Photocatalytic, structural and optical properties of mixed anion solid solutions Ba₃Sc₂₋ₓInₓO₅Cu₂S₂ and Ba₃In₂O₅Cu₂S₂₋ySey

Nine members of two contiguous solid solutions, Ba3Sc2−xInxO5Cu2S2 and Ba3In2O5Cu2S2−ySey (x, y = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2), were synthesised at temperatures between 800 °C and 900 °C by stoichiometric combination of binary precursors. Their structures were determined by Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data and found to adopt the SmNi3Ge3 structure with I4/mmm symmetry. Approximate Vegard law relationships were found within each solution between the lattice parameters and composition, with an observed cell volume of 466.4 Å3 for Ba3Sc2O5Cu2S2 increasing to 481.0 Å3 for Ba3In2O5Cu2S2 and finally to 499.0 Å3 for Ba3In2O5Cu2Se2. In the first solid solution, this volume increase is driven by the replacement of scandium by the larger indium ion, generating increased strain in the copper chalcogenide layer. In the second solution the substitution into the structure of the larger selenium drives further volume expansion, while relieving the strain in the copper chalcogenide layer. Band gaps were estimated from reflectance spectroscopy and these were determined to be 3.3 eV, 1.8 eV, and 1.3 eV for the three end members Ba3Sc2O5Cu2S2, Ba3In2O5Cu2S2, and Ba3Sc2In2O5Cu2Se2, respectively. For the intermediate compositions a linear relationship between band gap size and composition was observed, driven in the first solution by the introduction of the more electronegative indium lowering the conduction band minimum and in the second solution by the substitution of the electropositive selenium raising the valance band maximum. Photocatalytic activity was observed in all samples under solar simulated light, based on a dye degradation test, with the exception of Ba3In2O5Cu2Se1.5S0.5. The most active sample was found to be Ba3Sc2O5Cu2S2, the material with the largest band gap

The intracellular loop between domains I and II of the B type calcium channel confers aspects of G protein sensitivity to the E type calcium channel

Neuronal voltage-dependent calcium channels undergo inhibitory modulation by G-protein activation, generally involving both kinetic slowing and steady-state inhibition. We have shown previously that the b-subunit of neuronal calcium channels plays an important role in this process, because when it is absent, greater receptor-mediated inhibition is observed (Campbell et al., 1995b). We therefore hypothesized that the calcium channel b-subunits normally may occlude G-proteinmediated inhibition. Calcium channel b-subunits bind to the cytoplasmic loop between transmembrane domains I and II of the a1-subunits (Pragnell et al., 1994). We have examined the hypothesis that this loop is involved in G-protein-mediated inhibition by making chimeras containing the I–II loop of a1B or a1A inserted into a1E (a1EBE and a1EAE, respectively). This strategy was adopted because a1B (the molecular counterpart of N-type channels) and, to a lesser extent, a1A (P/Q-type) are G-protein-modulated, whereas this has not been observed to any great extent for a1E. Although a1B, coexpressed with a2-d and b1b transiently expressed in COS-7 cells, showed both kinetic slowing and steady-state inhibition when recorded with GTPgS in the patch pipette, both of which were reversed with a depolarizing prepulse, the chimera a1EBE (and, to a smaller extent, a1EAE) showed only kinetic slowing in the presence of GTPgS, and this also was reversed by a depolarizing prepulse. These results indicate that the I–II loop may be the molecular substrate of kinetic slowing but that the steady-state inhibition shown by a1B may involve a separate site on this calcium channel

Determinants of the voltage dependence of G protein modulation within calcium channel β subunits

