Movements in Parties: OccupyPD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donatella della Porta

2015-03-01

Full Text Available When the United States activists called for people to Occupy#everywhere, it is unlikely they were thinking of the headquarters of the Italian centre-left party. Parties and movements are often considered to be worlds apart. In reality, parties have been relevant players in movement politics, and movements have influenced parties, often through the double militancy of many of their members. OccupyPD testifies to a continuous fluidity at the movement-party border, but also to a blockage in the party’s interactions with society that started long before the economic crisis but drastically accelerated with it. In this paper we present the OccupyPD Movement as a case of interaction between party politics and social movement politics, and in particular between the base membership of a centre-left party and the broader anti-austerity movement that diffused from the US to Europe adopting similar forms of actions and claims. Second, by locating it within the context of the economic and democratic crisis that erupted in 2007, we understand its emergence as a reaction towards politics in times of crisis of responsibility, by which we mean a drastic drop in the capacity of the government to respond to citizens’ requests. To fulfil this double aim, we bridge social movement studies with research on party change, institutional trust and democratic theory, looking at some political effects of the economic crisis in terms of a specific form of legitimacy crisis, as well as citizens’ responses to it, with a particular focus on the political meaning of recent anti-austerity protests. In this analysis, we refer to both quantitative and qualitative data from secondary liter-ature and original in-depth interviews carried out with a sample of OccupyPD activists.

Diffracted X-ray tracking: new system for single molecular detection with X-rays

CERN Document Server

Sasaki, Y C; Adachi, S; Suzuki, Y; Yagi, N

2001-01-01

We propose a new X-ray methodology for direct observations of the behaviors of single molecular units in real time and real space. This new system, which we call Diffracted X-ray Tracking (DXT), monitors the Brownian motions of a single molecular unit by observations of X-ray diffracted spots from a nanocrystal, tightly bound to the individual single molecular unit in bio-systems. DXT does not determine any translational movements, but only orientational movements.

Diffracted X-ray tracking: new system for single molecular detection with X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Y.C.; Okumura, Y.; Adachi, S.; Suzuki, Y.; Yagi, N.

2001-01-01

We propose a new X-ray methodology for direct observations of the behaviors of single molecular units in real time and real space. This new system, which we call Diffracted X-ray Tracking (DXT), monitors the Brownian motions of a single molecular unit by observations of X-ray diffracted spots from a nanocrystal, tightly bound to the individual single molecular unit in bio-systems. DXT does not determine any translational movements, but only orientational movements

Molecular electronics with single molecules in solid-state devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Bjørnholm, Thomas

2009-01-01

The ultimate aim of molecular electronics is to understand and master single-molecule devices. Based on the latest results on electron transport in single molecules in solid-state devices, we focus here on new insights into the influence of metal electrodes on the energy spectrum of the molecule...

Generalized molecular orbital theory: a limited multiconfiguration self-consistent-field-theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, M.B.

1981-01-01

The generalized molecular orbital (GMO) approach is a limited type of multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF) calculation which divides the orbitals of a closed shell molecule into four shells: doubly occupied, strongly occupied, weakly occupied, and unoccupied. The orbitals within each shell have the same occupation number and are associated with the same Fock operator. Thus, the orbital optimization is ideally suited to solution via a coupling operator. The determination of the orbitals is followed by a configuration interaction (CI) calculation within the strongly and weakly occupied shells. Results for BH 3 show a striking similarity between the GMO's and the natural orbitals (NO's) from an all singles and doubles CI calculation. Although the GMO approach would not be accurate for an entire potential surface, results for spectroscopic constants of N 2 show that it is suitable near the equilibrium geometry. This paper describes the use of the GMO technique to determine the primary orbital space, but a potentially important application may be in the determination of a secondary orbital space following a more accurate MCSCF determination of the primary space

Fermi level alignment in molecular nanojunctions and its relation to charge transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stadler, Robert; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel

2006-01-01

The alignment of the Fermi level of a metal electrode within the gap of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of a molecule is a key quantity in molecular electronics, which can vary the electron transparency of a single-molecule junction...... by orders of magnitude. We present a quantitative analysis of the relation between this level alignment (which can be estimated from charging free molecules) and charge transfer for bipyridine and biphenyl dithiolate (BPDT) molecules attached to gold leads based on density functional theory calculations...... end of the gap in the transmission function for bipyridine and at its lower end for BPDT....

Molecular single photon double K-shell ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penent, F.; Nakano, M.; Tashiro, M.; Grozdanov, T.P.; Žitnik, M.; Carniato, S.; Selles, P.; Andric, L.; Lablanquie, P.; Palaudoux, J.; Shigemasa, E.; Iwayama, H.; Hikosaka, Y.; Soejima, K.; Suzuki, I.H.; Kouchi, N.; Ito, K.

2014-01-01

We have studied single photon double K-shell ionization of small molecules (N 2 , CO, C 2 H 2n (n = 1–3), …) and the Auger decay of the resulting double core hole (DCH) molecular ions thanks to multi-electron coincidence spectroscopy using a magnetic bottle time-of-flight spectrometer. The relative cross-sections for single-site (K −2 ) and two-site (K −1 K −1 ) double K-shell ionization with respect to single K-shell (K −1 ) ionization have been measured that gives important information on the mechanisms of single photon double ionization. The spectroscopy of two-site (K −1 K −1 ) DCH states in the C 2 H 2n (n = 1–3) series shows important chemical shifts due to a strong dependence on the C-C bond length. In addition, the complete cascade Auger decay following single site (K −2 ) ionization has been obtained

Occupy: A New Pedagogy of Space and Time?

Science.gov (United States)

Neary, Mike; Amsler, Sarah

2012-01-01

This paper forms the first part of a project of inquiry to understand the theoretical and practical potentials of Occupy through the recent wave of occupations that have emerged in response to the politics of austerity and precarity around the world. We do this as educators who are seeking to "occupy" spaces of higher education inside and outside…

Conformational Smear Characterization and Binning of Single-Molecule Conductance Measurements for Enhanced Molecular Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Korshoj, Lee E; Afsari, Sepideh; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

2017-11-01

Electronic conduction or charge transport through single molecules depends primarily on molecular structure and anchoring groups and forms the basis for a wide range of studies from molecular electronics to DNA sequencing. Several high-throughput nanoelectronic methods such as mechanical break junctions, nanopores, conductive atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling break junctions, and static nanoscale electrodes are often used for measuring single-molecule conductance. In these measurements, "smearing" due to conformational changes and other entropic factors leads to large variances in the observed molecular conductance, especially in individual measurements. Here, we show a method for characterizing smear in single-molecule conductance measurements and demonstrate how binning measurements according to smear can significantly enhance the use of individual conductance measurements for molecular recognition. Using quantum point contact measurements on single nucleotides within DNA macromolecules, we demonstrate that the distance over which molecular junctions are maintained is a measure of smear, and the resulting variance in unbiased single measurements depends on this smear parameter. Our ability to identify individual DNA nucleotides at 20× coverage increases from 81.3% accuracy without smear analysis to 93.9% with smear characterization and binning (SCRIB). Furthermore, merely 7 conductance measurements (7× coverage) are needed to achieve 97.8% accuracy for DNA nucleotide recognition when only low molecular smear measurements are used, which represents a significant improvement over contemporary sequencing methods. These results have important implications in a broad range of molecular electronics applications from designing robust molecular switches to nanoelectronic DNA sequencing.

2012 Gordon Research Conference, Single molecule approaches to biology, July 15-20 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez, Julio M. [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)

2012-04-20

Single molecule techniques are rapidly occupying a central role in biological research at all levels. This transition was made possible by the availability and dissemination of robust techniques that use fluorescence and force probes to track the conformation of molecules one at a time, in vitro as well as in live cells. Single-molecule approaches have changed the way many biological problems are studied. These novel techniques provide previously unobtainable data on fundamental biochemical processes that are essential for all forms of life. The ability of single-molecule approaches to avoid ensemble averaging and to capture transient intermediates and heterogeneous behavior renders them particularly powerful in elucidating mechanisms of the molecular systems that underpin the functioning of living cells. Hence, our conference seeks to disseminate the implementation and use of single molecule techniques in the pursuit of new biological knowledge. Topics covered include: Molecular Motors on the Move; Origin And Fate Of Proteins; Physical Principles Of Life; Molecules and Super-resolution Microscopy; Nanoswitches In Action; Active Motion Or Random Diffusion?; Building Blocks Of Living Cells; From Molecular Mechanics To Physiology; Tug-of-war: Force Spectroscopy Of Single Proteins.

Quantum Dot Platform for Single-Cell Molecular Profiling

Science.gov (United States)

Zrazhevskiy, Pavel S.

In-depth understanding of the nature of cell physiology and ability to diagnose and control the progression of pathological processes heavily rely on untangling the complexity of intracellular molecular mechanisms and pathways. Therefore, comprehensive molecular profiling of individual cells within the context of their natural tissue or cell culture microenvironment is essential. In principle, this goal can be achieved by tagging each molecular target with a unique reporter probe and detecting its localization with high sensitivity at sub-cellular resolution, primarily via microscopy-based imaging. Yet, neither widely used conventional methods nor more advanced nanoparticle-based techniques have been able to address this task up to date. High multiplexing potential of fluorescent probes is heavily restrained by the inability to uniquely match probes with corresponding molecular targets. This issue is especially relevant for quantum dot probes---while simultaneous spectral imaging of up to 10 different probes is possible, only few can be used concurrently for staining with existing methods. To fully utilize multiplexing potential of quantum dots, it is necessary to design a new staining platform featuring unique assignment of each target to a corresponding quantum dot probe. This dissertation presents two complementary versatile approaches towards achieving comprehensive single-cell molecular profiling and describes engineering of quantum dot probes specifically tailored for each staining method. Analysis of expanded molecular profiles is achieved through augmenting parallel multiplexing capacity with performing several staining cycles on the same specimen in sequential manner. In contrast to other methods utilizing quantum dots or other nanoparticles, which often involve sophisticated probe synthesis, the platform technology presented here takes advantage of simple covalent bioconjugation and non-covalent self-assembly mechanisms for straightforward probe

Tuning electron transport through a single molecular junction by bridge modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiao-Fei; Qiu, Qi; Luo, Yi

2014-01-01

The possibility of controlling electron transport in a single molecular junction represents the ultimate goal of molecular electronics. Here, we report that the modification of bridging group makes it possible to improve the performance and obtain new functions in a single cross-conjugated molecular junction, designed from a recently synthesized bipolar molecule bithiophene naphthalene diimide. Our first principles results show that the bipolar characteristic remains after the molecule was modified and sandwiched between two metal electrodes. Rectifying is the intrinsic characteristic of the molecular junction and its performance can be enhanced by replacing the saturated bridging group with an unsaturated group. A further improvement of the rectifying and a robust negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior can be achieved by the modification of unsaturated bridge. It is revealed that the modification can induce a deviation angle about 4° between the donor and the acceptor π-conjugations, making it possible to enhance the communication between the two π systems. Meanwhile, the low energy frontier orbitals of the junction can move close to the Fermi level and encounter in energy at certain biases, thus a transport channel with a considerable transmission can be formed near the Fermi level only at a narrow bias regime, resulting in the improvement of rectifying and the robust NDR behavior. This finding could be useful for the design of single molecular devices.

Occupy: New Pedagogy of Space and Time?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Amsler

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper forms the first part of a project of inquiry to understand the theoretical and practical potentials of Occupy through the recent wave of occupations that have emerged in response to the politics of austerity and precarity around the world. We do this as educators who are seeking to ‘occupy’ spaces of higher education inside and outside of the institutions in which we work. Occupy points to the centrality of space and time as practical concepts through which it is possible to reconfigure revolutionary activity. By dealing with the concept (Occupy at this fundamental level of space and time through a critical engagement with Henri Lefebvre’s notion of ‘a new pedagogy of space and time’, we hope to open spaces for further revolutionary transformation by extending a critique of the politics of space and time into the institutions and idea of education itself. Lefebvre considers the ‘pedagogy of space and time’ as a basis for a new form of ‘counter-space’. He suggests that ‘deviant or diverted spaces, though initially subordinate, show distinct evidence of a true productive capacity’ (2008: 383, and in doing so reveal the breaking points of everyday life and the ways in which it might be appropriated as exuberant spaces full of enjoyment and hope. In the Production of Space, he identifies the space of leisure as a site within which such a resistance might be contemplated and activated. In our work we replace the principle of leisure with the concept of Occupy. We consider here how attempts to occupy the university curriculum, not as a programme of education but as the production of critical knowledge, may also constitute ‘a new pedagogy of space and time’. We will describe this occupation of higher education with reference to two projects with which we are involved Student as Producer and the Social Science Centre, the former at the University of Lincoln, and the latter across the city of Lincoln.

Single particle and molecular assembly analysis of polyribosomes by single- and double-tilt cryo electron tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myasnikov, Alexander G. [IGBMC (Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology), Department of Integrative Structural Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7104/ Institut National de la Santé de la Recherche Médicale INSERM U964/ Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch (France); Afonina, Zhanna A. [Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Klaholz, Bruno P., E-mail: klaholz@igbmc.fr [IGBMC (Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology), Department of Integrative Structural Biology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7104/ Institut National de la Santé de la Recherche Médicale INSERM U964/ Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch (France)

2013-03-15

Cryo electron tomography (cryo-ET) can provide cellular and molecular structural information on various biological samples. However, the detailed interpretation of tomograms reconstructed from single-tilt data tends to suffer from low signal-to-noise ratio and artefacts caused by some systematically missing angular views. While these can be overcome by sub-tomogram averaging, they remain limiting for the analysis of unique structures. Double-tilt ET can improve the tomogram quality by acquiring a second tilt series after an in-plane rotation, but its usage is not widespread yet because it is considered technically demanding and it is rarely used under cryo conditions. Here we show that double-tilt cryo-ET improves the quality of 3D reconstructions so significantly that even single particle analysis can be envisaged despite of the intrinsically low image contrast obtained from frozen-hydrated specimens. This is illustrated by the analysis of eukaryotic polyribosomes in which individual ribosomes were reconstructed using single-tilt, partial and full double-tilt geometries. The improved tomograms favour the faster convergence of iterative sub-tomogram averaging and allow a better 3D classification using multivariate statistical analysis. Our study of single particles and molecular assemblies within polysomes illustrates that the dual-axis approach is particularly useful for cryo applications of ET, both for unique objects and for structures that can be classified and averaged. - Highlights: ► Double-tilt cryo-ET improves 3D reconstructions thus making single particle analysis possible. ► Dual-axis cryo-ET data favour a faster convergence of iterative sub-tomogram averaging. ► Individual ribosomes were reconstructed from single-tilt, partial/ full double-tilt geometries. ► Double-tilt cryo-ET facilitates analysis of larger molecular assemblies such as in cell sections. ► Dual-axis cryo-ET is applicable to unique objects and to structures that can be

A tight-binding model of the transmission probability through a molecular junction; a single molecule vs. a molecular layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landau, A.; Nitzan, A.

