101 research outputs found
Inelastic light scattering and the excited states of many-electron quantum dots
A consistent calculation of resonant inelastic (Raman) scattering amplitudes
for relatively large quantum dots, which takes account of valence-band mixing,
discrete character of the spectrum in intermediate and final states, and
interference effects, is presented. Raman peaks in charge and spin channels are
compared with multipole strengths and with the density of energy levels in
final states. A qualitative comparison with the available experimental results
is given.Comment: 5 pages, accepted in J. Phys.: Condens. Matte
Manifestation of the magnetic depopulation of one-dimensional subbands in the optical absorption of acoustic magnetoplasmons in side-gated quantum wires
We have investigated experimentally and theoretically the far-infrared (FIR)
absorption of gated, deep-mesa-etched GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wires. To
overcome Kohn's theorem we have in particular prepared double-layered wires and
studied the acoustic magnetoplasmon branch. We find oscillations in the
magnetic-field dispersion of the acoustic plasmon which are traced back to the
self-consistently screened density profile in its dependence on the magnetic
depopulation of the one-dimensional subbands.Comment: LaTeX-file, 4 pages with 3 included ps-figures, to appear in Physica
Inelastic Coulomb scattering rates due to acoustic and optical plasmon modes in coupled quantum wires
We report a theoretical study on the inelastic Coulomb scattering rate of an
injected electron in two coupled quantum wires in quasi-one-dimensional doped
semiconductors. Two peaks appear in the scattering spectrum due to the optical
and the acoustic plasmon scattering in the system. We find that the scattering
rate due to the optical plasmon mode is similar to that in a single wire but
the acoustic plasmon scattering depends crucially on its dispersion relation at
small . Furthermore, the effects of tunneling between the two wires are
studied on the inelastic Coulomb scattering rate. We show that a weak tunneling
can strongly affect the acoustic plasmon scattering.Comment: 6 Postscript figure
Semiquantitative theory of electronic Raman scattering from medium-size quantum dots
A consistent semiquantitative theoretical analysis of electronic Raman
scattering from many-electron quantum dots under resonance excitation
conditions has been performed. The theory is based on
random-phase-approximation-like wave functions, with the Coulomb interactions
treated exactly, and hole valence-band mixing accounted for within the
Kohn-Luttinger Hamiltonian framework. The widths of intermediate and final
states in the scattering process, although treated phenomenologically, play a
significant role in the calculations, particularly for well above band gap
excitation. The calculated polarized and unpolarized Raman spectra reveal a
great complexity of features and details when the incident light energy is
swept from below, through, and above the quantum dot band gap. Incoming and
outgoing resonances dramatically modify the Raman intensities of the single
particle, charge density, and spin density excitations. The theoretical results
are presented in detail and discussed with regard to experimental observations.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Barriers and Facilitators of Safe Communication in Obstetrics: Results from Qualitative Interviews with Physicians, Midwives and Nurses.
