Single molecule study of DNA collision with elliptical nanoposts conveyed by hydrodynamics

Periodic arrays of micro‐ or nanopillars constitute solid‐state matrices with excellent properties for DNA size separation. Nanofabrication technologies offer many solutions to tailor the geometry of obstacle arrays, yet most studies have been conducted with cylinders arranged in hexagonal lattices. In this report, we investigate the dynamics of single DNA collision with elliptical nanoposts using hydrodynamic actuation. Our data show that the asymmetry of the obstacles has minor effect on unhooking dynamics, and thus confirm recent predictions obtained by Brownian dynamics simulations. In addition, we show that the disengagement dynamics are correctly predicted by models of electrophoresis, and propose that this consistency is associated to the confinement in slit‐like channels. We finally conclude that elliptical posts are expected to marginally improve the performances of separation devices.     

Tendon-bone junction healing by injectable bioactive thermo-sensitive hydrogel based on inspiration of tendon-derived stem cells

The rotator cuff repaired construct must establish a contiguous and functioning tendon-bone junction to provide adequate stability. However, fibrocartilage deficiency and bone loss were hardly reversed after physical suture, especially in chronic rotator cuff tears. In this study, we synthesized an injectable methylcellulose/polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinylpyrrolidone-based thermo-sensitive hydrogel, which delivered kartogenin-loaded mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles. Physicochemical studies the revealed phase transition temperatures of 35 °C and its ability to induce chondrogenesis and osteogenesis differentiation of tendon-derived stem cells. Furthermore, experiments in rabbit chronic rotator cuff tears model confirmed the fibrocartilage and bone layer regenerative capability of the injected bioactive hydrogel, which could, in turn, support the ultimate tensile stress of the repaired rotator cuff. The bioactive agents-loaded hydrogel reported in this study is a valuable addition to the arsenal of biomaterials in applications to chronic tendon-bone junction injuries.     

一种计算液接电势的新方法*

依据液接电势达稳态时通过边界层的净电荷为零这一思想,提出了一种计算液接电势的新方法。对于3类液接电势的计算,特别是Lewis-Sargent公式与Henderson方程的推导,思路清晰易懂,避免了过往液接电势计算方法存在的一些问题。本文所提出的方法能够为液接电势相关内容的教学提供借鉴。     

硼膜制备工艺、微观结构及其在硼化镁超导约瑟夫森结中的应用

MgB_2材料具备临界转变温度较高、相干长度大、临界电流和临界磁场高等优点,被认为有替代Nb基超导材料的潜力.研究了不同温度下以化学气相沉积法制备的硼(B)薄膜的微观结构.实验结果表明:较低温度沉积的B先驱薄膜为无定形B膜,可以与Mg蒸气反应生成MgB_2超导薄膜;当沉积温度高于550?C时,所得硼薄膜为晶型薄膜;以晶型硼薄膜为先驱膜在镁蒸气中退火,不能生成硼化镁超导薄膜.利用晶型B膜的这一特点,成功制备了以晶型硼薄膜为介质层的硼化镁超导约瑟夫森结.     

Exciton-polaritons in lattices: A non-linear photonic simulator

Microcavity polaritons are mixed light–matter quasiparticles with extraordinary nonlinear properties, which can be easily accessed in photoluminescence experiments. Thanks to the possibility of designing the potential landscape of polaritons, this system provides a versatile photonic platform to emulate 1D and 2D Hamiltonians. Polaritons allow transposing to the photonic world some of the properties of electrons in solid-state systems, and to engineer Hamiltonians for photons with novel transport properties. Here we review some experimental implementations of polariton Hamiltonians using lattice geometries.     

Design rule of indium bump in infrared focal plane array for longer cycling life

In light of the proposed equivalent method, a three-dimensional structural modeling of InSb infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) is created, and the simulated strain distribution is identical to the deformation distribution on the top surface of InSb IRFPAs. After comparing the deformation features at different regions with the structural characteristics of IRFPAs, we infer that the flatness of InSb IRFPAs will be improved with a thinner indium bump array, and this inference is verified by subsequent simulation results. That is, when the diameter of indium bump is smaller than 20 μm, the simulated Z-components of strain on the whole top surface of InSb IRFPAs is uniform, and the deformation amplitude is small. When the diameter of indium bump is larger than 28 μm, the simulated Z-components of strain increases rapidly with the thicker indium bump, and the flatness of InSb IRFPAs is worsened rapidly. According to the changing trend of deformation amplitude with diameters of indium bump, and employing element pitches normalization method, a design rule of indium bump is proposed. That is, when the diameter of indium bump is shorter than 0.4 times the element pitch, the flatness of InSb IRFPAs is in an acceptable range. This design rule was supported by different IRFPAs with different formats delivered by several main research groups for achieving a longer cycling life.     

