Crystallographic and magnetic identification of secondary phase in orientated Bi 5Fe 0.5Co 0.5Ti 3O 15 ceramics

The fabrication of highly-oriented polycrystalline ceramics of Bi 5Fe 0.5Co 0.5Ti 3O 15, prepared via molten salt synthesis and uniaxial pressing of high aspect ratio platelets is reported. Electron backscatter images show a secondary phase within the ceramic which is rich in cobalt and iron. The concentration of the secondary phase obtained from scanning electron microscopy is estimated at less than 2% by volume, below the detection limit of x-ray diffraction (XRD). The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, polarization-electric field measurements, superconducting quantum interference device as a function of sample orientation and vibrating sample magnetometry as a function of temperature. It is inferred from the data that the observed ferromagnetic response is dominated by the secondary phase. This work highlights the importance of rigorous materials characterisation in the study of multiferroics as small amounts of secondary phase, below the limit of XRD, can lead to false conclusions.

Effects of gestational and postnatal exposure to chronic intermittent hypoxia on diaphragm muscle contractile function in the rat

Alterations to the supply of oxygen during early life presents a profound stressor to physiological systems with aberrant remodeling that is often long-lasting. Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a feature of apnea of prematurity, chronic lung disease, and sleep apnea. CIH affects respiratory control but there is a dearth of information concerning the effects of CIH on respiratory muscles, including the diaphragm—the major pump muscle of breathing. We investigated the effects of exposure to gestational CIH (gCIH) and postnatal CIH (pCIH) on diaphragm muscle function in male and female rats. CIH consisted of exposure in environmental chambers to 90 s of hypoxia reaching 5% O2 at nadir, once every 5 min, 8 h a day. Exposure to gCIH started within 24 h of identification of a copulation plug and continued until day 20 of gestation; animals were studied on postnatal day 22 or 42. For pCIH, pups were born in normoxia and within 24 h of delivery were exposed with dams to CIH for 3 weeks; animals were studied on postnatal day 22 or 42. Sham groups were exposed to normoxia in parallel. Following gas exposures, diaphragm muscle contractile, and endurance properties were examined ex vivo. Neither gCIH nor pCIH exposure had effects on diaphragm muscle force-generating capacity or endurance in either sex. Similarly, early life exposure to CIH did not affect muscle tolerance of severe hypoxic stress determined ex vivo. The findings contrast with our recent observation of upper airway dilator muscle weakness following exposure to pCIH. Thus, the present study suggests a relative resilience to hypoxic stress in diaphragm muscle. Co-ordinated activity of thoracic pump and upper airway dilator muscles is required for optimal control of upper airway caliber. A mismatch in the force-generating capacity of the complementary muscle groups could have adverse consequences for the control of airway patency and respiratory homeostasis.