Simultaneous Substitution Research Articles

Effect of rare-earth (RE) ionic radius on the dielectric properties of Sr99%RE1%TiO3 (RE = La, Nd, Yb) single crystals

Sr99%RE1%TiO3 crystals were prepared by Verneuil method and their dielectric properties were studied. The simultaneous substitution of Sr2+ and Ti4+ may be able to obtain superior dielectric properties compared to the substitution of Sr2+ only.

Effect of Gd3+/Ti4+ heterovalent substitution on the crystal structure, morphology, optical properties, and phase transition behavior of bismuth layer-structured SrBi2Nb2O9

The double-layer Aurivillius compounds Sr1-xGdxBi2Nb2-xTixO9 (x ​= ​0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1), which have the potential to be developed as a ferroelectric material, have been synthesized using the molten salt method. This study aims to investigate the effect of the simultaneous substitution of Gd3+ and Ti4+ ions in SrBi2Nb2O9 on the phase formation, crystal structure, morphology, and ferroelectric properties. The single-phase product with A21am orthorhombic structure was obtained for all samples by X-ray diffraction analysis. The unit cell becomes more orthorhombic with increasing x as the degree of tetragonality increases. SEM micrographs demonstrate the plate-like grain morphology with an anisotropic growth direction, and the grain is smaller in size with increasing x. FTIR spectra indicate that cation substitution was successful, especially Ti4+ ions at the B-site. With increasing x, the ferroelectric transition temperature (Tc) increases, which has been explained in terms of a reduction in the tetragonality. The open hysteresis loops provide evidence of ferroelectric properties which is consistent with the trend of room-temperature dielectric constant. The optical bandgap value is proportional to the trend of the dielectric characteristics of the samples.

Optical, Structural, Morphological, Antibacterial, and Photodegradation Characteristics of BaxMg0.8−xFe2O4(x = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) Nanocrystalline Powders Synthesized by Combustion Method

Herein, a series of barium‐doped magnesium ferrites [BaxMg0.8−xFe2O4(x = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6)] with metal nitrates and egg white solution are prepared to show how simultaneous substitution of divalent cations affects the structural, morphological, antibacterial, and photocatalytic capabilities of ferrites. A cubic spinel and hexagonal structures are discovered through a wide particle size dispersion in the sample. The infrared (IR) spectra of the octahedral and tetrahedral sites exhibit two prominent absorption bands about 576 and 450 cm−1. With increasing Ba2+doping, the optical band gaps decreased from 6 to 5.6 eV. The elemental analysis of Ba, Mg, Fe, and O is confirmed using energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) studies reveal the formation of spherical nanoparticles along with some hexagonal structures. For antibacterial studies, BaxMg0.8−xFe2O4nanoparticles are tested against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. The photodegradation test of the produced nanoparticles for the degradation of Congo red and methylene blue dyes is examined under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation.

Optimizing Insertion and Deletion Detection Using Next-Generation Sequencing in the Clinical Laboratory

Detection of insertions and deletions (InDels) by short-read next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology can be challenging because of frequent misaligned reads. A systematic analysis of short InDels (1 to 30 bases) and fms-related receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) internal tandem duplications (ITDs; 6 to 183 bases) from 46 clinical cases of solid or hematologic malignancy processed with a clinical NGS assay identified misaligned reads in every case, ranging from 3% to 100% of reads with the InDel showing mismapped bases. Mismaps also increased with InDel size. As a consequence, the clinical NGS bioinformatics pipeline undercalled the variant allele frequency by 1% to 84%, incorrectly called simultaneous single-base substitutions along with InDels, or did not report an FLT3 ITD that had been detected by capillary electrophoresis. To improve the ability of the pipeline to better detect and quantify InDels, we utilized a software program called Assembly-Based ReAligner (ABRA2) to more accurately remap reads. ABRA2 was able to correct 41% to 100% of the reads with mismapped bases and led to absolute increases in the variant allele frequency from 1% to 61% along with correction of all of the single-base substitutions except for two cases. ABRA2 could also detect multiple FLT3 ITD clones except for one 183-base ITD. Our analysis has found that ABRA2 performs well on short InDels as well as FLT3 ITDs that are <100 bases.

