4,241 research outputs found
Simulating multiple quantum well solar cells
The quantum well solar cell (QWSC) has been proposed as a route to higher
efficiency than that attainable by homojunction devices. Previous studies have
established that carriers escape the quantum wells with high efficiency in
forward bias and contribute to the photocurrent. Progress in resolving the
efficiency limits of these cells has been dogged by the lack of a theoretical
model reproducing both the enhanced carrier gen- eration and enhanced
recombination due to the quantum wells. Here we present a model which
calculates the incremental generation and recombination due to the QWs and is
verified by modelling the experimental light and dark current-voltage
characteristics of a range of III-V quantum well structures. We find that
predicted dark currents are significantly greater than experiment if we use
lifetimes derived from homostructure devices. Successful simulation of light
and dark currents can be obtained only by introducing a parameter which
represents a reduction in the quasi-Fermi level separation.Comment: Preprint submitted to the 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists
Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, USA, Sept. 2000, pp. 1304-130
Future directions for the management of pain in osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the predominant form of arthritis worldwide, resulting in a high degree of functional impairment and reduced quality of life owing to chronic pain. To date, there are no treatments that are known to modify disease progression of OA in the long term. Current treatments are largely based on the modulation of pain, including NSAIDs, opiates and, more recently, centrally acting pharmacotherapies to avert pain. This review will focus on the rationale for new avenues in pain modulation, including inhibition with anti-NGF antibodies and centrally acting analgesics. The authors also consider the potential for structure modification in cartilage/bone using growth factors and stem cell therapies. The possible mismatch between structural change and pain perception will also be discussed, introducing recent techniques that may assist in improved patient phenotyping of pain subsets in OA. Such developments could help further stratify subgroups and treatments for people with OA in future
Correlators of Vertex Operators for Circular Strings with Winding Numbers in AdS5xS5
We compute semiclassically the two-point correlator of the marginal vertex
operators describing the rigid circular spinning string state with one large
spin and one windining number in AdS_5 and three large spins and three winding
numbers in S^5. The marginality condition and the conformal invariant
expression for the two-point correlator obtained by using an appropriate vertex
operator are shown to be associated with the diagonal and off-diagonal Virasoro
constraints respectively. We evaluate semiclassically the three-point
correlator of two heavy circular string vertex operators and one zero-momentum
dilaton vertex operator and discuss its relation with the derivative of the
dimension of the heavy circular string state with respect to the string
tension.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, no figure
Properties of Galaxies in and around Voids
Two surveys for intrinsically faint galaxies towards nearby voids have been
conducted at the MPI f\"ur Astronomie, Heidelberg. One selected targets from a
new diameter limited () catalog with morphological criteria while
the other used digitized objective prism Schmidt plates to select mainly HII
dwarf galaxies. For some 450 galaxies, redshifts and other optical data were
obtained. We studied the spatial distribution of the sample objects, their
luminosity function, and their intrinsic properties. Most of the galaxies
belong to already well known sheets and filaments. But we found about a dozen
highly isolated galaxies in each sample (nearest neighborhood distance ). These tend to populate additional structures and are not
distributed homogeneously throughout the voids. As our results on 'void
galaxies' still suffer from small sample statistics, I also tried to combine
similar existing surveys of nearby voids to get further hints on the larger
structure and on the luminosity function of the isolated galaxies. No
differences in the luminosity function of sheet and void galaxies could be
found. The optical and infrared properties of both samples are in the normal
range for samples dominated by late-type dwarfs. Follow-up HI studies show that
the isolated dwarfs in both samples have unusual high amount of neutral gas for
a given luminosity.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, latex, to appear in the proceedings of the
'Ringberg workshop on Large Scale Structure', hold Sep. 23-28, 199
A Human Development Framework for CO2 Reductions
Although developing countries are called to participate in CO2 emission
reduction efforts to avoid dangerous climate change, the implications of
proposed reduction schemes in human development standards of developing
countries remain a matter of debate. We show the existence of a positive and
time-dependent correlation between the Human Development Index (HDI) and per
capita CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Employing this empirical
relation, extrapolating the HDI, and using three population scenarios, the
cumulative CO2 emissions necessary for developing countries to achieve
particular HDI thresholds are assessed following a Development As Usual
