Photocrosslinking and photopatterning of magneto-optical nanocomposite sol-gel thin film under deep-UV irradiation

This paper is aimed at investigating the process of photocrosslinking under Deep-UV irradiation of nanocomposite thin films doped with cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). This material is composed of a hybrid sol-gel matrix in which MNP can be introduced with high concentrations up to 20 vol%. Deep-UV (193 nm) is not only interesting for high-resolution patterning but we also show an efficient photopolymerization pathway even in the presence of high concentration of MNPs. In this study, we demonstrate that the photocrosslinking is based on the free radical polymerization of the methacrylate functions of the hybrid precursor. This process is initiated by Titanium-oxo clusters. The impact of the nanoparticles on the photopolymerization kinetic and photopatterning is investigated. We finally show that the photosensitive nanocomposite is suitable to obtain micropatterns with sub-micron resolution, with a simple and versatile process, which opens many opportunities for fabrication of miniaturized magneto-optical devices for photonic applications.

Triticonazole distribution in dressed corn caryopsis and seedlings

A corn seed dressing with the fungicide triticonazole at 760 nmol/seed prevents head smut disease. In resting seeds, the dressing treatment was followed by the penetration of 19% of the product, 9% inside the tegument and 7% inside the pedicel. In growing seedlings, the inner content increased in the storage organs (endosperm + scutellum) as well as in the growing organs. The partition lipophilic phase/water certainly explains the high apparent fungicide concentration progressively reached inside endosperm and scutellum. However, no important transfer of fungicide from these organs to the growing parts seems to occur. It appears therefore that the fungicide transfer from the coating to the roots mostly occurs through dissolution of the product in the surrounding soil water and through root absorption. The efficient fungicide concentration inside the meristem is likely to be obtained during the early stages of development.

Increase in pulmonary capillary permeability in dogs exposed to 100% O2

Changes in pulmonary capillary filtration induced by hyperoxia were investigated in 15 dogs. After 12 h of normobaric hyperoxic exposure, animals were anesthetized and artificially ventilated with 100% O2. A pulmonary lymphatic vessel was cannulated, and lymph flow and protein content were measured together with pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics. An increase in pulmonary capillary filtration was found when compared with reference data (normoxic dogs in similar conditions) gathered from available literature: lymph flow increased from 21.8 +/- 13.4 to 125.2 +/- 131.6 microliter/min, and the lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio increased from 0.67 +/- 0.08 to 0.78 +/- 0.08. To characterize the mechanisms involved, left atrial pressure was increased in two stages (approximately 10 and approximately 25 mmHg). The results clearly indicated an increase in pulmonary capillary permeability as evidenced by a decrease of the minimal estimate of the protein reflection coefficient from 0.62 +/- 0.05 to 0.42 +/- 0.05.

Metabolic alterations induced by hypoxia in the tortoise heart. Comparison between spongy and compact myocardium

Experiments were performed to check the tolerance to severe hypoxia of the tissue layers (compact and spongy) of the tortoise heart. The animals were subjected to hypoxia (7% O2) at 18 degrees C, 28 degrees C and 38 degrees C for 30, 6 and 2 hr respectively, or to anoxia for 30 hr at 18 degrees C and 2 hr at 38 degrees C. At 18 degrees C the metabolic alterations caused by a 30 hr hypoxia were mild whereas at 28 degrees C and 38 degrees C the cardiac glycogen was depleted, lactate had accumulated and the phosphate creatine and ATP content had decreased. The extent of these metabolic changes was similar in the compact and in the spongy layers of the heart.

Temporal sequencing of verbal and nonverbal materials: the effect of laterality of lesion

The effect of laterality of cerebral lesion on sequencing ability, which is an ability to process two or more stimulus events with respect to the order in which they occur, was examined. Patients with either left or right hemisphere lesions performed on verbal and nonverbal sequencing tasks. Left hemisphere lesioned patients were inferior to the right hemisphere lesioned patients on verbal sequencing tasks, while the right hemisphere lesioned patients were inferior to the left hemisphere lesioned patients on nonverbal sequencing tasks. Impaired performance of the right hemisphere lesioned patients on sequencing tasks raises questions with respect to the notion that sequencing per se is processed in the left hemisphere. Our results demonstrate that sequencing ability, as many other abilities, follows the rule of material-specific laterality of hemispheric asymmetry: the left hemisphere associated with verbal sequencing ability and the right hemisphere associated with nonverbal sequencing ability.