2006-01-01

Full Text: Molecular electronics, one of the major fields of the current effort in nano-science, may be de ed as the study of electronic behaviors, devices and applications that depend on the properties of matter at the molecular scale. If the miniaturization trend of microelectronic devices is to continue, elements such as transistors and contacts will soon shrink to single molecules. The promise of these new technological breakthroughs has been major driving force in this ld. Moreover, the consideration of molecular systems as electronic devices has raised new fundamental questions. In particular, while traditional quantum chemistry deals with electronically closed systems, we now face problems involving molecular systems that are open to their electronic environment, moreover, function in far from equilibrium situations. A generic molecular junction is made of two electrodes connected by a molecular spacer that takes the form of a molecular chain of varying length or a molecular layer of varying thickness. We use a simple nearest-neighbors tight-biding model with the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method to investigate and compare between a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), finite molecular layer (FML), and single molecule (SM) chemisorption to a surface of a metal substrate. In addition, we examine the difference in the transmission probability through a SAM, FML and SM sandwiched between two metallic electrodes. Dramatic differences are observed between the SM, FML and SAM density of electronic states and transmission functions. In addition, we analyze the effects of changing different physical parameters such as molecule-substrate interaction, molecule-molecule interactions, etc; interesting effects that pertain to the conduction properties of single molecules and molecular layers are observed. Intriguing results are attained when we investigate the commensurability of the SAM with the metallic surface

Single-molecule diffusion and conformational dynamics by spatial integration of temporal fluctuations

KAUST Repository

Serag, Maged F.

2014-10-06

Single-molecule localization and tracking has been used to translate spatiotemporal information of individual molecules to map their diffusion behaviours. However, accurate analysis of diffusion behaviours and including other parameters, such as the conformation and size of molecules, remain as limitations to the method. Here, we report a method that addresses the limitations of existing single-molecular localization methods. The method is based on temporal tracking of the cumulative area occupied by molecules. These temporal fluctuations are tied to molecular size, rates of diffusion and conformational changes. By analysing fluorescent nanospheres and double-stranded DNA molecules of different lengths and topological forms, we demonstrate that our cumulative-area method surpasses the conventional single-molecule localization method in terms of the accuracy of determined diffusion coefficients. Furthermore, the cumulative-area method provides conformational relaxation times of structurally flexible chains along with diffusion coefficients, which together are relevant to work in a wide spectrum of scientific fields.

Single-molecule diffusion and conformational dynamics by spatial integration of temporal fluctuations

KAUST Repository

Serag, Maged F.; Abadi, Maram; Habuchi, Satoshi

2014-01-01

Single-molecule localization and tracking has been used to translate spatiotemporal information of individual molecules to map their diffusion behaviours. However, accurate analysis of diffusion behaviours and including other parameters, such as the conformation and size of molecules, remain as limitations to the method. Here, we report a method that addresses the limitations of existing single-molecular localization methods. The method is based on temporal tracking of the cumulative area occupied by molecules. These temporal fluctuations are tied to molecular size, rates of diffusion and conformational changes. By analysing fluorescent nanospheres and double-stranded DNA molecules of different lengths and topological forms, we demonstrate that our cumulative-area method surpasses the conventional single-molecule localization method in terms of the accuracy of determined diffusion coefficients. Furthermore, the cumulative-area method provides conformational relaxation times of structurally flexible chains along with diffusion coefficients, which together are relevant to work in a wide spectrum of scientific fields.

Nanoscale heterostructures with molecular-scale single-crystal metal wires.

Science.gov (United States)

Kundu, Paromita; Halder, Aditi; Viswanath, B; Kundu, Dipan; Ramanath, Ganpati; Ravishankar, N

2010-01-13

Creating nanoscale heterostructures with molecular-scale (synthesis of nanoscale heterostructures with single-crystal molecular-scale Au nanowires attached to different nanostructure substrates. Our method involves the formation of Au nanoparticle seeds by the reduction of rocksalt AuCl nanocubes heterogeneously nucleated on the substrates and subsequent nanowire growth by oriented attachment of Au nanoparticles from the solution phase. Nanoscale heterostructures fabricated by such site-specific nucleation and growth are attractive for many applications including nanoelectronic device wiring, catalysis, and sensing.

Diffusion of Supercritical Fluids through Single-Layer Nanoporous Solids: Theory and Molecular Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Oulebsir, Fouad; Vermorel, Romain; Galliero, Guillaume

2018-01-16

With the advent of graphene material, membranes based on single-layer nanoporous solids appear as promising devices for fluid separation, be it liquid or gaseous mixtures. The design of such architectured porous materials would greatly benefit from accurate models that can predict their transport and separation properties. More specifically, there is no universal understanding of how parameters such as temperature, fluid loading conditions, or the ratio of the pore size to the fluid molecular diameter influence the permeation process. In this study, we address the problem of pure supercritical fluids diffusing through simplified models of single-layer porous materials. Basically, we investigate a toy model that consists of a single-layer lattice of Lennard-Jones interaction sites with a slit gap of controllable width. We performed extensive equilibrium and biased molecular dynamics simulations to document the physical mechanisms involved at the molecular scale. We propose a general constitutive equation for the diffusional transport coefficient derived from classical statistical mechanics and kinetic theory, which can be further simplified in the ideal gas limit. This transport coefficient relates the molecular flux to the fluid density jump across the single-layer membrane. It is found to be proportional to the accessible surface porosity of the single-layer porous solid and to a thermodynamic factor accounting for the inhomogeneity of the fluid close to the pore entrance. Both quantities directly depend on the potential of mean force that results from molecular interactions between solid and fluid atoms. Comparisons with the simulations data show that the kinetic model captures how narrowing the pore size below the fluid molecular diameter lowers dramatically the value of the transport coefficient. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our general constitutive equation allows for a consistent interpretation of the intricate effects of temperature and fluid loading

Manipulation and control of a single molecular rotor on Au (111) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hai-Gang, Zhang; Jin-Hai, Mao; Qi, Liu; Nan, Jiang; Hai-Tao, Zhou; Hai-Ming, Guo; Dong-Xia, Shi; Hong-Jun, Gao

2010-01-01

Three different methods are used to manipulate and control phthalocyanine based single molecular rotors on Au (111) surface: (1) changing the molecular structure to alter the rotation potential; (2) using the tunnelling current of the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) to change the thermal equilibrium of the molecular rotor; (3) artificial manipulation of the molecular rotor to switch the rotation on or off by an STM tip. Furthermore, a molecular 'gear wheel' is successfully achieved with two neighbouring molecules. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Single Turnover at Molecular Polymerization Catalysts Reveals Spatiotemporally Resolved Reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Easter, Quinn T; Blum, Suzanne A

2017-10-23

Multiple active individual molecular ruthenium catalysts have been pinpointed within growing polynorbornene, thereby revealing information on the reaction dynamics and location that is unavailable through traditional ensemble experiments. This is the first single-turnover imaging of a molecular catalyst by fluorescence microscopy and allows detection of individual monomer reactions at an industrially important molecular ruthenium ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) catalyst under synthetically relevant conditions (e.g. unmodified industrial catalyst, ambient pressure, condensed phase, ca. 0.03 m monomer). These results further establish the key fundamentals of this imaging technique for characterizing the reactivity and location of active molecular catalysts even when they are the minor components. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tracking the ultrafast motion of a single molecule by femtosecond orbital imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Cocker, Tyler L.; Peller, Dominik; Yu, Ping; Repp, Jascha; Huber, Rupert

2016-11-01

Watching a single molecule move on its intrinsic timescale has been one of the central goals of modern nanoscience, and calls for measurements that combine ultrafast temporal resolution with atomic spatial resolution. Steady-state experiments access the requisite spatial scales, as illustrated by direct imaging of individual molecular orbitals using scanning tunnelling microscopy or the acquisition of tip-enhanced Raman and luminescence spectra with sub-molecular resolution. But tracking the intrinsic dynamics of a single molecule directly in the time domain faces the challenge that interactions with the molecule must be confined to a femtosecond time window. For individual nanoparticles, such ultrafast temporal confinement has been demonstrated by combining scanning tunnelling microscopy with so-called lightwave electronics, which uses the oscillating carrier wave of tailored light pulses to directly manipulate electronic motion on timescales faster even than a single cycle of light. Here we build on ultrafast terahertz scanning tunnelling microscopy to access a state-selective tunnelling regime, where the peak of a terahertz electric-field waveform transiently opens an otherwise forbidden tunnelling channel through a single molecular state. It thereby removes a single electron from an individual pentacene molecule’s highest occupied molecular orbital within a time window shorter than one oscillation cycle of the terahertz wave. We exploit this effect to record approximately 100-femtosecond snapshot images of the orbital structure with sub-ångström spatial resolution, and to reveal, through pump/probe measurements, coherent molecular vibrations at terahertz frequencies directly in the time domain. We anticipate that the combination of lightwave electronics and the atomic resolution of our approach will open the door to visualizing ultrafast photochemistry and the operation of molecular electronics on the single-orbital scale.

Surface shift of the occupied and unoccupied 4f levels of the rare-earth metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aldén, Magnus; Johansson, Börje; Skriver, Hans Lomholt

1995-01-01

The surface energy shifts of the occupied and unoccupied 4f levels for the lanthanide metals have been calculated from first principles by means of a Green’s-function technique within the tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbitals method. We use the concept of complete screening to identify...... the occupied and unoccupied 4f energy level shifts as the surface segregation energy of a 4fn-1 and 4fn+1 impurity atom, respectively, in a 4fn host metal. The calculations include both initial- and final-state effects and give values that are considerably lower than those measured on polycrystalline samples...... as well as those found in previous initial-state model calculations. The present theory agrees well with very recent high-resolution, single-crystal film measurements for Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Lu. We furthermore utilize the unique possibility offered by the lanthanide metals to clarify the roles...

Molecular electronics with single molecules in solid-state devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Bjørnholm, Thomas

2009-09-01

The ultimate aim of molecular electronics is to understand and master single-molecule devices. Based on the latest results on electron transport in single molecules in solid-state devices, we focus here on new insights into the influence of metal electrodes on the energy spectrum of the molecule, and on how the electron transport properties of the molecule depend on the strength of the electronic coupling between it and the electrodes. A variety of phenomena are observed depending on whether this coupling is weak, intermediate or strong.

Ligand-based transport resonances of single-molecule magnet spin filters: Suppression of the Coulomb blockade and determination of the orientation of the magnetic easy axis

OpenAIRE

Renani, Fatemeh Rostamzadeh; Kirczenow, George

2011-01-01

We investigate single molecule magnet transistors (SMMTs) with ligands that support transport resonances. We find the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of Mn12-benzoate SMMs (with and without thiol or methyl-sulfide termination) to be on ligands, the highest occupied molecular orbitals being on the Mn12 magnetic core. We predict gate controlled switching between Coulomb blockade and coherent resonant tunneling in SMMTs based on such SMMs, strong spin filtering by the SMM in both transport ...

A molecular quantum spin network controlled by a single qubit.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlipf, Lukas; Oeckinghaus, Thomas; Xu, Kebiao; Dasari, Durga Bhaktavatsala Rao; Zappe, Andrea; de Oliveira, Felipe Fávaro; Kern, Bastian; Azarkh, Mykhailo; Drescher, Malte; Ternes, Markus; Kern, Klaus; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Finkler, Amit

2017-08-01

Scalable quantum technologies require an unprecedented combination of precision and complexity for designing stable structures of well-controllable quantum systems on the nanoscale. It is a challenging task to find a suitable elementary building block, of which a quantum network can be comprised in a scalable way. We present the working principle of such a basic unit, engineered using molecular chemistry, whose collective control and readout are executed using a nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond. The basic unit we investigate is a synthetic polyproline with electron spins localized on attached molecular side groups separated by a few nanometers. We demonstrate the collective readout and coherent manipulation of very few (≤ 6) of these S = 1/2 electronic spin systems and access their direct dipolar coupling tensor. Our results show that it is feasible to use spin-labeled peptides as a resource for a molecular qubit-based network, while at the same time providing simple optical readout of single quantum states through NV magnetometry. This work lays the foundation for building arbitrary quantum networks using well-established chemistry methods, which has many applications ranging from mapping distances in single molecules to quantum information processing.

Soft matter interactions at the molecular scale: interaction forces and energies between single hydrophobic model peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Philipp; Utzig, Thomas; Valtiner, Markus

2017-02-08

In all realms of soft matter research a fundamental understanding of the structure/property relationships based on molecular interactions is crucial for developing a framework for the targeted design of soft materials. However, a molecular picture is often difficult to ascertain and yet essential for understanding the many different competing interactions at play, including entropies and cooperativities, hydration effects, and the enormous design space of soft matter. Here, we characterized for the first time the interaction between single hydrophobic molecules quantitatively using atomic force microscopy, and demonstrated that single molecular hydrophobic interaction free energies are dominated by the area of the smallest interacting hydrophobe. The interaction free energy amounts to 3-4 kT per hydrophobic unit. Also, we find that the transition state of the hydrophobic interactions is located at 3 Å with respect to the ground state, based on Bell-Evans theory. Our results provide a new path for understanding the nature of hydrophobic interactions at the single molecular scale. Our approach enables us to systematically vary hydrophobic and any other interaction type by utilizing peptide chemistry providing a strategic advancement to unravel molecular surface and soft matter interactions at the single molecular scale.

26 CFR 1.803-5 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Real estate owned and occupied. 1.803-5 Section... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-5 Real estate owned and occupied. The amount allowable as a deduction for taxes, expenses, and depreciation upon or with respect to any real estate owned...

Multispectral optical tweezers for molecular diagnostics of single biological cells

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Corey; Fardad, Shima; Sincore, Alex; Vangheluwe, Marie; Baudelet, Matthieu; Richardson, Martin

2012-03-01

Optical trapping of single biological cells has become an established technique for controlling and studying fundamental behavior of single cells with their environment without having "many-body" interference. The development of such an instrument for optical diagnostics (including Raman and fluorescence for molecular diagnostics) via laser spectroscopy with either the "trapping" beam or secondary beams is still in progress. This paper shows the development of modular multi-spectral imaging optical tweezers combining Raman and Fluorescence diagnostics of biological cells.

Molecular discriminators using single wall carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharyya, Tamoghna; Dasgupta, Anjan Kr; Ray, Nihar Ranjan; Sarkar, Sabyasachi

2012-01-01

The interaction between single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and amphiphilic molecules has been studied in a solid phase. SWNTs are allowed to interact with different amphiphilic probes (e.g. lipids) in a narrow capillary interface. Contact between strong hydrophobic and amphiphilic interfaces leads to a molecular restructuring of the lipids at the interface. The geometry of the diffusion front and the rate and the extent of diffusion of the interface are dependent on the structure of the lipid at the interface. Lecithin having a linear tail showed greater mobility of the interface as compared to a branched tail lipid like dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, indicating the hydrophobic interaction between single wall carbon nanotube core and the hydrophobic tail of the lipid. Solid phase interactions between SWNT and lipids can thus become a very simple but efficient means of discriminating amphiphilic molecules in general and lipids in particular. (paper)

Exploring the energy landscape of biopolymers using single molecule force spectroscopy and molecular simulations

OpenAIRE

Hyeon, Changbong

2010-01-01

In recent years, single molecule force techniques have opened a new avenue to decipher the folding landscapes of biopolymers by allowing us to watch and manipulate the dynamics of individual proteins and nucleic acids. In single molecule force experiments, quantitative analyses of measurements employing sound theoretical models and molecular simulations play central role more than any other field. With a brief description of basic theories for force mechanics and molecular simulation techniqu...

