Properties of recent IBAD-MOCVD Coated Conductors relevant to their high field, low temperature magnet use

BaZrO3 (BZO) nanorods are now incorporated into production IBAD-MOCVD coated conductors. Here we compare several examples of both BZO-free and BZO-containing coated conductors using critical current (Ic) characterizations at 4.2 K over their full angular range up to fields of 31 T. We find that BZO nanorods do not produce any c-axis distortion of the critical current density Jc(theta) curve at 4.2 K at any field, but also that pinning is nevertheless strongly enhanced compared to the non-BZO conductors. We also find that the tendency of the ab-plane Jc(theta) peak to become cusp-like is moderated by BZO and we define a new figure of merit that may be helpful for magnet design - the OADI (Off-Axis Double Ic), which clearly shows that BZO broadens the ab-plane peak and thus raises Jc 5-30{\deg} away from the tape plane, where the most critical approach to Ic occurs in many coil designs. We describe some experimental procedures that may make critical current Ic tests of these very high current tapes more tractable at 4.2 K, where Ic exceeds 1000 A even for 4 mm wide tape with only 1 micron thickness of superconductor. A positive conclusion is that BZO is very beneficial for the Jc characteristics at 4.2 K, just as it is at higher temperatures, where the correlated c-axis pinning effects of the nanorods are much more obvious

Cell-Penetrating Peptides as a Tool for the Cellular Uptake of a Genetically Modified Nitroreductase for use in Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy

Directed enzyme prodrug therapy (DEPT) involves the delivery of a prodrug-activating enzyme to a solid tumour site, followed by the subsequent activation of an administered prodrug. One of the most studied enzyme–prodrug combinations is the nitroreductase from Escherichia coli (NfnB) with the prodrug CB1954 [5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitro-benzamide]. One of the major issues faced by DEPT is the ability to successfully internalize the enzyme into the target cells. NfnB has previously been genetically modified to contain cysteine residues (NfnB-Cys) which bind to gold nanoparticles for a novel DEPT therapy called magnetic nanoparticle directed enzyme prodrug therapy (MNDEPT). One cellular internalisation method is the use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), which aid cellular internalization of cargo. Here the cell-penetrating peptides: HR9 and Pep-1 were tested for their ability to conjugate with NfnB-Cys. The conjugates were further tested for their potential use in MNDEPT, as well as conjugating with the delivery vector intended for use in MNDEPT and tested for the vectors capability to penetrate into cells

Identification of an unusual Brucella strain (BO2) from a lung biopsy in a 52 year-old patient with chronic destructive pneumonia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Brucellosis is primarily a zoonotic disease caused by <it>Brucella </it>species. There are currently ten <it>Brucella </it>spp. including the recently identified novel <it>B. inopinata </it>sp. isolated from a wound associated with a breast implant infection. In this study we report on the identification of an unusual <it>Brucella</it>-like strain (BO2) isolated from a lung biopsy in a 52-year-old patient in Australia with a clinical history of chronic destructive pneumonia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Standard biochemical profiles confirmed that the unusual strain was a member of the <it>Brucella </it>genus and the full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence was 100% identical to the recently identified <it>B. inopinata </it>sp. nov. (type strain BO1^T). Additional sequence analysis of the <it>recA, omp2a </it>and <it>2b </it>genes; and multiple locus sequence analysis (MLSA) demonstrated that strain BO2 exhibited significant similarity to the <it>B. inopinata </it>sp. compared to any of the other <it>Brucella </it>or <it>Ochrobactrum </it>species. Genotyping based on multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) established that the BO2 and BO1^Tstrains form a distinct phylogenetic cluster separate from the other <it>Brucella </it>spp.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Based on these molecular and microbiological characterizations, we propose that the BO2 strain is a novel lineage of the newly described <it>B. inopinata </it>species.</p

Final results of the EDELWEISS-II WIMP search using a 4-kg array of cryogenic germanium detectors with interleaved electrodes

The EDELWEISS-II collaboration has completed a direct search for WIMP dark matter with an array of ten 400-g cryogenic germanium detectors in operation at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane. The combined use of thermal phonon sensors and charge collection electrodes with an interleaved geometry enables the efficient rejection of gamma-induced radioactivity as well as near-surface interactions. A total effective exposure of 384 kg.d has been achieved, mostly coming from fourteen months of continuous operation. Five nuclear recoil candidates are observed above 20 keV, while the estimated background is 3.0 events. The result is interpreted in terms of limits on the cross-section of spin-independent interactions of WIMPs and nucleons. A cross-section of 4.4x10^-8 pb is excluded at 90%CL for a WIMP mass of 85 GeV. New constraints are also set on models where the WIMP-nucleon scattering is inelastic.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures; matches published versio

A search for low-mass WIMPs with EDELWEISS-II heat-and-ionization detectors

We report on a search for low-energy (E < 20 keV) WIMP-induced nuclear recoils using data collected in 2009 - 2010 by EDELWEISS from four germanium detectors equipped with thermal sensors and an electrode design (ID) which allows to efficiently reject several sources of background. The data indicate no evidence for an exponential distribution of low-energy nuclear recoils that could be attributed to WIMP elastic scattering after an exposure of 113 kg.d. For WIMPs of mass 10 GeV, the observation of one event in the WIMP search region results in a 90% CL limit of 1.0x10^-5 pb on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross-section, which constrains the parameter space associated with the findings reported by the CoGeNT, DAMA and CRESST experiments.Comment: PRD rapid communication accepte

Axion searches with the EDELWEISS-II experiment

We present new constraints on the couplings of axions and more generic axion-like particles using data from the EDELWEISS-II experiment. The EDELWEISS experiment, located at the Underground Laboratory of Modane, primarily aims at the direct detection of WIMPs using germanium bolometers. It is also sensitive to the low-energy electron recoils that would be induced by solar or dark matter axions. Using a total exposure of up to 448 kg.d, we searched for axion-induced electron recoils down to 2.5 keV within four scenarios involving different hypotheses on the origin and couplings of axions. We set a 95% CL limit on the coupling to photons $g_{A\gamma}<2.13\times 10^{-9}$ GeV$^{-1}$ in a mass range not fully covered by axion helioscopes. We also constrain the coupling to electrons, $g_{Ae} < 2.56\times 10^{-11}$, similar to the more indirect solar neutrino bound. Finally we place a limit on $g_{Ae}\times g_{AN}^{\rm eff}<4.70 \times 10^{-17}$, where $g_{AN}^{\rm eff}$ is the effective axion-nucleon coupling for $^{57}$Fe. Combining these results we fully exclude the mass range $0.91\,{\rm eV}<m_A<80$ keV for DFSZ axions and $5.73\,{\rm eV}<m_A<40$ keV for KSVZ axions