Anisotropic Superconducting Properties of MgB2 Single Crystals

In-plane electrical transport properties of MgB2 single crystals grown under high pressure of 4-6 GPa and temperature of 1400-1700oC in Mg-B-N system have been measured. For all specimens we found sharp superconducting transition around 38.1-38.3K with transition width within 0.2-0.3K. Estimated resistivity value at 40K is about 1 mkOhmcm and resistivity ratio R(273K)/R(40K) of about 4.9. Results of measurements in magnetic field up to 5.5T perpendicular to Mg and B planes and up to 9T in parallel orientation show temperature dependent anisotropy of the upper critical field with anisotropy ratio increasing from 2.2 close to Tc up to about 3 below 30K. Strong deviation of the angular dependence of Hc2 from anisotropic mass model has been also found.Comment: 10pages, including 5 figures,submitted to Physica C (in press

Cu Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Study of the Spin-Peierls Compound Cu1-xMgxGeO3: A Possibility of Precursory Dimerization

We report on a zero-field 63Cu nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) study of nonmagnetic Mg impurity substituted Cu1-xMgxGeO3 (single crystals; the spin-Peierls transition temperature Tsp~14, 13.5, and 11 K for x=0, 0.0043, and 0.020) in a temperature range from 4.2 K to 250 K. We found that below T*~77 K, Cu NQR spectra are broadened and nonexponential Cu nuclear spin-lattice relaxation increases for undoped and more remarkably for Mg-doped samples. The results indicate that random lattice distortion and impurity-induced spins appear below T*, which we associate with a precursor of the spin-Peierls transition. Conventional magnetic critical slowing down does not appear down to 4.2 K below Tsp.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Ni-substituted sites and the effect on Cu electron spin dynamics of YBa2Cu{3-x}NixO{7-\delta}

We report Cu nuclear quadrupole resonance experiment on magnetic impurity Ni-substituted YBa$_2$Cu$_{3-x}$Ni$_x$O$_{7-\delta}$. The distribution of Ni-substituted sites and its effect on the Cu electron spin dynamics are investigated. Two samples with the same Ni concentration $x$=0.10 and nearly the same oxygen content but different $T_c$'s were prepared: One is an as-synthesized sample (7-$\delta$=6.93) in air ($T_c$$\approx 80 K$), and the other is a quenched one (7-$\delta$=6.92) in a reduced oxygen atmosphere ($T_c$$\approx 70 K$). The plane-site $^{63}$Cu(2) nuclear spin-lattice relaxation for the quenched sample was faster than that for the as-synthesized sample, in contrast to the $^{63}$Cu(1) relaxation that was faster for the as-synthesized sample. This indicates that the density of plane-site Ni(2) is higher in the quenched sample, contrary to the chain-site Ni(1) density which is lower in the quenched sample. From the analysis in terms of the Ni-induced nuclear spin-lattice relaxation, we suggest that the primary origin of suppression of $T_c$ is associated with nonmagnetic depairing effect of the plane-site Ni(2).Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Resonant Spin Excitation in an Overdoped High Temperature Superconductor

An inelastic neutron scattering study of overdoped Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta} $ (T_c = 83 K) has revealed a resonant spin excitation in the superconducting state. The mode energy is E_res=38 meV, significantly lower than in optimally doped Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta} (T_c = 91 K, E_ res =43 meV). This observation, which indicates a constant ratio E_res /k_B T_c \sim 5.4, helps resolve a long-standing controversy about the origin of the resonant spin excitation in high-temperature superconductors.Comment: final version: PRL 86, 1610 (2001

Physiologic and pathologic functions of the NPP nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family focusing on NPP1 in calcification

The catabolism of ATP and other nucleotides participates partly in the important function of nucleotide salvage by activated cells and also in removal or de novo generation of compounds including ATP, ADP, and adenosine that stimulate purinergic signaling. Seven nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase NPP family members have been identified to date. These isoenzymes, related by up conservation of catalytic domains and certain other modular domains, exert generally non-redundant functions via distinctions in substrates and/or cellular localization. But they share the capacity to hydrolyze phosphodiester or pyrophosphate bonds, though generally acting on distinct substrates that include nucleoside triphosphates, lysophospholipids and choline phosphate esters. PPi generation from nucleoside triphosphates, catalyzed by NPP1 in tissues including cartilage, bone, and artery media smooth muscle cells, supports normal tissue extracellular PPi levels. Balance in PPi generation relative to PPi degradation by pyrophosphatases holds extracellular PPi levels in check. Moreover, physiologic levels of extracellular PPi suppress hydroxyapatite crystal growth, but concurrently providing a reservoir for generation of pro-mineralizing Pi. Extracellular PPi levels must be supported by cells in mineralization-competent tissues to prevent pathologic calcification. This support mechanism becomes dysregulated in aging cartilage, where extracellular PPi excess, mediated in part by upregulated NPP1 expression stimulates calcification. PPi generated by NPP1modulates not only hydroxyapatite crystal growth but also chondrogenesis and expression of the mineralization regulator osteopontin. This review pays particular attention to the role of NPP1-catalyzed PPi generation in the pathogenesis of certain disorders associated with pathologic calcification

