193 research outputs found
Spin Blockade in Capacitively Coupled Quantum Dots
We present transport measurements on a lateral double dot produced by
combining local anodic oxidation and electron beam lithography. We investigate
the tunability of our device and demonstrate, that we can switch between
capacitive and tunnel coupling. In the regime of capacitive coupling we observe
the phenomenon of spin blockade in a magnetic field and analyze the influence
of capacitive interdot coupling on this effect.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Combined atomic force microscope and electron-beam lithography used for the fabrication of variable-coupling quantum dots
We have combined direct nanofabrication by local anodic oxidation with
conventional electron-beam lithography to produce a parallel double quantum dot
based on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The combination of both nanolithography
methods allows to fabricate robust in-plane gates and Cr/Au top gate electrodes
on the same device for optimal controllability. This is illustrated by the
tunability of the interdot coupling in our device. We describe our fabrication
and alignment scheme in detail and demonstrate the tunability in
low-temperature transport measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Electronic structure of negative charge transfer CaFeO3 across the metal-insulator transition
We investigated the metal-insulator transition for epitaxial thin films of
the perovskite CaFeO3, a material with a significant oxygen ligand hole
contribution to its electronic structure. We find that biaxial tensile and
compressive strain suppress the metal-insulator transition temperature. By
combining hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, soft X-ray absorption
spectroscopy, and density functional calculations, we resolve the
element-specific changes to the electronic structure across the metal-insulator
transition. We demonstrate that the Fe electron valence undergoes no observable
change between the metallic and insulating states, whereas the O electronic
configuration undergoes significant changes. This strongly supports the
bond-disproportionation model of the metal-insulator transition for CaFeO3 and
highlights the importance of ligand holes in its electronic structure. By
sensitively measuring the ligand hole density, however, we find that it
increases by ~5-10% in the insulating state, which we ascribe to a further
localization of electron charge on the Fe sites. These results provide detailed
insight into the metal-insulator transition of negative charge transfer
compounds and should prove instructive for understanding metal-insulator
transitions in other late transition metal compounds such as the nickelates.Comment: Minor typographic changes mad
Dynamics of Highly Supercooled Liquids:Heterogeneity, Rheology, and Diffusion
Highly supercooled liquids with soft-core potentials are studied via
molecular dynamics simulations in two and three dimensions in quiescent and
sheared conditions.We may define bonds between neighboring particle pairs
unambiguously owing to the sharpness of the first peak of the pair correlation
functions. Upon structural rearrangements, they break collectively in the form
of clusters whose sizes grow with lowering the temperature . The bond life
time , which depends on and the shear rate \gdot, is on the order
of the usual structural or relaxation time in weak
shear \gdot \tau_{\alpha} \ll 1, while it decreases as 1/\gdot in strong
shear \gdot\tau_{\alpha} \gg 1 due to shear-induced cage breakage.
Accumulated broken bonds in a time interval () closely
resemble the critical fluctuations of Ising spin systems. For example, their
structure factor is well fitted to the Ornstein-Zernike form, which yields the
correlation length representing the maximum size of the clusters composed
of broken bonds. We also find a dynamical scaling relation, , valid for any and \gdot with in two dimensions and
in three dimensions. The viscosity is of order for any and
\gdot, so marked shear-thinning behavior emerges. The shear stress is close
to a limiting stress in a wide shear region. We also examine motion of tagged
particles in shear in three dimensions. The diffusion constant is found to be
of order with for any and \gdot, so
it is much enhanced in strong shear compared with its value at zero shear. This
indicates breakdown of the Einstein-Stokes relation in accord with experiments.
Some possible experiments are also proposed.Comment: 20pages (including figures
Comparing nuclear power trajectories in Germany and the UK: from âregimes' to âdemocraciesâ in sociotechnical transitions and Discontinuities
This paper focuses on arguably the single most striking contrast in contemporary major energy politics in Europe (and even the developed world as a whole): the starkly differing civil nuclear policies of Germany and the UK. Germany is seeking entirely to phase out nuclear power by 2022. Yet the UK advocates a ânuclear renaissanceâ, promoting the most ambitious new nuclear construction programme in Western Europe.Here,this paper poses a simple yet quite fundamental question: what are the particular divergent conditions most strongly implicated in the contrasting developments in these two countries. With nuclear playing such an iconic role in historical discussions over technological continuity and transformation, answering this may assist in wider understandings of sociotechnical incumbency and discontinuity in the burgeoning field ofâsustainability transitionsâ. To this end, an âabductiveâ approach is taken: deploying nine potentially relevant criteria for understanding the different directions pursued in Germany and the UK. Together constituted by 30 parameters spanning literatures related to socio-technical regimes in general as well as nuclear technology in particular, the criteria are divided into those that are âinternalâ and âexternalâ to the âfocal regime configurationâ of nuclear power and associated âchallenger technologiesâ like renewables.
It is âinternalâ criteria that are emphasised in conventional sociotechnical regime theory, with âexternalâ criteria relatively less well explored. Asking under each criterion whether attempted discontinuation of nuclear power would be more likely in Germany or the UK, a clear picture emerges. âInternalâ criteria suggest attempted nuclear discontinuation should be more likely in the UK than in Germanyâ the reverse of what is occurring.