Structure and function of H+/K+ pump mutants reveal Na+/K+ pump mechanisms

Ion-transport mechanisms evolve by changing ion-selectivity, such as switching from Na+ to H+ selectivity in secondary-active transporters or P-type-ATPases. Here we study primary-active transport via P-type ATPases using functional and structural analyses to demonstrate that four simultaneous residue substitutions transform the non-gastric H+/K+ pump, a strict H+-dependent electroneutral P-type ATPase, into a bona fide Na+-dependent electrogenic Na+/K+ pump. Conversion of a H+-dependent primary-active transporter into a Na+-dependent one provides a prototype for similar studies of ion-transport proteins. Moreover, we solve the structures of the wild-type non-gastric H+/K+ pump, a suitable drug target to treat cystic fibrosis, and of its Na+/K+ pump-mimicking mutant in two major conformations, providing insight on how Na+ binding drives a concerted mechanism leading to Na+/K+ pump phosphorylation.

STRESS AND FORMATION OF 3RD STRUCTURAL CLASS HOMONYMS-VERBATIVES IN SOUTHWESTERN PATOIS OF UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE

Introduction. The paper focuses on the correlation of stress and the formation of homonymous relationsin heterogenous process of the III structural class of verbatives in southwestern patois of the Ukrainianlanguage. It aims at determining the nature of heterogenous homonymy and revealing its correlation withshifting of stress. Lexical level is constantly enriched due to such processes as hyponymy, partitivity,equanymy, synonymy, antonymy and conversion. Though of low productivity, homonymy, based onsemantic, phonetic and word-building factors, is the object of the given investigation. Methods. The analysisis performed on the basis of contrasting lexico-semantic and etymological processes of such derivatives,which comprise the layer of southwestern patois in Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literary language andmodern Ukrainian. Results. It has been determined that the archisemes of each of them are characteristic ofa certain lexico-semantic processes productivity level, which caused their polysemy. It has been groundedthat heterogenous verbatives-homonyms appearing is considered to be low-productivity lingual phenomena.Conclusion. Rootedness into pre-Slavonic languages, as well as borrowings from other languages, proximityof sounds and etymological differences are those extralinguistic and linguistic factors, which cause somemisunderstanding among those who use dialectal words and expressions in their everyday speech, whocompile the corresponding lexicographic dictionaries, paying attention to the changes in their semantics,phonetics, for instance stress varieties, and their simultaneous substitutions. The final stage of standardizinghomonymic relations among corresponding sememes of the verbatives under analysis came throughwithstandability of their accentuation shifting from root to suffix.

Structural, magnetic, magnetostrictive and optical properties of Mn and Cu codoped cobalt ferrite

Magnetostrictive materials have been a sought-after multifunctional material due to their propensity to be used in applications such as sensors, actuators, transducers, and other magnetoelectric devices. Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) is one such commonly used magnetostrictive material due to its high magnetostriction and low cost. This work deals with the synthesis of CoFe2O4 (CFO) by substitution of Cu2+ at the tetrahedral site, Mn3+ at the octahedral site, and simultaneous substitution of Cu2+ and Mn3+ at both sites followed by its subsequent characterization. Hydrothermal method was adopted to synthesize the aforementioned samples. The effect of doping was then studied by analyzing their structural, magnetic, morphology, magnetostrictive, and Mössbauer properties. The obtained results reveal that doping of the transition metal ions is crucial in determining the magnetostrictive characteristics of CoFe2O4. Sequential addition of Cu2+, Mn3+ and their simultaneous addition leads to an enhancement in the piezomagnetic coefficient (dλ/dH)max of the CFO system and considerably reduces the magnetic field corresponding to the peak piezomagnetic coefficient.

Simultaneous Substitution of Fe and Sr in Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate: Synthesis, Structural, Magnetic, Degradation, and Cell Adhesion Properties.

