214 research outputs found
Electrical control of spin dynamics in finite one-dimensional systems
We investigate the possibility of the electrical control of spin transfer in
monoatomic chains incorporating spin-impurities. Our theoretical framework is
the mixed quantum-classical (Ehrenfest) description of the spin dynamics, in
the spirit of the s-d-model, where the itinerant electrons are described by a
tight-binding model while localized spins are treated classically. Our main
focus is on the dynamical exchange interaction between two well-separated
spins. This can be quantified by the transfer of excitations in the form of
transverse spin oscillations. We systematically study the effect of an
electrostatic gate bias V_g on the interconnecting channel and we map out the
long-range dynamical spin transfer as a function of V_g. We identify regions of
V_g giving rise to significant amplification of the spin transmission at low
frequencies and relate this to the electronic structure of the channel.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure
Image effects in transport at metal-molecule interfaces
We present a method for incorporating image-charge effects into the
description of charge transport through molecular devices. A simple model
allows us to calculate the adjustment of the transport levels, due to the
polarization of the electrodes as charge is added to and removed from the
molecule. For this, we use the charge distributions of the molecule between two
metal electrodes in several charge states, rather than in gas phase, as
obtained from a density-functional theory-based transport code. This enables us
to efficiently model level shifts and gap renormalization caused by
image-charge effects, which are essential for understanding molecular transport
experiments. We apply the method to benzene di-amine molecules and compare our
results with the standard approach based on gas phase charges. Finally, we give
a detailed account of the application of our approach to porphyrin-derivative
devices recently studied experimentally by Perrin et al. [Nat. Nanotechnol. 8,
282 (2013)], which demonstrates the importance of accounting for image-charge
effects when modeling transport through molecular junctions
Stationary quantum Markov process for the Wigner function
As a stochastic model for quantum mechanics we present a stationary quantum
Markov process for the time evolution of the Wigner function on a lattice phase
space Z_N x Z_N with N odd. By introducing a phase factor extension to the
phase space, each particle can be treated independently. This is an improvement
on earlier methods that require the whole distribution function to determine
the evolution of a constituent particle. The process has branching and
vanishing points, though a finite time interval can be maintained between the
branchings. The procedure to perform a simulation using the process is
presented.Comment: 12 pages, no figures; replaced with version accepted for publication
in J. Phys. A, title changed, an example adde
Large tunable image-charge effects in single-molecule junctions
The characteristics of molecular electronic devices are critically determined
by metal-organic interfaces, which influence the arrangement of the orbital
levels that participate in charge transport. Studies on self-assembled
monolayers (SAMs) show (molecule-dependent) level shifts as well as
transport-gap renormalization, suggesting that polarization effects in the
metal substrate play a key role in the level alignment with respect to the
metal's Fermi energy. Here, we provide direct evidence for an electrode-induced
gap renormalization in single-molecule junctions. We study charge transport in
single porphyrin-type molecules using electrically gateable break junctions. In
this set-up, the position of the occupied and unoccupied levels can be followed
in situ and with simultaneous mechanical control. When increasing the electrode
separation, we observe a substantial increase in the transport gap with level
shifts as high as several hundreds of meV for displacements of a few \aa
ngstroms. Analysis of this large and tunable gap renormalization with
image-charge calculations based on atomic charges obtained from density
functional theory confirms and clarifies the dominant role of image-charge
effects in single-molecule junctions
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The Dampening Effect of Iceberg Orders on Small Traders' Welfare
Iceberg orders, which allow traders to hide a portion of their order size, have become prevalent in many electronic limit order markets. This paper investigates, via a real options analysis, whether small traders, who have no use for submitting iceberg orders, are better off submitting their orders to fully transparent markets which have low depth, or to more liquid markets which do permit the placement of iceberg orders by large traders. Surprisingly, we find that in the context of our model, small traders are better off submitting to fully transparent markets in spite of them being less liquid
The molecular signature of highly conductive metal-molecule-metal junctions
The simplicity of single-molecule junctions based on direct bonding of a
small molecule between two metallic electrodes make them an ideal system for
the study of fundamental questions related to molecular electronics. Here we
study the conductance properties of six different molecules suspended between
Pt electrodes. All the molecular junctions show a typical conductance of about
1G0 which is ascribed to the dominant role of the Pt contacts. However, despite
the metallic-like conductivity, the individual molecular signature is
well-expressed by the effect of molecular vibrations in the inelastic
contribution to the conductance.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Related paper: J. Ferrer and V. M.
Garc\'ia-Su\'arez, Phys. Rev. B 80, 085426 (2009
Etched distributed Bragg reflectors as three-dimensional photonic crystals: photonic bands and density of states
The photonic band dispersion and density of states (DOS) are calculated for
the three-dimensional (3D) hexagonal structure corresponding to a distributed
Bragg reflector patterned with a 2D triangular lattice of circular holes.
Results for the Si/SiO and GaAs/AlGaAs systems determine the optimal
parameters for which a gap in the 2D plane occurs and overlaps the 1D gap of
the multilayer. The DOS is considerably reduced in correspondence with the
overlap of 2D and 1D gaps. Also, the local density of states (i.e., the DOS
weighted with the squared electric field at a given point) has strong
variations depending on the position. Both results imply substantial changes of
spontaneous emission rates and patterns for a local emitter embedded in the
structure and make this system attractive for the fabrication of a 3D photonic
crystal with controlled radiative properties.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.
Combined aerobic and resistance exercise training decreases peripheral but not central artery wall thickness in subjects with type 2 diabetes
Objective
Little is known about the impact of exercise training on conduit artery wall thickness in type 2 diabetes. We examined the local and systemic impact of exercise training on superficial femoral (SFA), brachial (BA), and carotid artery (CA) wall thickness in type 2 diabetes patients and controls.
