We present a detailed analysis of the radio galaxy PKS $2250{-}351$ , a giant of 1.2 Mpc projected size, its host galaxy, and its environment. We use radio data from the Murchison Widefield Array, the upgraded Giant Metre-wavelength Radio Telescope, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, and the Australia Telescope Compact Array to model the jet power and age. Optical and IR data come from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and provide information on the host galaxy and environment. GAMA spectroscopy confirms that PKS $2250{-}351$ lies at $z=0.2115$ in the irregular, and likely unrelaxed, cluster Abell 3936. We find its host is a massive, ‘red and dead’ elliptical galaxy with negligible star formation but with a highly obscured active galactic nucleus dominating the mid-IR emission. Assuming it lies on the local M– $\sigma$ relation, it has an Eddington accretion rate of $\lambda_{\rm EDD}\sim 0.014$ . We find that the lobe-derived jet power (a time-averaged measure) is an order of magnitude greater than the hotspot-derived jet power (an instantaneous measure). We propose that over the lifetime of the observed radio emission ( ${\sim} 300\,$ Myr), the accretion has switched from an inefficient advection-dominated mode to a thin disc efficient mode, consistent with the decrease in jet power. We also suggest that the asymmetric radio morphology is due to its environment, with the host of PKS $2250{-}351$ lying to the west of the densest concentration of galaxies in Abell 3936.

Safflower is a traditional oilseed crop in the world. Its seed oil is a healthy edible oil containing high amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Genetically diverse exotic cultivars are valuable germplasm for introducing new diversity in safflower improvement programmes. In this study, we characterized safflower cultivars of India (30) and Mexico (23) comprising varieties, hybrids and advanced lines developed over 50 years for genetic distinctiveness using 38 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Genetic diversity estimates across cultivar groups (total, India and Mexico) were as follows: mean number of alleles (3.2, 3.1, 2.6), expected heterozygosity (0.42, 0.37, 0.37) and polymorphism information content (0.36, 0.33, 0.32) respectively, which suggested narrow SSR allelic diversity within and between cultivar groups. However, distance-based cluster analysis (neighbour-joining tree) and model-based STRUCTURE analysis revealed that safflower cultivars of India and Mexico, with the exception of a few, form two genetically distinct groups. High level of genetic variation explained between the populations (40%) and Fst estimate (0.4) suggested that the cultivar groups were highly differentiated with limited gene flow supporting a strong genetic structuring. High oil (~38%) and high oleic (73–79%) contents of a subset of Mexican safflower varieties and advanced lines were confirmed in field trials in India. These exotic sources from Mexico are valuable for safflower breeding programmes in India to develop new cultivars with high oil yielding potential and high oleic acid content, which is the current market demand.

We assessed the effect of vitamin D supplementation on related biochemistry, infection and dentition of the infant. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in Lucknow, India (latitude 26°N), 230 mother –newborn pairs were randomised to receive, for 9 months, 3000µg/month oral vitamin D3 by the mother (group A) or 10µg/d by the infant (group B) or double placebo (group C). All babies received 15 min of sun exposure (unclothed) during massage. Infants’ median 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was lower in group C (median 45·3; interquartile range (IQR) 22–59·5 nmol/l) than in groups A (median 60·8; IQR 41·3–80·5 nmol/l (P<0·01)) and B (median 61·3; IQR 41·3–75·3 nmol/l (P<0·05)) at 3·5 months. Infant 25(OH)D correlated negatively with infant parathyroid hormone (r −0·46, P<0·01). Elevated alkaline phosphatase (>7.5µkat/l) was significantly more frequent in group C babies (16 %) than in group A (4 %) or group B (0 %) babies. The number of days with respiratory or diarrhoeal infection by 9 months of age was higher in group C (median 46·5; IQR 14·8–73·3 d) than in group A (median 18·5; IQR 8·8–31·0 d (P<0·01)) or group B (median 13·0; IQR 7·0–28·5 (P<0·05)). We conclude that monthly maternal or daily infant supplementation with vitamin D along with sun exposure is superior to sun exposure alone in maintaining normal infant 25(OH)D at 3·5 months, and provide protection from elevated alkaline phosphatase and infectious morbidity.

