1,966 research outputs found
EP-2072: Spatiotemporal dynamics of DNA damage in cells exposed to mixed beams of ionising radiation
Dispersive diffusion controlled distance dependent recombination in amorphous semiconductors
The photoluminescence in amorphous semiconductors decays according to power
law at long times. The photoluminescence is controlled by
dispersive transport of electrons. The latter is usually characterized by the
power of the transient current observed in the time-of-flight
experiments. Geminate recombination occurs by radiative tunneling which has a
distance dependence. In this paper, we formulate ways to calculate reaction
rates and survival probabilities in the case carriers execute dispersive
diffusion with long-range reactivity. The method is applied to obtain tunneling
recombination rates under dispersive diffusion. The theoretical condition of
observing the relation is obtained and theoretical
recombination rates are compared to the kinetics of observed photoluminescence
decay in the whole time range measured.Comment: To appear in Journal of Chemical Physic
Fault-Tolerant Exact State Transmission
We show that a category of one-dimensional XY-type models may enable
high-fidelity quantum state transmissions, regardless of details of coupling
configurations. This observation leads to a fault- tolerant design of a state
transmission setup. The setup is fault-tolerant, with specified thresholds,
against engineering failures of coupling configurations, fabrication
imperfections or defects, and even time-dependent noises. We propose the
implementation of the fault-tolerant scheme using hard-core bosons in
one-dimensional optical lattices.Comment: 5 pages and 4 figure
Between the Balkans and the Baltic : phylogeography of a common vole mitochondrial DNA lineage limited to Central Europe
The common vole (Microtus arvalis) has been a model species of small mammal for studying
end-glacial colonization history. In the present study we expanded the sampling from
central and eastern Europe, analyzing contemporary genetic structure to identify the role of
a potential `northern glacial refugium', i.e. a refugium at a higher latitude than the traditional
Mediterranean refugia. Altogether we analyzed 786 cytochrome b (cytb) sequences (representing
mitochondrial DNA; mtDNA) from the whole of Europe, adding 177 new sequences
from central and eastern Europe, and we conducted analyses on eight microsatellite loci for
499 individuals (representing nuclear DNA) from central and eastern Europe, adding data
on 311 new specimens. Our new data fill gaps in the vicinity of the Carpathian Mountains,
the potential northern refugium, such that there is now dense sampling from the Balkans to
the Baltic Sea. Here we present evidence that the Eastern mtDNA lineage of the common
vole was present in the vicinity of this Carpathian refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum
and the Younger Dryas. The Eastern lineage expanded from this refugium to the Baltic and
shows low cytb nucleotide diversity in those most northerly parts of the distribution. Analyses
of microsatellites revealed a similar pattern but also showed little differentiation between
all of the populations sampled in central and eastern Europe
Staging and stratifying cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis
BACKGROUND: The sequence in which cognitive domains become impaired in multiple sclerosis (MS) is yet to be formally demonstrated. It is unclear whether processing speed dysfunction temporally precedes other cognitive impairments, such as memory and executive function. OBJECTIVE: Determine the order in which different cognitive domains become impaired in MS and validate these findings using clinical and vocational outcomes. METHODS: In a longitudinal sample of 1073 MS patients and 306 healthy controls, we measured performance on multiple, consensus-standard, neurocognitive tests. We used an event-based staging approach to model the sequence in which cognitive domains become impaired. Linear and logistic mixed-effects models were used to explore associations between stages of impairment, neurological disability, and employment status. RESULTS: Our model suggested that the order of impairments was as follows: processing speed, visual learning, verbal learning, working memory/attention, and executive function. Stage of cognitive impairment predicted greater neurological disability, β = 0.16, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001, and probability of unemployment, β = 1.14, SE = 0.001, p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to introduce a cognitive staging and stratification system for MS. Findings underscore the importance of using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test in routine screening for cognitive impairment and memory testing to assess patients later in disease evolution
Luminescence properties of Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped SiOxNy thin films: Prospects for color tunability in silicon-based hosts