âExternalâ criteria are more aligned with observed dynamics âespecially those relating to military nuclear commitments and broader âqualities of democracyâ. Despite many differences of framing concerning exactly what constitutes âdemocracyâ, a rich political science literature on this point is unanimous in characterising Germany more positively than the UK. Although based only on a single case,a potentially important question is nonetheless raised as to whether sociotechnical regime theory might usefully give greater attention to the general importance of various aspects of democracy in constituting conditions for significant technological discontinuities and transformations. If so, the policy implications are significant. A number of important areas are identified for future research, including the roles of diverse understandings and specific aspects of democracy and the particular relevance of military nuclear commitmentsâ whose under-discussion in civil nuclear policy literatures raises its own questions of democratic accountability
Out of Amazonia: late-Holocene climate change and the TupiâGuarani trans-continental expansion
The late Holocene expansion of the Tupi-Guarani languages from southern Amazonia to SE South America constitutes one of the largest expansions of any linguistic family in the world, spanning ~ 4000 km between latitudes 0°S and 35°S at about 2500 yr B.P. However, the underlying reasons for this expansion are a matter of debate. Here, we compare continental-scale palaeoecological, palaeoclimate, and archaeological datasets, to examine the role of climate change in facilitating the expansion of this forestfarming
culture. Because this expansion lies within the path of the South American Low-Level Jet, the key mechanism for moisture transport across lowland South America, we were able to explore the relationship between climate change, forest expansion, and the Tupi-Guarani. Our data
synthesis shows broad synchrony between late Holocene increasing precipitation and southerly expansion of both tropical forest and Guarani archaeological sites â the southernmost branch of the Tupi-Guarani. We conclude that climate change likely facilitated the agricultural expansion of the Guarani forest-farming culture by increasing the area of forested landscape that they could exploit, showing a prime example of ecological opportunism
Exploring the role of instrument design and instrument interaction for eco-innovation: a survey-based analysis of renewable energy innovation in Germany
Empirical research on eco-innovation has produced a substantive body of literature on the relevance of regulation for stimulating such innovation. Much of this work on the role of policy for eco-innovation relies on econometric analyses of company survey data. In this regard, the eco-innovation module introduced in 2008/9 in the Community Innova-tion Survey serves as an important data source that has helped improve our under-standing of the role of environmental and innovation policy for eco-innovation in the Eu-ropean Union (EU). However, so far, this data source has provided only limited oppor-tunities to generate insights into the role of instrument design and instrument interaction for eco-innovation. In this chapter, we present a first attempt to measure such aspects in a company innovation survey based on the example of renewable energy innovation in Germany. In particular, we explore to what extent the design of the German Renewa-ble Energy Sources Act (and the interaction of its feed-in tariffs with the EU emissions trading system) correlates with innovation in renewable power generation technologies. We find instrument design features but not instrument type to be related to eco-innovation. In addition, our exploratory study provides evidence for an interaction effect between climate policy and renewables support policy. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for future research on the role of policy in eco-innovation
Applications of microarray technology in breast cancer research
Microarrays provide a versatile platform for utilizing information from the Human Genome Project to benefit human health. This article reviews the ways in which microarray technology may be used in breast cancer research. Its diverse applications include monitoring chromosome gains and losses, tumour classification, drug discovery and development, DNA resequencing, mutation detection and investigating the mechanism of tumour development
Construction and evaluation of a whole genome microarray of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Toepel J, Albaum S, Arvidsson S, et al. Construction and evaluation of a whole genome microarray of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. BMC Genomics. 2011;12(1): 579.ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is widely accepted as a model organism regarding photosynthesis, circadian rhythm, cell mobility, phototaxis, and biotechnology. The complete annotation of the genome allows transcriptomic studies, however a new microarray platform was needed. Based on the completed annotation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii a new microarray on an Agilent platform was designed using an extended JGI 3.1 genome data set which included 15000 transcript models. RESULTS: In total 44000 probes were determined (3 independent probes per transcript model) covering 93% of the transcriptome. Alignment studies with the recently published AUGUSTUS 10.2 annotation confirmed 11000 transcript models resulting in a very good coverage of 70% of the transcriptome (17000). Following the estimation of 10000 predicted genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii our new microarray, nevertheless, covers the expected genome by 90-95%. CONCLUSIONS: To demonstrate the capabilities of the new microarray, we analyzed transcript levels for cultures grown under nitrogen as well as sulfate limitation, and compared the results with recently published microarray and RNA-seq data. We could thereby confirm previous results derived from data on nutrient-starvation induced gene expression of a group of genes related to protein transport and adaptation of the metabolism as well as genes related to efficient light harvesting, light energy distribution and photosynthetic electron transport
Squalene epoxidase, located on chromosome 8q24.1, is upregulated in 8q+ breast cancer and indicates poor clinical outcome in stage I and II disease
Gains of chromosomes 7p and 8q are associated with poor prognosis among oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) stage I/II breast cancer. To identify transcriptional changes associated with this breast cancer subtype, we applied suppression subtractive hybridisation method to analyse differentially expressed genes among six breast tumours with and without chromosomal 7p and 8q gains. Identified mRNAs were validated by real-time RTâPCR in tissue samples obtained from 186 patients with stage I/II breast cancer. Advanced statistical methods were applied to identify associations of mRNA expression with distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). mRNA expression of the key enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, squalene epoxidase (SQLE, chromosomal location 8q24.1), was associated with ER+ 7p+/8q+ breast cancer. Distant metastasis-free survival in stage I/II breast cancer cases was significantly inversely related to SQLE mRNA in multivariate Cox analysis (P<0.001) in two independent patient cohorts of 160 patients each. The clinically favourable group associated with a low SQLE mRNA expression could be further divided by mRNA expression levels of the oestrogen-regulated zinc transporter LIV-1. The data strongly support that SQLE mRNA expression might indicate high-risk ER+ stage I/II breast cancers. Further studies on tumour tissue from standardised treated patients, for example with tamoxifen, may validate the role of SQLE as a novel diagnostic parameter for ER+ early stage breast cancers
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