Electronic structure of ${\rm Ca}_{1-x}{\rm Sr}_x{\rm VO}_3$: A tale of two energy scales

We investigate the electronic structure of Ca1-xSrxVO3 using photoemission spectroscopy. Core level spectra establish an electronic phase separation at the surface, leading to a distinctly different surface electronic structure compared to the bulk. Analysis of the photoemission spectra of this system allowed us to separate the surface and bulk contributions. These results help us to understand properties related to two vastly differing energy scales, namely the low-energy scale of thermal excitations ( $\sim\!k_{\rm B}T$) and the high-energy scale related to Coulomb and other electronic interactions.

Preparation of Pb-Ca-Na master alloy using molten chloride salt electrolysis

An electrolysis technique for co-deposition of Ca2+ and Na+ at the liquid lead cathode was put forward. The experiment was carried out at an electrolysis temperature below 650 degrees C and had a current efficiency of 98%, which are respectively 100 similar to 300 degrees C lower and 15% similar to 30% higher than those reported both at home and abroad.

James Monroe letter of marque, ca. 1812

James Monroe (1758-1831) was appointed Secretary of State by President James Madison in 1811. He remained in this position until March, 1817, with the exception of the period from October 1, 1814, to February 28, 1815, when he was ad interim Secretary of State. Monroe encouraged President James Madison and Congress to declare war on Great Britain, feeling it would be the most effective way to change offensive British policies. The United States declared war on June 17, 1812, after which he served as Secretary of War. Monroe later became President of the United States from 1817 until 1824.

James Monroe letter of marque, ca. 1812

A letter of marque addressed to Captain James Rogers, commander of the boat Retaliation, and signed by James Monroe, secretary of state. Letters of marquee provided legal authority for an armed vessel to capture enemy ships and commit acts which would otherwise constitute piracy. The letter has no date, but was likely created during the War of 1812, and authorizes the Captain to attack and capture enemy vessels.

Inorganic synthesis of Fe-Ca-Mg carbonates at low temperature

A set of free-drift experiments was undertaken to synthesize carbonates of mixed cation content (Fe, Ca, Mg) from solution at 25 and 70 degrees C to better understand the relationship between the mineralogy and composition of these phases and the solutions from which they precipitate. Metastable solid solutions formed at 25 degrees C which are not predicted from the extrapolation of higher temperature equilibrium assemblages; instead, solids formed that were intermediary in chemical composition to known magnesite-siderite and dolomite solid solutions. A calcite-siderite solid solution precipitated at 25 degrees C, with the percentage of CaCO3 in the solid being proportional to the aqueous Ca/Fe ratio of the solution, while Mg was excluded from the crystal structure except at relatively high aqueous Mg/Ca and Mg/Fe ratios and a low Ca content. Alternatively, at 70 degrees C Mg was the predominant cation of the solid solutions. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the relative dehydration energies of Fe, Ca and Mg play an important role in the formation of mixed cation carbonates in nature. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in the leaves of Brassica rapa under varying exogenous Ca and Mg supply

Background and Aims Leafy vegetable Brassica crops are an important source of dietary calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and represent potential targets for increasing leaf Ca and Mg concentrations through agronomy or breeding. Although the internal distribution of Ca and Mg within leaves affects the accumulation of these elements, such data are not available for Brassica. The aim of this study was to characterize the internal distribution of Ca and Mg in the leaves of a vegetable Brassica and to determine the effects of altered exogenous Ca and Mg supply on this distribution. Methods Brassica rapa ssp. trilocularis ‘R-o-18’ was grown at four different Ca:Mg treatments for 21 d in a controlled environment. Concentrations of Ca and Mg were determined in fully expanded leaves using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Internal distributions of Ca and Mg were determined in transverse leaf sections at the base and apex of leaves using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) with cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM). Key Results Leaf Ca and Mg concentrations were greatest in palisade and spongy mesophyll cells, respectively, although this was dependent on exogenous supply. Calcium accumulation in palisade mesophyll cells was enhanced slightly under high Mg supply; in contrast, Mg accumulation in spongy mesophyll cells was not affected by Ca supply. Conclusions The results are consistent with Arabidopsis thaliana and other Brassicaceae, providing phenotypic evidence that conserved mechanisms regulate leaf Ca and Mg distribution at a cellular scale. The future study of Arabidopsis gene orthologues in mutants of this reference B. rapa genotype will improve our understanding of Ca and Mg homeostasis in plants and may provide a model-to-crop translation pathway for targeted breeding.

Evidence of a Ca(2+)-(center dot)NO-cGMP signaling pathway controlling zoospore biogenesis in the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii

The sporulation stage of the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii culminates with the formation and release to the medium of a number of zoospores, which are motile cells responsible for the dispersal of the fungus. The presence in the sporulation solution of 1H-[1,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a potent and selective inhibitor of nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclases, completely prevented biogenesis of the zoospores. In addition, this compound was able to significantly reduce cGMP levels, which increase drastically during late sporulation, suggesting the existence of a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism for cGMP synthesis. Furthermore, increased levels of nitric oxide-derived products were detected during sporulation by fluorescence assays using DAF-2 DA, whose signal was drastically reduced in the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N omega-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). These results were confirmed by quantitative chemiluminescent determination of the intracellular levels of nitric oxide-derived products. A putative nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was detected throughout sporulation, and this enzyme activity decreased significantly when L-NAME and 1-[2-(Trifluoromethyl)phenyl]imidazole (TRIM) were added to the assays. NOS assays carried out in the presence of EGTA showed decreased enzyme activity, suggesting the involvement of calcium ions in enzyme activation. Additionally, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) encoding putative guanylyl cyclases and a cGMP-phosphodiesterase were found in B. emersonii EST database (http://blasto.iq.usp.br), and the mRNA levels of the corresponding genes were observed to increase during sporulation. Altogether, data presented here revealed the presence and expression of guanylyl cyclase and cGMP phosphodiesterase genes in B. emersonii and provided evidence of a Ca(2+)-(center dot)NO-cGMP signaling pathway playing a role in zoospore biogenesis. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of the Ca-diclofenac complex in solid state