Methods
Twenty patients with type 2 diabetes and 10 age- and sex-matched controls performed an 8-week training study involving lower limb-based combined aerobic and resistance exercise training. We examined the SFA to study the local effect of exercise, and also the systemic impact of lower limb-based exercise training on peripheral (i.e. BA) and central (i.e. CA) arteries. Wall thickness (WT), diameter and wall:lumen(W:L)-ratios were examined using automated edge detection of ultrasound images.
Results
Exercise training did not alter SFA or CA diameter in type 2 diabetes or controls (all P > 0.05). BA diameter was increased after training in type 2 diabetes, but not in controls. Exercise training decreased WT and W:L ratio in the SFA and BA, but not in CA in type 2 diabetes. Training did not alter WT or W:L ratio in controls (P > 0.05).
Conclusion
Lower limb-dominant exercise training causes remodelling of peripheral arteries, supplying active and inactive vascular beds, but not central arteries in type 2 diabetes
Soft matter science and the COVID-19 pandemic
Much of the science underpinning the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic
lies in the soft matter domain. Coronaviruses are composite particles with a
core of nucleic acids complexed to proteins surrounded by a protein-studded
lipid bilayer shell. A dominant route for transmission is via air-borne
aerosols and droplets. Viral interaction with polymeric body fluids,
particularly mucus, and cell membranes control their infectivity, while their
interaction with skin and artificial surfaces underpins cleaning and
disinfection and the efficacy of masks and other personal protective equipment.
The global response to COVID-19 has highlighted gaps in the soft matter
knowledge base. We survey these gaps, especially as pertaining to the
transmission of the disease, and suggest questions that can (and need to) be
tackled, both in response to COVID-19 and to better prepare for future viral
pandemics.Comment: 15 page
Plasma phosphorylated tau 217 and phosphorylated tau 181 as biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration: a retrospective diagnostic performance study
Background: Plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (p-tau217) and plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (p-tau181) are associated with Alzheimer's disease tau pathology. We compared the diagnostic value of both biomarkers in cognitively unimpaired participants and patients with a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease syndromes, or frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) syndromes. /
Methods: In this retrospective multicohort diagnostic performance study, we analysed plasma samples, obtained from patients aged 18–99 years old who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease syndromes (Alzheimer's disease dementia, logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia, or posterior cortical atrophy), FTLD syndromes (corticobasal syndrome, progressive supranuclear palsy, behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia, or semantic variant primary progressive aphasia), or mild cognitive impairment; the participants were from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center, San Francisco, CA, USA, and the Advancing Research and Treatment for Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Consortium (ARTFL; 17 sites in the USA and two in Canada). Participants from both cohorts were carefully characterised, including assessments of CSF p-tau181, amyloid-PET or tau-PET (or both), and clinical and cognitive evaluations. Plasma p-tau181 and p-tau217 were measured using electrochemiluminescence-based assays, which differed only in the biotinylated antibody epitope specificity. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to determine diagnostic accuracy of both plasma markers using clinical diagnosis, neuropathological findings, and amyloid-PET and tau-PET measures as gold standards. Difference between two area under the curve (AUC) analyses were tested with the Delong test. /
Findings: Data were collected from 593 participants (443 from UCSF and 150 from ARTFL, mean age 64 years [SD 13], 294 [50%] women) between July 1 and Nov 30, 2020. Plasma p-tau217 and p-tau181 were correlated (r=0·90, p<0·0001). Both p-tau217 and p-tau181 concentrations were increased in people with Alzheimer's disease syndromes (n=75, mean age 65 years [SD 10]) relative to cognitively unimpaired controls (n=118, mean age 61 years [SD 18]; AUC=0·98 [95% CI 0·95–1·00] for p-tau217, AUC=0·97 [0·94–0·99] for p-tau181; pdiff=0·31) and in pathology-confirmed Alzheimer's disease (n=15, mean age 73 years [SD 12]) versus pathologically confirmed FTLD (n=68, mean age 67 years [SD 8]; AUC=0·96 [0·92–1·00] for p-tau217, AUC=0·91 [0·82–1·00] for p-tau181; pdiff=0·22). P-tau217 outperformed p-tau181 in differentiating patients with Alzheimer's disease syndromes (n=75) from those with FTLD syndromes (n=274, mean age 67 years [SD 9]; AUC=0·93 [0·91–0·96] for p-tau217, AUC=0·91 [0·88–0·94] for p-tau181; pdiff=0·01). P-tau217 was a stronger indicator of amyloid-PET positivity (n=146, AUC=0·91 [0·88–0·94]) than was p-tau181 (n=214, AUC=0·89 [0·86–0·93]; pdiff=0·049). Tau-PET binding in the temporal cortex was more strongly associated with p-tau217 than p-tau181 (r=0·80 vs r=0·72; pdiff<0·0001, n=230). /
Interpretation: Both p-tau217 and p-tau181 had excellent diagnostic performance for differentiating patients with Alzheimer's disease syndromes from other neurodegenerative disorders. There was some evidence in favour of p-tau217 compared with p-tau181 for differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease syndromes versus FTLD syndromes, as an indication of amyloid-PET-positivity, and for stronger correlations with tau-PET signal. Pending replication in independent, diverse, and older cohorts, plasma p-tau217 and p-tau181 could be useful screening tools to identify individuals with underlying amyloid and Alzheimer's disease tau pathology. /
Funding: US National Institutes of Health, State of California Department of Health Services, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Michael J Fox foundation, Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, Alzheimer's Association
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