The remarkable difference between surface and step atoms in the magnetic anisotropy of two-dimensional nanostructures

The original magnetic properties of nanometre-sized particles are due to the distinct contributions of volume, surface and step atoms. To disentangle these contributions is an ongoing challenge of materials science. Here we introduce a method enabling the identification of the remarkably different contributions of surface and perimeter atoms to the magnetic anisotropy energy of two-dimensional nanostructures. Our method uses the generally nonlinear relationship between perimeter length and surface area. Atomic-scale characterization of the morphology of ensembles of polydisperse nanostructures, combined with in situ measurements of their temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, gives access to the role played by the differently coordinated atoms. We show for Co nanostructures on a Pt(111) surface that their uniaxial out-of-plane magnetization is entirely caused by edge atoms having 20 times more anisotropy energy than their bulk and surface counterparts. Identification of the role of perimeter and surface atoms opens up unprecedented opportunities for materials engineering. As an example, we separately tune magnetic hardness and moment in bimetallic core-shell nanostructures.     

Relation between shear banding and penetration characteristics of conventional tungsten alloys

The dynamic compression failure and ballistic penetration characteristics of conventional tungsten alloys similar in strength were investigated. Dynamic compression failure properties were generated with a symmetric Taylor test technique and penetration characteristics were obtained with 44 mm kinetic penetrators against an 300 HB hardness steel target at 1400 m/s. From shear crack length data generated with Taylor specimens impacted at different impact speeds a critical speed characterizing shear band initiation was deduced. The critical equivalent plastic strain at shear band initiation sites, obtained from the numerical simulation of the Taylor test at the critical impact speed, was found to decrease with the increase of the penetration performance. These results reinforce the argument that shear band formation is a failure mechanism associated with the erosion process for conventional tungsten alloys.     

Analysis of DNA Replication by Optical Mapping in Nanochannels

DNA replication is essential to maintain genome integrity in S phase of the cell division cycle. Accumulation of stalled replication forks is a major source of genetic instability, and likely constitutes a key driver of tumorigenesis. The mechanisms of regulation of replication fork progression have therefore been extensively investigated, in particular with DNA combing, an optical mapping technique that allows the stretching of single molecules and the mapping of active region for DNA synthesis by fluorescence microscopy. DNA linearization in nanochannels has been successfully used to probe genomic information patterns along single chromosomes, and has been proposed to be a competitive alternative to DNA combing. Yet this conjecture remains to be confirmed experimentally. Here, two complementary techniques are established to detect the genomic distribution of tracks of newly synthesized DNA in human cells by optical mapping in nanochannels. Their respective advantages and limitations are compared, and applied them to detect deregulations of the replication program induced by the antitumor drug hydroxyurea. The developments here thus broaden the field of applications accessible to nanofluidic technologies, and can be used in the future as part for molecular diagnostics in the context of high throughput cancer drug screening.     

Postwar Science in Divided Europe: A Continuing Cooperation

This paper is devoted to an outline of certain aspects of international scientific cooperation and exchange between Eastern and Western European countries from 1950 to 1989, with an emphasis on mathematics, biochemistry and neuroscience.     

Tailoring Dielectric Properties of Multilayer Composites Using Spark Plasma Sintering

A straightforward and simple way to produce well-densified ferroelectric ceramic composites with a full control of both architecture and properties using spark plasma sintering (SPS) is proposed. SPS main outcome is indeed to obtain high densification at relatively low temperatures and short treatment times thus limiting interdiffusion in multimaterials. Ferroelectric/dielectric (BST64/MgO/BST64) multilayer ceramic densified at 97% was obtained, with unmodified Curie temperature, a stack dielectric constant reaching 600, and dielectric losses dropping down to 0.5%, at room-temperature. This result ascertains SPS as a relevant tool for the design of functional materials with tailored properties.     

