8,424 research outputs found
Quantum Nature of Edge Magnetism in Graphene
It is argued that the subtle crossover from decoherence-dominated classical
magnetism to fluctuation-dominated quantum magnetism is experimentally
accessible in graphene nanoribbons. We show that the width of a nanoribbon
determines whether the edge magnetism is on the classical side, on the quantum
side, or in between. In the classical regime, decoherence is dominant and leads
to static spin polarizations at the ribbon edges, which are well described by
mean-field theories. The quantum Zeno effect is identified as the basic
mechanism which is responsible for the spin polarization and thereby enables
the application of graphene in spintronics. On the quantum side, however, the
spin polarization is destroyed by dynamical processes. The great tunability of
graphene magnetism thus offers a viable route for the study of the
quantum-classical crossover.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Effective models for strong electronic correlations at graphene edges
We describe a method for deriving effective low-energy theories of electronic
interactions at graphene edges. Our method is applicable to general edges of
honeycomb lattices (zigzag, chiral, and even disordered) as long as localized
low-energy states (edge states) are present. The central characteristic of the
effective theories is a dramatically reduced number of degrees of freedom. As a
consequence, the solution of the effective theory by exact diagonalization is
feasible for reasonably large ribbon sizes. The quality of the involved
approximations is critically assessed by comparing the correlation functions
obtained from the effective theory with numerically exact quantum Monte-Carlo
calculations. We discuss effective theories of two levels: a relatively
complicated fermionic edge state theory and a further reduced Heisenberg spin
model. The latter theory paves the way to an efficient description of the
magnetic features in long and structurally disordered graphene edges beyond the
mean-field approximation.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure
Multiple mRNA isoforms of the transcription activator protein CREB
We have characterized cDNA clones representing mouse
CREB (cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein)
mRNA isoforms. These include CREBA and CREBa, of
which the rat and human homologues have been
previously identified. Both encode proteins with CREbinding
activity and identical transactivation potential.
The additional CREB mRNA isoforms potentially encode
CREB related proteins. From the structural organization
of the mouse CREB gene we conclude that the multiple
transcripts are generated by alternative splicing. Furthermore
we show that specific CREB mRNA isoforms are
expressed at a high level in the adult testis. Expression
of these isoforms is induced after commencement of
spermatogenesis. In situ hybridization suggests that this
expression occurs predominantly in the primary spermatocytes.
Comparison of the CREB gene with the recently
isolated CREM (cAMP responsive element modulator)
cDNAs illustrates that the two genes have arisen by gene
duplication and have diverged to encode transcriptional
activators and repressors of the cAMP signal transduction
pathway
High-Velocity Features in Type Ia Supernova Spectra
We use a sample of 58 low-redshift (z <= 0.03) Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia)
having well-sampled light curves and spectra near maximum light to examine the
behaviour of high-velocity features (HVFs) in SN Ia spectra. We take advantage
of the fact that Si II 6355 is free of HVFs at maximum light in all SNe Ia,
allowing us to quantify the strength of HVFs by comparing the structure of
these two lines. We find that the average HVF strength increases with
decreasing light-curve decline rate, and rapidly declining SNe Ia (dm_15(B) >=
1.4 mag) show no HVFs in their maximum-light spectra. Comparison of HVF
strength to the light-curve colour of the SNe Ia in our sample shows no
evidence of correlation. We find a correlation of HVF strength with the
velocity of Si II 6355 at maximum light (v_Si), such that SNe Ia with lower
v_Si have stronger HVFs, while those SNe Ia firmly in the "high-velocity"
(i.e., v_Si >= 12,000 km/s) subclass exhibit no HVFs in their maximum-light
spectra. While v_Si and dm_15(B) show no correlation in the full sample of SNe
Ia, we find a significant correlation between these quantities in the subset of
SNe Ia having weak HVFs. In general, we find that slowly declining (low
dm_15(B)) SNe Ia, which are more luminous and more energetic than average SNe
Ia, tend to produce either high photospheric ejecta velocities (i.e., high
v_Si) or strong HVFs at maximum light, but not both. Finally, we examine the
evolution of HVF strength for a sample of SNe Ia having extensive pre-maximum
spectroscopic coverage and find significant diversity of the pre-maximum HVF
behaviour.Comment: Version accepted by MNRA
Trends in risk taking and risk reduction among German MSM: results of follow-up surveys "Gay men and AIDS" 1991-2007
"Objectives: To calculate estimates for group level trends among German men who have sex with men (MSM) regarding parameters related to HIV epidemiology: frequency of anal intercourse, consistency in condom use, risk-taking, numbers of sex partners, incident bacterial STIs, and HIV-testing behaviour. Methods: Data derived from six large cross-sectional national follow-up surveys among MSM, conducted between 1991 and 2007. Questionnaires were circulated with German magazines for gay men; in 2003/2007, online recruitment was added. 23,878 anonymously self-administered questionnaires were analyzed in multiple regression models for five subgroups. Results: With the normalization of AIDS, restriction of anal intercourse to primary partnerships has lost its relevance as a risk avoidance strategy for MSM. Other traditional risk reduction strategies among MSM in Germany showed a high degree of time stability: Between 1991 and 2007, condom use in anal intercourse has been relatively stable; numbers of sex partners have been rather constant. No positive trends in the use of Nitrite inhalants were seen, party drugs were increasingly used by a minority of gay men during the 1990s. The syphilis epidemic seen after 1999 among German gay men is well reflected in the survey data. No evidence was found for a concurrent rise in urethral gonorrhoea. The proportion of MSM with a recent HIV test has been continuously increasing. Conclusions: We found no evidence for increasing 'carelessness' or 'prevention fatigue'. However, given the increasing proportions of MSM who frequently engage in anal intercourse with casual partners, a rise in HIV incidence is likely; especially if accompanied by a syphilis epidemic. Time trend analyses of these large behavioural follow-up surveys suggest that the rise in new HIV diagnoses among MSM in Germany may partially reflect an increased uptake of HIV-testing, rather than new infections due to the erosion of condom use or increased numbers of sex partners." (author's abstract
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