Search results for "Note"

State of the Art in Organic and Molecular Spintronics

2015

Organic spintronics field was born in 2002 with the pioneer work presented by the group of C. Taliani and A. V. Dediu. While molecules are easily tailored by chemical synthesis compared to inorganic materials, organics were initially seen as the ultimate media for spintronics devices due to their expected very long spin lifetime. Only very recently it was also unveiled that radically new spintronics functionalities, unavailable with conventional inorganic materials, could stem from the interface between ferromagnetic (FM) and molecular materials, giving rise to the so-called “spinterface” field. This chapter will present a general state of the art in organic and molecular spintronics fields…

Glycopeptide-functionalized gold nanoparticles for antibody induction against the tumor associated mucin-1 glycoprotein

2015

We report the preparation of gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based vaccine candidates against the tumor-associated form of the mucin-1 (MUC1) glycoprotein. Chimeric peptides, consisting of a glycopeptide sequence derived from MUC1 and the T-cell epitope P30 sequence were immobilized on PEGylated AuNPs and the ability to induce selective antibodies in vivo was investigated. After immunization, mice showed significant MHC-II mediated immune responses and their antisera recognized human MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Nanoparticles designed according to this report may become key players in the development of anticancer vaccines.

Predictors of therapy failure in newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Beira, Mozambique.

2018

Abstract Objective Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health issue, ranking in the top ten causes of death worldwide. A deep understanding of factors influencing poor treatment outcomes may allow the development of additional treatment strategies, focused on the most vulnerable groups. Aims of the study were: (i) to evaluate the treatment outcome among TB subjects followed in an outpatient setting and (ii) to analyze factors associated with treatment failure in newly diagnosed patients with pulmonary TB in Beira, the second largest city of Mozambique. Results A total of 301 TB adult patients (32.6% females) were enrolled. Among them, 62 (20.6%) experienced a treatment failure over a 6…

Suppression law of quantum states in a 3D photonic fast Fourier transform chip

2015

The identification of phenomena able to pinpoint quantum interference is attracting large interest. Indeed, a generalization of the Hong–Ou–Mandel effect valid for any number of photons and optical modes would represent an important leap ahead both from a fundamental perspective and for practical applications, such as certification of photonic quantum devices, whose computational speedup is expected to depend critically on multi-particle interference. Quantum distinctive features have been predicted for many particles injected into multimode interferometers implementing the Fourier transform over the optical modes. Here we develop a scalable approach for the implementation of the fast Fouri…

Disorder-induced single-mode transmission.

2017

Localized states trap waves propagating in a disordered potential and play a crucial role in Anderson localization, which is the absence of diffusion due to disorder. Some localized states are barely coupled with neighbours because of differences in wavelength or small spatial overlap, thus preventing energy leakage to the surroundings. This is the same degree of isolation found in the homogeneous core of a single-mode optical fibre. Here we show that localized states of a disordered optical fibre are single mode: the transmission channels possess a high degree of resilience to perturbation and invariance with respect to the launch conditions. Our experimental approach allows identification…

Point Mutation Rate of Bacteriophage ΦX174

2009

Abstract The point mutation rate of phage ΦX174 was determined using the fluctuation test. After identifying the genetic changes associated with the selected phenotype, we obtained an estimate of 1.0 × 10−6 substitutions per base per round of copying, which is consistent with Drake's rule (0.003 mutations per genome per round of copying in DNA-based microorganisms).

An innovative multi-analytical approach based on spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques to study a complex Roman amphorae collection

2020

Abstract An innovative multi-analytical approach for the classification of ancient pottery sherds was tested. Twenty Roman amphorae fragments belonging to different known typologies and twenty-seven unclassified ones from a complex Sagunto Archaeological Museum (Spain) collection were studied by multielement analysis (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), Fourier-transform near infrared spectroscopy and voltammetry of immobilized microparticles employing a minimal amount of sample. Chemometric analysis based on principal component analysis allowed the identification of most of the unclassified samples, proving the importance and reliability of th…

A New Find of Danburite in the Luc Yen Mining Area, Vietnam

2017

Toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Lumbriculus variegatus is a function of dissolved silver and promoted by low sediment pH

2017

Toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to benthic organisms is a major concern. The use of AgNPs in industry and consumer products leads to increasing release of AgNPs into the aquatic environment-sediments being the major sink. Effects of sediment pH on the toxicity of AgNPs to benthic oligochaeta Lumbriculus variegatus were studied in a 23-d toxicity test. Artificially prepared sediments (pH 5 and 7) were spiked with varying concentrations of uncoated AgNP, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated AgNP, and silver nitrate (AgNO3 ) as dissolved Ag reference. Number of individuals and biomass change were used as endpoints for the toxicity. The toxic effects were related to the bioaccessible conc…

Toxicity Testing of Silver Nanoparticles in Artificial and Natural Sediments Using the Benthic Organism Lumbriculus variegatus

2016

The increased use of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in industrial and consumer products worldwide has resulted in their release to aquatic environments. Previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of AgNP on pelagic species, whereas few studies have assessed the risks to benthic invertebrates despite the fact that the sediments act as a large potential sink for NPs. In this study, the toxicity of sediment-associated AgNP was evaluated using the standard sediment toxicity test for chemicals provided by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. The freshwater benthic oligochaete worm Lumbriculus variegatus was exposed to sediment-associated AgNP in artificial and natural …