849 research outputs found
Josephson scanning tunneling microscopy
We propose a set of scanning tunneling microscopy experiments in which the
surface of superconductor is scanned by a superconducting tip. Potential
capabilities of such experimental setup are discussed. Most important
anticipated results of such an experiment include the position-resolved
measurement of the superconducting order parameter and the possibility to
determine the nature of the secondary component of the order parameter at the
surface. The theoretical description based on the tunneling Hamiltonian
formalism is presented.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
First-Principles Study for the Anisotropy of Iron-based Superconductors toward Power and Device Applications
Performing the first-principles calculations, we investigate the anisotropy
in the superconducting state of iron-based superconductors to gain an insight
into their potential applications. The anisotropy ratio of the
c-axis penetration depth to the ab-plane one is relatively small in BaFe2As2
and LiFeAs, i.e., , indicating that the transport
applications are promising in these superconductors. On the other hand, in
those having perovskite type blocking layers such as Sr2ScFePO3 we find a very
large value, , comparable to that in strongly
anisotropic high-Tc cuprate Bi2Sr2CaCu2O{8-\delta}. Thus, the intrinsic
Josephson junction stacks are expected to be formed along the c-axis, and novel
Josephson effects due to the multi-gap nature are also suggested in these
superconductors.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Renormalization group approach to layered superconductors
A renormalization group theory for a system consisting of coupled
superconducting layers as a model for typical high-temperature superconducters
is developed. In a first step the electromagnetic interaction over infinitely
many layers is taken into account, but the Josephson coupling is neglected. In
this case the corrections to two-dimensional behavior due to the presence of
the other layers are very small. Next, renormalization group equations for a
layered system with very strong Josephson coupling are derived, taking into
account only the smallest possible Josephson vortex loops. The applicability of
these two limiting cases to typical high-temperature superconductors is
discussed. Finally, it is argued that the original renormalization group
approach by Kosterlitz is not applicable to a layered system with intermediate
Josephson coupling.Comment: RevTeX, 15 pages, 4 figures can be obtained from the author by
conventional mail; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Systematics of c-axis Phonons in the Thallium and Bismuth Based Cuprate Superconductors
We present grazing incidence reflectivity measurements in the far infrared
region at temperatures above and below Tc for a series of thallium (Tl2Ba2CuO6,
Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8) and bismuth (Bi2Sr2CuO6, Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, and
Bi(2-x)Pb(x)Sr2CaCu2O8) based cuprate superconductors. From the spectra, which
are dominated by the c-axis phonons, longitudinal frequencies (LO) are directly
obtained. The reflectivity curves are well fitted by a series of Lorentz
oscillators. In this way the transverse (TO) phonon frequencies were accurately
determined. On the basis of the comparative study of the Bi and Tl based
cuprates with different number of CuO2 layers per unit cell, we suggest
modifications of the assignment of the main oxygen modes. We compare the LO
frequencies in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 and Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 obtained from intrinsic
Josephson junction characteristics with our measurements, and explain the
discrepancy in LO frequencies obtained by the two different methods.Comment: 8 pages Revtex, 6 eps figures, 3 tables, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Evolution of the resistivity anisotropy in Bi_{2}Sr_{2-x}La_{x}CuO_{6+\delta} single crystals for a wide range of hole doping
To elucidate how the temperature dependence of the resistivity anisotropy of
the cuprate superconductors changes with hole doping, both the in-plane and the
out-of-plane resistivities (\rho_{ab} and \rho_{c}) are measured in a series of
high-quality Bi_{2}Sr_{2-x}La_{x}CuO_{6+\delta} (BSLCO) single crystals for a
wide range of x (x = 0.23 - 1.02), which corresponds to the hole doping per Cu,
p, of 0.03 - 0.18. The anisotropy ratio, \rho_{c}/\rho_{ab}, shows a systematic
increase with decreasing p at moderate temperatures, except for the most
underdoped composition where the localization effect enhances \rho_{ab} and
thus lowers \rho_{c}/\rho_{ab}. The exact p dependence of \rho_{c}/\rho_{ab} at
a fixed temperature is found to be quite peculiar, which is discussed to be due
to the effect of the pseudogap that causes \rho_{c}/\rho_{ab} to be
increasingly more enhanced as p is reduced. The pseudogap also causes a rapid
growth of \rho_{c}/\rho_{ab} with decreasing temperature, and, as a result, the
\rho_{c}/\rho_{ab} value almost reaches 10^6 in underdoped samples just above
T_c. Furthermore, it is found that the temperature dependence of \rho_{c} of
underdoped samples show two distinct temperature regions in the pseudogap
phase, which suggests that the divergence of \rho_{c} below the pseudogap
