1,176 research outputs found
Topological Crystalline Insulator and Quantum Anomalous Hall States in IV-VI based Monolayers and their Quantum Wells
Different from the two-dimensional (2D) topological insulator, the 2D
topological crystalline insulator (TCI) phase disappears when the mirror
symmetry is broken, e.g., upon placing on a substrate. Here, based on a new
family of 2D TCIs - SnTe and PbTe monolayers - we theoretically predict the
realization of the quantum anomalous Hall effect with Chern number C = 2 even
when the mirror symmetry is broken. Remarkably, we also demonstrate that the
considered materials retain their large-gap topological properties in quantum
well structures obtained by sandwiching the monolayers between NaCl layers. Our
results demonstrate that the TCIs can serve as a seed for observing robust
topologically non-trivial phases.Comment: 5 pages, submitted on 27th Feb 201
Effect of interface states on spin-dependent tunneling in Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions
The electronic structure and spin-dependent tunneling in epitaxial
Fe/MgO/Fe(001) tunnel junctions are studied using first-principles
calculations. For small MgO barrier thickness the minority-spin resonant bands
at the two interfaces make a significant contribution to the tunneling
conductance for the antiparallel magnetization, whereas these bands are, in
practice, mismatched by disorder and/or small applied bias for the parallel
magnetization. This explains the experimentally observed decrease in tunneling
magnetoresistance (TMR) for thin MgO barriers. We predict that a monolayer of
Ag epitaxially deposited at the interface between Fe and MgO suppresses
tunneling through the interface band and may thus be used to enhance the TMR
for thin barriers.Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps figures (2 in color), revtex
Observation of a temperature dependent electrical resistance minimum above the magnetic ordering temperature in GdPdSi
Results on electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance, magnetic Results on
electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance, magnetic susceptibility, heat
capacity and Gd Mossbauer measurements on a Gd-based intermetallic compound,
GdPdSi are reported. A finding of interest is that the resistivity
unexpectedly shows a well-defined minimum at about 45 K, well above the long
range magnetic ordering temperature (21 K), a feature which gets suppressed by
the application of a magnetic field. This observation in a Gd alloy presents an
interesting scenario. On the basis of our results, we propose electron
localization induced by s-f (or d-f) exchange interaction prior to long range
magnetic order as a mechanism for the electrical resistance minimum.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Pressure-induced changes of the vibrational modes of spin-crossover complexes studied by nuclear resonance scattering of synchrotron radiation
Nuclear inelastic scattering (NIS) spectra were recorded for the
spin-crossover complexes STP and ETP (STP =
[Fe(1,1,1-trisf[N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-methylamino]methylg- ethane)](ClO4)2 and
ETP =
[Fe(1,1,1-trisf[N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-methylamino]methylg-butane)](ClO4)2) at
30 K and at room temperature and also at ambient pressure and applied pressure
(up to 2.6 GPa). Spin transition from the high-spin (HS) to the low-spin (LS)
state was observed by lowering temperature and also by applying pressure at
room temperature and has been assigned to the hardening of iron-bond stretching
modes due to the smaller volume in the LS isomer
Density of Phonon States in Superconducting FeSe as a Function of Temperature and Pressure
The temperature and pressure dependence of the partial density of phonon
states of iron atoms in superconducting Fe1.01Se was studied by 57Fe nuclear
inelastic scattering (NIS). The high energy resolution allows for a detailed
observation of spectral properties. A sharpening of the optical phonon modes
and shift of all spectral features towards higher energies by ~4% with
decreasing temperature from 296 K to 10 K was found. However, no detectable
change at the tetragonal - orthorhombic phase transition around 100 K was
observed. Application of a pressure of 6.7 GPa, connected with an increase of
the superconducting temperature from 8 K to 34 K, results in an increase of the
optical phonon mode energies at 296 K by ~12%, and an even more pronounced
increase for the lowest-lying transversal acoustic mode. Despite these strong
pressure-induced modifications of the phonon-DOS we conclude that the
pronounced increase of Tc in Fe1.01Se with pressure cannot be described in the
framework of classical electron-phonon coupling. This result suggests the
importance of spin fluctuations to the observed superconductivity
Patients' appreciation of pre-implant augmentation of the severely resorbed maxilla with calvarial or anterior iliac crest bone:a randomized controlled trial
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the impact of bone graft harvesting for pre-implant augmentation of the maxilla from a patient's perspective. To assess patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) related to augmentation of the extremely resorbed edentulous maxilla with calvarial or anterior iliac crest bone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this randomised controlled trial, 20 consecutive edentulous patients needing extensive pre-implant surgery of the maxilla were randomly assigned to either calvarial (n = 10) or anterior iliac crest (n = 10) bone harvesting. Patient reports on procedure-related satisfaction, questionnaires on oral functionality (denture satisfaction, chewing ability) and oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-49NL) and subjective donor site-related outcomes (e.g. of post-operative pain, scar formation, physical mobility) were assessed. RESULTS: Irrespective of the harvesting site, patients were generally satisfied (median VAS score 93 (86-99) mm, p = 0.400) with the procedure and its final results. Post-operative pain was mild (median 40 (20-40) mm) and decreased to no pain (4 (0-16) mm) within 14 days. Early post-operative pain was significantly higher following anterior iliac crest harvesting (p < 0.00). Impact on physical mobility, daily functioning and satisfaction with the scar formation were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The assessed PROMs confirmed that bone graft harvesting from the calvarium or anterior iliac crest is an appropriate procedure, reflected by high levels of satisfaction, minor long-term sequela and improvement of perceived oral health. For clinical decision-making, decisions can be based on individual features and preferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NTR, NTR3968 , registered 1 July 2013
Localized inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 by NUAK1 promotes spliceosome activity and reveals a MYC-sensitive feedback control of transcription.
