Magnetic Anisotropic Energy Gap and Strain Effect in Au Nanoparticles

We report on the observation of the size effect of thermal magnetization in Au nanoparticles. The thermal deviation of the saturation magnetization departs substantially from that predicted by the Bloch T3/2-law, indicating the existence of magnetic anisotropic energy. The results may be understood using the uniaxial anisotropy Heisenberg model, in which the surface atoms give rise to polarized moments while the magnetic anisotropic energy decreases as the size of the Au nanoparticles is reduced. There is a significant maximum magnetic anisotropic energy found for the 6 nm Au nanoparticles, which is associated with the deviation of the lattice constant due to magnetocrystalline anisotropy

A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism within the Novel Sex-Linked Testis-Specific Retrotransposed PGAM4 Gene Influences Human Male Fertility

The development of novel fertilization treatments, including in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic injection, has made pregnancy possible regardless of the level of activity of the spermatozoa; however, the etiology of male-factor infertility is poorly understood. Multiple studies, primarily through the use of transgenic animals, have contributed to a list of candidate genes that may affect male infertility in humans. We examined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as a cause of male infertility in an analysis of spermatogenesis-specific genes.We carried out the prevalence of SNPs in the coding region of phosphoglycerate mutase 4 (PGAM4) on the X chromosome by the direct sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA from male patients. Using RT-PCR and western blot analyses, we identified that PGAM4 is a functional retrogene that is expressed predominantly in the testes and is associated with male infertility. PGAM4 is expressed in post-meiotic stages, including spermatids and spermatozoa in the testes, and the principal piece of the flagellum and acrosome in ejaculated spermatozoa. A case-control study revealed that 4.5% of infertile patients carry the G75C polymorphism, which causes an amino acid substitution in the encoded protein. Furthermore, an assay for enzymatic activity demonstrated that this polymorphism decreases the enzyme's activity both in vitro and in vivo.These results suggest that PGAM4, an X-linked retrogene, is a fundamental gene in human male reproduction and may escape meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. These findings provide fresh insight into elucidating the mechanisms of male infertility

Continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis of Gd-doped CeO2 (GDC) nanoparticles for inkjet printing of SOFC electrolytes

GdxCe1‐xO2‐δ (GDC) nanoparticles were synthesized, using continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis. By varying the synthesis conditions, particle size and morphology could be tailored. Here, particle sizes between 6 and 40 nm with polyhedral or octahedral shape could be obtained. Gd0.2Ce0.8O2‐δ nanoparticles were further processed into inks for inkjet printing. Despite the small particle size/large surface area, inks with excellent printing behavior were formulated. For proof‐of‐concept, thin GDC layers were printed on a) green NiO‐GDC substrates, and on b) presintered NiO‐YSZ substrates. While no dense layers could be obtained on the green NiO‐GDC substrates, GDC nanoparticles printed on NiO‐YSZ substrates formed a dense continuous layer after firing at 1300°C

Recent progress in the computational prediction of aqueous solubility and absorption

The computational prediction of aqueous solubility and/or human absorption has been the goal of many researchers in recent years. Such anin silico counterpart to the biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS) would have great utility. This review focuses on recent developments in the computational prediction of aqueous solubility, P-glycoprotein transport, and passive absorption. We find that, while great progress has been achieved, models that can reliably affect chemistry and development are still lacking. We briefly discuss aspects of emerging scientific understanding that may lead to breakthroughs in the computational modeling of these properties