Processed Kentucky Rock Asphalt

Attached are three copies each of two laboratory reports covering tests on a 50 lb. sample of processed Kentucky rock asphalt forwarded to our laboratory by Mr. C. H. McKinney. The sample arrived June 6. These reports include results of laboratory analysis and evaluation tests - and small scale road tests - to determine the proper amount of tar to be added to the processed material to produce a satisfactory road surfacing mixture

Induction of Prdx1 and Prdx6 in liver cells by serum and TPA

Peroxiredoxins are thiol-specific antioxidants that protect cells from oxidative damage and have proliferative and anti-apoptotic activity. We investigated the effect of serum and phorbol ester treatment on expression of Prdx1 and Prdx6 in H2.35 cells, and the possible role of Sp1 on Prdx6 induction. Serum stimulation induced a 30% increase in Prdx1 mRNA and a three-fold increase in Prdx6 mRNA. We showed a similar effect of phorbol ester treatment, which led to a 30% increase in Prdx1 mRNA, and over a two-fold increase in Prdx6 expression. Analysis of the Prdx6 proximal promoter sequence revealed four consensus Sp1 sites. Inhibition of Sp1 with mithramycin A blocked Prdx6 induction by TPA and inhibited the serum-induced transcriptional activity of the Prdx6 proximal promoter. These data suggest an important role for Prdx6 in the cellular response to serum and TPA, and implicate Sp1 as a possible mediator of Prdx6 regulation

Quantum oscillations and a non-trivial Berry phase in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor BiPd

We report the measurements of de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor BiPd. Several pieces of a complex multi-sheet Fermi surface are identified, including a small pocket (frequency 40 T) which is three dimensional and anisotropic. From the temperature dependence of the amplitude of the oscillations, the cyclotron effective mass is ($0.18$ $\pm$ 0.1) $m_e$. Further analysis showed a non-trivial $\pi$-Berry phase is associated with the 40 T pocket, which strongly supports the presence of topological states in bulk BiPd and may result in topological superconductivity due to the proximity coupling to other bands.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Rethinking the bile acid/gut microbiome axis in cancer

Dietary factors, probiotic agents, aging and antibiotics/medicines impact on gut microbiome composition leading to disturbances in localised microbial populations. The impact can be profound and underlies a plethora of human disorders, including the focus of this review; cancer. Compromised microbiome populations can alter bile acid signalling and produce distinct pathophysiological bile acid profiles. These in turn have been associated with cancer development and progression. Exposure to high levels of bile acids, combined with localised molecular/genome instability leads to the acquisition of bile mediated neoplastic alterations, generating apoptotic resistant proliferation phenotypes. However, in recent years, several studies have emerged advocating the therapeutic benefits of bile acid signalling in suppressing molecular and phenotypic hallmarks of cancer progression. These studies suggest that in some instances, bile acids may reduce cancer phenotypic effects, thereby limiting metastatic potential. In this review, we contextualise the current state of the art to propose that the bile acid/gut microbiome axis can influence cancer progression to the extent that classical in vitro cancer hallmarks of malignancy (cell invasion, cell migration, clonogenicity, and cell adhesion) are significantly reduced. We readily acknowledge the existence of a bile acid/gut microbiome axis in cancer initiation, however, in light of recent advances, we focus exclusively on the role of bile acids as potentially beneficial molecules in suppressing cancer progression. Finally, we theorise that suppressing aggressive malignant phenotypes through bile acid/gut microbiome axis modulation could uncover new and innovative disease management strategies for managing cancers in vulnerable cohort

Nano-magnetic droplets and implications to orbital ordering in La1-xSrxCoO3

Inelastic cold neutron scattering on LaCoO3 provided evidence for a distinct low energy excitation at 0.6 meV coincident with the thermally induced magnetic transition. Coexisting strong ferromagnetic (FM) and weaker antiferromagnetic (AFM) correlations that are dynamic follow the activation to the excited state, identified as the intermediate S=1 spin triplet. This is indicative of dynamical orbital ordering favoring the observed magnetic interactions. With hole doping as in La1-xSrxCoO3, the FM correlations between Co spins become static and isotropically distributed due to the formation of FM droplets. The correlation length and condensation temperature of these droplets increase rapidly with metallicity due to the double exchange mechanism.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Characterization of the second- and third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities of monolayer MoS2_2 using multiphoton microscopy

We report second- and third-harmonic generation in monolayer MoS$_\mathrm{2}$ as a tool for imaging and accurately characterizing the material's nonlinear optical properties under 1560 nm excitation. Using a surface nonlinear optics treatment, we derive expressions relating experimental measurements to second- and third-order nonlinear sheet susceptibility magnitudes, obtaining values of $|\chi_s^{(2)}|=2.0\times10^{-20}$ m$^2$ V$^{-1}$ and for the first time for monolayer MoS$_\mathrm{2}$, $|\chi_s^{(3)}|=1.7\times10^{-28}$ m$^3$ V$^{-2}$. These sheet susceptibilities correspond to effective bulk nonlinear susceptibility values of $|\chi_{b}^{(2)}|=2.9\times10^{-11}$ m V$^{-1}$ and $|\chi_{b}^{(3)}|=2.4\times10^{-19}$ m$^2$ V$^{-2}$, accounting for the sheet thickness. Experimental comparisons between MoS$_\mathrm{2}$ and graphene are also performed, demonstrating $\sim$3.4 times stronger third-order sheet nonlinearity in monolayer MoS$_\mathrm{2}$, highlighting the material's potential for nonlinear photonics in the telecommunications C band.Comment: Accepted by 2D Materials, 28th Oct 201

Effect of negative chemical pressure on the prototypical itinerant magnet MnSi

The evolution of the magnetic and charge transport properties of the itinerant magnetic metal MnSi with the substitution of Al and Ga on the Si site is investigated. We observe an increase in unit cell volume indicating that both Al and Ga substitutions create negative chemical pressure. There are substantial increases in the Curie temperature and the ordered moment demonstrating that the substitutions give the magnetism a stronger itinerant character. The substitutions also increase the range of temperature and field where the skyrmion phase is stable due to a change in the character of the magnetism. In contrast to the behavior of pure MnSi and expectations for the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect, we find a significant temperature dependence to the magnitude and sign of anomalous Hall conductivity constant in Al or Ga substituted samples. This temperature dependence likely reflects changes in the spin-orbit coupling strength with temperature, which may have significant consequences on the helical and skyrmion states. Overall, we observe a continuous evolution of magnetic and charge transport properties through positive to negative pressure