Molecular dynamics simulations of single siloxane dendrimers: Molecular structure and intramolecular mobility of terminal groups

Science.gov (United States)

Kurbatov, A. O.; Balabaev, N. K.; Mazo, M. A.; Kramarenko, E. Yu.

2018-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of two types of isolated siloxane dendrimers of various generations (from the 2nd to the 8th) have been performed for temperatures ranging from 150 K to 600 K. The first type of dendrimer molecules has short spacers consisting of a single oxygen atom. In the dendrimers of the second type, spacers are longer and comprised of two oxygen atoms separated by a single silicon atom. A comparative analysis of molecular macroscopic parameters such as the gyration radius and the shape factor as well as atom distributions within dendrimer interior has been performed for varying generation number, temperature, and spacer length. It has been found that the short-spacer dendrimers of the 7th and 8th generations have a stressed central part with elongated bonds and deformed valence angles. Investigation of the time evolution of radial displacements of the terminal Si atoms has shown that a fraction of the Si groups have a reduced mobility. Therefore, rather long time trajectories (of the order of tens of nanoseconds) are required to study dendrimer intramolecular dynamics.

Towards Controlled Single-Molecule Manipulation Using “Real-Time” Molecular Dynamics Simulation: A GPU Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dyon van Vreumingen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Molecular electronics saw its birth with the idea to build electronic circuitry with single molecules as individual components. Even though commercial applications are still modest, it has served an important part in the study of fundamental physics at the scale of single atoms and molecules. It is now a routine procedure in many research groups around the world to connect a single molecule between two metallic leads. What is unknown is the nature of this coupling between the molecule and the leads. We have demonstrated recently (Tewari, 2018, Ph.D. Thesis our new setup based on a scanning tunneling microscope, which can be used to controllably manipulate single molecules and atomic chains. In this article, we will present the extension of our molecular dynamic simulator attached to this system for the manipulation of single molecules in real time using a graphics processing unit (GPU. This will not only aid in controlled lift-off of single molecules, but will also provide details about changes in the molecular conformations during the manipulation. This information could serve as important input for theoretical models and for bridging the gap between the theory and experiments.

Computational exploration of single-protein mechanics by steered molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sotomayor, Marcos [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (United States)

2015-12-31

Hair cell mechanotransduction happens in tens of microseconds, involves forces of a few picoNewtons, and is mediated by nanometer-scale molecular conformational changes. As proteins involved in this process become identified and their high resolution structures become available, multiple tools are being used to explore their “single-molecule responses” to force. Optical tweezers and atomic force microscopy offer exquisite force and extension resolution, but cannot reach the high loading rates expected for high frequency auditory stimuli. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can reach these fast time scales, and also provide a unique view of the molecular events underlying protein mechanics, but its predictions must be experimentally verified. Thus a combination of simulations and experiments might be appropriate to study the molecular mechanics of hearing. Here I review the basics of MD simulations and the different methods used to apply force and study protein mechanics in silico. Simulations of tip link proteins are used to illustrate the advantages and limitations of this method.

Electrochemistry of single molecules and biomolecules, molecular scale nanostructures, and low-dimensional systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nazmutdinov, Renat R.; Zinkicheva, Tamara T.; Zinkicheva, Tamara T.

2018-01-01

Electrochemistry at ultra-small scales, where even the single molecule or biomolecule can be characterized and manipulated, is on the way to a consolidated status. At the same time molecular electrochemistry is expanding into other areas of sophisticated nano- and molecular scale systems includin...... molecular scale metal and semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) and other nanostructures, e.g. nanotubes, “nanoflowers” etc.. The new structures offer both new electronic properties and highly confined novel charge transfer environments....

Partly occupied Wannier functions: Construction and applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thygesen, Kristian Sommer; Hansen, Lars Bruno; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel

2005-01-01

We have developed a practical scheme to construct partly occupied, maximally localized Wannier functions (WFs) for a wide range of systems. We explain and demonstrate how the inclusion of selected unoccupied states in the definition of the WFs can improve both their localization and symmetry...

Single Nucleobase Identification Using Biophysical Signatures from Nanoelectronic Quantum Tunneling.

Science.gov (United States)

Korshoj, Lee E; Afsari, Sepideh; Khan, Sajida; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

2017-03-01

Nanoelectronic DNA sequencing can provide an important alternative to sequencing-by-synthesis by reducing sample preparation time, cost, and complexity as a high-throughput next-generation technique with accurate single-molecule identification. However, sample noise and signature overlap continue to prevent high-resolution and accurate sequencing results. Probing the molecular orbitals of chemically distinct DNA nucleobases offers a path for facile sequence identification, but molecular entropy (from nucleotide conformations) makes such identification difficult when relying only on the energies of lowest-unoccupied and highest-occupied molecular orbitals (LUMO and HOMO). Here, nine biophysical parameters are developed to better characterize molecular orbitals of individual nucleobases, intended for single-molecule DNA sequencing using quantum tunneling of charges. For this analysis, theoretical models for quantum tunneling are combined with transition voltage spectroscopy to obtain measurable parameters unique to the molecule within an electronic junction. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy is then used to measure these nine biophysical parameters for DNA nucleotides, and a modified machine learning algorithm identified nucleobases. The new parameters significantly improve base calling over merely using LUMO and HOMO frontier orbital energies. Furthermore, high accuracies for identifying DNA nucleobases were observed at different pH conditions. These results have significant implications for developing a robust and accurate high-throughput nanoelectronic DNA sequencing technique. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ligand-based transport resonances of single-molecule-magnet spin filters: Suppression of Coulomb blockade and determination of easy-axis orientation

Science.gov (United States)

Rostamzadeh Renani, Fatemeh; Kirczenow, George

2011-11-01

We investigate single-molecule-magnet transistors (SMMTs) with ligands that support transport resonances. We find the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of Mn12-benzoate SMMs (with and without thiol or methyl-sulfide termination) to be on ligands, the highest occupied molecular orbitals being on the Mn12 magnetic core. We predict gate-controlled switching between Coulomb blockade and coherent resonant tunneling in SMMTs based on such SMMs, strong spin filtering by the SMM in both transport regimes, and that if such switching is observed, then the magnetic easy axis of the SMM is parallel to the direction of the current through the SMM.

24 CFR 983.351 - PHA payment to owner for occupied unit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER (PBV) PROGRAM Payment to Owner § 983.351 PHA payment to owner for occupied unit. (a) When payments are made. (1) During the term of the HAP contract, the PHA shall... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false PHA payment to owner for occupied...

25 CFR 91.7 - Permits to occupy land for dwelling purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Permits to occupy land for dwelling purposes. 91.7... INDIAN VILLAGES, OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLAHOMA § 91.7 Permits to occupy land for dwelling purposes. The issuance of permits for the use of land for dwelling purposes within any village reserve described in § 91...

Sonographic findings of space occupying lesions in liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, In One; Choi, B I; Kim, J W [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1982-12-15

Gray scale ultrasonography is used with increasing frequency for the detection and characterization of hepatic space occupying lesions. Authors analyzed sonographic findings of 73 cases of hepatic space occupying lesions,which had been confirmed histologically or diagnosed clinically. The results were summarized as follows: 1. Most common sonographic pattern of hepatic neoplasms was well-defined increased echogenic mass. No significant sonographic difference was noted between primary and metastatic tumor. Splenomegaly and distortion of hepatic echoes favored hepatocellular carcinoma, and multiplicity favored metastatic tumor. 2. Most common sonographic pattern of hepatic abscess was well-defined decreased echogenecity or echoless cystic lesion containing fine low level echoes with posterior enhancement. 3. Hepatic cyst showed sharply defined echoless cystic lesion with strong posterior enhancement

Variable contact gap single-molecule conductance determination for a series of conjugated molecular bridges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haiss, W.; Wang, Christian; Jitchati, R.

2008-01-01

It is now becoming clear that the characteristics of the whole junction are important in determining the conductance of single molecules bound between two metal contacts. This paper shows through measurements on a series of seven conjugated molecular bridges that contact separation is an importan...... that conductance increases rather dramatically at higher tilt angle away from the normal for conformationally rigid molecular wires and that this increase in conductance arises from increased electronic coupling between the molecular bridge and the gold contacts.......It is now becoming clear that the characteristics of the whole junction are important in determining the conductance of single molecules bound between two metal contacts. This paper shows through measurements on a series of seven conjugated molecular bridges that contact separation is an important......-distance curves and knowledge of the terminal to terminal length of the molecular wire. The contact gap separation dependence is interpreted as arising from tilting of these molecules in the junction and this model is underpinned by ab initio transport computations. In this respect we make the general observation...

Experimental thermodynamics of single molecular motor.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyabe, Shoichi; Muneyuki, Eiro

2013-01-01

Molecular motor is a nano-sized chemical engine that converts chemical free energy to mechanical motions. Hence, the energetics is as important as kinetics in order to understand its operation principle. We review experiments to evaluate the thermodynamic properties of a rotational F1-ATPase motor (F1-motor) at a single-molecule level. We show that the F1-motor achieves 100% thermo dynamic efficiency at the stalled state. Furthermore, the motor reduces the internal irreversible heat inside the motor to almost zero and achieves a highly-efficient free energy transduction close to 100% during rotations far from quasistatic process. We discuss the mechanism of how the F1-motor achieves such a high efficiency, which highlights the remarkable property of the nano-sized engine F1-motor.

Molecular analysis of single oocyst of Eimeria by whole genome amplification (WGA) based nested PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yunzhou; Tao, Geru; Cui, Yujuan; Lv, Qiyao; Xie, Li; Li, Yuan; Suo, Xun; Qin, Yinghe; Xiao, Lihua; Liu, Xianyong

2014-09-01

PCR-based molecular tools are widely used for the identification and characterization of protozoa. Here we report the molecular analysis of Eimeria species using combined methods of whole genome amplification (WGA) and nested PCR. Single oocyst of Eimeria stiedai or Eimeriamedia was directly used for random amplification of the genomic DNA with either primer extension preamplification (PEP) or multiple displacement amplification (MDA), and then the WGA product was used as template in nested PCR with species-specific primers for ITS-1, 18S rDNA and 23S rDNA of E. stiedai and E. media. WGA-based PCR was successful for the amplification of these genes from single oocyst. For the species identification of single oocyst isolated from mixed E. stiedai or E. media, the results from WGA-based PCR were exactly in accordance with those from morphological identification, suggesting the availability of this method in molecular analysis of eimerian parasites at the single oocyst level. WGA-based PCR method can also be applied for the identification and genetic characterization of other protists. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social identity formation during the emergence of the Occupy movement

OpenAIRE

Smith, Laura G. E.; Gavin, Jeffrey; Sharp, Elise

2015-01-01

The Occupy movement made a series of local ‘sit-ins’ in cities across the world in response to financial and political injustices. Prior to the movement’s emergence, the Internet provided a transnational forum for people across the world to discuss their opinions and coalesce about the financial and political context. Here, we analyze 5,343 posts on the ‘#OccupyWallStreet’ Facebook event page to identify linguistic markers of shared social identity formation.Results suggest that discussants f...

Electronic structure of surface-supported bis(phthalocyaninato) terbium(III) single molecular magnets.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitali, Lucia; Fabris, Stefano; Conte, Adriano Mosca; Brink, Susan; Ruben, Mario; Baroni, Stefano; Kern, Klaus

2008-10-01

The electronic structure of isolated bis(phthalocyaninato) terbium(III) molecules, a novel single-molecular-magnet (SMM), supported on the Cu(111) surface has been characterized by density functional theory and scanning tunneling spectroscopy. These studies reveal that the interaction with the metal surface preserves both the molecular structure and the large spin magnetic moment of the metal center. The 4f electron states are not perturbed by the adsorption while a strong molecular/metal interaction can induce the suppression of the minor spin contribution delocalized over the molecular ligands. The calculations show that the inherent spin magnetic moment of the molecule is only weakly affected by the interaction with the surface and suggest that the SMM character might be preserved.

Alternative occupied volume integrity (OVI) tests and analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

FRA, supported by the Volpe Center, conducted research on alternative methods of evaluating occupied volume integrity (OVI) in passenger railcars. Guided by this research, an alternative methodology for evaluating OVI that ensures an equivalent or gr...

Occupy Education: Living and Learning Sustainability. Global Studies in Education. Volume 22

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Tina Lynn

2012-01-01

"Occupy Education" is motivated by the sustainability crisis and energized by the drive for social justice that inspired the Occupy movement. Situated within the struggle for sustainability taking place amid looming resource shortages, climate change, economic instability, and ecological breakdown, the book is a timely contribution to community…

Preparation and coherent manipulation of pure quantum states of a single molecular ion

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Chin-Wen; Kurz, Christoph; Hume, David B.; Plessow, Philipp N.; Leibrandt, David R.; Leibfried, Dietrich

2017-05-01

Laser cooling and trapping of atoms and atomic ions has led to advances including the observation of exotic phases of matter, the development of precision sensors and state-of-the-art atomic clocks. The same level of control in molecules could also lead to important developments such as controlled chemical reactions and sensitive probes of fundamental theories, but the vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom in molecules pose a challenge for controlling their quantum mechanical states. Here we use quantum-logic spectroscopy, which maps quantum information between two ion species, to prepare and non-destructively detect quantum mechanical states in molecular ions. We develop a general technique for optical pumping and preparation of the molecule into a pure initial state. This enables us to observe high-resolution spectra in a single ion (CaH+) and coherent phenomena such as Rabi flopping and Ramsey fringes. The protocol requires a single, far-off-resonant laser that is not specific to the molecule, so many other molecular ions, including polyatomic species, could be treated using the same methods in the same apparatus by changing the molecular source. Combined with the long interrogation times afforded by ion traps, a broad range of molecular ions could be studied with unprecedented control and precision. Our technique thus represents a critical step towards applications such as precision molecular spectroscopy, stringent tests of fundamental physics, quantum computing and precision control of molecular dynamics.

Occupied and unoccupied electronic structure of Na doped MoS{sub 2}(0001)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komesu, Takashi; Zhang, Xin; Dowben, P. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Theodore Jorgensen Hall, 855 N 16th St., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0299 (United States); Le, Duy; Rahman, Talat S. [Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32816 (United States); Ma, Quan; Bartels, Ludwig [Department of Chemistry and the Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 (United States); Schwier, Eike F.; Iwasawa, Hideaki; Shimada, Kenya [Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-0046 (Japan); Kojima, Yohei; Zheng, Mingtian [Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan); Taniguchi, Masaki [Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-0046 (Japan); Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan)

2014-12-15

The influence of sodium on the band structure of MoS{sub 2}(0001) and the comparison of the experimental band dispersion with density functional theory show excellent agreement for the occupied states (angle-resolved photoemission) and qualitative agreement for the unoccupied states (inverse photoemission spectroscopy). Na-adsorption leads to charge transfer to the MoS{sub 2} surface causing an effect similar to n-type doping of a semiconductor. The MoS{sub 2} occupied valence band structure shifts rigidly to greater binding with little change in the occupied state dispersion. Likewise, the unoccupied states shift downward, approaching the Fermi level, yet the amount of the shift for the unoccupied states is greater than that of the occupied states, effectively causing a narrowing of the MoS{sub 2} bandgap.

