[7,8] These discoveries have generated much interest in the mechanisms and manifestations of unconventional superconductivity in the family of doped quaternary layered oxypnictides LOMPn (L = La, Pr, Ce, Sm; M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni; Pn=P, As) [9,10], because many features of these materials clearly set them apart from other superconductors. First, ab-initio calculations indicate that superconductivity originates from the d-orbitals of what would normally be expected to be pairbreaking magnetic Fe ions, suggesting that new non-phonon pairing mechanisms are responsible for the high T c [11,12]. Second, F-doped LaFeAsO is a semimetal, which exhibits strong ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic fluctuations and a possible spin density wave instability around 150K in the parent undoped LaFeAsO [5,[13][14][15][16]. And third, superconductivity emerges on several disconnected pieces of the Fermi surface [11,12,17,18], thus exhibiting the multi-gap pairing, which has recently attracted so much attention in MgB 2 [19].Given the importance of magnetic correlations in the doped oxypnictides, transport measurements at very high magnetic fields are vital to probe the mechanisms of superconductivity. Indeed, first measurements of the upper critical field B c2 at low fields B < 7T have yielded a slope B c2 / (T c ) = dB c2 /dT º 2T/K near T c , for both La and Sm based oxypnictides [2][3][4][5][6]. From the conventional one-band Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg (WHH) theory [20] such slopes already imply rather high values B c2 (0) = 0.69T c B c2/ º 36T for LaFeAsO 0.89 F 0.1 , B c2 (0) º 59.3T for SmFeAsO 0.89 F 0.1 , and B c2 (0) º 72 T for PrFeAsO 0.89 F 0.1 , all well above B c2 of Nb 3 Sn. However, studies of the high-field superconductivity in MgB 2 alloys have shown that the upward curvature of B c2 (T) resulting from the multiband effects can significantly increase B c2 (0) as compared to the WHH one-band extrapolation (see, e.g., the review [21] and references therein). To address these important issues, we have performed high-field dc transport measurements on LaFeAsO 0.89 F 0.1 samples up to 45T. We show that B c2 (T) indeed exhibits two-gap behavior similar to that in MgB 2 , and B c2 (0) values exceed the WHH extrapolation by the factor ~ 2. Moreover, the observed B c2 (0) also exceeds the BCS paramagnetic limitPolycrystalline LaFeAsO 0.89 F 0.11 samples were made by solid state synthesis [4]. A sample ~ 3 x 1 x 0.5 mm was used for our four probe transport measurements in the 45T Hybrid magnet at the NHMFL, supplemented by low field measurements in a 9T superconducting magnet. Our low-field data agreed well with the earlier data taken at ORNL on the same sample [4], indicating its good temporal and atmospheric stability. The 45T Hybrid magnet was swept only from 11.5T to 45T due to the constant 11.5T background of the outsert magnet while lower fields were swept from 0T to 9T in a PPMS with resistivity measured in AC mode using a 5mA excitation current, whereas the high field resistance R(B) was measured by a Keithley nanovo...

We performed high-field magnetotransport and magnetization measurements on a single crystal of the 122-phase iron pnictide Ba(Fe 1-x Co x ) 2 As 2 . Unlike the high-temperature superconductor cuprates and 1111-phase oxypnictides, Ba(Fe 1-x Co x ) 2 As 2 showed practically no broadening of the resistive transitions under magnetic fields up to 45 T. We report the temperature dependencies of the upper critical field H c2 both parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis, the irreversibility field H irr c (T) and a rather unusual symmetric volume pinning force curve F p (H) suggestive of a strong pinning nanostructure. The anisotropy parameter γ = H c2 ab /H c2 c deduced from the slopes of dH c2 ab /dT = 4.9T/K and dH c2 c /dT = 2.5T/K decreases from ~2 near T c , to ~1.5 at lower temperatures, much smaller than g for 1111 pnictides and high-T c cuprates.

