Effects of nano-carbon doping and sintering temperature on microstructure and properties of MgB₂

Lim, J.H.,Shim, J.H.,Choi, J.H.,Park, J.H.,Kim, W.,Joo, J.,Kim, C.J. North-Holland 2009 Physica. C, Superconductivity Vol.469 No.15

We fabricated nano-carbon (NC) doped MgB<SUB>2</SUB> bulks using an in situ process in order to improve the critical current density (J<SUB>c</SUB>) under a high magnetic field and evaluated the correlated effects of the doped carbon content and sintering temperature on the phase formation, microstructure and critical properties. MgB<SUB>2-x</SUB>C<SUB>x</SUB> bulks with x=0 and 0.05 were fabricated by pressing the powder into pellets and sintering at 800<SUP>o</SUP>C, 900<SUP>o</SUP>C, or 1000<SUP>o</SUP>C for 30min. We observed that NC was an effective dopant for MgB<SUB>2</SUB> and that part of it was incorporated into the MgB<SUB>2</SUB> while the other part remained (undoped), which reduced the grain size. The actual C content was estimated to be 68-90% of the nominal content. The NC doped samples exhibited lower T<SUB>c</SUB> values and better J<SUB>c</SUB>(B) behavior than the undoped samples. The doped sample sintered at 900<SUP>o</SUP>C showed the highest J<SUB>c</SUB> value due to its high doping level, small amount of second phase, and fine grains. On the other hand, the J<SUB>c</SUB> was decreased at a sintering temperature of 1000<SUP>o</SUP>C as a result of the formation of MgB<SUB>4</SUB> phase.

Regulation of cancer cell death by a novel compound, C604, in a c-Myc-overexpressing cellular environment

Jo, M.J.,Paek, A.R.,Choi, J.S.,Ok, C.Y.,Jeong, K.C.,Lim, J.H.,Kim, S.H.,You, H.J. North-Holland ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2015 european journal of pharmacology Vol.769 No.-

<P>The proto-oncogene c-Myc has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Several c-Myc targets have been studied; however, selective regulation of c-Myc is not easy in cancer cells. Herein, we attempt to identify chemical compounds that induce cell death in c-Myc-overexpressing cells (STF-cMyc and STF-Control) by conducting MTS assays on approximately 4000 chemical compounds. One compound, C604, induced cell death in STF-cMyc cells but not STF-Control cells. Apoptotic proteins, including caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PAPP), were cleaved in C604-treated STF-cMyc cells. In addition, 5W620, HCT116 and NCI-H23 cells, which exhibit higher basal levels of c-Myc, underwent apoptotic cell death in response to C604, suggesting a role for C604 as an inducer of apoptosis in cancer cells with c-Myc amplification. C604 induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in cells, which was not affected by apoptotic inhibitors. Interestingly, C604 induced accumulation of c-Myc and Cdc25A proteins. In summary, a chemical compound was identified that may induce cell death in cancer cells with c-Myc amplification specifically through an apoptotic pathway. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>

Investigation of lauric acid dopant as a novel carbon source in MgB₂ wire

Lee, C.M.,Lee, S.M.,Park, G.C.,Joo, J.,Lim, J.H.,Kang, W.N.,Yi, J.H.,Jun, B.H.,Kim, C.J. North-Holland 2010 Physica. C, Superconductivity Vol.470 No.20

We fabricated lauric acid (LA) doped MgB<SUB>2</SUB> wires and investigated the effects of the LA doping. For the fabrication of the LA-doped MgB<SUB>2</SUB> wires, B powder was mixed with LA at 0-5wt.% of the total amount of MgB<SUB>2</SUB> using an organic solvent, dried, and then the LA-treated B and Mg powders were mixed stoichiometrically. The powder mixture was loaded into an Fe tube and the assemblage was drawn and sintered at 900<SUP>o</SUP>C for 3h under an argon atmosphere. We observed that the LA doping induced the substitution of C for the B sites in MgB<SUB>2</SUB> and that the actual content of C increased monotonically with increasing LA doping level. The LA-doped MgB<SUB>2</SUB> wires exhibited a lower critical temperature (T<SUB>c</SUB>), but better critical current density (J<SUB>c</SUB>) behavior in a high magnetic field: the 5wt.% LA-doped sample had a J<SUB>c</SUB> value of 5.32x10<SUP>3</SUP>A/cm<SUP>2</SUP>, which was 2.17 times higher than that of the pristine sample (2.45x10<SUP>3</SUP>A/cm<SUP>2</SUP>) at 5K and 6T, suggesting that LA is an effective C dopant in MgB<SUB>2</SUB> for enhancing the high-field J<SUB>c</SUB> performance.

