Spin-Resolved Magneto-Tunneling and Giant Anisotropic g-Factor in Broken Gap InAs-GaSb Core-Shell Nanowires.

We experimentally and computationally investigate the magneto-conductance across the radial heterojunction of InAs-GaSb core-shell nanowires under a magnetic field, B, up to 30 T and at temperatures in the range 4.2-200 K. The observed double-peak negative differential conductance markedly blue-shifts with increasing B. The doublet accounts for spin-polarized currents through the Zeeman split channels of the InAs (GaSb) conduction (valence) band and exhibits strong anisotropy with respect to B orientation and marked temperature dependence. Envelope function approximation and a semiclassical (WKB) approach allow to compute the magnetic quantum states of InAs and GaSb sections of the nanowire and to estimate the B-dependent tunneling current across the broken-gap interface. Disentangling different magneto-transport channels and a thermally activated valence-to-valence band transport current, we extract the g-factor from the spin-up and spin-down dI/dV branch dispersion, revealing a giant, strongly anisotropic g-factor in excess of 60 (100) for the radial (tilted) field configurations.

Interactions of benzene, naphthalene, and azulene with alkali-metal and alkaline-earth-metal atoms for ultracold studies.

We consider collisional properties of polyatomic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules immersed into ultracold atomic gases and investigate intermolecular interactions of exemplary benzene, naphthalene, and azulene with alkali-metal (Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) and alkaline-earth-metal (Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba) atoms. We apply the state-of-the-art ab initio techniques to compute the potential energy surfaces (PESs). We use the coupled cluster method restricted to single, double, and noniterative triple excitations to reproduce the correlation energy and the small-core energy-consistent pseudopotentials to model the scalar relativistic effects in heavier metal atoms. We also report the leading long-range isotropic and anisotropic dispersion and induction interaction coefficients. The PESs are characterized in detail, and the nature of intermolecular interactions is analyzed and benchmarked using symmetry-adapted perturbation theory. The full three-dimensional PESs are provided for the selected systems within the atom-bond pairwise additive representation and can be employed in scattering calculations. The present study of the electronic structure is the first step toward the evaluation of prospects for sympathetic cooling of polyatomic aromatic molecules with ultracold atoms. We suggest azulene, an isomer of naphthalene which possesses a significant permanent electric dipole moment and optical transitions in the visible range, as a promising candidate for electric field manipulation and buffer-gas or sympathetic cooling.

Single nucleotide polymorphism detection using gold nanoprobes and bio-microfluidic platform with embedded microlenses.

The use of microfluidics platforms combined with the optimal optical properties of gold nanoparticles has found plenty of application in molecular biosensing. This paper describes a bio-microfluidic platform coupled to a non-cross-linking colorimetric gold nanoprobe assay to detect a single nucleotide polymorphism associated with increased risk of obesity fat-mass and obesity-associated (FTO) rs9939609 (Carlos et al., 2014). The system enabled significant discrimination between positive and negative assays using a target DNA concentration of 5 ng/µL below the limit of detection of the conventionally used microplate reader (i.e., 15 ng/µL) with 10 times lower solution volume (i.e., 3 µL). A set of optimization of our previously reported bio-microfluidic platform (Bernacka-Wojcik et al., 2013) resulted in a 160% improvement of colorimetric analysis results. Incorporation of planar microlenses increased 6 times signal-to-loss ratio reaching the output optical fiber improving by 34% the colorimetric analysis of gold nanoparticles, while the implementation of an optoelectronic acquisition system yielded increased accuracy and reduced noise. The microfluidic chip was also integrated with a miniature fiber spectrometer to analyze the assays' colorimetric changes and also the LEDs transmission spectra when illuminating through various solutions. Furthermore, by coupling an optical microscope to a digital camera with a long exposure time (30 s), we could visualise the different scatter intensities of gold nanoparticles within channels following salt addition. These intensities correlate well to the expected difference in aggregation between FTO positive (none to small aggregates) and negative samples (large aggregates).