approach (DAU). If current demographic and development trends are maintained,
we estimate that by 2050 around 85% of the world's population will live in
countries with high HDI (above 0.8). In particular, 300Gt of cumulative CO2
emissions between 2000 and 2050 are estimated to be necessary for the
development of 104 developing countries in the year 2000. This value represents
between 20% to 30% of previously calculated CO2 budgets limiting global warming
to 2{\deg}C. These constraints and results are incorporated into a CO2
reduction framework involving four domains of climate action for individual
countries. The framework reserves a fair emission path for developing countries
to proceed with their development by indexing country-dependent reduction rates
proportional to the HDI in order to preserve the 2{\deg}C target after a
particular development threshold is reached. Under this approach, global
cumulative emissions by 2050 are estimated to range from 850 up to 1100Gt of
CO2. These values are within the uncertainty range of emissions to limit global
temperatures to 2{\deg}C.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl
Holographic three-point functions of giant gravitons
Working within the AdS/CFT correspondence we calculate the three-point
function of two giant gravitons and one pointlike graviton using methods of
semiclassical string theory and considering both the case where the giant
gravitons wrap an S^3 in S^5 and the case where the giant gravitons wrap an S^3
in AdS_5. We likewise calculate the correlation function in N=4 SYM using two
Schur polynomials and a single trace chiral primary. We find that the gauge and
string theory results have structural similarities but do not match perfectly,
and interpret this in terms of the Schur polynomials' inability to interpolate
between dual giant and pointlike gravitons.Comment: 21 page
Lifshitz-like space-time from intersecting branes in string/M theory
We construct 1/4 BPS, threshold F-D bound states (with )
of type II string theories by applying S- and T-dualities to the D1-D5 system
of type IIB string theory. These are different from the known 1/2 BPS,
non-threshold F-D bound states. The near horizon limits of these solutions
yield Lifshitz-like space-times with varying dynamical critical exponent
, for , along with the hyperscaling violation exponent
, showing how Lifshitz-like space-time can be
obtained from string theory. The dilatons are in general non-constant (except
for ). We discuss the holographic RG flows and the phase structures of
these solutions. For , we do not get a Lifshitz-like space-time, but the
near horizon limit in this case leads to an AdS space.Comment: 20 pages, no figure, v2: proper identification of hyperscaling
violation exponent has been made, abstract and the text has been changed
accordingly, note added, v3: minor changes, refs added, version to appear in
JHE
Holography for chiral scale-invariant models
Deformation of any d-dimensional conformal field theory by a constant null
source for a vector operator of dimension (d + z -1) is exactly marginal with
respect to anisotropic scale invariance, of dynamical exponent z. The
holographic duals to such deformations are AdS plane waves, with z=2 being the
Schrodinger geometry. In this paper we explore holography for such chiral
scale-invariant models. The special case of z=0 can be realized with gravity
coupled to a scalar, and is of particular interest since it is related to a
Lifshitz theory with dynamical exponent two upon dimensional reduction. We show
however that the corresponding reduction of the dual field theory is along a
null circle, and thus the Lifshitz theory arises upon discrete light cone
quantization of an anisotropic scale invariant field theory.Comment: 62 pages; v2, published version, minor improvements and references
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Pivotal Role of Toll-Like Receptors 2 and 4, Its Adaptor Molecule MyD88, and Inflammasome Complex in Experimental Tubule-Interstitial Nephritis
Tubule-interstitial nephritis (TIN) results in decreased renal function and interstitial inflammation, which ultimately leads to fibrosis. Excessive adenine intake can cause TIN because xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) can convert this purine into an insoluble compound, which precipitates in the tubuli. Innate immune sensors, such as Toll-like receptors (TLR) and inflammasome complex, play a crucial role in the initiation of inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of TLR-2 and -4, Myd88 and inflammasome complex in an experimental model of TIN. Here, we show that wild-type (WT) mice fed adenine-enriched food exhibited significant renal dysfunction and enhanced cellular infiltration accompanied by collagen deposition. They also presented higher gene and protein expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In contrast, TLR-2, -4, MyD88, ASC and Caspase-1 KO mice showed renoprotection associated with expression of inflammatory molecules at levels comparable to controls. Furthermore, treatment of WT animals with allopurinol, an XDH inhibitor, led to reduced levels of uric acid, oxidative stress, collagen deposition and a downregulation of the NF-kB signaling pathway. We concluded that MyD88 signaling and inflammasome participate in the development of TIN. Furthermore, inhibition of XDH seems to be a promising way to therapeutically target the developing inflammatory process
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