β-tricalcium phosphate is a promising bone graft substitute material with biocompatibility and high osteoinductivity. However, research on the ideal degradation and absorption for better clinical application remains a challenge. Now, we focus on modifying physicochemical properties and improving biological properties through essential ion co-substitution (Fe and Sr) in β-TCPs. Fe- and Sr-substituted and Fe/Sr co-substituted β-TCP were synthesized by aqueous co-precipitation with substitution levels ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 mol%. The β-TCP phase was detected by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Changes in Ca–O and P–O bond lengths of the co-substituted samples were observed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results of VSM represent the M-H graph having a combination of diamagnetic and ferromagnetic properties. A TRIS–HCl solution immersion test showed that the degradation and resorption functions act synergistically on the surface of the co-substituted sample. Cell adhesion tests demonstrated that Fe enhances the initial adhesion and proliferation behavior of hDPSCs. The present work suggests that Fe and Sr co-substitution in β-TCP can be a candidate for promising bone graft materials in tissue engineering fields. In addition, the possibility of application of hyperthermia for cancer treatment can be expected.

Effect of Nb and Ta Simultaneous Substitution on Self-Consolidation Sintering of Li7La3Zr2O12

Garnet Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) has been a prospective solid electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and a wide electrochemical window. Different from conventional cold or hot isostatic pressing methods, a self-consolidation strategy without any pressing assistance was proposed to prepare dense LLZO. In this work, simultaneous substitution of Nb2O5 and Ta2O5 was attempted to further explore the mechanism of self-consolidation sintering. The influence of the Nb2O5 and Ta2O5 substitution amount on the crystalline phase, morphology, and ionic conductivity was investigated. Due to the different melting points and thermal behaviors of Nb2O5 and Ta2O5, the endothermic peak corresponding to sintering became weaker, which was associated with the self-consolidation process of LLZO. Accordingly, larger grain sizes and fewer grain boundaries were observed in LLZO when the amounts of Nb2O5 and Ta2O5 were both 0.25 mol. This indicates that the simultaneous substitution of different cations plays a vital role in self-consolidation sintering, which contributes to facilitating the grain growth and reducing the amount of grain boundaries. This work emphasizes the key role of the dopant melting point and thermal behavior in sintering, suggesting an alternative way of substitution for LLZO electrolyte preparation.

Structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of La and Fe substituted barium titanate ceramics

ABSTRACT The effect of simultaneous substitution of La3+ and Fe3+ ions on structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of BaTiO3 was studied. Polycrystalline ceramic samples with composition Ba1-x La x Ti1-x Fe x O3 with x = 0, 0.005, 0.015 and 0.020 were prepared by the solid-state route and sintered at 1325°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the single phase with tetragonal perovskite structure in all the prepared ceramics. Dielectric constant ‘ϵ’ and tangent loss ‘tanδ’ was measured as a function of temperature (25–200°C). The value of ϵ increases with an increase in La and Fe contents. A very small value of tanδ (<4%) was observed. The temperature coefficient of capacitance ‘T cc’ was found to be around 10% for all the samples. PE hysteresis loops were recorded at room temperature for all samples. The maximum value of ϵ and piezoelectric coefficient ‘d 33’ was found to be 3735 (at 30°C, 100 kHz) and 140pC/N, respectively for x = 0.020.

Lead-Free Aurivillius Phase Bi2LaNb1.5Mn0.5O9: Structure, Ferroelectric, Magnetic, and Magnetodielectric Effects.

Aurivillius phase Bi2LaNb1.5Mn0.5O9, derived from ferroelectric PbBi2Nb2O9 by simultaneous substitution of the A-site and B-site cations, was synthesized using a molten-salt method. Here, we discuss the structure-property relationships in detail. X-ray and neutron diffraction show that Bi2LaNb1.5Mn0.5O9 adopts an A21am orthorhombic crystal structure. Rietveld refinement analysis, supported by Raman spectroscopy, indicates that the Bi3+ ions occupy the bismuth oxide blocks, La3+ ions occupy the perovskite A-site, and Nb5+/Mn3+ ions occupy the perovskite B-site. Ferroelectric ordering takes place at 535 K, which coexists with local ferromagnetic order below 65 K. The cation disorder on the B-site results in relaxor-ferroelectric behavior, and the short-range ferromagnetic order can be attributed to Mn3+/Mn4+ double-exchange. Magnetodielectric coupling measured at 5 K and 100 kHz in a field of 5 T suggests the existence of intrinsic spin-lattice coupling with a magnetodielectric coefficient of 0.20%. These findings will provide significant impetus for further research into potential devices based on the magnetodielectric effect in Aurivillius materials.

