444 research outputs found
Phase separation in the vicinity of the surface of -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Br by fast cooling
Partial suppression of superconductivity by fast cooling has been observed in
the organic superconductor -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Br by two means:
a marked sample size effect on the magnetic susceptibility and direct imaging
of insulating regions by scanning microregion infrared reflectance
spectroscopy. Macroscopic insulating regions are found in the vicinity of the
crystalline surface after fast cooling, with diameters of 50--100 m and
depths of a few m. The very large in-plane penetration depth reported to
date ( 24--100 m) can be explained by the existence of the
insulating regions.Comment: Several rhetoric alternations to avoid misleadings. 6 pages, 3
figures. to be publihsed in Phys. Rev.
Periodic Oscillations of Josephson-Vortex Flow Resistance in Oxygen-Deficient Y1Ba2Cu3Ox
We measured the Josephson vortex flow resistance as a function of magnetic
field applied parallel to the ab-planes using annealed Y1Ba2Cu3Ox intrinsic
Josephson junctions having high anisotropy (around 40) by oxygen content
reduction. Periodic oscillations were observed in magnetic fields above 45-58
kOe, corresponding to dense-dilute boundary for Josephson vortex lattice. The
observed period of oscillations, agrees well with the increase of one fluxon
per two junctions (\textit{=}\textit{/2Ls}), may correspond
to formation of a triangular lattice of Josephson vortices as has been reported
by Ooi et al. for highly anisotropic (larger than 200) Bi-2212 intrinsic
Josephson junctions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Coronal Temperature Diagnostic Capability of the Hinode/X-Ray Telescope Based on Self-Consistent Calibration
The X-Ray Telescope (XRT) onboard the Hinode satellite is an X-ray imager
that observes the solar corona with unprecedentedly high angular resolution
(consistent with its 1" pixel size). XRT has nine X-ray analysis filters with
different temperature responses. One of the most significant scientific
features of this telescope is its capability of diagnosing coronal temperatures
from less than 1 MK to more than 10 MK, which has never been accomplished
before. To make full use of this capability, accurate calibration of the
coronal temperature response of XRT is indispensable and is presented in this
article. The effect of on-orbit contamination is also taken into account in the
calibration. On the basis of our calibration results, we review the
coronal-temperature-diagnostic capability of XRT
Discovery and cardioprotective effects of the first non-peptide agonists of the G protein-coupled prokineticin receptor-1
Prokineticins are angiogenic hormones that activate two G protein-coupled receptors: PKR1 and PKR2. PKR1 has emerged as a critical mediator of cardiovascular homeostasis and cardioprotection. Identification of non-peptide PKR1 agonists that contribute to myocardial repair and collateral vessel growth hold promises for treatment of heart diseases. Through a combination of in silico studies, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacological profiling approaches, we designed, synthesized, and characterized the first PKR1 agonists, demonstrating their cardioprotective activity against myocardial infarction (MI) in mice. Based on high throughput docking protocol, 250,000 compounds were computationally screened for putative PKR1 agonistic activity, using a homology model, and 10 virtual hits were pharmacologically evaluated. One hit internalizes PKR1, increases calcium release and activates ERK and Akt kinases. Among the 30 derivatives of the hit compound, the most potent derivative, IS20, was confirmed for its selectivity and specificity through genetic gain- and loss-of-function of PKR1. Importantly, IS20 prevented cardiac lesion formation and improved cardiac function after MI in mice, promoting proliferation of cardiac progenitor cells and neovasculogenesis. The preclinical investigation of the first PKR1 agonists provides a novel approach to promote cardiac neovasculogenesis after MI
Theory of the beta-type Organic Superconductivity under Uniaxial Compression
We study theoretically the shift of the superconducting transition
temperature (Tc) under uniaxial compression in beta-type organic
superconductors, beta-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 and beta-(BDA-TTP)2X[X=SbF6,AsF6], in order
to clarify the electron correlation, the spin frustration and the effect of
dimerization. The transfer integrals are calculated by the extended Huckel
method assuming the uniaxial strain and the superconducting state mediated by
the spin fluctuation is solved using Eliashberg's equation with the
fluctuation-exchange approximation. The calculation is carried out on both the
dimerized (one-band) and nondimerized (two-band) Hubbard models. We have found
that (i) the behavior of Tc in beta-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 with a stronger dimerization
is well reproduced by the dimer model, while that in weakly dimerized
beta-BDA-TTP salts is rather well reproduced by the two-band model, and (ii)
the competition between the spin frustration and the effect induced by the
fluctuation is important in these materials, which causes nonmonotonic shift of
Tc against uniaxial compression.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures, 2 tabl
Comparison of the Fermi-surface topologies of kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 Cu(NCS)_2 and its deuterated analogue
We have measured details of the quasi one-dimensional Fermi-surface sections
in the organic superconductor kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 Cu(NCS)_2 and its deuterated
analogue using angle-dependent millimetre-wave techniques. There are
significant differences in the corrugations of the Fermi surfaces in the
deuterated and undeuterated salts. We suggest that this is important in
understanding the inverse isotope effect, where the superconducting transition
temperature rises on deuteration. The data support models for superconductivity
which invoke electron-electron interactions depending on the topological
properties of the Fermi surface
Characterisation of a cold atmospheric pressure plasma torch for medical applications: demonstration of device safety
The safety and effectiveness of plasma devices are of crucial importance for medical applications. This study presents the novel design of an atmospheric plasma torch (SteriPlas) and its characterisation. The SteriPlas was characterised to ascertain whether it is safe for application on human skin. The emission spectrum discharged from the SteriPlas was shown to be the same as the emission from the MicroPlaSter Beta. The UV emitted from the SteriPlas was measured, and the effective irradiance was calculated. The effective irradiance enabled the determination of the maximum UV exposure limits, which were shown to be over two hours: significantly longer than the current two-minute treatment time. The use of an extraction system with a higher flow rate appears to reduce slightly the effective irradiance at the treatment area. The NOx and ozone emissions were recorded for both SteriPlas configurations. The NOx levels were shown to be orders of agnitude lower than their safety limits. The ozone emissions were shown to be safe 25 mm from the SteriPlas cage. A discussion of how safety standards differ from one regulatory body to another is given
Transport criticality of the first-order Mott transition in a quasi-two-dimensional organic conductor, -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Cl
An organic Mott insulator, -(BEDT-TTF)Cu[N(CN)]Cl, was
investigated by resistance measurements under continuously controllable He gas
pressure. The first-order Mott transition was demonstrated by observation of
clear jump in the resistance variation against pressure. Its critical endpoint
at 38 K is featured by vanishing of the resistive jump and critical divergence
in pressure derivative of resistance, , which are consistent with the prediction of the dynamical mean field
theory and have phenomenological correspondence with the liquid-gas transition.
The present results provide the experimental basis for physics of the Mott
transition criticality.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Kinetics of water flow through polymer gel
The water flow through the poly(acrylamide) gel under a constant water
pressure is measured by newly designed apparatus. The time evolution of the
water flow in the gel, is calculated based on the collective diffusion model of
the polymer network coupled with the friction between the polymer network and
the water. The friction coefficient are determined from the equilibrium
velocity of water flow. The Young modulus and the Poisson's ratio of the rod
shape gels are measured by the uni-axial elongation experiments, which
determine the longitudinal modulus independently from the water flow
experiments. With the values of the longitudinal modulus and of the friction
determined by the experiments, the calculated results are compared with the
time evolution of the flow experiments. We find that the time evolution of the
water flow is well described by a single characteristic relaxation time
predicted by the collective diffusion model coupled with the water friction.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 27 references, Eqs adde
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