2,002 research outputs found
Resonating bipolarons
Electrons coupled to local lattice deformations end up in selftrapped
localized molecular states involving their binding into bipolarons when the
coupling is stronger than a certain critical value. Below that value they exist
as essentially itinerant electrons. We propose that the abrupt crossover
between the two regimes can be described by resonant pairing similar to the
Feshbach resonance in binary atomic collision processes. Given the
intrinsically local nature of the exchange of pairs of itinerant electrons and
localized bipolarons, we demonstrate the occurrence of such a resonance on a
finite-size cluster made out of metallic atoms surrounding a polaronic ligand
center.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Europhysics Letter
Nodal/Antinodal Dichotomy and the Two Gaps of a Superconducting Doped Mott Insulator
We study the superconducting state of the hole-doped two-dimensional Hubbard
model using Cellular Dynamical Mean Field Theory, with the Lanczos method as
impurity solver. In the under-doped regime, we find a natural decomposition of
the one-particle (photoemission) energy-gap into two components. The gap in the
nodal regions, stemming from the anomalous self-energy, decreases with
decreasing doping. The antinodal gap has an additional contribution from the
normal component of the self-energy, inherited from the normal-state pseudogap,
and it increases as the Mott insulating phase is approached.Comment: Corrected typos, 4.5 pages, 4 figure
High-temperature optical spectral weight and Fermi liquid renormalization in Bi-based cuprates
The optical conductivity and the spectral weight W(T) of two superconducting
cuprates at optimum doping, Bi2Sr2-xLaxCuO6 and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, have been first
measured up to 500 K. Above 300 K, W(T) deviates from the usual T2 behavior in
both compounds, even though the zero-frequency extrapolation of the optical
conductivity remains larger than the Ioffe-Regel limit. The deviation is
surprisingly well described by the T4 term of the Sommerfeld expansion, but its
coefficients are enhanced by strong correlation. This renormalization is due to
strong correlation, as shown by the good agreement with dynamical mean field
calculations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Physical Review Letters in pres
Pauli susceptibility of nonadiabatic Fermi liquids
The nonadiabatic regime of the electron-phonon interaction leads to behaviors
of some physical measurable quantities qualitatively different from those
expected from the Migdal-Eliashberg theory. Here we identify in the Pauli
paramagnetic susceptibility one of such quantities and show that the
nonadiabatic corrections reduce with respect to its adiabatic limit. We
show also that the nonadiabatic regime induces an isotope dependence of ,
which in principle could be measured.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, euromacr.tex, europhys.sty. Replaced with
accepted version (Europhysics Letters
Analytical and pharmacological aspects of therapeutic drug monitoring of mTOR inhibitors
Mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors represent a new class of immunosuppressant drugs extensively used for the prevention and the treatment of graft rejection in organ transplant recipients. Their current use is due to referred low nephrotoxic effects, particularly important in kidney transplanted and/or patients with renal failure. The most representative drugs of such class are Sirolimus (Siro) and Everolimus (Rad). Both drugs show a narrow therapeutic window, therefore, monitoring of whole-blood drug levels is recommended in order to optimize the therapy. Among the available assays, Liquid Chromatography coupled with UltraViolet or Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry methods (LC/UV or LC/ESI-MSMS) are the most accurate and specific ones. A reliable alternative is represented by immunoassays, which offer the opportunity to minimize sample pre-treatment, thus reducing the time between drawing blood sample and measuring the drug concentration, an important aspect in high-throughput analyses. Despite this, a limitation in the use of immunoassays for therapeutic drug monitoring is the lower specifity compared with the chromatographic methods when analysing structurally-related drugs. New insights to optimize mTOR inhibitors regimens seem to be offered by the evaluation of CYP450 3A activity by using the probe drug
approach. To such purpose, there are a number of major probe drugs used for in vivo studies including: midazolam, cortisol, lidocaine, nifedipine, dextromethorphan, erythromycin, dapsone and alfentanil. The aim of the present paper is to report the most recent knowledge concerning this issue, supplying a critical and comprehensive review for whom are involved both in the clinical and analytical areas
Isotope effect on the superfluid density in conventional and high-temperature superconductors
We investigate the isotope effect on the London penetration depth of a
superconductor which measures , the ratio of superfluid density to
effective mass. We use a simplified model of electrons weakly coupled to a
single phonon frequency , but assume that the energy gap
does not have any isotope effect. Nevertheless we find an isotope effect for
which is significant if is sufficiently large that it
becomes comparable to , a regime of interest to high cuprate
superconductors and possibly other families of unconventional superconductors
with relatively high . Our model is too simple to describe the cuprates
and it gives the wrong sign of the isotope effect when compared with
experiment, but it is a proof of principle that the isotope effect exists for
in materials where the pairing gap and is not of phonon origin
and has no isotope effect.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Field-Driven Mott Gap Collapse and Resistive Switch in Correlated Insulators
Mott insulators are "unsuccessful metals" in which Coulomb repulsion prevents charge conduction despite a metal-like concentration of conduction electrons. The possibility to unlock the frozen carriers with an electric field offers tantalizing prospects of realizing new Mott-based microelectronic devices. Here we unveil how such unlocking happens in a simple model that shows the coexistence of a stable Mott insulator and a metastable metal. Considering a slab subject to a linear potential drop, we find, by means of the dynamical mean-field theory, that the electric breakdown of the Mott insulator occurs via a first-order insulator-to-metal transition characterized by an abrupt gap collapse in sharp contrast to the standard Zener breakdown. The switch on of conduction is due to the field-driven stabilization of the metastable metallic phase. Outside the region of insulator-metal coexistence, the electric breakdown occurs through a more conventional quantum tunneling across the Hubbard bands tilted by the field. Our findings rationalize recent experimental observations and may offer a guideline for future technological research
Hematocrit Values Predict Carotid Intimal-Media Thickness in Obese Patients With Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study
BACKGROUND:
Literature data suggest with some criticism that full-fledged cardiovascular (CV) events (acute or chronic) are likely predicted by blood components, which are reported to be associated with the presence/severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study was aimed at determining which marker(s) derived from blood count, such as white blood cells, neutrophils, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet count, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, hematocrit values were associated with ear or subclinical atherosclerosis, in obese patients of various classes suffering from NAFLD.
METHODS:
One hundred consecutive obese patients presenting NAFLD at ultrasound, with low prevalence of co-morbidities and no history or instrumental features of CV diseases, underwent carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) assessment by Doppler ultrasonography. All of them were studied taking into account anthropometric parameters, the metabolic profile, and inflammatory markers.
RESULTS:
White blood cells and neutrophil count showed no statistical association with IMT, which was predicted by the amount of visceral adiposity, as appreciated by ultrasonography. After adjusting for visceral adiposity and smoking status, only age and hematocrit contextually predicted early atherosclerosis, evaluated as IMT. Visceral adiposity was a confounding factor in foreseeing IMT.
CONCLUSION:
Hematocrit values along with the patient's age suggest an initial atherosclerosis, evaluated as IMT, and if this finding is confirmed in larger cohorts, could be added to other canonical CV risk factors. Inferences can be enhanced by future prospective studies that aim to identify the relationships between incident cardio-metabolic cases and this hematologic parameter
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