Characterization of optical properties of PtSi at 3.392 mu m from 300 K to 85 K and relation of morphological effects

PtSi/Si Schottky junctions, fabricated using a conventional technique of Pt deposition with a subsequent thermal anneal, are examined using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and a novel prism/gap/sample optical coupling system. With the aid of X-ray diffraction and atomic farce microscopy it is shown that a post-anneal etch in aqua regia is essential for the removal of an unreacted, rough surface layer of Pt, to leave a much smoother PtSi film. The prism/gap/sample or Otto coupling rig is mounted in a small UHV chamber and has facilities for remote variation of the gap (by virtue of a piezoactuator system) and variation of the temperature in the range of similar to 300 K - 85 K. The system is used to excite surface plasmon polaritons on the outer surface of the PtSi and thus produce sensitive optical characterisation as a function of temperature. This is performed in order to yield an understanding of the temperature dependence of phonon and interface scattering of carriers in the PtSi.

Inactivation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in milk during commercial pasteurisation

Four studies have been published relating to the inactivation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) by commercial HTST pasteurization. Three of these were large surveys of commercially pasteurized milk at processing/retail level in the UK and Ontario, Canada, and the fourth a pasteurization study involving naturally infected milk and commercial-scale pasteurizing plant. Evidence that Map is capable of surviving commercial pasteurization was obtained in two of the studies: viable Map was cultured from 50 ml aliquots of commercially pasteurized milk after decontamination with 0.75% cetylpyridinium chloride for 5 h and then culture on Herrold's egg-yolk medium without antibiotics. In both studies culture did not commence until 24-72 h post-pasteurization and samples were stored at 4 degrees C in the interim period. In the other two milk surveys smaller volumes of milk were tested (1-5 ml and 15 ml) and no firm evidence of surviving Map was obtained. The three milk surveys differed in other respects - chemical decontamination, culture media used and use of antibiotics. Recent findings suggest that sub-lethally heat-injured Map in pasteurized milk have the potential to recover viability if stored at 4 degrees C for 48 h between heating and testing.

The closed orbits and the photo-excitation scaled spectrum of the hydrogen atom in crossed fields

In a recent Letter to the Editor (J Rao, D Delande and K T Taylor 2001 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 34 L391-9) we made a brief first report of our quantal and classical calculations for the hydrogen atom in crossed electric and magnetic fields at constant scaled energy and constant scaled electric field strength. A principal point of that communication was our statement that each and every peak in the Fourier transform of the scaled quantum photo-excitation spectrum for scaled energy value epsilon = -0.586 538 871028 43 and scaled electric value (f) over tilde = 0.068 537 846 207 618 71 could be identified with a scaled action value of a found and mapped-out closed orbit up to a scaled action of 20. In this follow-up paper, besides presenting full details of our quantum and classical methods, we set out the scaled action values of all 317 closed orbits involved, together with the geometries of many.

Measurement and interpretation of the mid-infrared properties of single crystal and polycrystalline gold

The contribution of electron-phonon scattering and grain boundary scattering to the mid-IR (lambda = 3.392 mum) properties of An has been assessed by examining both bulk, single crystal samples-Au(1 1 1) and Au(1 1 0)-and thin film, polycrystalline An samples at 300 K and 100 K by means of surface plasmon polariton excitation. The investigation constitutes a stringent test for the in-vacuo Otto-configuration prism coupler used to perform the measurements, illustrating its strengths and limitations. Analysis of the optical response is guided by a physically based interpretation of the Drude model. Relative to the reference case of single crystal Au at 100 K (epsilon = - 568 + i17.5), raising the temperature to 300 K causes increased electron-phonon scattering that accounts for a reduction of similar to40 nm in the electron mean free path. Comparison of a polycrystalline sample to the reference case determines a mean free path due to grain boundary scattering of similar to 17 nm, corresponding to about half the mean grain size as determined from atomic force microscopy and indicating a high reflectance coefficient for the An grain boundaries. An analysis combining consideration of grain boundary scattering and the inclusion of a small percentage of voids in the polycrystalline film by means of an effective medium model indicates a value for the grain boundary reflection coefficient in the range 0.55-0.71. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Allogenic Peripheral Blood Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) Enhance Bone Regeneration in Rabbit Ulna Critical-Sized Bone Defect Model

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were demonstrated to exist within peripheral blood (PB) of several mammalian species including human, guinea pig, mice, rat, and rabbit. Whether or not the PB derived MSCs (PBMSCs) could enhance the regeneration of large bone defects have not been reported. In this study, rabbit MSCs were obtained from mononuclear cells (MNCs) cultures of both the PB and bone marrow (BM) origin. The number of PBMSCs was relatively lower, with the colony forming efficiency (CFE) ranging from 1.2-13 per million MNCs. Under specific inductive conditions, PBMSCs differentiated into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes, showing multi- differentiation ability similar to BMMSCs. Bilateral 20 mm critical-sized bone defects were created in the ulnae of twelve 6-month old New Zealand white rabbits. The defects were treated with allogenic PBMSCs/Skelite (porous calcium phosphate resorbable substitute), BMMSCs/Skelite, PBMNCs/Skelite, Skelite alone and left empty for 12 weeks. Bone regeneration was evaluated by serial radiography, peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), and histological examinations. The x-ray scores and the pQCT total bone mineral density in the PBMSCs/Skelite and BMMSCs/Skelite treated groups were significantly greater than those of the PBMNCs/Skelite and Skelite alone groups (p