Metastable morphotropic phase boundary state in the multiferroic BiFeO3-PbTiO3

Temperature-time study of the magnetoelectric multiferroic (1-x)BiFeO3-(x)PbTiO3 by x-ray and electron diffraction on the reported morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) compositions revealed that this MPB does not correspond to the equilibrium state. The MPB like state is rather of metastable nature and arise due to kinetic arrest of metastable rhombohedral (R3c) phase, along with the equilibrium tetragonal (P4mm) phase. The life time of the metastable R3c nuclei is very sensitive to composition and temperature, and nearly diverges at x -> 0.27. The MPB like state appears only if the system is cooled before the metastable R3c nuclei could vanish. These findings resolve the long standing controversy with regard to seemingly erratic phase formation behaviour reported by different groups and provides a rational basis for developing genuine equilibrium MPB compositions in this system for better piezoelectric properties. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Effect of myonuclear number and mitochondrial fusion on Drosophila indirect flight muscle organization and size

Mechanisms involved in establishing the organization and numbers of fibres in a muscle are not completely understood. During Drosophila indirect flight muscle (IFM) formation, muscle growth is achieved by both incorporating hundreds of nuclei, and hypertrophy. As a result, IFMs provide a good model with which to understand the mechanisms that govern overall muscle organization and growth. We present a detailed analysis of the organization of dorsal longitudinal muscles (DLMs), a subset of the IFMs. We show that each DLM is similar to a vertebrate fascicle and consists of multiple muscle fibres. However, increased fascicle size does not necessarily change the number of constituent fibres, but does increase the number of myofibrils packed within the fibres. We also find that altering the number of myoblasts available for fusion changes DLM fascicle size and fibres are loosely packed with myofibrils. Additionally, we show that knock down of genes required for mitochondrial fusion causes a severe reduction in the size of DLM fascicles and fibres. Our results establish the organization levels of DLMs and highlight the importance of the appropriate number of nuclei and mitochondrial fusion in determining the overall organization, growth and size of DLMs. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ENDOR studies of hydrogen bonding of the AsO44- centre in x-ray irradiated KH2AsO4

We here report what we believe to be an important method for studying hydrogen bonding in systems containing a paramagnetic centre. The technique of electron-nuclear double resonance ( ENDOR) has been applied to study the hydrogen-bond network around the AsO44-. centre in X-ray irradiated KH2AsO4. ENDOR transitions from several sets of hydrogen nuclei surrounding the centre were observed at 4.2 degrees K and the spectra for two sets of neighbouring nuclei are identified. The angular dependences for these spectra are fitted with a spin-Hamiltonian to obtain the isotropic and anisotropic magnetic hyperfine constants. The results are discussed in terms of the available spectroscopic and crystallographic data on KH2AsO4 and the order-disorder model of ferroelectrictricity in this class of crystals.

Viscoelastic Behavior of Human Lamin A Proteins in the Context of Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Lamins are intermediate filament proteins of type V constituting a nuclear lamina or filamentous meshwork which lines the nucleoplasmic side of the inner nuclear membrane. This protein mesh provides a supporting scaffold for the nuclear envelope and tethers interphase chromosome to the nuclear periphery. Mutations of mainly A-type lamins are found to be causative for at least 11 human diseases collectively termed as laminopathies majority of which are characterised by aberrant nuclei with altered structural rigidity, deformability and poor mechanotransduction behaviour. But the investigation of viscoelastic behavior of lamin A continues to elude the field. In order to address this problem, we hereby present the very first report on viscoelastic properties of wild type human lamin A and some of its mutants linked with Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using quantitative rheological measurements. We observed a dramatic strain-softening effect on lamin A network as an outcome of the strain amplitude sweep measurements which could arise from the large compliance of the quasi-cross-links in the network or that of the lamin A rods. In addition, the drastic stiffening of the differential elastic moduli on superposition of rotational and oscillatory shear stress reflect the increase in the stiffness of the laterally associated lamin A rods. These findings present a preliminary insight into distinct biomechanical properties of wild type lamin A protein and its mutants which in turn revealed interesting differences.

