Strain induced effects on electronic structure of semi-metallic and semiconducting tin nanowires

Semimetal nanowires are known to undergo a semimetal to semiconductor transition as a consequence of quantum confinement as their diameters are decreased. Using density functional theory calculations, the electronic structure of tin nanowires (SnNWs) under uniaxial strain within a range of 4% to þ4% is investigated. It is demonstrated that a [110]-oriented semi-metallic SnNW with a diameter of 4.2 nm can be made either more metallic or semiconducting by the application of tensile or compressive strain, respectively. On the contrary, a [100]-oriented semimetallic SnNW with a slightly larger diameter of 4.5 nm remains semiconducting with the application of either compressive or tensile strain. Carrier effective masses are calculated from the band structures; it is shown that for semimetal SnNW along [110] orientation the conduction and valence bands display near linear dispersion under both compressive and tensile strains (<3%) which leads to very small effective masses of 0.007m0. We also show that strain energies and Young modulus vary with nanowire diameter and crystal orientation. The effect of alloying on the generation of tensile and compressive strains in SnNWs is also investigated

Electronic and structural properties of rhombohedral [1 1 1] and [1 1 0] oriented ultra-thin bismuth nanowires

Structures and electronic properties of rhombohedral [1 1 1] and [1 1 0] bismuth nanowires are calculated with the use of density functional theory. The formation of an energy band gap from quantum confinement is studied and to improve estimates for the band gap the GW approximation is applied. The [1 1 1] oriented nanowires require surface bonds to be chemically saturated to avoid formation of metallic surface states, whereas the surfaces of the [1 1 0] nanowires do not support metallic surface states. It is found that the onset of quantum confinement in the surface passivated [1 1 1] nanowires occurs at larger critical dimensions than for the [1 1 0] nanowires. For the [1 1 1] oriented nanowires it is predicted that a band gap of ~0.5 eV can be formed at a diameter of approximately 6 nm, whereas for the [1 1 0] oriented nanowires a diameter of approximately 3 nm is required to achieve a similar band gap energy. The GW correction is also applied to estimates of the electron affinity, ionisation potentials and work functions for both orientations of the nanowires for various diameters below 5 nm. The magnitude of the energy band gaps that arise in bismuth at critical dimensions of a few nanometers are of the same order as for conventional bulk semiconductors

Acoustoelastic Pure-Displacement Elements Based on Biot's Poromechanics Theory

From the elastic energy contained in a displacement based porous material the general form of the stiffness and mass matrices are obtained. If both fields can be expanded with equal order polynomials the general form is further simplified and it is shown that the coupling stiffness reduces to the one arising to compute volume changes in an elastic medium. A plane beam and a four node tetrahedron are developed. To avoid spurious rotational modes appearance in the tetrahedron fluid a penalty formulation is used. The effect of the penalty factor in matrix conditioning is analysed. Elements dynamic behaviour is compared

Simulation of junctionless Si nanowire transistors with 3 nm gate length

Inspired by recent experimental realizations and theoretical simulations of thin silicon nanowire-based devices, we perform proof-of-concept simulations of junctionless gated Si nanowire transistors. Based on first-principles, our primary predictions are that Si-based transistors are physically possible without major changes in design philosophy at scales of similar to 1 nm wire diameter and similar to 3 nm gate length, and that the junctionless transistor avoids potentially serious difficulties affecting junctioned channels at these length scales. We also present investigations into atomic-level design factors such as dopant positioning and concentration. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. (doi:10.1063/1.3478012

A mid-Cretaceous enantiornithine foot and tail feather preserved in Burmese amber

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Since the first skeletal remains of avians preserved in amber were described in 2016, new avian remains trapped in Cretaceous-age Burmese amber continue to be uncovered, revealing a diversity of skeletal and feather morphologies observed nowhere else in the Mesozoic fossil record. Here we describe a foot with digital proportions unlike any previously described enantiornithine or Mesozoic bird. No bones are preserved in the new specimen but the outline of the foot is recorded in a detailed skin surface, which is surrounded by feather inclusions including a partial rachis-dominated feather. Pedal proportions and plumage support identification as an enantiornithine, but unlike previous discoveries the toes are stout with transversely elongated digital pads, and the outer toe appears strongly thickened relative to the inner two digits. The new specimen increases the known diversity and morphological disparity among the Enantiornithes, hinting at a wider range of habitats and behaviours. It also suggests that the Burmese amber avifauna was distinct from other Mesozoic assemblages, with amber entrapment including representatives from unusual small forms

Characterization of seed nuclei in glucagon aggregation using light scattering methods and field-flow fractionation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Glucagon is a peptide hormone with many uses as a therapeutic agent, including the emergency treatment of hypoglycemia. Physical instability of glucagon in solution leads to problems with the manufacture, formulation, and delivery of this pharmaceutical product. Glucagon has been shown to aggregate and form fibrils and gels <it>in vitro</it>. Small oligomeric precursors serve to initiate and nucleate the aggregation process. In this study, these initial aggregates, or seed nuclei, are characterized in bulk solution using light scattering methods and field-flow fractionation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>High molecular weight aggregates of glucagon were detected in otherwise monomeric solutions using light scattering techniques. These aggregates were detected upon initial mixing of glucagon powder in dilute HCl and NaOH. In the pharmaceutically relevant case of acidic glucagon, the removal of aggregates by filtration significantly slowed the aggregation process. Field-flow fractionation was used to separate aggregates from monomeric glucagon and determine relative mass. The molar mass of the large aggregates was shown to grow appreciably over time as the glucagon solutions gelled.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of this study indicate that initial glucagon solutions are predominantly monomeric, but contain small quantities of large aggregates. These results suggest that the initial aggregates are seed nuclei, or intermediates which catalyze the aggregation process, even at low concentrations.</p

Identification of antisense nucleic acid hybridization sites in mRNA molecules with self-quenching fluorescent reporter molecules

We describe a physical mRNA mapping strategy employing fluorescent self-quenching reporter molecules (SQRMs) that facilitates the identification of mRNA sequence accessible for hybridization with antisense nucleic acids in vitro and in vivo, real time. SQRMs are 20–30 base oligodeoxynucleotides with 5–6 bp complementary ends to which a 5′ fluorophore and 3′ quenching group are attached. Alone, the SQRM complementary ends form a stem that holds the fluorophore and quencher in contact. When the SQRM forms base pairs with its target, the structure separates the fluorophore from the quencher. This event can be reported by fluorescence emission when the fluorophore is excited. The stem–loop of the SQRM suggests that SQRM be made to target natural stem–loop structures formed during mRNA synthesis. The general utility of this method is demonstrated by SQRM identification of targetable sequence within c-myb and bcl-6 mRNA. Corresponding antisense oligonucleotides reduce these gene products in cells

Relaciones entre aprendizaje inicial de la lengua escrita, métodos de enseñanza y estilo cognitivo

Esta investigación examina el efecto diferencial de dos metodologías distintas para la enseñanza de la escritura (método silábico y método global) en el proceso de aprendizaje de niños con estilo cognitivo diferente, según la dimensión de dependencia–independencia de campo. La investigación se desarrolló en una institución educativa pública con niños entre los cinco y siete años de edad, que se encontraban cursando preescolar y primer grado. Gracias a los datos obtenidos se encontró, primero, que el método silábico tiende a favorecer el proceso de aprendizaje de los sujetos con tendencia a la independencia de campo y, segundo, que el método global tiende a ser más equitativo que el silábico, en tanto parece no favorecer más a un estilo cognitivo sobre otro