4,398 research outputs found
Doping of a One-Dimensional Mott Insulator: Photoemision and Optical Studies of SrCuO
The spectral properties of a one-dimensional (1D) single-chain Mott insulator
SrCuO have been studied in angle-resolved photoemission and optical
spectroscopy, at half filling and with small concentrations of extra charge
doped into the chains via high oxygen pressure growth. The single- particle gap
is reduced with oxygen doping, but the metallic state is not reached. The
bandwidth of the charge-transfer band increases with doping, while the state
becomes narrower, allowing unambiguous observation of separated spinon and
holon branches in the doped system. The optical gap is not changed upon doping,
indicating that a shift of chemical potential rather than decrease of
corelation gap is responsible for the apparent reduction of the photoemission
gap.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Links between the Big Dry in Australia and hemispheric multi-decadal climate variability – implications for water resource management
Southeast Australia (SEA) experienced a protracted drought during the
mid-1990s until early 2010 (known as the Big Dry or Millennium Drought) that
resulted in serious environmental, social and economic effects. This paper
analyses a range of historical climate data sets to place the recent drought
into context in terms of Southern Hemisphere inter-annual to multi-decadal
hydroclimatic variability. The findings indicate that the recent Big Dry in
SEA is in fact linked to the widespread Southern Hemisphere climate shift
towards drier conditions that began in the mid-1970s. However, it is shown
that this link is masked because the large-scale climate drivers responsible
for drying in other regions of the mid-latitudes since the mid-1970s did not
have the same effect on SEA during the mid- to late 1980s and early 1990s.
More specifically, smaller-scale synoptic processes resulted in elevated
autumn and winter rainfall (a crucial period for SEA hydrology) during the
mid- to late 1980s and early 1990s, which punctuated the longer-term drying.
From the mid-1990s to 2010 the frequency of the synoptic processes associated
with elevated autumn/winter rainfall decreased, resulting in a return to
drier than average conditions and the onset of the Big Dry. The findings
presented in this paper have marked implications for water management and
climate attribution studies in SEA, in particular for understanding and
dealing with "baseline" (i.e. current) hydroclimatic risks
Comparison of three commercial sparse-matrix crystallization screens
Sparse-matrix sampling using commercially available crystallization screen kits has become the most popular way of determining the preliminary crystallization conditions for macromolecules. In this study, the efficiency of three commercial screening kits, Crystal Screen and Crystal Screen 2 (Hampton Research), Wizard Screens I and II (Emerald BioStructures) and Personal Structure Screens 1 and 2 (Molecular Dimensions), has been compared using a set of 19 diverse proteins. 18 proteins yielded crystals using at least one crystallization screen. Surprisingly, Crystal Screens and Personal Structure Screens showed dramatically different results, although most of the crystallization formulations are identical as listed by the manufacturers. Higher molecular weight polyethylene glycols and mixed precipitants were found to be the most effective precipitants in this study
Breeding \u3cem\u3eLotus Australis\u3c/em\u3e Andrews for Low Cyanide Content
Lotus australis Andrews is a native perennial tetraploid legume (2n=4x=28) widely distributed throughout Australia (Figure 1). It is highly variable with 14 botanical varieties reported in the Australian Plant Name Index (http://www.anbg.gov.au). Despite broad adaptation within L. australis no cultivars have been developed for cultivation. One of the main barriers to cultivation is the reported cyanogenic nature of the species (Foulds, 1982), which makes it potentially toxic when plant cyanogenic glycosides are fully hydrolysed to form hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Foulds (1982) also reported that the cyanophoric trait was polymorphic at seedling and adult stages with 12% of plants acyanogenic in some populations. . The Cooperative Research Center for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity, financially supported by Australian Wool Innovation has commenced a breeding program to develop a non-toxic cultivar of L. australis. The selection criterion of the first phase of the breeding programme was for low HCN production. Once this trait is stabilised, forage production and seed yield as well as general plant health will be the main breeding objectives
One Large Kindred Excludes a Locus for Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2A from about 25% of the Human Autosomal Genetic Map
This report presents pairwise linkage results from our search for the locus of the gene (MEN2A) for the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN-2A) syndrome in one large kindred (the N kindred), clearly segregating for an autosomal dominant form. About 25% of the autosomal genome is excluded when these new results are combined with those we have published previously. The genetic markers employed are distributed across at least 19 of the 22 autosomes. Seven genetic markers whose chromosomal locations are not yet established have also been studied
