The structural phase transition path from the low-temperature polar structure up to the highest symmetric phase in the hybrid improper ferroelectric Ca3Mn2O7 compound is here investigated at atomic ...scale. Measurements using the perturbed angular correlation local probe technique are combined with ab initio electronic structure calculations to observe the evolution of the electric field gradient parameters at the Ca site within the 10–1200 K temperature range. The results show that polar-phase clusters persist at temperatures as high as 500 K. In addition, evidence is given for a structural phase transition occurring above 1150 K. The high-temperature symmetry is here confirmed to be I4/mmm.
Anisakid nematodes have been identified in a wide variety of fish and marine mammal species. In Brazil, Anisakis physeteris, A. insignis, A. typica, A. nascetti, and those of the A. simplex complex ...have been reported infecting fishes and cetaceans. In this study, specimens collected from a dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima (Owen, 1866) stranded on the northeastern coast of Brazil were identified through morphological and genetic analyses as A. paggiae. Anisakids were examined through differential interference contrast light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Morphological and morphometric analysis revealed that these specimens belonged to Anisakis sp. clade II and more specifically to A. paggiae, exhibiting a violin-shaped ventriculus and 3 denticulate caudal plates, which are taxonomic characters considered unique to this species. Genetic analysis based on the mtDNA cox2 gene confirmed our identification of A. paggiae. Phylogenetic trees using both maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining methods revealed a strongly supported monophyletic clade (bootstrap support = 100%) with all available A. paggiae sequences. Integrative taxonomic analysis allowed the identification of A. paggiae for the first time in Brazilian waters, providing new data about their geographical distribution. Moreover, here we present the first SEM images of this species.
Marine particles of different nature are found throughout the global
ocean. The term “marine particles” describes detritus aggregates and
fecal pellets as well as bacterioplankton, phytoplankton, ...zooplankton and
nekton. Here, we present a global particle size distribution dataset
obtained with several Underwater Vision Profiler 5 (UVP5) camera
systems. Overall, within the 64 µm to about 50 mm size range covered
by the UVP5, detrital particles are the most abundant component of all
marine particles; thus, measurements of the
particle size distribution with the UVP5 can yield important
information on detrital particle dynamics. During deployment, which is
possible down to 6000 m depth, the UVP5 images a volume of about 1 L
at a frequency of 6 to 20 Hz. Each image is segmented in real time, and
size measurements of particles are automatically stored. All UVP5
units used to generate the dataset presented here were
inter-calibrated using a UVP5 high-definition unit as reference. Our
consistent particle size distribution dataset contains 8805 vertical
profiles collected between 19 June 2008 and 23 November 2020. All major ocean basins, as well as the Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea, were sampled. A total of 19 % of all profiles had a maximum sampling depth shallower than 200 dbar, 38 % sampled at least the upper 1000 dbar depth range and 11 % went down to at least 3000 dbar depth. First analysis of the particle size distribution dataset shows that particle abundance is found to be high at high latitudes and in coastal areas where surface productivity or continental inputs are elevated. The lowest values are found in the deep ocean and in the oceanic gyres. Our dataset should be valuable for more in-depth studies that focus on the analysis of regional, temporal and global patterns of particle size distribution and flux as well as for the development and adjustment of regional and global biogeochemical models. The marine particle size distribution dataset (Kiko et al., 2021) is available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.924375.
X-rays generated by betatron oscillations of electrons in a laser-driven plasma accelerator were characterised and applied to imaging industrial samples. With a 125TW laser, a low divergence beam ...with 5.2±1.7 × 107photonsmrad−2 per pulse was produced with a synchrotron spectrum with a critical energy of 14.6±1.3keV. Radiographs were obtained of a metrology test sample, battery electrodes, and a damage site in a composite material. These results demonstrate the suitability of the source for non-destructive evaluation applications. The potential for industrial implementation of plasma accelerators is discussed.
•Laser plasma wakefield acceleration produced high X-ray yield.•Radiographs were produced of a metrology test sample, battery electrodes, and a damage site in a composite material.•This novel method is shown to produce image quality comparable, if not better, than industrial standards.
In the past years, the strategies used to break the Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) light to power conversion efficiency world record value were based on improvements of the absorber optoelectronic and ...crystalline properties, mainly using complex post-deposition treatments. To reach even higher efficiency values, further advances in the solar cell architecture are needed, in particular, with respect to the CIGS interfaces. In this study, we evaluate the structural, morphological and optoelectronic impact of an Al2O3 layer as a potential front passivation layer on the CIGS properties, as well as an Al2O3 tunneling layer between CIGS and CdS. Morphological and structural analyses reveal that the use of Al2O3 alone is not detrimental to CIGS, although it does not resist to the CdS chemical bath deposition. The CIGS optoelectronic properties degrade when the CdS is deposited on top of Al2O3. Nonetheless, when Al2O3 is used alone, the optoelectronic measurements reveal a positive impact of this inclusion such as a very low concentration of interface defects while keeping the same CIGS recombination channels. Thus, we suggest that an Al2O3 front passivation layer can be successfully used with alternative buffer layers. Depth-resolved microscopic analysis of the CIGS interface with slow-muons strongly suggests for the first time that low-energy muon spin spectroscopy (LE-mu SR) is sensitive to both charge carrier separation and bulk recombination in complex semiconductors. The demonstration that Al2O3 has the potential to be used as a front passivation layer is of significant importance, considering that Al2O3 has been widely studied as rear interface passivation material. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Diagnosis of pigmented lesions of the oral cavity and perioral tissues is challenging. Even though epidemiology may be of some help in orientating the clinician and even though some lesions may ...confidently be diagnosed on clinical grounds alone, the definitive diagnosis usually requires histopathologic evaluation. Oral pigmentation can be physiological or pathological, and exogenous or endogenous. Color, location, distribution, and duration as well as drugs use, family history, and change in pattern are important for the differential diagnosis. Dark or black pigmented lesions can be focal, multifocal or diffuse macules, including entities such as racial pigmentation, melanotic macule, melanocytic nevus, blue nevus, smoker's melanosis, oral melanoacanthoma, pigmentation by foreign bodies or induced by drugs, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Addison's disease and oral melanoma. The aim of this review is to present the main oral black lesions contributing to better approach of the patients.
