Abstract With the progress in tissue engineering, the need for deep understanding of the interaction between individual cells and cellular systems with biocompatible polymer scaffolds has become obvious. This requires data on the adhesion and proliferation of cells on the scaffolds. Environmental scanning electron microscopy makes it possible to increase the pressure and humidity in a microscope chamber

Abstract― Dependencies of the complex permittivity of chromium-doped ferroelectric triglycine sulfate crystals (TGS + Cr) have been measured using dielectric spectroscopy method in a frequency range of 1–107 Hz and a temperature range of 23–60°C upon heating and cooling. The dielectric spectra are analyzed by considering the temperature‒frequency dependences of the real (ε') and imaginary (ε") parts

Abstract Transaminases (aminotransferases) are stereospecific enzymes catalyzing the reversible amino group transfer from various substrates. Transaminases are key enzymes in amino acid metabolism in all organisms, and they show promise for fine organic synthesis. Among a diversity of transaminases, as-yet poorly characterized pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent fold type IV transaminases have attracted

Abstract Free energy changes upon the binding of three triazole derivatives in the active site of imidazole glycerol phosphate dehydratase from Arabidopsis thaliana and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were calculated by computer simulation. These data were correlated with the previously evaluated inhibition constants for the binding of these inhibitors with the enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana. The free

Abstract The possibilities of manifestation of optical activity in different media (photonic crystals, metamaterials, and liquid crystals) are considered. Some interesting examples of optically active crystals are demonstrated; particular attention is paid to the relationship between the optical activity and crystal structure. Examples of manifestation of optical activity in the X-ray spectral region

Abstract The surface and surface layer of X-cut plates of congruent lithium niobate (produced by OAO Fomos Materials) have been investigated by structural and optical methods. It is shown that the plate surface is of high optical quality, comparable with that of foreign analogs. The existence of an oxygen-saturated (and, correspondingly, niobium-deficient) damaged surface layer with a depth of up to

Abstract Anionic nonstoichiometry in fluorides (replacement of F1– with O2–) deteriorates the quality of optical materials. Two reviews have been devoted to the initial stage of anionic nonstoichiometry: fluorides MF2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) are considered in this paper, and fluorides RF3 (R are 16 rare-earth elements) will be considered in the next one. These 19 fluorides play an important role in the fluoride

Abstract Crystals of new silicogermanate Ba2K2In2[(Si0.8Ge0.2)6O18] · 2H2O were prepared by the hydrothermal synthesis; sp. gr. P21/n, a = 6.5548(6) Å, b = 11.6946(10) Å, c = 13.0203(11) Å, β = 102.774(1)°. This compound is structurally similar to the natural zirconosilicate kostylevite K4Zr2[Si6O18] · 2H2O (sp. gr. P21/c), in which Zr atoms are replaced by In atoms, K atoms are partially replaced

Abstract The reactions of interaction of N,N'-di(4-chlorophenyl)diimide 1,1'-binaphtyl-4,4',5,5',8,8'-hexa-carboxylic acid (cubogen red) with thiourea dioxide in a water-alkaline solution and a Langmuir–Blodgett thin film, obtained on quartz and silicon substrates, have been investigated. Electron absorption spectroscopy have revealed that the reaction of reductive cyclization of cubogen with formation

Abstract A new polymorph of 3,4-dihydro-2-methoxy-2-methyl-4-phenyl-2H,5H-pyrano[3,2-c]chromen-2-one (pyranocoumarin) was studied by X-ray diffraction. The crystallographic parameters of the structure of C20H18O4 are M = 322.34, sp. gr. C2/c, a = 23.542(1) Å, b = 8.4938(3) Å, c = 19.7804(8) Å, β = 125.977(3)°, Z = 8.