Patient safety is an important objective in health care. Preventable adverse events (pAEs) as the counterpart to patient safety are harmful incidents that fell behind health care standards and have led to temporary or permanent harm or death. As safe communication and mutual understanding are of crucial importance for providing a high quality of care under everyday conditions, we aimed to identify barriers and facilitators that impact safe communication in obstetrics from the subjective perspective of health care workers. A qualitative study with 20 semi-structured interviews at two university hospitals in Germany was conducted to explore everyday perceptions from a subjective perspective (subjective theories). Physicians, midwives, and nurses in a wide span of professional experience and positions were enrolled. We identified a structural area of conflict at the professional interface between midwives and physicians. Mandatory interprofessional meetings, acceptance of subjective mistakes, mutual understanding, and debriefings of conflict situations are reported to improve collaboration. Additionally, emergency trainings, trainings in precise communication, and handovers are proposed to reduce risks for pAEs. Furthermore, the participants reported time-constraints and understaffing as a huge burden that hinders safe communication. Concluding, safety culture and organizational management are closely entwined and strategies should address various levels of which communication trainings are promising
Resonant Raman scattering off neutral quantum dots
Resonant inelastic (Raman) light scattering off neutral GaAs quantum dots
which contain a mean number, N=42, of electron-hole pairs is computed. We find
Raman amplitudes corresponding to strongly collective final states
(charge-density excitations) of similar magnitude as the amplitudes related to
weakly collective or single-particle excitations. As a function of the incident
laser frequency or the magnetic field, they are rapidly varying amplitudes. It
is argued that strong Raman peaks should come out in the spin-density channels,
not related to valence-band mixing effects in the intermediate states.Comment: Accepted in Physical Review
Coulomb correlation effects in semiconductor quantum dots: The role of dimensionality
We study the energy spectra of small three-dimensional (3D) and
two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor quantum dots through different theoretical
approaches (single-site Hubbard and Hartree-Fock hamiltonians); in the smallest
dots we also compare with exact results. We find that purely 2D models often
lead to an inadequate description of the Coulomb interaction existing in
realistic structures, as a consequence of the overestimated carrier
localization. We show that the dimensionality of the dots has a crucial impact
on (i) the accuracy of the predicted addition spectra; (ii) the range of
validity of approximate theoretical schemes. When applied to realistic 3D
geometries, the latter are found to be much more accurate than in the
corresponding 2D cases for a large class of quantum dots; the single-site
Hubbard hamiltonian is shown to provide a very effective and accurate scheme to
describe quantum dot spectra, leading to good agreement with experiments.Comment: LaTeX 2.09, RevTeX, 25 pages, 9 Encapsulated Postscript figures. To
be published in Physical Review
The impact of baseline mindfulness scores on mindfulness-based intervention outcomes : toward personalized mental health interventions
A growing body of evidence has portrayed mindfulness as a useful tool for dealing with a broad range of psychological problems and disorders. This has created the impression that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can be used to treat nearly all psychological difficulties, in all cases. Nonetheless, little research has been done on how individual differences may contribute to intervention outcomes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of baseline mindfulness on participants’ outcomes by examining three prior Randomized Controlled Trials that addressed the impact of MBIs on mental health and mindfulness measures. The participants were 164 people, aged between 12 and 45, from both clinical and non-clinical samples. Our findings indicate that at least two thirds of the change produced by these interventions in terms of mindfulness scores can be predicted by the baseline scores of the same variables. We also found that many trajectories are not only strongly influenced by the initial status of the participants, but also by the intervention performed, as attested to by the significant interactions found. These results stress the need to continue doing research in a way that considers the diversity of participants’ trajectories, increasing the room for intervention improvements aligned with a more personalized health care model
Antiangiogenic Activity and in Silico Cereblon Binding Analysis of Novel Thalidomide Analogs
Funding: This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (ZIA SC006538); in part with Federal funds from the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, under contract HHSN261200800001E; the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health; and a Wellcome Trust-NIH PhD Studentship to SB, WDF, and NV (Grant number 098252/Z/12/Z). Acknowledgments: The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Ecosystem functions of oil palm plantations - a review
Oil palm plantations have expanded rapidly in the last decades. This large-scale land-use change has had great impacts on both the areas converted to oil palm and their surroundings. Howev-er, research on the impacts of oil palm agriculture is scattered and patchy, and no clear overview ex-ists. Here, we address this gap through a systematic and comprehensive literature review of all ecosys-tem functions in oil palm plantations. We compare ecosystem functions in oil palm plantations to those in forests as forests are often cleared for the establishment of oil palm. We find that oil palm planta-tions generally have reduced ecosystem functioning compared to forests. Some of these functions are lost globally, such as those to gas and climate regulation and to habitat and nursery functions. The most serious impacts occur when land is cleared to establish new plantations, and immediately after-wards, especially on peat soils. To variable degrees, plantation management can prevent or reduce losses of some ecosystem functions. The only ecosystem function which increased in oil palm planta-tions is, unsurprisingly, the production of marketable goods. Our review highlights numerous research gaps. In particular, there are significant gaps with respect to information functions (socio-cultural functions). There is a need for empirical data on the importance of spatial and temporal scales, such as the differences between plantations in different environments, of different sizes, and of different ages. Finally, more research is needed on developing management practices that can off-set the losses of ecosystem functions
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