Actomyosin contractility rotates the cell nucleus

The cell nucleus functions amidst active cytoskeletal filaments, but its response to their contractile stresses is largely unexplored. We study the dynamics of the nuclei of single fibroblasts, with cell migration suppressed by plating onto micro-fabricated patterns. We find the nucleus undergoes noisy but coherent rotational motion. We account for this observation through a hydrodynamic approach, treating the nucleus as a highly viscous inclusion residing in a less viscous fluid of orientable filaments endowed with active stresses. Lowering actin contractility selectively by introducing blebbistatin at low concentrations drastically reduced the speed and coherence of the angular motion of the nucleus. Time-lapse imaging of actin revealed a correlated hydrodynamic flow around the nucleus, with profile and magnitude consistent with the results of our theoretical approach. Coherent intracellular flows and consequent nuclear rotation thus appear to be an intrinsic property of cells.

Size dependent structural relaxations and dielectric properties induced by surface functionalized MWNTs in poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

Structural dynamics, dielectric permittivity and ferroelectric properties in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (PVDF/PMMA) blends with respect to crystalline morphology was systematically investigated in presence of amine functionalized MWNTs (NH2-MWNTs) using dielectric spectroscopy. The crystalline morphology and the crystallization driven demixing in the blends was assessed by light microscopy (LM), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) and, in situ, by shear rheology. The crystal nucleation activity of PVDF was greatly induced by NH2-MWNTs, which also showed two distinct structural relaxations in dielectric loss owing to mobility confinement of PVDF chains and smaller cooperative lengths. The presence of crystal-amorphous interphase was supported by the presence of interfacial polarization at lower frequencies in the dielectric loss spectra. On contrary, the control blends showed a single broad relaxation at higher frequency due to defective crystal nuclei. This was further supported by monitoring the dielectric relaxations during isothermal crystallization of PVDF in the blends. These observations were addressed with respect to the spherulite sizes which were observed to be larger in case of blends with NH2-MWNTs. Higher dielectric permittivity with minimal losses was also observed in blends with NH2-MWNTs as compared to neat PVDF. Polarization obtained using P-E (polarization-electric field) hysteresis loops was higher in case of blends with NH2-MWNTs in contrast to control blends and PVDF. These observations were corroborated with the charge trapped at the crystal-amorphous interphase and larger crystal sizes in the blends with NH2-MWNTs. The microstructure and localization of MWNTs were assessed using SEM.

Structural Investigations on the Compositional Anomalies in Lanthanum Zirconate System Synthesized by Coprecipitation Method

The study set out to investigate the compositional inconsistency in lanthanum zirconate system revealed the presence of nonstoichiometry in lanthanum zirconate powders when synthesized by coprecipitation route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) investigations confirmed the depletion of La3+ ions in the system. Analysis using Vegard's law showed the La/Zr mole ratio in the sample to be around 0.45. An extra step of ultrasonication, introduced during the washing stage followed by the coprecipitation reaction, ensured the formation of stoichiometric La2Zr2O7. Noteworthy is also the difference between crystal sizes in the samples prepared by with and without ultrasonication step. This difference has been explained in light of the formation of individual nuclei and their scope of growth within the precipitate core. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses revealed that optimum pH for the synthesis of La2Zr2O7 is about 11. The ultrasonication step was pivotal in assuring consistency in mixing and composition for the lanthanum zirconate powders.

A three-component protocol for the enantiodifferentiation of amines using triphenyl borate and BINOL: is it an ion pair or an amine-coordinated complex?

The structure of the borate complex responsible for the enantiodifferentiation of amines using a previously reported three-component protocol has been established. The choice between an ion pair and an amine-coordinated complex with the N atom of the amine coordinated to the B atom is favored for the former structure based on the DFT-calculated B-11 NMR chemical shifts. In contrast to expectations, the anisotropies of the quadrupolar B-11 nucleus for the two structures were calculated to be indistinguishable with regard to their effect on the linewidth of the NMR signal. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling of Bubble-Size Distribution in Water and Freon Co-Blown Free Rise Polyurethane Foams