Fungal blast disease is one of the major constraints in finger millet production. Breeding for disease resistance in finger millet, needs characterization of genetic polymorphism among and between the resistant and susceptible genotypes. In total, 67 finger millet genotypes, which are resistant or susceptible to fungal blast disease, were analysed using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to assess genetic variations and select diverse parents. Twelve each of SRAP and SSR primers produced 95.1 and 93.1% polymorphic bands and grouped them into unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average clusters. Two of the finger millet genotypes, IE 4709 (blast resistant) and INDAF 7 (susceptible) were distinguished as most diverse genotypes as parents. Several genotype-specific bands observed with SSR primers are potential in developing genotype-specific markers. A high genetic diversity within the resistant and susceptible genotypes, rather than between them, was revealed through Nei's gene diversity (h) index and analysis of molecular variance. The finding helps us to understand the extent of genetic polymorphism between blast disease resistant and susceptible finger millet genotypes to exploit in resistance breeding programs.

As the need for smaller data storage devices in the market continues to grow, the study of new combinations of self-assembled magnetic nanoparticles/films is greatly needed. In this research, Fe50-Ni50 films were synthesized using a Pulsed Laser Deposition technique. The films were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and physical properties measurement system (PPMS). Films were deposited from Fe-Ni alloy target (50%-50% composition), deposition was conducted in vacuum, at substrate temperatures varying from liquid nitrogen temperature -196°C to 600°C. The films were annealed in a vacuum chamber at 600°C for 1 hour. The study reveals that the substrate temperature has significant effect on the structure of the films and their magnetic properties. It was shown that additional thermal treatment improved the quality of films in terms of narrow grain size distribution. Magnetic properties were also found to improve significantly after post annealing process.

This paper describes the organometallic synthesis of pure rhenium nanoparticles (Re NPs) and their characterization by a combination of state-of-the art techniques (TEM, HAADF-STEM, EDX, WAXS, EA, FT-IR). The Re NPs synthesis is achieved by reducing the [Re2(C3H5)4] complex in solution under a dihydrogen atmosphere and in the presence of hexadecylamine or polyvinylpyrrolidone as stabilizing agents. The so-obtained Re NPs are monodisperse with a mean size of 1.1 nm (0.3) nm and display a spherical shape with a disordered hcp structure.

The present work addresses the systematic evaluation of the influence of the incorporation of dopant species (Ca+2, Ag+1) on the structural and functional properties of bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanocrystalline powders and films. Pure and doped BFO powders and thin films were synthesized by a modified sol-gel method. The concentration of the doping species varied from 0 up to 7 at %. The development of the host BFO structure was confirmed by XRD analyses of samples annealed at 700°C for one hour in air and nitrogen atmosphere. Thicknesses of films varied between 80 and 200 nm, depending on the concentration of Ca+2 species. Doped BFO exhibited a magnetic behavior that turned from paramagnetic into ferrimagnetic with the increase of Ca+2 concentrations.

Soft lithographic printing techniques can be used to print nanoparticle dispersions with relative ease while allowing for a measureable degree of controllability of printed feature size. In this study, a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp was used to print multi-layered, porous, nanoparticle dispersions of titanium dioxide (TiO2), for use in a dye-sensitized solar cell application. The gelled patterns were then sintered and the surface of the printed sample was chemically analyzed.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the surface constituents of the printed sample. The presence of a secondary peak feature located approximately 2.8 eV above the high resolution O1s core level binding energy peak was attributed to a contamination layer. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) of the printed sample revealed the presence of vibrational modes characteristic of the asymmetric bond stretching of silica, located at approximate wavenumbers of 1260 and 1030 cm-1.

Soft lithographic techniques are a viable manufacturing technique in a number of disciplines and sintered nano-oxide dispersions are readily used as reaction centers in a number of technologies. The presence of a residual, bonded silicate contamination layer may preclude the soft lithographic printing of chemically active oxide surfaces.

