Magnetic field induced residual resistivity in quasi-one-dimensional Hg3−δAsF6

The â-b? plane resistivity of the Hg-chain compound, Hg_3?δAsF₆, has been measured as a function of temperature and magnetic field using a contactless ac technique. The data imply a magnetic field dependent residual resistivity which goes to zero as the field is reduced to zero. The results are discussed in terms of the quasi-one-dimensional electronic and structural features of this novel linear chain compound.     

A shadow-moiré method with two discrete sensitivities

A shadow-moiré method using a composite grating with two discrete pitches is proposed whereby the range of measurable deflection is enlarged as compared to the ordinary shadow-moiré method.     

The POSS side chain epoxy nanocomposite: Synthesis and thermal properties

The IPI‐POSS‐modified epoxy resin (IPEP) was prepared from isocyanato‐propyldinethylsilyl‐isobutyl‐POSS (IPI‐POSS) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin. The steric hindrance of the IPEP bulky POSS side chain improved the curing activation energies. The POSS particles sizes were about 2–3 nm and dispersed uniformly. At lower IPEP concentration (POSS < 12 wt %), the glass transition temperatures (T_gs) of the IPEP nanocomposites increased from 118 to 170 °C. The char yield increased from 15 to 20 wt %, and the LOI values increased from 22 to 28. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 643–652, 2010     

Leaky optical waveguide for high power applications

The available fiber lasers, photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) frequency converters, and hollow-core PCFs are shown to offer realistic practical solutions for an all-fiber format of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) in the gas phase. In view of the substantial enhancement of CARS in the guided modes of hollow-core PCFs, a broad class of compact ytterbium and erbium fiber laser sources become suitable for the CARS analysis of gas media. The quantum limit of the signal-to-noise ratio, S/N, in all-fiber CARS is shown to scale as λα^-1a^-2 with radiation wavelength λ, fiber loss α, and the fiber core radius,aleading, in the case of a hollow-PCF gas cell, to a dramatic improvement of S/N relative to CARS in the regime of tight focusing. PACS 42.65.Wi; 42.81.Qb     

Orientational analysis of the Achilles tendon and enthesis using an ultrashort echo time spectroscopic imaging sequence

Tendons and entheses are magnetic resonance (MR) “invisible” when imaged with conventional clinical pulse sequences. When the highly ordered, collagen-rich fibers in tendons and entheses are placed at the magic angle, dipolar interactions are decreased and their T2s are often considerably increased. The bulk magnetic susceptibility of tendons and entheses also varies with orientation to B₀, leading to a direction-dependent resonance frequency shift. Ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequences with a minimum TE of 8 μs provide high signal from both tendons and entheses. The combination of a UTE sequence with an interleaved undersampled variable TE acquisition scheme provides a new approach for fast spectroscopic imaging of short T2 tissues. This UTE spectroscopic imaging (UTESI) technique provides quantitative information including T2?, chemical shift and resonance frequency shift due to bulk susceptibility effect. In this article, the orientational effects on tendons and entheses were investigated using a UTESI sequence on a clinical 3-T scanner. T2? was found to increase fivefold for tendons and twofold for entheses due to the magic angle effect. A resonance frequency shift up to 1.2 ppm was observed for both tendons and entheses due to the bulk susceptibility effect when their orientation was changed from 0° to 90° relative to B₀.     

Theoretic analysis on electric conductance of nano-wire transistors

By employing the commercial software nanoMos and Vienna ab Initio Simulation Package (VASP), the performance of nano-wire field-effect transistors is investigated. In this paper, the Density-Gradient Model (DG Model) is used to describe the carrier transport behavior of the nano-wire transistor under quantum effects. The analysis of the drain current with respect to channel length, body dielectric constant and gate contact work function is presented. In addition, Fermi energy and DOS (Density of State) are introduced to explore the relative stability of carrier transport and electrical conductance for the silicon crystal with dopants. Finally, how the roughness of the surface of the silicon-based crystal is affected by dopants and their allocation can be illuminated by a few broken bonds between atoms near the skin of the crystal.     

