Anomalies of ultrasonic velocity in high-Tc ceramics YBa2Cu3Oy and BiSrCaCu2Oy

Ultrasonic longitudinal velocity and adsorption have been measured in ceramic superconductors YBa₂Cu₃O_y with various porosity and also in BiSrCaCu₂O_y. A velocity drop of about 400 ppm was found at T_c only in the measurements on cooling. The magnitude of the velocity drop is anomalously large compared with the value expected from the thermodynamics. A hysteresis of velocity with respect to temperature was observed in all the samples studied. It is suggested that some structural change at pore size level is responsible for this phenomenon.     

Impairment in S-phase entry of splenocytes of Parp-1 knockout mice

One immediate cellular response to DNA damage is the polyADP-ribosylation reaction by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (Parp-1). The importance of Parp-1 has been established in many cellular processes, such as the maintenance of genomic stability, DNA repair and cell-death induction. Here, we established Parp-1^−/− mice of C57BL/6J congenic strain and characterized the role of Parp-1 in cell-cycle progression. In this study, we also improved a method to observe G0/G1 to S-phase transition of splenocytes and bone marrow cells prepared from mice. The cells were cultured and stimulated with mitogens (50 μM ionomycin/1 μM phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate). We found that addition of a commercially available growth supportive reagent, BM Condimed ^RH1, greatly enhanced the transition of G0/G1 to the S-phase, which was determined by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation to DNA. Using this method, G0/G1 to the S-phase entry was measured using splenocytes derived from Parp-1^−/−, Parp-1^+/− and wild-type (Parp-1^+/+) mice. DNA synthesis in Parp-1^+/+ and Parp-1^+/− splenocytes started from day 1 after addition of mitogens, whereas that in Parp-1^−/− cells started from day 2. The peak of the S-phase was at day 2 in all genotypes and notably DNA synthesis in Parp-1^−/− cells was approximately halved compared to Parp-1^+/+ cells on day 2, 3 and 4. These results suggested that Parp-1 is involved in positive regulation of S-phase entry in quiescent mouse splenocytes.     

An electron microscopic study of the archaeal feast/famine regulatory protein 5. Fourier filtration of images

Microcrystals of the feast/famine regulatory protein (FFRP) pot0434017 (FL11) were prepared by sonicating larger crystals. Using the microcrystals a cryo-electron micrograph was obtained, which showed a hexagonal packing of cylinder-like assemblies of FL11. This micrograph was processed by selecting, in the Fourier space, spots reflecting the crystal lattice, thereby removing the noise. The microcrystal was not totally free from distortion, and cylinders in local clusters adopted slightly different orientations. Thus, 25 hexagonal units closest to the ideal, each containing a cylinder at the center surrounded by six others, were manually selected. The averaged image was further processed to yield a perfect six-fold symmetry. These processed images, and some of the original images too, show bridges connecting cylinders, each corresponding to two pairs of N-domains, protruding from the two cylinders and contacting between them in the X-ray structure.     

Quantum Hall effect in back-gated InAs/GaSb heterostructures under a tilted magnetic field

We investigate the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in the InAs/GaSb hybridized electron–hole system grown on a conductive InAs substrate which act as a back-gate. In these samples, the electron density is constant and the hole density is controlled by the gate-voltage. Under a magnetic field perpendicular to the sample plane, the QHE appears along integer Landau-level (LL) filling factors of the net-carriers, where the net-carrier density is the difference between the electron and hole densities. In addition, longitudinal resistance maxima corresponding to the crossing of the extended states of the original electron and hole LLs make the QHE regions along integer-ν_net discontinuous. Under tilted magnetic fields, these R_xx maxima disappear in the high magnetic field region. The results show that the in-plane magnetic field component enhances the electron–hole hybridization and the formation of minigaps at LL crossings.     

Reduction of dislocation density and improvement of optical quality in ZnO layers by MgO-buffer annealing

Optical properties of ZnO thin films with/without MgO-buffer annealing were investigated by low and room temperature photoluminescence measurements. The ZnO films were grown on c-sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy employing a thin MgO-buffer layer. Dislocation density of ZnO layer was reduced from 5.3 × 10⁹ to 1.9 × 10⁹ cm⁻² by annealing MgO-buffer prior to the growth of ZnO. The intensity of free exciton emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was almost twice of that from the sample without annealing, while the deep level emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was about 1/3 of that without annealing. The MgO-buffer annealing improves optical quality of overgrown ZnO films.     

High-order harmonic generation from boron plasma in the extreme-ultraviolet range

We demonstrate the generation of up to the 63rd harmonic (lambda = 12.6 nm) of a Ti:sapphire laser pulse (150 fs, 10 mJ), using a prepulse- (210-ps,24-mJ) produced boron plasma as the nonlinear medium. The influence of various parameters on the harmonic conversion efficiency was analyzed. The steep decrease in intensity for low-order harmonics (up to 19th order) was followed by a plateau. Typical conversion efficiencies were evaluated to be 10(-4) (for a 3rd harmonic) to 10(-7) (within the plateau region). Harmonic generation appeared to be efficient for the plasma that comprised neutral atoms and singly ionized boron.     

Generation of watt-level single-longitudinal-mode output from cladding-pumped short fiber lasers

We generate as much as 1.6 W of continuous-wave 1550 nm single-longitudinal-mode output from a cladding pumped Er-Yb codoped phosphate fiber laser. This power is to our knowledge among the highest in single-longitudinal-mode fiber lasers. The narrowband fiber Bragg grating output coupler is demonstrated to be an effective element for providing the single-longitudinal-mode selection.     

Unequally spaced multiple mid-infrared wavelength generation using an engineered quasi-phase-matching device

We propose a novel quasi-phase-matched (QPM) device that can generate unequally spaced multiple wavelengths. Unequally spaced multiple QPM peaks can be obtained by employing the optimized phase modulation of a periodic domain structure. We fabricated a LiNbO3 waveguide device for 3.2-3.4 microm band difference frequency generation based on the design. Using the multiple mid-infrared outputs, we demonstrate the detection of multiple hydrocarbon gases, namely, methane, ethylene, and ethane.     

First results from KamLAND: evidence for reactor antineutrino disappearance

KamLAND has measured the flux of nu;(e)'s from distant nuclear reactors. We find fewer nu;(e) events than expected from standard assumptions about nu;(e) propagation at the 99.95% C.L. In a 162 ton.yr exposure the ratio of the observed inverse beta-decay events to the expected number without nu;(e) disappearance is 0.611+/-0.085(stat)+/-0.041(syst) for nu;(e) energies >3.4 MeV. In the context of two-flavor neutrino oscillations with CPT invariance, all solutions to the solar neutrino problem except for the "large mixing angle" region are excluded.