Magnetic interactions in the geometrically frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO2

The spin-wave excitations of the geometrically frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO2 have been measured using high resolution inelastic neutron scattering. Antiferromagnetic interactions up to third nearest neighbors in the ab plane (J1, J2, J3, with J{2}/J{1} approximately 0.44 and J{3}/J{1} approximately 0.57), as well as out-of-plane coupling (J{z}, with J{z}/J{1} approximately 0.29) are required to describe the spin-wave dispersion relations, indicating a three-dimensional character of the magnetic interactions. Two energy dips in the spin-wave dispersion occur at the incommensurate wave vectors associated with multiferroic phase and can be interpreted as dynamic precursors to the magnetoelectric behavior in this system.     

Observation of two resonant structures in e+ e- -->pi+ pi- psi(2S) via initial-state radiation at Belle

The cross section for e+ e- --> pi+ pi- psi(2S) between threshold and sqrt[s]=5.5 GeV is measured using 673 fb(-1) of data on and off the Upsilon(4S) resonance collected with the Belle detector at KEKB. Two resonant structures are observed in the pi+ pi- psi(2S) invariant-mass distribution, one at 4361 +/- 9 +/- 9 MeV/c2 with a width of 74 +/- 15 +/- 10 MeV/c2, and another at 4664 +/- 11 +/- 5 MeV/c2 with a width of 48 +/- 15 +/- 3 MeV/c2, if the mass spectrum is parametrized with the coherent sum of two Breit-Wigner functions. These values do not match those of any of the known charmonium states.     

Molecular theory of physical aging in polymer glasses

A molecular level theory for the physical aging of polymer glasses is proposed. The nonequilibrium time evolution of the amplitude of long wavelength density fluctuations, and its influence on activated barrier hopping, plays an essential role. The theory predicts temperature-dependent apparent power-law aging of the segmental relaxation time and logarithmic aging of thermodynamiclike properties, in good accord with experiments. A physical origin for the quantitative nonuniversal aspects based on the amplitude of quenched density fluctuations is suggested.     

Effective changes in cellulose cell walls,gas permeability and sound absorption capability of Cocos nucifera (palmwood) by steam explosion

Steam explosion is a useful method to soften and dimensionally stabilizing wood. A significant increase in air permeability and sound absorption capability of steam-exploded palmwood compared to untreated palmwood is observed due to changes in cell wall. Cell wall’s changes are characterized by instrumental techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope and gas permeability by capillary flow porometry and sound absorption coefficient by two-microphone transfer function method. The average increase in air permeability (259.3%) and sound absorption coefficient (52.33% at frequency range of 250–6400 Hz) of steam-exploded samples is higher than that of untreated samples. Color of steam-exploded woods become black due to chemical reactions in cell wall during steam explosion. The color change, air permeability and sound absorption coefficient of wood are correlated with the findings. These results suggest that low-pressure steam explosion could be considered as an effective technique for improving the air permeability and sound absorption capability of palmwood in the longitudinal direction. This approach could be useful to manufacture sound absorption board to control the acoustical housing environment.

     

Crystallization behavior,tensile behavior and hydrophilicity of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blends

Binary polymer blends of hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and hydrophilic poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) were prepared by melt blending. The crystallization behavior, mechanical properties and hydrophilicity of the binary blends were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) scanning, non-isothermal crystallization kinetics, successive self-nucleation and annealing (SSA) fractionation, tensile tests and contact angle tests. The analysis of FTIR, WAXD, DSC scanning, non-isothermal crystallization kinetics and SSA fractionation showed that the addition of PVP greatly influenced the crystallization behavior of the sample. As the PVP content increased, the crystallization temperature, crystallization rate, degree of crystallinity, and the amount of thick lamellaes decreased gradually. Meanwhile, PVP favored the formation of β-phase of PVDF. The results of tensile test revealed that the addition of PVP increased the elongation at break of the sample, and lowered the yield stress. Besides, the result of contact angle test indicated that the hydrophilicity of PVDF was remarkably improved in the presence PVP. The relationship between crystallization behavior and the tensile behavior, hydrophilicity were discussed.     

Production and Characterization of a Novel Thermostable Extracellular Agarase from Pseudoalteromonas hodoensis Newly Isolated from the West Sea of South Korea

A Gram-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped, agarolytic bacterium, designated as H7, was isolated from a coastal seawater sample. This strain grows at pH 6.0–8.0, temperature of 15–40 °C, and at an NaCl concentration of 1–7 % (w/v). Ubiquinone-8 was the predominant respiratory quinone, and the DNA G+C content was 45.82 mol%. Analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence suggests that strain H7 belongs to the genus Pseudoalteromonas. DNA-DNA hybridization analysis showed DNA relatedness of as low as 55.42 and 40.27 % with its nearest phylogenetic neighbors Pseudoalteromonas atlantica IAM12927^T and Pseudoalteromonas espejiana NCIMB2127^T, respectively, which led us to name H7 Pseudoalteromonas hodoensis sp. nov. The type strain is H7^T (=DSM25967^T = KCTC23887^T). An agarase (AgaA7) was purified to homogeneity from the cell-free culture broth of H7 through many steps of chromatography. Purified AgaA7 had an apparent molecular weight of 35 kDa, with a distinct NH₂-terminal sequence of Ala-Asp-Ala-Thr-X-Pro (X, any amino acid) from the reported proteins, implying that it is a novel enzyme. The optimum pH and temperature for agarase activity were 7.0 and 45 °C, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography analysis, mass spectrometry, and enzyme assay using p-nitrophenyl-α/β-D-galactopyranoside revealed that AgaA7 is both an exo- and endo-type β-agarase that degrades agarose into neoagarotetraose, neoagarohexaose, and neoagarooctaose (minor).