The rotational barrier in ethane: a molecular orbital study.

Science.gov (United States)

Quijano-Quiñones, Ramiro F; Quesadas-Rojas, Mariana; Cuevas, Gabriel; Mena-Rejón, Gonzalo J

2012-04-20

The energy change on each Occupied Molecular Orbital as a function of rotation about the C-C bond in ethane was studied using the B3LYP, mPWB95 functional and MP2 methods with different basis sets. Also, the effect of the ZPE on rotational barrier was analyzed. We have found that σ and π energies contribution stabilize a staggered conformation. The σ(s) molecular orbital stabilizes the staggered conformation while the stabilizes the eclipsed conformation and destabilize the staggered conformation. The π(z) and molecular orbitals stabilize both the eclipsed and staggered conformations, which are destabilized by the π(v) and molecular orbitals. The results show that the method of calculation has the effect of changing the behavior of the energy change in each Occupied Molecular Orbital energy as a function of the angle of rotation about the C-C bond in ethane. Finally, we found that if the molecular orbital energy contribution is deleted from the rotational energy, an inversion in conformational preference occurs.

The Rotational Barrier in Ethane: A Molecular Orbital Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalo J. Mena-Rejón

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The energy change on each Occupied Molecular Orbital as a function of rotation about the C-C bond in ethane was studied using the B3LYP, mPWB95 functional and MP2 methods with different basis sets. Also, the effect of the ZPE on rotational barrier was analyzed. We have found that σ and π energies contribution stabilize a staggered conformation. The σ_s molecular orbital stabilizes the staggered conformation while the  stabilizes the eclipsed conformation and destabilize the staggered conformation. The π_z and  molecular orbitals stabilize both the eclipsed and staggered conformations, which are destabilized by the π_v and  molecular orbitals. The results show that the method of calculation has the effect of changing the behavior of the energy change in each Occupied Molecular Orbital energy as a function of the angle of rotation about the C–C bond in ethane. Finally, we found that if the molecular orbital energy contribution is deleted from the rotational energy, an inversion in conformational preference occurs.

Surface shift of the occupied and unoccupied 4f levels of the rare-earth metals

Science.gov (United States)

Aldén, M.; Johansson, B.; Skriver, H. L.

1995-02-01

The surface energy shifts of the occupied and unoccupied 4f levels for the lanthanide metals have been calculated from first principles by means of a Green's-function technique within the tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbitals method. We use the concept of complete screening to identify the occupied and unoccupied 4f energy level shifts as the surface segregation energy of a 4fn-1 and 4fn+1 impurity atom, respectively, in a 4fn host metal. The calculations include both initial- and final-state effects and give values that are considerably lower than those measured on polycrystalline samples as well as those found in previous initial-state model calculations. The present theory agrees well with very recent high-resolution, single-crystal film measurements for Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Lu. We furthermore utilize the unique possibility offered by the lanthanide metals to clarify the roles played by the initial and the different final states of the core-excitation process, permitted by the fact that the so-called initial-state effect is identical upon 4f removal and 4f addition. Surface energy and work function calculations are also reported.

Molecular-dynamic simulations of the thermophysical properties of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane single crystal at high pressures and temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlova, S. A.; Gubin, S. A.; Maklashova, I. V.; Selezenev, A. A.

2017-11-01

Molecular dynamic simulations of isothermal compression parameters are performed for a hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane single crystal (C6H6O12N12) using a modified ReaxFF-log reactive force field. It is shown that the pressure-compression ratio curve for a single C6H6O12N12 crystal at constant temperature T = 300 K in pressure range P = 0.05-40 GPa is in satisfactory agreement with experimental compression isotherms obtained for a single C6H6O12N12 crystal. Hugoniot molecular-dynamic simulations of the shock-wave hydrostatic compression of a single C6H6O12N12 crystal are performed. Along with Hugoniot temperature-pressure curves, calculated shock-wave pressure-compression ratios for a single C6H6O12N12 crystal are obtained for a wide pressure range of P = 1-40 GPa. It is established that the percussive adiabat obtained for a single C6H6O12N12 crystal is in a good agreement with the experimental data. All calculations are performed using a LAMMPS molecular dynamics simulation software package that provides a ReaxFF-lg reactive force field to support the approach.

Electronic properties of organic monolayers and molecular devices

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

These devices exhibit a marked current–voltage rectification behavior due to resonant transport between the Si conduction band and the molecule highest occupied molecular orbital of the molecule. We discuss the role of metal Fermi level pinning in the current–voltage behavior of these molecular junctions. We also ...

Manipulating localized molecular orbitals by single-atom contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weihua; Shi, Xingqiang; Lin, Chensheng; Zhang, Rui Qin; Minot, Christian; Van Hove, Michel A; Hong, Yuning; Tang, Ben Zhong; Lin, Nian

2010-09-17

We have fabricated atom-molecule contacts by attachment of single Cu atoms to terpyridine side groups of bis-terpyridine tetra-phenyl ethylene molecules on a Cu(111) surface. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy, and density functional calculations, we have found that, due to the localization characteristics of molecular orbitals, the Cu-atom contact modifies the state localized at the terpyridine side group which is in contact with the Cu atom but does not affect the states localized at other parts of the molecule. These results illustrate the contact effects at individual orbitals and offer possibilities to manipulate orbital alignments within molecules.

Single molecular biology: coming of age in DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiao-Jing; Lou, Hui-Qiang

2017-09-20

DNA replication is an essential process of the living organisms. To achieve precise and reliable replication, DNA polymerases play a central role in DNA synthesis. Previous investigations have shown that the average rates of DNA synthesis on the leading and lagging strands in a replisome must be similar to avoid the formation of significant gaps in the nascent strands. The underlying mechanism has been assumed to be coordination between leading- and lagging-strand polymerases. However, Kowalczykowski's lab members recently performed single molecule techniques in E. coli and showed the real-time behavior of a replisome. The leading- and lagging-strand polymerases function stochastically and independently. Furthermore, when a DNA polymerase is paused, the helicase slows down in a self-regulating fail-safe mechanism, akin to a ''dead-man's switch''. Based on the real-time single-molecular observation, the authors propose that leading- and lagging-strand polymerases synthesize DNA stochastically within a Gaussian distribution. Along with the development and application of single-molecule techniques, we will witness a new age of DNA replication and other biological researches.

Molecular Etiology of Hereditary Single-Side Deafness

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Shin Hye; Kim, Ah Reum; Choi, Hyun Seok; Kim, Min Young; Chun, Eun Hi; Oh, Seung-Ha; Choi, Byung Yoon

2015-01-01

Abstract Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL)/single-side deafness (SSD) is a frequently encountered disability in children. The etiology of a substantial portion of USNHL/SSD still remains unknown, and genetic causes have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, the authors evaluated the heritability of USNHL/SSD. The authors sequentially recruited 50 unrelated children with SSD. For an etiologic diagnosis, we performed a rigorous review on the phenotypes of family members of all children and conducted, if necessary, molecular genetic tests including targeted exome sequencing of 129 deafness genes. Among the 50 SSD children cohort, the authors identify 4 (8%) unrelated SSD probands from 4 families (SH136, SB173, SB177, and SB199) with another hearing impaired family members. Notably, all 4 probands in our cohort with a familial history of SSD also have pigmentary abnormalities such as brown freckles or premature gray hair within first degree relatives, which may indicate that genes whose products are involved with pigmentary disorder could be candidates for heritable SSD. Indeed, SH136 and SB199 turned out to segregate a mutation in MITF and PAX3, respectively, leading to a molecular diagnosis of Waardenburg syndrome (WS). We report, for the first time in the literature, a significant heritability of pediatric SSD. There is a strong association between the heritability of USNHL/SSD and the pigmentary abnormality, shedding a new light on the understanding of the molecular basis of heritable USNHL/SSD. In case of children with congenital SSD, it would be mandatory to rigorously screen pigmentary abnormalities. WS should also be included in the differential diagnosis of children with USNHL/SSD, especially in a familial form. PMID:26512583

Theory and practice of uncommon molecular electronic configurations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gryn'ova, Ganna; Coote, Michelle L; Corminboeuf, Clemence

2015-01-01

The electronic configuration of the molecule is the foundation of its structure and reactivity. The spin state is one of the key characteristics arising from the ordering of electrons within the molecule's set of orbitals. Organic molecules that have open-shell ground states and interesting physicochemical properties, particularly those influencing their spin alignment, are of immense interest within the up-and-coming field of molecular electronics. In this advanced review, we scrutinize various qualitative rules of orbital occupation and spin alignment, viz., the aufbau principle, Hund's multiplicity rule, and dynamic spin polarization concept, through the prism of quantum mechanics. While such rules hold in selected simple cases, in general the spin state of a system depends on a combination of electronic factors that include Coulomb and Pauli repulsion, nuclear attraction, kinetic energy, orbital relaxation, and static correlation. A number of fascinating chemical systems with spin states that fluctuate between triplet and open-shell singlet, and are responsive to irradiation, pH, and other external stimuli, are highlighted. In addition, we outline a range of organic molecules with intriguing non-aufbau orbital configurations. In such quasi-closed-shell systems, the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) is energetically lower than one or more doubly occupied orbitals. As a result, the SOMO is not affected by electron attachment to or removal from the molecule, and the products of such redox processes are polyradicals. These peculiar species possess attractive conductive and magnetic properties, and a number of them that have already been developed into molecular electronics applications are highlighted in this review. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2015, 5:440-459. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1233 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

Estimating single molecule conductance from spontaneous evolution of a molecular contact

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, M.; Malinowski, T.; Iazykov, M.; Klein, H. R.

2018-03-01

We present an original method to estimate the conductivity of a single molecule anchored to nanometric-sized metallic electrodes, using a Mechanically Controlled Break Junction operated at room temperature in the liquid. We record the conductance through the metal/molecules/metal nanocontact while keeping the metallic electrodes at a fixed distance. Taking advantage of thermal diffusion and electromigration, we let the contact naturally explore the more stable configurations around a chosen conductance value. The conductance of a single molecule is estimated from a statistical analysis of raw conductance and conductance standard deviation data for molecular contacts containing up to 14 molecules. The single molecule conductance values are interpreted as time-averaged conductance of an ensemble of conformers at thermal equilibrium.

Molecular tips for scanning tunneling microscopy: intermolecular electron tunneling for single-molecule recognition and electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishino, Tomoaki

2014-01-01

This paper reviews the development of molecular tips for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Molecular tips offer many advantages: first is their ability to perform chemically selective imaging because of chemical interactions between the sample and the molecular tip, thus improving a major drawback of conventional STM. Rational design of the molecular tip allows sophisticated chemical recognition; e.g., chiral recognition and selective visualization of atomic defects in carbon nanotubes. Another advantage is that they provide a unique method to quantify electron transfer between single molecules. Understanding such electron transfer is mandatory for the realization of molecular electronics.

Molecular heterojunctions of oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s with linear to cruciform framework

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wei, Zhongming; Hansen, Tim; Santella, Marco

2015-01-01

Electrical transport properties of molecular junctions are fundamentally affected by the energy alignment between molecular frontier orbitals (highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO)) and Fermi level (or work function) of electrode metals. Dithiaful......Electrical transport properties of molecular junctions are fundamentally affected by the energy alignment between molecular frontier orbitals (highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO)) and Fermi level (or work function) of electrode metals......-tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) can form good self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au substrates. Molecular heterojunctions based on these SAMs are investigated using conducting probe-atomic force microscopy with different tips (Ag, Au, and Pt) and Fermi levels. The calibrated conductance values follow the sequence OPE3-TTF...... > OPE3-DTF > OPE3 irrespective of the tip metal. Rectification properties (or diode behavior) are observed in case of the Ag tip for which the work function is furthest from the HOMO levels of the OPE3s. Quantum chemical calculations of the transmission qualitatively agree with the experimental data...

Complex neurological investigations of space-occupying lesions in the spinal canal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assmann, H; Besel, R; Schumann, E; Usbeck, W

1981-03-01

Problems of early diagnosis of space-occupying intraspinal lesions are discussed in relation to 335 patients on whom surgery had been carried out. Advances in neuroradiological methods are considered. The development of new contrast media has resulted in a reduction of the risk of invasive procedures and this should lead to diagnosis of space-occupying spinal lesions at a very early stage. It is now possible to diagnose small tumours before they cause compression of the cord or of nerve roots.

Distributions of owner-occupiers' housing wealth, debt and interest expenditure ratios as financial soundness indicators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lunde, Jens

The Danish housing market boomed from 1993 to the end of 2006. The house price increases from 2003 to 2006 were especially dramatic and cannot be explained satisfactorily by `fundamentals'. Moreover, the owner-occupiers are highly indebted; Denmark is the nation with the highest household debt....../GDP, highest total liabilities/net wealth and highest mortgage debt/net non-financial wealth ratios among 15 OECD countries. Obviously, an analysis of the financial soundness of owner-occupiers is topical in order to analyse financial stability in society. The financial soundness of Danish owner......-occupier families is analysed using relevant financial indicators for the owner-occupiers' capital structure and interest payments. Tax statistics for the owner-occupier families are used here. In a financial soundness perspective macro data are of limited importance as they express total and average changes...

Single-cell transcriptomics uncovers distinct molecular signatures of stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Giustacchini, Alice; Thongjuea, Supat; Barkas, Nikolaos; Woll, Petter S; Povinelli, Benjamin J; Booth, Christopher A G; Sopp, Paul; Norfo, Ruggiero; Rodriguez-Meira, Alba; Ashley, Neil; Jamieson, Lauren; Vyas, Paresh; Anderson, Kristina; Segerstolpe, Åsa; Qian, Hong; Olsson-Strömberg, Ulla; Mustjoki, Satu; Sandberg, Rickard; Jacobsen, Sten Eirik W; Mead, Adam J

2017-06-01

Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics are ideally placed to unravel intratumoral heterogeneity and selective resistance of cancer stem cell (SC) subpopulations to molecularly targeted cancer therapies. However, current single-cell RNA-sequencing approaches lack the sensitivity required to reliably detect somatic mutations. We developed a method that combines high-sensitivity mutation detection with whole-transcriptome analysis of the same single cell. We applied this technique to analyze more than 2,000 SCs from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) throughout the disease course, revealing heterogeneity of CML-SCs, including the identification of a subgroup of CML-SCs with a distinct molecular signature that selectively persisted during prolonged therapy. Analysis of nonleukemic SCs from patients with CML also provided new insights into cell-extrinsic disruption of hematopoiesis in CML associated with clinical outcome. Furthermore, we used this single-cell approach to identify a blast-crisis-specific SC population, which was also present in a subclone of CML-SCs during the chronic phase in a patient who subsequently developed blast crisis. This approach, which might be broadly applied to any malignancy, illustrates how single-cell analysis can identify subpopulations of therapy-resistant SCs that are not apparent through cell-population analysis.