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Synthesis, ferroelectric and optical properties of (Pb,Ca)TiO3 thin films by soft solution processing

Calcium modified lead titanate sol was synthesized using a soft solution processing, the so-called polymeric precursor method. In soft chemistry method, soluble precursors such as lead acetate trihydrate, calcium carbonate and titanium isopropoxide, as starting materials, were mixed in aqueous solution. Pb0.7Ca0.3TiO3 thin films were deposited on platinum-coated silicon and quartz substrates by means of the spinning technique. The surface morphology and crystal structure, dielectric and optical properties of the thin films were investigated. The electrical measurements were conducted on metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitors. The typical measured small signal dielectric constant and dissipation factor at a frequency of 100 kHz were 299 and 0.065, respectively, for a thin film with 230 nm thickness annealed at 600degreesC for 2 h. The remanent polarization (2P(r)) and coercive field (E-c) were 32 muC/cm(2) and 100 kV/cm, respectively. Transmission spectra were recorded and from them, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and band gap energy were calculated. Thin films exhibited good optical transmissivity, and had optical direct transitions. The present study confirms the validity of the DiDomenico model for the interband transition, with a single electronic oscillator at 6.858 eV. The optical dispersion behavior of PCT thin film was found to fit well the Sellmeir dispersion equation. The band gap energy of the thin film, annealed at 600degreesC, was 3.56 eV. The results confirmed that soft solution processing provides an inexpensive and environmentally friendly route for the preparation of PCT thin films.

Influence of Ca concentration on the electric, morphological, and structural properties of (Pb,Ca)TiO3 thin films

Pb1-xCaxTiO3 (0.10less than or equal toxless than or equal to0.40) thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates were prepared by the soft solution process and their characteristics were investigated as a function of the calcium content (x). The structural modifications in the films were studied using x-ray diffraction and micro-Raman scattering techniques. Lattice parameters calculated from x-ray data indicate a decrease in lattice tetragonality with the increasing content of calcium in these films. Raman spectra exhibited characteristic features of pure PbTiO3 thin films. Variations in the phonon mode wave numbers, especially those of lower wave numbers, of Pb1-xCaxTiO3 thin films as a function of the composition corroborate the decrease in tetragonality caused by the calcium doping. As the Ca content (x) increases from 0.10 to 0.40, the dielectric constant at room temperature abnormally increased at 1 kHz from 148 to 430. Also calcium substitution decreased the remanent polarization and coercive field from 28.0 to 5.3 muC/cm(2) and 124 to 58 kV/cm, respectively. These properties can be explained in terms of variations of phase transition (ferroelectric-paraelectric), resulting from the substitution the lead site of PbTiO(3)for the nonvolatile calcium. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Ferroelectric and structural instability of (Pb,Ca)TiO3 thin films prepared in an oxygen atmosphere and deposited on LSCO thin films which act as a buffer layer

Structural, microstructural and ferroelectric properties of Pb0.90Ca0.10TiO3 (PCT10) thin films deposited using La0.50Sr0.50CoO3 (LSCO) thin films which serve only as a buffer layer were compared with properties of the thin films grown using a platinum-coated silicon substrate. LSCO and PCT10 thin films were grown using the chemical solution deposition method and heat-treated in an oxygen atmosphere at 700 °C and 650 °C in a tube oven, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy results showed that PCT10 thin films deposited directly on a platinum-coated silicon substrate exhibit a strong tetragonal character while thin films with the LSCO buffer layer displayed a smaller tetragonal character. Surface morphology observations by atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that PCT10 thin films with a LSCO buffer layer had a smoother surface and smaller grain size compared with thin films grown on a platinum-coated silicon substrate. Additionally, the capacitance versus voltage curves and hysteresis loop measurement indicated that the degree of polarization decreased for PCT10 thin films on a LSCO buffer layer compared with PCT10 thin films deposited directly on a platinum-coated silicon substrate. This phenomenon can be described as the smaller shift off-center of Ti atoms along the c-direction 〈001〉 inside the TiO6 octahedron unit due to the reduction of lattice parameters. Remnant polarization (P r ) values are about 30 μC/cm2 and 12 μC/cm2 for PCT10/Pt and PCT10/LSCO thin films, respectively. Results showed that the LSCO buffer layer strongly influenced the structural, microstructural and ferroelectric properties of PCT10 thin films. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.

Association of the (CA)n repeat polymorphism of insulin-like growth factor-I and -202 A/C IGF-binding protein-3 promoter polymorphism with adult height in patients with severe growth hormone deficiency

A number of mathematical models for predicting growth and final height outcome have been proposed to enable the clinician to 'individualize' growth-promoting treatment. However, despite optimizing these models, many patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) do not reach their target height. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of polymorphic genotypes [CA repeat promoter polymorphism of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and the -202 A/C promoter polymorphism of IGF-Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3)] on variable growth factors as well as final height in severe IGHD following GH treatment. DESIGN, PATIENTS AND CONTROLS: One hundred seventy eight (IGF-I) and 167 (IGFBP-3) subjects with severe growth retardation because of IGHD were studied. In addition, the various genotypes were also studied in a healthy control group of 211 subjects.