Gold, copper, silver and aluminum nanoantennas to enhance spontaneous emission

We compute the decay rates of emitters coupled to spheroidal nanoantennas made of gold, copper, silver, and aluminum. The spectral position of the localized surface plasmon-polariton resonance, the enhancement factors and the quantum efficiency are investigated as a function of the aspect ratio, background index and the metal composing the nanoantenna. While copper yields results similar to gold, silver and aluminum exhibit different performances. Our results show that with a careful choice of the parameters these nanoantennas can enhance emitters ranging from the UV to the near-IR spectrum.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figure

Protective Effect of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) against Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rat

Ischemia/reperfusion can cause tissue damage and affect organ function. Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) occurs in a variety of clinical manifestations such as stroke, trauma, and surgery. The present study investigated the role of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) on the renal damage after IRI. Rats were assigned to four groups randomly (n = 8): Control group, Sham group, Renal IRI (45 minutes ischemia and subsequently 24 hours reperfusion) and renal IRI + PQQ (10 mg/kg /IP). Serum level of urea, creatinine, TNF-α and IL-6 were measured by a biochemical analyzer using commercial kits. In kidney tissue samples total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured using commercial kits. The results showed that IRI injury increased serum urea, creatinine levels, TNF-α and IL-6 along with MDA, MPO levels in the renal tissue, and decreased renal TAC levels. A decrease in serum urea, creatinine levels as well as MDA, MPO levels of the IR + PQQ group were observed in renal tissues. In addition, TAC levels in the kidney tissues of PQQ-treated animals were improved in comparison with the IRI group. In conclusion, pyrroloquinoline quinone treatment ameliorated renal IR injury by anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory properties. Consequently, it could be promising as a potential therapeutic agent for renal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Comparison to add compost and vermicompost for removal disesel contamination soils using aerobic and anerobic reactor

Background and aims: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of potentially hazardous chemicals of environmental and health concerns. This compounds exhibit toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic properties and are listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as priority pollutants. The aim of this study was the comparison of aerobic and anerobic biodegradation of disesel contamination soils using municipal soil was to and vermicompost. Methods: This experimental study was accomplished in pilot scale with application of a copmpost pile consisting 1000:120 ratio gram soils to gram of petroleum. This mixture was then mixed in a ratio of 1:2 with compost and vermicompost fertilizer separately (two parts soil and one part compost and/or vermicompost). In this research, phenantheren (phc), a three benzene ring compound, was selected as a PAHs representative. Phenanthrene concentration was measured using HPLC after extraction from contaminated soils by ultrasonic method. Results: The results showed that the effective degradation of phc occures during two first weeks, and then the removal rate was decreased gradually. The decomposition rate on phc in the aerobic compost and vermicompost reactors was 89.5±9.1 and 91.7±7.0, respectively. At the same time, 19.2±5.1 and 26.4±5.0 of phc was removed in the anaerobic compost and vermicompost reactors, respectively. According to the results, phc maximum removal rate of 91.7±7.0 was achived in the aerobic vermicompost reactor. Conclusion: This study can be concluded that, with application of bioremediation at the ambient temperature, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may be removed from oil contaminated soils

Weak Wardowski contractive multivalued mappings and solvability of generalized phi-Caputo fractional snap boundary inclusions

In this paper, we introduce the notion of weak Wardowski contractive multivalued mappings and investigate the solvability of generalized '-Caputo snap boundary fractional differential inclusions. Our results utilize some existing results regarding snap boundary fractional differential inclusions. An example is given to illustrate the applicability of our main results

Humour in the classroom

The present study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the use of humour by EFL teachers in a private language institute in the context of Iran. In so doing, the study made an attempt to identify the forms of humour EFL teachers opt to use more frequently in relation to the students’ teaching in the classroom through observing their classroom teachings. Moreover, an interview was held with the EFL teachers to seek their perceptions with regard to the functions humorous language can serve in the process of language teaching and learning and their suggestions as to the implementation of humour in the classroom. The findings of the study demonstrate that Iranian EFL teachers show the inclination to use jokes, physical humour and riddles more frequently than other forms of humour. Moreover, the results of the interview reveal that EFL teachers assign some more commonly functions to the humorous language in the classroom such as creating a cheerful and friendly atmosphere, acting as a relaxing, comforting, and tension reducing device, increasing student interest and enjoyment, increasing learners’ concentration and motivation, and finally improving the quality of learning. Finally, the suggestions for appropriate use of humour and implications of the study are discussed in the result and conclusion sections, respectively