Universal temperature dependence of optical excitation life-time and band-gap in chirality assigned semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes

The temperature dependence of optical excitation life-time, Gamma, and transition energies, E_ii, were measured for bucky-papers of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and inner tubes in double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) using resonant Raman scattering. The temperature dependence of Gamma and E_ii is the same for both types of samples and is independent of tube chirality. The data proves that electron-phonon interaction is responsible for temperature dependence of E_ii(T). The temperature independent inhomogeneous contribution to Gamma is much larger in the SWCNT samples, which is explained by the different SWCNT environment in the two types of samples. Gamma of the inner tubes for the bucky-paper DWCNT sample is as low as \sim 30 meV, which is comparable to that found for individual SWCNTs

Quality of Life and Social Quality: Recent Developments

Complementary to the work of its National Experts within the scope of focus monitoring, the European Observatory on the Social Situation, Demography and Family carried out an Internet search project on the subjects of quality of life and social quality, with a view to obtaining relevant information for the EU and the National Experts. The following working paper investigates the use of the two concepts, both from a scientific perspective and from the European Union's point of view. Information sources are English and German-language scientific publications, EU documents and other associated information (e.g. from NGOs) obtained from the Internet. Accordingly, the large number of sources published on the subject in book form is not included in this paper

Engineering molecular chains in carbon nanotubes

A range of mono- and bis-functionalised fullerenes have been synthesised and inserted into single-walled carbon nanotubes. The effect of the size and shape of the functional groups of the fullerenes on the resultant 1D arrays formed within the nanotubes was investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The addition of non-planar, sterically bulky chains to the fullerene cage results in highly ordered 1D structures in which the fullerenes are evenly spaced along the internal nanotube cavity. Theoretical calculations reveal that the functional groups interact with neighbouring fullerene cages to space the fullerenes evenly within the confines of the nanotube. The addition of two functional groups to opposite sides of the fullerene cages results in a further increase in the separation of the fullerene cages within the nanotubes at the cost of lower nanotube filling rates.This work was financially supported by FWF project I83-N20 (ESF IMPrESS), the Royal Society, the European Research Council (ERC), "Fundacao para a Ciencia ea Tecnologia" through the program Ciencia 2008, the project SeARCH (Services and Advanced Research Computing with HTC/HPC clusters) and Nottingham Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Centre (NNNC)

How simple can a model of an empty viral capsid be? Charge distributions in viral capsids

We investigate and quantify salient features of the charge distributions on viral capsids. Our analysis combines the experimentally determined capsid geometry with simple models for ionization of amino acids, thus yielding the detailed description of spatial distribution for positive and negative charge across the capsid wall. The obtained data is processed in order to extract the mean radii of distributions, surface charge densities and dipole moment densities. The results are evaluated and examined in light of previously proposed models of capsid charge distributions, which are shown to have to some extent limited value when applied to real viruses.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in Journal of Biological Physic

Mutational Analysis of the SOX9 Gene in Campomelic Dysplasia and Autosomal Sex Reversal: Lack of Genotype/Phenotype Correlations

It has previously been shown that, in the heterozygous state, mutations in the SOX9 gene cause campomelic dysplasia (CD) and the often associated autosomal XY sex reversal. In 12 CD patients, 10 novel mutations and one recurrent mutation were characterized in one SOX9 allele each, and in one case, no mutation was found. Four missense mutations are all located within the high mobility group (HMG) domain. They either reduce or abolish the DNA-binding ability of the mutant SOX9 proteins. Among the five nonsense and three frameshift mutations identified, two leave the C-terminal transactivation (TA) domain encompassing residues 402-509 of SOX9 partly or almost completely intact. When tested in cell transfection experiments, the recurrent nonsense mutation Y440X, found in two patients who survived for four and more than 9 years, respectively, exhibits some residual transactivation ability. In contrast, a frameshift mutation extending the protein by 70 residues at codon 507, found in a patient who died shortly after birth, showed no transactivation. This is apparently due to instability of the mutant SOX9 protein as demonstrated by Western blotting. Amino acid substitutions and nonsense mutations are found in patients with and without XY sex reversal, indicating that sex reversal in CD is subject to variable penetrance. Finally, none of 18 female patients with XY gonadal dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome) showed an altered SOX9 banding pattern in SSCP assays, providing evidence that SOX9 mutations do not usually result in XY sex reversal without skeletal malformation