Deregulated expression of MYC induces a dependence on the NUAK1 kinase, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this dependence have not been fully clarified. Here, we show that NUAK1 is a predominantly nuclear protein that associates with a network of nuclear protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) interactors and that PNUTS, a nuclear regulatory subunit of PP1, is phosphorylated by NUAK1. Both NUAK1 and PNUTS associate with the splicing machinery. Inhibition of NUAK1 abolishes chromatin association of PNUTS, reduces spliceosome activity, and suppresses nascent RNA synthesis. Activation of MYC does not bypass the requirement for NUAK1 for spliceosome activity but significantly attenuates transcription inhibition. Consequently, NUAK1 inhibition in MYC-transformed cells induces global accumulation of RNAPII both at the pause site and at the first exon-intron boundary but does not increase mRNA synthesis. We suggest that NUAK1 inhibition in the presence of deregulated MYC traps non-productive RNAPII because of the absence of correctly assembled spliceosomes
pH-equilibration of human hair: Kinetics and pH-dependence of the partition ratios for H+ − and OH− -ions based on a Freundlich isotherm
Hair is an insoluble, fibrous, α-keratinous, protein composite material, providing outer coverage, e.g., for mammals. In the context of a wider study on the effects of pH on human hair properties, we investigated the time-dependence of pH-equilibration study across the acid and the basic pH-range, using appropriate pure solutions of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. The results show that pH-equilibration follows essentially equal 1st-order kinetics across the pH-range. The characteristic process time does not change significantly and is in the range of 2.5–5 h. The analysis enables to determine the equilibrium uptakes of H+- and OH− -ions. These follow the expected U-shaped path across the pH-range. For both acidic and alkaline conditions, data are well described by two very similar sorption isotherms of the Freundlich-type. In consequence, partition ratios for both ions are highest near neutrality (pH 7: >6000) and drop off strongly towards low and high pHs (<50). Hair is thus a very strong ‘sink’ for H+ and OH−. This observation fundamentally challenges traditional views of limited ion uptake, namely, in the mid-pH-range due to hindered diffusion. It also does not support considerations on special roles of certain pHs, specific groups of amino acids, or morphological components. Our analysis thus suggests that established views of the interaction of hair and pH need to be reconsidered, The Freundlich isotherm approach appears to provide a versatile tool to refine our understanding of the interactions of hair and possibly other keratinous materials (horn, nail, feathers) with acids and bases
Harvesting anterior iliac crest or calvarial bone grafts to augment severely resorbed edentulous jaws:a systematic review and meta-analysis of patient-reported outcomes
The aim of this systematic review was to compare patient-reported outcomes after harvesting calvarial or anterior iliac crest bone grafts to repair severe jaw defects and enable implant placement. The MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, and OpenGrey were searched for studies on patient satisfaction, pain, disturbances in daily functioning, sensory alterations, donor site aesthetics, and complication rates. Of the 1946 articles identified, 43 reporting 40 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria; the studies were one randomized controlled clinical trial, one retrospective controlled clinical trial, and 23 prospective and 15 retrospective cohort studies. A meta-analysis of two studies (74 patients) showed no difference in satisfaction (mean difference (MD) − 0.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) − 1.17 to 0.92; P = 0.813) or postoperative pain (directly postoperative: MD −2.32, 95% CI −5.20 to 0.55, P = 0.113; late postoperative: MD −0.01, 95% CI −0.14 to 0.11, P = 0.825) between donor sites. However, the level of evidence is limited, due to the retrospective, non-randomized design of one study. Postoperative gait disturbances were highly prevalent among the anterior iliac crest patients (28–100% after 1 week). The incidence rates of sensory disturbances and other complications were low, and the donor site aesthetic outcomes were favourable for both graft types. To conclude, harvesting bone grafts from the calvarium or anterior iliac crest to augment the severely resorbed edentulous jaw results in similar patient satisfaction. However, the findings for postoperative pain and disturbances in daily living suggest a trend in favour of calvarial bone grafts if harvested using an adjusted technique
Stable Isotopic Characterization of a Coastal Floodplain Forest Community: A Case Study for Isotopic Reconstruction of Mesozoic Vertebrate Assemblages
Stable isotopes are powerful tools for elucidating ecological trends in extant vertebrate communities, though their application to Mesozoic ecosystems is complicated by a lack of extant isotope data from comparable environments/ecosystems (e.g. coastal floodplain forest environments, lacking significant C4 plant components). We sampled 20 taxa across a broad phylogenetic, body size, and physiological scope from the Atchafalaya River Basin of Louisiana as an environmental analogue to the Late Cretaceous coastal floodplains of North America. Samples were analysed for stable carbon, oxygen and nitrogen isotope compositions from bioapatite and keratin tissues to test the degree of ecological resolution that can be determined in a system with similar environmental conditions, and using similar constraints, as those in many Mesozoic assemblages. Isotopic results suggest a broad overlap in resource use among taxa and considerable terrestrial–aquatic interchange, highlighting the challenges of ecological interpretation in C3 systems, particularly when lacking observational data for comparison. We also propose a modified oxygen isotope-temperature equation that uses mean endotherm and mean ectotherm isotope data to more precisely predict temperature when compared with measured Atchafalaya River water data. These results provide a critical isotopic baseline for coastal floodplain forests, and act as a framework for future studies of Mesozoic palaeoecology
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