A model has been developed to simulate the foam characteristics obtained, when chemical (water) and physical (Freon) blowing agents are used together for the formation of polyurethane foams. The model considers the rate of reaction, the consequent rise in temperature of the reaction mixture, nucleation of bubbles, and mass transfer of CO2 and Freon to them till the time of gelation. The model is able to explain the experimental results available in literature. It further predicts that the nucleation period gets reduced with increase in water (at constant Freon content), whereas with increase in Freon (at constant water) concentration nucleation period decreases marginally leading to narrower bubble-size distribution. By the use of uniform sized nuclei added initially, the model predicts that the bubble-size distribution can be made independent of the rate of homogeneous nucleation and can, thus, offer an extra parameter for its control. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tonic current through GABAA receptors and hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels modulate resonance properties of rat subicular pyramidal neurons

The subiculum, considered to be the output structure of the hippocampus, modulates information flow from the hippocampus to various cortical and sub-cortical areas such as the nucleus accumbens, lateral septal region, thalamus, nucleus gelatinosus, medial nucleus and mammillary nuclei. Tonic inhibitory current plays an important role in neuronal physiology and pathophysiology by modulating the electrophysiological properties of neurons. While the alterations of various electrical properties due to tonic inhibition have been studied in neurons from different regions, its influence on intrinsic subthreshold resonance in pyramidal excitatory neurons expressing hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels is not known. Using pharmacological agents, we show the involvement of alpha 5 beta gamma GABA(A) receptors in the picrotoxin-sensitive tonic current in subicular pyramidal neurons. We further investigated the contribution of tonic conductance in regulating subthreshold electrophysiological properties using current clamp and dynamic clamp experiments. We demonstrate that tonic GABAergic inhibition can actively modulate subthreshold properties, including resonance due to HCN channels, which can potentially alter the response dynamics of subicular pyramidal neurons in an oscillating neuronal network.

Turbulence and cooling in galaxy cluster cores

We study the interplay between turbulent heating, mixing, and radiative cooling in an idealized model of cool cluster cores. Active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets are expected to drive turbulence and heat cluster cores. Cooling of the intracluster medium (ICM) and stirring by AGN jets are tightly coupled in a feedback loop. We impose the feedback loop by balancing radiative cooling with turbulent heating. In addition to heating the plasma, turbulence also mixes it, suppressing the formation of cold gas at small scales. In this regard, the effect of turbulence is analogous to thermal conduction. For uniform plasma in thermal balance (turbulent heating balancing radiative cooling), cold gas condenses only if the cooling time is shorter than the mixing time. This condition requires the turbulent kinetic energy to be a parts per thousand(3) the plasma internal energy; such high velocities in cool cores are ruled out by observations. The results with realistic magnetic fields and thermal conduction are qualitatively similar to the hydrodynamic simulations. Simulations where the runaway cooling of the cool core is prevented due to mixing with the hot ICM show cold gas even with subsonic turbulence, consistent with observations. Thus, turbulent mixing is the likely mechanism via which AGN jets heat cluster cores. The thermal instability growth rates observed in simulations with turbulence are consistent with the local thermal instability interpretation of cold gas in cluster cores.

A transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of annealing induced gamma-phase nucleation, clustering, and interfacial dynamics in reactively sputtered amorphous alumina thin films

Pure alpha-Al2O3 exhibits a very high degree of thermodynamical stability among all metal oxides and forms an inert oxide scale in a range of structural alloys at high temperatures. We report that amorphous Al2O3 thin films sputter deposited over crystalline Si instead show a surprisingly active interface. On annealing, crystallization begins with nuclei of a phase closely resembling gamma-Alumina forming almost randomly in an amorphous matrix, and with increasing frequency near the substrate/film interface. This nucleation is marked by the signature appearance of sharp (400) and (440) reflections and the formation of a diffuse diffraction halo with an outer maximal radius of approximate to 0.23 nm enveloping the direct beam. The microstructure then evolves by a cluster-coalescence growth mechanism suggestive of swift nucleation and sluggish diffusional kinetics, while locally the Al ions redistribute slowly from chemisorbed and tetrahedral sites to higher anion coordinated sites. Chemical state plots constructed from XPS data and simple calculations of the diffraction patterns from hypothetically distorted lattices suggest that the true origins of the diffuse diffraction halo are probably related to a complex change in the electronic structure spurred by the a-gamma transformation rather than pure structural disorder. Concurrent to crystallization within the film, a substantially thick interfacial reaction zone also builds up at the film/substrate interface with the excess Al acting as a cationic source. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Optical properties and CCN activity of aerosols in a high-altitude Himalayan environment: Results from RAWEX-GVAX