The development of biaxially textured, second-generation, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires is expected to enable most large-scale applications of HTS materials, in particular electric-power applications. For many potential applications, high critical currents in applied magnetic fields are required. It is well known that columnar defects generated by irradiating high-temperature superconducting materials with heavy ions significantly enhance the in-field critical current density. Hence, for over a decade scientists world-wide have sought means to produce such columnar defects in HTS materials without the expense and complexity of ionizing radiation. Using a simple and practically scalable technique, we have succeeded in producing long, nearly continuous vortex pins along the c-axis in YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO), in the form of self-assembled stacks of BaZrO3 (BZO) nanodots and nanorods. The nanodots and nanorods have a diameter of ∼2–3 nm and an areal density (‘matching field’) of 8–10 T for 2 vol.% incorporation of BaZrO3. In addition, four misfit dislocations around each nanodot or nanorod are aligned and act as extended columnar defects. YBCO films with such defects exhibit significantly enhanced pinning with less sensitivity to magnetic fields H. In particular, at intermediate field values, the current density, Jc, varies as Jc∼H−α, with α∼0.3 rather than the usual values 0.5–0.65. Similar results were also obtained for CaZrO3 (CZO) and YSZ incorporation in the form of nanodots and nanorods within YBCO, indicating the broad applicability of the developed process. The process could also be used to incorporate self-assembled nanodots and nanorods within matrices of other materials for different applications, such as magnetic materials.

We demonstrated short segments of a superconducting wire that meets or exceeds performance requirements for many large-scale applications of high-temperature superconducting materials, especially those requiring a high supercurrent and/or a high engineering critical current density in applied magnetic fields. The performance requirements for these varied applications were met in 3-micrometer-thick YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) films epitaxially grown via pulsed laser ablation on rolling assisted biaxially textured substrates. Enhancements of the critical current in self-field as well as excellent retention of this current in high applied magnetic fields were achieved in the thick films via incorporation of a periodic array of extended columnar defects, composed of self-aligned nanodots of nonsuperconducting material extending through the entire thickness of the film. These columnar defects are highly effective in pinning the superconducting vortices or flux lines, thereby resulting in the substantially enhanced performance of this wire.

The incidence of distal forearm fractures peaks during the adolescent growth spurt, but the structural basis for this is unclear. Thus, we studied healthy 6-to 21-yr-old girls (n = 66) and boys (n = 61) using high-resolution pQCT (voxel size, 82 mm) at the distal radius. Subjects were classified into five groups by bone-age: group I (prepuberty, 6-8 yr), group II (early puberty, 9-11 yr), group III (midpuberty, 12-14 yr), group IV (late puberty, 15-17 yr), and group V (postpuberty, 18-21 yr). Compared with group I, trabecular parameters (bone volume fraction, trabecular number, and thickness) did not change in girls but increased in boys from late puberty onward. Cortical thickness and density decreased from pre-to midpuberty in girls but were unchanged in boys, before rising to higher levels at the end of puberty in both sexes. Total bone strength, assessed using microfinite element models, increased linearly across bone age groups in both sexes, with boys showing greater bone strength than girls after midpuberty. The proportion of load borne by cortical bone, and the ratio of cortical to trabecular bone volume, decreased transiently during mid-to late puberty in both sexes, with apparent cortical porosity peaking during this time. This mirrors the incidence of distal forearm fractures in prior studies. We conclude that regional deficits in cortical bone may underlie the adolescent peak in forearm fractures. Whether these deficits are more severe in children who sustain forearm fractures or persist into later life warrants further study.

