3,438 research outputs found
Heat transport and thermal rectification in molecular junctions: a minimal model approach
Heat conduction properties are investigated in a molecular junction modeled as a two-strand ladder with strongly asymmetric thermal transport pathways. By confining anharmonic contributions to only one of the strands, it is shown that tuning of the interstrand coupling can lead to normal heat transport and to the emergence of a well-defined temperature gradient. More interestingly, thermal rectification is obtained around a critical value of the interstrand interaction and by appropriate asymmetries induced by the coupling to the thermal baths
Publisher's Note: Spin-selective transport through helical molecular systems (vol 85, 081404, 2012)
©2012 American Physical SocietyDepto. de Física de MaterialesFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEpu
Contact effects in spin transport along double-helical molecules
We report on spin transport along double-helical molecular systems by considering various contact configurations and asymmetries between the two helical strands in the regime of completely coherent charge transport. Our results reveal that no spin polarization appears in two-terminal molecular devices when coupled to one-dimensional electrodes. The same holds in the case of finite-width electrodes if there is a bottleneck of one single site in the system electrode-molecule-electrode. Then, additional dephasing is necessary to induce spin-filtering effects. In contrast, nonzero spin polarization is found in molecular devices with multiple terminals or with two finite-width electrodes, each of them connected to more than one site of the molecule. The magnitude of spin polarization can be enhanced by increasing the asymmetry between the two strands. We point out that the spin-filtering effects could emerge in double-helical molecular devices at low temperature without dephasing by a proper choice of the electrode number and the connection between the molecule and the electrodes
Boosting the near-infrared emission of Ag2S nanoparticles by a controllable surface treatment for bioimaging applications
Ag2S nanoparticles are the staple for high-resolution preclinical imaging and sensing owing to their photochemical stability, low toxicity, and photoluminescence (PL) in the second near-infrared biological window. Unfortunately, Ag2S nanoparticles exhibit a low PL efficiency attributed to their defective surface chemistry, which curbs their translation into the clinics. To address this shortcoming, we present a simple methodology that allows to improve the PL quantum yield from 2 to 10%, which is accompanied by a PL lifetime lengthening from 0.7 to 3.8 μs. Elemental mapping and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate that the PL enhancement is related to the partial removal of sulfur atoms from the nanoparticle's surface, reducing surface traps responsible for nonradiative de-excitation processes. This interpretation is further backed by theoretical modeling. The acquired knowledge about the nanoparticles' surface chemistry is used to optimize the procedure to transfer the nanoparticles into aqueous media, obtaining water-dispersible Ag2S nanoparticles that maintain excellent PL properties. Finally, we compare the performance of these nanoparticles with other near-infrared luminescent probes in a set of in vitro and in vivo experiments, which demonstrates not only their cytocompatibility but also their superb optical properties when they are used in vivo, affording higher resolution image
In situ real-time characterization of block copolymer self-assembly processes by GISAXS
E-MRS Spring Meeting and Exhibit will be held in the Convention Centre of Strasbourg (France), from June 18 to 22 (2018). .--https://www.european-mrs.com/block-copolymer-self-assembly-fundamentals-and-applications-emr
A Performance Analysis Framework for WiFi/WiMAX Heterogeneous Metropolitan Networks Based on Cross-Layer Design
The communication between network nodes within different protocol domains is often regarded simply as a black box with unknown configuration conditions in the path. We address network heterogeneity using a white box approach and focus on its interconnection processes. To achieve this purpose, a Performance Analysis Framework (PAF) is proposed which is composed of the formalization of the latter using process algebra (PA) and the corresponding teletraffic performance models. In this contribution, we target the IEEE 802.16 and IEEE 802.11 protocols. For the teletraffic models, we extend previous models for such scenario with the inclusion of the following protocol operational parameters (metrics): bit error rate (BER), packet error ratio (PER), and packet length (pl). From the framework teletraffic models, the optimal packet length (OPL), end to end throughput, delay, and packet loss are obtained. The PAF outperforms previous modeling solutions in terms of delay and throughput relative to NS3 simulation results. </jats:p