Combinatorial InVitroFlow-assisted mutagenesis (CombIMut) yields a 41-fold improved CelA2 cellulase.

The combination of diversity generation methods and ultrahigh-throughput screening (uHTS) technologies is key to efficiently explore nature's sequence space and elucidate structure-function relationships of enzymes. Beneficial substitutions often cluster in a few regions and simultaneous amino acid substitutions at multiple positions (e.g., by OmniChange) will likely lead to further improved enzyme variants. An extensive screening effort is required to identify such variants, as the simultaneous randomization of four codons can easily yield over 105 potential enzyme variants. The combination of flow cytometer-based uHTS with cell-free compartmentalization technology using (w/o/w) double emulsions (InVitroFlow), provides analysis capabilities of up to 107 events per hour, thus enabling efficient screening. InVitroFlow is an elegant solution since diversity loss through a transformation of host cells is omitted and emulsion compartments provide a genotype-phenotype linkage through a fluorescence readout. In this study, a multisite saturation mutagenesisand an OmniChange library with four simultaneously saturated positions in the active site of CelA2 cellulase were screened using InVitroFlow. Screening of over 36 million events, yielded a significantly improved cellulase variant CelA2-M3 (H288F/H524Q) with an 8-fold increase in specific activity compared to the parent CelA2-H288F (83.9 U/mg) and a 41-fold increased specific activity (674.5 U/mg) compared to wildtype CelA2 (16.6 U/mg) for the substrate 4-MUC (4-methylumbelliferyl-β d-cellobioside).

Probing the Physicochemical Behavior of Variously Doped Li4Ti5O12 Nanoflowers.

This study thoroughly investigated the synthesis of not only 4 triply-doped metal oxides but also 5 singly-doped analogues of Li4Ti5O12 for electrochemical applications. In terms of synthetic novelty, the triply-doped materials were fabricated using a relatively facile hydrothermal method for the first-time, involving the simultaneous substitution of Ca for the Li site, Ln (i.e., Dy, Y, or Gd) for the Ti site, and Cl for the O site. Based on XRD, SEM, and HRTEM-EDS measurements, the resulting materials, incorporating a relatively homogeneous and uniform dispersion of both the single and triple dopants, exhibited a micron-scale flower-like morphology that remained apparently undamaged by the doping process. Crucially, the surface chemistry of all of the samples was probed using XPS in order to analyze any nuanced changes associated with either the various different lanthanide dopants or the identity of the metal precursor types involved. In the latter case, it was observed that the use of a nitrate salt precursor versus that of a chloride salt enabled not only a higher lanthanide incorporation but also the potential for favorable N-doping, all of which promoted a concomitant increase in conductivity due to a perceptible increase in Ti3+ content. In terms of the choice of lanthanide system, it was observed via CV analysis that dopant incorporation generally (albeit with some notable exceptions, especially with Y-based materials) led to the formation of higher amounts of Ti3+ species within both the singly and triply-doped materials, which consequentially led to the potential for increased diffusivity and higher mobility of Li+ species with the possibility for enabling greater capacity within these classes of metal oxides.

Effects of replacement of fat and NaCl by hydrolyzed collagen and mix of herbs on quality properties of chicken hamburger