A Study of the Long-Term Electrochemical Stability of Thin-Film Titanium-Platinum Microelectrodes and Their Comparison to Classic, Wire-Based Platinum Microelectrodes in Selected Inorganic Electrolytes.

This paper discusses the electrochemical properties of thin-film, planar, titanium-platinum (Ti-Pt) microelectrodes fabricated using glass or silicon substrates and compares their performance to the classic platinum (Pt) microelectrodes embedded in glass. To analyze the possible differences coming both from the size of the tested electrodes as well as from the substrate, short- and long-term electrochemical tests were performed on selected water electrolytes (KCl, HCl, KOH). To study the electrochemical response of the electrodes, the cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements were carried out at different scanning rates (from 5 to 200 mV/s). Long-term tests were also conducted, including one thousand cycles with a 100 mV/s scan rate to investigate the stability of the tested electrodes. Before and after electrochemical measurements, the film morphology was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The good quality of the thin-film Pt electrodes and the high repeatability in electrochemical response have been shown. There are minor differences in standard deviation values taken from electrochemical measurements, comparing thin-film and wire-based electrodes. Damages or any changes on the electrodes' surfaces were revealed by SEM observations after long-term electrochemical tests.

Dual Optical Cycling Centers Mounted on an Organic Scaffold: New Insights from Quantum Chemistry Calculations and Symmetry Analysis.

Molecules cooled to ultracold temperatures are desirable for applications in fundamental physics and quantum information science. However, cooling polyatomic molecules with more than six atoms has not yet been achieved. Building on the idea of an optical cycling center (OCC), a moiety supporting a set of localized and isolated electronic states within a polyatomic molecule, molecules with two OCCs (bi-OCCs) may afford better cooling efficiency by doubling the photon scattering rate. By using quantum chemistry calculations, we assess the extent of the coupling of the two OCCs with each other and the molecular scaffold. We show that promising coolable bi-OCC molecules can be proposed by following chemical design principles.

Effects of preharvest sprays of iodine, selenium and calcium on apple biofortification and their quality and storability.

The low dietary intake of iodine (I) and selenium (Se) by humans leads to serious health and socioeconomic problems. Therefore, enrichment of plants with I and Se using fertilisers containing these micronutrients is commonly recommended. In this study, we examined the impacts of combined spraying of I as iodide or iodate, Se as selenite or selenate, and calcium (Ca) as Ca-chloride on the enrichment of 'Red Jonaprince' (Malus domestica Borth.) apples, as well as fruit quality and their storability. Sprays were applied 2 weeks before harvest at rates of 0.5 kg I, 0.25 kg Se and 7 kg Ca per ha. Trees not sprayed with these nutrients served as controls. The tested sprays caused leaf burn, but they did not affect the cold injury of buds and shoots. Those sprays had no effect on yield, fruit size and russeting or skin colouring. At harvest, sprayed apples contained about 50 times more I and Se and 30% more Ca than the control fruit. After storage, compared to the control fruit, sprayed apples were firmer, had more organic acids and were less susceptible to disorders, such as bitter pit, internal breakdown and decay caused by Neofabraea spp. The results indicate that preharvest spraying with I, Se and Ca at high rates can be recommended to effectively enrich apples with I and Se and to simultaneously improve their storability.

Toward Ultracold Organic Chemistry: Prospects of Laser Cooling Large Organic Molecules.

Ultracold organic chemistry enables studies of reaction dynamics and mechanisms in the quantum regime. Access to ultracold molecules hinges on the ability to efficiently scatter multiple photons via quasi-closed cycling transitions. Optical cycling in polyatomic molecules is challenging due to their complex electronic structure. Using equation-of-motion coupled-cluster calculations, we demonstrate that an alkaline earth metal attached to various aromatic ligands (such as benzene, phenol, cyclopentadienyl, and pyrrolide) offers nearly closed cycling transitions with only a few additional repump lasers. We also show that aromatic ligands such as benzene can accommodate multiple cycling centers in various geometrical arrangements, opening new avenues in quantum information science, precision measurements, and ultracold chemistry.

Single-compartment hydrogen peroxide fuel cells with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) cathodes.