Prodromal Alzheimer’s disease: Constitutive upregulation of neuroglobin prevents the initiation of Alzheimer’s pathology
In humans, a considerable number of the autopsy samples of cognitively normal individuals aged between 57 and 102 years have revealed the presence of amyloid plaques, one of the typical signs of AD, indicating that many of us use mechanisms that defend ourselves from the toxic consequences of Aß. The human APP NL/F (hAPP NL/F) knockin mouse appears as the ideal mouse model to identify these mechanisms, since they have high Aß42 levels at an early age and moderate signs of disease when old. Here we show that in these mice, the brain levels of the hemoprotein Neuroglobin (Ngb) increase with age, in parallel with the increase in Aß42. In vitro, in wild type neurons, exogenous Aß increases the expression of Ngb and Ngb over-expression prevents Aß toxicity. In vivo, in old hAPP NL/F mice, Ngb knockdown leads to dendritic tree simplification, an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. These results could indicate that Alzheimer’s symptoms may start developing at the time when defense mechanisms start wearing out. In agreement, analysis of plasma Ngb levels in aged individuals revealed decreased levels in those whose cognitive abilities worsened during a 5-year longitudinal follow-up period.This work was partially supported by the Stichting Alzheimer
Onderzoek (SAO; S16013) and the FWO (research project
G0B2519N) to LC-G, SAF2016-76722 (AEI/FEDER, UE) to
CD, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Individual Fellowships
(T2DMand AD, EU 708152) to FG and EU JPND “EpiAD” Grant
to AF-G and CD, SAF2016-78603-R to MM and M
Astrometric calibration and performance of the Dark Energy Camera
We characterize the ability of the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) to perform
relative astrometry across its 500~Mpix, 3 deg^2 science field of view, and
across 4 years of operation. This is done using internal comparisons of ~4x10^7
measurements of high-S/N stellar images obtained in repeat visits to fields of
moderate stellar density, with the telescope dithered to move the sources
around the array. An empirical astrometric model includes terms for: optical
distortions; stray electric fields in the CCD detectors; chromatic terms in the
instrumental and atmospheric optics; shifts in CCD relative positions of up to
~10 um when the DECam temperature cycles; and low-order distortions to each
exposure from changes in atmospheric refraction and telescope alignment. Errors
in this astrometric model are dominated by stochastic variations with typical
amplitudes of 10-30 mas (in a 30 s exposure) and 5-10 arcmin coherence length,
plausibly attributed to Kolmogorov-spectrum atmospheric turbulence. The size of
these atmospheric distortions is not closely related to the seeing. Given an
astrometric reference catalog at density ~0.7 arcmin^{-2}, e.g. from Gaia, the
typical atmospheric distortions can be interpolated to 7 mas RMS accuracy (for
30 s exposures) with 1 arcmin coherence length for residual errors. Remaining
detectable error contributors are 2-4 mas RMS from unmodelled stray electric
fields in the devices, and another 2-4 mas RMS from focal plane shifts between
camera thermal cycles. Thus the astrometric solution for a single DECam
exposure is accurate to 3-6 mas (0.02 pixels, or 300 nm) on the focal plane,
plus the stochastic atmospheric distortion.Comment: Submitted to PAS
Quasar accretion disk sizes from continuum reverberation mapping in the DES standard-star fields
Measurements of the physical properties of accretion disks in active galactic
nuclei are important for better understanding the growth and evolution of
supermassive black holes. We present the accretion disk sizes of 22 quasars
from continuum reverberation mapping with data from the Dark Energy Survey
(DES) standard star fields and the supernova C fields. We construct continuum
lightcurves with the \textit{griz} photometry that span five seasons of DES
observations. These data sample the time variability of the quasars with a
cadence as short as one day, which corresponds to a rest frame cadence that is
a factor of a few higher than most previous work. We derive time lags between
bands with both JAVELIN and the interpolated cross-correlation function method,
and fit for accretion disk sizes using the JAVELIN Thin Disk model. These new
measurements include disks around black holes with masses as small as
, which have equivalent sizes at 2500\AA \, as small as
light days in the rest frame. We find that most objects have
accretion disk sizes consistent with the prediction of the standard thin disk
model when we take disk variability into account. We have also simulated the
expected yield of accretion disk measurements under various observational
scenarios for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Deep Drilling Fields. We find
that the number of disk measurements would increase significantly if the
default cadence is changed from three days to two days or one day.Comment: 33 pages, 24 figure
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