Energy and volume of vector fields on spherical domains

We present in this paper a \boundary version" for theorems about minimality of volume and energy functionals on a spherical domain of threedimensional Euclidean sphere

Rigidity of Curvature Bounds of Quotient Spaces Of Isometric Actions

Let $G\curvearrowright M$ be an isometric action of a Lie Group on a complete orientable Riemannian manifold. We disintegrate absolutely continuous measures with respect to the volume measure of $M$ along the principal orbits of $G\curvearrowright M$ and define a functional on the probability measures with support on the principal orbits of the action to further prove that the convexity properties of this functional guarantees necessary and sufficient conditions to the Ricci curvature of $M$ to be bound below by a given real number $K$.Comment: 22 page

The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang exponents for the 2+12+1 dimensions

The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation has been connected to a large number of important stochastic processes in physics, chemistry and growth phenomena, ranging from classical to quantum physics. The central quest in this field is the search for ever more precise universal growth exponents. Notably, exact growth exponents are only known for $1+1$ dimensions. In this work, we present physical and geometric analytical methods that directly associate these exponents to the fractal dimension of the rough interface. Based on this, we determine the growth exponents for the $2+1$ dimensions, which are in agreement with the results of thin films experiments and precise simulations. We also make a first step towards a solution in $d+1$ dimensions, where our results suggest the inexistence of an upper critical dimension

Mechanochemistry in Portugal—A Step towards Sustainable Chemical Synthesis

LA/P/0140/2020 DL 57/2016 Norma transitória.In Portugal, publications with mechanochemical methods date back to 2009, with the report on mechanochemical strategies for the synthesis of metallopharmaceuticals. Since then, mechanochemical applications have grown in Portugal, spanning several fields, mainly crystal engineering and supramolecular chemistry, catalysis, and organic and inorganic chemistry. The area with the most increased development is the synthesis of multicomponent crystal forms, with several groups synthesizing solvates, salts, and cocrystals in which the main objective was to improve physical properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredients. Recently, non-crystalline materials, such as ionic liquids and amorphous solid dispersions, have also been studied using mechanochemical methods. An area that is in expansion is the use of mechanochemical synthesis of bioinspired metal-organic frameworks with an emphasis in antibiotic coordination frameworks. The use of mechanochemistry for catalysis and organic and inorganic synthesis has also grown due to the synthetic advantages, ease of synthesis, scalability, sustainability, and, in the majority of cases, the superior properties of the synthesized materials. It can be easily concluded that mechanochemistry is expanding in Portugal in diverse research areas.publishersversionpublishe

Observation of Replica Symmetry Breaking in the 1D Anderson Localization Regime in an Erbium-Doped Random Fiber Laser

The analogue of the paramagnetic to spin-glass phase transition in disordered magnetic systems, leading to the phenomenon of replica symmetry breaking, has been recently demonstrated in a two-dimensional random laser consisting of an organic-based amorphous solid-state thin film. We report here the first demonstration of replica symmetry breaking in a one-dimensional photonic system consisting of an erbium-doped random fiber laser operating in the continuous-wave regime based on a unique random fiber grating system, which plays the role of the random scatterers and operates in the Anderson localization regime. The clear transition from a photonic paramagnetic to a photonic spin glass phase, characterized by the probability distribution function of the Parisi overlap, was verified and characterized. In this unique system, the radiation field interacts only with the gain medium, and the fiber grating, which provides the disordered feedback mechanism, does not interfere with the pump

Antibacterial protein-based fibres: combining recombinant DNA technology with electrospinning

[Excerpt] With the increasing healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms there is a demand not only for new antimicrobial compounds but also for antimicrobial materials. Genetically engineered protein polymers functionalized with bioactive domains offer potential as multifunctional versatile materials for biomedical use. The present work describes the fabrication and characterization of antimicrobial fibre mats comprising the antimicrobial elastin-like recombinamer CM4-A200 [1]. [...]This work was supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01- 0145-FEDER- 007569) through FCT I.P. and by ERDF through COMPETE2020 - POCI. The authors are grateful for funding from FCT (project “FunBioPlas” ERA-IB-2-6/0004/2014) and a fellowship to RM (SFRH-BPD/86470/2012). The authors also thank support from the COST Action MP1206

Genetically engineered protein-based polymers with broad antimicrobial activity for biomedical applications

With increasing healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms there is a demand not only for new antimicrobial compounds but also for antimicrobial materials. With the use of synthetic protein biotechnology approaches and recombinant DNA technology, we can now create new tailor-made materials with precise control over its sequence. Indeed, by combining antimicrobial activity of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with recombinant protein-based polymers, such as elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs), it is possible to create novel materials that can be explored for the development of advanced antimicrobial medical devices. In the present work, we have functionalized an ELR with AMPs for the development of biopolymers with antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial ELRs were designed by cloning the DNA sequence coding for d

Electrospun fibres of an elastin-like polymer functionalized with an antimicrobial domain

This work describes the production and characterization of nanofibres of a functionalized elastin-like recombinamer (ELR). The polymer was functionalized with an antimicrobial peptide domain by means of recombinant DNA technology and processed by electrospinning. The electrospun fibres were characterized for their morphology, physical-chemical, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity properties. The electrospun membranes showed no cytotoxicity against skin-related cell lines, suggesting the potential applicability of these materials for skin tissue engineering.This work was supported by FEDER through POFC – COMPETE and by Portuguese funds from FCT through the project PEst-OE/BIA/UI4050/2014. By the Spanish Minister of Economy and Competitiveness (MAT2012-38043-C02-01) and Junta de Castilla y León-JCyL (VA152A12-2 and VA155A12-2), Spain. AC, VS and RM, acknowledge FCT for SFRH/BD/75882/2011, SFRH/BPD/63148/2009 and SFRH-BPD/86470/2012 grants, respectively. The authors also thank support from the COST Action MP1206 “Electrospun Nano-fibres for bio inspired composite materials and innovative industrial applications”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optical Harmonic Vernier Effect: A New Tool for High Performance Interferometric Fiber Sensors

The optical Vernier effect magnifies the sensing capabilities of an interferometer, allowing for unprecedented sensitivities and resolutions to be achieved. Just like a caliper uses two different scales to achieve higher resolution measurements, the optical Vernier effect is based on the overlap in the responses of two interferometers with slightly detuned interference signals. Here, we present a novel approach in detail, which introduces optical harmonics to the Vernier effect through Fabry–Perot interferometers, where the two interferometers can have very different frequencies in the interferometric pattern. We demonstrate not only a considerable enhancement compared to current methods, but also better control of the sensitivity magnification factor, which scales up with the order of the harmonics, allowing us to surpass the limits of the conventional Vernier effect as used today. In addition, this novel concept opens also new ways of dimensioning the sensing structures, together with improved fabrication tolerances