Abstract: High-quality single crystals of Rb2ZnCl4 and K2ZnCl4, pure or doped with Cu, Mn, Cd, Tl, Sn, Pb and In cations, were grown by Czochralski technique in argon atmosphere, using an experimental setup that allows direct visual access to the whole growth zone. Slowly cooled crystals exhibit excellent cleavage properties. Fastly cooled crystals do cleave poorly. As shown by X-ray diffraction studies, such K2ZnCl4 samples exhibit inclusions of the high-temperature Pmcn phase with lattice parameters a = 7.263(2) Angstrom, b = 12.562(2) Angstrom and c = 8.960(4) Angstrom in the P2(1) cn room temperature stable phase. ESR and optical spectroscopy studies revealed the localization and valence state of the cation dopants. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to gain understanding of the quasi-static, large strain deformation behavior at room-temperature of high-purity alpha-Ti with an initial split-basal texture. Simple shear tests were conducted along different directions in order to quantify the material's anisotropy and hardening evolution for different strain paths such as monotonic, Bauschinger, and cyclic loadings. The stress-strain curves indicate that the material displays strong anisotropy in the flow behavior. In order to capture the link between microstructure evolution (occurrence of twinning, grain size evolution, etc.) and the macroscopic response, a thoroughly detailed multi-scale characterization using scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis was also conducted. Specifically, EBSD analyses indicate that the twin activity and grain fragmentation are responsible for the observed difference between the macroscopic hardening rates corresponding to different directions and loading paths. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Lanthanum carbonate is a new phosphate binder that is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and eliminated largely by the liver. After oral treatment, we and others had noticed 23 fold higher lanthanum levels in the livers of rats with chronic renal failure compared to rats with normal renal function. Here we studied the kinetics and tissue distribution, absorption, and subcellular localization of lanthanum in the liver using transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectrometry, and X-ray fluoresence. We found that in the liver lanthanum was located in lysosomes and in the biliary canal but not in any other cellular organelles. This suggests that lanthanum is transported and eliminated by the liver via a transcellular, endosomal-lysosomal-biliary canicular transport route. Feeding rats with chronic renal failure orally with lanthanum resulted in a doubling of the liver levels compared to rats with normal renal function, but the serum levels were similar in both animal groups. These levels plateaued after 6 weeks at a concentration below 3 g/g in both groups. When lanthanum was administered intravenously, thereby bypassing the gastrointestinal tract-portal vein pathway, no difference in liver levels was found between rats with and without renal failure. This suggests that there is an increased gastrointestinal permeability or absorption of oral lanthanum in uremia. Lanthanum levels in the brain and heart fluctuated near its detection limit with long-term treatment (20 weeks) having no effect on organ weight, liver enzyme activities, or liver histology. We suggest that the kinetics of lanthanum in the liver are consistent with a transcellular transport pathway, with higher levels in the liver of uremic rats due to higher intestinal absorption.

Abstract: Laminae of Adiantum raddianum Presl., a fern belonging to the family Pteridaceae, are characterised by the presence of epidermal fibre-like cells under the vascular bundles. These cells were thought to contain silica bodies, but their thickened walls leave no space for intracellular silica suggesting it may actually be deposited within their walls. Using advanced electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis we showed the presence of silica in the cell walls of the fibre-like idioblasts. However, it was specifically localised to the outer layers of the periclinal wall facing the leaf surface, with the thick secondary wall being devoid of silica. Immunocytochemical experiments were performed to ascertain the respective localisation of silica deposition and glycan polymers. Epitopes characteristic for pectic homogalacturonan and the hemicelluloses xyloglucan and mannan were detected in most epidermal walls, including the silica-rich cell wall layers. The monoclonal antibody, LM6, raised against pectic arabinan, labelled the silica-rich primary wall of the epidermal fibre-like cells and the guard cell walls, which were also shown to contain silica. We hypothesise that the silicified outer wall layers of the epidermal fibre-like cells support the lamina during cell expansion prior to secondary wall formation. This implies that silicification does not impede cell elongation. Although our results suggest that pectic arabinan may be implicated in silica deposition, further detailed analyses are needed to confirm this. The combinatorial approach presented here, which allows correlative screening and in situ localisation of silicon and cell wall polysaccharide distribution, shows great potential for future studies.

Abstract: A series of perovskites Sr4−xLaxFe3ReO12 (x=0.0, 1.0, 2.0) has been prepared by wet chemistry methods. The structure analyses by powder X-ray and neutron diffraction and electron microscopy show that these compounds adopt simple perovskite structures without cation ordering over the B sites: tetragonal (I4/mcm) for x=0.0 and 1.0 and orthorhombic (Pbmn) for x=2.0. The oxidation states of the cations in the compound with x=0.0 appear to be Fe3+/4+ and Re7+ and decrease for both with La substitution as evidenced by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. All the compounds are antiferromagnetically ordered above room temperature, as demonstrated by Mössbauer spectroscopy and the magnetic structures, which were determined by powder neutron diffraction. The substitution of Sr by La strongly affects the magnetic properties with an increase of TN up to ∼750 K.

Abstract: Focused ion beam specimen preparation has been used for NiTi samples and SrTiO(3)/SrRuO(3) multilayers with prevention of surface amorphization and Ga implantation by a 2-kV cleaning procedure. Transmission electron microscopy techniques show that the samples are of high quality with a controlled thickness over large scales. Furthermore, preferential thinning effects in multicompounds are avoided, which is important when analytical transmission electron microscopy measurements need to be interpreted in a quantitative manner. The results are compared to similar measurements acquired for samples obtained using conventional preparation techniques such as electropolishing for alloys and ion milling for oxides.