The Influence of Silicon Nanoclusters on the Optical Properties of a-SiNx Samples: A Theoretical Study

By means of ab-initio calculations we investigate the optical properties of pure a-SiN$_x$ samples, with $x \in [0.4, 1.8]$, and samples embedding silicon nanoclusters (NCs) of diameter $0.5 \leq d \leq 1.0$ nm. In the pure samples the optical absorption gap and the radiative recombination rate vary according to the concentration of Si-N bonds. In the presence of NCs the radiative rate of the samples is barely affected, indicating that the intense photoluminescence of experimental samples is mostly due to the matrix itself rather than to the NCs. Besides, we evidence an important role of Si-N-Si bonds at the NC/matrix interface in the observed photoluminescence trend

Critical chain length and superconductivity emergence in oxygen-equalized pairs of YBa2Cu3O6.30

The oxygen-order dependent emergence of superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O6+x is studied, for the first time in a comparative way, on pair samples having the same oxygen content and thermal history, but different Cu(1)Ox chain arrangements deriving from their intercalated and deintercalated nature. Structural and electronic non-equivalence of pairs samples is detected in the critical region and found to be related, on microscopic scale, to a different average chain length, which, on being experimentally determined by nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), sheds new light on the concept of critical chain length for hole doping efficiency.Comment: 7 RevTex pages, 2 Postscript figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Paleolimnological evidence for increased sexual reproduction in chydorids (Chydoridae, Cladocera) under environmental stress

To investigate the extent to which anthropogenic perturbations such as eutrophication and trace metal pollution (i.e., environmental stress sensu Odum 1985) influence the reproductive modes of cladoceran populations, we analyzed the abundance of subfossils of the chydorids Alonella nana (Baird, 1850) and Alona affinis (Leydig, 1860) in sediment cores from three Finnish lakes. Reconstruction of lakes\u27 pollutant history and the biological response of chydorids indicate that in two of the lakes the proportion of individuals reproducing sexually increased with environmental stressors. More specifically, A. nana responded to eutrophication in Lake Hamptr?sk with greater production of ephippia, while A. affinis responded to aluminum pollution or acidification in Lake Pieni Majaslampi. In contrast, the reference lake, Lake Iso Lehm?lampi, showed no radical changes in sexual reproduction over the twomillennium long sediment record. We conclude that chydorids may use sexual reproduction as a strategy for overcoming unexpected environmental stresses

Mathematical Phase Model of Neural Populations Interaction in Modulation of REM/NREM Sleep

Aim of the present study is to compare the synchronization of the classical Kuramoto system and the reaction - diffusion space time Landau - Ginzburg model, in order to describe the alternation of REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep across the night. These types of sleep are considered as produced by the cyclic oscillation of two neuronal populations that, alternatively, promote and inhibit the REM sleep. Even if experimental data will be necessary, a possible interpretation of the results has been proposed

Exciton states in monolayer MoSe2 and MoTe2 probed by upconversion spectroscopy

Transitions metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are direct semiconductors in the atomic monolayer (ML) limit with fascinating optical and spin-valley properties. The strong optical absorption of up to 20 % for a single ML is governed by excitons, electron-hole pairs bound by Coulomb attraction. Excited exciton states in MoSe$_2$ and MoTe$_2$ monolayers have so far been elusive due to their low oscillator strength and strong inhomogeneous broadening. Here we show that encapsulation in hexagonal boron nitride results in emission line width of the A:1$s$ exciton below 1.5 meV and 3 meV in our MoSe$_2$ and MoTe$_2$ monolayer samples, respectively. This allows us to investigate the excited exciton states by photoluminescence upconversion spectroscopy for both monolayer materials. The excitation laser is tuned into resonance with the A:1$s$ transition and we observe emission of excited exciton states up to 200 meV above the laser energy. We demonstrate bias control of the efficiency of this non-linear optical process. At the origin of upconversion our model calculations suggest an exciton-exciton (Auger) scattering mechanism specific to TMD MLs involving an excited conduction band thus generating high energy excitons with small wave-vectors. The optical transitions are further investigated by white light reflectivity, photoluminescence excitation and resonant Raman scattering confirming their origin as excited excitonic states in monolayer thin semiconductors.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, main text and appendi

