Effect of temperature on dislocation-tuned dielectricity and piezoelectricity in single-crystal BaTiO₃

The pinning-controlled mobility of ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain walls is an important part of managing polarization switching and determining the final properties of ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials. Here, we assess the impact of temperature on dislocation-induced domain wall pinning as well as on dislocation-tuned dielectric...

Intrinsic-Strain Engineering by Dislocation Imprint in Bulk Ferroelectrics

We report an intrinsic strain engineering, akin to thin filmlike approaches, via irreversible high-temperature plastic deformation of a tetragonal ferroelectric single-crystal BaTiO3. Dislocations well-aligned along the [001] axis and associated strain fields in plane defined by the [110]/[1¯10] plane are introduced into the volume, thus...

External human-machine interfaces on automated vehicles: Effects on pedestrian crossing decisions

Objective: In this article, we investigated the effects of external human-machine interfaces (eHMIs) on pedestrians’ crossing intentions. Background: Literature suggests that the safety (i.e., not crossing when unsafe) and efficiency (i.e., crossing when safe) of pedestrians’ interactions with automated vehicles could increase if automated...

Hindcast and validation of Hurricane Ike (2008) waves, forerunner, and storm surge

Hurricane Ike (2008) made landfall near Galveston, Texas, as a moderate intensity storm. Its large wind field in conjunction with the Louisiana-Texas coastline's broad shelf and large scale concave geometry generated waves and surge that impacted over 1000 km of coastline. Ike's complex and varied wave and surge response physics included: the...

HU Protein Induces Incoherent DNA Persistence Length

HU is a highly conserved protein that is believed to play an important role in the architecture and dynamic compaction of bacterial DNA. Its ability to control DNA bending is crucial for functions such as transcription and replication. The effects of HU on the DNA structure have been studied so far mainly by single molecule methods that require...

Force-free measurements of the conformations of DNA molecules tethered to a wall

Using an optimized combination of tethered particle motion method, total internal reflection, and a gold nanobead, we measured the three-dimensional distribution of the free end of a tethered DNA molecule. The distribution along the axial z direction (perpendicular to the surface) is found to be Rayleigh-like, in agreement with wormlike chain...

Tethered particle motion mediated by scattering from gold nanoparticles and darkfield microscopy

The persistence length of double stranded DNA determined using dark field tethered particle motion

The wormlike chain model describes the micromechanics of semiflexible polymers by introducing the persistence length. We propose a method of measuring the persistence length of DNA in a controllable near-native environment. Using a dark field microscope, the projected positions of a gold nanoparticle undergoing constrained Brownian motion are...

Nanoassays for biomolecular research

A new optical method for characterizing single molecule interactions based on dark field microscopy

Single-molecule techniques continue to gain in popularity in research disciplines such as the study of intermolecular interactions. These techniques provide information that otherwise would be lost by using bulk measurements that deal with a large number of molecules. We describe in this report the motion of tethered DNA molecules that have been...

Advances in the development of a novel method to be used in proteomics using gold nanobeads

The study of DNA-protein interactions is gaining increased attention due to their importance in cellular processes. Only a well-functioning interaction guaranties that such a process can take place without errors. So far, only a small percentage of these interactions have been unraveled, partially due to their complexity but also due to the fact...

Adaptation of nanoarrays for the study of ?-synuclein aggregation - preliminary results

In previous publications we have shown that we can perform enzymatic reactions in nanoarrays by means of a microarray-reader based on a conventional microscope. In this publication we report on a modification of this system in order to monitor the aggregation kinetics of the natively unfolded protein ?-synuclein. We describe the motivation for...

Gold nanoparticles: A novel application of spectral imaging in proteomics - preliminary results

The intense research in proteomics is demanding for fast, reliable and easy-to-use methods in order to study the proteome. In this proceeding we report the development of such a novel research tool based on spectral imaging and Resonance Light Scattering gold particles. This method will allow the study of DNA-protein interactions. We suggest a...

LEDs for fluorescence microscopy

Traditional light sources for fluorescence microscopy have been mercury lamps, xenon lamps, and lasers. These sources have been essential in the development of fluorescence microscopy but each can have serious disadvantages: lack of near monochromaticity, heat generation, cost, lifetime of the light source, and possible distortions due to...