Nm Wide (nm + wide)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Oligodendroglial tau filament formation in transgenic mice expressing G272V tau

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2001
Jürgen Götz
Abstract Genetic evidence indicates that several mutations in tau, including G272V, are linked to frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism. We expressed this mutation in mouse brains by combining a prion protein promoter-driven expression system with an autoregulatory transactivator loop that resulted in high expression of human G272V tau in neurons and in oligodendrocytes. We show that G272V tau can form filaments in murine oligodendrocytes. Electron microscopy established that the filaments were either straight or had a twisted structure; these were 17,20 nm wide and had a periodicity of ,,75 nm. Filament formation was associated with tau phosphorylation at distinct sites, including the AT8 epitope 202/205 in vivo. Immunogold electron microscopy of sarcosyl-extracted spinal cords from G272V transgenic mice using phosphorylation-dependent antibodies AT8 or AT100 identified several sparsely gold-labelled 6-nm filaments. In the spinal cord, fibrillary inclusions were also identified by thioflavin-S fluorescent microscopy in oligodendrocytes and motor neurons. These results establish that expression of the G272V mutation in mice causes oligodendroglial fibrillary lesions that are similar to those seen in human tauopathies. [source]


Synthesis of Nanohole-Structured Single-Crystalline Platinum Nanosheets Using Surfactant-Liquid-Crystals and their Electrochemical Characterization

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 4 2009
Tsuyoshi Kijima
Abstract Nanohole-structured single-crystalline Pt nanosheets have been synthesized by the borohydride reduction of Na2PtCl6 confined to the lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) with or without nonaethylene-glycol (C12EO9). The Pt nanosheets of around 4,10,nm in central thickness and up to 500,nm or above in diameter have a number of hexagonal-shaped nanoholes ,1.8,nm wide. High-resolution electron microscope images of the nanosheets showed atomic fringes with a spacing of 0.22,nm indicating that the nanosheets are crystallographically continuous through the nanoholed and non-holed areas. The inner-angle distributions for the hexagonal nanoholes indicate that the six sides of the nanoholes are walled with each two Pt (111), Pt (11) and Pt (010) planes. The formation mechanism of nanoholed Pt nanosheets is discussed on the basis of structural and compositional data for the resulting solids and their precursory LLCs, with the aid of similar nanohole growth observed for a Tween 80 free but oleic acid-incorporated system. It is also demonstrated that the nanoholed Pt nanostructures loaded on carbon exhibit fairly high electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction and a high performance as a cathode material for polymer-electrolyte fuel cells, along with their extremely high thermostability revealed through the effect of electron-irradiation. [source]


Preparation of Oriented Aluminum Nitride Thin Films on Polyimide Films and Piezoelectric Response with High Thermal Stability and Flexibility

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 3 2007
M. Akiyama
Abstract c -Axis oriented aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films are successfully prepared on amorphous polyimide films by radiofrequency magnetron reactive sputtering at room temperature. Structural analysis shows that the AlN films have a wurtzite structure and consist of c -axis oriented columnar grains about 100,nm wide. The full width at half maximum of the X-ray diffraction rocking curves and piezoelectric coefficient d33 of the AlN films are 8.3° and 0.56,pC,N,1, respectively. The AlN films exhibit a piezoelectric response over a wide temperature range, from ,196 to 300,°C, and can measure pressure within a wide range, from pulse waves of hundreds of pascals to 40,MPa. Moreover, the sensitivity of the AlN films increases with the number of times it was folded, suggesting that we can control the sensitivity of the AlN films by changing the geometric form. These results were achieved by a combination of preparing the oriented AlN thin films on polyimide films, and sandwiching the AlN and polymer films between top and bottom electrodes, such as Pt/AlN/polyimide/Pt. They are thin (less than 10,,m), self powered, adaptable to complex contours, and available in a variety of configurations. Although AlN is a piezoelectric ceramic, the AlN films are flexible and excellent in mechanical shock resistance. [source]


Nanoscale Conducting Oxide Writing: Nanoscale Writing of Transparent Conducting Oxide Features with a Focused Ion Beam (Adv. Mater.

ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 6 2009
6/2009)
A conductive atomic force microscopy tip probes an embedded, optically transparent, electrically conducting oxide nanowire that was patterned on an indium oxide substrate using focused ion beam implantation. The nanowire is 160 nm wide, 7 nm deep, and theoretically limitless in length, connectivity, and shape. Nanowires of this type have potential application as interconnects in transparent electronics. Further details can be found in the article by Tobin Marks, Mark Hersam and co-workers on p.721. [source]


Nanoscale Writing of Transparent Conducting Oxide Features with a Focused Ion Beam

ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 6 2009
Norma E. Sosa
Embedded, optically transparent, electrically conducting oxide nanowires, and other patterns are written on highly resistive transparent metal oxide thin films with nanoscale spatial control using focused ion beam implantation. The resulting transparent conducting oxide features are 110-160 nm wide, 7 nm deep, and are theoretically limitless in length, connectivity, and shape. [source]


