Spectroscopic Study of the Excitonic Structure in Monolayer MoS2 under Multivariate Physical and Chemical Stimuli

Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy has proven to provide deep insights into the optoelectronic properties of monolayer MoS2. Herein, a corresponding study is conducted on the excitonic properties of mechanically exfoliated monolayer MoS2 under multivariate physical and chemical stimuli. Specifically, midgap exciton states that originate from lattice defects are characterized and they are compared to existing models. Through statistical data analyses of substrate-, temperature-, and laser-power-dependent measurements, a PL enhancement is revealed through physisorption of water molecules of the controversially discussed excited-state A biexciton (Axx). In addition, analyses of monolayer MoS2 on gold substrates show that surface roughness does not account for changes in doping level within the material. Also, a shift in the electron–phonon coupling properties that arises from thin films of water that are physisorbed on top of the samples is reported.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659Peer Reviewe

Liver transplantation in patients with a history of migration: A German single center comparative analysis

Liver transplant (LT) programs in Germany increasingly face a multiethnic patient population. To date no outcome data for LT in patients with a history of migration is available for Germany. This complicates decision-making before wait-listing such patients. We conducted a single-center cohort analysis of all primary LT between April 2007 and December 2015, stratified for the history of migration to investigate differences in the outcome. We found transplant rates resembling the proportion of persons with a history of migration in the general public in the region of our center. Differences were found concerning age at LT and prevalence of underlying diseases. Re-Transplant rates, Kaplan-Meier Estimates for overall survival, also after stratification for viral hepatitis, sex, ethnicity or presence of a language-barrier showed no statistical differences. The multivariate analysis showed no migration-related covariate associated with a negative outcome. These results stand in contrast to most of the previous evidence from North America and the UK and need to be taken into consideration during the wait-listing process of patients with a history of migration in need of a LT in centers in the Eurotransplant region

Workplace risk factors for cancer in the German rubber industry: Part 1. Mortality from respiratory cancers

OBJECTIVES: To determine the cancer specific mortality by work area among active and retired male workers in the German rubber industry. METHODS: A cohort of 11,663 male German workers was followed up for mortality from 1 January 1981 to 31 December 1991. Cohort members were classified as active (n = 7536) or retired (n = 4127) as of 1 January 1981 and had been employed for at least one year in one of five study plants producing tyres or technical rubber goods. Work histories were reconstructed with routinely documented "cost centre codes" which were classified into six categories: I preparation of materials; II production of technical rubber goods; III production of tyres; IV storage and dispatch; V maintenance; and VI others. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) adjusted for age and calendar year and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), stratified by work area (employment in respective work area for at least one year) and time related variables (year of hire, lagged years of employment in work area), were calculated from national reference rates. RESULTS: SMRs for laryngeal cancer were highest in work area I (SMR 253; 95% CI 93 to 551) and were significant among workers who were employed for > 10 years in this work area (SMR 330; 95% CI 107 to 779). Increased mortality rates from lung cancer were identified in work areas I (SMR 162; 95% CI 129 to 202), II (SMR 134; 95% CI 109 to 163), and V (SMR 131; 95% CI 102 to 167). Mortality from pleural cancer was increased in all six work areas, and significant excesses were found in work areas I (SMR 448; 95% CI 122 to 1146), II (SMR 505; 95% CI 202 to 1040), and V (SMR 554; 95% CI 179 to 1290). CONCLUSION: A causal relation between the excess of pleural cancer and exposure to asbestos among rubber workers is plausible and likely. In this study, the pattern of excess of lung cancer parallels the pattern of excess of pleural cancer. This points to asbestos as one risk factor for the excess deaths from lung cancer among rubber workers. The study provides further evidence for an increased mortality from laryngeal cancer among workers in the rubber industry, particularly in work area I

Empirische Religionspädagogik und Praktische Theologie : Metareflexionen, innovative Forschungsmethoden und aktuelle Befunde aus Projekten der Sektion „Empirische Religionspädagogik“ der AKRK

Der Sammelband stellt in insgesamt 20 Beiträgen Metareflexionen, innovative Forschungsmethoden und aktuelle Befunde aus Projekten der AKRK-Sektion "Empirische Religionspädagogik" vor. 19 Autorinnen und Autoren aus verschiedenen Ländern und Sparten der Theologie haben hieran mitgewirkt, auch um weitere empirisch fundierte Forschungsarbeiten anzuregen

Consumers’ value co-creation in sharing economy: The role of social support, consumers’ ethical perceptions and relationship quality