Single-compartment hydrogen peroxide fuel cells have recently emerged as a promising energy conversion platform since H2O2 is a high energy-density liquid that functions as both fuel and oxidizer. Finding suitable electrocatalysts is challenging since most metallic electrodes also catalyze the disproportionation reaction of H2O2 into H2O and O2, representing a significant loss mechanism in peroxide fuel cells. Herein we demonstrate that the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, is a versatile electrocatalyst for peroxide fuel cells without generating losses due to disproportionation. We find that PEDOT is a cathodic catalyst for reduction of peroxide to water, performing at a level on par with the best reported inorganic catalysts. Using PEDOT as the cathode and nickel as the anode material, open circuit potentials in the range of 0.5-0.6 V are possible, with power densities of 0.20-0.30 mW cm-2. We provide evidence to understand mechanistically how PEDOT functions as a catalyst for hydrogen peroxide reduction to water. The result of our efforts is a scalable hydrogen peroxide fuel cell cathode, which serves to demonstrate also the capabilities of organic semiconducting materials as electrocatalysts.

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Curcumin-Mediated Therapeutic Effects in Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer.

The growing prevalence of age-related diseases, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cancer, has become global health and economic problems. Due to multifactorial nature of both diseases, their pathophysiology is not completely understood so far. Compelling evidence indicates that increased oxidative stress, resulting from an imbalance between production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their clearance by antioxidant defense mechanisms, as well as the proinflammatory state contributes to the development and progression of the diseases. Curcumin (CUR; diferuloylmethane), a well-known polyphenol derived from the rhizomes of turmeric Curcuma longa, has attracted a great deal of attention as a natural compound with beneficial antidiabetic and anticancer properties, partly due to its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory actions. Although this polyphenolic compound is increasingly being recognized for its growing number of protective health effects, the precise molecular mechanisms through which it reduces diabetes- and cancer-related pathological events have not been fully unraveled. Hence, CUR is the subject of intensive research in the fields Diabetology and Oncology as a potential candidate in the treatment of both T2DM and cancer, particularly since current therapeutic options for their treatment are not satisfactory in clinics. In this review, we summarize the recent progress made on the molecular targets and pathways involved in antidiabetic and anticancer activities of CUR that are responsible for its beneficial health effects.

Spin filtering effect generated by the inter-subband spin-orbit coupling in the bilayer nanowire with the quantum point contact.

The spin filtering effect in the bilayer nanowire with quantum point contact is investigated theoretically. We demonstrate the new mechanism of the spin filtering based on the lateral inter-subband spin-orbit coupling, which for the bilayer nanowires has been reported to be strong. The proposed spin filtering effect is explained as the joint effect of the Landau-Zener intersubband transitions caused by the hybridization of states with opposite spin (due to the lateral Rashba SO interaction) and the confinement of carriers in the quantum point contact region.

Fulde-Ferrell state in superconducting core/shell nanowires: role of the orbital effect.

The orbital effect on the Fulde-Ferrell (FF) phase is investigated in superconducting core/shell nanowires subjected to the axial magnetic field. Confinement in the radial direction results in quantization of the electron motion with energies determined by the radial j and orbital m quantum numbers. In the external magnetic field, the twofold degeneracy with respect to the orbital magnetic quantum number m is lifted which leads to the Fermi wave vector mismatch between the paired electrons, [Formula: see text]. This mismatch is transferred to the nonzero total momentum of the Cooper pairs, which results in a formation of the FF phase occurring sequentially with increasing magnetic field. By changing the nanowire radius R and the superconducting shell thickness d, we discuss the role of the orbital effect in the FF phase formation in both the nanowire-like ([Formula: see text]) and nanofilm-like ([Formula: see text]) regime. We have found that the irregular pattern of the FF phase which appears for the case of the nanowire-like regime, for the nanofilm-like geometry evolves towards the regular distribution in which the FF phase stability regions emerge periodically between the BCS states. The transition between these two different phase diagrams is explained as resulting from the orbital effect and the multigap character of superconductivity in the core/shell nanowires.