Application of microwave ablation in treatment of solid space-occupying lesions in the liver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DU Lei

2017-10-01

Full Text Available With the development of science and technology, many therapies for hepatic space-occupying lesions have emerged, such as surgical operation, chemotherapy, intervention, and biological therapy. In recent years, microwave technique for the treatment of hepatic space-occupying lesions has attracted more and more attention because of its small trauma, low expense, marked clinical effect, and few complications. This article reviews the advances in the application of microwave in the treatment of liver cancer, hepatic hemangioma, hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, and other benign hepatic space-occupying lesions.

Possibility designing half-wave and full-wave molecular rectifiers by using single benzene molecule

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, Mohammed A.; Hanoon, Falah H.; Al-Badry, Lafy F.

2018-02-01

This work focused on possibility designing half-wave and full-wave molecular rectifiers by using single and two benzene rings, respectively. The benzene rings were threaded by a magnetic flux that changes over time. The quantum interference effect was considered as the basic idea in the rectification action, the para and meta configurations were investigated. All the calculations are performed by using steady-state theoretical model, which is based on the time-dependent Hamiltonian model. The electrical conductance and the electric current are considered as DC output signals of half-wave and full-wave molecular rectifiers. The finding in this work opens up the exciting potential to use these molecular rectifiers in molecular electronics.

Reverse engineering of an affinity-switchable molecular interaction characterized by atomic force microscopy single-molecule force spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmetti, Dario; Bartels, Frank Wilco; Becker, Anke; Decker, Björn; Eckel, Rainer; McIntosh, Matthew; Mattay, Jochen; Plattner, Patrik; Ros, Robert; Schäfer, Christian; Sewald, Norbert

2008-02-19

Tunable and switchable interaction between molecules is a key for regulation and control of cellular processes. The translation of the underlying physicochemical principles to synthetic and switchable functional entities and molecules that can mimic the corresponding molecular functions is called reverse molecular engineering. We quantitatively investigated autoinducer-regulated DNA-protein interaction in bacterial gene regulation processes with single atomic force microscopy (AFM) molecule force spectroscopy in vitro, and developed an artificial bistable molecular host-guest system that can be controlled and regulated by external signals (UV light exposure and thermal energy). The intermolecular binding functionality (affinity) and its reproducible and reversible switching has been proven by AFM force spectroscopy at the single-molecule level. This affinity-tunable optomechanical switch will allow novel applications with respect to molecular manipulation, nanoscale rewritable molecular memories, and/or artificial ion channels, which will serve for the controlled transport and release of ions and neutral compounds in the future.

Effect of Chain Conformation on the Single-Molecule Melting Force in Polymer Single Crystals: Steered Molecular Dynamics Simulations Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Wei; Wang, Zhigang; Zhang, Wenke

2017-02-28

Understanding the relationship between polymer chain conformation as well as the chain composition within the single crystal and the mechanical properties of the corresponding single polymer chain will facilitate the rational design of high performance polymer materials. Here three model systems of polymer single crystals, namely poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), polyethylene (PE), and nylon-66 (PA66) have been chosen to study the effects of chain conformation, helical (PEO) versus planar zigzag conformation (PE, PA66), and chain composition (PE versus PA66) on the mechanical properties of a single polymer chain. To do that, steered molecular dynamics simulations were performed on those polymer single crystals by pulling individual polymer chains out of the crystals. Our results show that the patterns of force-extension curve as well as the chain moving mode are closely related to the conformation of the polymer chain in the single crystal. In addition, hydrogen bonds can enhance greatly the force required to stretch the polymer chain out of the single crystal. The dynamic breaking and reformation of multivalent hydrogen bonds have been observed for the first time in PA66 at the single molecule level.

On the combination of molecular replacement and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing for automated structure determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panjikar, Santosh; Parthasarathy, Venkataraman; Lamzin, Victor S.; Weiss, Manfred S.; Tucker, Paul A.

2009-01-01

The combination of molecular replacement and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction improves the performance of automated structure determination with Auto-Rickshaw. A combination of molecular replacement and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing has been incorporated into the automated structure-determination platform Auto-Rickshaw. The complete MRSAD procedure includes molecular replacement, model refinement, experimental phasing, phase improvement and automated model building. The improvement over the standard SAD or MR approaches is illustrated by ten test cases taken from the JCSG diffraction data-set database. Poor MR or SAD phases with phase errors larger than 70° can be improved using the described procedure and a large fraction of the model can be determined in a purely automatic manner from X-ray data extending to better than 2.6 Å resolution

A Rab-centric perspective of bacterial pathogen-occupied vacuoles.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherwood, Racquel Kim; Roy, Craig R

2013-09-11

The ability to create and maintain a specialized organelle that supports bacterial replication is an important virulence property for many intracellular pathogens. Living in a membrane-bound vacuole presents inherent challenges, including the need to remodel a plasma membrane-derived organelle into a novel structure that will expand and provide essential nutrients to support replication, while also having the vacuole avoid membrane transport pathways that target bacteria for destruction in lysosomes. It is clear that pathogenic bacteria use different strategies to accomplish these tasks. The dynamics by which host Rab GTPases associate with pathogen-occupied vacuoles provide insight into the mechanisms used by different bacteria to manipulate host membrane transport. In this review we highlight some of the strategies bacteria use to maintain a pathogen-occupied vacuole by focusing on the Rab proteins involved in biogenesis and maintenance of these novel organelles. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular Processes Studied at a Single-Molecule Level Using DNA Origami Nanostructures and Atomic Force Microscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilko Bald

2014-09-01

Full Text Available DNA origami nanostructures allow for the arrangement of different functionalities such as proteins, specific DNA structures, nanoparticles, and various chemical modifications with unprecedented precision. The arranged functional entities can be visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM which enables the study of molecular processes at a single-molecular level. Examples comprise the investigation of chemical reactions, electron-induced bond breaking, enzymatic binding and cleavage events, and conformational transitions in DNA. In this paper, we provide an overview of the advances achieved in the field of single-molecule investigations by applying atomic force microscopy to functionalized DNA origami substrates.

24 CFR 81.17 - Affordability-Income level definitions-family size and income known (owner-occupied units, actual...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... definitions-family size and income known (owner-occupied units, actual tenants, and prospective tenants). 81...—Income level definitions—family size and income known (owner-occupied units, actual tenants, and...-income families, where the unit is owner-occupied or, for rental housing, family size and income...

Single-site Lennard-Jones models via polynomial chaos surrogates of Monte Carlo molecular simulation

KAUST Repository

Kadoura, Ahmad Salim; Siripatana, Adil; Sun, Shuyu; Knio, Omar; Hoteit, Ibrahim

2016-01-01

In this work, two Polynomial Chaos (PC) surrogates were generated to reproduce Monte Carlo (MC) molecular simulation results of the canonical (single-phase) and the NVT-Gibbs (two-phase) ensembles for a system of normalized structureless Lennard

Size-dependent single electron transfer and semi-metal-to-insulator transitions in molecular metal oxide electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Balliou, Angelika; Bouroushian, Mirtat; Douvas, Antonios M.; Skoulatakis, George; Kennou, Stella; Glezos, Nikos

2018-07-01

All-inorganic self-arranged molecular transition metal oxide hyperstructures based on polyoxometalate molecules (POMs) are fabricated and tested as electronically tunable components in emerging electronic devices. POM hyperstructures reveal great potential as charging nodes of tunable charging level for molecular memories and as enhancers of interfacial electron/hole injection for photovoltaic stacks. STM, UPS, UV–vis spectroscopy and AFM measurements show that this functionality stems from the films’ ability to structurally tune their HOMO–LUMO levels and electron localization length at room temperature. By adapting POM nanocluster size in solution, self-doping and current modulation of four orders of magnitude is monitored on a single nanocluster on SiO2 at voltages as low as 3 Volt. Structurally driven insulator-to-semi-metal transitions and size-dependent current regulation through single electron tunneling are demonstrated and examined with respect to the stereochemical and electronic structure of the molecular entities. This extends the value of self-assembly as a tool for correlation length and electronic properties tuning and demonstrate POM hyperstructures’ plausibility for on-chip molecular electronics operative at room temperature.

Size-dependent single electron transfer and semi-metal-to-insulator transitions in molecular metal oxide electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Balliou, Angelika; Bouroushian, Mirtat; Douvas, Antonios M; Skoulatakis, George; Kennou, Stella; Glezos, Nikos

2018-07-06

All-inorganic self-arranged molecular transition metal oxide hyperstructures based on polyoxometalate molecules (POMs) are fabricated and tested as electronically tunable components in emerging electronic devices. POM hyperstructures reveal great potential as charging nodes of tunable charging level for molecular memories and as enhancers of interfacial electron/hole injection for photovoltaic stacks. STM, UPS, UV-vis spectroscopy and AFM measurements show that this functionality stems from the films' ability to structurally tune their HOMO-LUMO levels and electron localization length at room temperature. By adapting POM nanocluster size in solution, self-doping and current modulation of four orders of magnitude is monitored on a single nanocluster on SiO 2 at voltages as low as 3 Volt. Structurally driven insulator-to-semi-metal transitions and size-dependent current regulation through single electron tunneling are demonstrated and examined with respect to the stereochemical and electronic structure of the molecular entities. This extends the value of self-assembly as a tool for correlation length and electronic properties tuning and demonstrate POM hyperstructures' plausibility for on-chip molecular electronics operative at room temperature.

Molecular imaging and optical diagnosis from single molecule to human body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Mamoru

2006-01-01

The combination of molecular biology and optelectronics has given rise to open a new field, bio-photonics, in the 21st century. In this review, recent advances in several in vitro and in vivo single-molecule detection methods for animals are discussed. The possible applications of optical diagnosis are also included, which are optical mammography, diffuse optical tomography and fluorescence endoscopy. The potential of the light use of in diagnosis is emphasized. (author)

Embodied Protest in Occupy London

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Costas, Jana; Reinecke, Juliane

In this paper we discuss the relation of embodied protest and public space in Occupy London. We draw on Agamben’s notion of the homo sacer – the excluded included life embodied by the figure of the homeless, refugee and so forth – to analyze how in protest camps embodied protest relates...... with the general public and media. Particularly, tensions became manifest as the homines sacri of the homeless people joined the camp. We discuss the implications of Agamben’s biopolitical insights for the relation of resistance, public space and community building in protest movements....... sacri – “bare life” challenging sovereign power. Yet, we also show how protesters struggled to navigate tensions between representing such “bare life” of the homo sacer and the biopolitical body. This lead not only to various difficulties in building protest community but also in the interactions...

Improving Single-Carbon-Nanotube-Electrode Contacts Using Molecular Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Krittayavathananon, Atiweena; Ngamchuea, Kamonwad; Li, Xiuting; Batchelor-McAuley, Christopher; Kätelhön, Enno; Chaisiwamongkhol, Korbua; Sawangphruk, Montree; Compton, Richard G

2017-08-17

We report the use of an electroactive species, acetaminophen, to modify the electrical connection between a carbon nanotube (CNT) and an electrode. By applying a potential across two electrodes, some of the CNTs in solution occasionally contact the electrified interface and bridge between two electrodes. By observing a single CNT contact between two microbands of an interdigitated Au electrode in the presence and absence of acetaminophen, the role of the molecular species at the electronic junction is revealed. As compared with the pure CNT, the current magnitude of the acetaminophen-modified CNTs significantly increases with the applied potentials, indicating that the molecule species improves the junction properties probably via redox shuttling.

Spin models for the single molecular magnet Mn12-AC

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Saqer, Mohamad A.

2005-11-01

The single molecular magnet (SMM) Mn12-AC attracted the attention of scientists since the discovery of its magnetic hystereses which are accompanied by sudden jumps in magnetic moments at low temperature. Unlike conventional bulk magnets, hysteresis in SMMs is of molecular origin. This qualifies them as candidates for next generation of high density storage media where a molecule which is at most few nanometers in size can be used to store a bit of information. However, the jumps in these hystereses, due to spin tunneling, can lead to undesired loss of information. Mn12-AC molecule contains twelve magnetic ions antiferromagnetically coupled by exchanges leading to S = 10 ground state manifold. The magnetic ions are surrounded by ligands which isolate them magnetically from neighboring molecules. The lowest state of S = 9 manifold is believed to lie at about 40 K above the ground state. Therefore, at low temperatures, the molecule is considered as a single uncoupled moment of spin S = 10. Such model has been used widely to understand phenomena exhibited by the molecule at low temperatures including the tunneling of its spin, while a little attention has been paid for the multi-spin nature of the molecule. Using the 8-spin model, we demonstrate that in order to understand the phenomena of tunneling, a full spin description of the molecule is required. We utilized a calculation scheme where a fraction of energy levels are used in the calculations and the influence of levels having higher energy is neglected. From the dependence of tunnel splittings on the number of states include, we conclude that models based on restricting the number of energy levels (single-spin and 8-spin models) lead to unreliable results of tunnel splitting calculations. To attack the full 12-spin model, we employed the Davidson algorithm to calculated lowest energy levels produced by exchange interactions and single ion anisotropies. The model reproduces the anisotropy properties at low

Multi-scale Modeling of Compressible Single-phase Flow in Porous Media using Molecular Simulation

KAUST Repository

Saad, Ahmed Mohamed

2016-01-01

potential model that accounts for the molecular quadrupole moment of fluids with non-spherical molecules such as CO2. The potential model was used to simulate the thermodynamic equilibrium properties for single-phase and two-phase systems using the canonical

Spatially Extended and High-Velocity Dispersion Molecular Component in Spiral Galaxies: Single-Dish Versus Interferometric Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Caldú-Primo, Anahi; Schruba, Andreas; Walter, Fabian; Leroy, Adam; Bolatto, Alberto D.; Vogel, Stuart

2015-02-01

Recent studies of the molecular medium in nearby galaxies have provided mounting evidence that the molecular gas can exist in two phases: one that is clumpy and organized as molecular clouds and another one that is more diffuse. This last component has a higher velocity dispersion than the clumpy one. In order to investigate these two molecular components further, we compare the fluxes and line widths of CO in NGC 4736 and NGC 5055, two nearby spiral galaxies for which high-quality interferometric as well as single-dish data sets are available. Our analysis leads to two main results: (1) employing three different methods, we determine the flux recovery of the interferometer as compared to the single-dish to be within a range of 35%-74% for NGC 4736 and 81%-92% for NGC 5055, and (2) when focusing on high (S/N ≥ 5) lines of sight (LOSs), the single-dish line widths are larger by ˜(40 ± 20)% than the ones derived from interferometric data, which is in agreement with stacking all LOSs. These results point to a molecular gas component that is distributed over spatial scales larger than 30″(˜1 kpc), and is therefore filtered out by the interferometer. The available observations do not allow us to distinguish between a truly diffuse gas morphology and a uniform distribution of small clouds that are separated by less than the synthesized beam size (˜3″ or ˜100 pc), as they would both be invisible for the interferometer. This high velocity dispersion component has a dispersion similar to what is found in the atomic medium, as traced through observations of the H i line.