The seasonality and mutual dependence of aerosol optical properties and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity under varying meteorological conditions at the high-altitude Nainital site (2km) in the Indo-Gangetic Plains were examined using nearly year-round measurements (June 2011 to March 2012) at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement mobile facility as part of the Regional Aerosol Warming Experiment-Ganges Valley Aerosol Experiment of the Indian Space Research Organization and the U.S. Department of Energy. The results from collocated measurements provided enhanced aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients, CCN concentrations, and total condensation nuclei concentrations during the dry autumn and winter months. The CCN concentration (at a supersaturation of 0.46) was higher during the periods of high aerosol absorption (single scattering albedo (SSA)<0.80) than during the periods of high aerosol scattering (SSA>0.85), indicating that the aerosol composition seasonally changes and influences the CCN activity. The monthly mean CCN activation ratio (at a supersaturation of 0.46) was highest (>0.7) in late autumn (November); this finding is attributed to the contribution of biomass-burning aerosols to CCN formation at high supersaturation conditions.

NMR relaxation studies in doped poly-3-methylthiophene

NMR relaxation rates (1/T-1), magnetic susceptibility, and electrical conductivity studies in doped poly-3-methylthiophene are reported in this paper. The magnetic susceptibility data show the contributions from both Pauli and Curie spins, with the size of the Pauli term depending strongly on the doping level. Proton and fluorine NMR relaxation rates have been studied as a function of temperature (3-300 K) and field (for protons at 0.9, 9.0, 16.4, and 23.4 T, and for fluorine at 9.0 T). The temperature dependence of T-1 is classified into three regimes: (a) For T < (g mu(B) B/2k(B)), the relaxation mechanism follows a modified Korringa relation due to electron-electron interactions and disorder. H-1-T-1 is due to the electron-nuclear dipolar interaction in addition to the contact term. (b) For the intermediate temperature range (g mu(B) B/2k(B)) < T < T-BPP (the temperature where the contribution from the reorientation motion to the T-1 is insignificant) the relaxation mechanism is via spin diffusion to the paramagnetic centers. (c) In the high-temperature regime and at low Larmor frequency the relaxation follows the modified Bloembergen, Purcell, and Pound model. T-1 data analysis has been carried out in light of these models depending upon the temperature and frequency range of study. Fluorine relaxation data have been analyzed and attributed to the PF6 reorientation. The cross relaxation among the H-1 and F-19 nuclei has been observed in the entire temperature range suggesting the role of magnetic dipolar interaction modulated by the reorientation of the symmetric molecular subgroups. The data analysis shows that the enhancement in the Korringa ratio is greater in a less conducting sample. Intra-and interchain hopping of charge carriers is found to be a dominant relaxation mechanism at low temperature. Frequency dependence of T-1(-1) on temperature shows that at low temperature T < (g mu(B) B/2k(B))] the system shows three dimensions and changes to quasi one dimension at high temperature. Moreover, a good correlation between electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, and NMR T-1 data has been observed.

Measurement of Large Dipolar Couplings of a Liquid Crystal with Terminal Phenyl Rings and Estimation of the Order Parameters

NMR spectroscopy is a powerful means of studying liquid-crystalline systems at atomic resolutions. Of the many parameters that can provide information on the dynamics and order of the systems, H-1-C-13 dipolar couplings are an important means of obtaining such information. Depending on the details of the molecular structure and the magnitude of the order parameters, the dipolar couplings can vary over a wide range of values. Thus the method employed to estimate the dipolar couplings should be capable of estimating both large and small dipolar couplings at the same time. For this purpose, we consider here a two-dimensional NMR experiment that works similar to the insensitive nuclei enhanced by polarization transfer (INEPT) experiment in solution. With the incorporation of a modification proposed earlier for experiments with low radio frequency power, the scheme is observed to enable a wide range of dipolar couplings to be estimated at the same time. We utilized this approach to obtain dipolar couplings in a liquid crystal with phenyl rings attached to either end of the molecule, and estimated its local order parameters.