The ancient phenomenon of ‘sharing’ has become mainstream, and transformed the traditional consumer behavior due to proliferation of online sharing economy platforms. Millions of people participate in popular sharing economy platforms (SEPs) such as Airbnb and Uber. Although sharing economy research has gained interest, yet a holistic model that explains the formation of consumer value co-creation intentions on such platforms remains absent. The purpose of this study is to develop a model of the antecedents of consumers value co-creation intentions at SEPs and evaluate it empirically. Building on social support theory, relationship quality theory, value co-creation and marketing ethics literature, we propose a theoretical model that explains the formation of consumers’ value co-creation intentions. Empirical data was collected from 342 Generation Y consumers and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that social support influences ethical perceptions, which further influences value co-creation. Ethical perceptions also influence consumers' trust, satisfaction and commitment with the SEP. However, trust and commitment do not influence value co-creation intentions. Our study contributes to the literature on sharing economy by providing a holistic model of the antecedents of consumers’ value co-creation intentions. We also detail theoretical and managerial implications

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics' resources: focus on curated databases

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (www.isb-sib.ch) provides world-class bioinformatics databases, software tools, services and training to the international life science community in academia and industry. These solutions allow life scientists to turn the exponentially growing amount of data into knowledge. Here, we provide an overview of SIB's resources and competence areas, with a strong focus on curated databases and SIB's most popular and widely used resources. In particular, SIB's Bioinformatics resource portal ExPASy features over 150 resources, including UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, ENZYME, PROSITE, neXtProt, STRING, UniCarbKB, SugarBindDB, SwissRegulon, EPD, arrayMap, Bgee, SWISS-MODEL Repository, OMA, OrthoDB and other databases, which are briefly described in this article

Metamorphic gabbro and basalt in ophiolitic and continental nappes of the Zermatt region (Western Alps)

The composition of meta-gabbro and meta-basalt occurring abundant and widespread in all nappes of the nappe stack exposed in the Zermatt region of the Western Alp shows distinct patterns related to the geodynamic origin of metamorphic basic rocks. Eclogitic meta-basalts of the ophiolitic Zermatt-Saas Unit (ZSU) show enriched MORB signatures. The meta-basalts (eclogites) of the continental fragment of the Theodul Glacier Unit (TGU) derive from pre-Alpine metamorphic continental intraplate basalts. Meta-basalts (eclogites) from the continental basement of the Siviez-Mischabel nappe (SMN) derive from MORB thus a genetic relation to the TGU eclogites can be excluded. All basic igneous rocks experienced post-magmatic alteration by fluid-rock interaction ranging from processes at the seafloor, in the shallow crust, during subduction zone hydration, in the exhumation channel and late Alpine regional metamorphisms. The consequences of these alteration processes can be identified at various levels in the rock composition data. It was found that the REE data are little affected by fluid-rock alteration. Some trace elements, notably Cs, Rb, and Ba are typically massively altered relative to igneous compositions in all three groups of meta-basalts. Generally, meta-basalts from the TGU and the SMN preserved the features of the original composition whilst the ZSU meta-volcanic rocks experienced massive alteration. For the ZSU meta-volcanic rocks it is evident that Zr was gained and Y lost during high-pressure fluid-rock interaction indicating a mobile behavior of the two elements during HP-metamorphism in contrast to their behavior in hydrothermal near-surface fluid-rock interaction.Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau (1016

Geochemical evidence for regional and long-term topography-driven groundwater flow in an orogenic crystalline basement (Aar Massif, Switzerland)

Detailed knowledge about the circulation of meteoric water in non-magmatic, orogenic belts is fundamental for assessing the potential of such settings for geothermal power production, as well as their use as potential groundwater resources. To get more general insight into these hydrological processes, we have conducted regional (20 × 10 × 9 km) thermal-hydraulic-chemical (THC) simulations of meteoric water circulation in the orogenic, crystalline basement of the Aar Massif in the Central Alps, Switzerland. Model results were compared to numerous geochemical and isotopic analyses of groundwater discharging into the longest and deepest tunnel of the world, the Gotthard railbase tunnel located within the model domain. Explicitly considering the surface topography in our model was sufficient to reproduce all key characteristics of the tunnel inflows (salinity, temperature, δ18O values, and up- and downward directed flow zones inferred from geochemical constraints). This quantitatively confirms that surface topography operates as the governing control on fluid flow in orogenic crystalline basements with meteoric water infiltration occurring at high altitude and resulting upward directed flow zones along major valleys. Owing to low flow rates below 2 m year−1, computed residence times of the longest flow paths were above 100 k years, confirming that groundwater and/or porewater in orogenic crystalline basements may act as an archive for palaeohydrologic variations. Moreover, simulation results show that down to the lower model boundary at 9 km depth, penetration of meteoric water is not limited by the decrease in permeability with depth that is typically observed in granitic rocks. This suggests that advective fluid transport in orogenic crystalline basements may reach the brittle ductile-transition zone and that infiltrating meteoric water can attain temperatures well above 150 °C. We conclude that orogenic geothermal systems are promising plays for geothermal power production