Abstract Polycrystals of the BiFe2(PO4)3 compound and Bi1 – xSbхCr2(PO4)3 solid solution, which form a family isostructural to α-CaMg2(SO4)3 (sp. gr. P63/m), have been synthesized from an aqueous solution by the salt co-precipitation method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, and thermogravimetry, microprobe analysis. The BiFe2(PO4)3

Abstract The mappings of linear substructures of four-dimensional 240-vertex diamond-like polyhedron (polytope {240}) into the three-dimensional Euclidean space have been considered. The versions of these substructures are revealed, which determine ideal prototypes of linear tetrahedrally coordinated structures, the graphs of which do not contain pendant vertices or cycles. The versions obtained reveal

Abstract Oxymolybdates La2MoO6, both pure and doped with magnesium, have been obtained by the flux crystallization method and solid-phase synthesis as single crystals and polycrystals, respectively. The compounds are described by X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry; their conducting properties have been investigated. A model of the structure of magnesium-doped

Abstract A theoretical formalism for quantitative description of X-ray diffraction from Langmuir monolayers under conditions of total external reflection has been developed. The proposed approach, based on the distorted-wave approximation, allows to consider physical mechanisms for plotting diffraction curves and maps (in the reciprocal space) for real monolayers and describe self-consistently specific

Abstract An ancient terracotta sculpture (bearded male head), found in underwater excavations in the Kerch Bay (performed by experts of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences before the construction of Crimean bridge pillars), has been studied at the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” using neutron and X-ray tomography. Based on the analysis of revealed technological

Abstract Cryo-electron tomography is a powerful tool for determining the three-dimensional structures of macromolecular complexes in their natural environment. The minimization of external impacts on the investigated objects, possibility of conducting in vitro and in cellulo experiments under close-to-native conditions, and high spatial resolution of the obtained three-dimensional reconstructions make

Abstract The regulation of nucleotide-regulated inorganic pyrophosphatases at a molecular level has been extensively studied in order to establish the mechanism of signal transduction between the active and regulatory sites of these enzymes. However, this issue cannot be ultimately addressed because of the lack of reliable structural data on the full-length protein and its interactions with ligands

Abstract The influence of a low axial temperature gradient on the growth of the Ge:Ga crystal by the vertical Bridgman technique was investigated. The axial temperature gradient of 3.3 K/cm is shown to provide conditions for polycrystalline growth of Ge:Ga crystals. The layers with the distances from 14 to 277 μm are found in the grown crystals with a concave of the solid-liquid interface. The motion

Abstract Molybdenum oxide is one of the most important inorganic material, which exhibits several phases, such as MoO3, MoO2, Mo4O11, Mo5O14, etc. Among them, molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) can crystallize in various phases, such as orthorhombic, monoclinic etc., which makes it useful for possible applications in chemical, electrical and electrochemical industries. In this work, MoO3 films were obtained

Abstract The structural features of the phases formed during crystallization of mixed copper and nickel complexes with nitrilotris(methylenephosphonic acid) [CuxNi(1 – x){N(CH2PO3)3}]Na4 · nH2O (x = 0–1) and the character of the M ← O(P) coordination bond have been investigated. The copper-dominant phase [(Cu,Ni){N(CH2PO3)3}]Na4 · 13H2O (sp. gr. P\(\bar {1}\), Z = 2, a = 10.0096(2)–10.0118(2) Å, b

AbstractAn experimental setup for carrying out measurements using the X-ray phase-contrast technique on a polychromatic laboratory source is proposed. A standard Mo-anode X-ray tube at an accelerating voltage of 45 kV is used in the experiments. A slit aperture is used to form a conical beam. The phase-contrast effect is demonstrated on a series of objects. The proposed technique of phase-contrast

AbstractThe relationship between the polymorphism, isomorphism, and morphotropy has been traced for the homologous series of 16 trifluorides of rare-earth elements (REEs) (without ScF3) and R1 – xR\(_{x}^{'}\)F3 phases (R is an REE) based on the T–x diagrams of RF3–R'F3 systems. The polymorphism is determined by the REE atomic numbers Z and Т values, which change the cation/anion radius ratio r+/r–

AbstractA geometrical and topological analysis has been performed, and self-assembly of the crystal structures of intermetallic compounds formed in the Na–M (M = K, Cs, Ba, Ag, Pt, Au, Zn, Bi, Sb) systems has been simulated using computer methods (the ToposPro software). The NakMn precursor metal clusters of the crystal structures are determined based on the algorithms of structural-graph decomposition

AbstractAn intermediate member of the eudialyte–sergevanite solid-solution series has been investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, electron probe microanalysis, and IR spectroscopy. The trigonal unit-cell parameters of the mineral are found to be a = 14.1944(4) Å, c = 30.294(1) Å, and V = 5286.0(3) Å3; sp. gr. R3. The crystal structure is refined to the final reliability factor R = 4.48% in the

