1,612 research outputs found
Structural phase transitions and their influence on Cu+ mobility in superionic ferroelastic Cu6PS5I single crystals
The structural origin of Cu+ ions conductivity in Cu6PS5I single crystals is
described in terms of structural phase transitions studied by X-ray
diffraction, polarizing microscope and calorimetric measurements. Below the
phase transition at Tc=(144-169) K Cu6PS5I belongs to monoclinic, ferroelastic
phase, space group Cc. Above Tc crystal changes the symmetry to cubic
superstructure, space group F-43c (a=19.528); finally at 274K disordering of
the Cu+ ions increases the symmetry to F-43m, (a=9.794). The phase transition
at 274K coincides well with a strong anomaly in electrical conductivity
observed in the Arrhenius plot. Diffusion paths for Cu+ ions are evidenced by
means of the atomic displacement factors and split model. Influence of the
copper stechiometry on the Tc is also discussed.Comment: conference pape
Ground states of a one-dimensional lattice-gas model with an infinite range nonconvex interaction. A numerical study
We consider a lattice-gas model with an infinite range pairwise noncovex
interaction. It might be relevant, for example, for adsorption of alkaline
elements on W(112) and Mo(112). We study a competition between the effective
dipole-dipole and indirect interactions. The resulting ground state phase
diagrams are analysed (numerically) in detail. We have found that for some
model parameters the phase diagrams contain a region dominated by several
phases only with periods up to nine lattice constants. The remaining phase
diagrams reveal a complex structure of usually long periodic phases. We also
discuss a possible role of surace states in phase transitions.Comment: 16 pages, 5 Postscript figures; Physical Review B15 (15 August 1996),
in pres
Estimation of age at death: examination of variation in cortical bone histology within the human clavicle
Background: Continuously, numerous human remains of unknown identity are revealed all over the world. One of the elements of the identification process may be a proper assessment of a histological section of bone fragments in order to answer questions related to the age of the subject. The aim of the study was to define an optimum bone fragment to obtain samples for histological examination.
Materials and methods: The study material consisted of fragments of shafts of left clavicles taken from 39 males and 25 females (aged 22–86). The clavicles came from autopsies conducted between 2005 and 2011 at the Department of Forensic Medicine of Poznan and the Bialystok Medical University. The following were taken into account while estimating the age of the bone remains: clavicle length (CL), clavicle width (CW), clavicle thickness (CT), number of osteons in the field of vision (ON), number of osteons with the Haversian canal of more than 70 μm (HC > 70 μm), average diameter of the Haversian canals (avg. ØHC), area occupied by interstitial lamellae (ILA %), area occupied by osteons (OA %), area occupied by fragments-remnants of osteons remain as irregular arcs of lamellar fragments (OFA %), average thickness of outer circumferential lamellae (avg. OCL, μm), the relation of osteons with the Haversian canal of more than 70 μm in diameter to the total number of osteons (HC > 70 μm, %), at p < 0.00001. The age of the bone remains was estimated using univariate linear regression function.
Results: It was determined that the best place for sampling the osseous tissue for the analysis was the shaft of the clavicle. It was stated than the number of osteons with a large diameter increased with age. The relation of osteons with the Haversian canal of more than 70 μm in diameter to the total number of osteons (HC > 70 μm, %). The level of statistical significant was p < 0.00001. All analysed microscopic features of the osseous tissue showed significant statistical changes occurring with age.
Conclusions: The exact method for preparing osseous tissue for a microscopic analysis to determine the age of the remains is the preparation of histological sections, as the structure of the osseous tissue does not change while processing the material and the time of preparations is relatively short (7–8 days). The best predictors of age with the use of the function of univariate linear regression were: the diameter of Haversian canal, the number of osteons with Haversian canal of more than 70 μm in diameter, the relation of osteons with Haversian canal bigger than 70 μm in diameter to the total number of osteons as well as fragments of secondary osteons
Preterm infants harbour diverse Klebsiella populations, including atypical species that encode and produce an array of antimicrobial resistance- and virulence-associated factors
Klebsiella spp. are frequently enriched in the gut microbiota of preterm neonates, and overgrowth is associated with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), nosocomial infections and late-onset sepsis. Little is known about the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of preterm-associated Klebsiella as previous studies have focussed on recovery of antimicrobial-resistant isolates or culture independent molecular analyses. The aim of this study was to better characterize preterm-associated Klebsiella populations using phenotypic and genotypic approaches. Faecal samples from a UK cohort of healthy and sick preterm neonates (n=109) were screened on MacConkey agar to isolate lactose positive Enterobacteriaceae. Whole-genome sequences were generated for Klebsiella spp., and virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes identified. Antibiotic susceptibility profiling, and in vitro macrophage and iron assays were undertaken for the Klebsiella strains. Metapangenome analyses with a manually curated genome dataset were undertaken to examine diversity of Klebsiella oxytoca and related bacteria in a publicly available shotgun metagenome dataset. Approximately one-tenth of faecal samples harboured Klebsiella spp. (Klebsiella pneumoniae, 7.3 %; Klebsiella quasipneumoniae, 0.9 %; Klebsiella grimontii, 2.8 %; Klebsiella michiganensis, 1.8 %). Isolates recovered from NEC- and sepsis-affected infants and those showing no signs of clinical infection (i.e. 'healthy') encoded multiple -lactamases. No difference was observed between isolates recovered from ‘healthy’ and sick infants with respect to in vitro siderophore production (all encoded enterobactin in their genomes). All K. pneumoniae, K. quasipneumoniae, K. grimontii and K. michiganensis faecal isolates tested were able to reside and persist in macrophages, indicating their immune evasion abilities. Metapangenome analyses of published metagenomic data confirmed our findings regarding the presence of K. michiganensis in the preterm gut. There is little difference in the phenotypic and genomic characteristics of Klebsiella isolates recovered from 'healthy' and sick infants. Identification of -lactamases in all isolates may prove problematic when defining treatment regimens for NEC or sepsis, and suggests ‘healthy’ preterm infants contribute to the resistome. Refined analyses with curated sequence databases are required when studying closely related species present in metagenomic data
Mechanical behaviour of biodegradable AZ31 magnesium alloy after long term in vitro degradation
Biodegradable magnesium alloys including AZ31 are exciting candidates for temporary implants as they eliminate the requirement for surgical removal, yet have higher mechanical properties than degradable polymers. However, the very long term mechanical properties and degradation of these alloys have not been fully characterized. The tensile, bending and corrosion behaviour of biodegradable AZ31 Mg alloy specimens have been investigated for up to 9 months in vitro in phosphate buffered saline (PBS).
