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ZnO:Eu thin film fabricated by pulsed laser deposition was treated by pulsed UV laser. The effect of laser fluence from 70 to 125 mJ cm−2 on film properties was investigated. The results showed that the surface morphology was clearly modified and the film treated at laser fluence of 70 mJ cm−2 was more densified compared to the other annealed films. Laser treatment led to a reduction of carbon content and to a stoichiometric ZnO:Eu composition on the surface. Refractive index significantly decreased and extinction coefficient was blue shifted for higher laser fluences. Strong characteristic Eu3+ transitions were obtained using excitation at 266 nm. The highest photoluminescence intensity was observed for the annealed film at a laser fluence of 70 mJ cm−2. The influence of ambient composition (N2 and O2) and temperature (room temperature and 150 °C) to photoluminescence response was examined for optical gas sensor application. The laser-untreated film showed higher sensitivity to the presence of oxygen at both temperatures compared to the treated film. The stability of photoluminescence intensity at elevated temperature was improved for laser-treated areas.

The control and arguably the tailoring aspect of technologies like pulsed laser deposition (PLD) rises from understanding the chemistry hidden by the laser generated plasma. With the continuous transition towards thin films with complex structures and geometries, the comprehension of the fundamental processes during the film deposition becomes critical. During the PLD of Mo and Eu-doped Lu2O3, optical emission spectroscopy was implemented for in-situ plasma monitoring. The spatial distribution of individual elements revealed the structuring of a stoichiometric plasma while the formation of LuO molecule within the plasma plume is seen as being induced by the addition of a minimum 1 Pa of O2. The energy of the ejected particles was controlled through doping and O2 pressure. The effect of O2 pressure over the plasma energy revealed a transition from an atomic dominated region towards a molecular dominated one. The properties of the resulted films were analyzed by XRD, AFM, and photoluminescence techniques and show a strong correlation between the dynamical regime of the plasma and their structural properties.

Although speech disorder is frequently an early and prominent clinical feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS) such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), there is a lack of objective and quantitative evidence to verify whether any specific speech characteristics allow differentiation between PD, PSP and MSA. Speech samples were acquired from 77 subjects including 15 PD, 12 PSP, 13 MSA and 37 healthy controls. The accurate differential diagnosis of dysarthria subtypes was based on the quantitative acoustic analysis of 16 speech dimensions. Dysarthria was uniformly present in all parkinsonian patients but was more severe in PSP and MSA than in PD. Whilst PD speakers manifested pure hypokinetic dysarthria, ataxic components were more affected in MSA whilst PSP subjects demonstrated severe deficits in hypokinetic and spastic elements of dysarthria. Dysarthria in PSP was dominated by increased dysfluency, decreased slow rate, inappropriate silences, deficits in vowel articulation and harsh voice quality whereas MSA by pitch fluctuations, excess intensity variations, prolonged phonemes, vocal tremor and strained-strangled voice quality. Objective speech measurements were able to discriminate between APS and PD with 95% accuracy and between PSP and MSA with 75% accuracy. Dysarthria severity in APS was related to overall disease severity (r = 0.54, p = 0.006). Dysarthria with various combinations of hypokinetic, spastic and ataxic components reflects differing pathophysiology in PD, PSP and MSA. Thus, motor speech examination may provide useful information in the evaluation of these diseases with similar manifestations.

Samarium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Sm)/zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) thin film multilayer structure was prepared by combination of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and organic molecular evaporation (OME). ZnO:Sm thin film was grown by PLD (Nd:YAG, λ = 266 nm, τ = 6 ns) from Sm2O3:ZnO (1 % Sm) target in oxygen ambient at pressure of 10 and 20 Pa at room temperature on fused silica and Si(100) substrates. ZnPc thin film was deposited on ZnO:Sm layer by OME. ZnO:Sm films of c-axis-oriented hexagonal wurtzite structure and α-form ZnPc were obtained. Emission of intra-4f transition in Sm3+ ions and photoluminescence enhancement of near-band-edge emission of ZnO in ZnO:Sm/ZnPc were observed. Electrical properties were not affected by Sm3+ dopant as ZnO:Sm film exhibited high electrical resistivity ~5 × 104 Ω cm.