AbstractThe solubility of CaF2 in different chloride and chloride‒fluoride melts has been studied in order to choose appropriate fluxes for crystallization of epitaxial fluorite layers. It is shown that the advantages of the 0.6NaCl–0.4NaF composition over the well-known CaCl2–CaF2 flux are the high thermal stability, lower (by half) temperature gradient of solubility, and possibility for reducing

AbstractPotentially mesomorphic 4-[4-octyloxy-2-hydroxybenzylidene)]cyanoaniline C8H17OC6H3(OH)–CH=N–C6H4CN (I) has been studied by X-ray diffraction analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The crystal packing of this compound does not exhibit any featurestypical of mesomorphic crystals. This fact is in agreement with the calorimetry data on the absence of mesomorphic properties for compound

AbstractA new dioxomolybdenum(VI) compound [MoO2(L) · C5H5N], where L2– is 2-[N-(2-hydroxynaphthalidene)amino]propane-1,2,3-triol, was synthesized and its structure was determined by IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Mo atom is in an octahedral coordination environment formed by two oxo ligands in cis positions to each other, two O atoms and the N(2) atom of the tridentate bis(chelate) ligand

AbstractOptical microscopy and X-ray phase analysis were used to study single-crystalline samples of FeBO3, GaBO3, and Fe0.27Ga0.73BO3, annealed at high temperatures. It was established that the nature of high-temperature structural transformations is significantly different for the “pure” phases (FeBO3, GaBO3) and for the mixed composition Fe0.27Ga0.73BO3.

AbstractThe influence of ultrasound on the adhesion of the Ni–SmS–Ni system in thin-film thermoelectric SmS-based generators has been studied. It is found that the adhesion between the SmS film and conducting Ni contact pad deteriorates under ultrasound action, which leads to deterioration of the electrical parameters of generation. It is shown that the use of Cr as a sublayer between SmS and Ni improves

AbstractDependences of the resistivity of metal-containing nanocomposite films with molybdenum, hafnium, chromium, vanadium, tungsten and tantalum nanoparticles on the content of the introduced metals have been studied. An increase in the conductivity of diamond-like films (DLFs) with an increase in the metal content is found. Depending on the introduced metal, the concentration dependences of the

AbstractX-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of composite samples based on ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), with a quasicrystalline filler Al–Cu–Fe, has been carried out. Samples with different filler concentrations were subjected to friction. A change in the degree of crystallinity of the polymer matrix is determined on the basis of the XRD data. Comparison

AbstractThe spatial organization of the genome is controlled by a special class of architectural proteins, in particular proteins containing ZAD domains that are able to form homo- and heterodimers. These domains are unique for arthropods and are present at the N-terminus of many proteins containing C2H2-type zinc fingers. Despite a growing interest in the characterization of architectural proteins

AbstractDielectric relaxation of Debye type has been found for thin vinylidene fluoride‒trifluoroethylene copolymer films of different composition, fabricated by the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. The influence of γ radiation on the dielectric response of LB films is studied. It is established that the relaxation time increases after the γ irradiation, the phase transition is observed at a lower

AbstractA crystallographic analysis of hexagonal poudretteite (KNa2B3Si12O30, symmetry P6/mcc) and cubic pollucite (CsAlSi2O6, Ia\(\bar {3}\)d) has revealed characteristic features of two versions of energetically stable atomic configurations, which are abundant among natural and synthesized inorganic compounds. These are structures with a minimum number of parameters (not fixed by the symmetry of

AbstractThe defect structure of as grown Sr0.72Pr0.28F2.28, Sr0.87Tb0.13F2.13, Sr0.88Dy0.12F2.12, Sr0.89Ho0.11F2.11, and Sr0.9R0.1F2.1 single crystals (R = Y, Er, Tm, Yb) prepared under identical conditions has been studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. All crystals belong to the CaF2 structure type (sp. gr. \(Fm\bar {3}m\)) and have vacancies in the main anion motif and interstitial fluorine anions

AbstractThe dynamics of deformation bands in Al–Mg alloy has been investigated synchronously in situ by two methods: acoustic emission (AE) and high-speed (20 000 fps) video recording of a sample surface deformed at a specified stress rate \({{\dot {\sigma }}_{0}}\). It is established that a band nucleates at a random site on the lateral surface of planar sample and grows in the form of a needle-shaped

