3,000 research outputs found
Unique gap structure and symmetry of the charge density wave in single-layer VSe
Single layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are excellent
candidates for electronic applications beyond the graphene platform; many of
them exhibit novel properties including charge density waves (CDWs) and
magnetic ordering. CDWs in these single layers are generally a planar
projection of the corresponding bulk CDWs because of the quasi-two-dimensional
nature of TMDCs; a different CDW symmetry is unexpected. We report herein the
successful creation of pristine single-layer VSe, which shows a () CDW in contrast to the (4 4) CDW for the layers in
bulk VSe. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) from the single
layer shows a sizable () CDW gap of 100 meV at the
zone boundary, a 220 K CDW transition temperature twice the bulk value, and no
ferromagnetic exchange splitting as predicted by theory. This robust CDW with
an exotic broken symmetry as the ground state is explained via a
first-principles analysis. The results illustrate a unique CDW phenomenon in
the two-dimensional limit
Sodium vacancy ordering and the co-existence of localized spins and itinerant charges in NaxCoO2
The sodium cobaltate family (NaxCoO2) is unique among transition metal oxides
because the Co sits on a triangular lattice and its valence can be tuned over a
wide range by varying the Na concentration x. Up to now detailed modeling of
the rich phenomenology (which ranges from unconventional superconductivity to
enhanced thermopower) has been hampered by the difficulty of controlling pure
phases. We discovered that certain Na concentrations are specially stable and
are associated with superlattice ordering of the Na clusters. This leads
naturally to a picture of co-existence of localized spins and itinerant charge
carriers. For x = 0.84 we found a remarkably small Fermi energy of 87 K. Our
picture brings coherence to a variety of measurements ranging from NMR to
optical to thermal transport. Our results also allow us to take the first step
towards modeling the mysterious ``Curie-Weiss'' metal state at x = 0.71. We
suggest the local moments may form a quantum spin liquid state and we propose
experimental test of our hypothesis.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
TSH-CHECK-1 test: diagnostic accuracy and potential application to initiating treatment for hypothyroidism in patients on anti-tuberculosis drugs.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) promotes expression of thyroid hormones which are essential for metabolism, growth, and development. Second-line drugs to treat tuberculosis (TB) can cause hypothyroidism by suppressing thyroid hormone synthesis. Therefore, TSH levels are routinely measured in TB patients receiving second-line drugs, and thyroxin treatment is initiated where indicated. However, standard TSH tests are technically demanding for many low-resource settings where TB is prevalent; a simple and inexpensive test is urgently needed
A contiuum model for low temperature relaxation of crystal steps
High and low temperature relaxation of crystal steps are described in a
unified picture, using a continuum model based on a modified expression of the
step free energy. Results are in agreement with experiments and Monte Carlo
simulations of step fluctuations and monolayer cluster diffusion and
relaxation. In an extended model where mass exchange with neighboring terraces
is allowed, step transparency and a low temperature regime for unstable step
meandering are found.Comment: Submitted to Phys.Rev.Let
Detection in coincidence of gravitational wave bursts with a network of interferometric detectors (I): Geometric acceptance and timing
Detecting gravitational wave bursts (characterised by short durations and
poorly modelled waveforms) requires to have coincidences between several
interferometric detectors in order to reject non-stationary noise events. As
the wave amplitude seen in a detector depends on its location with respect to
the source direction and as the signal to noise ratio of these bursts are
expected to be low, coincidences between antennas may not be so likely. This
paper investigates this question from a statistical point of view by using a
simple model of a network of detectors; it also estimates the timing precision
of a detection in an interferometer which is an important issue for the
reconstruction of the source location, based on time delays.Comment: low resolution figure 1 due to file size problem
Considerations and Challenges in Defining Optimal Iron Utilization in Hemodialysis
Trials raising concerns about erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, revisions to their labeling, and changes to practice guidelines and dialysis payment systems have provided strong stimuli to decrease erythropoiesis-stimulating agent use and increase intravenous iron administration in recent years. These factors have been associated with a rise in iron utilization, particularly among hemodialysis patients, and an unprecedented increase in serum ferritin concentrations. The mean serum ferritin concentration among United States dialysis patients in 2013 exceeded 800 ng/ml, with 18% of patients exceeding 1200 ng/ml. Although these changes are broad based, the wisdom of these practices is uncertain. Herein, we examine influences on and trends in intravenous iron utilization and assess the clinical trial, epidemiologic, and experimental evidence relevant to its safety and efficacy in the setting of maintenance dialysis. These data suggest a potential for harm from increasing use of parenteral iron in dialysis-dependent patients. In the absence of well powered, randomized clinical trials, available evidence will remain inadequate for making reliable conclusions about the effect of a ubiquitous therapy on mortality or other outcomes of importance to dialysis patients. Nephrology stakeholders have an urgent obligation to initiate well designed investigations of intravenous iron in order to ensure the safety of the dialysis population
Phase Transitions in One-Dimensional Truncated Bosonic Hubbard Model and Its Spin-1 Analog
We study one-dimensional truncated (no more than 2 particles on a site)
bosonic Hubbard model in both repulsive and attractive regimes by exact
diagonalization and exact worldline Monte Carlo simulation. In the commensurate
case (one particle per site) we demonstrate that the point of Mott-insulator --
superfluid transition, , is remarkably far from that of
the full model. In the attractive region we observe the phase transition from
one-particle superfluid to two-particle one. The paring gap demonstrates a
linear behavior in the vicinity of the critical point. The critical state
features marginal response to the gauge phase. We argue that the two-particle
superfluid is a macroscopic analog of a peculiar phase observed earlier in a
spin-1 model with axial anisotropy.Comment: Revtex, 5 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Tuberculosis incidence correlates with sunshine : an ecological 28-year time series study
Birmingham is the largest UK city after London, and central Birmingham has an annual tuberculosis incidence of 80 per 100,000. We examined seasonality and sunlight as drivers of tuberculosis incidence. Hours of sunshine are seasonal, sunshine exposure is necessary for the production of vitamin D by the body and vitamin D plays a role in the host response to tuberculosis.
Methods:
We performed an ecological study that examined tuberculosis incidence in Birmingham from Dec 1981 to Nov 2009, using publicly-available data from statutory tuberculosis notifications, and related this to the seasons and hours of sunshine (UK Meteorological Office data) using unmeasured component models.
Results:
There were 9,739 tuberculosis cases over the study period. There was strong evidence for seasonality, with notifications being 24.1% higher in summer than winter (p<0.001). Winter dips in sunshine correlated with peaks in tuberculosis incidence six months later (4.7% increase in incidence for each 100 hours decrease in sunshine, p<0.001).
Discussion and Conclusion:
A potential mechanism for these associations includes decreased vitamin D levels with consequent impaired host defence arising from reduced sunshine exposure in winter. This is the longest time series of any published study and our use of statutory notifications means this data is essentially complete. We cannot, however, exclude the possibility that another factor closely correlated with the seasons, other than sunshine, is responsible. Furthermore, exposure to sunlight depends not only on total hours of sunshine but also on multiple individual factors. Our results should therefore be considered hypothesis-generating. Confirmation of a potential causal relationship between winter vitamin D deficiency and summer peaks in tuberculosis incidence would require a randomized-controlled trial of the effect of vitamin D supplementation on future tuberculosis incidence
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