Melatonin as a Pleiotropic Molecule with Therapeutic Potential for Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of both type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cancer is increasing worldwide, making these diseases a global health problem along with increasing healthcare expenditures. The current therapeutic approaches for treating these multifactorial diseases are far from satisfactory. As increasing evidence shows beneficial effects of melatonin (MLT) on typical pathological changes occurring during the development of T2DM and cancer, the present review focuses on molecular aspects of antidiabetic and anticancer activities of MLT and, moreover, discusses several future directions of research regarding MLT application as potential therapeutic agent. METHODS: Critical literature analysis in PubMed central combined with personal expertise. RESULTS: Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed that MLT possesses a number of antidiabetic health benefits by diminishing hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation through modulating various intracellular signaling pathways or other targets involved in the pathophysiology of this disease. Mounting evidence also indicates that MLT exhibits multi-targeted anticancer effects in numerous human malignancies, mainly resulting from its ability to modulate several signal transduction pathways associated with cell survival, proliferation, and apoptosis. Furthermore, beneficial synergistic action of MLT with chemotherapy and radiotherapy has also been observed. Importantly, no adverse outcomes have been found from the clinical use of MLT, which highlights its therapeutic usefulness, either alone or in combination with other conventional therapies, in cancer treatment. CONCLUSION: The findings described in this review suggest that MLT may confer potential benefits to human health, particularly in respect to T2DM and cancer.

Relationship between mechanical factors and pelvic tilt in adults with and without low back pain.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of the lumbo-pelvic complex parameters is the basic procedure during the examination of the patients with low back pain syndrome (LBP). OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to define the relationship between pelvic tilt and following factors: age, BMI, ability to activate deep abdominal muscles, iliopsoas and hamstrings muscles length, lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis angle value, in adults with and without low back pain. METHODS: The study covered a group of 60 female students aged 20-26. Average age was 22 years ± 1.83 (median = 22.5 years). In order to investigate the relationship between the anterior pelvic tilt and the analysed variables, simple linear regression and multiple linear regression were carried out. RESULTS: Individuals with and without pain differed significantly in terms of age, p < 0.001. There was a statistically significant relationship between the anterior pelvic tilt and the LBP (R2 = 0.07, p = 0.049) and the lumbar lordosis (R2 = 0.13, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The position of the pelvis depends on age, angle value of lumbar lordosis and BMI. Individuals with and without pain differed significantly in terms of the anterior pelvic tilt. The risk of LBP incidence increased with age in the study group.

Tailoring nanoscale properties of tungsten oxide for inkjet printed electrochromic devices.

This paper focuses on the engineering procedures governing the synthesis of tungsten oxide nanocrystals and the formulation of printable dispersions for electrochromic applications. By that means, we aim to stress the relevancy of a proper design strategy that results in improved physicochemical properties of nanoparticle loaded inks. In the present study inkjet printable nanostructured tungsten oxide particles were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal processes using pure or acidified aqueous sol-gel precursors. Based on the proposed scheme, the structure and morphology of the nanoparticles were tailored to ensure the desired printability and electrochromic performance. The developed nanomaterials with specified structures effectively improved the electrochemical response of printed films, resulting in 2.5 times higher optical modulation and 2 times faster coloration time when compared with pure amorphous films.

Single scale for odor intensity in rat olfaction.

Humans and laboratory animals are thought to discriminate sensory objects using elemental perceptual features computed by neural circuits in the brain. However, it is often difficult to identify the perceptual features that animals use to make specific comparisons. In olfaction, changes in the concentration of a given odor lead to discriminable changes in both its perceived quality and intensity. Humans use perceived intensity to compare quantities of different odors. Here we establish that laboratory rats also use perceived intensity to compare concentrations of different odors and reveal the perceptual organization of this elemental feature. We first trained rats to classify concentrations of single odors as high or low. When subsequently classifying concentrations of two odors presented on different trials of the same session, rats made errors consistent with using a single intensity criterion for both odors. This allowed us to investigate the relative perceived intensity of different odor pairs. Odor intensity was not only a function of concentration, but varied also with molecular weight and exposure time. These findings demonstrate the role of perceived intensity as an elemental perceptual feature of odors in rat olfaction.

