Photoinduced Changes of Reflectivity in Single Crystals of YBa2Cu3O6.5 (Ortho II)

We report measurements of the photoinduced change in reflectivity of an untwinned single crystal of YBa2Cu3O6.5 in the ortho II structure. The decay rate of the transient change in reflectivity is found to decrease rapidly with decreasing temperature and, below Tc, with decreasing laser intensity. We interpret the decay as a process of thermalization of antinodal quasiparticles, whose rate is determined by an inelastic scattering rate of quasiparticle pairs.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Tire Rubber-cement Composites: Effect Of Slag On Properties [compósites De Cimento - Borracha De Pneus: Efeito Da Escória Nas Propriedades]

Tire rubber-cement composites prepared with type I and three slag-modified cements were studied. Flexural strength, water sorption and resistance to acid attack of specimens were investigated. A decrease in modulus of rupture (MOR) is observed for all specimens containing rubber, when compared with specimens without rubber (controls). The MOR increases with the increase of the hydraulic activity of the slag upon undistinguishable from specimens prepared with type I cement. This behavior is observed for all slag-cements pastes and for mortars control specimens. For mortar specimens with rubber the MOR is independent of the cement type used. A reduction in water sorption is observed for control and with-rubber mortar specimens prepared with all slag-cements, when compared to type I cement. For mortar specimens with rubber, the lower the basicity of the slag, the lesser the water sorption of the composites. These results denote lower porosity and consequently better rubber-matrix adhesion for these specimens. Also, a smaller rate of water sorption is observed for specimens with rubber, particularly for specimens prepared with the less basic slag cements, when comparing with the controls. Results of acid attack to the slag modified mortars indicate that specimen susceptibility is governed not only by microstructural aspects, like porosity and permeability, but also by chemical aspects as the difference in alkali content or the amount of unreacted slag in the specimens.52324283292Lee, B.I., Burnett, L., Miller, T., Postage, P., Cuneo, J., (1993) J. Mater. Sci. Lett, 12, p. 967I. B. Topçu, Gem. Conor. Res. 25 (1995) 304Raghavan, D., Huynh, H., Ferraris, C.F., (1998) J. Mater. Sci, 33, p. 1745Bignozzi, M.C., Saccani, A., Sandrolini, F., (2000) Composites A, 31, p. 97Raghavan, D., (2000) J. Appl. Polym. Sci, 77, p. 934M. Nehdi, A. Khan, Cem. Concr. Aggregates 23 (2001) 3Hernandez-Olivares, F., Barluenga, G., Bollati, M., Witoszek, B., (2002) Cem. Concr. Res, 32, p. 1587N. Segre, I. Joekes, Gem. Concr. Res. 30 (2000) 1421(2001) Lea's Chemistry of Cement and Concrete, , P. C. Hewlett Ed, 4 th Ed, Butterworth Heinemann, OxfordMyers, D., (1999) Surfaces, Interfaces, and Colloids-Principles and Applications, , 2nd Ed, John Wiley & Sons, New YorkBikerman, J.J., (1961) The Science of Adhesive Joints, , Academic Press, New YorkMindess, S., Interfaces in concrete (1989) Materials Science of Concrete I, p. 163. , J.P. Skalny Ed, The Am. Ceram. Soc, Westerville, OHLuke, K., Glasser, F.P., (1987) Cem. Concr. Res, 17, p. 273M. A. Cincotto, A. F. Battagin, V. Agopyan, Bulletin 65, Ed.: Institute for Technological Research, IPT, S. Paulo, Brazil (1992)ASTM C150 - Standard specification for Portland cement, American Society for Testing and Materials (1995)- Standard specification for blended hydraulic cements (1994), ASTM C595, American Society for Testing and MaterialsMindess, S., Young, J.F., (1981) Concrete, , Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New JerseyMehta, P.K., Monteiro, P.J.M., (1993) Concrete: Structure, Properties and Materials, , 2nd Ed, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New JerseyGriffith, A.A., (1920) Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A, 221, p. 163Birchall, J.D., Howard, A.J., Kendall, K., (1981) Nature, 289, p. 388Martins, M.A., Mattoso, L.H.C., (2004) J. Appl. Polym. Sci, 91, p. 670Lumley, J.S., Gollop, R.S., Moir, G.K., Taylor, H.F.W., (1996) Cem. Concr. Res, 26, p. 139Glasser, F.P., Chemical, mineralogical, and microstructural changes occurring in hydrates slag-cement blends (1991) Materials Science of Concrete II, p. 41. , J. P. Skalny, S. Mindess Eds, The Am. Ceram. Soc, Westerville, OHSegre, N., Monteiro, P.J.M., Sposito, G., (2002) J. Colloid Interface Sci, 248, p. 521Falcon, P., Adenot, F., Jacquinot, J.F., Petit, J.C., Cabrillac, R., Jordas, M., (1998) Cem. Conor. Res, 28, p. 847Israel, D., Macphee, D.E., Lachowski, E.E., (1997) J. Mater. Sci, 32, p. 4109Chandra, S., (1988) Cem. Conor. Res, 18, p. 193Zivica, V., Bajza, A., (2001) Constr. Build. Mater, 15, p. 331Pavlik, V., (1994) Cem. Conor. Res, 24, pp. 551-562Debelie, N., Verselder, H.J., Deblaere, B., Vannieuwenburg, D., Verschoore, R., (1996) Cem. Conor. Res, 26, p. 1717Shi, C., Stegemann, J.A., (2000) Cem. Conor. Res, 30, p. 803Zivica, V., Bajza, A., (2002) Constr. Build. Mater, 16, p. 215Deceukelaire, L., (1992) Cem. Conor. Res, 22, p. 903A. Macias, S. Goni, J. Madrid, Cem. Conor. Res. 29 (1999) 2005J. Hill, E. A. Byars, J. H. Sharp, C. J. Lynsdale, J. C. Cripps, Q. Zhou, Cem. Conor. Compos. 25 (2003) 997Hobbs, D.W., (2001) Int. Mater. Rev, 46, p. 11

