Specific Heat and Electrical Resistivity of 53%Niobium-47%Titanium Alloy Measured by Subsecond Calorimetric Technique

This paper presents results of measurements of the specific heat and electrical resistivity of a 53%Ni-47%Ti superconducting alloy. Both properties were measured by a contact variant of the millisecond-resolution pulse calorimeter. W5%Re/W25%Re thermocouple thermometry enabled study from ambient temperature to 2000 K. Results are discussed, and their uncertainty is estimated.     

A characterisation of thick film resistors for strain gauge applications

Some commercial thick film resistors with sheet resistivities from 1 kohm/sq. up to 1 Mohm/sq. were evaluated for strain gauge applications. Temperature coefficients of resistivity, noise indices and gauge factors (GFs) were measured. For the same resistor series GFs and noise indices increase with increasing sheet resistivity. However, both GFs and noise indices are different for resistors with the same nominal sheet resistivity but from different resistor series. The results indicated that the microstructure rather than the different chemical composition of the conductive phase in thick film resistors is the primary reason for the different gauge factors.     

Phase-synchroniser based on gm-C all-pass filter chain with sliding mode control

Phase-synchronisers have many applications in VLSI circuit designs. They are used in CMOS RF circuits including phase (de)modulators, phase recovery circuits, multiphase synthesis, etc. In this article, a phase-synchroniser based on g_m-C all-pass filter chain with sliding mode control is presented. The filter chain provides good controllable delay characteristics over the full range of phase and frequency regulation, without deterioration of input signal amplitude and waveform, while the sliding mode control enables us to achieve fast and predetermined finite locking time. IHP 0.25 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology has been used in design and verification processes. The circuit operates in the frequency range from 33 MHz up to 150 MHz. Simulation results indicate that it is possible to achieve very fast synchronisation time period, which is approximately four time intervals of the input signal during normal operation, and 20 time intervals during power-on.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Manganese Zinc Ferrite Powders from Oxides

Manganese zinc (MnZn) ferrite powders were prepared via the hydrothermal treatment of a homogeneous mixture of the raw oxides (i.e., Fe₂O₃, ZnO, and Mn₃O₄ or MnO) at temperatures of 220°-320°C in air or an inert atmosphere. The final results of the hydrothermal reactions between the raw oxides were fine powders with a heterogeneous phase composition. In addition to lower concentrations of the residual reactants (Fe₂O₃, Mn₃O₄), two types of spinel-structure-based reaction products-ferrite ((Mn²⁺,Zn)Fe₂O₄) and manganate ((Zn,Mn²⁺)Mn₂³⁺O₄)-were detected after the synthesis. The composition of the ferrite products, as well as the ratio of ferrite products to manganate products, were mainly functions of the oxidation state of the manganese that was present during treatment. The oxidation state of manganese during reaction was dependent on the valence of the manganese in the starting manganese oxide and on the atmosphere in the autoclave during reaction. When the hydrothermal reaction was conducted in air, almost-pure zinc ferrite was identified, whereas during reaction in an inert atmosphere, MnZn ferrite was formed. The kinetics of the hydrothermal reactions also were dependent on the oxidation state of manganese, as well as the temperature and specific surface area of the starting Fe₂O₃.     

Catalytic Molecular Logic Devices by DNAzyme Displacement

Chemical reactions catalyzed by DNAzymes offer a route to programmable modification of biomolecules for therapeutic purposes. To this end, we have developed a new type of catalytic DNA‐based logic gates in which DNAzyme catalysis is controlled via toehold‐mediated strand displacement reactions. We refer to these as DNAzyme displacement gates. The use of toeholds to guide input binding provides a favorable pathway for input recognition, and the innate catalytic activity of DNAzymes allows amplification of nanomolar input concentrations. We demonstrate detection of arbitrary input sequences by rational introduction of mismatched bases into inhibitor strands. Furthermore, we illustrate the applicability of DNAzyme displacement to compute logic functions involving multiple logic gates. This work will enable sophisticated logical control of a range of biochemical modifications, with applications in pathogen detection and autonomous theranostics.     

Synthesis and characterization of maghemite nanosheets

Magnetic maghemite nanoparticles in the form of nanosheets were prepared by a topotactic transformation during the dehydroxylation of a γ-FeO(OH) precursor. The precursor was synthesized from tetrapyridin Fe(II) chloride (Fe(py)₄Cl₂). The nanosheets are several hundreds of nanometers wide, and less than 5 nm thick; they frequently bend and curl at the edges; they are nanocrystalline; and they are composed of smaller maghemite nanostructured domains, from a few nanometers up to several tens of nanometers wide.     

Solid Solubility of Neodymium in BaCeO3

Incorporation of Nd into the BaCeO₃ perovskite structure was studied by quantitative wavelength dispersive spectroscopy-electron probe microanalysis (WDS/EPMA) in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD). Highly Nd-doped BaCeO₃ specimens, synthesized by mixed oxide technology, were sintered at 1400°C in ambient air. Concentrations of cations obtained by microanalysis were calculated to the ABO₃ perovskite formula, considering incorporation of Nd at Ba as well as at Ce sites. Nd-BaCeO₃ solid solutions may be represented by the general formula Ba_{1− X} Nd _X Ce_{1− Y} Nd_YO_{3−( Y-X )/2}( V _O)_{( Y-X )/2}. The ratio between Nd incorporated at Ba sites and at Ce sites ( X/Y ) is a function of the starting composition, changing from 1 in the CeO₂-rich part of the BaO-CeO₂-Nd₂O₃ system, to ~0.1 in the BaO-rich part of the system.     

Defect Structure and Phase Relations of Highly Lanthanum-Doped Barium Titanate

Incorporation of La³⁺ into the BaTiO₃ lattice was studied on samples of various composition, using quantitative WDS microanalysis (EPMA) in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD). Direct determination of solid-solution formulas by microanalysis supports the structure model of a solid solution with La³⁺ on Ba²⁺ sites and a deficient Ti⁴⁺ sublattice, independent of the starting composition. Solid solution extends on the tie line, which points from BaTiO₃ to La₄Ti₃O₁₂, to the composition of approximately Ba_0.70- La_0.38Ti_0.925( V "")_0.075O₃. On the basis of these results, the BaTiO₃-rich part of the BaO-La₂O₃-TiO₂ phase diagram was constructed.