Kubo-Bastin approach for the spin Hall conductivity of decorated graphene

Theoretical predictions and recent experimental results suggest one can engineer spin Hall effect in graphene by enhancing the spin-orbit coupling in the vicinity of an impurity. We use a Chebyshev expansion of the Kubo-Bastin formula to compute the spin conductivity tensor for a tight-binding model of graphene with randomly distributed impurities absorbed on top of carbon atoms. We model the impurity-induced spin-orbit coupling with a graphene-only Hamiltonian that takes into account three different contributions~\cite{Gmitra2013} and show how the spin Hall and longitudinal conductivities depend on the strength of each spin-orbit coupling and the concentration of impurities. Additionally, we calculate the real-space projection of the density of states in the vicinity of the Dirac point for single and multiple impurities and correlate these results with the conductivity calculations.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Very high interest rates and the cousin risks: Brazil during the Real Plan

We review the arguments in the finance and open macroeconomics literature relevant for the Central Bank to set the level of the interest rate in an open economy. The two relevant risks are the currency and country risks. The country risk (Brazil Risk) is measured with different financials instruments and the (unobservable) currency risk is estimated via the Kalman Filter. We show that besides the currency risk, which is also relevant in developed economies the country risk is of utmost importance to determine the domestic interest rates. Both risks share a few common causes, which is why we call them the cousin risks. Thus, when and if those common causes are confronted, the fall of domestic interest rates may be substantial, because both currency and Brazil risks will fall simultaneously. Preliminary results identify some components of the Brazil risk, e.g., the fiscal deficits, and the domestic and international financial markets conditions. The convertibility risk, defined as risk associated with possibility of not being able to convert BRLs into foreign currency, showed up as an important cause of the Brazil risk during the international financial crises periods, but is no longer relevant. Nowadays, Brazil risk decreased significantly, but the same did not happen with the currency risk. Therefore, it seems that the main factor precluding the fall in domestic interest rates may be associated with the uncertainty of the future behavior of the balance payments, especially the trade account. In view of this hypothesis, we might speculate that assuring vigorous export growth, without resorting to devaluation, is fundamental to achieve lower real interest rates, compatible with sustained economic growth.

Quantum Hall Effect in Graphene with Interface-Induced Spin-Orbit Coupling

We consider an effective model for graphene with interface-induced spin-orbit coupling and calculate the quantum Hall effect in the low-energy limit. We perform a systematic analysis of the contribution of the different terms of the effective Hamiltonian to the quantum Hall effect (QHE). By analysing the spin-splitting of the quantum Hall states as a function of magnetic field and gate-voltage, we obtain different scaling laws that can be used to characterise the spin-orbit coupling in experiments. Furthermore, we employ a real-space quantum transport approach to calculate the quantum Hall conductivity and investigate the robustness of the QHE to disorder introduced by hydrogen impurities. For that purpose, we combine first-principles calculations and a genetic algorithm strategy to obtain a graphene-only Hamiltonian that models the impurity

Serratia marcescens ShlA Pore-Forming Toxin Is Responsible for Early Induction of Autophagy in Host Cells and Is Transcriptionally Regulated by RcsB

Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative bacterium that thrives in a wide variety of ambient niches and interacts with an ample range of hosts. As an opportunistic human pathogen, it has increased its clinical incidence in recent years, being responsible for life-threatening nosocomial infections. S. marcescens produces numerous exoproteins with toxic effects, including the ShlA pore-forming toxin, which has been catalogued as its most potent cytotoxin. However, the regulatory mechanisms that govern ShlA expression, as well as its action toward the host, have remained unclear. We have shown that S. marcescens elicits an autophagic response in host nonphagocytic cells. In this work, we determine that the expression of ShlA is responsible for the autophagic response that is promoted prior to bacterial internalization in epithelial cells. We show that a strain unable to express ShlA is no longer able to induce this autophagic mechanism, while heterologous expression of ShlA/ShlB suffices to confer on noninvasive Escherichia coli the capacity to trigger autophagy. We also demonstrate that shlBA harbors a binding motif for the RcsB regulator in its promoter region. RcsB-dependent control of shlBA constitutes a feed-forward regulatory mechanism that allows interplay with flagellar-biogenesis regulation. At the top of the circuit, activated RcsB downregulates expression of flagella by binding to the flhDC promoter region, preventing FliA-activated transcription of shlBA. Simultaneously, RcsB interaction within the shlBA promoter represses ShlA expression. This circuit offers multiple access points to fine-tune ShlA production. These findings also strengthen the case for an RcsB role in orchestrating the expression of Serratia virulence factorsFil: Di Venanzio, Gisela Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Stepanenko, Tatiana Mariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Garcia Vescovi, Eleonora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentin

Adatoms and Anderson localization in graphene

We address the nature of the disordered state that results from the adsorption of adatoms in graphene. For adatoms that sit at the center of the honeycomb plaquette, as in the case of most transition metals, we show that the ones that form a zero-energy resonant state lead to Anderson localization in the vicinity of the Dirac point. Among those, we show that there is a symmetry class of adatoms where Anderson localization is suppressed, leading to an exotic metallic state with large and rare charge droplets, that localizes only at the Dirac point. We identify the experimental conditions for the observation of the Anderson transition for adatoms in graphene.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 appendixes, Final versio

Design of the new proton synchrotron booster absorber scraper (PSBAS) in the framework of the large hadron collider injection upgrade (LIU) project

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Injector Upgrade (LIU) Project at CERN calls for increasing beam intensity for the LHC accelerator chain. Some machine components will not survive the new beam characteristics and need to be rebuilt for the new challenging scenario. This is particularly true for beam intercepting devices (BIDs) such as dumps, collimators, and absorber/scrapers, which are directly exposed to beam impacts. In this context, this work summarizes conceptual design studies on the new Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) Absorber/Scraper (PSBAS), a device aimed at cleaning the beam halo at the very early stage of the PSB acceleration. This paper outlines the steps performed to fulfill the component design requirements. It discusses thermomechanical effects as a consequence of the beam-matter collisions, simulated with the FLUKA Monte Carlo code and ANSYS® finite element software; and the impedance minimization study performed to prevent beam instabilities and to reduce RF-heating on the device

Modelo de descripción documental basado en el paradigma de objetos

The objective of this paper is to show the current state of an investigation which aim is the construction of a documentary description model based on the object paradigm. The choice of this paradigm responds to the fact that its use allows the uncoupling between the logic model and its physical implementations; it autonomizes the model (the coherent and robust component of the system) of the computer supports, always varying and heterogeneus. In addition, this paradigm allows the invertion of the traditional methodology that makes the decision on what tools to use (support, software, operative system, databases) and then allows to compose an ad hoc model based on these tools. The language used is Smalltalk. Traditional methodology has derived in a proliferation of bibliographical formats adapted to different database models and the consequent applications that each one supports, and made necessary the creation of countless tools that allow the migration from ones to others. To start from the logic model, on the other hand, secures the coherence and consistence of information, for it frees it from instrumental conditionings. Although the proposed model is basically descriptive in this phase, this modellization configures a framework that will allow to use the objects in other contexts and environments to satisfy ends that go beyond the sole description. Despite the fact that this proposal surpasses the traditional approaches, it contemplates and takes advantages of the guidelines, precisions and possibilities studied and perfected over the years by different specialists, materialized today in different norms (AACR2, MARC, Vaticanas, Dublin Core, ISBD, TEI)

ALIFE: Caracterización Térmica De La Fermentación Del Café

La fermentación del café es una de las operaciones críticas en el proceso de beneficiado por su impacto en la calidad organoléptica del producto final. De forma general la mayor parte de las explotaciones carecen de tecnificación alguna del fermentador, no teniendo el operario ninguna información objetiva sobre la evolución de los parámetros físico-químicos de control del proceso que le ayuden a la toma de decisión. El objetivo de este trabajo es la integración multi-distribuida de sensores de bajo coste y alta fiabilidad para supervisión de la operación de fermentación del café en origen. Concretamente se ha centrado en la caracterización térmica del proceso de fermentación, mediante la instalación multidistribuida de sensores inalámbricos de temperatura (TurboTag ®) en fermentadores de café en Colombia. El análisis: temporal de la evolución de la temperatura a lo largo del proceso de fermentación y complejo mediante diagrama de fases o de cinética de la evolución de las temperaturas, permiten en este trabajo caracterizar térmicamente fermentadores industriales y prototipos plásticos. Se ha constatado la alta heterogeneidad de las fermentaciones tanto intra-lote (amplitudes térmicas de hasta 8.5 ºC y temperaturas en algunos puntos de los fermentadores de 17 ºC) como inter-lote en fermentaciones sujetas a condiciones exógenas y endógenas muy variable

Cloaking resonant scatterers and tuning electron flow in graphene

We consider resonant scatterers with large scattering cross-sections in graphene that are produced by a gated disk or a vacancy, and show that a gated ring can be engineered to produce an efficient electron cloak. We also demonstrate that this same scheme can be applied to tune the direction of electron flow. Our analysis is based on a partial-wave expansion of the electronic wave-functions in the continuum approximation, described by the Dirac equation. Using a symmetrized version of the massless Dirac equation, we derive a general condition for the cloaking of a scatterer by a potential with radial symmetry. We also perform tight-binding calculations to show that our findings are robust against the presence of disorder in the gate potential.NMRP acknowledges support from EC under Graphene Flagship (Contract No. CNECT-ICT604391), the hospitality of the Instituto de Física of the UFRJ, and stimulating discussions with Bruno Amorim on the Lippamnn-Schwinger equation for Dirac electrons. TGR thanks the Brazilian agencies CNPq and FAPERJ and Brazil Science without Borders program for nancial support. FAP acknowledges CAPES (Grant No. BEX 1497/14-6) and CNPq (Grant No. 303286/2013-0) for financial suppor