We report on excitation of the photoluminescence of lithium fluoride by means of the surface plasmon resonance of Al layer. Advantage of this method is high efficiency of the excitation, which is applicable to ultra-thin films. P-polarized UV diode laser light is coupled to the surface plasmon resonance using a fused silica prism in Kretschmann configuration. The angular dependence of the reflected intensity is measured using a theta–2theta goniometer. The surface plasmon at resonance condition induces photoluminescence in the adjacent lithium fluoride layer. The fluoride layers were deposited on Al-coated fused silica substrates by electron beam evaporation. For the experiment, we prepared several samples with thickness ranging from 20 to 71 nm. We studied the effect of the luminescence enhancement by the surface plasmon resonance effect. Strong quenching effect was observed in the thinnest LiF layer. Influence of X-ray irradiation on the photoluminescence was studied.

Textures, stresses, and strains, as well as the overall so-called real structure, are crucial for properties of thin films deposited by different methods and can have both positive and negative effects depending on the film and its application. They were studied by a combination of different X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques for several ZnO films. The films prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on MgO and sapphire single-crystalline substrates and amorphous-fused silica showed different kinds of strong preferred orientation and also different stresses that could be estimated only from the analysis of quite narrow, nonzero intensity regions of diffraction spots. XRD line broadening was analyzed by a combination of different asymmetric scans. Fiber (0001) texture and tensile residual stresses were found on fused silica, while domains with local epitaxy and huge compressive stress were detected on MgO substrate, and surprisingly, very strong local epitaxy but not parallel to the (0001) sapphire substrate was observed. No residual stress was detected there. Some methodological aspects of the XRD studies of thin nanocrystalline films with strong preferred orientation are discussed.

Series of N,N-dimethylamino acid esters was synthesized to study their transdermal permeation-enhancing potency, biodegradability and reversibility of action. Effects of chirality, linking chain length and polyfluorination were investigated. In vitro activities were evaluated using porcine skin and four model drugs—theophylline, hydrocortisone, adefovir and indomethacin. Biodegradability was determined using porcine esterase, reversibility was measured using electrical resistance. No differences in activity were found between (R), (S) and racemic dodecyl 2-(dimethylamino)propanoate (DDAIP). Substitution of hydrocarbon tail by fluorocarbon one resulted in loss of activity. Replacement of branched linking chain between nitrogen and ester of DDAIP by linear one markedly improved penetration-enhancing activity with optimum in 4–6C acid derivatives. Dodecyl 6-(dimethylamino)hexanoate (DDAK) was more potent than clinically used skin absorption enhancer DDAIP for theophylline (enhancement ratio of DDAK and DDAIP was 17.3 and 5.9, respectively), hydrocortisone (43.2 and 11.5) and adefovir (13.6 and 2.8), while DDAIP was better enhancer for indomethacin (8.7 and 22.8). DDAK was rapidly metabolized by porcine esterase, and displayed low acute toxicity. Electrical resistance of DDAK-treated skin barrier promptly recovered to control values. DDAK, highly effective, broad-spectrum, biodegradable and reversible transdermal permeation enhancer, is promising candidate for future research.

Thin SiC x films were fabricated by hybrid laser–magnetron deposition system. KrF excimer laser was used for deposition of carbon and magnetron at the same time for sputtering of Si species. Films were fabricated in argon/hydrogen ambient with and without additional RF discharge. The substrate temperature was changed up to 700°C. Films topology, crystallinity, composition, chemical bonds and optical emission spectra were studied. Films were smooth and amorphous. Films of thickness 400–1000 nm were fabricated. Adhesion moved from 8 to 14 N, depending on deposition conditions.

Time- and spatially-resolved optical emission spectroscopy was performed to characterize the plasma produced in a hybrid magnetron-sputtering-laser deposition system, which is used for TiC or SiC thin films preparation. A graphite target was ablated by a KrF excimer laser (λ=248 nm,τ=20 ns) and either Ti or Si targets were used for DC magnetron sputtering in argon ambient. Spectra were measured in the range 250–850 nm. The evolution of the spectra with varying magnetron powers (0–100 W) and argon pressures (0.3–10 Pa) was studied. Spectra of the plasmas produced by a) the magnetron alone, b) the ablation laser alone, and c) the magnetron and the ablation laser together, were recorded. Spectra (a) were dominated by Ar atoms and Ar+ ions. Emission lines of Ti and Si were detected, when Ti target and Si target was used, respectively. Spectra (b) revealed emission of C, C+, C2, Ar, Ar+. Spectra (c) showed presence of all previously mentioned species and further of Ti+ ions emission was detected.