AbstractThe apo form of the double mutant of Wolinella succinogenes L-asparaginase (WAS) with V23Q and K24T substitutions in the flexible N-terminal loop (WASm), which exhibits an order of magnitude lower glutaminase activity compared to the wild-type enzyme, was crystallized in two modifications (sp. grs. P22121 and P21). The three-dimensional structure in two modifications was determined at 1.5 and

AbstractThe spectral intensity of Raman scattering in quartz crystals has been calculated in a wide temperature range including the point of the α–β phase transition. It is established that a central peak is present in the scattered radiation spectrum at different temperatures with allowance for the interaction between the fundamental soft mode and an additional low-frequency oscillator. The intensity

AbstractThe turbulent hydrodynamics in a conventional operating crystallizer for growing kalium dihydrophosphate crystals is analyzed by physical modeling methods. The potentialities of an axisymmetric crystallizer, which has similar tools for stirring solution but is able to ensure controlled laminar hydrodynamic flows are considered. A combined mathematical model is formulated, which takes into account

AbstractA concentration series of (Pb0.67Cd0.33)1 – xMnxF2 + х (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.7) solid solution crystals and Cd0.93Mn0.07F2 crystal have been grown from melt by the vertical directional melt crystallization (Bridgman) method in a fluorinating atmosphere. Single-phase crystals with the fluorite structure are obtained by doping Pb0.67Cd0.33F2 with manganese fluoride up to 5 mol %. At higher MnF2 contents

AbstractCrystals of a new germanosilicate Cs2In2[(Ge0.4Si0.6)2(Ge0.3Si0.7)2(Ge0.2Si0.8)2O15](OH)2 · H2O were prepared by the hydrothermal synthesis; sp. gr. Pnma, a = 13.3159(3) Å, b = 9.2615(2) Å, c = 14.9222(4) Å. The structure was found to contain a new layered tetrahedral radical. The cores composed of InO6 octahedra are decorated on both sides by (Si,Ge)O4 tetrahedra, which is typical of many

AbstractA method for computing the Laue diffraction of an X-ray spherical wave in a single crystal with an inclined step on the exit surface has been developed. The method is based on the use of two approaches to solving the problem: Fourier transformation of the wave function angular dependence in the case of a plane wave incident on a plate-shaped crystal and a numerical solution of the Takagi equations

AbstractThe structure of metastable Fe3B boride and its change during phase transformations of alloys of the Fe–B system from amorphous to equilibrium crystalline state have been investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that metastable boride undergoes the Fe3B (\(I\bar {4}\)) → Fe3B (\(P{{4}_{2}}{\text{/}}n\)) → Fe3B (P) structural transformations

AbstractNanocomposites prepared by mechanical mixing with grinding and mechanical activation of a mixture of Hombifine N with nanosized anatase (NA) and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) polymer (PVCL25 and PVCL40 polymers were obtained by drying a PVC aqueous solution at 25 and 40°C, respectively) in different weight ratios have been studied by wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and (for the first time)

AbstractThe analytical solution of the problem of the Laue diffraction of an X-ray spherical wave in a single crystal with an inclined step on the exit surface has been obtained. The general equations are used for the specific case of plane wave diffraction in a thick crystal under the Borrmann conditions. It is shown that, provided that the crystal thickness increases from the side of the reflected

AbstractThree fragments of the Chelyabinsk meteorite have been investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy in a temperature range of 300–830 K. They are found to contain iron in the composition of various minerals in different physicochemical and crystallographic states. Anomalous behavior of the temperature dependences of hyperfine magnetic fields on iron nuclei in all fragments is demonstrated. The results

Abstract—The concentration dependences of the magnetic phase transition temperature TN, determined based on the changes in Mössbauer spectra, were investigated for a BiFeO3 solid solution with ordered perovskite PbFe0.5Sb0.5O3 and for a disordered BiFe1 – xCrxO3 solid solution. It is established that the magnetic-order type in BiFe1 – xCrxO3 changes from antiferromagnetic to spin-glass at a higher

Abstract—The influence of proton irradiation on the structure of Nb3Sn superconducting materials has been investigated. The irradiation to different proton doses was performed on a cyclotron at the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” (NRC KI). The Nb3Sn samples were placed successively pairwise on the beam axis to obtain different degrees of radiation-induced damage at a specified dose.