Anisotropic resistivity and Hall effect in MgB2 single crystals

We report resistivity and the Hall effect measurements in the normal and superconducting states of MgB2 single crystal. The resistivity has been found to be anisotropic with slightly temperature dependent resistivity ratio of about 3.5. The Hall constant, with a magnetic field parallel to the Mg and B sheets is negative in contrast to the hole-like Hall response with a field directed along the c-axis indicating presence of both types of charge carriers and, thus, multi-band electronic structure of MgB2. The Hall effect in the mixed state shows no sign change anomaly reproducing the Hall effect behavior in clean limit type-II superconductors.Comment: Minor changed content, 11 pages including 3 figure

Targeting of Pseudorabies Virus Structural Proteins to Axons Requires Association of the Viral Us9 Protein with Lipid Rafts

The pseudorabies virus (PRV) Us9 protein plays a central role in targeting viral capsids and glycoproteins to axons of dissociated sympathetic neurons. As a result, Us9 null mutants are defective in anterograde transmission of infection in vivo. However, it is unclear how Us9 promotes axonal sorting of so many viral proteins. It is known that the glycoproteins gB, gC, gD and gE are associated with lipid raft microdomains on the surface of infected swine kidney cells and monocytes, and are directed into the axon in a Us9-dependent manner. In this report, we determined that Us9 is associated with lipid rafts, and that this association is critical to Us9-mediated sorting of viral structural proteins. We used infected non-polarized and polarized PC12 cells, a rat pheochromocytoma cell line that acquires many of the characteristics of sympathetic neurons in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF). In these cells, Us9 is highly enriched in detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs). Moreover, reducing the affinity of Us9 for lipid rafts inhibited anterograde transmission of infection from sympathetic neurons to epithelial cells in vitro. We conclude that association of Us9 with lipid rafts is key for efficient targeting of structural proteins to axons and, as a consequence, for directional spread of PRV from pre-synaptic to post-synaptic neurons and cells of the mammalian nervous system

Zn-Neighbor Cu NQR in Zn-Substituted YBa2Cu3O7-d and YBa2Cu4O8

We studied local electronic states near Zn in optimally doped YBa$_2$(Cu$_{1-x}$Zn_x)$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ and underdoped YBa$_2$(Cu$_{1-x}$Zn_x)$_4$O$_8$ via satellite signals of plane-site Cu(2) nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectra. From the relative intensity of Cu NQR spectra, the satellite signals are assigned to Zn-neighbor Cu NQR lines. The Cu nuclear spin-lattice relaxation time of the satellite signal is shorter than that of the main signal, which indicates that the magnetic correlation is locally enhanced near Zn both for the underdoped and the optimally doped systems. The pure YBa$_2$Cu$_4$O$_8$ is a stoichiometric, homogenous, underdoped electronic system; nevertheless, the Zn-induced inhomogeneous magnetic response in the CuO$_2$ plane is more marked than that of the optimally doped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$.Comment: 9 pages including 8 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

TSP-1 Secreted by Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Contributes to Retinal Ganglion Cell Neurite Outgrowth and Survival

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are pluripotent and thereby a potential candidate for cell replacement therapy for central nervous system degenerative disorders and traumatic injury. However, the mechanism of their differentiation and effect on neural tissues has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluates the effect of BMSCs on neural cell growth and survival in a retinal ganglion cell (RGCs) model by assessing the effect of changes in the expression of a BMSC-secreted protein, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), as a putative mechanistic agent acting on RGCs. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The effect of co-culturing BMSCs and RGCs in vitro was evaluated by measuring the following parameters: neurite outgrowth, RGC survival, BMSC neural-like differentiation, and the effect of TSP-1 on both cell lines under basal secretion conditions and when TSP-1 expression was inhibited. Our data show that BMSCs improved RGC survival and neurite outgrowth. Synaptophysin, MAP-2, and TGF-beta expression are up-regulated in RGCs co-cultured with BMSCs. Interestingly, the BMSCs progressively displayed neural-like morphology over the seven-day study period. Restriction display polymerase chain reaction (RD-PCR) was performed to screen for differentially expressed genes in BMSCs cultured alone or co-cultured with RGCs. TSP-1, a multifactorial extracellular matrix protein, is critically important in the formation of neural connections during development, so its function in our co-culture model was investigated by small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection. When TSP-1 expression was decreased with siRNA silencing, BMSCs had no impact on RGC survival, but reduced neurite outgrowth and decreased expression of synaptophysin, MAP-2 and TGF-beta in RGCs. Furthermore, the number of BMSCs with neural-like characteristics was significantly decreased by more than two-fold using siRNA silencing. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the TSP-1 signaling pathway might have an important role in neural-like differentiation in BMSCs and neurite outgrowth in RGCs. This study provides new insights into the potential reparative mechanisms of neural cell repair