Application of atomic force microscopy for investigation of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase signal-transducing function

The Young’s modulus of 10–12-day-old chick embryos’ sensory neurons cultivated in dissociated cell culture was measured using a PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping atomic force microscopy. The native cells were tested in control experiments and after application of ouabain. At low “endogenous” concentration of 10−10 M, ouabain tended to increase the rigidity of sensory neurons. We hypothesize that this trend resulted from activation of Na+,K+-ATPase signal-transducing function

Structural aspects of changes induced in PbTe by doping with Mn, In and Ga

The paper presents the extended results of structural investigations of Pb0.9Mn0.1Te, and Pb0.9Mn0.1Te systems doped with In (2 at.%) and Ga (4 at.%) by means of EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) technique. EXAFS measurements performed at Te-, Mn-, In- and Ga-K absorption edges at different temperatures are complemented with X-ray diffraction, flame absorption and X-ray fluorescence analysis. That way the complete information about elemental concentration; crystal structure; local environment around constitutive and impurity atoms (including their displacements from the regular lattice positions); local and long-range ordering; and the overall influence of doping on the host crystal structure is derived. The obtained results represent an important step towards understanding the structural aspects of doping of lead telluride-based semiconductors with Mn and group III elements and their connection to electronic and optical phenomena important for their applications