Due to the rapid advance of the emergence of resistant microorganisms to different antibiotics, there is a need to create new antimicrobial agents. It is possible that Nanotechnology has a great impact in this area since the nanoparticles can improve the antimicrobial effect of the antibiotics. In this study we used three different metal oxides nanoparticles, the MgO, ZnO and CuO. These nanoparticles were selected because their interactions leading to cell death and their optical properties. The aim of this study is to develop new methods that are more effective against resistance bacteria, developing antibacterial agents using different nanoparticles against Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 10145), and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC BAA-1026). This study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial effects of a combination of nanoparticles together with different concentrations of three antibiotics, Gentamicin, Cephalexin and Co-Trimoxazole. The results showed that some nanoparticles are effective to inhibit growth in these microorganisms by increasing the effectiveness of the antibiotic. Therefore, the present study indicates that the combination of the nanoparticles with antibiotics may be applicable as a new antimicrobial agent.

In this contribution, we report the synthesis and characterization of NixFe3-xO4 and CoxFe3-xO4 redox nanomaterials using sol-gel method. These materials will be used to produce solar fuels such as H2 or syngas from H2O and/or CO2 via solar thermochemical cycles (STCs). For the sol-gel synthesis of ferrites, the Ni, Co, Fe precursor salts were dissolved in ethanol and propylene oxide (PO) was added dropwise to the well mixed solution as a gelation agent to achieve gel formation. Freshly synthesized gels were aged, dried, and calcined by heating them to 600°C in air. The calcined powders were characterized by powder x-ray diffractometer (XRD), BET surface area, as well as scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Their suitability to be used in STCs for the production of solar fuels was assessed by performing several reduction/re-oxidation cycles using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA).

SnO2-based varistors are strong candidates to replace the ZnO-based varistors due to ordering fewer additives to improve its electrical behavior as well as by showing similar nonlinear characteristics of ZnO varistors. In this work, SnO2-nanoparticles based-varistors with addition of 1.0 %mol of ZnO and 0.05 %mol of Nb2O5 were synthesized by chemical route. SnO2.ZnO.Nb2O5-films with 5 μm of thickness were obtained by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of the nanoparticles on Si/Pt substrate from alcoholic suspension of SnO2-based powder. The sintering step was carried out in a microwave oven at 1000 °C for 40 minutes. Then, Cr3+ ions were deposited on the films surface by EPD after the sintering step. Each sample was submitted to different thermal treatments to improve the varistor behavior by diffusion of ions in the samples. The films showed a nonlinear coefficient (α) greater than 9, breakdown voltage (VR) around 60 V, low leakage current (IF ≈ 10-6 A), height potential barrier above 0.5 eV and grain boundary resistivity upward of 107 Ω.cm.

The present work focuses on the synthesis and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of ZnxMg1-xO solid solutions. ZnxMg1-xO solid solutions were synthesized through the thermal decomposition of ZnMg-precursor synthesized in aqueous and ethanol solutions via a two-steps process. The antimicrobial activity of ZnxMg1-xO solid solution against E. coli was evaluated using the spread plate method in presence of ZnxMg1-xO powder of different contents of Zn species, ‘x’. The powder concentrations evaluated were 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm. Zn0.10Mg0.90O powders exhibited a bacterial growth inhibition between 38% and 100% when the powder concentration increased from 500 up to 1500 ppm, respectively. A decreasing trend was observed for x = 0.30 and above; the corresponding bacterial growth inhibition was 12%, 6%, and 5% when the particles concentration was, respectively, 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm. X-Ray diffraction analyses suggested the incorporation of Zn ions into the MgO lattice for ‘x’ values below 0.10, enhancing the antimicrobial activity; the formation of two isolated oxide phases observed at larger ‘x’ values (e.g. x = 0.30 and x = 0.50 Zn), could explain the detected inhibition of the corresponding antimicrobial activity.

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) has novel properties, including a large temperature-dependent dielectric constant, and can be doped to make it metallic or even superconducting. The origin of conductivity observed at the SrTiO3/LaAlO3 interface is a topic of intense debate. In the present work, bulk single crystal SrTiO3 samples were heated at 1200°C, with the goal of producing cation vacancies. These thermally treated samples exhibited persistent photoconductivity (PPC) at room temperature. Upon exposure to sub-band-gap light (>2.9 eV), the free-electron density increases by over two orders of magnitude. This enhanced conductivity persists in the dark, at room temperature, for several days with essentially no decay. Light excites an electron from the vacancy to the conduction band, where it remains, due to a large recapture barrier. These observations highlight the importance of defects in determining the electrical properties of oxides and may point toward novel applications.