Self-productivity and complementarities in human development : evidence from MARS

This paper investigates the role of self-productivity and home resources in capability formation from infancy to adolescence. In addition, we study the complementarities between basic cognitive, motor and noncognitive abilities and social as well as academic achievement. Our data are taken from the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk (MARS), an epidemiological cohort study following the long-term outcome of early risk factors. Results indicate that initial risk conditions cumulate and that differences in basic abilities increase during development. Self-productivity rises in the developmental process and complementarities are evident. Noncognitive abilities promote cognitive abilities and social achievement. There is remarkable stability in the distribution of the economic and socio-emotional home resources during the early life cycle. This is presumably a major reason for the evolution of inequality in human development

Дослідження структури порушених відкритою розробкою земель й пошук шляхів вдосконалення рекультивації залишкових виробок кар'єрів

Стаття присвячена дослідженням структури порушених земель, на ділянках з видобутку корисних копалин відкритим способом. Наведено площі порушень земель при розробці основних видів корисних копалин. Проаналізовано ризики, що виникають із несвоєчасною рекультивацією земель гірничого відводу, а також від покинутих гірничих виробок старих кар'єрів. Паралельно розглянуті обсяги відходів гірничого виробництва та їх повторне використання в якості заповнювача для залишкових вироблених просторів кар'єрів.The article is devoted to the research of land violation indicators at the extraction of minerals by surface mining method. Data gives about the land violations area at the mining key minerals. Ana-lyzed the risks from the not-on-time reclamation of the mining clam and abandoned excavations of the old quarries. In parallel considered the volumes of mining wastes and their reuse as aggregate for filling residual spaces of surface mines.Статья посвящена исследованиям площадей нарушения земель, связанных с добычей полезных ископаемых открытым способом. Приведены площади нарушений земель при разработке основных видов полезных ископаемых. Проанализированы риски, представляемые несвоевременной рекультивацией земель горного отвода, а также заброшенными горными выработками старых карьеров. Параллельно рассмотрены объемы отходов горного производства и их повторное использование в качестве заполнителя для остаточных выработанных пространств карьеров

Reliability of Synaptic Transmission at the Synapses of Held In Vivo under Acoustic Stimulation

BACKGROUND:The giant synapses of Held play an important role in high-fidelity auditory processing and provide a model system for synaptic transmission at central synapses. Whether transmission of action potentials can fail at these synapses has been investigated in recent studies. At the endbulbs of Held in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) a consistent picture emerged, whereas at the calyx of Held in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) results on the reliability of transmission remain inconsistent. In vivo this discrepancy could be due to the difficulty in identifying failures of transmission. METHODS/FINDINGS:We introduce a novel method for detecting unreliable transmission in vivo. Based on the temporal relationship between a cells' waveform and other potentials in the recordings, a statistical test is developed that provides a balanced decision between the presence and the absence of failures. Its performance is quantified using simulated voltage recordings and found to exhibit a high level of accuracy. The method was applied to extracellular recordings from the synapses of Held in vivo. At the calyces of Held failures of transmission were found only rarely. By contrast, at the endbulbs of Held in the AVCN failures were found under spontaneous, excited, and suppressed conditions. In accordance with previous studies, failures occurred most abundantly in the suppressed condition, suggesting a role for inhibition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Under the investigated activity conditions/anesthesia, transmission seems to remain largely unimpeded in the MNTB, whereas in the AVCN the occurrence of failures is related to inhibition and could be the basis/result of computational mechanisms for temporal processing. More generally, our approach provides a formal tool for studying the reliability of transmission with high statistical accuracy under typical in vivo recording conditions