Statistical mixture design and multivariate analysis of inkjet printed a-WO3/TiO2/WOX electrochromic films.

An efficient mathematical strategy in the field of solution processed electrochromic (EC) films is outlined as a combination of an experimental work, modeling, and information extraction from massive computational data via statistical software. Design of Experiment (DOE) was used for statistical multivariate analysis and prediction of mixtures through a multiple regression model, as well as the optimization of a five-component sol-gel precursor subjected to complex constraints. This approach significantly reduces the number of experiments to be realized, from 162 in the full factorial (L=3) and 72 in the extreme vertices (D=2) approach down to only 30 runs, while still maintaining a high accuracy of the analysis. By carrying out a finite number of experiments, the empirical modeling in this study shows reasonably good prediction ability in terms of the overall EC performance. An optimized ink formulation was employed in a prototype of a passive EC matrix fabricated in order to test and trial this optically active material system together with a solid-state electrolyte for the prospective application in EC displays. Coupling of DOE with chromogenic material formulation shows the potential to maximize the capabilities of these systems and ensures increased productivity in many potential solution-processed electrochemical applications.

Ion sensing (EIS) real-time quantitative monitorization of isothermal DNA amplification.

Field-effect-based devices are becoming a basic structural element in a new generation of microbiosensors. Reliable molecular characterization of DNA and/or RNA is of paramount importance for disease diagnostics and to follow up alterations in gene expression profiles. The use of such devices for point-of-need diagnostics has been hindered by the need of standard or real-time PCR amplification procedures. The present work focuses on the development of a tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) based sensor for the real-time label free detection of DNA amplification via loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) allowing for quantitative analysis of the cMYC proto-oncogene. The strategy based on the field effect sensor was tested within a range of 1 × 10(8)-10(11) copies of target DNA, and a linear relationship between the log copy number of the initial template DNA and threshold time was observed allowing for a semi-quantitative analysis of DNA template. The concept offers many of the advantages of isothermal quantitative real-time DNA amplification in a label free approach and may pave the way to point-of-care quantitative molecular analysis focused on ease of use and low cost.

Bio-microfluidic platform for gold nanoprobe based DNA detection--application to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

We have projected and fabricated a microfluidic platform for DNA sensing that makes use of an optical colorimetric detection method based on gold nanoparticles. The platform was fabricated using replica moulding technology in PDMS patterned by high-aspect-ratio SU-8 moulds. Biochips of various geometries were tested and evaluated in order to find out the most efficient architecture, and the rational for design, microfabrication and detection performance is presented. The best biochip configuration has been successfully applied to the DNA detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using only 3 µl on DNA solution (i.e. 90 ng of target DNA), therefore a 20-fold reduction of reagents volume is obtained when compared with the actual state of the art.

Inkjet printed and "doctor blade" TiO2 photodetectors for DNA biosensors.

A dye sensitized TiO(2) photodetector has been integrated with a DNA detection method based on non-cross-linking hybridization of DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles, resulting in a disposable colorimetric biosensor. We present a new approach for the fabrication of dye sensitized TiO(2) photodetectors by an inkjet printing technique-a non-contact digital, additive, no mask and no vacuum patterning method, ideal for cost efficient mass production. The developed biosensor was compared against a dye sensitized photodetector fabricated by the traditional "doctor blade" method. Detection of gold nanoparticle aggregation was possible for concentrations as low as 1.0 nM for the "doctor blade" system, and 1.5 nM for the inkjet printed photodetector. The demonstrated sensitivity limits of developed biosensors are comparable to those of spectrophotometric techniques (1.0 nM). Our results show that a difference higher than 17% by traditional photodetector and 6% by inkjet printed in the photoresponses for the complementary and non-complementary gold nanoprobe assays could be attained for a specific DNA sequence from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of human tuberculosis. The decrease of costs associated with molecular diagnostic provided by a platform such as the one presented here may prove of paramount importance in developing countries.