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Notes: We report on the preparation and characterization of the double-perovskite compound Sr2CrWO6 with a Curie temperature of 390 K. We have fabricated both Sr2CrWO6 bulk sintered polycrystalline bars and high-quality epitaxial thin films on SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed-laser deposition. The samples were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray diffraction, electrical transport, and magnetization measurements. Polycrystalline samples containing a large number of grain boundaries show a large low-field magnetoresistance of up to 100% at 5 K. At room temperature, this effect is reduced to a few percent. Our results show that Sr2CrWO6 is an interesting candidate for room-temperature magnetoelectronic materials. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The critical current Ic of YBa2Cu3O7−δ bicrystal grain boundary Josephson junctions (GBJs) have been measured in high magnetic fields up to B=12 T. Even at the highest applied magnetic fields, Ic varied periodically with varying magnetic field. By comparing the envelope of the measured Ic(B) dependencies to model calculations we obtain information on the spatial distribution of the supercurrent density jc on a length scale down to below 1 nm. Our analysis gives clear evidence that jc has spatial inhomogeneities on all length scales down to 1 nm with a probability distribution p(a) for the characteristic length scale a of the inhomogeneities. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Clinical studies have shown that estrogen deprivation through menopause is a risk factor in both the initiation and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and that estrogen replacement therapy may be protective. One of the major pathological features in the human AD brain is the senile plaque, a proteinaceous structure composed mainly of heterogeneous peptides collectively known as A-beta (Aβ). In vitro studies have linked estrogen with Aβ modulation, suggesting that one-way that estrogen depletion at menopause may exacerbate the features of AD is through Aβ accumulation. To test this, two studies were performed on transgenic models of amyloidosis. Firstly, transgenic mice without detectable amyloid aggregates were subjected to ovariectomy and estradiol supplementation, and Aβ levels were assessed. Secondly, the effects of estrogen modulation were assessed in mice at an age when plaques would be forming initially. Overall, Aβ levels were higher in estrogen-deprived mice than intact mice, and this effect could be reversed through the administration of estradiol. These data suggest that, in vivo, estrogen depletion leads to the accumulation of Aβ in the CNS, which can be reversed through replacement of estradiol. These results provide evidence that post-menopausal estrogen depletion may be linked to an increased risk of AD through Aβ modulation.

Notes: Analysis of mitochondrial (ND-1/3/4 genes) and nuclear (GH-1 gene, four microsatellite loci) DNA markers of European grayling Thymallus thymallus populations identified strong genetic differentiation between the Rhine/Main, Elbe and Danube drainages in Bavaria, as a result of both present processes and past history. The Danube and the Main-Elbe group diverged about five times earlier than the populations of Main and Elbe. These data suggest that exchange and transfer of grayling stocking material between these drainages should be avoided, to maintain the genetic diversity and integrity of populations.

