Field-emission characteristics of conical boron nitride nanorods

We present the electron field-emission (FE) characteristics of conical boron nitride nanorods grown on a (1 0 0) n-type silicon substrate. The emission current can be up to ∼60 νA at an applied voltage of ∼3 kV. Two distinct slopes are evident in th

Quantum transport through a double Aharonov-Bohm-interferometer in the presence of Andreev reflection

Quantum transport through a double Aharonov-Bohm-interferometer in the presence of Andreev reflection is investigated in terms of the nonequilibrium Green function method with which the reflection current is obtained. Tunable Andreev reflection probabilities depending on the interdot coupling strength and magnetic flux as well are analysised in detail. It is found that the oscillation period of the reflection probability with respect to the magnetic flux for the double interferometer depends linearly on the ratio of two parts magnetic fluxes n, i.e. 2(n+1)pi, while that of a single interferometer is 2pi. The coupling strength not only affects the height and the linewidth of Andreev reflection current peaks vs gate votage but also shifts the peak positions. It is furthermore demonstrated that the Andreev reflection current peaks can be tuned by the magnetic fluxes.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figur

A Cosmological Model with Dark Spinor Source

In this paper, we discuss the system of Friedman-Robertson-Walker metric coupling with massive nonlinear dark spinors in detail, where the thermodynamic movement of spinors is also taken into account. The results show that, the nonlinear potential of the spinor field can provide a tiny negative pressure, which resists the Universe to become singular. The solution is oscillating in time and closed in space, which approximately takes the following form g_{\mu\nu}=\bar R^2(1-\delta\cos t)^2\diag(1,-1,-\sin^2r ,-\sin^2r \sin^2\theta), with $\bar R= (1\sim 2)\times 10^{12}$ light year, and $\delta=0.96\sim 0.99$. The present time is about $t\sim 18^\circ$.Comment: 13 pages, no figure, to appear in IJMP

Acupuncture point injection treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea: a randomised, double blind, controlled study

Objective: To determine if injection of vitamin K3 in an acupuncture point is optimal for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea, when compared with 2 other injection treatments. Setting: A Menstrual Disorder Centre at a public hospital in Shanghai, China. Participants: Chinese women aged 14–25 years with severe primary dysmenorrhoea for at least 6 months not relieved by any other treatment were recruited. Exclusion criteria were the use of oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices or anticoagulant drugs, pregnancy, history of abdominal surgery, participation in other therapies for pain and diagnosis of secondary dysmenorrhoea. Eighty patients with primary dysmenorrhoea, as defined on a 4-grade scale, completed the study. Two patients withdrew after randomisation. Interventions: A double-blind, double-dummy, randomised controlled trial compared vitamin K3 acupuncture point injection to saline acupuncture point injection and vitamin K3 deep muscle injection. Patients in each group received 3 injections at a single treatment visit. Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome was the difference in subjective perception of pain as measured by an 11 unit Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Secondary measurements were Cox Pain Intensity and Duration scales and the consumption of analgesic tablets before and after treatment and during 6 following cycles. Results: Patients in all 3 groups experienced pain relief from the injection treatments. Differences in NRS measured mean pain scores between the 2 active control groups were less than 1 unit (−0.71, CI −1.37 to −0.05) and not significant, but the differences in average scores between the treatment hypothesised to be optimal and both active control groups (1.11, CI 0.45 to 1.78) and (1.82, CI 1.45 to 2.49) were statistically significant in adjusted mixed-effects models. Menstrual distress and use of analgesics were diminished for 6 months post-treatment. Conclusions: Acupuncture point injection of vitamin K3 relieves menstrual pain rapidly and is a useful treatment in an urban outpatient clinic