Giant Coercive Field of Nanometer- Sized Iron Oxide,

ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 1 2004
J. Jin
Nanocrystals of iron oxide in a silica matrix exhibiting a giant Hc value of 2.0,T at room temperature are reported. The nanocomposite was obtained by combining reverse-micelle and sol,gel methods. The nanocrystals of iron oxide are composed of the ,-Fe2O3 phase, with rod-like particles 100,140,nm long and 20,40,nm wide. The Figure shows the hysteresis curve of the nanocrystals. [source]


Low-temperature phase transformation and phonon confinement in one-dimensional Ta2O5 nanorods

JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2010
Rupesh S. Devan
The thermochromic phase transformations of one-dimensional Ta2O5 nanorods have been analyzed at elevated temperatures ranging from 80 to 300,K. The nanorods, grown in a large-area high-density array, are 14,22,nm wide and approximately 500,nm long. The array contained ,93.5% of the orthorhombic (,) phase and ,6.5% of the tetragonal (,) phase. Low-temperature X-ray diffraction results showed complex and polymorphic thermochromic phase transformations of the ,(001), ,(101) and ,(103) lattice planes of the nanorods, which incorporate (i) ,-to-, (,,,), (ii) ,,,,, and (iii) ,,, phase transitions. In comparison with the Raman scattering of three-dimensional bulk powder and two-dimensional thin films of Ta2O5, there were concurrent Raman blue- and redshifts in the one-dimensional Ta2O5 nanorods, indicating that the molecular vibrations of the nanorods were confined owing to the reduction of size and dimension. [source]


The Concept of a Low-Temperature Synthesis for Superparamagnetic BaFe12O19 Particles

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 6 2010
Miha Drofenik
Superparamagnetic Ba-hexaferrite, BaFe12O19, nanoparticles were prepared by reacting tetrahydroxoferrates (III), [Fe(OH)4],(aq), and barium ions, Ba2+(aq), in an autoclave in the presence of a high concentration of hydroxide ions OH,. The synthesis temperature was between 80° and 140°C. The size and the morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The crystal structure of the nanoparticles was characterized by X-ray diffraction. The powders synthesized above 120°C exhibited a bimodal particle size distribution, while those synthesized below 120°C showed a monomodal particle size distribution. The field-cooled/zero-field-cooled magnetization measurements showed typical superparamagnetic behavior. The superparamagnetic nanoparticles synthesized below 100°C exhibited a disk-like shape, on average <10 nm wide and 3 nm thick, with a room-temperature magnetization of approximately 3 emu/g at 1 T. [source]


M -plane InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes fabricated by MOCVD regrowth on c -plane patterned templates

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 9 2008
Christopher A. Schaake
Abstract In this work we demonstrate a light emitting diode (LED) with m -plane quantum wells fabricated on a (000) template. N-polar, n-type GaN was grown by MOCVD on vicinal sapphire substrates. Stripes, measuring 500 nm wide, 500 nm tall and spaced 2 ,m apart, were etched parallel to the ,110, direction leading to sidewalls that are approximately {100}. Sputtered AlN was used as a regrowth mask on the c -plane surfaces. An active region consisting of 5 InGaN quantum wells and GaN barriers followed by p-type was grown. The regrowth occurred mostly on the exposed m -plane sidewalls, leading to lateral growth in the ,100, direction. The LED was processed using conventional methods. A thick metal contact was used to connect the p-regions together. Current vs. voltage measurements showed good rectifying behavior with a turn on of about 6 volts. On-wafer electroluminescence measurements revealed a peak wavelength of 422 nm. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


Morphology of Cultured Human Epidermal Melanocytes Observed by Atomic Force Microscopy

PIGMENT CELL & MELANOMA RESEARCH, Issue 1 2004
Ru-zhi Zhang
The objective of this study was to image the surface structure of cultured human epidermal melanocytes using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Epidermis obtained from human foreskins was treated with 0.5% dispase. Cell suspensions of the epidermis were prepared and seeded in six-well plates, in which sheets of mica had been placed. Samples for AFM were fixed on mica and scanning AFM images were captured by contacting and tapping modes operated under normal atmospheric pressure and temperature. Human epidermal melanocytes exhibited rounded, oval, triangular or quadrangular perikarya from which eight to 10 thick dendrites arose. These dendrites first bifurcated near the soma and then divided profusely into daughter branches, which spread out in all directions. We observed string-like long thin projections, growth cones and shorter thicker projections, which arose from the dendritic shafts, in which groups of melanosomes were arrayed. In addition to such structures, the most striking feature was the presence of filopodia arising from the melanocyte dendrite tips and the melanocyte cell body, many of which contained melanosomes. The termini of dendrites formed unbranched terminal protrusions (approximately 1500,2000 nm wide) consisting of two to three melanosomes wrapped in an arc, with their filopodia extending outwards. The tips of these structures also appeared to be squeezed and finally pinched off by the melanocyte to form a pouch filled with numerous melanosomes. We conclude that secondary and tertiary branches and subordinate branches might take part in transferring melanosomes into keratinocytes in addition to the transfer through the tips of the dendritic shafts. The melanin granules were expelled by exocytosis. [source]