PurposeThis study aims to assess the influence of partial and simultaneous substitution of fat and sodium by hydrolyzed collagen and mix of herbs (MH) in chicken hamburgers, on the physical properties and proximal composition.Design/methodology/approachFive formulations were developed: (1) HCON–without adding collagen and MH; (2) C25M25–adding 25% of collagen and 25% of MH; (3) C25M50–adding 25% of collagen and 50% of MH; (4) C50M25–adding 50% of collagen and 25% of MH and (5) C50M50–adding 50% of collagen and 50% of MH. Chicken hamburgers were analyzed by proximal composition, sodium content, collagen and color analysis. The influence of treatments on texture profile, cooking performance and lipid oxidation of chicken hamburger was also investigated.FindingsThere was reduction in lipid and sodium for modified formulations compared with the HCON. There was great influence for some parameters, such as luminosity, cooking performance and texture profile. The formulation C50M50 showed the best cooking performance when compared to the others.Originality/valueThe formulation adding 50% of collagen and 50% of MH showed the highest yield and water retention (WR), with the least reduction in diameter and shrinkage, as well as presenting the best indexes of the texture profile and the lowest oxidation index, being recommended as the best combination of fat and sodium replacement.

Synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial studies of some vanadium complexes with hexamethyl tetraazamacrocycles

The hexamethyl tetraazacyclotetradecadiene diperchlorate ligand salt, Me6[14]diene.2HClO4 (L1.2HClO4) on reduction yielded two isomeric C-chiral ligands “tet-a” and “tet-b”. Open air reactions of the ligands, L1.2HClO4, “tet-a,” and “tet-b” with vanadyl acetylacetonate produced octahedral green complexes, [VOL1(acac)](ClO4), [VO(“tet-a”)(H2O)](ClO4)2, and [VO(“tet-b”)(acac)](ClO4), respectively, in which vanadium was in +4 oxidation state. The complex [VOL1(acac)](ClO4) underwent axial substitution with KCNS, KBr, KI, and NaNO2 in the ratio of 1:12 in ethanol to yield axial substitution products, [VOL1(SCN)](ClO4)2, [VOL1Br](ClO4)2, [VOL1I](ClO4)2, and [VOL 1 (NO2)](ClO4)2, respectively, in which vanadium was in +5 oxidation state. On the other hand, [VO(“tet-b”)(acac)](ClO4) underwent simultaneous axial substitution and anion exchange reactions with KCNS and KBr in the same ratio to furnish corresponding vanadium(V) complexes, [VO(“tet-b”)(SCN)](SCN)2 and [VO(“tet-b”)Br]Br2, respectively. These complexes were characterized on the basis of elemental, spectroscopic, magneto-chemical, and conductometric analyses. The antibacterial activities of the ligands and their complexes have been investigated toward different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Modified fermented sausages with olive oil oleogel and NaCl–KCl substitution for improved nutritional quality

The effect of partial substitution of pork backfat by olive oil oleogel and NaCl by KCl on the technological and nutritional characteristics of fermented sausages was studied. Four formulations of fermented sausages were evaluated: control (C) with 18g pork backfat and 1.5g NaCl per 100g; treatment (N) with 50% NaCl substituted by KCl; treatment (O) with 50% pork backfat substituted by oleogel; and treatment (D) with 50% simultaneous substitution of NaCl and pork backfat by KCl and oleogel. Selected physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the formulations were measured on 0, 1, 4, 7 and 14 d after manufacture. Treatment (D) had higher water activity and exhibited lower weight loss. Sensory evaluation was performed by a nine-member trained panel and differences among treatments were identified in color and textural attributes, but not in flavor, bitterness, saltiness. According to a 54-member consumer panel, treatment (O) was judged as second best in personal preference, following treatment (C). After fermentation and ripening of the sausages, treatment (D) had 51.9% less sodium, 19.2% less cholesterol and 17.8% less saturated fatty acid content than (C). The results show that it is possible to produce sensorially acceptable and microbiologically safe fermented sausages with a healthier nutritional profile.

The amino-terminal domain of TRPV4 channel is involved in its trafficking to the nucleus

Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel is a sensor for multiple physical and chemical stimuli of ubiquitous expression that participates in various functions either in differentiated tissues or during differentiation. We recently demonstrated the nuclear localization of the full-length TRPV4 in the renal epithelial cells MDCK and its interaction with the transcriptional regulator β-catenin. Here, we describe the presence of a functional nuclear localization signals (NLS) in the N-terminal domain of TRPV4. Simultaneous substitution R404Q, K405Q, and K407Q, produces a channel that fail to reach the nucleus, while K177Q, K178Q, and R179Q mutant channel reaches the nucleus but does not arrive to the plasma membrane (PM). Similar result was observed with the S824D phosphomimetic mutant and the K407E mutation associated with skeletal dysplasia. Structural analysis of these mutants showed important remodeling in their C-terminal domains. Our observations suggest that nucleus-PM trafficking of TRPV4 is important for its cellular functions and may help to explain some deleterious effect of mutations causing TRPV4 channelopathies.

