Effect of Co substitution on the structural,dielectric and optical properties of KBiFe2O5

Cobalt (Co)-modified brownmillerite KBiFe2O5 (KBFO; [KBiFe2(1?x)Co2xO5 (x = 0, 0.05)]) polycrystalline is synthesized following the solid-state reaction route. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data confirmed the phase purity of KBFO and KBiFe1.9Co0.1O5 (KBFCO). The optical bandgap energy (Eg) of KBFO decreased from 1.59 to 1.51 eV because of Co substitution. The decrease in bandgap can be attributed to the tilting of the Fe–O tetrahedral structure of KBFCO. The observed room-temperature Raman peaks of KBFCO shifted by 3 cm?1 toward a lower wavenumber than that of KBFO. The shift in Raman active modes can be attributed to the change in the bond angles and bond lengths of the Fe–O tetrahedral structure and modification in response to oxygen deficiency in KBFO because of Co doping. Compared with that of KBFO, the frequency-dependent dielectric constant and dielectric loss of KBFCO decrease at room temperature, which is a con-sequence of the reduction in oxygen migration and modification in response to vibrational modes present in the sample.     

Dielectric relaxation and conduction mechanism in Aurivillius ceramic Bi5Ti3FeO15

For this study, we synthesized Aurivillius Bi5Ti3FeO15 ceramic using the generic solid-state reaction route and then performed room-temperature X-ray diffraction to confirm that the compound had a single phase with no impurities. The surface morphology of the prepared sample was observed to contain microstructural grains approximately 0.2–2 μm in size. The dielectric properties of the sample were determ-ined as a function of frequency in a range of approximately 100 Hz to 1 MHz at various temperatures (303 K ≤ T ≤ 773 K). Nyquist plots of the impedance data were found to exhibit a semi-circular arc in the high-temperature region, which is explained by the equivalent electrical circuit (R1C1)(R2QC2), where R1 and R2 represent the resistances associated with the grains and grain boundaries, respectively, C1 and C2 are the re-spective capacitances, and Q is the constant phase element (CPE), which accounts for non-Debye type of behavior. Our results indicate that both the resistance and capacitance of the grain boundaries are more prominent than those of the grains. The alternating current (ac) conductiv-ity data were analyzed based on the Jonscher universal power law, which indicated that the conduction process is dominated by the hopping mechanism. The calculated activation energies of the relaxation and conduction processes were very similar (0.32 to 0.53 eV), from which we conclude that the same type of charge carriers are involved in both processes.     

Prion protein cleavage fragments regulate adult neural stem cell quiescence through redox modulation of mitochondrial fission and SOD2 expression

Neurogenesis continues in the post-developmental brain throughout life. The ability to stimulate the production of new neurones requires both quiescent and actively proliferating pools of neural stem cells (NSCs). Actively proliferating NSCs ensure that neurogenic demand can be met, whilst the quiescent pool makes certain NSC reserves do not become depleted. The processes preserving the NSC quiescent pool are only just beginning to be defined. Herein, we identify a switch between NSC proliferation and quiescence through changing intracellular redox signalling. We show that N-terminal post-translational cleavage products of the prion protein (PrP) induce a quiescent state, halting NSC cellular growth, migration, and neurite outgrowth. Quiescence is initiated by the PrP cleavage products through reducing intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. First, inhibition of redox signalling results in increased mitochondrial fission, which rapidly signals quiescence. Thereafter, quiescence is maintained through downstream increases in the expression and activity of superoxide dismutase-2 that reduces mitochondrial superoxide. We further observe that PrP is predominantly cleaved in quiescent NSCs indicating a homeostatic role for this cascade. Our findings provide new insight into the regulation of NSC quiescence, which potentially could influence brain health throughout adult life.     

Microbes,mathematics, and models

Microbial model systems have a long history of fruitful use in fields that include evolution and ecology. In order to develop further insight into modelling practice, we examine how the competitive exclusion and coexistence of competing species have been modelled mathematically and materially over the course of a long research history. In particular, we investigate how microbial models of these dynamics interact with mathematical or computational models of the same phenomena. Our cases illuminate the ways in which microbial systems and equations work as models, and what happens when they generate inconsistent findings about shared targets. We reveal an iterative strategy of comparative modelling in different media, and suggest reasons why microbial models have a special degree of epistemic tractability in multimodel inquiry.     

Comparison of breeding biology aspects of Fluvicola nengeta (Aves: Tyrannidae) between two nesting sites

