Energy-dependent spatial texturing of the charge order in 1T1T-Cux_xTiSe2_2

We report a detailed study of the microscopic effects of Cu intercalation on the charge density wave (CDW) in 1\textit{T}-Cu$_x$TiSe$_2$. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) reveal a unique, Cu driven spatial texturing of the charge ordered phase, with the appearance of energy dependent CDW patches and sharp $\pi$-phase shift domain walls ($\pi$DWs). The energy and doping dependencies of the patchwork are directly linked to the inhomogeneous potential landscape due to the Cu intercalants. They imply a CDW gap with unusual features, including a large amplitude, the opening below the Fermi level and a shift to higher binding energy with electron doping. Unlike the patchwork, the $\pi$DWs occur independently of the intercalated Cu distribution. They remain atomically sharp throughout the investigated phase diagram and occur both in superconducting and non-superconducting specimen. These results provide unique atomic-scale insight on the CDW ground state, questioning the existence of incommensurate CDW domain walls and contributing to understand its formation mechanism and interplay with superconductivity

GRAWITA: VLT Survey Telescope observations of the gravitational wave sources GW150914 and GW151226

We report the results of deep optical follow-up surveys of the first two gravitational-wave sources, GW150914 and GW151226, done by the GRAvitational Wave Inaf TeAm Collaboration (GRAWITA). The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) responded promptly to the gravitational wave alerts sent by the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations, monitoring a region of 90 and 72 deg2 for GW150914 and GW151226, respectively, and repeated the observations over nearly two months. Both surveys reached an average limiting magnitude of about 21 in the r band. The paper describes the VST observational strategy and two independent procedures developed to search for transient counterpart candidates in multi-epoch VST images. Several transients have been discovered but no candidates are recognized to be related to the gravitational wave events. Interestingly, among many contaminant supernovae, we find a possible correlation between the supernova VSTJ57.77559-59.13990 and GRB 150827A detected by Fermi-GBM. The detection efficiency of VST observations for different types of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events is evaluated for the present and future follow-up surveys

Holographic imaging of the complex charge density wave order parameter

The charge density wave (CDW) in solids is a collective ground state combining lattice distortions and charge ordering. It is defined by a complex order parameter with an amplitude and a phase. The amplitude and wavelength of the charge modulation are readily accessible to experiment. However, accurate measurements of the corresponding phase are significantly more challenging. Here we combine reciprocal and real space information to map the full complex order parameter based on topographic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images. Our technique overcomes limitations of Fourier space based techniques to achieve distinct amplitude and phase images with high spatial resolution. Applying this analysis to transition metal dichalcogenides provides striking evidence that their CDWs consist of three individual unidirectional charge modulations whose ordering vectors are connected by the fundamental rotational symmetry of the crystalline lattice. Spatial variations in the relative phases of these three modulations account for the different CDW contrasts often observed in STM topographic images. Phase images further reveal topological defects and discommensurations, a singularity predicted by theory for a nearly commensurate CDW. Such precise real space mapping of the complex order parameter provides a powerful tool for a deeper understanding of the CDW ground state whose formation mechanisms remain largely unclear

Atomic Force Microscopy And Anodic Porous Allumina Of Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays

The methodological aspects are here presented for the NAPPA (Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays) characterization by atomic force microscopy and anodic porous alumina. Anodic Porous Alumina represents also an advanced on chip laboratory for gene expression contained in an engineered plasmid vector. The results obtained with CdK2, CDKN1A, p53 and Jun test genes expressed on NAPPA and the future developments are discussed in terms of our pertinent and recent Patents and of their possibility to overcome some limitations of present fluorescence detection in probing protein-protein interaction in both basic sciences and clinical studies

Cervical vagal schwannoma Single case report.

Schwannomas of the cervical vagal nerve are rare neoplasms, usually occurring between the third and the sixth decade of life. They don't demonstrate any sex predilection, and they often present as slow-growing, palpable neck masses, leftright sided, without early neurological symptoms, and they are often confused with enlarged lymphnodes or lipomas. Several differential diagnosis should be considered. Imaging techniques are largely used to define their etiology. If they are considered primary to evaluate their relationship with surrounding structures (i.e. omolateral neck vessels and nerves, oesophagus, trachea), they don't always result decisive for a correct differential diagnosis. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice: when technically possible, nerve sparing technique has to be preferred to en-bloc resection, because of the possibility of neurological outcomes such as dysphonia, dysphagia, hoarseness, vocal cord paralysis after surgical therapy. We report our case about a 34 years-old male, evaluating differential diagnosis course, choosing the correct therapy in relation with literature cases, and including new techniques for post-operative outcomes, such as injectable soft-tissue bulking agent performed in the last years to ameliorate dysphonia after nerve trunk injury. KEY WORDS: Enucleation; Neurinoma; Schwannoma