Intersite Coulomb Interactions in Charge Ordered Systems

Using {\it ab initio} approaches for extended Hubbard interactions coupled to phonons, we reveal that the intersite Coulomb interaction plays important roles in determining various distinctive phases of the paradigmatic charge ordered materials of Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x A$O$_3$ ($A=$ Bi and Sb). We demonstrated that all their salient doping dependent experiment features such as breathing instabilities, anomalous phonon dispersions, and transition between charge-density wave and superconducting states can be accounted very well if self-consistently obtained nearest neighbor Hubbard interaction are included, thus establishing a minimal criterion for reliable descriptions of spontaneous charge orders in solids.Comment: 4 pages, 2 additional pages for references and 4 pages supplementary materials, title and abstract are modifie

Temperature-evolution of spectral function and optical conductivity in heavy fermion compound Ce2_{2}IrIn8_{8} under crystalline electric field

We investigate the role of the crystalline electric field (CEF) in the temperature ($T$)-evolution of the Kondo resonance states and its effect on optical conductivity. We perform the combined first principles calculation of the density functional theory and dynamical mean field theory on Ce$_{2}$IrIn$_{8}$. The calculated spectral function reproduces the experimental observed CEF states at low $T$, while it shows a drastic change of the Fermi surface upon increasing $T$. The effect of the CEF states on the Fermi surface as a function of $T$ is elucidated through the first principles calculations as well as the analysis on the Anderson impurity model. Consequently, we suggest the importance of the CEF-driven orbital anisotropy in the low-energy states of optical experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

The assessment of efficacy of porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome virus inactivated vaccine based on the viral quantity and inactivation methods

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There have been many efforts to develop efficient vaccines for the control of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Although inactivated PRRSV vaccines are preferred for their safety, they are weak at inducing humoral immune responses and controlling field PRRSV infection, especially when heterologous viruses are involved.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all groups, the sample to positive (S/P) ratio of IDEXX ELISA and the virus neutralization (VN) titer remained negative until challenge. While viremia did not reduce in the vaccinated groups, the IDEXX-ELISA-specific immunoglobulin G increased more rapidly and to significantly greater levels 7 days after the challenge in all the vaccinated groups compared to the non-vaccinated groups (<it>p </it>< 0.05). VN titer was significantly different in the 10⁶PFU/mL PRRSV vaccine-inoculated and binary ethylenimine (BEI)-inactivated groups 22 days after challenge (<it>p </it>< 0.05). Consequently, the inactivated vaccines tested in this study provided weak memory responses with sequential challenge without any obvious active immune responses in the vaccinated pigs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The inactivated vaccine failed to show the humoral immunity, but it showed different immune response after the challenge compared to mock group. Although the 10⁶PFU/mL-vaccinated and BEI-inactivated groups showed significantly greater VN titers 22 days after challenge, all the groups were already negative for viremia.</p

Efficacy and Safety of Sipjeondaebo-Tang for Anorexia in Patients with Cancer: A Pilot, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Background. Anorexia occurs in about half of cancer patients and is associated with high mortality rate. However, safe and long-term use of anorexia treatment is still an unmet need. Objective. The purpose of the present study was to examine the feasibility of Sipjeondaebo-tang (Juzen-taiho-to, Shi-Quan-Da-Bu-Tang) for cancer-related anorexia. Methods. A total of 32 participants with cancer anorexia were randomized to either Sipjeondaebo-tang group or placebo group. Participants were given 3 g of Sipjeondaebo-tang or placebo 3 times a day for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was a change in the Anorexia/Cachexia Subscale of Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT). The secondary outcomes included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of anorexia, FAACT scale, and laboratory tests. Results. Anorexia and quality of life measured by FAACT and VAS were improved after 4 weeks of Sipjeondaebo-tang treatment. However, there was no significant difference between changes of Sipjeondaebo-tang group and placebo group. Conclusions. Sipjeondaebo-tang appears to have potential benefit for anorexia management in patients with cancer. Further large-scale studies are needed to ensure the efficacy. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02468141