Fluvicola nengeta is an insectivorous bird that belongs to the Tyrannidae family, which lives close to bodies of water and can occur in urban areas as well. It makes use of natural and man-made substrates to build its nests. This study aims at describing the reproductive biology of F. nengeta by comparing nests built on vegetation and man-made structures as to their shapes, nest dimensions, building materials, distance from bodies of water and reproductive success. Forty-four nests were found, where 30 were located in vegetation and 14 on man-made structures. Nests did not exhibit any single pattern and were divided into three distinct shapes: closed/globular/base; closed/ovoid/base (45.5%; n = 5 for both) and low cup/base (9%; n = 1). Nests built on man-made structures exhibited a larger amount of anthropic material, such as plastic and paper, instead of plant-derived materials. Nests on man-made structures were found to be higher up from the ground (459.8 ± 46.9 m) and farther from water (232.9 ± 54.8 m) in comparison to those on vegetation (92.2 ± 28.6 m and 7.3 ± 4.7 m, respectively), aside from exhibiting a higher Mayfield reproductive success (37%) when compared to nests built on vegetation (34%). The estimated values of the daily survival rate (DSR) for vegetation nests were 0.997 for the incubation period and 0.928 for the nestling period. In man-made structure nests, DSRs were 0.968 and 0.964, respectively, during the incubation and nestling periods. The period survival rate (PSR) of nests in vegetation was significantly higher than the PSRs of nests in man-made structures during the incubation period. DSRs did not differ between incubation and nestling periods for either nesting sites.     

ICP-MS法测定钼矿石中伴生锂、镓和稀土元素

通过比较氢氟酸-硝酸高压罐密闭消解法、 氢氟酸-硝酸-高氯酸-盐酸低压密闭消解法和氢氟酸-硝酸-高氯酸-盐酸敞口消解法对钼矿样品的分解效果， 选用低压密闭消解法制备样品， 用电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS)法测定伴生稀有元素Li，Ga和15种稀土元素的质量比. 通过对干扰元素的分析， 选择合适同位素， 并确定¹⁵¹Eu，¹⁵⁷Gd，¹⁵⁹Tb质谱干扰的校正系数. 结果表明，  20 μg/L的铑（Rh）标准溶液作为内标可有效抑制溶液中的基体效应和信号动态漂移， 方法检出限为0.001~0.113 μg/g， 相对标准偏差（RSD， n=7）为0.30%~3.92%.  经标准物质和实际样品验证， 该方法可靠， 适合钼矿中伴生Li，Ga和稀土元素的测定.     

Maxwell's role in turning the concept of model into the methodology of modeling

This is a contribution towards a history and philosophy of modeling in its early stages in electromagnetism. In 1873, James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) hinted at the methodology of modeling at the end of his Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism. We focus on Maxwell's impact on physicists who immediately followed him, specifically Oliver Lodge (1851–1940) and George Francis FitzGerald (1851–1901). We begin with the role that the scientific concept of model played in the late nineteenth century, as assessed by Ludwig Boltzmann (1844–1906). We then discuss the role of hypothesis as a methodology, the appeal to (dynamical) illustration, and the way Maxwell applied model and working model in his studies of electromagnetism. We show that for Maxwell these key terms were kept distinct, but Lodge did not maintain these distinctions and, in this regard, FitzGerald followed Lodge. Notwithstanding Lodge's influence, Fitzgerald modified Maxwell's theory based on the mechanical model he designed, thereby implicitly taking the first step towards modeling. This methodology consists in drawing consequences from the (mechanical) model to the (electrodynamic) theory and modifying the latter in light of the functioning of the former. At the core of our argument is the thesis that it was a methodological novelty to move from the concept of model to the methodology of modeling. The introduction of modeling as a new methodology into physics in the late nineteenth century was a major event which deserves proper recognition.     

Comparative genetic differentiation study of three coexisting mangrove crabs in western Atlantic

ABSTRACT

A multispecies approach may reveal the factors influencing the genetic differentiation of coexisting species along a wide geographic area. Our aim was to compare the genetic differentiation of mangrove crabs coexisting along the western Atlantic in order to verify if there are common barriers, using two mitochondrial DNA markers to quantify genetic differentiation, variance and diversity. In addition, we included a mismatch distribution to check demographic history. Our data revealed that species with similar pelagic larval duration had either high genetic differentiation or the absence of genetic structure. These results can be explained by factors that contribute to genetic differentiation, such as the presence of large estuarine areas (acting as barriers), ocean currents, and larval behaviour. Also, historical events that promoted the isolation of some areas in the past, such as glacial cycles during the Pleistocene, could have caused the observed high levels of genetic divergence in some species.     

Designing Uniform Computer Sequential Experiments with Mixture Levels Using Lee Discrepancy

Computer experiments are constructed to simulate the behavior of complex physical systems. Uniform designs have good performance in computer experiments from several aspects. In practical use, the experimenter needs to choose a small size uniform design at the beginning of an experiment due to a limit of time, budget, resources, and so on, and later conduct a follow up experiment to obtain precious information about the system, that is, a sequential experiment. The Lee distance has been widely used in coding theory and its corresponding discrepancy is an important measure for constructing uniform designs. This paper proves that all the follow up designs of a uniform design are uniform and at least two of them can be used as optimal follow up experimental designs. Thus, it is not necessary that the union of any two uniform designs yields a uniform sequential design. Therefore, this article presents a theoretical justification for choosing the best follow up design of a uniform design to construct a uniform sequential design that involves a mixture of ω≥ 1 factors with β_k ≥ 2, 1 ≤ k ≤ωlevels. For illustration of the usage of the proposed results, a closer look is given at using these results for the most extensively used six particular cases, three symmetric and three asymmetric designs, which are often met in practice.