Fabrication of ex situ processed MgB₂ wires using nano carbon doped powder

Lee, C.M.,Park, J.H.,Hwang, S.M.,Lim, J.H.,Joo, J.,Kang, W.N.,Kim, C.J. North-Holland 2009 Physica. C, Superconductivity Vol.469 No.15

We fabricated ex situ MgB<SUB>2</SUB> wires using C-doped MgB<SUB>2</SUB> powder as a precursor in order to improve the core density of the wires and their C doping content. The C-doped powder was prepared with Mg, B, and nano carbon (NC) powders by the in situ technique and then MgB<SUB>2-x</SUB>C<SUB>x</SUB> (x=0, 0.01, and 0.03) wires were fabricated by the ex situ technique using the powder-in-tube method. The phase formation, lattice change, and microstructure were characterized and correlated with the T<SUB>c</SUB> and J<SUB>c</SUB> variations. We observed that the ex situ wire had a higher core density than the in situ wire, however its morphology consisted of agglomerated particles, indicating that sintering and grain growth did not occur completely, even though the sintering was conducted at high temperature (1000<SUP>o</SUP>C). As the C content increased, T<SUB>c</SUB> decreased, while the decrease of J<SUB>c</SUB> with increasing magnetic field became smaller. The J<SUB>c</SUB> of MgB<SUB>1.97</SUB>C<SUB>0.03</SUB> wire made by the ex situ technique was 3.34kA/cm<SUP>2</SUP> at 6.6T and 5K which is comparable to that of the in situ wire (4.81kA/cm<SUP>2</SUP> at 6.6T and 5K).

Hepatoprotective effect of vitamin C on lithocholic acid-induced cholestatic liver injury in Gulo(-/-) mice

Yu, S.J.,Bae, S.,Kang, J.S.,Yoon, J.H.,Cho, E.J.,Lee, J.H.,Kim, Y.J.,Lee, W.J.,Kim, C.Y.,Lee, H.S. North-Holland ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2015 european journal of pharmacology Vol.762 No.-

<P>Prevention and restoration of hepatic fibrosis from chronic liver injury is essential for the treatment of patients with chronic liver diseases. Vitamin C is known to have hepatoprotective effects, but their underlying mechanisms are unclear, especially those associated with hepatic fibrosis. Here, we analyzed the impact of vitamin Con bile acid induced hepatocyte apoptosis in vitro and lithocholic acid (LCA) induced liver injury in vitamin C-insufficient Gulo(-/-) mice, which cannot synthesize vitamin C similarly to humans. When Huh BAT cells were treated with bile acid, apoptosis was induced by endoplasmic retiiculum stress related JNK activation but vitamin C attenuated bile acid induced hepatocyte apoprosis in vitro. In our in vivo experiments. LCA feeding increased plasma marker of cholestasis and resulted in more extensive liver damage and hepatic fibrosis by more prominent apoptotic cell death and recruiting more intrahepatic inflammatory CD11b(+) cells in the liver of vitamin C-insufficient Gulo(-/-) mice compared to wild type mice which have minimal hepatic fibrosis. However, when vitamin C was supplemented to vitamin C-insufficient Gulo(-/-) mice, hepatic fibrosis was significantly attenuated in the liver of vitamin C-sufficient Gulo(-/-) mice like in wild type mice and this hepatoprotective effect of vitamin C was thought to be associated with both decreased hepatic apoptosis and necrosis. These results suggested that vitamin C had hepatoprotective effect against cholestatic liver injury. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>

Measurement of the ratio of the production cross sections times branching fractions of B c ± → J/ψπ ± and B± → J/ψK ± and ℬ B c ± → J / ψ π ± π ± π ∓ / ℬ B c ± → J / ψ π ± $$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({\mathrm{B

Khachatryan, V.,Sirunyan, A. M.,Tumasyan, A.,Adam, W.,Bergauer, T.,Dragicevic, M.,Erö,, J.,Fabjan, C.,Friedl, M.,Frü,hwirth, R.,Ghete, V. M.,Hartl, C.,Hö,rmann, N.,Hrubec, J.,Jeitler, M.,K Institute of Physics Pub 2015 The journal of high energy physics Vol.2015 No.1

