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In a public space there are several reports of materials with general stoichiometry CaCoSinO2n+2. Pyroxene CaCoSi2O6 is probably the best-known representative for n = 2 but not much is known about materials with n = 3 and n = 4. In this study, attempts were carried out to synthesize those phantom materials and it was found that they do not exist as a single phase. A quantitative XRD analysis revealed that their chemical composition is correct but the formula should be written as CaCoSi2O6 + (n-2)SiO2. Similar qualitative conclusions were drawn from investigation of magnetic (DC magnetometry) and electronic properties using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Si K edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). Additionally, the DFT ab initio calculations were carried out to obtain electronic signature from band structure of CaCoSi2O6. The apparent influence of the excess of SiO2 on magnetic properties of this “series” can be understood in terms of presence and suppression of secondary phases like Ca2CoSi2O7, which form when the starting materials are not homogenized properly. Addition of surplus SiO2 suppresses their formation leaving clear signature from CaCoSi2O6, which also can be synthesized from stoichiometric mixture using proper techniques.

57Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy was applied to investigate the superconductor parent compound Fe(1+x)Te for x=0.06, 0.10, 0.14, 0.18 within the temperature range 4.2 K - 300 K. A spin density wave (SDW) within the iron atoms occupying regular tetrahedral sites was observed with the square root of the mean square amplitude at 4.2 K varying between 9.7 T and 15.7 T with increasing x. Three additional magnetic spectral components appeared due to the interstitial iron distributed over available sites between the Fe-Te layers. The excess iron showed hyperfine fields at approximately 16 T, 21 T and 49 T for three respective components at 4.2 K. The component with a large field of 49 T indicated the presence of isolated iron atoms with large localized magnetic moment in interstitial positions. Magnetic ordering of the interstitial iron disappeared in accordance with the fallout of the SDW with the increasing temperature.

Recent investigations of the superconducting iron-arsenide families have highlighted the role of pressure, be it chemical or mechanical, in fostering superconductivity. Here we report that CaFe2As2 undergoes a pressure-induced transition to a non-magnetic, volume "collapsed" tetragonal phase, which becomes superconducting at lower temperature. Spin-polarized total-energy calculations on the collapsed structure reveal that the magnetic Fe moment itself collapses, consistent with the absence of magnetic order in neutron diffraction., Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B

Urinary tract infections caused by wide range of pathogens including gram-negative andgram-positive bacteria as well as fungi are a severe public health problem. The predominant causative agent of both uncomplicated and complicated urinary tract infections is Escherichia coli. In an era of increasing bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents and a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains in communityandhospital-acquired infections, the re-evaluation of older generations of antimicrobial agents, such as nitrofuran derivatives, seems to be a reasonable approach. The aim of the study was to evaluate furazidin activity against common uropathogens in comparison to nitrofurantoin and other selected antimicrobial agents, routinely used in the treatment of urinary tract infections. Furazidin exhibited lower MICs than nitrofurantoin when tested against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria including clinical MDR E. coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The MICs for furazidin ranged from 4 to 64 mg/L forEnterobacteriaceae strains, from 2 to 4 mg/L for gram-positive cocci, and 0.5 mg/L for anaerobic bacteria. The MICs for nitrofurantoin ranged from 16 to 64 mg/L for Enterobacteriaceae strains, from 8 to 64 mg/L for gram positive cocci, and 4 mg/L for anaerobic bacteria. In addition, both nitrofurans displayed better activity against the tested bacterial strains than ciprofloxacin, fosfomycin, trimethoprim and co-trimoxazole. Nitrofuran derivatives displayed higher antimicrobial activity than other antimicrobial agents regardless of bacteria species or resistance mechanism.

A simple, sensitive and reproducible ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method for the determination of: danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, orbifloxacin and pefloxacin oxidation stability under permanganate treatment in acidic conditions at pH from 3.0 to 6.0, was developed. Chromatographic separations were carried out using the Acquity UPLC BEH C 1 8 column; (2.1 x 100 mm, 1.7 pm particle size). The column was maintained at 40OC, and eluted under gradient conditions using from 100% to 75% of eluent A over 10 min for danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, orbifloxacin or 95% to 75% of eluent A over 10 min for pefloxacin, at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Eluent A: 1% (v/v) formic acid in water; eluent B: 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile. Satisfactory resolution was obtained for oxidation products. The correlation coefficients and determination coefficients (R2) obtained for linear model for all examined fluoroquinolones were greater than 0.99. Linearity range was observed in the concentration range 0.06-0.13 mg/mL. Sensitivity of the method was good. The LOD and LOQ values were found to be 0.01 mg/mL and from 0.02 to 0.04 mg/mL, respectively. Good precision and intermediate precision with %RSD less than 2.0% was observed. The oxidation processes followed kinetic of the second order reaction and depended upon solution acidity. Oxidation of fluoroquinolones proceeded at piperazine moiety yielding respective hydroxy and oxo analogs, and leaving the quinolone fragment intact. Structures of products formed were assigned on a basis of UPLC/MS/MS fragmentation pathways.