Superionic iron oxide-hydroxide in Earth’s deep mantle

H2O ice becomes a superionic phase under the high pressure and temperature conditions of deep planetary interiors of ice planets such as Neptune and Uranus, which affects interior structures and generates magnetic fields. The solid Earth, however, contains only hydrous minerals with negligible amount of ice. Here we combine high pressure and temperature electrical conductivity experiments, Raman spectroscopy, and first-principles simulations, to investigate the state of hydrogen in the pyrite type FeO2Hx (x ≤ 1) which is a potential H-bearing phase near the core-mantle boundary. We find that when the pressure increases beyond 73 GPa at room temperature, symmetric hydroxyl bonds are softened and the H+ (or proton) become diffusive within the vicinity of its crystallographic site. Increasing temperature under pressure, the diffusivity of hydrogen is extended beyond individual unit cell to cover the entire solid, and the electrical conductivity soars, indicating a transition to the superionic state which is characterized by freely-moving proton and solid FeO2 lattice. The highly diffusive hydrogen provides fresh transport mechanisms for charge and mass, which dictate the geophysical behaviors of electrical conductivity and magnetism, as well as geochemical processes of redox, hydrogen circulation, and hydrogen isotopic mixing in Earth’s deep mantle

Interlayer orientation-dependent light absorption and emission in monolayer semiconductor stacks

Two-dimensional stacks of dissimilar hexagonal monolayers exhibit unusual electronic, photonic and photovoltaic responses that arise from substantial interlayer excitations. Interband excitation phenomena in individual hexagonal monolayer occur in states at band edges (valleys) in the hexagonal momentum space; therefore, low-energy interlayer excitation in the hexagonal monolayer stacks can be directed by the two-dimensional rotational degree of each monolayer crystal. However, this rotation-dependent excitation is largely unknown, due to lack in control over the relative monolayer rotations, thereby leading to momentum-mismatched interlayer excitations. Here, we report that light absorption and emission in MoS2/WS2 monolayer stacks can be tunable from indirect- to direct-gap transitions in both spectral and dynamic characteristics, when the constituent monolayer crystals are coherently stacked without in-plane rotation misfit. Our study suggests that the interlayer rotational attributes determine tunable interlayer excitation as a new set of basis for investigating optical phenomena in a two-dimensional hexagonal monolayer system.open115850sciescopu