AbstractAn approach to the analysis of intracellular motion with nanosecond temporal resolution, based on the Mössbauer study of particles incorporated into a cell, has been developed. A possibility of applying magnetic nanoparticles as probes for studying in vitro the cytoplasm properties is analyzed. Two types of aqueous colloids of nanoparticles enriched with the 57Fe isotope are synthesized, and

AbstractMössbauer spectroscopy is one of the main methods that are successfully applied to study the properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), because the small MNP size often of key importance for implementing various forms of absorption spectra of these materials. The results of experimental and theoretical Mössbauer spectroscopy studies of MNPs performed in the last 50 years are briefly discussed

AbstractThe line broadening in the Mössbauer spectra of nanoparticles in model colloids with known viscosity has been studied. Magnetite nanoparticles with average hydrodynamic sizes of 140 and 40 nm and a set of stable aqueous colloids based on them have been synthesized. The nanoparticles have been enriched in the 57Fe isotope to compensate for the significant decrease in the Mössbauer effect probability

AbstractA mixture of iron carbides and fullerene C60 formed by electric arc synthesis has been hydroxylated by adding OH groups to the fullerene surface, which made it possible, according to the EXAFS data, to obtain almost pure fullerenol Fe@C60(OH)30. Powder samples of the fullerenol and the product obtained after its dehydroxylation have been examined using Mössbauer spectroscopy. The Mössbauer

AbstractComputer minimization of generating subsets (subsets of generators) of cubic Fedorov groups listed in the International Tables for Crystallography has been performed. The structure and fuzziness of the obtained minimal subsets are discussed. It is established that the allowable number of elements for almost half the minimized subsets is not the least one, which suggests that the generating

AbstractA new niobium-rich lomonosovite variety with a high degree of ordering of Ti and Nb atoms has been investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and electron probe microanalysis. Its simplified formula is Na10Ti2(Nb,Fe,Ti)2(Si2O7)2(PO4)2O4. The triclinic unit-cell parameters are a = 5.411(1) Å, b = 7.108(1) Å, c = 14.477(2) Å, α = 99.78(1)°, β = 96.59(1)°, γ = 90.26(1)°, V = 544.94(5) Å3, Z =

AbstractThe structure and thermal properties of azobenzene derivatives R1–C6H4–N=N–C6H4–R2, where R1/R2 = CH3COO/C2H5O (I), CH2=C(CH3)COO/C2H5 (II), or C6H13COO/C2H5O (III), were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. Compounds I and III form a mesophase (nematic) upon melting, whereas compound II does not produce a mesophase. Compound III is characterized by two high-temperature

AbstractIn this study, the molecular structure, prototropic behavior and supramolecular architecture of a new Schiff base have been studied in depth using spectroscopic (UV-vis), crystallographic (XRD) and computational (HOMA and DFT) methods. Regarding the molecular structure and prototropy, the XRD, DFT and HOMA results show that the compound exists in phenol-imine form. The HOMA indices for the

Abstract—Si-containing calcium phosphates have been synthesized. The synthesized solid phases have been investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, IR spectroscopy, and optical microscopy. SThe specific surface areas of the samples are determined by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. It is shown that an increase in the concentration of silicate ions in the starting reaction solution decreases

AbstractThe temperature conditions of nucleation of ZnO films on surface-oxidized silicon substrates during magnetron sputtering of a cermet ZnO–Zn target in an Ar atmosphere and chemical vapor deposition in a hydrogen flow upon Zn and H2O vapor interaction have been investigated. It is shown that the rate of zinc desorption from a growing surface increases significantly and the film growth is suppressed

AbstractThe structural characteristics of {InGaAs/InAlAs} superlattices, grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) at a temperature of 200°C on InP substrates with the crystallographic orientations (100) and (111)A, have been investigated. The superlattices consist of 100 periods of alternating In0.53Ga0.47As and In0.52Al0.48As layers with nominal thicknesses of 12 and 8 nm, respectively. The structural

AbstractHydride phases have been synthesized based on ZrMoV and ZrMo1.5V0.5 pseudobinary intermetallic compounds with a cubic structure of С15 Laves phases (sp. gr. Fd\(\bar {3}\)m (no. 227), Z = 8). The ZrMoVН3.3 and ZrMo1.5V0.5Н3.5 hydride phases are formed during hydrogen absorption. The structures of synthesized hydrides have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and neutron diffraction