Bone is able to react to changing mechanical demands by adapting its internal microstructure through bone forming and resorbing cells. This process is called bone modeling and remodeling. It is evident that changes in mechanical demands at the organ level must be interpreted at the tissue level where bone (re)modeling takes place. Although assumed for a long time, the relationship between the locations of bone formation and resorption and the local mechanical environment is still under debate. The lack of suitable imaging modalities for measuring bone formation and resorption in vivo has made it difficult to assess the mechanoregulation of bone three-dimensionally by experiment. Using in vivo micro-computed tomography and high resolution finite element analysis in living mice, we show that bone formation most likely occurs at sites of high local mechanical strain (p<0.0001) and resorption at sites of low local mechanical strain (p<0.0001). Furthermore, the probability of bone resorption decreases exponentially with increasing mechanical stimulus (R2 = 0.99) whereas the probability of bone formation follows an exponential growth function to a maximum value (R2 = 0.99). Moreover, resorption is more strictly controlled than formation in loaded animals, and ovariectomy increases the amount of non-targeted resorption. Our experimental assessment of mechanoregulation at the tissue level does not show any evidence of a lazy zone and suggests that around 80% of all (re)modeling can be linked to the mechanical micro-environment. These findings disclose how mechanical stimuli at the tissue level contribute to the regulation of bone adaptation at the organ level.

A method to obtain long lengths of flexible, biaxially oriented substrates with smooth, chemically compatible surfaces for epitaxial growth of high-temperature superconductors is reported. The technique uses well established, industrially scalable, thermomechanical processes to impart a strong biaxial texture to a base metal. This is followed by vapor deposition of epitaxial buffer layers (metal and/or ceramic) to yield chemically compatible surfaces. Epitaxial YBa2Cu3Ox films grown on such substrates have critical current densities exceeding 105 A/cm2 at 77 K in zero field and have field dependencies similar to epitaxial films on single crystal ceramic substrates. Deposited conductors made using this technique offer a potential route for the fabrication of long lengths of high-Jc wire capable of carrying high currents in high magnetic fields and at elevated temperatures.

In-plane-aligned, c axis-oriented YBa, Cu, O, (YBCO) films with superconducting critical current densities J, as high as 700,000 amperes per square centimeter at 77 kelvin have been grown on thermomechanically rolled-textured nickel (001) tapes by pulsedlaser deposition. Epitaxial growth of oxide buffer layers directly on biaxially textured nickel, formed by recrystallization of cold-rolled pure nickel, made possible the growth of YBCO films 1.5 micrometers thick with superconducting properties that are comparable to those observed for epitaxial films on single-crystal oxide substrates. This result represents a viable approach for the production of long superconducting tapes for high-current, high-field applications at 77 kelvin.Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity (HTS) in cuprate materials, substantial efforts have focused on developing a high-current superconducting wire technology for applications at 77 K (1, 2). Early in these efforts it was observed that randomly oriented polycrystalline HTS materials have critical current densities, J,, (500 A/cm2. In contrast, oriented YBCO thin films grown epitaxially on single-crystal oxide substrates, such as SrTiO, (OOl), exhibit J, values >1 MA/cm2 at 77 K (3). This huge difference between randomly oriented HTS ceramics and single crystal-like epitaxial films is directly related to the misorientation angles at the grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials. Values for J, across a grain boundary decrease significantly as the misorientation angle increases, with weak-link behavior observed for misorientation angles at the grain boundaries greater than -10" (4-12). In order to achieve high J, values (-lo5 to lo6 A/cm2, 77 K), the crystallographic orientation of the HTS superconducting wire or tape must have a high degree of both in-plane and out-of-plane grain alignment over the conductor's entire length. Ideally, this would be achieved with YBCO, because the limits for dissipation-free current at 77 K in an applied magnetic field are most favorable for this material (1 3, 14).One approach to producing a high-J, HTS tape is to deposit a thick epitaxial film on a substrate material that has a high degree of in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic texture and can be produced in long lengths. Epitaxial HTS films on singlecrystal oxides satisfy the requirements for high J,, but it is not feasible to produce long lengths of these substrates. Recent efforts have focused on the use of ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) to achieve inplane alignment of oxide buffer layers on polycrystalline metal substrates for subsequent epitaxial growth of . Indeed, a modest degree of in-plane texture for c axis-oriented YBCO films made by IBAD results in a significant increase in J,, with values ranging from lo5 to lo6 A/cm2 at 77 K. However, IBAD techniques have limitations, including the relatively low de~osition rates associated with the IBAD buffer layers as well as difficulties in consistently producing in-plane crystallographic alignment of less than lo0, tha...