Use of hydroxytelechelic cis-1,4-polyisoprene (HTPI) in the synthesis of polyurethanes (PUs). Part 1. Influence of molecular weight and chemical modification of HTPI on the mechanical and thermal properties of PUs

New telechelic cis-1,4-polyisoprene oligomers bearing an hydroxyl group at the end of the polyisoprene backbone and possessing controlled molecular weights were used as soft segments in the elaboration of polyurethane elastomers. Besides, the well defined hydroxytelechelic cis-1,4-polyisoprene (HTPI) structure obtained through a controlled methodology, was chemically modified leading to hydrogenated and epoxidized oligomers based polyurethanes. The influence of the structural changes of these precursors on the polyurethanes properties have been studied. Thus, mechanical parameters as well as glass transition and mechanical transition temperature measurements indicated an increase in PUs hardness when the length of soft segment decreases and when the degree of epoxidized and hydrogenated isoprenic moieties increases. Moreover, based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a linear relationship was established between the weight loss in the urethane stage degradation and the amount of hard segments in the PUs. Otherwise, the hydrogenated soft segments were found more thermally stable than the epoxidized and the non modified ones. By comparison with similar investigations developed from commercial oligodienes (PBHT R20 LM^® and EPOL^®), this study mainly showed that the PUs based on hydrogenated hydroxytelechelic cis-1,4-polyisoprenes were more thermally stable and softer than the EPOL^® based analogues.     

Modulated Structures Induced by Phase Transformations

Abstract

Modulated structures can be found in organic, inorganic and even quasicrystalline structures. They are generally detected by diffraction from the presence of satellites surrounding the Bragg reflections. Their positions may vary continuously with temperature or pressure so that the phase can be considered as incommensurately modulated. Incommensurate phases usually transform to a periodic high symmetry phase by increasing temperature and to a commensurate lock-in phase by lowering the temperature. Their domain of stability varies with temperature, pressure and with the type of compound. Examples have been identified where the interval of equilibrium vary from a few tenths to a few hundreds of degrees. Recent progress in the field of incommensurate structure analysis has been greatly favoured by the superspace group approach which is now almost exclusively applied. In many cases, the resolution of the modulated phases by diffraction methods has contributed towards the understanding of the phase changes. In addition, microscopic models for the transition mechanisms have been developed to understand small organic systems. The methods of molecular dynamics have been able to explain the formation of various sequences of commensurate and incommensurate phases observed experimentally.     

Hypoglycaemia‐free artificial pancreas project

Driving blood glycaemia from hyperglycaemia to euglycaemia as fast as possible while avoiding hypoglycaemia is a major problem for decades for type‐1 diabetes and is solved in this study. A control algorithm is designed that guaranties hypoglycaemia avoidance for the first time both from the theory of positive systems point of view and from the most pragmatic clinical practice. The solution consists of a state feedback control law that computes the required hyperglycaemia correction bolus in real‐time to safely steer glycaemia to the target. A rigorous proof is given that shows that the control‐law respects the positivity of the control and of the glucose concentration error: as a result, no hypoglycaemic episode occurs. The so‐called hypo‐free strategy control is tested with all the UVA/Padova T1DM simulator patients (i.e. ten adults, ten adolescents, and ten children) during a fasting‐night scenario and in a hybrid closed‐loop scenario including three meals. The theoretical results are assessed by the simulations on a large cohort of virtual patients and encourage clinical trials.Inspec keywords: biochemistry, medical control systems, blood, diseases, medical computing, closed loop systems, biomedical equipment, state feedback, patient treatment, patient monitoring, biomedical measurement, physiological models, sugarOther keywords: fasting‐night scenario, hybrid closed‐loop scenario, hypoglycaemia‐free artificial pancreas project, blood glycaemia, euglycaemia, type‐1 diabetes, control algorithm, guaranties hypoglycaemia avoidance, pragmatic clinical practice, state feedback control law, required hyperglycaemia correction bolus, rigorous proof, control‐law, glucose concentration error, hypo‐free strategy control