Evolution of dynamical motions in monolayer protected metal-clusters

Here we report orientational dynamics in monolayer protected metal-cluster (MPC) systems as studied by quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) technique. Experiments carried out using two different instruments having very different energy windows, thus covering a time scale of 10-9-10-12 s. Clear evidence of absence of 'rotator phase' has been found in isolated MPCs (Au-SC18H37, Au-SC12H25, Au-SC8H17 and Au-SC6H13), a superlattice MPC (Ag-SC18H37) as well as planar thiolates (Ag-SC6H13, Ag-SC12H25, Ag-SC18H37) at room temperature. However, dynamics were found to evolve on increase of temperature and its behaviour is found to be different in the superlattice and isolated cluster systems. Detailed dynamical informations for MPCs are obtained for the first time in these systems

Evolutionary consequences of feedbacks between within-host competition and disease control

Lay Summary: Competition often occurs among diverse parasites within a single host, but control efforts could change its strength. We examined how the interplay between competition and control could shape the evolution of parasite traits like drug resistance and disease severity

Advanced glycoxidation and lipoxidation end products (AGEs and ALEs): an overview of their mechanisms of formation

Advanced lipoxidation end products (ALEs) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have a pathogenetic role in the development and progression of different oxidative-based diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurological disorders. AGEs and ALEs represent a quite complex class of compounds that are formed by different mechanisms, by heterogeneous precursors and that can be formed either exogenously or endogenously. There is a wide interest in AGEs and ALEs involving different aspects of research which are essentially focused on set-up and application of analytical strategies (1) to identify, characterize, and quantify AGEs and ALEs in different pathophysiological conditions ; (2) to elucidate the molecular basis of their biological effects ; and (3) to discover compounds able to inhibit AGEs/ALEs damaging effects not only as biological tools aimed at validating AGEs/ALEs as drug target, but also as promising drugs. All the above-mentioned research stages require a clear picture of the chemical formation of AGEs/ALEs but this is not simple, due to the complex and heterogeneous pathways, involving different precursors and mechanisms. In view of this intricate scenario, the aim of the present review is to group the main AGEs and ALEs and to describe, for each of them, the precursors and mechanisms of formation

Non-Gaussian behavior of crystalline and amorphous phases of polyethylene

We report on measurements of the incoherent elastic neutron-scattering intensity I-el(Q) of polyethylenes with degrees of crystallinity 0.46 and 0.96 in a wide Q (length of scattering vector) range from 0.4 to 6.2 Angstrom(-1) to observe the deviation from the Gaussian behavior. The non-Gaussian behavior was observed in both the amorphous and the crystalline phases. The non-Gaussian behavior in the theoretically well-known crystalline phase can be understood more or less quantitatively;in terms of the anisotropy of the mean-square displacement. The result implies that at least a part of the non-Gaussian behavior of the amorphous phase is due to the same source, while another part may be due to the dynamical heterogeneity inherent to the amorphous phase