Charge carrier injection into insulating media: single-particle versus mean-field approach

Self-consistent, mean-field description of charge injection into a dielectric medium is modified to account for discreteness of charge carriers. The improved scheme includes both the Schottky barrier lowering due to the individual image charge and the barrier change due to the field penetration into the injecting electrode that ensures validity of the model at both high and low injection rates including the barrier dominated and the space-charge dominated regimes. Comparison of the theory with experiment on an unipolar ITO/PPV/Au-device is presented.Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures; revised version accepted to PR

Morphogenesis, pigment content, phytohormones and yield of tomatoes under the action of gibberellin and tebuconazole

One of the main tasks of contemporary plant physiology is regulation of growth and development of cultivated plants in order to optimize the productive process. The scientific community focuses its attention on the use of natural activators and growth inhibitors. We investigated the effect of foliar treatment with 0.005% solution of gibberellic acid and 0.025% solution of the anti-gibberellic preparation tebuconazole on morphogenesis, leaf mesostructure, content of photosynthetic pigments, balance of endogenous phytobrybrides and lymphocyte B and productivity of tomatoes. The vegetation experiment was carried out in the conditions of soil-sand culture in vessels with a 10-liter volume. The treatment was carried out in the budding phase. Morphometric parameters were measured every 10 days. The mesostructure of the middle tier leaves was studied in the fruit formation phase, and the chlorophyll content was determined in the raw material by spectrophotometric method. Analytical determination of endogenous phytohormones – indolyl-3-acetic (IAA), gibberellic acid and abscisic (ABA) acids and cytokinins – zeatin (Z), zeatin-O-glucoside (ZG), zeatinribozide (Znila) and isopentenyladenosine (iPA) was performed by high performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). With gibberellic acid treatment plant height increased significantly, while with tebuconazole it decreased. Gibberellic acid increased the number of leaves per plant, and tebuconazole did not change it. The preparations increased the number of leaf blades per leaf, the total number of leaf blades per plant, the weight of the raw material of leaves, the area of leaf blades and the area of the leaves at the end of the study period. The dry matter weight of stems and roots under the action of gibberellic acid increased, and during the treatment of tebuconazole decreased. Gibberellic acid increased the dry matter of the whole plant, and tebuconazole did not change it. Under the action of tebuconazole the content of chlorophyll in the leaves increased, while under the action of gibberellic acid it decreased. Both regulators increased the volume of columnar parenchyma cells. Gibberellic acid increased the size of spongy parenchyma cells, while tebuconazole did not change them. It is revealed that the action of exogenous gibberellic acid in stems and leaves increased the content of endogenous IAA and gibberellic acid, and tebuconazole decreased their content. The ABA content in stems and leaves increased with tebuconazole treatments and decreased with exogenous gibberellic acid. The total cytokinin content in the leaves was higher than in the stems in both the control and the experiment samples. Growth regulators induced an increase in the cytokinin pool in leaves and a decrease in stems. Gibberellic acid increased the content of all five forms of cytokinins in the leaves, and tebuconazole increased only two isoforms. In the stems under the action of both growth regulators the content of Z decreased and iP increased. The content of ZR and iPA in stems increased after the application of the retardant and decreased under the action of growth stimulant. The ZG content exceeded the control after gibberellic acid treatment and was in trace concentrations under the action of tebuconazole. Growth regulators optimized the productivity of tomato plants: under the action of gibberellic acid there was a considerable increase in the number of fruits per plant, and after the use of tebuconazole the average weight of one fruit significantly increased. The obtained results demonstrated that anatomical-morphological and structural-functional rearrangements in tomato plants under the action of exogenous gibberellic acid and tebuconazole occurred against the background of changes in the balance and distribution of endogenous hormones. Increased photosynthetic activity, stimulation of growth processes of some plant organs and inhibition of others increased the biological crop capacity

Children's meningitis

У статті автори провели літературний огляд вказаної нозології та відобразили клінічний приклад дитини з діагнозом: Гострий серозний менінгоенцефаліт, базально-стволова форма, тяжкий перебіг (виділені мікобактерії туберкульозу); Актуальность проблемы обусловлена тем, что каждый год в Украине среди детей фиксируют диагноз: менингит от 800 до 1200 случаев, из них около 100 имеют летальное завершение. В статье авторы провели литературный обзор указанной нозологии и разобрали клинический пример ребёнка с диагнозом: острый серозний менингоенцефалит, базально-стволовая форма, тяжёлое течение (выделены МБ туберкулёза); The authors conducted a literature review of those given nosology and lead a clinical example of a child with a diagnosis of acute serous meningoentsefalit, basal stem form, severe course (founded mycobacteria of tuberculosis)

Self-consistent Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration from Anisotropic Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