In this work, the role of the nitrogen content, the annealing temperature, and the sample morphology on the luminescence properties of Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped SiOxNy thin films has been investigated. An increasing nitrogen atomic percentage has been incorporated in the host matrix by gradually replacing oxygen with nitrogen during fabrication while maintaining the Si content unaltered, obtaining a sequential variation in the film composition from nearly stoichiometric SiO2 to SiOxNy. The study of rare earth doped single layers has allowed us to identify the parameters that yield an optimum optical performance from Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions. Ce3+ ions proved to be highly sensitive to the annealing temperature and the nitrogen content, showing strong PL emission for relatively low nitrogen contents (from 0 to 20%) and moderate annealing temperatures (800-1000 degrees C) or under high temperature annealing (1180 degrees C). Tb3+ ions, on the other hand, displayed a mild dependence on those film parameters. Rare earth co-doping has also been investigated by comparing the luminescence properties of three different approaches: (i) a Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped SiOxNy single layer, (ii) a bilayer composed of two SiOxNy single layers doped with either Ce3+ or Tb3+ ions, and (iii) a multilayer composed of a series of either Tb3+ or Ce3+-doped SiOxNy thin films with interleaved SiO2 spacers. Bright green emission and efficient energy transfer from either Ce3+ ions or Ce silicates to Tb3+ ions has been observed in the co-doped single layer as a consequence of the strong ion-ion interaction. On the other hand, independent luminescence from Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions has been observed in the Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped bilayer and multilayer, providing a good scenario to develop light emitting devices with wide color tunability by varying the number of deposited films that contain each rare earth dopant. Moreover, the optoelectronic properties of Ce3+-and/or Tb3+-doped thin films have been studied by depositing transparent conductive electrodes over selected samples. An electroluminescence signal according to the rare earth transitions is obtained in all cases, validating the excitation of Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions upon electron injection. Also, the main charge transport of injected electrons has been evaluated and correlated with the layer stoichiometry. Finally, a simple reliability test has allowed disclosing the origin of the early breakdown of test devices, attributed to the excessive joule heating at filament currents that occur around a region close to the polarization point. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (TEC2012-38540-C02-01). RBS characterization was performed in the Tandetron Accelerator Laboratory at Western University in London, ON (Canada). TEM characterization was carried out in the Science and Technical Centers (CCiT) of the University of Barcelona. In Canada, this work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) under the Discovery Grants program.Ramirez, JM.; Ruiz-Caridad, A.; Wojcik, J.; Gutiérrez Campo, AM.; Estrade, S.; Peiro, F.; Sanchis Kilders, P.... (2016). Luminescence properties of Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped SiOxNy thin films: Prospects for color tunability in silicon-based hosts. Journal of Applied Physics. 119(11):113108-1-113108-14. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4944433S113108-1113108-141191
Genetic markers of Munc13 protein family member, BAIAP3, are gender-specifically associated with anxiety and benzodiazepine abuse in mouse and man
Anxiety disorders and substance abuse, including benzodiazepine use disorder, frequently occur together. Unfortunately, treatment of anxiety disorders still includes benzodiazepines, and patients with an existing comorbid benzodiazepine use disorder or a genetic susceptibility for benzodiazepine use disorder may be at risk of adverse treatment outcomes. The identification of genetic predictors for anxiety disorders, and especially for benzodiazepine use disorder, could aid the selection of the best treatment option and improve clinical outcomes. The brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor I–associated protein 3 (Baiap3) is a member of the mammalian uncoordinated 13 (Munc13) protein family of synaptic regulators of neurotransmitter exocytosis, with a striking expression pattern in amygdalae, hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray. Deletion of Baiap3 in mice leads to enhanced seizure propensity and increased anxiety, with the latter being more pronounced in female than in male animals. We hypothesized that genetic variation in human BAIAP3 may also be associated with anxiety. By using a phenotype-based genetic association study, we identified two human BAIAP3 single-nucleotide polymorphism risk genotypes (AA for rs2235632, TT for rs1132358) that show a significant association with anxiety in women and, surprisingly, with benzodiazepine abuse in men. Returning to mice, we found that male, but not female, Baiap3 knockout (KO) mice develop tolerance to diazepam more quickly than control animals. Analysis of cultured Baiap3 KO hypothalamus slices revealed an increase in basal network activity and an altered response to diazepam withdrawal. Thus, Baiap3/BAIAP3 is gender specifically associated with anxiety and benzodiazepine use disorder, and the analysis of Baiap3/BAIAP3-related functions may help elucidate mechanisms underlying the development of both disorders
Quantum key distribution in terms of the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state: multi-key generation
In this paper, we develop a quantum key distribution protocol based on the
Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states (GHZs). The particles are exchanged among
the users in blocks through two steps. In this protocol, for three-particle
GHZs three keys can be simultaneously generated. The advantage of this is that
the users can select the most suitable key for communication. The protocol can
be generalized to users to provide keys. The protocol has two levels
for checking the eavesdroppers. Moreover, we discuss the security of the
protocol against different attacks.Comment: 10 Page, no figures. Comments are most welcom
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