Large magnetic anisotropy in Co–Fe–Ni–N ordered structures: a first-principles study

Material design of promising rare-earth free permanent magnet requires tailoring and controlling the intrinsic magnetic properties namely large saturation magnetization μ 0 M s, giant uniaxial magnetic anisotropy K u, and high Curie temperature T C. Based on first-principles electronic structure calculations, we present a detailed analysis for the intrinsic magnetic properties of Co x Fe1−x Ni and Co x Fe1−x NiN0.25 ordered structures. We predict an enhanced structural stability with improved K u ranging from 1.53–2.29 MJ m−3 for Co x Fe1−x NiN0.25 ordered structures, with the exception of CoNiN0.25 having planar anisotropy. Detailed analysis of the predicted large K u, based on perturbation theory and electronic structure calculations, is attributed to the cumulative effect of contribution from the increased tetragonal distortion and induced orbital distortion from the simultaneous Co substitution and interstitial N-doping. By tailoring the K u, we may create efficient and affordable PMs, bridging the gap between commonly used ferrite and high-performance Nd–Fe–B magnets.

Quadruple node of triple junctions of grain boundaries in a Eu2+-doped solid solution of the ions K+, Rb+, Cl- and Br-: an epifluorescence microscopy study using the doping ion as a fluorochrome.

Epifluorescence microscopy was used to unveil the geometry and relative spatial orientation of an arrangement of crystal defects, consisting of a quadruple node of triple junctions of grain boundaries, in a Eu2+-doped solid solution of K+, Rb+, Cl- and Br-. The doping ion was utilized as a fluorochrome. Microscopy images of different optical cross-sections of the arrangement of crystal defects under study were recorded and used to build an electronic three-dimensional reconstruction of this arrangement. The geometry is that of an irregular tristetrahedron, centred at the quadruple node, so that the tristetrahedron legs, deviating from the lattice <111>-zone axis directions, lie along the triple junctions, whereas the tristetrahedron faces collapse onto the grain boundaries. The deviation angles as well as the angles defined by different triple junction pairs and different grain boundary pairs were measured. The orientational deviation is larger than that in a KI single crystal but lower than that in a solid solution of K+, Cl- and Br-, meaning that the structural equilibrium depends on the matrix lattice structural character. Uncompensated local nanostrains, due to the ion substitution, are associated with the observed decrement in structural stability, in relation to the KI case, whereas compensated local nanostrains, provoked by the simultaneous substitution of cations and anions, are argued to be responsible for the observed increment in structural stability, in relation with the K(Cl, Br) case. The optical characterization of the fluorochrome, the recording and processing of the microscopy images, the building of the electronic 3D reconstruction, the angular measure methodology and the geometrical modelling are all carefully described.

Replacement of Cobalt in Lithium-Rich Layered Oxides by n-Doping: A DFT Study

The replacement of cobalt in the lattice of lithium-rich layered oxides (LRLO) is mandatory to improve their environmental benignity and reduce costs. In this study, we analyze the impact of the cobalt removal from the trigonal LRLO lattice on the structural, thermodynamic, and electronic properties of this material through density functional theory calculations. To mimic disorder in the transition metal layers, we exploited the special quasi-random structure approach on selected supercells. The cobalt removal was modeled by the simultaneous substitution with Mn/Ni, thus leading to a p-doping in the lattice. Our results show that cobalt removal induces (a) larger cell volumes, originating from expanded distances among stacked planes; (b) a parallel increase of the layer buckling; (c) an increase of the electronic disorder and of the concentration of Jahn–Teller defects; and (d) an increase of the thermodynamic stability of the phase. Overall p-doping appears as a balanced strategy to remove cobalt from LRLO without massively deteriorating the structural integrity and the electronic properties of LRLO.