Co-appearance of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in a Ca2_2RuO4_4 nanofilm crystal

By tuning the physical and chemical pressures of layered perovskite materials we can realize the quantum states of both superconductors and insulators. By reducing the thickness of a layered crystal to a nanometer level, a nanofilm crystal can provide novel quantum states that have not previously been found in bulk crystals. Here we report the realization of high-temperature superconductivity in Ca$_2$RuO$_4$ nanofilm single crystals. Ca$_2$RuO$_4$ thin film with the highest transition temperature $T_c$ (midpoint) of 64~K exhibits zero resistance in electric transport measurements. The superconducting critical current exhibited a logarithmic dependence on temperature and was enhanced by an external magnetic field. Magnetic measurements revealed a ferromagnetic transition at 180~K and diamagnetic magnetization due to superconductivity. Our results suggest the co-appearance of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in Ca$_2$RuO$_4$ nanofilm crystals. We also found that the induced bias current and the tuned film thickness caused a superconductor-insulator transition. The fabrication of micro-nanocrystals made of layered material enables us to discuss rich superconducting phenomena in ruthenates

Mice Transgenic for KitV620A: Recapitulation of Piebaldism but not Progressive Depigmentation Seen in Humans with this Mutation

Piebaldism is an autosomal dominant genetic pigmentary disorder, characterized by congenital white hair and patches located on the forehead, anterior trunk, and extremities. Most piebald patients have a mutation of the KIT gene, which encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor involved in pigment cell development. The white hair and patches of such patients are already completely formed at birth and do not usually expand thereafter. This stability of pigmented spots also applies to KitW and KitlSl mutant mice. However, two novel cases of piebaldism were reported in 2001, in which both mother and daughter having a novel Val620Ala mutation in their KIT gene showed progressive depigmentation. To prepare an animal model of this mutation, to explore undefined functions of KIT signaling for maintaining pigmented melanocytes in the skin or more specifically the integrity of the melanocyte stem cell system in the postnatal skin, we produced transgenic mice expressing Val620Ala Kit. These mice well mimicked the white spotting pattern of patients; however, no change in this pattern was observed after birth, even after increasing the transgene expression by various means. Here, we report the unexpectedly extremely stable maintenance of the melanocyte stem cell system under stringent conditions for KIT signaling

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a novel independent prognostic factor for multiple metastatic lung tumors from various sarcomas

Purpose Sarcomas are among the most refractory malignant tumors and often recur as pulmonary metastasis. Although the presence of a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with the prognosis of several malignancies, the relationship between the NLR and sarcoma with pulmonary metastasis is unclear. We investigated the impact of the NLR in patients who underwent surgical resection for metastatic lung tumors from various sarcomas. Methods The subjects of this retrospective study were 158 patients with metastatic lung tumors from various sarcomas, who underwent initial pulmonary metastasectomy between 2006 and 2015. We examined the clinicopathological variables, including the NLR and the characteristics of surgical procedures. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method and prognostic factors were evaluated by multivariate analysis. Results Multivariate analysis revealed significantly better survival of the group with an NLR  2 years, and 3 or more pulmonary metastasectomies. Conclusion The NLR immediately before the most recent pulmonary metastasectomy is a novel independent prognostic factor, which may be helpful when considering repeated pulmonary metastasectomy

Combustion synthesis of Ca-alpha-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphors with different Ca concentrations and diluent ratios

Yellow Ca-alpha-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphors for white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were synthesized by a facile combustion synthesis method using CaO, Eu2O3, alpha-Si3N4, Si, and Al as raw materials. Ca concentrations and diluent ratios were optimized to improve their luminescence properties. The lattice constant and luminescence properties improved as x increased from 0.4 to 1.2 in Ca(x)Si(12-(m+n))Al(m+n)OnN(16-n):En(0.06). The optimum value was x = 1.2. Scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis detected segregation of Ca and Eu at grain boundaries, which decreased luminescence behavior in the x = 1.4 sample. The influence of Si and Si3N4 diluents was investigated by varying the diluent ratio phi = (CaO + Eu2O3 + alpha-Si3N4)/(CaO + Eu2O3 + a-Si3N4 + Al + Si). Changes in temperature and flame propagation speed were measured during combustion synthesis using two thermocouples. When phi, was less than 0.5, the combustion temperature exceeded 1600 degrees C and the synthesized material contained an amount of the high-temperature beta-SiAlON phase. At phi > 0.7, the reaction temperature fell below 1200 degrees C, and unreacted raw materials remained. The optimum value of phi was 0.6. The internal quantum efficiency of the product synthesized at x = 1.2 and (I, = 0.6 was approximately 35% under 450-nm excitation. According to electron probe X-ray microanalysis, composition varied within individual synthesized particles, which may explain the decrease in emission behavior relative to a commercial product

Twin formation in hematite during dehydration of goethite

Twin formation in hematite during dehydration was investigated using X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). When synthetic goethite was heated at different temperatures between 100 and 800 degrees C, a phase transformation occurred at temperatures above 250 degrees C. The electron diffraction patterns showed that the single-crystalline goethite with a growth direction of [001](G) was transformed into hematite with a growth direction of [100](H). Two non-equivalent structures emerged in hematite after dehydration, with twin boundaries at the interface between the two variants. As the temperature was increased, crystal growth occurred. At 800 degrees C, the majority of the twin boundaries disappeared; however, some hematite particles remained in the twinned variant. The electron diffraction patterns and high-resolution TEM observations indicated that the twin boundaries consisted of crystallographically equivalent prismatic (100) (010), and (10) planes. According to the total energy calculations based on spin-polarized density functional theory, the twin boundary of prismatic (100) screw had small interfacial energy (0.24 J/m(2)). Owing to this low interfacial energy, the prismatic (100) screw interface remained after higher-temperature treatment at 800 degrees C

Sr substitution effects on atomic and local electronic structure of Ca2AlMnO5+δ

We performed the first-principle calculations based on spin-polarized density functional theory to investigate the Sr substitution effects on the atomic and local electronic structure of Ca2AlMnO5+delta. The ionic radius of Sr2+ is larger than that of Ca2+; thus, the lattice expansion occurs with Sr substitution. From the total energy calculations, we found that Sr substitution makes the oxygen-absorbed phase unstable and realizes the lower operation temperature. From the point of atomic structure, Sr substitution lengthens the bond length between Mn and O atoms connecting Mn and Al atoms in Al tetrahedral (OMn-Alt) in oxygen-absorbed phase, because the large Sr2+ prevents the release of the Jahn-Teller distortion. We also found that the covalent bonding between Mn and OMn-Alt atoms weaken with Sr substitution by the local electronic structure analysis, which results in the unstable oxygen-absorbed phase and weak prepeak and main peak intensity near the onset of O-K edge ELNES of OMn-Alt atoms

Rest promotes the early differentiation of mouse ESCs but is not required for their maintenance

神経抑制因子RestのマウスES細胞における役割解明 －ES細胞やiPS細胞の未分化性維持、初期分化のメカニズムの理解に進展－. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2010-01-08