Metal-Controlled Magnetoresistance at Room Temperature in Single-Molecule Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Aragonès, Albert C; Aravena, Daniel; Valverde-Muñoz, Francisco J; Real, José Antonio; Sanz, Fausto; Díez-Pérez, Ismael; Ruiz, Eliseo

2017-04-26

The appropriate choice of the transition metal complex and metal surface electronic structure opens the possibility to control the spin of the charge carriers through the resulting hybrid molecule/metal spinterface in a single-molecule electrical contact at room temperature. The single-molecule conductance of a Au/molecule/Ni junction can be switched by flipping the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic electrode. The requirements of the molecule include not just the presence of unpaired electrons: the electronic configuration of the metal center has to provide occupied or empty orbitals that strongly interact with the junction metal electrodes and that are close in energy to their Fermi levels for one of the electronic spins only. The key ingredient for the metal surface is to provide an efficient spin texture induced by the spin-orbit coupling in the topological surface states that results in an efficient spin-dependent interaction with the orbitals of the molecule. The strong magnetoresistance effect found in this kind of single-molecule wire opens a new approach for the design of room-temperature nanoscale devices based on spin-polarized currents controlled at molecular level.

Many-body theory of electrical, thermal and optical response of molecular heterojunctions

Science.gov (United States)

Bergfield, Justin Phillip

In this work, we develop a many-body theory of electronic transport through single molecule junctions based on nonequilibrium Green's functions (NEGFs). The central quantity of this theory is the Coulomb self-energy matrix of the junction SigmaC. SigmaC is evaluated exactly in the sequential-tunneling limit, and the correction due to finite lead-molecule tunneling is evaluated using a conserving approximation based on diagrammatic perturbation theory on the Keldysh contour. In this way, tunneling processes are included to infinite order, meaning that any approximation utilized is a truncation in the physical processes considered rather than in the order of those processes. Our theory reproduces the key features of both the Coulomb blockade and coherent transport regimes simultaneously in a single unified theory. Nonperturbative effects of intramolecular correlations are included, which are necessary to accurately describe the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap, essential for a quantitative theory of transport. This work covers four major topics related to transport in single-molecule junctions. First, we use our many-body theory to calculate the nonlinear electrical response of the archetypal Au-1,4-benzenedithiol-Au junction and find irregularly shaped 'molecular diamonds' which have been experimentally observed in some larger molecules but which are inaccessible to existing theoretical approaches. Next, we extend our theory to include heat transport and develop an exact expression for the heat current in an interacting nanostructure. Using this result, we discover that quantum coherence can strongly enhance the thermoelectric response of a device, a result with a number of technological applications. We then develop the formalism to include multi-orbital lead-molecule contacts and multi-channel leads, both of which strongly affect the observable transport. Lastly, we include a dynamic screening correction to

Electronic structure of single- and multiple-shell carbon fullerenes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Y.; Nori, F.

1994-01-01

We study the electronic states of giant single-shell and the recently discovered nested multiple-shell carbon fullerenes within the tight-binding approximation. We use two different approaches, one based on iterations and the other on symmetry, to obtain the π-state energy spectra of large fullerene cages: C 240 , C 540 , C 960 , C 1500 , C 2160 , and C 2940 . Our iteration technique reduces the size of the problem by more than one order of magnitude (factors of ∼12 and 20), while the symmetry-based approach reduces it by a factor of 10. We also find formulas for the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies of C 60n 2 fullerenes as a function of n, demonstrating a tendency towards a metallic regime for increasing n. For multiple-shell fullerenes, we analytically obtain the eigenvalues of the intershell interaction

Aerial surveys adjusted by ground surveys to estimate area occupied by black-tailed prairie dog colonies

Science.gov (United States)

Sidle, John G.; Augustine, David J.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Miller, Sterling D.; Cully, Jack F.; Reading, Richard P.

2012-01-01

Aerial surveys using line-intercept methods are one approach to estimate the extent of prairie dog colonies in a large geographic area. Although black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) construct conspicuous mounds at burrow openings, aerial observers have difficulty discriminating between areas with burrows occupied by prairie dogs (colonies) versus areas of uninhabited burrows (uninhabited colony sites). Consequently, aerial line-intercept surveys may overestimate prairie dog colony extent unless adjusted by an on-the-ground inspection of a sample of intercepts. We compared aerial line-intercept surveys conducted over 2 National Grasslands in Colorado, USA, with independent ground-mapping of known black-tailed prairie dog colonies. Aerial line-intercepts adjusted by ground surveys using a single activity category adjustment overestimated colonies by ≥94% on the Comanche National Grassland and ≥58% on the Pawnee National Grassland. We present a ground-survey technique that involves 1) visiting on the ground a subset of aerial intercepts classified as occupied colonies plus a subset of intercepts classified as uninhabited colony sites, and 2) based on these ground observations, recording the proportion of each aerial intercept that intersects a colony and the proportion that intersects an uninhabited colony site. Where line-intercept techniques are applied to aerial surveys or remotely sensed imagery, this method can provide more accurate estimates of black-tailed prairie dog abundance and trends

Interaction of molecular oxygen with single wall nanotubes: Role of surfactant contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larciprete, R.; Goldoni, A.; Lizzit, S.

2003-01-01

The interaction of molecular oxygen with single wall nanotubes in the form of a commercial bucky paper was investigated by high resolution photoemission spectroscopy. Sodium contamination was found in the sample, which was completely removed only after prolonged heating at 1250 K. The C 1s core level spectrum measured on the sample annealed to 1020 K dramatically changed upon exposure to molecular oxygen. On the contrary, when exposing the Na-free SWNTs to several KL of O 2 , the sample remained oxygen free and no modification in the C 1s core level was observed. Therefore the observed sensitivity of the sample to O 2 was due to a Na mediated oxidation, determining a charge transfer from the C tubes to the Na-O complex

Single amino acid substitution in important hemoglobinopathies does not disturb molecular function and biological process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viroj Wiwanitkit

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Viroj WiwanitkitDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, ThailandAbstract: Hemoglobin is an important protein found in the red cells of many animals. In humans, the hemoglobin is mainly distributed in the red blood cell. Single amino acid substitution is the main pathogenesis of most hemoglobin disorders. Here, the author used a new gene ontology technology to predict the molecular function and biological process of four important hemoglobin disorders with single substitution. The four studied important abnormal hemoglobins (Hb with single substitution included Hb S, Hb E, Hb C, and Hb J-Baltimore. Using the GoFigure server, the molecular function and biological process in normal and abnormal hemoglobins was predicted. Compared with normal hemoglobin, all studied abnormal hemoglobins had the same function and biological process. This indicated that the overall function of oxygen transportation is not disturbed in the studied hemoglobin disorders. Clinical findings of oxygen depletion in abnormal hemoglobin should therefore be due to the other processes rather than genomics, proteomics, and expression levels.Keywords: hemoglobin, amino acid, substitution, function

Spatially extended and high-velocity dispersion molecular component in spiral galaxies: Single-dish versus interferometric observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldú-Primo, Anahi; Walter, Fabian; Schruba, Andreas; Leroy, Adam; Bolatto, Alberto D.; Vogel, Stuart

2015-01-01

Recent studies of the molecular medium in nearby galaxies have provided mounting evidence that the molecular gas can exist in two phases: one that is clumpy and organized as molecular clouds and another one that is more diffuse. This last component has a higher velocity dispersion than the clumpy one. In order to investigate these two molecular components further, we compare the fluxes and line widths of CO in NGC 4736 and NGC 5055, two nearby spiral galaxies for which high-quality interferometric as well as single-dish data sets are available. Our analysis leads to two main results: (1) employing three different methods, we determine the flux recovery of the interferometer as compared to the single-dish to be within a range of 35%–74% for NGC 4736 and 81%–92% for NGC 5055, and (2) when focusing on high (S/N ≥ 5) lines of sight (LOSs), the single-dish line widths are larger by ∼(40 ± 20)% than the ones derived from interferometric data, which is in agreement with stacking all LOSs. These results point to a molecular gas component that is distributed over spatial scales larger than 30″(∼1 kpc), and is therefore filtered out by the interferometer. The available observations do not allow us to distinguish between a truly diffuse gas morphology and a uniform distribution of small clouds that are separated by less than the synthesized beam size (∼3″ or ∼100 pc), as they would both be invisible for the interferometer. This high velocity dispersion component has a dispersion similar to what is found in the atomic medium, as traced through observations of the H i line.

A Comprehensive Experiment for Molecular Biology: Determination of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Human REV3 Gene Using PCR-RFLP

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xu; Shao, Meng; Gao, Lu; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Sun, Zixuan; Zhou, Liping; Yan, Yongmin; Shao, Qixiang; Xu, Wenrong; Qian, Hui

2017-01-01

Laboratory exercise is helpful for medical students to understand the basic principles of molecular biology and to learn about the practical applications of molecular biology. We have designed a lab course on molecular biology about the determination of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in human REV3 gene, the product of which is a subunit of…

Atomically precise graphene nanoribbon heterojunctions from a single molecular precursor

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Giang D.; Tsai, Hsin-Zon; Omrani, Arash A.; Marangoni, Tomas; Wu, Meng; Rizzo, Daniel J.; Rodgers, Griffin F.; Cloke, Ryan R.; Durr, Rebecca A.; Sakai, Yuki; Liou, Franklin; Aikawa, Andrew S.; Chelikowsky, James R.; Louie, Steven G.; Fischer, Felix R.; Crommie, Michael F.

2017-11-01

The rational bottom-up synthesis of atomically defined graphene nanoribbon (GNR) heterojunctions represents an enabling technology for the design of nanoscale electronic devices. Synthetic strategies used thus far have relied on the random copolymerization of two electronically distinct molecular precursors to yield GNR heterojunctions. Here we report the fabrication and electronic characterization of atomically precise GNR heterojunctions prepared through late-stage functionalization of chevron GNRs obtained from a single precursor. Post-growth excitation of fully cyclized GNRs induces cleavage of sacrificial carbonyl groups, resulting in atomically well-defined heterojunctions within a single GNR. The GNR heterojunction structure was characterized using bond-resolved scanning tunnelling microscopy, which enables chemical bond imaging at T = 4.5 K. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy reveals that band alignment across the heterojunction interface yields a type II heterojunction, in agreement with first-principles calculations. GNR heterojunction band realignment proceeds over a distance less than 1 nm, leading to extremely large effective fields.

Communicating Protest Movements: The Case of Occupy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasia Kavada

2015-02-01

Full Text Available How do you communicate a protest movement? And how do communication practices shape its character and power relations?  Based on a view of communication as constitutive of protest movements, this talk considers these questions as two sides of the same coin. The focus lies on the Occupy movement and particularly on its use of digital media. Characterised by a belief in direct participation and a rejection of central leadership, Occupy emerged through a bottom-up process of organizing that spanned different platforms and physical places, from Facebook pages to public squares. The process of constructing the collective involved the creation of communication sites and foundational texts, and their interlinking. This process was influenced by the rules, affordances and proprietary character of media platforms and physical spaces, as well as the diverse cultures and strategies of the activists using them. A closer look at this process sheds light on the power relations within the movement and particularly on five sources of communication power. These range from the power to create communication sites and texts to the power to access or link them together. The picture that emerges is complex, revealing a movement with both centralizing and decentralizing dynamics. Ultimately, it was the balance between these opposing dynamics that determined both the emergence of the movement and its decline. Acknowledgement: This contribution is the podcast of a talk Anastasia Kavada gave in the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI's Research Seminar Series on February 25, 2015, at the University of Westminster.

True Molecular Scale Visualization of Variable Clustering Properties of Ryanodine Receptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isuru Jayasinghe

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Summary: Signaling nanodomains rely on spatial organization of proteins to allow controlled intracellular signaling. Examples include calcium release sites of cardiomyocytes where ryanodine receptors (RyRs are clustered with their molecular partners. Localization microscopy has been crucial to visualizing these nanodomains but has been limited by brightness of markers, restricting the resolution and quantification of individual proteins clustered within. Harnessing the remarkable localization precision of DNA-PAINT (<10 nm, we visualized punctate labeling within these nanodomains, confirmed as single RyRs. RyR positions within sub-plasmalemmal nanodomains revealed how they are organized randomly into irregular clustering patterns leaving significant gaps occupied by accessory or regulatory proteins. RyR-inhibiting protein junctophilin-2 appeared highly concentrated adjacent to RyR channels. Analyzing these molecular maps showed significant variations in the co-clustering stoichiometry between junctophilin-2 and RyR, even between nearby nanodomains. This constitutes an additional level of complexity in RyR arrangement and regulation of calcium signaling, intrinsically built into the nanodomains. : Jayasinghe et al. resolve the distribution of single ryanodine receptors (RyRs within intracellular signaling domains in cardiac myocytes with DNA-PAINT, a super-resolution microscopy approach. Individual RyRs are resolved within irregular cluster arrays. Quantitative imaging reveals significant variation in the co-clustering stoichiometry between RyRs and the regulatory protein junctophilin-2. Keywords: nanodomains, DNA-PAINT, single-molecule localization microscopy, ryanodine receptor, super-resolution imaging, junctophilin, heart

Surgical Decompression for Space-Occupying Cerebral Infarction: Outcomes at 3 Years in the Randomized HAMLET Trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geurts, Marjolein; van der Worp, H. Bart; Kappelle, L. Jaap; Amelink, C. Johan; Algra, Ale; Hofmeijer, Jeannette

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose—We assessed whether the effects of surgical decompression for space-occupying hemispheric infarction, observed at 1 year, are sustained at 3 years. Methods—Patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarction, who were enrolled in the Hemicraniectomy After Middle cerebral

Amplitude damping for single-qubit system with single-qubit mixed-state environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Eylee; Hwang, Mi-Ra; Ju, You Hwan; Park, D K; Kim, Hungsoo; Kim, Min-Soo; Son, Jin-Woo

2008-01-01

We study a generalized amplitude damping channel when environment is initially in the single-qubit mixed state. Representing the affine transformation of the generalized amplitude damping by a three-dimensional volume, we plot explicitly the volume occupied by the channels simulatable by a single-qubit mixed-state environment. As expected, this volume is embedded in the total volume by the channels which is simulated by a two-qubit enviroment. The volume ratio is approximately 0.08 which is much smaller than 3/8, the volume ratio for generalized depolarizing channels

26 CFR 1.822-6 - Real estate owned and occupied.

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2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

26 CFR 1.822-9 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section...

Single and double charge transfer in Be/sup 4+/+He collisions: A molecular (Feshbach) approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, F.; Riera, A.; Yaez, M.

1986-01-01

In recent articles, we pointed out the fundamental difference between the molecular treatment of processes involving a multicharged ion and hydrogen or helium atoms, which is the (formal) autoionizing character of the molecular channels, and we reported a (new) implementation of the Feshbach method to calculate the molecular energies and couplings. In the present work we use the wave functions calculated with this Feshbach method for the BeHe/sup 4+/ quasimolecule, introduce a common translation factor in the formalism, and calculate the single and double charge-exchange cross sections in Be/sup 4+/+He(1s 2 ) collisions for impact energies 0.2--20 keV/amu. The mechanisms of the processes are discussed in detail

Single and double charge transfer in Be/sup 4+/+He collisions: A molecular (Feshbach) approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, F.; Riera, A.; Yaez, M.