We present a series of models for the plasma properties along open magnetic flux tubes rooted in solar coronal holes, streamers, and active regions. These models represent the first self-consistent solutions that combine: (1) chromospheric heating driven by an empirically guided acoustic wave spectrum, (2) coronal heating from Alfven waves that have been partially reflected, then damped by anisotropic turbulent cascade, and (3) solar wind acceleration from gradients of gas pressure, acoustic wave pressure, and Alfven wave pressure. The only input parameters are the photospheric lower boundary conditions for the waves and the radial dependence of the background magnetic field along the flux tube. For a single choice for the photospheric wave properties, our models produce a realistic range of slow and fast solar wind conditions by varying only the coronal magnetic field. Specifically, a 2D model of coronal holes and streamers at solar minimum reproduces the latitudinal bifurcation of slow and fast streams seen by Ulysses. The radial gradient of the Alfven speed affects where the waves are reflected and damped, and thus whether energy is deposited below or above the Parker critical point. As predicted by earlier studies, a larger coronal ``expansion factor'' gives rise to a slower and denser wind, higher temperature at the coronal base, less intense Alfven waves at 1 AU, and correlative trends for commonly measured ratios of ion charge states and FIP-sensitive abundances that are in general agreement with observations. These models offer supporting evidence for the idea that coronal heating and solar wind acceleration (in open magnetic flux tubes) can occur as a result of wave dissipation and turbulent cascade. (abridged abstract)Comment: 32 pages (emulateapj style), 18 figures, ApJ Supplement, in press (v. 171, August 2007

Evidence for electron Landau damping in space plasma turbulence

How turbulent energy is dissipated in weakly collisional space and astrophysical plasmas is a major open question. Here, we present the application of a field-particle correlation technique to directly measure the transfer of energy between the turbulent electromagnetic field and electrons in the Earth's magnetosheath, the region of solar wind downstream of the Earth's bow shock. The measurement of the secular energy transfer from the parallel electric field as a function of electron velocity shows a signature consistent with Landau damping. This signature is coherent over time, close to the predicted resonant velocity, similar to that seen in kinetic Alfven turbulence simulations, and disappears under phase randomisation. This suggests that electron Landau damping could play a significant role in turbulent plasma heating, and that the technique is a valuable tool for determining the particle energisation processes operating in space and astrophysical plasmas.STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship [ST/N003748/2]; NASA HSR grant [NNX16AM23G]; NSF CAREER Award [AGS-1054061]; NASA HGI grant [80NSSC18K0643]; NASA MMS GI grant [80NSSC18K1371]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Physiological and hereditary hyperbilirubinemia in athletes: role in reducing efficiency and correction methodology

Under high-intensity loads, the athlete's bodies take place a number of biochemical reactions and physiological processes that can lead to hyperbilirubinemia. The factors that can initiate the onset of this phenomenon include the syndrome of micro-damage muscle, violation of the integrity of erythrocyte membranes, decreased blood pH, malnutrition and increase oxygen demand of the body. Degree of expression of manifestations of physiological bilirubinemia depends on the level of adaptation of the athlete to the physical activities offered. Hyperbilirubinemia in athletes can be one of the components of the deterioration of the functional state, forming the symptoms of endogenous intoxication. The relevance of this problem in sport lies in the relatively low detection rate of hyperbilirubinemia due to the lack of regular screening studies. However, in drawing up a plan of nutritional- metabolic support for training and competitive activity and recovery measures, must not only the individual reaction of the athlete body to physical activity, but also the severity of shifts in the indicators of bilirubin metabolism and their ratio. The article describes the reasons for the increase in bilirubin levels, which can be caused by both the effect of physical activity and by the presence of pathological processes in athletes. The factors influencing the blood serum’s bilirubin content are also highlighted, which include the state of erythrocyte cell membranes and the rate of hemoglobin destruction, the functional state of the liver, the specifics of physical loads and the use of ergogenic pharmacological agents by athletes. Particular accent has been placed on the illumination of hereditary hyperbilirubinemias, which may have been detected at the stage of selection of athletes.[...]Mokytojų rengimo institutasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Key indicators of serotonin synthesis in rat brain under chronic alcohol effect

Key indicators of serotonin synthesis in the brain of rats with experimental chronic alcohol intoxication were investigated. Content of tryptophan in rat brain during the period of chronic alcohol intoxication was increased. During withdrawal symptoms, a reduction in tryptophan content in comparison with its value during the administration of alcohol solution was shown. An increased activity, a key and rate limiting enzyme of serotonin biosynthesis path – tryptophan-hydroxylase in rat brain at later stages of experimental chronic alcohol intoxication was shown. Serotonin content in rat brain decreased during the period of chronic alcohol intoxication. At the 11th day of administration of 30% solution of ethanol and during the withdrawal syndrome, growth of monoaminoxygenase activity – enzyme that controls the degradation of 5-hydroxytryptamine – was shown. These results suggest the involvement of serotonergic neurotransmitter systems in pathogenesis of brain development at chronic alcohol intoxication in rats