Notes: Associated with non-steady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow in the liquid metallic core of the Earth, with typical relative speeds of a fraction of a millimetre per second, are fluctuations in dynamic pressure of about 103 N m−2. Acting on the non-spherical core-mantle boundary (CMB), these pressure fluctuations give rise to a fluctuating net topographic torque Lt(t) (i=1, 2, 3)—where t denotes time—on the overlying solid mantle. Geophysicists now accept the proposal by one of us (RH) that Li-(t) makes a significant and possibly dominant contribution to the total torque Li*(t) on the mantle produced directly or indirectly by core motions. Other contributions are the ‘gravitational’ torque associated with fluctuating density gradients in the core, the ‘electromagnetic’ torque associated with Lorentz forces in the weakly electrically conducting lower mantle, and the ‘viscous’ torque associated with shearing motions in the boundary layer just below the CMB. the axial component L3*(t) of Li* (t) contributes to the observed fluctuations in the length of the day [LOD, an inverse measure of the angular speed of rotation of the solid Earth (mantle, crust and cryosphere)], and the equatorial components (Li* (t)) L* (t) contribute to the observed polar motion, as determined from measurements of changes in the Earth's rotation axis relative to its figure axis.In earlier phases of a continuing programme of research based on a method for determining Li(t) from geophysical data (proposed independently about ten years ago by Hide and Le Mouël), it was shown that longitude-dependent irregular CMB topography no higher than about 0.5 km could give rise to values of L3(t) sufficient to account for the observed magnitude of LOD fluctuations on decadal time-scales. Here, we report an investigation of the equatorial components (L1(t), L2(t)) = L(t) of Li(t) taking into account just one topographic feature of the CMB—albeit possibly the most pronounced—namely the axisymmetric equatorial bulge, with an equatorial radius exceeding the polar radius by 9.5 ± 0.1 km (the mean radius of the core being 3485 2 km, 0.547 times that of the whole Earth). A measure of the local horizontal gradient of the fluctuating pressure field near the CMB can be obtained from the local Eulerian flow velocity in the ‘free stream’ below the CMB by supposing that nearly everywhere in the outer reaches of the core—the ‘polosphere’ (Hide 1995)—geostrophic balance obtains between the pressure gradient and Coriolis forces. the polospheric velocity fields used were those determined by Jackson (1989) from geomagnetic secular variations (GSV) data on the basis of the geostrophic approximation combined with the assumption that, on the time-scales of the GSV, the core behaves like a perfect electrical conductor and the mantle as a perfect insulator.In general agreement with independent calculations by Hulot, Le Huy & Le Mouël (1996) and Greff-Lefftz & Legros (1995), we found that in magnitude L (t) for epochs from 1840 to 1990 typically exceeds L3(t) by a factor of about 10, roughly equal to the ratio of the height of the equatorial bulge to that strongly implied for irregular topography by determinations of L3(t) (see Hide et al. 1993). But L (t) still apparently falls short in magnitude by a factor of up to about 5 in its ability t o account for the amplitude of the observed time-series of polar motion on decadal time-scales (DPM), and it is poorly correlated with that time-series. So we conclude that unless uncertainties in the determination of the DPM time-series from observations-which we also discuss-have been seriously underestimated, the action of normal pressure forces associated with core motions on the equatorial bulge of the core-mantle boundary makes a significant but not dominant contribution to the excitation of decadal polar motion. Other geophysical processes such as the movement of groundwater and changes in sea-level must also be involved.

Notes: The banding pattern of Alu I-digested prepro-gonadotropin releasing hormone gene is species-specific in Atlantic salmon and brown trout and can be applied for identification of their hybrids.

Notes: A novel method, heteroduplex analysis, was applied for detecting variation in an amplified growth hormone (GH) gene segment of common bream Abramis brama. Two-allele polymorphism was detected within a 262 bp restriction fragment. The frequency of the variant haplotype in the Main River was 0–50 and in the Danube River 0–32, but the difference was Statistically not significant.

Notes: RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA), RAMPO (random amplified microsatellite polymorphism), SCAR (sequence-characterized amplified regions), microsatellite markers and heteroduplex analysis were applied to differentiate bream (Abramis brama L.) populations from the rivers Main and Danube. Three molecular genetic markers were established; the frequencies of these markers and already established markers were estimated in three bream populations from the Danube River and two bream populations from the Main River. The results showed variation among populations from different river systems as well as variation among samples from the same river basin.

Notes: Abstract An automated method for the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis for the differentiation of mycobacteria to the species level is described. After polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a sequence of the gene encoding the 65-kDa surface antigen common to all mycobacteria the product was investigated by RFLP analysis. For accurate determination of fragment sizes the asymmetrically fluorescein-labelled PCR product was partially digested with restriction site enzymes BstEII and HaeIII. The fragments obtained were analysed electrophoretically using an automated laser fluorescence DNA sequencer. Determination of fragment sizes revealed a deviation of ±1 base pair (bp; 0.6%) when compared to expected sizes. The validity of this approach was confirmed by analysing mycobacterial DNA obtained from pure cultures of Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis and alcohol-fixed smears as well as paraffin-embedded sputa of patients with culture-proven tuberculosis. Additionally a diagnostic algorithm was established by investigation of cultured M. bovis, M. bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin, M. avium, M. intracellulare and M. fortuitum. The method allows the identification of restriction enzyme sites which are only 40 bp apart. Partial restriction enzyme digestion of asymmetrically fluorescence-labelled PCR products will presumably lead to the discovery of new restriction enzyme sites.