Inclusion of [H3PW12O40] and [H4SiW12O40] into a silica gel matrix via "sol-gel" methodology

Indexación: Web of Science; Scopus.Here we report the inclusion of two Keggin Polyoxometalates (POMs), [H3PW12O40] and [H4SiW12O40], into silica gels by integrating them during the preparation of the SiO2 matrix via "sol-gel" methods. Aerogels were produced by supercritical drying of the wet gels impregnated with the POMs, and lyogels were obtained by means of a lyophilization process. These materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermoanalytical techniques (TGA-DSC). We found that a large fraction of POMs are lost during the aging time, and solvent exchange for lyophilization. However the thermal stability of the bare matrix is modified by the inclusion of POMs. Some aggregates with a high content of POMs were found via SEM-EDX.http://ref.scielo.org/3fg9t

Synthesis, characterization of a new carbonylated zirconium metallocene using a dichloro-zirconocene derived from partially alkylated s-indacene

Indexación: ScieloThis work describes the synthesis and characterization of new organometallic species, an unprecedented mononuclear zirconium complex bearing a tetraalkylated s-indacene ligand, and secondly, its respective dicarbonyl complex obtained by reduction with Mg/HgCl2. Theoretical calculations of these two compounds were carried out to gain further understanding of these novel molecular systems.http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-97072009000300014&lng=es&nrm=is

Low-temperature infrared spectra and hydrogen bonding in polycrystalline dl-serine and deuterated derivatives

The FT-IR spectra of polycrystalline dl-serine [[alpha]-amino-[beta]-hydroxypropionic acid; HO-CH2-CH(NH3)+-COO-] and isotopically substituted [ND/ODAlcohol (90% D); CD2 (>98% D)] dl-serine were recorded in the range 4000-500 cm-1 in the temperature range 300-10 K, and fully assigned. The isotopic-doping/low-temperature methodology, which allows for decoupling of individual proton vibrational modes from the crystal bulk vibrations, was used to estimate the energies of the different H-bonds present in dl-serine crystal. To this end, the frequency shifts observed in both the NH/OH stretching and out-of-plane bending spectral regions (relatively to reference values for these vibrations in non-hydrogen-bonded dl-serine molecules) were used, together with previously developed empirical correlations. The results are compared with available structural data on this amino acid.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6THW-4J91R39-2/1/f8f35f435466c8a5204879d330cbade

Hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon g-2

We review recent developments concerning the hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We first discuss why fully off-shell hadronic form factors should be used for the evaluation of this contribution to the g-2. We then reevaluate the numerically dominant pion-exchange contribution in the framework of large-N_C QCD, using an off-shell pion-photon-photon form factor which fulfills all QCD short-distance constraints, in particular, a new short-distance constraint on the off-shell form factor at the external vertex in g-2, which relates the form factor to the quark condensate magnetic susceptibility in QCD. Combined with available evaluations of the other contributions to hadronic light-by-light scattering this leads to the new result a_{\mu}(LbyL; had) = (116 \pm 40) x 10^{-11}, with a conservative error estimate in view of the many still unsolved problems. Some potential ways for further improvements are briefly discussed as well. For the electron we obtain the new estimate a_{e}(LbyL; had) = (3.9 \pm 1.3) x 10^{-14}.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, to be published in the proceedings of the PhiPsi09 workshop, Oct. 13-16, 2009, Beijing, Chin

Supersymmetry and the Anomalous Anomalous Magnetic Moment of the Muon

The recently reported measurement of the muon's anomalous magnetic moment differs from the standard model prediction by 2.6 standard deviations. We examine the implications of this discrepancy for supersymmetry. Deviations of the reported magnitude are generic in supersymmetric theories. Based on the new result, we derive model-independent upper bounds on the masses of observable supersymmetric particles. We also examine several model frameworks. The sign of the reported deviation is as predicted in many simple models, but disfavors anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Do good health and material circumstances protect older people from the increased risk of death after bereavement?

This is an open access Article. Copyright @ 2012 The AuthorsAn increased risk of death in persons who have suffered spousal bereavement has been described in many populations. The impact of modifying factors, such as chronic disease and material circumstances, is less well understood. The authors followed 171,120 couples 60 years of age or older in a United Kingdom primary care database between 2005 and 2010 for an average of 4 years. A total of 26,646 (15.5%) couples experienced bereavement, with mean follow up after bereavement of 2 years. In a model adjusted for age, sex, comorbid conditions at baseline, material deprivation based on area of residence, season, and smoking status, the hazard ratio for mortality in the first year after bereavement was 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.18, 1.33). Further adjustment for changes in comorbid conditions throughout follow up did not alter the hazard ratio for bereavement (hazard ratio = 1.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.19, 1.35). The association was strongest in individuals with no significant chronic comorbid conditions throughout follow up (hazard ratio = 1.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.28, 1.77) and in more affluent couples (P = 0.035). In the first year after bereavement, the association between bereavement and death is not primarily mediated through worsening or new onset of chronic disease. Good health and material circumstances do not protect individuals from increased mortality rates after bereavement.This study was funded by a grant from the Dunhill Medical Trust

Statistical power to detect genetic and environmental influences in the presence of data missing at random.

We study the situation in which a cheap measure (X) is observed in a large, representative twin sample, and a more expensive measure (Y) is observed in a selected subsample. The aim of this study is to investigate the optimal selection design in terms of the statistical power to detect genetic and environmental influences on the variance of Y and on the covariance of X and Y. Data were simulated for 4000 dizygotic and 2000 monozygotic twins. Missingness (87% vs. 97%) was then introduced in accordance with 7 selection designs: (i) concordant low + individual high design; (ii) extreme concordant design; (iii) extreme concordant and discordant design (EDAC); (iv) extreme discordant design; (v) individual score selection design; (vi) selection of an optimal number of MZ and DZ twins; and (vii) missing completely at random. The statistical power to detect the influence of additive and dominant genetic and shared environmental effects on the variance of Y and on the covariance between X and Y was investigated. The best selection design is the individual score selection design. The power to detect additive genetic effects is high irrespective of the percentage of missingness or selection design. The power to detect shared environmental effects is acceptable when the percentage of missingness is 87%, but is low when the percentage of missingness is 97%, except for the individual score selection design, in which the power remains acceptable. The power to detect D is low, irrespective of selection design or percentage of missingness. The individual score selection design is therefore the best design for detecting genetic and environmental influences on the variance of Y and on the covariance of X and Y. However, the EDAC design may be preferred when an additional purpose of a study is to detect quantitative trait loci effects