temperature is governed by two different mechanisms.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, revised version. Discussions are expanded with
a new analysis of the T-dependence of \rho_{c} and the resulting new phase
diagra
Kaolin in the diet and its effects on performance, litter moisture and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens
Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation Induces Cell Cycle Arrest in Newborn Rat Lung
Rationale: The molecular mechanism(s) by which mechanical ventilation disrupts alveolar development, a hallmark of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, is unknown. Objective: To determine the effect of 24 h of mechanical ventilation on lung cell cycle regulators, cell proliferation and alveolar formation in newborn rats. Methods: Seven-day old rats were ventilated with room air for 8, 12 and 24 h using relatively moderate tidal volumes (8.5 mL.kg-1). Measurement and Main Results: Ventilation for 24 h (h) decreased the number of elastin-positive secondary crests and increased the mean linear intercept, indicating arrest of alveolar development. Proliferation (assessed by BrdU incorporation) was halved after 12 h of ventilation and completely arrested after 24 h. Cyclin D1 and E1 mRNA and protein levels were decreased after 8-24 h of ventilation, while that of p27Kip1 was significantly increased. Mechanical ventilation for 24 h also increased levels of p57Kip2, decreased that of p16INK4a, while the levels of p21Waf/Cip1 and p15INK4b were unchanged. Increased p27Ki
Control of star formation by supersonic turbulence
Understanding the formation of stars in galaxies is central to much of modern
astrophysics. For several decades it has been thought that stellar birth is
primarily controlled by the interplay between gravity and magnetostatic
support, modulated by ambipolar diffusion. Recently, however, both
observational and numerical work has begun to suggest that support by
supersonic turbulence rather than magnetic fields controls star formation. In
this review we outline a new theory of star formation relying on the control by
turbulence. We demonstrate that although supersonic turbulence can provide
global support, it nevertheless produces density enhancements that allow local
collapse. Inefficient, isolated star formation is a hallmark of turbulent
support, while efficient, clustered star formation occurs in its absence. The
consequences of this theory are then explored for both local star formation and
galactic scale star formation. (ABSTRACT ABBREVIATED)Comment: Invited review for "Reviews of Modern Physics", 87 pages including 28
figures, in pres
A Novel Task for the Investigation of Action Acquisition
We present a behavioural task designed for the investigation of how novel instrumental actions are discovered and learnt. The task consists of free movement with a manipulandum, during which the full range of possible movements can be explored by the participant and recorded. A subset of these movements, the ‘target’, is set to trigger a reinforcing signal. The task is to discover what movements of the manipulandum evoke the reinforcement signal. Targets can be defined in spatial, temporal, or kinematic terms, can be a combination of these aspects, or can represent the concatenation of actions into a larger gesture. The task allows the study of how the specific elements of behaviour which cause the reinforcing signal are identified, refined and stored by the participant. The task provides a paradigm where the exploratory motive drives learning and as such we view it as in the tradition of Thorndike [1]. Most importantly it allows for repeated measures, since when a novel action is acquired the criterion for triggering reinforcement can be changed requiring a new action to be discovered. Here, we present data using both humans and rats as subjects, showing that our task is easily scalable in difficulty, adaptable across species, and produces a rich set of behavioural measures offering new and valuable insight into the action learning process
Constitutively active Lyn kinase causes a cutaneous small vessel vasculitis and liver fibrosis syndrome
Neutrophilic inflammation is a hallmark of many monogenic autoinflammatory diseases; pathomechanisms that regulate extravasation of damaging immune cells into surrounding tissues are poorly understood. Here we identified three unrelated boys with perinatal-onset of neutrophilic cutaneous small vessel vasculitis and systemic inflammation. Two patients developed liver fibrosis in their first year of life. Next-generation sequencing identified two de novo truncating variants in the Src-family tyrosine kinase, LYN, p.Y508*, p.Q507* and a de novo missense variant, p.Y508F, that result in constitutive activation of Lyn kinase. Functional studies revealed increased expression of ICAM-1 on induced patient-derived endothelial cells (iECs) and of β2-integrins on patient neutrophils that increase neutrophil adhesion and vascular transendothelial migration (TEM). Treatment with TNF inhibition improved systemic inflammation; and liver fibrosis resolved on treatment with the Src kinase inhibitor dasatinib. Our findings reveal a critical role for Lyn kinase in modulating inflammatory signals, regulating microvascular permeability and neutrophil recruitment, and in promoting hepatic fibrosis
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