CaVβ subunits of voltage-gated calcium channels contain two conserved domains, a src-homology-3 (SH3) domain and a guanylate kinase-like (GK) domain with an intervening HOOK domain. We have shown in a previous study that, although Gβγ-mediated inhibitory modulation of CaV2.2 channels did not require the interaction of a CaVβ subunit with the CaVα1 subunit, when such interaction was prevented by a mutation in the α1 subunit, G protein modulation could not be removed by a large depolarization and showed voltage-independent properties (Leroy et al., J Neurosci 25:6984–6996, 2005). In this study, we have investigated the ability of mutant and truncated CaVβ subunits to support voltage-dependent G protein modulation in order to determine the minimal domain of the CaVβ subunit that is required for this process. We have coexpressed the CaVβ subunit constructs with CaV2.2 and α2δ-2, studied modulation by the activation of the dopamine D2 receptor, and also examined basal tonic modulation. Our main finding is that the CaVβ subunit GK domains, from either β1b or β2, are sufficient to restore voltage dependence to G protein modulation. We also found that the removal of the variable HOOK region from β2a promotes tonic voltage-dependent G protein modulation. We propose that the absence of the HOOK region enhances Gβγ binding affinity, leading to greater tonic modulation by basal levels of Gβγ. This tonic modulation requires the presence of an SH3 domain, as tonic modulation is not supported by any of the CaVβ subunit GK domains alone

Core temperature responses to cold-water immersion recovery: A pooled-data analysis

© 2018 Human Kinetics, Inc. Purpose: To examine the effect of postexercise cold-water immersion (CWI) protocols, compared with control (CON), on the magnitude and time course of core temperature (Tc) responses. Methods: Pooled-data analyses were used to examine the Tc responses of 157 subjects from previous postexercise CWI trials in the authors’ laboratories. CWI protocols varied with different combinations of temperature, duration, immersion depth, and mode (continuous vs intermittent). Tc was examined as a double difference (ΔΔTc), calculated as the change in Tc in CWI condition minus the corresponding change in CON. The effect of CWI on ΔΔTc was assessed using separate linear mixed models across 2 time components (component 1, immersion; component 2, postintervention). Results: Intermittent CWI resulted in a mean decrease in ΔΔTc that was 0.25°C (0.10°C) (estimate [SE]) greater than continuous CWI during the immersion component (P = .02). There was a significant effect of CWI temperature during the immersion component (P = .05), where reductions in water temperature of 1°C resulted in decreases in ΔΔTc of 0.03°C (0.01°C). Similarly, the effect of CWI duration was significant during the immersion component (P = .01), where every 1 min of immersion resulted in a decrease in ΔΔTc of 0.02°C (0.01°C). The peak difference in Tc between the CWI and CON interventions during the postimmersion component occurred at 60 min postintervention. Conclusions: Variations in CWI mode, duration, and temperature may have a significant effect on the extent of change in Tc. Careful consideration should be given to determine the optimal amount of core cooling before deciding which combination of protocol factors to prescribe

Counting defects with the two-point correlator

We study how topological defects manifest themselves in the equal-time two-point field correlator. We consider a scalar field with Z_2 symmetry in 1, 2 and 3 spatial dimensions, allowing for kinks, domain lines and domain walls, respectively. Using numerical lattice simulations, we find that in any number of dimensions, the correlator in momentum space is to a very good approximation the product of two factors, one describing the spatial distribution of the defects and the other describing the defect shape. When the defects are produced by the Kibble mechanism, the former has a universal form as a function of k/n, which we determine numerically. This signature makes it possible to determine the kink density from the field correlator without having to resort to the Gaussian approximation. This is essential when studying field dynamics with methods relying only on correlators (Schwinger-Dyson, 2PI).Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures

Natural images from the birthplace of the human eye

Here we introduce a database of calibrated natural images publicly available through an easy-to-use web interface. Using a Nikon D70 digital SLR camera, we acquired about 5000 six-megapixel images of Okavango Delta of Botswana, a tropical savanna habitat similar to where the human eye is thought to have evolved. Some sequences of images were captured unsystematically while following a baboon troop, while others were designed to vary a single parameter such as aperture, object distance, time of day or position on the horizon. Images are available in the raw RGB format and in grayscale. Images are also available in units relevant to the physiology of human cone photoreceptors, where pixel values represent the expected number of photoisomerizations per second for cones sensitive to long (L), medium (M) and short (S) wavelengths. This database is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial Unported license to facilitate research in computer vision, psychophysics of perception, and visual neuroscience.Comment: Submitted to PLoS ON

Deletion of the gabra2 gene results in hypersensitivity to the acute effects of ethanol but does not alter ethanol self administration

Human genetic studies have suggested that polymorphisms of the GABRA2 gene encoding the GABA(A) α2-subunit are associated with ethanol dependence. Variations in this gene also convey sensitivity to the subjective effects of ethanol, indicating a role in mediating ethanol-related behaviours. We therefore investigated the consequences of deleting the α2-subunit on the ataxic and rewarding properties of ethanol in mice. Ataxic and sedative effects of ethanol were explored in GABA(A) α2-subunit wildtype (WT) and knockout (KO) mice using a Rotarod apparatus, wire hang and the duration of loss of righting reflex. Following training, KO mice showed shorter latencies to fall than WT littermates under ethanol (2 g/kg i.p.) in both Rotarod and wire hang tests. After administration of ethanol (3.5 g/kg i.p.), KO mice took longer to regain the righting reflex than WT mice. To ensure the acute effects are not due to the gabra2 deletion affecting pharmacokinetics, blood ethanol concentrations were measured at 20 minute intervals after acute administration (2 g/kg i.p.), and did not differ between genotypes. To investigate ethanol's rewarding properties, WT and KO mice were trained to lever press to receive increasing concentrations of ethanol on an FR4 schedule of reinforcement. Both WT and KO mice self-administered ethanol at similar rates, with no differences in the numbers of reinforcers earned. These data indicate a protective role for α2-subunits, against the acute sedative and ataxic effects of ethanol. However, no change was observed in ethanol self administration, suggesting the rewarding effects of ethanol remain unchange

Non-equilibrium Condensation Process in a Holographic Superconductor

We study the non-equilibrium condensation process in a holographic superconductor. When the temperature T is smaller than a critical temperature T_c, there are two black hole solutions, the Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS black hole and a black hole with a scalar hair. In the boundary theory, they can be regarded as the supercooled normal phase and the superconducting phase, respectively. We consider perturbations on supercooled Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS black holes and study their non-linear time evolution to know about physical phenomena associated with rapidly-cooled superconductors. We find that, for T<T_c, the initial perturbations grow exponentially and, eventually, spacetimes approach the hairy black holes. We also clarify how the relaxation process from a far-from-equilibrium state proceeds in the boundary theory by observing the time dependence of the superconducting order parameter. Finally, we study the time evolution of event and apparent horizons and discuss their correspondence with the entropy of the boundary theory. Our result gives a first step toward the holographic understanding of the non-equilibrium process in superconductors.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure

Alzheimer's biomarkers in daily practice (ABIDE) project: Rationale and design.

INTRODUCTION: The Alzheimer's biomarkers in daily practice (ABIDE) project is designed to translate knowledge on diagnostic tests (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], cerebrospinal fluid [CSF], and amyloid positron emission tomography [PET]) to daily clinical practice with a focus on mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: ABIDE is a 3-year project with a multifaceted design and is structured into interconnected substudies using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. RESULTS: Based on retrospective data, we develop personalized risk estimates for MCI patients. Prospectively, we collect MRI and CSF data from 200 patients from local memory clinics and amyloid PET from 500 patients in a tertiary setting, to optimize application of these tests in daily practice. Furthermore, ABIDE will develop strategies for optimal patient-clinician conversations. DISCUSSION: Ultimately, this will result in a set of practical tools for clinicians to support the choice of diagnostic tests and facilitate the interpretation and communication of their results