Influence of Carbon Concentration on the Superconductivity in MgCxNi3

The influence of carbon concentration on the superconductivity (SC) in MgC$_{x}$Ni$_3$ has been investigated by measuring the low temperature specific heat combined with first principles electronic structure calculation. It is found that the specific heat coefficient $\gamma_n=C_{en}/T$ of the superconducting sample ($x\approx1$) in normal state is twice that of the non-superconducting one ($x\approx 0.85$). The comparison of measured $\gamma_n$ and the calculated electronic density of states (DOS) shows that the effective mass renormalization changes remarkably as the carbon concentration changes. The large mass renormalization for the superconducting sample and the low $T_{c}$(7K) indicate that more than one kind of boson mediated electron-electron interactions exist in MgC$_{x}$Ni$_3$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Direct Observation of Shock-Induced Disordering of Enstatite Below the Melting Temperature

We report in situ structural measurements of shock-compressed single crystal orthoenstatite up to 337 ± 55 GPa on the Hugoniot, obtained by coupling ultrafast X-ray diffraction to laser-driven shock compression. Shock compression induces a disordering of the crystalline structure evidenced by the appearance of a diffuse X-ray diffraction signal at nanosecond timescales at 80 ± 13 GPa on the Hugoniot, well below the equilibrium melting pressure (>170 GPa). The formation of bridgmanite and post-perovskite have been indirectly reported in microsecond-scale plate-impact experiments. Therefore, we interpret the high-pressure disordered state we observed at nanosecond scale as an intermediate structure from which bridgmanite and post-perovskite crystallize at longer timescales. This evidence of a disordered structure of MgSiO3 on the Hugoniot indicates that the degree of polymerization of silicates is a key parameter to constrain the actual thermodynamics of shocks in natural environments. © 2020. The Authors

Expression analysis of the TAB2 protein in adult mouse tissues

Background: The Interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling component TAK1 binding protein 2 (TAB2) plays a role in activating the NFκB and JNK signaling pathways. Additionally, TAB2 functions in the nucleus as a repressor of NFκB-mediated gene regulation. Objective: To obtain insight into the function of TAB2 in the adult mouse, we analyzed the in vivo TAB2 expression pattern. Materials and methods: Cell lines and adult mouse tissues were analyzed for TAB2 protein expression and localization. Results: Immunohistochemical staining for TAB2 protein revealed expression in the vascular endothelium of most tissues, hematopoietic cells and brain cells. While TAB2 is localized in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm in cell lines, cytoplasmic localization predominates in hematopoietic tissues in vivo. Conclusions: The TAB2 expression pattern shows striking similarities with previously reported IL-1 receptor expression and NFκB activation patterns, suggesting that TAB2 in vivo is playing a role in these signaling pathways

Solutions of ionic liquids with diverse aliphatic and aromatic solutes – Phase behavior and potentials for applications:A review article

This article principally reviews our research related to liquid–liquid and solid–liquid phase behavior of imidazolium- and phosphonium-based ionic liquids, mainly having bistriflamide ([NTf2]−) or triflate ([OTf]−) anions, with several aliphatic and aromatic solutes (target molecules). The latter include: (i) diols and triols: 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol and glycerol; (ii) polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG): average molecular mass 200, 400 and 2050 – PEG200 (liquid), PEG400 (liquid) and PEG2050 (solid), respectively; (iii) polar aromatic compounds: nicotine, aniline, phenolic acids (vanillic, ferulic and caffeic acid,), thymol and caffeine and (iv) non-polar aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, p-xylene). In these studies, the effects of the cation and anion, cation alkyl chain and PEG chain lengths on the observed phase behaviors were scrutinized. Thus, one of the major observations is that the anion – bistriflamide/triflate – selection usually had strong, sometimes really remarkable effects on the solvent abilities of the studied ionic liquids. Namely, in the case of the hydrogen-bonding solutes, the ionic liquids with the triflate anion generally exhibited substantially higher solubility than those having the bistriflamide anion. Nevertheless, with the aromatic compounds the situation was the opposite – in most of the cases it was the bistriflamide anion that favoured solubility. Moreover, our other studies confirmed the ability of PEG to dissolve both polar and non-polar aromatic compounds. Therefore, two general possibilities of application of alternative, environmentally acceptable, solvents of tuneable solvent properties appeared. One is to use homogeneous mixtures of two ionic liquids having [NTf2]− and [OTf]− anions as mixed solvents. The other, however, envisages the application of homogeneous and heterogeneous (PEG + ionic liquid) solutions as tuneable solvents for aromatic solutes. Such mixed solvents have potential applications in separation of the aforesaid target molecules from their aqueous solutions or in extraction from original matrices. From the fundamental point of view the phase equilibrium studies reviewed herein and the diversity of the pure compounds – ionic liquids and target molecules – represent a good base for the discussion of interactions between the molecules that exist in the studied solutions

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Morphology of strobili at different development positions and cone and seed characteristics of Pinus densiflora f. multicaulis

Pinus densiflora f. multicaulis is a rare and unusual form of genus Pinus. It has excellent ornamen- tal values due to many trunks from its root collar, and produces female, male, and bisexual strobili on the same tree. However, there is limited study whether the bisexual strobili are functional, mature lateral cones produce filled seeds, and the seeds from the mature lateral cones germinate and grow as well as those from mature apical cones. The structure of apical female, and lateral male and bisexual strobili were analyzed in an open-pollination-progeny population. The strobili were photographed to obtain external, cross-section, and radial-section images using a 45× stereoscopic microscope. Radial sections of strobili were imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Characteristics of apical and lateral cones and seeds were surveyed by cone analysis and germination test. P. densiflora f. multicaulis developed typical female strobili apically, and ordinary male and bisexual strobili laterally. Additionally, female strobili developed laterally whereas the male strobili were normally located. The mature lateral female strobili had the same structure as the apical female. In the mature bisexual strobili, the proportion of male and female tissue was unequal. The cones developed from lateral female strobili showed highly significant differences in the length, width, and weight, being shorter (32.7%), narrower (26.9%), and lighter (59.8%) than those from apical female strobili. Both types produced filled seeds and seedlings, and well significant positive correlations were found among characteristics of seeds from apical and lateral female strobili. The initial seed germination rate of the seeds from apical female strobili was higher than that of seeds from lateral female strobili, but the difference decreased over time. The viability and spatial distribution of the female and male tissue of bisporangiate cones, and their frequent occurrence suggests a common mechanism for the production of bisporangiate structures in seed plants