<P>The ratio of the production cross sections times branching fractions (sigma(B-c(+/-))B(B-c(+/-) -> J/psi pi(+/-)))/(sigma(B-+/-)B(B-+/- -> J/psi K-+/-)) is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The kinematic region investigated requires B-c(+/-) and B-+/- mesons with transverse momentum p(T) > 15 GeV and rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 1.6. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 fb(-1). The ratio is determined to be [0.48 +/- 0.05 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) +/- 0.05 (tau(Bc))]%. The B-c(+/-) -> J/psi pi(+/-)pi(+/-)pi(-/+) decay is also observed in the same data sample. Using a model-independent method developed to measure the efficiency given the presence of resonant behaviour in the three-pion system, the ratio of the branching fractions B-c(+/-) -> J/psi pi(+/-)pi(+/-)pi(-/+)/B(B-c(+/-) -> J/psi pi(+/-)) is measured to be 2.55 +/- 0.80 (stat) +/- 0.33 (syst)(-0.01)(+0.04) (tau(Bc)), consistent with the previous LHCb result.</P>

TmSR-C, scavenger receptor class C, plays a pivotal role in antifungal and antibacterial immunity in the coleopteran insect Tenebrio molitor

Kim, S.G.,Jo, Y.H.,Seong, J.H.,Park, K.B.,Noh, M.Y.,Cho, J.H.,Ko, H.J.,Kim, C.E.,Tindwa, H.,Patnaik, B.B.,Bang, I.S.,Lee, Y.S.,Han, Y.S. Pergamon Press ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2017 Insect biochemistry and molecular biology Vol.89 No.-

Scavenger receptors (SRs) constitute a family of membrane-bound receptors that bind to multiple ligands. The SR family of proteins is involved in removing cellular debris, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, and pathogens. Specifically, class C scavenger receptors (SR-C) have also been reported to be involved in phagocytosis of gram-positive and -negative bacteria in Drosophila and viruses in shrimp. However, reports are unavailable regarding the role of SR-C in antifungal immune mechanisms in insects. In this study, a full-length Tenebrio molitor SR-C (TmSR-C) sequence was obtained by 5'- and 3'-Rapid amplification of cDNA ends-polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR). The TmSR-C full-length cDNA comprised 1671 bp with 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions of 23- and 107-bp, respectively. TmSR-C encodes a putative protein of 556 amino acid residues that is constitutively expressed in all tissues of late instar larvae and 2-day-old adults, with the highest transcript levels observed in hemocytes of larvae and adults. TmSR-C mRNA showed a 2.5-fold and 3-fold increase at 24 and 6 h after infection with Candida albicans and β-glucan, respectively. Immunoassay with TmSR-C polyclonal antibody showed induction of the putative protein in the cytosols of hemocytes at 3 h after inoculation of C. albicans. RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene silencing and phagocytosis assays were used to understand the role of TmSR-C in antifungal immunity. Silencing of TmSR-C transcripts reduced the survivability of late instar larvae at 2 days post-inoculation of C. albicans, Escherichia coli, or Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, in TmSR-C-silenced larvae, there was a decline in the rate of microorganism phagocytosis. Taken together, results of this study suggest that TmSR-C plays a pivotal role in phagocytosing not only fungi but also gram-negative and -positive bacteria in T. molitor.

C₂H <i>N</i> = 1 − 0 and N₂H⁺<i>J</i> = 1 − 0 observations of <i>Planck</i> Galactic cold clumps

Liu, X.-C.,Wu, Y.,Zhang, C.,Liu, T.,Yuan, J.,Qin, S.-L.,Ju, B.-G.,Li, L.-X. EDP Sciences 2019 Astronomy and astrophysics Vol.622 No.-