A Competência em Informação (Coinfo) na perspectiva da educação inclusiva

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciência da Informação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação, 2017.Discute os desafios da sociedade da informação no que tange à promoção e garantia de uma educação inclusiva a partir de uma agenda estabelecida em ambiências supranacionais, internacionais e multilaterais. Destaca a necessidade de formação de professores para lidar com necessidades informacionais emergentes da prática educativa, em especial quando aplicada a pessoas com deficiência. Neste contexto, situa nos aspectos interdisciplinares entre Ciência da Informação e Educação, contribuições relacionadas tanto à inclusão quanto à atuação de docentes da Educação Básica. Admite os pressupostos teóricos e práticos da temática Competência em Informação – termo adotado para o conceito de Information Literacy – como alternativa de formação de docentes da Educação Básica na perspectiva de uma educação inclusiva. Propõe a utilização de um percurso metodológico baseado nas contribuições de estudos sobre o Paradigma Indiciário de Ginzburg o qual é composto por uma fase exploratória e uma fase aplicada. Na fase exploratória utiliza a produção científica de Ciência da Informação, especialmente nos trabalhos divulgados no Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós graduação em Ciência da Informação para identificar tendências de pesquisa sobre Competência em Informação e possíveis relações com a inclusão. Discute estas tendências relacionando-as com a tridimensionalidade que o termo inclusão propõe, a saber, inclusão social, inclusão digital e inclusão relacionada a pessoas com deficiência. Realiza a aplicação de pré testes (denominados de Pré Testes Indiciais) em situações de formação de professores. Adicionalmente analisa 18 modelos de Competência em Informação desenvolvidos em contextos internacionais cuja síntese permitiu propor grade básica para elaboração de um modelo de Competência em Informação. Na fase aplicada admite a influência teórica de conceitos de mediação como norteador da prática. Adicionalmente utiliza como método de abordagem a problematização e como técnica o desenvolvimento de um curso de formação de professores com 22 professores de uma escola púbica do Distrito Federal. Utilizou recursos didáticos originais elaborados para esta pesquisa, combinados com procedimentos de utilização e avaliação do modelo pedagógico para formação de professores em Competência em Informação numa perspectiva inclusiva. Na fase aplicada analisa a utilização deste modelo nas atividades, objetivos e habilidades propostas nas três etapas em que se estrutura, nomeadamente, pré-busca, busca propriamente dita e pós-busca. As atividades foram desenvolvidas e analisadas principalmente nas duas etapas do modelo- pré-busca e busca. Atividades de pós-busca não foram realizadas, visto que exigiriam abordagem longitudinal. Os resultados das atividades mostraram que a proposta pedagógica desenvolvida e aplicada é útil para a formação de professores de Educação Básica, em Competência em Informação numa perspectiva inclusiva.This research discusses the challenges of the information society regarding the promotion and assurance of an inclusive education based on an agenda established in supranational, international and multilateral environments. It highlights the need for teacher training to deal with informational needs emerging from educational practice, especially when applied to people with disabilities. In this context, it focuses on the interdisciplinary aspects between Information Science and Education contributions related to the inclusion and also the performance of Basic Education teachers. It admits the theoretical and practical assumptions of the theme Information Competency - a term adopted to the Information Literacy concept - as an alternative to Basic Education teachers’ training from the perspective of an inclusive education. It offers the use of a methodological path based on the contributions from studies on the Ginzburg Evidential Paradigm which is composed by an exploratory phase and an applied phase. In the exploratory phase it uses the scientific production of Information Science, especially in the works published in the National Meeting of Research and Postgraduate in Information Science to identify research trends about Information Competency and its possible relation to inclusion. It discusses those trends by relating them to the tridimensionality proposed by the term inclusion, namely, social inclusion, digital inclusion and inclusion related to people with disabilities. It performs the application of pre-tests (called Evidential Pre-tests) in situations of teacher training. Additionally it analyzes 18 models of Information Competency developed in international contexts which synthesis allowed proposing a basic grade to elaborate an Information Competency model. In the applied phase, it admits the theoretical influence of mediation concepts as a guide to the practice. Additionally it uses the problematization as an approach method and as technique the development of a teacher training course with 22 teachers from a public school in the Federal District. It used original didactic resources elaborated for this research combined with use and evaluation procedures of the pedagogical model for teachers’ training in Information Competency through an inclusive perspective. In the applied phase, it analyzes the use of this model on the activities, goals and abilities proposed through the three stages in which it is structured, namely pre-search, search itself and post-search. The activities were developed and analyzed mainly in the model stages of pre-search and search. Post-search activities were not performed, as they would require a longitudinal approach. The results of the activities showed that the pedagogical proposal developed and applied is useful to Basic Education teachers’ training in Information Competency through an inclusive perspective

Effects and Safety of Gyejibongnyeong-Hwan on Dysmenorrhea Caused by Blood Stagnation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective. This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and controlled trial with two parallel arms: the GJBNH group and the placebo group. This trial recruited 100 women aging 18 to 35 years with primary dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation. The investigational drugs, GJBNH or placebo, were administered for two menstrual periods (8 weeks) to the participants three times per day. The participants were followed up for two menstrual cycles after the administration. Results. The results were analyzed by the intention-to-treat (ITT) dataset and the per-protocol (PP) dataset. In the ITT dataset, the change of the average menstrual pain VAS score in the GJBNH group was statistically significantly lower than that in the control group. Significant difference was not observed in the SF-MPQ score change between the GJBNH group and the placebo group. No significant difference was observed in the PP analyses. In the follow-up phase, the VAS scores of the average menstrual pain and the maximum menstrual pain continually decreased in the placebo group, but they increased in the GJBNH group. Conclusion. GJBNH treatment for eight weeks improved the pain of the dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation, but it should be successively administered for more than two menstrual cycles. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials no. ISRCTN30426947