Discovery of Anion Insertion Electrochemistry in Layered Hydroxide Nanomaterials

Electrode materials which undergo anion insertion are a void in the materials innovation landscape and a missing link to energy efficient electrochemical desalination. In recent years layered hydroxides (LHs) have been studied for a range of electrochemical applications, but to date have not been considered as electrode materials for anion insertion electrochemistry. Here, we show reversible anion insertion in a LH for the first time using Co and Co-V layer hydroxides. By pairing in situ synchrotron and quartz crystal microbalance measurements with a computational unified electrochemical band-diagram description, we reveal a previously undescribed anion-insertion mechanism occurring in Co and Co-V LHs. This proof of concept study demonstrates reversible electrochemical anion insertion in LHs without significant material optimization. These results coupled with our foundational understanding of anion insertion electrochemistry establishes LHs as a materials platform for anion insertion electrochemistry with the potential for future application to electrochemical desalination

Key Role of Local Regulation in Chemosensing Revealed by a New Molecular Interaction-Based Modeling Method

The signaling network underlying eukaryotic chemosensing is a complex combination of receptor-mediated transmembrane signals, lipid modifications, protein translocations, and differential activation/deactivation of membrane-bound and cytosolic components. As such, it provides particularly interesting challenges for a combined computational and experimental analysis. We developed a novel detailed molecular signaling model that, when used to simulate the response to the attractant cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), made nontrivial predictions about Dictyostelium chemosensing. These predictions, including the unexpected existence of spatially asymmetrical, multiphasic, cyclic adenosine monophosphate–induced PTEN translocation and phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)P(3) generation, were experimentally verified by quantitative single-cell microscopy leading us to propose significant modifications to the current standard model for chemoattractant-induced biochemical polarization in this organism. Key to this successful modeling effort was the use of “Simmune,” a new software package that supports the facile development and testing of detailed computational representations of cellular behavior. An intuitive interface allows user definition of complex signaling networks based on the definition of specific molecular binding site interactions and the subcellular localization of molecules. It automatically translates such inputs into spatially resolved simulations and dynamic graphical representations of the resulting signaling network that can be explored in a manner that closely parallels wet lab experimental procedures. These features of Simmune were critical to the model development and analysis presented here and are likely to be useful in the computational investigation of many aspects of cell biology