<P>A survey of C2H <I>N</I> = 1 − 0 and N2H<SUP>+</SUP><I>J</I> = 1 − 0 toward <I>Planck</I> Galactic cold clumps (PGCCs) was performed using the Purple Mountain Observatory’s 13.7 m telescope. C2H and N2H<SUP>+</SUP> were chosen to study the chemical evolutionary states of PGCCs. Among 121 observed molecular cores associated with PGCCs, 71 and 58 are detected with C2H <I>N</I> = 1 − 0 and N2H<SUP>+</SUP><I>J</I> = 1 − 0, respectively. The detected lines of most sources can be fitted with a single component with compatible <I>V</I>LSR and line widths, which confirms that these PGCC cores are very cold (with gas temperatures 9-21 K) and quiescent while still dominanted by turbulence. The ratio between the column densities of C2H and N2H<SUP>+</SUP> (<I>N</I>(C2H)/<I>N</I>(N2H<SUP>+</SUP>)) is found to be a good tracer for the evolutionary states of PGCC cores. Gas-grain chemical model can reproduce the decreasing trend of <I>N</I>(C2H)/<I>N</I>(N2H<SUP>+</SUP>) as a function of time. The cores with the lowest abundances of N2H<SUP>+</SUP> (<I>X</I>[N2H<SUP>+</SUP>] < 10<SUP>−10</SUP>) are the youngest, and have nearly constant abundances of C2H. In evolved cores with <I>X</I>[N2H<SUP>+</SUP>] ~10<SUP>−9</SUP>, abundances of C2H drop quickly as the exhaustion of carbon atoms. Although these PGCC cores are in different evolutionary states, they are all quite young (< 5 × 10<SUP>5</SUP> yr) with <I>N</I>(C2H) > <I>N</I>(N2H<SUP>+</SUP>). Mapping observations are carried out toward 20 PGCC cores. The PGCC cores in Cepheus have lower <I>N</I>(C2H)/<I>N</I>(N2H<SUP>+</SUP>) and larger line widths compared with those in Taurus. This implies that PGCC cores in Taurus are less chemically evolved than those in Cepheus.</P>

T_c and J_c distribution in in situ processed MgB₂ bulk superconductors with/without C doping

Kim, C.J.,Kim, Y.J.,Lim, C.Y.,Jun, B.H.,Park, S.D.,Choo, K.N. The Korea Institute of Applied Superconductivity a 2014 한국초전도저온공학회논문지 Vol.16 No.2

Temperature dependence of magnetic moment (m-T) and the magnetization (M-H) at 5 K and 20 K of the in situ processed $MgB_2$ bulk pellets with/without carbon (C) doping were examined. The superconducting critical temperature ($T_c$), the superconducting transition width (${\delta}T$) and the critical current density ($J_c$) were estimated for ten test samples taken from the $MgB_2$ bulk pellets. The reliable m-T characteristics associated with the uniform $MgB_2$ formation were obtained for both $MgB_2$ pellets. The $T_cs$ and ${\delta}Ts$ of all test samples of the undoped $MgB_2$ were the same each other as 37.5 K and 1.5 K, respectively. The $T_cs$ and ${\delta}Ts$ of the C-doped $MgB_2$ were 36.5 K and 2.5 K, respectively. Unlike the m-T characteristics, there existed the difference among the M-H curves of the test samples, which might be caused by the microstructure variation. In spite of the slight $T_c$ decrease, the C doping was effective in enhancing the $J_c$ at 5 K.

Measurements of B→J/ψ at forward rapidity in p+p collisions at s=510 GeV

Aidala, C.,Ajitanand, N. N.,Akiba, Y.,Akimoto, R.,Alexander, J.,Alfred, M.,Aoki, K.,Apadula, N.,Asano, H.,Atomssa, E. T.,Attila, A.,Awes, T. C.,Ayuso, C.,Azmoun, B.,Babintsev, V.,Bai, M.,Bai, X.,Banni American Physical Society 2017 Physical Review D Vol.95 No.9

<P>We report the first measurement of the fraction of J/psi mesons coming from B-meson decay (F (B -> J/psi)) in p + p collisions at root s = 510 GeV. The measurement is performed using the forward silicon vertex detector and central vertex detector at PHENIX, which provide precise tracking and distance-of-closest-approach determinations, enabling the statistical separation of J=. due to B-meson decays from prompt J/psi. The measured value of F (B -> J/psi) is 8.1% +/- 2.3% (stat) +/- 1.9% (syst) for J/psi with transverse momenta 0 < p(T) < 5 GeV/c and rapidity 1.2 < vertical bar y vertical bar < 2.2. The measured fraction F (B -> J/psi) at PHENIX is compared to values measured by other experiments at higher center of mass energies and to fixed-order-next-toleading- logarithm and color-evaporation-model predictions. The b (b) over bar cross section per unit rapidity [d sigma/dy(pp -> b (b) over bar)] extracted from the obtained F (B -> J/psi) and the PHENIX inclusive J/psi cross section measured at 200 GeV scaled with color-evaporation-model calculations, at the mean B hadron rapidity y = +/- 1.7 in 510 GeV p + p collisions, is 3.63(-1.70)(+1.92) mu b. It is consistent with the fixed-order-next-toleading- logarithm calculations.</P>