Analysis of Mars Analogue Soil Samples Using Solid-Phase Microextraction, Organic Solvent Extraction and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are robust and abundant molecules in extraterrestrial environments. They are found ubiquitously in the interstellar medium and have been identified in extracts of meteorites collected on Earth. PAHs are important target molecules for planetary exploration missions that investigate the organic inventory of planets, moons and small bodies. This study is part of an interdisciplinary preparation phase to search for organic molecules and life on Mars. We have investigated PAH compounds in desert soils to determine their composition, distribution and stability. Soil samples (Mars analogue soils) were collected at desert areas of Utah in the vicinity of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), in the Arequipa region in Peru and from the Jutland region of Denmark. The aim of this study was to optimize the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method for fast screening and determination of PAHs in soil samples. This method minimizes sample handling and preserves the chemical integrity of the sample. Complementary liquid extraction was used to obtain information on five- and six-ring PAH compounds. The measured concentrations of PAHs are, in general, very low, ranging from 1 to 60 ng g(sup -1). The texture of soils is mostly sandy loam with few samples being 100% silt. Collected soils are moderately basic with pH values of 8-9 except for the Salten Skov soil, which is slightly acidic. Although the diverse and variable microbial populations of the samples at the sample sites might have affected the levels and variety of PAHs detected, SPME appears to be a rapid, viable field sampling technique with implications for use on planetary missions
Genetic recombination is targeted towards gene promoter regions in dogs
The identification of the H3K4 trimethylase, PRDM9, as the gene responsible
for recombination hotspot localization has provided considerable insight into
the mechanisms by which recombination is initiated in mammals. However,
uniquely amongst mammals, canids appear to lack a functional version of PRDM9
and may therefore provide a model for understanding recombination that occurs
in the absence of PRDM9, and thus how PRDM9 functions to shape the
recombination landscape. We have constructed a fine-scale genetic map from
patterns of linkage disequilibrium assessed using high-throughput sequence data
from 51 free-ranging dogs, Canis lupus familiaris. While broad-scale properties
of recombination appear similar to other mammalian species, our fine-scale
estimates indicate that canine highly elevated recombination rates are observed
in the vicinity of CpG rich regions including gene promoter regions, but show
little association with H3K4 trimethylation marks identified in spermatocytes.
By comparison to genomic data from the Andean fox, Lycalopex culpaeus, we show
that biased gene conversion is a plausible mechanism by which the high CpG
content of the dog genome could have occurred.Comment: Updated version, with significant revision
Electronic Structure of the Cuprate Superconducting and Pseudogap Phases from Spectroscopic Imaging STM
We survey the use of spectroscopic imaging STM to probe the electronic
structure of underdoped cuprates. Two distinct classes of electronic states are
observed in both the d-wave superconducting (dSC) and the pseudogap (PG)
phases. The first class consists of the dispersive Bogoliubov quasiparticle
excitations of a homogeneous d-wave superconductor, existing below a lower
energy scale E=Delta0. We find that the Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference
signatures of delocalized Cooper pairing are restricted to a k-space arc which
terminates near the lines connecting k=\pm(pi/a0,0) to k=\pm(pi/a0). This arc
shrinks continuously with decreasing hole density such that Luttinger's theorem
could be satisfied if it represents the front side of a hole-pocket which is
bounded behind by the lines between k=\pm(pi/a0,0) and k=\pm(0,pi/a0). In both
phases the only broken symmetries detected for the |E|<Delta0 states are those
of a d-wave superconductor. The second class of states occurs proximate to the
pseudogap energy scale E=Delta1. Here the non-dispersive electronic structure
breaks the expected 90o-rotational symmetry of electronic structure within each
unit cell, at least down to 180o-rotational symmetry. This Q=0 electronic
symmetry breaking was first detected as an electronic inequivalence at the two
oxygen sites within each unit cell by using a measure of nematic (C2) symmetry.
Incommensurate non-dispersive conductance modulations, locally breaking both
rotational and translational symmetries, coexist with this intra-unit-cell
electronic symmetry breaking at E=Delta1. Their characteristic wavevector Q is
determined by the k-space points where Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference
terminates and therefore changes continuously with doping. The distinct broken
electronic symmetry states (Q=0 and finite Q) coexisting at E~Delta1 are found
to be indistinguishable in the dSC and PG phases.Comment: 32 pages with 10 figure
MLP: a MATLAB toolbox for rapid and reliable auditory threshold estimation
In this paper, we present MLP, a MATLAB toolbox enabling auditory
thresholds estimation via the adaptive Maximum Likelihood procedure proposed
by David Green (1990, 1993). This adaptive procedure is particularly appealing for
those psychologists that need to estimate thresholds with a good degree of accuracy
and in a short time. Together with a description of the toolbox, the current text
provides an introduction to the threshold estimation theory and a theoretical
explanation of the maximum likelihood adaptive procedure. MLP comes with a
graphical interface and it is provided with several built-in, classic psychoacoustics
experiments ready to use at a mouse click
Time to revisit Dr Finlay's casebook? The unique potential of the general practice case report
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