Use of the multivariate discriminant analysis for genome-wide association studies in cattle

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are traditionally carried out by using the single marker regression model that, if a small number of individuals is involved, often lead to very few associations. The Bayesian methods, such as BayesR, have obtained encouraging results when they are applied to the GWAS. However, these approaches, require that an a priori posterior inclusion probability threshold be fixed, thus arbitrarily affecting the obtained associations. To partially overcome these problems, a multivariate statistical algorithm was proposed. The basic idea was that animals with different phenotypic values of a specific trait share different allelic combinations for genes involved in its determinism. Three multivariate techniques were used to highlight the differences between the individuals assembled in high and low phenotype groups: the canonical discriminant analysis, the discriminant analysis and the stepwise discriminant analysis. The multivariate method was tested both on simulated and on real data. The results from the simulation study highlighted that the multivariate GWAS detected a greater number of true associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) than the single marker model and the Bayesian approach. For example, with 3000 animals, the traditional GWAS highlighted only 29 significantly associated markers and 13 QTLs, whereas the multivariate method found 127 associated SNPs and 65 QTLs. The gap between the two approaches slowly decreased as the number of animals increased. The Bayesian method gave worse results than the other two. On average, with the real data, the multivariate GWAS found 108 associated markers for each trait under study and among them, around 63% SNPs were also found in the single marker approach. Among the top 118 associated markers, 76 SNPs harbored putative candidate genes

Centre selection for clinical trials and the generalisability of results: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: The rationale for centre selection in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is often unclear but may have important implications for the generalisability of trial results. The aims of this study were to evaluate the factors which currently influence centre selection in RCTs and consider how generalisability considerations inform current and optimal practice. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Mixed methods approach consisting of a systematic review and meta-summary of centre selection criteria reported in RCT protocols funded by the UK National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) initiated between January 2005-January 2012; and an online survey on the topic of current and optimal centre selection, distributed to professionals in the 48 UK Clinical Trials Units and 10 NIHR Research Design Services. The survey design was informed by the systematic review and by two focus groups conducted with trialists at the Birmingham Centre for Clinical Trials. 129 trial protocols were included in the systematic review, with a total target sample size in excess of 317,000 participants. The meta-summary identified 53 unique centre selection criteria. 78 protocols (60%) provided at least one criterion for centre selection, but only 31 (24%) protocols explicitly acknowledged generalisability. This is consistent with the survey findings (n = 70), where less than a third of participants reported generalisability as a key driver of centre selection in current practice. This contrasts with trialists' views on optimal practice, where generalisability in terms of clinical practice, population characteristics and economic results were prime considerations for 60% (n = 42), 57% (n = 40) and 46% (n = 32) of respondents, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Centres are rarely enrolled in RCTs with an explicit view to external validity, although trialists acknowledge that incorporating generalisability in centre selection should ideally be more prominent. There is a need to operationalize 'generalisability' and incorporate it at the design stage of RCTs so that results are readily transferable to 'real world' practice

Comparison of fatty acid profile in lamb meat and baby food based on lamb meat

The aim of this study was to compare the fatty acid (FA) profile of fresh lamb meat with those of baby foods based on lamb meat. For this purpose, samples of commercial homogenized (HO) and lyophilized (LIO) baby food based on lamb meat and fresh lamb meat (FM) were analyzed for their FA composition. All fatty acids, except for oleic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), differed among the three baby products tested. The sum of omega-6 FA and the ratio omega 6/omega 3 FA were lower in FM and LIO meat compared to HO samples. The content of total PUFA n-3 was the highest in FM, because of its highest content of C18:3 n3, EPA, DPA and DHA compared to LIO and HO baby food. The content of arachidonic acid was more than 6-fold higher in FM compared to LIO and HO. This study evidenced the possibility of enhancing the FA profile of commercial baby food based on lamb meat by using meat with healthier FA profile

A mechanistic investigation of the ruthenium porphyrin catalysed aziridination of olefins by aryl azides

A combination of DFT and kinetic studies suggests a mechanism for olefin aziridination by organic azides catalysed by ruthenium porphyrins