a lower binding energy for the signal associated with Cu-O bonding, most likely resulting from the increased polarization screening by Ba{sup 2+} ions. For samples near optimum doping, maximum T{sub c} is observed to occur when the Tl 4f{sub 7/2} binding energy is near 117.9 eV, which is near the middle of the range of values observed for Tl cuprates. Higher Tl 4f{sub 7/2} binding energies, corresponding to formal oxidation states nearer Tl{sup 1+}, are also found to correlate with longer bond lengths between Ba and Tl-O planar oxygen, and with higher binding energies of the O 1s signal associated with Tl-O bonding

Influence of storage time on DNA of Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae for accurate detection by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

The shipment and storage conditions of clinical samples pose a major challenge to the detection accuracy of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) when using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The aim of the present study was to explore the influence of storage time at 4°C on the DNA of these pathogens and its effect on their detection by qRT-PCR. CT, NG, and UU positive genital swabs from 70 patients were collected, and DNA of all samples were extracted and divided into eight aliquots. One aliquot was immediately analyzed with qRT-PCR to assess the initial pathogen load, whereas the remaining samples were stored at 4°C and analyzed after 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. No significant differences in CT, NG, and UU DNA loads were observed between baseline (day 0) and the subsequent time points (days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28) in any of the 70 samples. Although a slight increase in DNA levels was observed at day 28 compared to day 0, paired sample t-test results revealed no significant differences between the mean DNA levels at different time points following storage at 4°C (all P>0.05). Overall, the CT, UU, and NG DNA loads from all genital swab samples were stable at 4°C over a 28-day period

Zinc oxide films prepared by sol–gel spin coating technique

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films and micro- and nanostructures are very promising candidates for novel applications in emerging thin-film transistors, solar cells, sensors and optoelectronic devices. In this paper, a low-cost sol-gel spin coating technique was used to fabricate ZnO films on glass substrates. The sol-gel fabrication process of the ZnO films is described. The influence of precursor concentration on the material properties of the ZnO films was investigated. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffractometry were employed to examine the structural properties of the ZnO films. The optical properties of the ZnO films were characterized with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The experimental results reveal that the precursor concentration in the sol-gel spin coating process exerts a strong influence on the properties of the ZnO films. The effects of the precursor concentration are discussed. Document Type: Articl