CD100 up-Regulation Induced by Interferon-α on B Cells Is Related to Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Objectives: CD100, also known as Sema4D, is a member of the semaphorin family and has important regulatory functions that promote immune cell activation and responses. The role of CD100 expression on B cells in immune regulation during chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unclear. Materials and Methods: We longitudinally investigated the altered expression of CD100, its receptor CD72, and other activation markers CD69 and CD86 on B cells in 20 chronic HCV-infected patients before and after treatment with pegylated interferon-alpha (Peg-IFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) by flow cytometry. Results: The frequency of CD5+ B cells as well as the expression levels of CD100, CD69 and CD86 was significantly increased in chronic HCV patients and returned to normal in patients with sustained virological response after discontinuation of IFN-α/RBV therapy. Upon IFN-α treatment, CD100 expression on B cells and the two subsets was further up-regulated in patients who achieved early virological response, and this was confirmed by in vitro experiments. Moreover, the increased CD100 expression via IFN-α was inversely correlated with the decline of the HCV-RNA titer during early-phase treatment. Conclusions: Peripheral B cells show an activated phenotype during chronic HCV infection. Moreover, IFN-α therapy facilitates the reversion of disrupted B cell homeostasis, and up-regulated expression of CD100 may be indirectly related to HCV clearance

Unusual competition of superconductivity and charge-density-wave state in a compressed topological kagome metal

Understanding the competition between superconductivity and other ordered states (such as antiferromagnetic or charge-density-wave (CDW) state) is a central issue in condensed matter physics. The recently discovered layered kagome metal AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, and Cs) provides us a new playground to study the interplay of superconductivity and CDW state by involving nontrivial topology of band structures. Here, we conduct high-pressure electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements to study CsV3Sb5 with the highest Tc of 2.7 K in AV3Sb5 family. While the CDW transition is monotonically suppressed by pressure, superconductivity is enhanced with increasing pressure up to P1~0.7 GPa, then an unexpected suppression on superconductivity happens until pressure around 1.1 GPa, after that, Tc is enhanced with increasing pressure again. The CDW is completely suppressed at a critical pressure P2~2 GPa together with a maximum Tc of about 8 K. In contrast to a common dome-like behavior, the pressure-dependent Tc shows an unexpected double-peak behavior. The unusual suppression of Tc at P1 is concomitant with the rapidly damping of quantum oscillations, sudden enhancement of the residual resistivity and rapid decrease of magnetoresistance. Our discoveries indicate an unusual competition between superconductivity and CDW state in pressurized kagome lattice.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

MicroRNA-Mediated Control of Oligodendrocyte Differentiation

SummaryMicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate various biological processes, but evidence for miRNAs that control the differentiation program of specific neural cell types has been elusive. To determine the role of miRNAs in the formation of myelinating oligodendrocytes, we selectively deleted a miRNA-processing enzyme, Dicer1, in oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Mice lacking Dicer1 display severe myelinating deficits despite an expansion of the oligodendrocyte progenitor pool. To search for miRNAs responsible for the induction of oligodendrocyte maturation, we identified miR-219 and miR-338 as oligodendrocyte-specific miRNAs in spinal cord. Overexpression of these miRNAs is sufficient to promote oligodendrocyte differentiation. Additionally, blockage of these miRNA activities in oligodendrocyte precursor culture and knockdown of miR-219 in zebrafish inhibit oligodendrocyte maturation. miR-219 and miR-338 function in part by directly repressing negative regulators of oligodendrocyte differentiation, including transcription factors Sox6 and Hes5. These findings illustrate that miRNAs are important regulators of oligodendrocyte differentiation, providing new targets for myelin repair

Tenfold Magnetoconductance in a Non-Magnetic Metal Film

We present magnetoconductance (MC) measurements of homogeneously disordered Be films whose zero field sheet conductance (G) is described by the Efros-Shklovskii hopping law $G(T)=(2e^2/h)\exp{-(T_o/T)^{1/2}}$. The low field MC of the films is negative with G decreasing 200% below 1 T. In contrast the MC above 1 T is strongly positive. At 8 T, G increases 1000% in perpendicular field and 500% in parallel field. In the simpler parallel case, we observe {\em field enhanced} variable range hopping characterized by an attenuation of $T_o$ via the Zeeman interaction.Comment: 9 pages including 5 figure