New mechanism for impurity-induced step bunching

Codeposition of impurities during the growth of a vicinal surface leads to an impurity concentration gradient on the terraces, which induces corresponding gradients in the mobility and the chemical potential of the adatoms. Here it is shown that the two types of gradients have opposing effects on the stability of the surface: Step bunching can be caused by impurities which either lower the adatom mobility, or increase the adatom chemical potential. In particular, impurities acting as random barriers (without affecting the adatom binding) cause step bunching, while for impurities acting as random traps the combination of the two effects reduces to a modification of the attachment boundary conditions at the steps. In this case attachment to descending steps, and thus step bunching, is favored if the impurities bind adatoms more weakly than the substrate.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Substantial revisions and correction

UV light induced accumulation of variability in a diploid strain of Aspergillus nidulans

The accumulated variability in asexual species was evaluated in Aspergillus nidulans diploid cells after repeated cycles of UV irradiation. The results show that diploid cells can accumulate a very high genetic variability in the heterozygous condition as previously shown with the base analog 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP)

Labyrinthine Island Growth during Pd/Ru(0001) Heteroepitaxy

Using low energy electron microscopy we observe that Pd deposited on Ru only attaches to small sections of the atomic step edges surrounding Pd islands. This causes a novel epitaxial growth mode in which islands advance in a snakelike motion, giving rise to labyrinthine patterns. Based on density functional theory together with scanning tunneling microscopy and low energy electron microscopy we propose that this growth mode is caused by a surface alloy forming around growing islands. This alloy gradually reduces step attachment rates, resulting in an instability that favors adatom attachment at fast advancing step sections

Unidimensional model of the ad-atom diffusion on a substrate submitted to a standing acoustic wave I. Derivation of the ad-atom motion equation

The effect of a standing acoustic wave on the diffusion of an ad-atom on a crystalline surface is theoretically studied. We used an unidimensional space model to study the ad-atom+substrate system. The dynamic equation of the ad-atom, a Generalized Langevin equation, is analytically derived from the full Hamiltonian of the ad-atom+substrate system submitted to the acoustic wave. A detailed analysis of each term of this equation, as well as of their properties, is presented. Special attention is devoted to the expression of the effective force induced by the wave on the ad-atom. It has essentially the same spatial and time dependences as its parent standing acoustic wave

Genotoxic activity of 2-amino-N-hydroxylaminopurine (AHA) in Aspergillus nidulans

In Aspergillus nidulans, as well as in other eukaryotic cells, not all base analogs are mutagenic. For example, 2-aminopurine (2-AP) is non-mutagenic or weakly mutagenic for eukaryotes while it is mutagenic for bacteria. Because of their potential use in genetical research, an effort has been made to find base analogs mutagenic for eukaryotic cells. Work in this field has been successful: in fact, 6- hydroxylamino-purine (HAP) and 2-amino-N-hydroxylaminopurine (AHA) have been found mutagenic for yeast as well as for other eukaryotic cells. (Pavlov et al. 1991, Mut. Res. 253:33-46). In particular, Brockman et al. (Mut. Res. 177:61-75, 1987) tested the mutagenic activity of HAP and AHA in Neurospora crassa and found that AHA is about equally mutagenic as HAP at low doses but more mutagenic at high doses. In this paper we report the genotoxic activity of AHA in A. nidulans. In this mold, we have tested AHA-induced lethality and mutagenic and recombinogenic effect

SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence in people experiencing homelessness

Objective: People experiencing homelessness have peculiar characteristics that make them more vulnerable to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and to more serious forms of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the homeless population assisted by the primary care services of the Eleemosynaria Apostolica, Vatican City. Patients and methods: Persons experiencing homelessness and the volunteers assisting them were tested for COVID-19 through PCR and antigen rapid test between October 1st, 2020, and June 5th, 2021, in the clinical facilities of the Eleemosynaria Apostolica. Results: A total of 1665 subjects from 96 different countries in five continents were included in the study; age range was 1-90 years. Overall, 2315 COVID-19 tests through nasopharyngeal swab were performed; 1052 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests and 1263 antigen rapid tests. Nearly 40% of the subjects underwent both tests (n=650, 39.04%), 402 were tested with PCR test only (24.14%) and 613 with antigen test only (36.8%). PCR tests were negative in 966 cases and positive in 86 (8.17%), while antigen tests were negative in 1205 cases and positive in 58 (4.59%). The number of positive cases varied over time, with a drastic increase during the winter months of 2020 and a progressive decrease over 2021. Among positive cases, 24.41% were symptomatic; symptoms included fever, breathing difficulties, anosmia/hyposmia, cough, headache, and diarrhea. Conclusions: This study reported an overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in our sample slightly above 8%. Additional data on viral genome through sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in positive cases are of utmost importance to help identify variants and implement specific infection control measures

The microenvironment’s role in mycosis fungoides and sézary syndrome: From progression to therapeutic implications

Background: Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary Syndrome (SS) are the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. It has been hypothesized that the interaction between the immune system, cutaneous cells, and neoplastic elements may play a role in MF/SS pathogenesis and progression. Methods: This paper aims to revise in a narrative way our current knowledge of the microenvironment’s role in MF/SS. Results and Conclusions: Literature data support a possible implication of microenvironment cells in MF/SS pathogenesis and progression, opening up new therapeutic avenues

Persistence and survival in equilibrium step fluctuations

Results of analytic and numerical investigations of first-passage properties of equilibrium fluctuations of monatomic steps on a vicinal surface are reviewed. Both temporal and spatial persistence and survival probabilities, as well as the probability of persistent large deviations are considered. Results of experiments in which dynamical scanning tunneling microscopy is used to evaluate these first-passage properties for steps with different microscopic mechanisms of mass transport are also presented and interpreted in terms of theoretical predictions for appropriate models. Effects of discrete sampling, finite system size and finite observation time, which are important in understanding the results of experiments and simulations, are discussed.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, review paper for a special issue of JSTA