Chaotic flow and efficient mixing in a micro-channel with a polymer solution

Microscopic flows are almost universally linear, laminar and stationary because Reynolds number, $Re$, is usually very small. That impedes mixing in micro-fluidic devices, which sometimes limits their performance. Here we show that truly chaotic flow can be generated in a smooth micro-channel of a uniform width at arbitrarily low $Re$, if a small amount of flexible polymers is added to the working liquid. The chaotic flow regime is characterized by randomly fluctuating three-dimensional velocity field and significant growth of the flow resistance. Although the size of the polymer molecules extended in the flow may become comparable with the micro-channel width, the flow behavior is fully compatible with that in a table-top channel in the regime of elastic turbulence. The chaotic flow leads to quite efficient mixing, which is almost diffusion independent. For macromolecules, mixing time in this microscopic flow can be three to four orders of magnitude shorter than due to molecular diffusion.Comment: 8 pages,7 figure

High field x-ray diffraction study on a magnetic-field-induced valence transition in YbInCu4

We report the first high-field x-ray diffraction experiment using synchrotron x-rays and pulsed magnetic fields exceeding 30 T. Lattice deformation due to a magnetic-field-induced valence transition in YbInCu4 is studied. It has been found that the Bragg reflection profile at 32 K changes significantly at around 27 T due to the structural transition. In the vicinity of the transition field the low-field and the high-field phases are observed simultaneously as the two distinct Bragg reflection peaks: This is a direct evidence of the fact that the field-induced valence state transition is the first order phase transition. The field-dependence of the low-field-phase Bragg peak intensity is found to be scaled with the magnetization.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp

On the universality of the Discrete Nonlinear Schroedinger Equation

We address the universal applicability of the discrete nonlinear Schroedinger equation. By employing an original but general top-down/bottom-up procedure based on symmetry analysis to the case of optical lattices, we derive the most widely applicable and the simplest possible model, revealing that the discrete nonlinear Schroedinger equation is ``universally'' fit to describe light propagation even in discrete tensorial nonlinear systems and in the presence of nonparaxial and vectorial effects.Comment: 6 Pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Relaxation Dynamics of Photoinduced Changes in the Superfluid Weight of High-Tc Superconductors

In the transient state of d-wave superconductors, we investigate the temporal variation of photoinduced changes in the superfluid weight. We derive the formula that relates the nonlinear response function to the nonequilibrium distribution function. The latter qunatity is obtained by solving the kinetic equation with the electron-electron and the electron-phonon interaction included. By numerical calculations, a nonexponential decay is found at low temperatures in contrast to the usual exponential decay at high temperatures. The nonexponential decay originates from the nonmonotonous temporal variation of the nonequilibrium distribution function at low energies. The main physical process that causes this behavior is not the recombination of quasiparticles as previous phenomenological studies suggested, but the absorption of phonons.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures; to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol. 80, No.

Hydrodynamic properties of fin whale flippers predict maximum rolling performance

Maneuverability is one of the most important and least understood aspects of animal locomotion. The hydrofoil-like flippers of cetaceans are thought to function as control surfaces that effect maneuvers, but quantitative tests of this hypothesis have been lacking. Here, we constructed a simple hydrodynamic model to predict the longitudinal-axis roll performance of fin whales, and we tested its predictions against kinematic data recorded by on-board movement sensors from 27 free-swimming fin whales. We found that for a given swimming speed and roll excursion, the roll velocity of fin whales calculated from our field data agrees well with that predicted by our hydrodynamic model. Although fluke and body torsion may further influence performance, our results indicate that lift generated by the flippers is sufficient to drive most of the longitudinal-axis rolls used by fin whales for feeding and maneuvering