Waiting times of entangled electrons in normal–superconducting junctions

We consider a normal–superconducting junction in order to investigate the effect of new physical ingredients on waiting times. First, we study the interplay between Andreev and specular scattering at the interface on the distribution of waiting times of electrons or holes separately. In that case the distribution is not altered dramatically compared to the case of a single quantum channel with a quantum point contact since the interface acts as an Andreev mirror for holes. We then consider a fully entangled state originating from splitting of Cooper pairs at the interface and demonstrate a significant enhancement of the probability to detect two consecutive electrons in a short time interval. Finally, we discuss the electronic waiting time distribution in the more realistic situation of partial entanglement.     

Triplet pairing states with equal spins in ferromagnet/superconductor heterojunctions for noncollinear magnetizations

Four-component Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations are applied to study tunneling conductance spectra of ferromagnet/ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor (F₁/F₂/d-wave S) tunnel junctions and to find out signs of spin-triplet pairing correlations induced in the proximity structure. The pairing correlations with equal spins arises from the novel Andreev reflection (AR), which requires at least three factors: the usual AR at the F₂/S interface, spin flip in the F₂ layer, and superconducting coherence kept up in the F₂ layer. Effects of angle α between magnetizations of the two F layers, polarizations of the F₁ and F₂ layers, the thickness of the F₂ layer, and the orientation of the d-wave S crystal on the tunneling conductance are investigated. A conversion from a zero-bias conductance dip at α = 0 to a zero-bias conductance peak at a certain value of α can be seen as a sign of generated spin-triplet correlations.     

Quantification of the bisphosphonate alendronate using capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry with dynamic pH barrage junction focusing

A quantitative method was developed for the direct identity confirmation and quantification of alendronate using CE-MS combined with a pH-assisted focusing technique, dynamic pH barrage junction focusing. A pH-induced variation in electrophoretic mobility led to online focusing of alendronate at the sample/pH barrage boundary, significantly improving the detection sensitivity. In addition, the use of a flow-through microvial CE electrospray interface and the multiple reaction monitoring mode of MS further improved the specificity and quantification capability of this technology. This quantitative method presented a wide linear dynamic range over 8–2000 ng/mL and an LOD of 2 ng/mL. A 460-fold improvement in sensitivity was obtained when pH barrage junction focusing was applied during the CE process, in comparison to when normal CE was conducted without online sample stacking. The superior detection sensitivity over previously reported methods enables direct analysis of bisphosphonate compounds, eliminating tedious pre-column sample enrichment and derivatization. Validation of alendronate content in a commercial drug tablet further proved the reliability and power of this method. This simple method with no sample derivatization, superior sensitivity, and short run time (<8 min) is a promising alternative for accurate quantification of alendronate and other types of bisphosphonate compounds in both drug formulations and plasma samples.     

Self‐Assembled Binary Mixtures of Partially Etched Nanowires

Arrays of anisotropic particles are sought after for applications in optics, electronics, and energy. Structures assembled from multiple micro‐ or nanoparticles could incorporate the distinct properties of each component to achieve functions not possible from single‐population assemblies. In mixed‐particle populations, the assembly forces may differ between the particle types, which will in turn influence the final assembled structures. Here, binary particle mixtures are studied and compared to assemblies formed from each of the component particles alone. The particles are partially etched nanowires (PENs, ≈300 nm diameter, and 3–8 μm overall length), which are formed by the silica coating and subsequent etching of striped metal nanowires, such that what remains are silica nanotubes containing segments of metal core (Au, Pt, Rh, or Pt/Au) with controllable location and number, spaced by “empty” regions that fill with water. Binary mixtures of PENs with different core metals and segment patterns are examined here to explore how the different core segment material, length, position, and number affects overall self‐assembly behavior.