480 research outputs found
Ag on Ge(111): 2D X-ray structure analysis of the (Wurzel)3 x (Wurzel)3 superstructure
We have studied the Ag/Ge(111)(Wurzel)3 x (Wurzel)3 superstructure by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction. In our structural analysis we find striking similarities to the geometry of Au on Si(111). The Ag atoms form trimer clusters with an Ag-Ag distance of 2.94+-0.04°A with the centers of the trimers being located at the origins of the (Wurzel)3 x (Wurzel)3 lattice. The Ag layer is incomplete and at least one substrate layer is distorted
Static lattice distortions and the structure of Au/Si(111)-(5×1): An x-ray-diffraction study
Grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction has been used to determine the atomic arrangement in the 5×1 structure of Au on Si(111). The main features of this structure are partially occupied rows of gold atoms in low-symmetry sites. The density of Au atoms is highly asymmetric in the direction perpendicular to the rows. The substrate atoms in the top double layer are shifted up to 1 Å from their bulk position. The structure has a disordered 5×2 periodicity due to the variation of the interatomic Au-Au distances within a row in the [011¯] direction. The model is consistent with recent scanning-tunneling-microscopy topographs
Fully connected bulk Pb 1−
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Characterisation of adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicle subtypes identifies distinct protein and lipid signatures for large and small extracellular vesicles
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are biological vectors that can modulate the metabolism of target cells by conveying signalling proteins and genomic material. The level of EVs in plasma is significantly increased in cardiometabolic diseases associated with obesity, suggesting their possible participation in the development of metabolic dysfunction. With regard to the poor definition of adipocyte-derived EVs, the purpose of this study was to characterise both qualitatively and quantitatively EVs subpopulations secreted by fat cells. Adipocyte-derived EVs were isolated by differential centrifugation of conditioned media collected from 3T3-L1 adipocytes cultured for 24Â h in serum-free conditions. Based on morphological and biochemical properties, as well as quantification of secreted EVs, we distinguished two subpopulations of adipocyte-derived EVs, namely small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and large extracellular vesicles (lEVs). Proteomic analyses revealed that lEVs and sEVs exhibit specific protein signatures, allowing us not only to define novel markers of each population, but also to predict their biological functions. Despite similar phospholipid patterns, the comparative lipidomic analysis performed on these EV subclasses revealed a specific cholesterol enrichment of the sEV population, whereas lEVs were characterised by high amounts of externalised phosphatidylserine. Enhanced secretion of lEVs and sEVs is achievable following exposure to different biological stimuli related to the chronic low-grade inflammation state associated with obesity. Finally, we demonstrate the ability of primary murine adipocytes to secrete sEVs and lEVs, which display physical and biological characteristics similar to those described for 3T3-L1. Our study provides additional information and elements to define EV subtypes based on the characterisation of adipocyte-derived EV populations. It also underscores the need to distinguish EV subpopulations, through a combination of multiple approaches and markers, since their specific composition may cause distinct metabolic responses in recipient cells and tissues
Kagome silicene: a novel exotic form of two-dimensional epitaxial silicon
Since the discovery of graphene, intensive efforts have been made in search
of novel two-dimensional (2D) materials. Decreasing the materials
dimensionality to their ultimate thinness is a promising route to unveil new
physical phenomena, and potentially improve the performance of devices. Among
recent 2D materials, analogs of graphene, the group IV elements have attracted
much attention for their unexpected and tunable physical properties. Depending
on the growth conditions and substrates, several structures of silicene,
germanene, and stanene can be formed. Here, we report the synthesis of a Kagome
lattice of silicene on aluminum (111) substrates. We provide evidence of such
an exotic 2D Si allotrope through scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)
observations, high-resolution core-level (CL) and angle-resolved photoelectron
spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements, along with Density Functional Theory
calculations.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
Charge density waves and surface Mott insulators for adlayer structures on semiconductors: extended Hubbard modeling
Motivated by the recent experimental evidence of commensurate surface charge
density waves (CDW) in Pb/Ge(111) and Sn/Ge(111) sqrt{3}-adlayer structures, as
well as by the insulating states found on K/Si(111):B and SiC(0001), we have
investigated the role of electron-electron interactions, and also of
electron-phonon coupling, on the narrow surface state band originating from the
outer dangling bond orbitals of the surface. We model the sqrt{3} dangling bond
lattice by an extended two-dimensional Hubbard model at half-filling on a
triangular lattice. We include an on-site Hubbard repulsion U and a
nearest-neighbor Coulomb interaction V, plus a long-ranged Coulomb tail. The
electron-phonon interaction is treated in the deformation potential
approximation. We have explored the phase diagram of this model including the
possibility of commensurate 3x3 phases, using mainly the Hartree-Fock
approximation. For U larger than the bandwidth we find a non-collinear
antiferromagnetic SDW insulator, possibly corresponding to the situation on the
SiC and K/Si surfaces. For U comparable or smaller, a rich phase diagram
arises, with several phases involving combinations of charge and
spin-density-waves (SDW), with or without a net magnetization. We find that
insulating, or partly metallic 3x3 CDW phases can be stabilized by two
different physical mechanisms. One is the inter-site repulsion V, that together
with electron-phonon coupling can lower the energy of a charge modulation. The
other is a novel magnetically-induced Fermi surface nesting, stabilizing a net
cell magnetization of 1/3, plus a collinear SDW, plus an associated weak CDW.
Comparison with available experimental evidence, and also with first-principle
calculations is made.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure
Population density, water supply, and the risk of dengue fever in Vietnam: cohort study and spatial analysis.
BACKGROUND: Aedes aegypti, the major vector of dengue viruses, often breeds in water storage containers used by households without tap water supply, and occurs in high numbers even in dense urban areas. We analysed the interaction between human population density and lack of tap water as a cause of dengue fever outbreaks with the aim of identifying geographic areas at highest risk. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted an individual-level cohort study in a population of 75,000 geo-referenced households in Vietnam over the course of two epidemics, on the basis of dengue hospital admissions (n = 3,013). We applied space-time scan statistics and mathematical models to confirm the findings. We identified a surprisingly narrow range of critical human population densities between around 3,000 to 7,000 people/km² prone to dengue outbreaks. In the study area, this population density was typical of villages and some peri-urban areas. Scan statistics showed that areas with a high population density or adequate water supply did not experience severe outbreaks. The risk of dengue was higher in rural than in urban areas, largely explained by lack of piped water supply, and in human population densities more often falling within the critical range. Mathematical modeling suggests that simple assumptions regarding area-level vector/host ratios may explain the occurrence of outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS: Rural areas may contribute at least as much to the dissemination of dengue fever as cities. Improving water supply and vector control in areas with a human population density critical for dengue transmission could increase the efficiency of control efforts. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
Chiral Symmetry Breaking and Pion Wave Function
We consider here chiral symmetry breaking through nontrivial vacuum structure
with quark antiquark condensates. We then relate the condensate function to the
wave function of pion as a Goldstone mode. This simultaneously yields the pion
also as a quark antiquark bound state as a localised zero mode in vacuum. We
illustrate the above with Nambu Jona-Lasinio model to calculate different
pionic properties in terms of the vacuum structure for breaking of exact or
approximate chiral symmetry, as well as the condensate fluctuations giving rise
to mesons.Comment: latex, revtex, 16 page
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