1986-12-01

In recent articles, we pointed out the fundamental difference between the molecular treatment of processes involving a multicharged ion and hydrogen or helium atoms, which is the (formal) autoionizing character of the molecular channels, and we reported a (new) implementation of the Feshbach method to calculate the molecular energies and couplings. In the present work we use the wave functions calculated with this Feshbach method for the BeHe/sup 4+/ quasimolecule, introduce a common translation factor in the formalism, and calculate the single and double charge-exchange cross sections in Be/sup 4+/+He(1s/sup 2/) collisions for impact energies 0.2--20 keV/amu. The mechanisms of the processes are discussed in detail.

Pumping $ac$ Josephson current in the Single Molecular Magnets by spin nutation

OpenAIRE

Abdollahipour, B.; Abouie, J.; Rostami, A. A.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate that an {\\it ac} Josephson current is pumped through the Single Molecular Magnets (SMM) by the spin nutation. The spin nutation is generated by applying a time dependent magnetic field to the SMM. We obtain the flowing charge current through the junction by working in the tunneling limit and employing Green's function technique. At the resonance conditions some discontinuities and divergencies are appeared in the normal and Josephson currents, respectively. Such discontinuities...

Molecular dynamics simulation of a DNA containing a single strand break

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamaguchi, H.; Siebers, G.; Furukawa, A.; Otagiri, N.; Osman, R

2002-07-01

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for a dodecamer DNA containing a single strand break (SSB), which has been represented by a 3'-OH deoxyribose and 5'-OH phosphate in the middle of the strand. Molecular force field parameters of the 5'-OH phosphate region were determined from an ab initio calculation at the HF/6-31G level using the program package GAMESS. The DNA was placed in a periodic boundary box with water molecules and Na+ counter-ions to produce a neutralised system. After minimisation, the system was heated to 300 K, equilibrated and a production run at constant NTP was executed for 1 ns using AMBER 4.1. Snapshots of the SSB-containing DNA and a detailed analysis of the equilibriated average structure revealed surprisingly small conformational changes compared to normal DNA. However, dynamic properties calculated using the essential dynamics method showed some features that may be important for the recognition of this damage by repair enzymes. (author)

26 CFR 1.822-2 - Real estate owned and occupied.

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2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Mutual Insurance Companies (other Than Life and Certain Marine Insurance Companies and Other Than Fire Or Flood Insurance Companies Which Operate on Basis of Perpetual Policies Or... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a mutual insurance company subject to the tax imposed by...

Molecular dynamics simulation of AFM studies of a single polymer chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wenhai; Kistler, Kurt A.; Sadeghipour, Keya; Baran, George

2008-01-01

Single polymer chain force-extension behavior measured by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was interpreted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation performed by applying a bead-spring (coarse-graining) model in which the bond potential function between adjacent beads is described by a worm-like chain (WLC) model. Simulation results indicate that caution should be applied when interpreting experimental AFM data, because the data vary depending on the point of AFM tip-polymer chain attachment. This approach offers an effective way for eventual analysis of the mechanical behavior of complex polymer networks

Molecular dynamics simulation of AFM studies of a single polymer chain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Wenhai [Center for Bioengineering and Biomaterials, College of Engineering, Temple University, 1947 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 (United States); Kistler, Kurt A. [Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 (United States); Sadeghipour, Keya [Center for Bioengineering and Biomaterials, College of Engineering, Temple University, 1947 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 (United States); Baran, George [Center for Bioengineering and Biomaterials, College of Engineering, Temple University, 1947 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 (United States)], E-mail: grbaran@temple.edu

2008-11-24

Single polymer chain force-extension behavior measured by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was interpreted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation performed by applying a bead-spring (coarse-graining) model in which the bond potential function between adjacent beads is described by a worm-like chain (WLC) model. Simulation results indicate that caution should be applied when interpreting experimental AFM data, because the data vary depending on the point of AFM tip-polymer chain attachment. This approach offers an effective way for eventual analysis of the mechanical behavior of complex polymer networks.

Errors associated with moose-hunter counts of occupied beaver Castor fiber lodges in Norway

OpenAIRE

Parker, Howard; Rosell, Frank; Gustavsen, Per Øyvind

2002-01-01

In Norway, Sweden and Finland moose Alces alces hunting teams are often employed to survey occupied beaver (Castor fiber and C. canadensis) lodges while hunting. Results may be used to estimate population density or trend, or for issuing harvest permits. Despite the method's increasing popularity, the errors involved have never been identified. In this study we 1) compare hunting-team counts of occupied lodges with total counts, 2) identify the sources of error between counts and 3) evaluate ...

Investigating Alkylsilane Monolayer Tribology at a Single-Asperity Contact with Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Summers, Andrew Z; Iacovella, Christopher R; Cummings, Peter T; McCabe, Clare

2017-10-24

Chemisorbed monolayer films are known to possess favorable characteristics for nanoscale lubrication of micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). Prior studies have shown that the friction observed for monolayer-coated surfaces features a strong dependence on the geometry of contact. Specifically, tip-like geometries have been shown to penetrate into monolayer films, inducing defects in the monolayer chains and leading to plowing mechanisms during shear, which result in higher coefficients of friction (COF) than those observed for planar geometries. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to examine the tribology of model silica single-asperity contacts under shear with monolayer-coated substrates featuring various film densities. It is observed that lower monolayer densities lead to reduced COFs, in contrast to results for planar systems where COF is found to be nearly independent of monolayer density. This is attributed to a liquid-like response to shear, whereby fewer defects are imparted in monolayer chains from the asperity, and chains are easily displaced by the tip as a result of the higher free volume. This transition in the mechanism of molecular plowing suggests that liquid-like films should provide favorable lubrication at single-asperity contacts.

Quantum Tunneling of Magnetization in Single Molecular Magnets Coupled to Ferromagnetic Reservoirs

OpenAIRE

Misiorny, Maciej; Barnas, Józef

2006-01-01

The role of spin polarized reservoirs in quantum tunneling of magnetization and relaxation processes in a single molecular magnet (SMM) is investigated theoretically. The SMM is exchange-coupled to the reservoirs and also subjected to a magnetic field varying in time, which enables the quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM). The spin relaxation times are calculated from the Fermi golden rule. The exchange interaction with tunneling electrons is shown to affect the spin reversal due to QTM. ...

Magnetic Switching of a Single Molecular Magnet due to Spin-Polarized Current

OpenAIRE

Misiorny, Maciej; Barnas, Józef

2006-01-01

Magnetic switching of a single molecular magnet (SMM) due to spin-polarized current flowing between ferromagnetic metallic electrodes is investigated theoretically. Magnetic moments of the electrodes are assumed to be collinear and parallel to the magnetic easy axis of the molecule. Electrons tunneling through a barrier between magnetic leads are coupled to the SMM via exchange interaction. The current flowing through the system as well as the spin relaxation times of the SMM are calculated f...

Passivation of Molecular n-Doping: Exploring the Limits of Air Stability

KAUST Repository

Tietze, Max Lutz; Rose, Bradley Daniel; Schwarze, Martin; Fischer, Axel; Runge, Steffen; Blochwitz-Nimoth, Jan; Lü ssem, Bjö rn; Leo, Karl; Bredas, Jean-Luc

2016-01-01

© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Molecular doping is a key technique for flexible and low-cost organic complementary semiconductor technologies that requires both efficient and stable p- and n-type doping. However, in contrast to molecular p-dopants, highly efficient n-type dopants are commonly sensitive to rapid degradation in air due to their low ionization energies (IEs) required for electron donation, e.g., IE = 2.4 eV for tetrakis(1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinato)ditungsten(II) (W2(hpp)4). Here, the air stability of various host:W2(hpp)4 combinations is compared by conductivity measurements and photoemission spectroscopy. A partial passivation of the n-doping against degradation is found, with this effect identified to depend on the specific energy levels of the host material. Since host-W2(hpp)4 electronic wavefunction hybridization is unlikely due to confinement of the dopant highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to its molecular center, this finding is explained via stabilization of the dopant by single-electron transfer to a host material whose energy levels are sufficiently low for avoiding further charge transfer to oxygen-water complexes. Our results show the feasibility of temporarily handling n-doped organic thin films in air, e.g., during structuring of organic field effect transistors (OFETs) by lithography.

Passivation of Molecular n-Doping: Exploring the Limits of Air Stability

KAUST Repository

Tietze, Max Lutz

2016-03-03

© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Molecular doping is a key technique for flexible and low-cost organic complementary semiconductor technologies that requires both efficient and stable p- and n-type doping. However, in contrast to molecular p-dopants, highly efficient n-type dopants are commonly sensitive to rapid degradation in air due to their low ionization energies (IEs) required for electron donation, e.g., IE = 2.4 eV for tetrakis(1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinato)ditungsten(II) (W2(hpp)4). Here, the air stability of various host:W2(hpp)4 combinations is compared by conductivity measurements and photoemission spectroscopy. A partial passivation of the n-doping against degradation is found, with this effect identified to depend on the specific energy levels of the host material. Since host-W2(hpp)4 electronic wavefunction hybridization is unlikely due to confinement of the dopant highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to its molecular center, this finding is explained via stabilization of the dopant by single-electron transfer to a host material whose energy levels are sufficiently low for avoiding further charge transfer to oxygen-water complexes. Our results show the feasibility of temporarily handling n-doped organic thin films in air, e.g., during structuring of organic field effect transistors (OFETs) by lithography.

Site-Selection in Single-Molecule Junction for Highly Reproducible Molecular Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Satoshi; Murai, Daigo; Marqués-González, Santiago; Nakamura, Hisao; Komoto, Yuki; Fujii, Shintaro; Nishino, Tomoaki; Ikeda, Katsuyoshi; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Kiguchi, Manabu

2016-02-03

Adsorption sites of molecules critically determine the electric/photonic properties and the stability of heterogeneous molecule-metal interfaces. Then, selectivity of adsorption site is essential for development of the fields including organic electronics, catalysis, and biology. However, due to current technical limitations, site-selectivity, i.e., precise determination of the molecular adsorption site, remains a major challenge because of difficulty in precise selection of meaningful one among the sites. We have succeeded the single site-selection at a single-molecule junction by performing newly developed hybrid technique: simultaneous characterization of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The I-V response of 1,4-benzenedithiol junctions reveals the existence of three metastable states arising from different adsorption sites. Notably, correlated SERS measurements show selectivity toward one of the adsorption sites: "bridge sites". This site-selectivity represents an essential step toward the reliable integration of individual molecules on metallic surfaces. Furthermore, the hybrid spectro-electric technique reveals the dependence of the SERS intensity on the strength of the molecule-metal interaction, showing the interdependence between the optical and electronic properties in single-molecule junctions.

Cleavage and formation of molecular dinitrogen in a single system assisted by molybdenum complexes bearing ferrocenyldiphosphine.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Takamasa; Tanaka, Hiromasa; Tanabe, Yoshiaki; Yuki, Masahiro; Nakajima, Kazunari; Yoshizawa, Kazunari; Nishibayashi, Yoshiaki

2014-10-20

The N≡N bond of molecular dinitrogen bridging two molybdenum atoms in the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl molybdenum complexes that bear ferrocenyldiphosphine as an auxiliary ligand is homolytically cleaved under visible light irradiation at room temperature to afford two molar molybdenum nitride complexes. Conversely, the bridging molecular dinitrogen is reformed by the oxidation of the molybdenum nitride complex at room temperature. This result provides a successful example of the cleavage and formation of molecular dinitrogen induced by a pair of two different external stimuli using a single system assisted by molybdenum complexes bearing ferrocenyldiphosphine under ambient conditions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Measuring Dark Molecular Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Di; Heiles, Carl E.

2017-01-01

It is now well known that a substantial fraction of Galactic molecular gas cannot be traced by CO emission. The thus dubbed CO dark molecular gas (DMG) occupy a large volume of ISM with intermediate extinction, where CO is either not self-shielded and/or subthermally excited. We explore the utilities of simple hydrides, such OH, CH, etc., in tracing DMG. We mapped and modeled the transition zone cross a cloud boundary and derived emperical OH abundance and DMG distribution formulae. We also obtained absorption measurements of various species using Arecibo, VLA, ATCA, and ALMA. The absorption technique has the potential to provide systematic quantification of DMG in the next few years.

How social media matter: Repression and the diffusion of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Chan S; Vasi, Ion Bogdan; Chang, Paul Y

2017-07-01

This study explores the role played by social media in reshaping the repression-mobilization relationship. Drawing on the case of the Occupy Wall Street movement, we examine the impact of Facebook and Twitter on the spatial diffusion of protests during a period of heightened state repression. Results from event history analyses suggest that the effects of repression on protest diffusion are contingent on the presence of social media accounts supporting the movement. We find that state repression at earlier protest sites encouraged activists to create Facebook and Twitter accounts in their own cities, which then served as important vehicles for the initiation of new Occupy protests. Moreover, results suggest that repression incidents can directly facilitate future protests in cities that already have Occupy Facebook accounts. This study highlights the potential of social media to both mediate and moderate the influence of repression on the diffusion of contemporary movements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic mapping and selective electronic tuning of molecular orbitals in phosphorescent organometallic complexes – a new strategy for OLED materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pascal R. Ewen

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The improvement of molecular electronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes requires fundamental knowledge about the structural and electronic properties of the employed molecules as well as their interactions with neighboring molecules or interfaces. We show that highly resolved scanning tunneling microscopy (STM and spectroscopy (STS are powerful tools to correlate the electronic properties of phosphorescent complexes (i.e., triplet emitters with their molecular structure as well as the local environment around a single molecule. We used spectroscopic mapping to visualize several occupied and unoccupied molecular frontier orbitals of Pt(II complexes adsorbed on Au(111. The analysis showed that the molecules exhibit a peculiar localized strong hybridization that leads to partial depopulation of a dz² orbital, while the ligand orbitals are almost unchanged. We further found that substitution of functional groups at well-defined positions can alter specific molecular orbitals without influencing the others. The results open a path toward the tailored design of electronic and optical properties of triplet emitters by smart ligand substitution, which may improve the performance of future OLED devices.

DNA detection and single nucleotide mutation identification using SERS for molecular diagnostics and global health

Science.gov (United States)

Ngo, Hoan T.; Gandra, Naveen; Fales, Andrew M.; Taylor, Steve M.; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

2017-02-01

Nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics at the point-of-care (POC) and in resource-limited settings is still a challenge. We present a sensitive yet simple DNA detection method with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identification capability. The detection scheme involves sandwich hybridization of magnetic beads conjugated with capture probes, target sequences, and ultrabright surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) nanorattles conjugated with reporter probes. Upon hybridization, the sandwich probes are concentrated at the detection focus controlled by a magnetic system for SERS measurements. The ultrabright SERS nanorattles, consisting of a core and a shell with resonance Raman reporters loaded in the gap space between the core and the shell, serve as SERS tags for ultrasensitive signal detection. Specific DNA sequences of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and dengue virus 1 (DENV1) were used as the model marker system. Detection limit of approximately 100 attomoles was achieved. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discrimination of wild type malaria DNA and mutant malaria DNA, which confers resistance to artemisinin drugs, was also demonstrated. The results demonstrate the molecular diagnostic potential of the nanorattle-based method to both detect and genotype infectious pathogens. The method's simplicity makes it a suitable candidate for molecular diagnosis at the POC and in resource-limited settings.

