249 research outputs found
Fabrication of Bi2212 Cross Whiskers Junction
An intrinsic Josephson junction has been successfully fabricated without any
micro-fabrication technique. Two Bi2212 whiskers were crossed with one another
and joined by post-annealing. The inter-whisker electrical transport properties
were measured by the four-probe method. The temperature dependence of
resistance exhibited metallic behavior above TC. The resistance decreased to
zero around 80K, corresponding to the superconducting transition. The
current-voltage characteristics at 5K exhibited a small hysteresis and voltage
jump, which can be explained by the intrinsic Josephson effect.Comment: 3 page PDF fil
A Cross-Whiskers Junction as a Novel Fabrication Process for Intrinsic Josephson Junction
A Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d cross-whiskers junction has been successfully discovered as
a novel intrinsic Josephson junction without using any technique for
micro-fabrication. Two Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d whisker crystals were placed crosswise
on a MgO substrate and heated at 850C for 30 min. They were electrically
connected at their c-planes. The measurement terminals were made at the four
ends of the whiskers. The I-V characteristics of the cross-whiskers junction at
5K were found to show a clear multiple-branch structure with a spacing of
approximately 15 mV that is a feature of the intrinsic Josephson junction. The
critical current density Jc was estimated to be 1170 A/cm2. The
branch-structure was strongly suppressed by the magnetic field above 1kOe.Comment: 4 pages, PDF fil
d-like Symmetry of the Order Parameter and Intrinsic Josephson Effects in Bi2212 Cross-Whisker Junctions
An intrinsic tunnel junction was made using two Bi-2212 single crystal
whiskers. The two whiskers with a cross-angle were overlaid at their c-planes
and connected by annealing. The angular dependence of the critical current
density along the c-axis is of the d-wave symmetry. However, the angular
dependence is much stronger than that of the conventional d-wave. Furthermore,
the current vs. voltage characteristics of the cross-whiskers junctions show a
multiple-branch structure at any cross-angle, indicating the formation of the
intrinsic Josephson junction array.Comment: 4 pages PDF fil
Class I/II hybrid inhibitory oligodeoxynucleotide exerts Th1 and Th2 double immunosuppression
We designed class I/II hybrid inhibitory oligodeoxynucleotides (iODNs), called iSG, and found that the sequence 5β²-TTAGGG-3β², which has a six-base loop head structure, and a 3β²-oligo (dG)3β5 tail sequence are important for potent immunosuppressive activity. Interestingly, splenocytes isolated from ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice and treated with iSG3 showed suppression of not only interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, and interferon (IFN) Ξ³ mRNA expression, but also IL-4 and IL-13 mRNA expression. Thus, both Th2 and Th1 immune responses can be strongly suppressed by iODNs in splenocytes from allergen-immunized mice, suggesting usefulness in the treatment of diseases induced by over-active immune activation.ArticleFEBS Open Bio. 3:41-45 (2013)journal articl
Prostaglandin D2 Reinforces Th2 Type Inflammatory Responses of Airways to Low-dose Antigen through Bronchial Expression of Macrophage-derived Chemokine
PGD2, a lipid mediator released from mast cells, is known to participate in allergic reactions. However, the mechanism by which PGD2 contributes to such reactions remains unclear. We established a novel experimental model of asthma that permitted direct assessment of the role of PGD2 in airway inflammation. Antigen-sensitized mice were exposed to aerosolized prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) 1 d before challenge with low-dose aerosolized antigen. Not only the numbers of eosinophils, lymphocytes, and macrophages but also the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were higher in PGD2-pretreated mice than in control mice. The expression of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), a chemoattractant for Th2 cells, was greater in PGD2-pretreated mice than in control. Injection of anti-MDC antibody into PGD2-pretreated mice markedly inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration as well as Th2 cyto-kine production after antigen challenge. These results indicate that PGD2 accelerates Th2 type inflammation by induction of MDC. Our results suggest that this mechanism may play a key role in the development of human asthma and that MDC might be a target molecule for therapeutic intervention
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