Field Effect in the Linear and Nonlinear Conductivity of the Layered Quasi-One-Dimensional Semiconductor TiS3

Field-effect transistor structures based on whiskers of layered quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor TiS₃ have been fabricated. The dependences of the conductivity σ on the gate voltage V_g, as well as the current-voltage characteristics of whiskers (“source-drain”) at different V_g values, have been measured in the temperature range of 4.2-300 K. As the temperature decreases, the sensitivity of the conductivity to the gate voltage, α ≡ 1/σdσ/dV_g, increases in the range from 300 to 80 K and decreases sharply below 80 K, where the nonlinear conductivity begins to depend on V_g. The results can be explained by the formation of an electronic crystal at low temperatures.

     

Dietary Vitamin B6 and Enzymes of Methionine Metabolism in Rat Liver

Hepatic cystathionase activity, but not methionine adenosyl-transterase and cystathionine synthetase, was markedly decreased in weanling female rats fed a vitamin B₆-deficient diet, compared to that of the control animals fed ad libitum or pair-fed. The depressed enzyme activity was restored rapidly to normal by administering pyridoxine to the deficient rats. Excess pyridoxal phosphate added to enzyme reaction mixtures stimulated cystathionase in liver extracts from both control and deficient animals, but it did not raise activity of deficients to normal level. The data indicate that the amount of apocystathionase in rat liver is regulated by the availability of its coenzyme vitamin.     

A.C. electrical conductivity of potassium perchlorate

A.C. electrical conductivity of pottasium perchlorate (KP) has been measured in the temperature range 25–325°C at frequencies ranging from 50–500 Hz using an automated technique. Three regions with activation energies. 1.08 ± 0.02, 0.66 ± 0.01 and 0.39 ± 0.04eV are observed in ln(σT) vs 1/T plots at frequencies < - 50 Hz. Dielectric loss measurements on KP samples doped with CrO₄^2? and SO₄^2? ions show the presence of impurity-vacancy complexes with reorientation energies of 0.99 ±0.02 and 1.07 ± 0.01 eV respectively. The results are interpreted in terms of a defect model which highlights the role of various conduction and relaxation mechanisms in the a.c. electrical properties of the material.     

Kinetic studies on thermal decomposition of polystyrene peroxide

Polystyrene peroxide has been synthesized and its decomposition has been studied by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis. Polystyrene peroxide has been found to decompose exothermically at about 110°C. The activation energy for the decomposition was estimated to be 30 kcal/mole both by the Jacobs and Kureishy method and by fitting the α versus time curves to the first-order kinetic equation. This suggests that the rate-controlling step in the decomposition of polystyrene peroxide is cleavage of the OO bond.     

Minor alkaloids of Tylophora asthmatica: Revised structure of tylophorinidine

The structure of the phenolic alkaloid tylophorinidine, isolated from Tylophora asthmatica, has been shown to be 2. Two other minor alkaloids isolated from the plant have been shown to be d-septicine (11) and d-isotylocrebrine (14).     

Leading-particle suppression and surface emission in nucleus-nucleus collisions

After a short summary of the predictions of the Parton Quenching Model (PQM) for the nuclear modification factor and its centrality dependence in Au?Au collisions at RHIC, we concentrate on back-to-back jet-like correlations at high transverse momentum. We illustrate how this probe is biased by the surface effect.