We find that the potential energy distribution of atoms in clusters can consistently explain many important phenomena related to the phase changes of clusters, such as the nonmonotonic variation of melting temperature with size, the dependence of melting, boiling, and sublimation temperatures on the interatomic potentials, the existence of a surface-melted phase, and the absence of a premelting...

The influence of a structural modification on thermodynamic aspects of solubility and hydration processes of 1,2,4-thiadiazole drug-like compounds was investigated. A substitution in the phenyl ring of the 1,2,4-thiadiazole molecule leads to a significant decrease of the solubility of these compounds. In order to rationalize the relationship between the structures of 1,2,4-thiadiazoles and thei...

Femtosecond laser irradiation of assembled nanoprisms on a quartz substrate at their strong absorbing surface plasmon resonance frequency causes their propulsion from the substrate. SEM and AFM show that the particles fly while keeping their prismatic shape, but they decrease in size by an amount that can be calculated assuming atomic sublimation. Several mechanisms are mentioned, but the subli...

Using a new, parameter-free first principles strategy for modeling sublimation growth, we show that while Al and N2 dominate gas concentrations in AlN sublimation growth chambers under typical growth conditions, N2 is undersaturated with respect to the crystal and therefore cannot be a growth precursor. Instead, our calculations predict that the nitrogen-containing precursors are Al(n)N (n=2,3,...

The notion of sublimation is essential to Nietzsche and Freud. However, Freud’s writings fail to provide a persuasive notion of sublimation. In particular, Freud’s writings are confused on the distinction between pathological symptoms and sublimation and on the relation between sublimation and repression. After rehearsing these problems in some detail, it is proposed that a return to Nietzsche ...

The necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia cerealis is the major pathogen causing sharp eyespot disease in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) proteins often mediate plant disease resistance to biotrophic pathogens. Little is known about the role of NB-LRR genes involved in wheat response to R. cerealis. In this study, a wheat NB-LRR gene, named TaRCR1, was ident...

RNA silencing is a conserved mechanism in eukaryotes that plays an important role in various biological processes including regulation of gene expression. RNA silencing also plays a role in genome stability and protects plants against invading nucleic acids such as transgenes and viruses. Recently, RNA silencing has been found to play a role in defence against bacterial plant pathogens in Arabi...

Uptake of foreign mobile genetic elements is often detrimental and can result in cell death. For protection against invasion, prokaryotes have developed several defence mechanisms, which take effect at all stages of infection; an example is the recently discovered CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas (CRISPR-associated) immune system. This defence system direct...

Hosts may defend themselves against parasitism through a wide variety of defence mechanisms, but due to finite resources, investment in one defence mechanism may trade-off with investment in another mechanism. We studied resistance strategies against the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi in two Drosophila species. We found that D. melanogaster had significantly lower physiological resistance...