The Amazon Indians Waiãpi living in the West of Amapá State of Brazil, treat malaria with an inhalation of vapor obtained from leaves of
Viola surinamensis. The essential oil obtained from adult and ...plantlet leaves was analyzed by GC/MS and 11 monoterpenes, 11 sesquiterpenes and three phenylpropanoids were identified. Plantlet essential oil caused 100% of growth inhibition after 48 h in the development of the young trophozoite to schizont stage and the sesquiterpene nerolidol (100 μg/ml) was identified as one of the active constituents (100% of growth inhibition was obtained). In addition, examination of U
14C-glucose incorporation showed that activity of nerolidol is related to the inhibition of glycoprotein biosynthesis.
We present a Dalitz plot analysis of charmless B ± decays to the final state π ± π ± π ∓ using a sample of ( 465 ± 5 ) × 10 6 B ¯¯¯ B pairs collected by the BABAR experiment at √ s = 10.58 GeV . ...We measure the branching fractions B ( B ± → π ± π ± π ∓ ) = ( 15.2 ± 0.6 ± 1.2 ± 0.4 ) × 10 − 6 , B ( B ± → ρ 0 ( 770 ) π ± ) = ( 8.1 ± 0.7 ± 1.2 + 0.4 − 1.1 ) × 10 − 6 , B ( B ± → f 2 ( 1270 ) π ± ) = ( 1.57 ± 0.42 ± 0.16 + 0.53 − 0.19 ) × 10 − 6 , and B ( B ± → π ± π ± π ∓ nonresonant ) = ( 5.3 ± 0.7 ± 0.6 + 1.1 − 0.5 ) × 10 − 6 , where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and model-dependent, respectively. Measurements of branching fractions for the modes B ± → ρ 0 ( 1450 ) π ± and B ± → f 0 ( 1370 ) π ± are also presented. We observe no significant direct C P asymmetries for the above modes, and there is no evidence for the decays B ± → f 0 ( 980 ) π ± , B ± → χ c 0 π ± , or B ± → χ c 2 π ± .
Several plants of the Fabaceae family have been assessed regarding their high nutritional value and anthelmintic properties. The ovicidal effect of the hydroalcoholic extract (Bm-HAE) and ...subfractions from the aerial parts of Brongniartia montalvoana (Fabaceae) against a mixed strain of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) (Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp. and Oesophagostomum spp.) resistant to albendazole sulfoxide, ivermectin and levamisole was evaluated by the egg hatch test (EHT). The Bm-HAE was subjected to liquid-liquid chemical separation with ethyl acetate giving two fractions, an aqueous (Bm-Aq) and an organic (Bm-EtOAct). The purification of the bioactive fraction (Bm-EtOAct) through chromatographic separation resulted in four bioactive subfractions (BmR6, BmR7, BmR8 and BmR10). The treatments were designed as follows: Bm-HAE at 800, 1,500, 3,000 and 6,000 μg/mL, and Bm-Aq, Bm-EtOAct and subfractions (BmR6, BmR7, BmR8 and BmR10) at 100, 200, 400 and 800 μg/mL. Two properly negative controls (distilled water and 2% methanol) and thiabendazole (100 μg/mL) as a positive control were used for each bioassay. The chemical identification of the extract, fractions and subfractions was performed through chromatographic processes like open column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-PDA). Additionally, the GIN eggs exposed to the bioactive compounds were observed through confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The Bm-HAE showed 99.5% egg hatching inhibition (EHI) at 6,000 μg/mL with a lethal concentration (LC50) of 1110 μg/mL. The Bm-EtOAc fraction displayed 99.1% EHI at 800 μg/mL with LC50 = 180 μg/mL. The ovicidal activity of the four subfractions was similar at 800 μg/mL: BmR6 (92% EHI); BmR7 (100% EHI); BmR8 (97.8%); and BmR10 (99.1%). The HPLC-PDA analysis of the bioactive subfractions allowed identification of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and coumarin derivatives as major compounds. The CLSM analysis allowed observation of morphological alterations in unhatched larvae caused by bioactive compounds present in the Bm-EtOAc and BmR10. In addition, the flavonoids eriodyctiol, luteolin and cynaroside were described for the first time for B. montalvoana.
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•Brongniartia montalvoana showed ovicidal activity against multi-drug resistant GIN.•The morphology of unhatched larvae was strongly affected by the organic fraction.•Coumarins, ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid were detected in active subfractions.•Three flavonoids were described for the first time for B. montalvoana.•Colocalization between compounds and larvae fluorescence was observed.
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