INFLUENCE OF Nb4O SUBOXIDES IN THE SUBSTRATE UPON PROPERTIES OF Nb3Sn TAPE SUPERCONDUCTOR

Nous décrivons les propriétés d'un ruban supraconducteur de Nb3Sn préparé par la diffusion de Sn dans un ruban de NbZr. Par un traitement thermique approprié en plus des particules de ZrO2 le sous-oxyde Nb4O a été formé. En conséquence, l'épaisseur de la couche de Nb3Sn et le courant critique ont augmenté, et les propriétés mécaniques ont été améliorées par rapport aux propriétés d'un ruban de Nb3Sn sans Nb4O.The properties of tape diffusion processed Nb3Sn superconductor prepared on NbZr substrate are described. By appropriate heat treatment besides the ZrO2 particles the Nb4O suboxides are formed too. Consequently, the values of the Nb3Sn layer thickness and that of the critical current have increased and some mechanical properties are being improved, when compared with properties obtained on substrates without Nb4O particles

Early surgical treatment in unilateral coronoid hyperplasia and facial asymmetry.

none9Unilateral coronoid hyperplasia is a rare condition in the pediatric age. It may be an unrecognized cause of restricted mouth opening in children.The limited jaw movement is due to the enlargement of the coronoid process of the mandible that impinges on the zygomatic arch during mouth opening. This pathologic condition is still unknown and often misdiagnosed.Although in the past the term osteochondroma has been used to describe most of the unilateral and a few of the bilateral cases, there is no histologic evidence that the process has a neoplastic origin.Microscopic examination of the removed coronoid process has revealed hyperplastic compact bone covered with a thin layer of normal cartilage.There are multiple causes of mandibular hypomobility, each of them associated with different anatomic structures and etiologies, and a large number of cases, mostly bilateral, are idiopathic in nature.Several theories of pathogenesis have been proposed: temporomandibular joint dysfunctions, mandibular hypomobility, temporalis hyperactivity, hormonal stimulus, persistent cartilage growth center, genetic inheritance, and family factors.Unilateral coronoid hyperplasia is usually due to a trauma or a pathologic condition and is associated with facial asymmetry, being more frequently seen in women with histologic chondromatous or neoplastic changes. A thorough clinical history should include information about the onset and progression of pain and other subjective symptoms.In this study, we present a case of unilateral hyperplasia of the coronoid process in a 3 year-old female who, to the best of our knowledge, is the youngest patient so far reported with such anomaly.Our findings support the recommendation that early surgical treatment and aggressive postoperative physical therapy should be taken into account to allow for recovery of morphology and growth function in children.noneM. Galiè;G. Consorti;R. Tieghi;S. A. Denes;E. Fainardi;J. L. Schmid;M. Neuschl;L. ClauserM., Galiè; G., Consorti; R., Tieghi; S. A., Denes; E., Fainardi; J. L., Schmid; M., Neuschl; Clauser, Luigi; Galie', Manli

High quality AlGaN epilayers grown on sapphire using SiNx interlayers

We have investigated the optimization of Al0.2Ga0.8N layers directly grown on sapphire by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy( MOVPE).The quality of the AlGaN epilayers was improved by in situ nano-masking employing ultra-thin SiNx interlayers.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations reveal an enormous reduction of edge-type dislocations by SiNx nano-masking. Furthermore, formation of bundles of dislocations converging to the surface is visible,leading to large areas up to 1mm in size on the surface which are almost defect free. The SiNx surface coverage was carefully optimized resulting in narrower (102)-reflections of high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), down to full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of 570 arcsec, in addition to narrow symmetric HRXRD reflections down to FWHM of 150 arcsec. Structures with double SiNx interlayer revealed even higher quality of the epilayers with a FWHM of 440 arcsec for the (102)-reflection. Aseries of GaN-AlGaN multi-quantum wells were grown on such high quality templates.The MQWs show a significant decrease in peak widths and also an increase in the luminescence intensity. Furthermore, these templates have been used as buffer layers for ultraviolet light-emitting diodes emitting at 350nm

Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling lifespan in the short-lived fish Nothobranchius furzeri\u2013 a new vertebrate model for age research

The African annual fish Nothobranchius furzeri emerged as new model for age research over recent years. N. furzeri show an exceptionally short lifespan, age-dependent cognitive/ behavioral decline, expression of age-related biomarkers and susceptibility to lifespan manipulation. In addition, laboratory strains differ largely in lifespan. Here, we set out to study the genetics of lifespan determination. We crossed a short- to a long-lived strain, recorded lifespan and established polymorphic markers. Based on genotypes of 411 marker loci in 404 F2 progeny we built a genetic map comprising 355 markers at an average spacing of 5.5 cM, 22 linkage groups (LGs) and 1,965 cM. By combining marker data with lifespan values we identified one genome-wide highly significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) on LG 9 (P < 0.01), which explained 11.3% of the F2 lifespan variance, and three suggestive QTLs on LG 11, 14 and 17. We characterized the highly significant QTL by synteny analysis, because a genome sequence of N. furzeri was not available. We located the syntenic region on medaka chromosome 5, defined candidate genes and performed fine mapping, resulting in a 3c40% reduction of the initial 95% confidence interval. We show that lifespan determination in N .furzeri is polygenic and candidate gene detection is easily feasible by cross-species analysis. Our work provides first results on the way to identify loci controlling lifespan in N. furzeri and illustrates the potential of this vertebrate species as genetic model for age research

Genetic Analysis of Tongue Size and Taste Papillae Number and Size in Recombinant Inbred Strains of Mice

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis has been used to examine natural variation of phenotypes in the mouse somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and amygdala. QTL analysis has also been utilized to map and identify genes underlying anatomical features such as muscle, organ, and body weights. However, this methodology has not been previously applied to identification of anatomical structures related to gustatory phenotypes. In this study, we used QTL analysis to map and characterize genes underlying tongue size, papillae number, and papillae area. In a set of 43 BXD recombinant inbred (RI) mice (n = 111) and 2 parental strains (C57BL/6J and DBA/2J; n = 7), we measured tongue length, width, and weight. In a subset of 23 BXD RI mice and the parental mice, we measured filiform and fungiform papillae number and fungiform papillae area. Using QTL linkage analysis (through WebQTL), we detected 2 significant and noninteracting QTLs influencing tongue length on chromosomes 5 and 7. We also found a significant QTL on chromosome 19 underlying fungiform papillae area and a suggestive QTL on chromosome 2 linked to fungiform papillae number. From these QTLs, we identified a number of candidate genes within the QTL intervals that include SRY-box containing gene, nebulin-related anchoring protein, and actin-binding LIM protein 1. This study is an important first step in identifying genetic factors underlying tongue size, papillae size, and papillae number using QTL analysis