Quantitative analysis of the Ge concentration in a SiGe quantum well: comparison of low-energy RBS and SIMS measurements.

The germanium concentration and the position and thickness of the quantum well in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown SiGe were quantitatively analyzed via low-energy Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). In these samples, the concentrations of Si and Ge were assumed to be constant, except for the quantum well, where the germanium concentration was lower. The thickness of the analyzed quantum well was about 12 nm and it was situated at a depth of about 60 nm below the surface. A dip showed up in the RBS spectra due to the lower germanium concentration in the quantum well, and this was evaluated. Good depth resolution was required in order to obtain quantitative results, and this was obtained by choosing a primary energy of 500 keV and a tilt angle of 51 degrees with respect to the surface normal. Quantitative information was deduced from the raw data by comparing it with SIMNRA simulated spectra. The SIMS measurements were performed with oxygen primary ions. Given the response function of the SIMS instrument (the SIMS depth profile of the germanium delta (delta) layer), and using the forward convolution (point-to-point convolution) model, it is possible to determine the germanium concentration and the thickness of the analyzed quantum well from the raw SIMS data. The aim of this work was to compare the results obtained via RBS and SIMS and to show their potential for use in the semiconductor and microelectronics industry. The detection of trace elements (here the doping element antimony) that could not be evaluated with RBS in low-energy mode is also demonstrated using SIMS instead.

Apparent velocity threshold in the electronic stopping of slow hydrogen ions in LiF.

The electronic energy loss of hydrogen ions (protons and deuterons) in thin supported films of LiF has been studied in backscattering geometry for specific energies from 700 eV/u to 700 keV/u, using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and time-of-flight low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy. For specific energies below 8 keV/u, our data confirm velocity proportionality for the stopping cross section epsilon (like in a metal) down to 3.8 keV/u, as observed previously for protons and antiprotons despite the large band gap (14 eV) of LiF. Below 3.8 keV/u, the present results indicate an apparent velocity threshold at about 0.1 a.u. for the onset of electronic stopping.

Kynurenines and the respiratory parameters on rat heart mitochondria.

It has been shown recently that the L-kynurenine metabolite kynurenic acid lowers the efficacy of mitochondria ATP synthesis by significantly increasing state IV, and reducing respiratory control index and ADP/oxygen ratio of glutamate/malate-consuming heart mitochondria. In the present study we investigated the effect of L-tryptophan (1.25 microM to 5 mM) and other metabolites of L-kynurenine as 3-hydroxykynurenine (1.25 microM to 2.5 mM), anthranilic acid (1.25 microM to 5 mM) and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (1.25 microM to 5 mM) on the heart mitochondria function. Mitochondria were incubated with saturating concentrations of respiratory substrates glutamate/malate (5 mM), succinate (10 mM) or NADH (1 mM) in the presence or absence of L-tryptophan metabolites. Among tested substances, 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid and anthranilic acid but not tryptophan affected the respiratory parameters dose-dependently, however at a high concentration, of a micro molar range. 3-Hydroxykynurenine and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid lowered respiratory control index and ADP/oxygen ratio in the presence of glutamate/malate and succinate but not with NADH. While, anthranilic acid reduced state III oxygen consumption rate and lowered the respiratory control index only of glutamate/malate-consuming heart mitochondria. Co-application of anthranilic acid and kynurenic acid (125 or 625 microM each) to glutamate/malate-consuming heart mitochondria caused a non-additive deterioration of the respiratory parameters determined predominantly by kynurenic acid. Accumulated data indicate that within L-tryptophan metabolites kynurenic acid is the most effective, followed by anthranilic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid to influence the respiratory parameters of heart mitochondria. Present data allow to speculate that changes of kynurenic acid and/or anthranilic acid formation in heart tissue mitochondria due to fluctuation of L-kynurenine metabolism may be of functional importance for cardiovascular processes. On the other hand, beside the effect of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid and 3-hydroxykynurenine on respiratory parameters, their oxidative reactivity may contribute to impairment of mitochondria function, too.

Velocity scaling of ion neutralization in low energy ion scattering.

The ion fraction P+ is measured for He+ ions scattered by 129 degrees from a Cu surface. Both the primary energy and the angles of incidence and of exit are varied. From our results we conclude the following: along the incoming and outgoing trajectories, neutralization is due to Auger processes and depends on the normal velocity component v( perpendicular ) only. At higher energies, additional charge exchange is due to collision induced neutralization and reionization, both depending on the total ion energy only. Also in this regime P+ depends on v( perpendicular ), but via a two-valued function of the scattering geometry at fixed energy.

Bufadienolides from Urginea maritima from Egypt.

Forty-one bufadienolides were isolated from the bulbs of Urginea maritima agg. from Egypt; 26 of them are new natural compounds. Structure elucidation was performed by comparison with authentic substances or by means of 1H, 13C NMR and FAB mass spectroscopy. Sixteen of the glycosides derive from nine structurally new aglycones: 16 beta-hydroxy-scillarenin, 16 beta-O-acetyl- scillarenin, 12 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-4,5-dihydro-scillirosidin, 16 beta- hydroxy-5 alpha-4,5-dihydro-scillirosidin, 16 beta-O-acetyl-5 alpha-4,5- dihydro-scillirosidin, 12 beta-hydroxy-scillirubrosidin, 16 beta-O-acetyl- scillirubrosidin, 9-hydroxy-scilliphaeosidine and 12 beta-hydroxy-desacetyl- scillirosidine.