19,139 research outputs found
Germanium quantum dots: Optical properties and synthesis
Three different size distributions of Ge quantum dots (>~200, 110, and 60 Å) have been synthesized via the ultrasonic mediated reduction of mixtures of chlorogermanes and organochlorogermanes (or organochlorosilanes) by a colloidal sodium/potassium alloy in heptane, followed by annealing in a sealed pressure vessel at 270 °C. The quantum dots are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, x-ray photoemission, infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Colloidal suspensions of these quantum dots were prepared and their extinction spectra are measured with ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) and near infrared (IR) spectroscopy, in the regime from 0.6 to 5 eV. The optical spectra are correlated with a Mie theory extinction calculation utilizing bulk optical constants. This leads to an assignment of three optical features to the E(1), E(0'), and E(2) direct band gap transitions. The E(0') transitions exhibit a strong size dependence. The near IR spectra of the largest dots is dominated by E(0) direct gap absorptions. For the smallest dots the near IR spectrum is dominated by the Gamma25-->L indirect transitions
Environments and Morphologies of Red Sequence Galaxies with Residual Star Formation in Massive Clusters
We present a photometric investigation into recent star formation in galaxy
clusters at z ~ 0.1. We use spectral energy distribution templates to quantify
recent star formation in large X-ray selected clusters from the LARCS survey
using matched GALEX NUV photometry. These clusters all have signs of red
sequence galaxy recent star formation (as indicated by blue NUV-R colour),
regardless of cluster morphology and size. A trend in environment is found for
these galaxies, such that they prefer to occupy low density, high cluster
radius environments. The morphology of these UV bright galaxies suggests that
they are in fact red spirals, which we confirm with light curves and Galaxy Zoo
voting percentages as morphological proxies. These UV bright galaxies are
therefore seen to be either truncated spiral galaxies, caught by ram pressure
in falling into the cluster, or high mass spirals, with the photometry
dominated by the older stellar population.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 11 pages, 11 figure
Influence of a solar proton event on stratospheric ozone
Ozone depletion in the stratosphere associated with the solar proton event of August 4, 1972, was observed with the backscattered ultraviolet experiment on the Nimbus 4 satellite. An abrupt ozone decrease in the 75-80 deg N zone of about 0.002 atm-cm above 4 mb was observed to persist throughout the month of August. A decrease was noted in the 55-65 deg N zone on days 219 and 220, but recovery occurred on day 221. Thereafter, a more gradual decrease was observed. The equatorial zone also showed gradual decrease after day 218, but these were not uniquely distinguished from seasonal variations. The observed change in total ozone following the event was -0.003 atm-cm for the 75-80 deg N zone, corresponding to a 1.3 percent reduction in the 0.305 atm-cm zonal average, but within the 0.019 atm-cm standard deviation. Above the 10 mb surface in the 75-80 deg N zone however, a decrease of 0.004 atm-cm may be compared with a standard deviation of 0.001 atm-cm
Probabilistic Graphical Model Representation in Phylogenetics
Recent years have seen a rapid expansion of the model space explored in
statistical phylogenetics, emphasizing the need for new approaches to
statistical model representation and software development. Clear communication
and representation of the chosen model is crucial for: (1) reproducibility of
an analysis, (2) model development and (3) software design. Moreover, a
unified, clear and understandable framework for model representation lowers the
barrier for beginners and non-specialists to grasp complex phylogenetic models,
including their assumptions and parameter/variable dependencies.
Graphical modeling is a unifying framework that has gained in popularity in
the statistical literature in recent years. The core idea is to break complex
models into conditionally independent distributions. The strength lies in the
comprehensibility, flexibility, and adaptability of this formalism, and the
large body of computational work based on it. Graphical models are well-suited
to teach statistical models, to facilitate communication among phylogeneticists
and in the development of generic software for simulation and statistical
inference.
Here, we provide an introduction to graphical models for phylogeneticists and
extend the standard graphical model representation to the realm of
phylogenetics. We introduce a new graphical model component, tree plates, to
capture the changing structure of the subgraph corresponding to a phylogenetic
tree. We describe a range of phylogenetic models using the graphical model
framework and introduce modules to simplify the representation of standard
components in large and complex models. Phylogenetic model graphs can be
readily used in simulation, maximum likelihood inference, and Bayesian
inference using, for example, Metropolis-Hastings or Gibbs sampling of the
posterior distribution
PCR for the detection of pathogens in neonatal early onset sepsis.
BACKGROUND: A large proportion of neonates are treated for presumed bacterial sepsis with broad spectrum antibiotics even though their blood cultures subsequently show no growth. This study aimed to investigate PCR-based methods to identify pathogens not detected by conventional culture. METHODS: Whole blood samples of 208 neonates with suspected early onset sepsis were tested using a panel of multiplexed bacterial PCRs targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS), Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS), Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma genitalium, a 16S rRNA gene broad-range PCR and a multiplexed PCR for Candida spp. RESULTS: Two-hundred and eight samples were processed. In five of those samples, organisms were detected by conventional culture; all of those were also identified by PCR. PCR detected bacteria in 91 (45%) of the 203 samples that did not show bacterial growth in culture. S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae and S. pneumoniae were the most frequently detected pathogens. A higher bacterial load detected by PCR was correlated positively with the number of clinical signs at presentation. CONCLUSION: Real-time PCR has the potential to be a valuable additional tool for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis
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