582 research outputs found
Spin-orbit coupling and crystal-field splitting in the electronic and optical properties of nitride quantum dots with a wurtzite crystal structure
We present an tight-binding model for the calculation of the
electronic and optical properties of wurtzite semiconductor quantum dots (QDs).
The tight-binding model takes into account strain, piezoelectricity, spin-orbit
coupling and crystal-field splitting. Excitonic absorption spectra are
calculated using the configuration interaction scheme. We study the electronic
and optical properties of InN/GaN QDs and their dependence on structural
properties, crystal-field splitting, and spin-orbit coupling.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Spatially-resolved potential measurement with ion crystals
We present a method to measure potentials over an extended region using
one-dimensional ion crystals in a radio frequency (RF) ion trap. The
equilibrium spacings of the ions within the crystal allow the determination of
the external forces acting at each point. From this the overall potential, and
also potentials due to specific trap features, are calculated. The method can
be used to probe potentials near proximal objects in real time, and can be
generalized to higher dimensions.Comment: 7 pages (double spaced), 3 figure
Stroke-heart syndrome: recent advances and challenges
After ischemic stroke, there is a significant burden of cardiovascular complications, both in the acute and chronic phase. Severe adverse cardiac events occur in 10% to 20% of patients within the first few days after stroke and comprise a continuum of cardiac changes ranging from acute myocardial injury and coronary syndromes to heart failure or arrhythmia. Recently, the term stroke-heart was introduced to provide an integrated conceptual framework that summarizes neurocardiogenic mechanisms that lead to these cardiac events after stroke. New findings from experimental and clinical studies have further refined our understanding of the clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, and potential long-term consequences of the stroke-heart syndrome. Local cerebral and systemic mediators, which mainly involve autonomic dysfunction and increased inflammation, may lead to altered cardiomyocyte metabolism, dysregulation of (tissue-resident) leukocyte populations, and (micro-) vascular changes. However, at the individual patient level, it remains challenging to differentiate between comorbid cardiovascular conditions and stroke-induced heart injury. Therefore, further research activities led by joint teams of basic and clinical researchers with backgrounds in both cardiology and neurology are needed to identify the most relevant therapeutic targets that can be tested in clinical trials
Application of Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis to Determine γ-ray-induced Double-strand Breaks in Yeast Chromosomal Molecules
The frequency of DNA double-strand breaks (dsb) was determined in yeast cells exposed to γ-rays under anoxic conditions. Genomic DNA of treated cells was separated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, and two different approaches for the evaluation of the gels were employed: (1) The DNA mass distribution profile obtained by electrophoresis was compared to computed profiles, and the number of DSB per unit length was then derived in terms of a fitting procedure; (2) hybridization of selected chromosomes was performed, and a comparison of the hybridization signals in treated and untreated samples was then used to derive the frequency of dsb
The QCD Phase Structure at High Baryon Density
We consider the possibility that color deconfinement and chiral symmetry
restoration do not coincide in dense baryonic matter at low temperature. As a
consequence, a state of massive "constituent" quarks would exist as an
intermediate phase between confined nuclear matter and the plasma of deconfined
massless quarks and gluons. We discuss the properties of this state and its
relation to the recently proposed quarkyonic matter.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure
Variable-range hopping in quasi-one-dimensional electron crystals
We study the effect of impurities on the ground state and the low-temperature
dc transport in a 1D chain and quasi-1D systems of many parallel chains. We
assume that strong interactions impose a short-range periodicicity of the
electron positions. The long-range order of such an electron crystal (or
equivalently, a charge-density wave) is destroyed by impurities. The 3D
array of chains behaves differently at large and at small impurity
concentrations . At large , impurities divide the chains into metallic
rods. The low-temperature conductivity is due to the variable-range hopping of
electrons between the rods. It obeys the Efros-Shklovskii (ES) law and
increases exponentially as decreases. When is small, the metallic-rod
picture of the ground state survives only in the form of rare clusters of
atypically short rods. They are the source of low-energy charge excitations. In
the bulk the charge excitations are gapped and the electron crystal is pinned
collectively. A strongly anisotropic screening of the Coulomb potential
produces an unconventional linear in energy Coulomb gap and a new law of the
variable-range hopping . remains
constant over a finite range of impurity concentrations. At smaller the
2/5-law is replaced by the Mott law, where the conductivity gets suppressed as
goes down. Thus, the overall dependence of on is nonmonotonic.
In 1D, the granular-rod picture and the ES apply at all . The conductivity
decreases exponentially with . Our theory provides a qualitative explanation
for the transport in organic charge-density wave compounds.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. (v1) The abstract is abridged to 24 lines. For
the full abstract, see the manuscript (v2) several changes in presentation
per referee's comments. No change in result
Exploring correlations between sex steroids and fatty acids and their potential roles in the induced maturation of the male European eel
[EN] The present study was undertaken to evaluate the correlations between the fatty acids in the liver and testis and the plasma levels of the hormonal steroids used during eel spermatogenesis, in order to clarify the physiological roles fatty acids play in the spermatogenetic process. The stages of testis development (S1-S5) were assessed by histological observations in order to classify the different phases of hormonally-induced spermatogenesis and evaluate the possible relationships between the hormones and fatty acids in each stage.
The highest plasma levels of 17 beta-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T) and 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) were found in S1, when spermatogonial proliferation occurs. A correlation was found between 17 alpha-20 beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3- one (DHP) levels and some fatty acids during the proliferation and growing phases (S1-2), suggesting that DHP might modulate lipid metabolism in the liver during early spermatogenesis. The DHP levels increased significantly during the growing phase (S2) and remained at high levels throughout the subsequent development stages (S3-S5).
Similar to results found in mammals, our results show that in the eel there are regulatory mechanisms, including eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5-n3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6-n3, DHA), which act as modulators in the synthesis of androgens, particularly during the final phase of sperm maturation. Our results suggest that the fact that EPA, ARA and DHA concentrations in the eel testis remain constant/stable during spermiation could be related to the subsequent union of the spermatozoa and the egg. The findings from this research provide new insights for further studies about the possible effect of steroids on desaturase activity and highlight the importance of the effect of lipid metabolism during male eel spermatogenesis. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Funded by the European Community's 7th Framework Programme under the Theme 2 "Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology", grant agreement no. 245257 (PRO-EEL). D. S. P. had a contract co-financed by MICINN and UPV (PTA2011-4948-I) and received a Shortterm Scientific Mission grant from COST Office (Food and Agriculture COST Action FA1205: AQUAGAMETE) to carry out the steroids analyses in Norway.Baeza Ariño, R.; Peñaranda, D.; Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Tveiten, H.; Pérez Igualada, LM.; Asturiano Nemesio, JF. (2015). Exploring correlations between sex steroids and fatty acids and their potential roles in the induced maturation of the male European eel. Aquaculture. 435:328-335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.10.016S32833543
Low temperature electronic properties of Sr_2RuO_4 I: Microscopic model and normal state properties
Starting from the quasi one-dimensional kinetic energy of the d_{yz} and
d_{zx} bands we derive a bosonized description of the correlated electron
system in Sr_2RuO_4. At intermediate coupling the magnetic correlations have a
quasi one-dimensional component along the diagonals of the basal plane of the
tetragonal unit cell that accounts for the observed neutron scattering results.
Together with two-dimensional correlations the model consistently accounts for
the normal phase specific heat, cyclotron mass enhancement, static
susceptibility, and Wilson ratio and implies an anomalous high temperature
resistivity.Comment: 12 pages REVTEX, 6 figure
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