HIV-1 integrase inhibition of biscoumarin analogues

Nineteen biscoumarins bearing free and modified hydroxyl substituents at benzoyloxyphenyl linker have been synthesized by multiple step synthesis. Among these biscoumarins, thirteen were found to be active molecules against HIV-1 integrase (HIV-1 IN). The structure-activity relationship of the nineteen compounds on HIV IN may be useful for the design of potent therapeutic agents.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of two cobalt phosphates based on double-four-ring units with fluorine-occlusion and phosphite-substitution modifications

Two new fluorinated microporous cobalt phosphates, (H2en)0.5[F(0.25)Co(H(0.5)PO4)0.5(PO4)0.5].0.25H2O (1) and (H2en)0.5[Fx(H2O)0.25(-x)Co(HPO3)x(PO4)1-x].0.25H2O (x = 0.17; 2), have been synthesized from different P sources, H3PO4 and H3PO3, in the presence of ethylenediamine and F ions. Both structures of 1 and 2 are based on the similar secondary building unit of a double four ring (D4R). 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm with a = 14.895(1) A, b = 9.7133(9) A, c = 13.688(1) A, V = 1980.4(3) A(3), and Z = 16 and is built up from fully F-occluded double-four-ring units via corner-sharing Co and P polyhedra and edge-sharing Co polyhedra. 2 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group /42m with a = 10.2033(4) A, c = 9.5545(9) A, V = 994.7(1) A(3), and Z = 8 and adopts an ACO-type framework with strict alternation of corner-sharing Co and P polyhedra. On the basis of the evidence from ion chromatography studies and elemental analyses, 2 contains both phosphate and phosphite ions, and the amount of F ions in 2 is the same as the amount of phosphite ions. This implies that some PO4(3-) groups in 2 are substituted by HPO3(2-) groups with the same amount of F(-) occlusion in the center of D4R as charge compensation. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of both 1 and 2 appear that they contain mainly antiferromagnetic interaction (theta = -27.8 K for 1 and -35.0 K for 2). However, the magnetic coupling is much more complicated in compound 1 because of the Co-O-Co linkages in it. Low-field temperature-dependent magnetization curves of 1 showed spontaneous magnetization in the form of two continuous bumps, one sharp and one broad. This may be related to the temperature dependence of two related but different types of spin canting. At 2 K, 1 also showed a large coercive field of about 5000 Oe.     

Photolithographically patterned surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) via UV-initiated graft polymerization of acrylates

Patterned surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is achieved by combining ultraviolet-initiated graft polymerization (UV-GP) and photolithography. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) patterns were grafted onto PDMS with micrometer-scale feature edge resolution. The morphology and chemical composition of the grafted layers were assessed by optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and XPS imaging. AFM section analyses demonstrated the deposition of 33 +/- 1 and 62 +/- 8 nm thick patterned films of PAA and PMAA, respectively. Spatially resolved C 1s XPS provided images of carboxylic acid functionalities, verifying the patterned deposition of acrylate films on PDMS. These observations demonstrate the general usefulness of UV-GP and photolithography for micropatterning.     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel paramagnetic macromolecular complex [Gd(TTDASQ-protamine)

Adenocarcinomas in rats and humans frequently contain perivascular, degranulating mast cells that release heparin. Protamine is a low-molecular weight, cationic polypeptide that binds to heparin and neutralizes its anticoagulant properties. A novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent containing protamine was synthesized. TTDASQ, the derivative of TTDA (3,6,10-tri(carboxymethyl)-3,6,10-triazadodecanedioic acid), was also synthesized and the kinetic stability of [Gd(TTDASQ)]- chelate containing phosphate buffer and ZnCl2 to measure the relaxation rate (R1) at 20 MHz was studied by transmetallation with Zn(II). The water-exchange rate (k(ex)298) of [Gd(TTDASQ)]- is 6.4 x 10(6) s(-1) at 25.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C which was obtained from the reduced 17O relaxation rates (1/T(1r) and 1/T(2r)) and chemical shift (omega(r)) of H(2)17O, and it is compared with that previously reported for the other gadolinium(III) complex, [Gd(DO3ASQ)]. The binding affinity assay showed that the (TTDASQ)3-pro19 has higher activity toward heparin. On the other hand, the effect of heparin on the relaxivity of the [Gd(TTDASQ)3-pro19] conjugate shows the binding strength (K(A)) is 7669 dm3 mol(-1) at pH 7.4 and the relaxivity (r(b)1) of the [Gd(TTDASQ)3-pro19]-heparin adduct is 30.9 dm3 mmol(-1) s(-1).