Small AZ31 Mg specimens showed a significant drop in bend yield strength and modulus after 3 months in vitro degradation and an average mass loss of 6.1%. Larger dumbbell specimens showed significant drops in tensile strength from 251.96 ± 3.53 MPa to 73.5 ± 20.2 MPa and to 6.43 ± 0.9 MPa and in modulus from 47.8 ± 5.6GPa to 25.01 ± 3.4GPa and 2.36 ± 0.89GPa after 3 and 9 months respectively. These reductions were accompanied by an average mass loss of 18.3% in 9 months.
Degradation rate for the small and large specimens followed similar profiles with immersion time, with peak degradation rates of 0.1747 g m− 2 h−1 and 0.0881 g m− 2 h−1, and average rates of 0.1038 g m− 2 h−1 and 0.0397 g m− 2 h−1 respectively. SEM fractography and polished specimen cross-sections revealed corrosion pits, cracks and corrosion induced defects. These data indicate the potential of AZ31 Mg for use in implants that require medium term degradation with load bearing mechanical properties
The turn of the valve: representing with material models
Many scientific models are representations. Building on Goodman and Elgin’s notion of representation-as we analyse what this claim involves by providing a general definition of what makes something a scientific model, and formulating a novel account of how they represent. We call the result the DEKI account of representation, which offers a complex kind of representation involving an interplay of, denotation, exemplification, keying up of properties, and imputation. Throughout we focus on material models, and we illustrate our claims with the Phillips-Newlyn machine. In the conclusion we suggest that, mutatis mutandis, the DEKI account can be carried over to other kinds of models, notably fictional and mathematical models
Electronic self-doping of Mo-states in A2FeMoO6 (A=Ca, Sr and Ba) half-metallic ferromagnets - a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance study
A systematic study of (A,A')2FeMoO6 (A,A'=Ca, Sr, Ba) ferromagnetic oxides
with double perovskite structure has been performed using 95,97Mo and 57Fe NMR
spectroscopy. These oxides are isoelectronic but have substantially different
Curie temperatures. The NMR analysis provides clear evidence that the magnetic
moment at Mo sites is not constant but varies sensitively with the ionic size
of the alkaline ions. The 95,97Mo frequency, and thus the electronic charge at
Mo ions, is found to be smaller in Ba and Ca than in Sr-based oxides. The
charge release from Mo sites is accompanied by an uptake at Fe sites, and thus
a self-doping Fe-Mo process is observed. This process is controlled by relevant
structural parameters: the Fe-O-Mo bond length and bending. A clear
relationship between the Curie temperature and the magnetic moment and thus
electron density at Mo sites has been disclosed. The relevance of these
findings for the understanding of ferromagnetic coupling in double perovskites
is discussed.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figure
No germline mutations in the histone acetyltransferase gene EP300 in BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative families with breast cancer and gastric, pancreatic, or colorectal cancer
INTRODUCTION: Mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, TP53, CHK2 and PTEN account for many, but not all, multiple-case breast and ovarian cancer families. The histone acetyltransferase gene EP300 may function as a tumour suppressor gene because it is sometimes somatically mutated in breast, colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancers, and is located on a region of chromosome 22 that frequently undergoes loss of heterozygosity in many cancer types. We hypothesized that germline mutations in EP300 may account for some breast cancer families that include cases of gastric, pancreatic and/or colorectal cancer. METHODS: We screened the entire coding region of EP300 for mutations in the youngest affected members of 23 non-BRCA1/BRCA2 breast cancer families with at least one confirmed case of gastric, pancreatic and/or colorectal cancer. These families were ascertained in Australia through the Kathleen Cuningham Foundation Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer. RESULTS: Denaturing HPLC analysis identified a heterozygous alteration at codon 211, specifically a GGC to AGC (glycine to serine) alteration, in two individuals. This conservative amino acid change was not within any known functional domains of EP300. The frequency of the Ser211 variant did not differ significanlty between a series of 352 breast cancer patients (4.0%) and 254 control individuals (2.8%; P = 0.5). CONCLUSION: The present study does not support a major role for EP300 mutations in breast and ovarian cancer families with a history of gastric, pancreatic and/or colorectal cancer
Relationship between wave-like auroral arcs and Pi2 disturbances in plasma sheet prior to substorm onset
Translational, rotational and vibrational relaxation dynamics of a solute molecule in a non-interacting solvent
- …