LC-Circuit Calorimetry

We present a new type of calorimeter in which we couple an unknown heat capacity with the aid of Peltier elements to an electrical circuit. The use of an electrical inductance and an amplifier in the circuit allows us to achieve autonomous oscillations, and the measurement of the corresponding resonance frequency makes it possible to accurately measure the heat capacity with an intrinsic statistical error that decreases as ~t^{-3/2} with measuring time t, as opposed to a corresponding error ~t^{-1/2} in the conventional alternating current (a.c.) method to measure heat capacities. We have built a demonstration experiment to show the feasibility of the new technique, and we have tested it on a gadolinium sample at its transition to the ferromagnetic state.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity in the iron-based compound Cs0.8(FeSe0.98)2

We report on muon-spin rotation and relaxation (μSR), electrical resistivity, magnetization and differential scanning calorimetry measurements performed on a high-quality single crystal of Cs(0.8)(FeSe(0.98))(2). Whereas our transport and magnetization data confirm the bulk character of the superconducting state below T(c)=29.6(2)  K, the μSR data indicate that the system is magnetic below T(N)=478.5(3)  K, where a first-order transition occurs. The first-order character of the magnetic transition is confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry data. Taken all together, these data indicate in Cs(0.8)(FeSe(0.98))(2) a microscopic coexistence between the superconducting phase and a strong magnetic phase. The observed T(N) is the highest reported to date for a magnetic superconductor

Functional analysis of Ectodysplasin-A mutations causing selective tooth agenesis.

Mutations of the Ectodysplasin-A (EDA) gene are generally associated with the syndrome hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (MIM 305100), but they can also manifest as selective, non-syndromic tooth agenesis (MIM300606). We have performed an in vitro functional analysis of six selective tooth agenesis-causing EDA mutations (one novel and five known) that are located in the C-terminal tumor necrosis factor homology domain of the protein. Our study reveals that expression, receptor binding or signaling capability of the mutant EDA1 proteins is only impaired in contrast to syndrome-causing mutations, which we have previously shown to abolish EDA1 expression, receptor binding or signaling. Our results support a model in which the development of the human dentition, especially of anterior teeth, requires the highest level of EDA-receptor signaling, whereas other ectodermal appendages, including posterior teeth, have less stringent requirements and form normally in response to EDA mutations with reduced activity

Estimates for the thermodynamic signatures of vortex-lattice melting in conventional superconductors

The first-order nature of the vortex-lattice melting transition in copper-based layered high-Tc superconductors is well established. The associated discontinuities in magnetization have been extensively studied, for example, in YBa2Cu3O7 and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, while the respective latent heats have been systematically investigated only in YBa2Cu3O7 and related compounds. The apparent absence of such signatures in conventional superconductors such as Nb raises the question whether or not the concept of vortex-lattice melting is applicable at all in such materials. Based on available literature to describe the vortex-state and using the Lindemann criterion, we estimate quantitatively the order of magnitude for the expected latent heats of melting and the associated discontinuities in magnetization, respectively, as functions of a few known material parameters. It turns out that both thermodynamic quantities are not strictly vanishing even in isotropic materials as long as $\kappa > 1/\sqrt{2}$, but they are small and may often be beyond the available experimental resolution.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure

APRIL is overexpressed in cancer: link with tumor progression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>BAFF and APRIL share two receptors – TACI and BCMA – and BAFF binds to a third receptor, BAFF-R. Increased expression of BAFF and APRIL is noted in hematological malignancies. BAFF and APRIL are essential for the survival of normal and malignant B lymphocytes, and altered expression of BAFF or APRIL or of their receptors (BCMA, TACI, or BAFF-R) have been reported in various B-cell malignancies including B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We compared the expression of <it>BAFF, APRIL, TACI and BAFF-R </it>gene expression in 40 human tumor types – brain, epithelial, lymphoid, germ cells – to that of their normal tissue counterparts using publicly available gene expression data, including the Oncomine Cancer Microarray database.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found significant overexpression of <it>TACI </it>in multiple myeloma and thyroid carcinoma and an association between TACI expression and prognosis in lymphoma. Furthermore, <it>BAFF and APRIL </it>are overexpressed in many cancers and we show that <it>APRIL </it>expression is associated with tumor progression. We also found overexpression of at least one proteoglycan with heparan sulfate chains (HS), which are coreceptors for APRIL and TACI, in tumors where APRIL is either overexpressed or is a prognostic factor. APRIL could induce survival or proliferation directly through HS proteoglycans.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Taken together, these data suggest that APRIL is a potential prognostic factor for a large array of malignancies.</p

Heat flowing from cold to hot without external intervention by using a “thermal inductor”

The cooling of boiling water all the way down to freezing, by thermally connecting it to a thermal bath held at ambient temperature without external intervention, would be quite unexpected. We describe the equivalent of a “thermal inductor,” composed of a Peltier element and an electric inductance, which can drive the temperature difference between two bodies to change sign by imposing inertia on the heat flowing between them, and enable continuing heat transfer from the chilling body to its warmer counterpart without the need of an external driving force. We demonstrate its operation in an experiment and show that the process can pass through a series of quasi-equilibrium states while fully complying with the second law of thermodynamics. This thermal inductor extends the analogy between electrical and thermal circuits and could serve, with further progress in thermoelectric materials, to cool hot materials well below ambient temperature without external energy supplies or moving parts