Strong exciton-photon coupling in organic single crystal microcavity with high molecular orientation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goto, Kaname [Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Yamashita, Kenichi, E-mail: yamasita@kit.ac.jp [Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan); Yanagi, Hisao [Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan); Yamao, Takeshi; Hotta, Shu [Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585 (Japan)

2016-08-08

Strong exciton-photon coupling has been observed in a highly oriented organic single crystal microcavity. This microcavity consists of a thiophene/phenylene co-oligomer (TPCO) single crystal laminated on a high-reflection distributed Bragg reflector. In the TPCO crystal, molecular transition dipole was strongly polarized along a certain horizontal directions with respect to the main crystal plane. This dipole polarization causes significantly large anisotropies in the exciton transition and optical constants. Especially the anisotropic exciton transition was found to provide the strong enhancement in the coupling with the cavity mode, which was demonstrated by a Rabi splitting energy as large as ∼100 meV even in the “half-vertical cavity surface emitting lasing” microcavity structure.

Strong exciton-photon coupling in organic single crystal microcavity with high molecular orientation

Science.gov (United States)

Goto, Kaname; Yamashita, Kenichi; Yanagi, Hisao; Yamao, Takeshi; Hotta, Shu

2016-08-01

Strong exciton-photon coupling has been observed in a highly oriented organic single crystal microcavity. This microcavity consists of a thiophene/phenylene co-oligomer (TPCO) single crystal laminated on a high-reflection distributed Bragg reflector. In the TPCO crystal, molecular transition dipole was strongly polarized along a certain horizontal directions with respect to the main crystal plane. This dipole polarization causes significantly large anisotropies in the exciton transition and optical constants. Especially the anisotropic exciton transition was found to provide the strong enhancement in the coupling with the cavity mode, which was demonstrated by a Rabi splitting energy as large as ˜100 meV even in the "half-vertical cavity surface emitting lasing" microcavity structure.

Strong exciton-photon coupling in organic single crystal microcavity with high molecular orientation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Kaname; Yamashita, Kenichi; Yanagi, Hisao; Yamao, Takeshi; Hotta, Shu

2016-01-01

Strong exciton-photon coupling has been observed in a highly oriented organic single crystal microcavity. This microcavity consists of a thiophene/phenylene co-oligomer (TPCO) single crystal laminated on a high-reflection distributed Bragg reflector. In the TPCO crystal, molecular transition dipole was strongly polarized along a certain horizontal directions with respect to the main crystal plane. This dipole polarization causes significantly large anisotropies in the exciton transition and optical constants. Especially the anisotropic exciton transition was found to provide the strong enhancement in the coupling with the cavity mode, which was demonstrated by a Rabi splitting energy as large as ∼100 meV even in the “half-vertical cavity surface emitting lasing” microcavity structure.

Kondo peak splitting and Kondo dip in single molecular magnet junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niu, Pengbin, E-mail: 120233951@qq.com [Institute of Solid State Physics, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009 (China); Shi, Yunlong; Sun, Zhu [Institute of Solid State Physics, Shanxi Datong University, Datong 037009 (China); Nie, Yi-Hang [Institute of Theoretical Physics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China); Luo, Hong-Gang [Center for Interdisciplinary Studies & Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of the MoE, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100084 (China)

2016-01-15

Many factors containing bias, spin–orbit coupling, magnetic fields applied, and so on can strongly influence the Kondo effect, and one of the consequences is Kondo peak splitting (KPS). It is natural that KPS should also appear when another spin degree of freedom is involved. In this work we study the KPS effects of single molecular magnets (SMM) coupled with two metallic leads in low-temperature regime. It is found that the Kondo transport properties are strongly influenced by the exchange coupling and anisotropy of the magnetic core. By employing Green's function method in Hubbard operator representation, we give an analytical expression for local retarded Green's function of SMM and discussed its low-temperature transport properties. We find that the anisotropy term behaves as a magnetic field and the splitting behavior of exchange coupling is quite similar to the spin–orbit coupling. These splitting behaviors are explained by introducing inter-level or intra-level transitions, which account for the seven-peak splitting structure. Moreover, we find a Kondo dip at Fermi level under proper parameters. These Kondo peak splitting behaviors in SMM deepen our understanding to Kondo physics and should be observed in the future experiments. - Highlights: • We study Kondo peak splitting in single molecular magnets. • We study Kondo effect by Hubbard operator Green's function method. • We find Kondo peak splitting structures and a Kondo dip at Fermi level. • The exchange coupling and magnetic anisotropy induce fine splitting structure. • The splitting structures are explained by inter-level or intra-level transitions.

Charge transport in single photochromic molecular junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngsang; Pietsch, T.; Scheer, Elke; Hellmuth, T.; Pauly, F.; Sysoiev, D.; Huhn, T.; Exner, T.; Groth, U.; Steiner, U.; Erbe, A.

2012-02-01

Recently, photoswitchable molecules, i.e. diarylethene, gained significant interest due to their applicability in data storage media, as optical switches, and in novel logic circuits [1]. Diarylethene-derivative molecules are the most promising candidates to design electronic functional elements, because of their excellent thermal stability, high fatigue resistance, and negligible change upon switching [1]. Here, we present the preferential conductance of specifically designed sulfur-free diarylethene molecules [2] bridging the mechanically controlled break-junctions at low temperatures [3]. The molecular energy levels and electrode couplings are obtained by evaluating the current-voltage characteristics using the single-level model [4]. The charge transport mechanism of different types of diarylethene molecules is investigated, and the results are discussed within the framework of novel theoretical predictions. [4pt] [1] M. Del Valle etal., Nat Nanotechnol 2, 176 (2007) S. J. van der Molen etal., Nano. Lett. 9, 76 (2009).[0pt] [2] D. Sysoiev etal., Chem. Eur. J. 17, 6663 (2011).[0pt] [3] Y. Kim etal., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 196804 (2011).[0pt] [4] Y. Kim etal., Nano Lett. 11, 3734 (2011). L. Zotti etal., Small 6, 1529 (2010).

Studies of the electron density in the highest occupied molecular orbitals of PH 3, PF 3 and P(CH 3) 3 by electron momentum spectroscopy and Hartree-Fock, MRSD-CI and DFT calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Rolke, J.; Brion, C. E.

1996-06-01

The spherically averaged momentum profiles for the highest occupied molecular orbitals of PF 3 and P(CH 3) 3 have been obtained by electron momentum spectroscopy. The measurements provide a stringent test of basis set effects and the quality of ab-initio methods in the description of these larger molecular systems. As in previous work on the methyl-substituted amines, intuitive arguments fail to predict the correct amount of s- and p-type contributions to the momentum profile while delocalized molecular orbital concepts provide a more adequate description of the HOMOs. The experimental momentum profiles have been compared with theoretical momentum profiles calculated at the level of the target Hartree-Fock approximation with a range of basis sets. New Hartree-Fock calculations are also presented for the HOMO of PH 3 and compared to previously published experimental and theoretical momentum profiles. The experimental momentum profiles have further been compared to calculations at the level of the target Kohn-Sham approximation using density functional theory with the local density approximation and also with gradient corrected (non-local) exchange correlation potentials. In addition, total energies and dipole moments have been calculated for all three molecules by the various theoretical methods and compared to experimental values. Calculated 'density difference maps' show the regions where the HOMO momentum and position electron densities of PF 3 and P(CH 3) 3 change relative to the corresponding HOMO density of PH 3. The results suggest that methyl groups have an electron-attracting effect (relative to H) on the HOMO charge density in trimethyl phosphines. These conclusions are supported by a consideration of dipole moments and the 31P NMR chemical shifts for PH 3, PF 3 and P(CH 3) 3.

Music in Nazi-Occupied Poland between 1939 and 1945

OpenAIRE

Naliwajek-Mazurek Katarzyna

2016-01-01

The paper is a survey of research on music in territories of occupied Poland conducted by the author in recent years, as well as a review of selected existing literature on this topic. A case study illustrates a principal thesis of this essay according to which music was used by the German Nazis in the General Government as a key elements of propaganda and in appropriation of conquered territories as both physical and symbolic spaces.

Failure of single electron descriptions of molecular orbital collision processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elston, S.B.

1978-01-01

Inner-shell excitation occurring in low and moderate (keV range) energy collisions between light atomic and ionic systems is frequently describable in terms of molecular promotion mechanisms, which were extensively explored both theoretically and experimentally. The bulk of such studies have concentrated on processes understandable through the use of single- and independent-electron models. Nonetheless, it is possible to find cases of inner-shell excitation in relatively simple collision systems which involve nearly simultaneous multiple-electron transitions and transitions induced by inherently two-electron interactions. Evidence for these many- and nonindependent-electron phenomena in inner-shell excitation processes and the importance of considering such effects in the interpretation of collisionally induced excitation spectra is discussed. 13 references

Disparate relatives: Life histories vary more in genera occupying intermediate environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hermant, M.; Hennion, F.; Bartish, I.V.; Yguel, B.; Prinzing, A.

2012-01-01

Species within clades are commonly assumed to share similar life history traits, but within a given region some clades show much greater variability in traits than others. Are variable clades older, allowing more time for trait diversification? Or do they occupy particular environments, providing a

Molecular investigation of evaporation of biodroplets containing single-strand DNA on graphene surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, Fahimeh; Foroutan, Masumeh

2018-02-14

In this study, the water droplet behaviour of four different types of single-strand DNA with homogeneous base sequence on a graphene substrate during evaporation of the droplet was investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The simulation results indicated that the evaporation depended on the DNA sequence. The observed changes can be divided into four parts: (i) vaporization mode, (ii) evaporation flux, (iii) mechanism of single-strand placement on the surface, and (iv) consideration of remaining single strands after evaporation. Our simulation observations indicated different evaporation modes for thymine biodroplets as compared to those for other biodroplets. The evaporation of the thymine biodroplets occurred with an increase in the contact angle, while that of the other biodroplets occur in a constant contact angle mode. Moreover, thymine biodroplets generate the lowest contact line compared to other single strands, and it is always placed far away from the centre of the droplets during evaporation. Investigating variations in the evaporation flux shows that thymine has the highest evaporation flux and guanine has the lowest. Moreover, during initial evaporation, the flux of evaporation increases at the triple point of the biodroplets containing thymine single strands, while it decreases in the other biodroplets. The following observation was obtained from the study of the placement of single strands on the substrate: guanine and thymine interacted slower than other single strands during evaporation with graphene, adenine single strand had a higher folding during evaporation, and guanine single strand showed the lowest end-to-end distance. The investigation of single-strand DNA after evaporation shows that adenine produces the most stable structure at the end of evaporation. In addition, cytosine is the most stretched single-strand DNA due to its lack of internal π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding. Therefore, cytosine single strand is more

Single intra-articular injection of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid for hip osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera, Fabrizio

2016-03-01

Intra-articular (IA) injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) into the hip joint appears to be safe and well tolerated but only a small number of randomized clinical trials in humans has been published. The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single IA injection of high-molecular-weight (2800 kDa) HA (Coxarthrum) for hip osteoarthritis. All patients received a single IA administration of 2.5 % sodium hyaluronate (75 mg/3 mL) of high molecular weight. Fluoroscopy requires an iodized contrast medium (iopamidol, 1 ml) which highlights the capsule before administering HA. Patients were evaluated before IA injection (T0), after 3 months, after 6 months and after 1 year from injection. Results were evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI II), Harris Hip Score and a visual analog scale of pain (pain VAS). All treated patients were considered for statistical analysis. Two hundred seven patients were included at T0. The mean age was 67 years (range 46-81). Regarding BPI severity score, changes in pain between T0 and the three following visits were statistically highly significant (p injection of Coxarthrum is effective from the third month and that the results are stable or continue to improve up to 1 year. IV.

Molecular design of new hydrazone dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: Synthesis, characterization and DFT study

KAUST Repository

Al-Sehemi, Abdullah G.

2012-07-01

Three new sensitizers 2-{4-[2-(4-Nitrobenzylidene)hydrazino)]phenyl} ethylene-1,1,2-tricarbonitrile (NBHPET), 2-{4-[2-p-Chlorobenzylidenehydrazino] phenyl}- ethylene-1,1,2-tri carbonitrile (CBHPET) and 2-{4-[2-p- Bromobenzylidenehydrazino] phenyl}ethylene-1,1,2-tricarbonitrile (BBHPET) have been synthesized. The dyes showed pronounced solvatochromic effects as the polarity of the solvents increased. The structures have been optimized at B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. The torsion in E-isomer is smaller than Z-isomer and azo isomers. The highest occupied molecular orbitals are delocalized on whole molecule while lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals are distributed on the tricarbonitrile. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies are above the conduction band of titanium dioxide, highest occupied molecular orbitals of the dyes are below the redox couple of new synthesized dyes and small energy gap revealed these dyes would be better sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonequilibrium Chemical Effects in Single-Molecule SERS Revealed by Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, Sean A.; Apra, Edoardo; Govind, Niranjan; Hess, Wayne P.; El-Khoury, Patrick Z.

2017-02-03

Recent developments in nanophotonics have paved the way for achieving significant advances in the realm of single molecule chemical detection, imaging, and dynamics. In particular, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that is now routinely used to identify the chemical identity of single molecules. Understanding how nanoscale physical and chemical processes affect single molecule SERS spectra and selection rules is a challenging task, and is still actively debated. Herein, we explore underappreciated chemical phenomena in ultrasensitive SERS. We observe a fluctuating excited electronic state manifold, governed by the conformational dynamics of a molecule (4,4’-dimercaptostilbene, DMS) interacting with a metallic cluster (Ag20). This affects our simulated single molecule SERS spectra; the time trajectories of a molecule interacting with its unique local environment dictates the relative intensities of the observable Raman-active vibrational states. Ab initio molecular dynamics of a model Ag20-DMS system are used to illustrate both concepts in light of recent experimental results.

FCJ-197 Entanglements with Media and Technologies in the Occupy Movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan Boler

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This essay explores the paradox of activists using corporate-owned platforms—the ‘master’s tools’ (Lorde, 1984—in the context of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Grounded in findings from interviews with 30 women activists from eight North American Occupy sites, this essay reveals the frictions that result from the entangled paradox between philosophies embedded within technologies and activists’ philosophies. We document entanglements between corporate platforms and radical democratic ideals, and subsequent frictions between activists’ ideals and more pragmatic, DIY practices. We also investigate frictions between aspirations of openness, and the realities of surveillance and infiltration by the police state. We examine entanglements through the theoretical lenses of ‘connective labor’ (Boler et al, 2014, ‘veillance’ (Mann, 2004, and the ‘master’s tools’ (Lorde, 1984, and lay the groundwork for ‘queering the binary of individuals and groups’ (Barad, 2012 and recognising the non-linear, dynamic relations of social movements.

Music in Nazi-Occupied Poland between 1939 and 1945

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naliwajek-Mazurek Katarzyna

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper is a survey of research on music in territories of occupied Poland conducted by the author in recent years, as well as a review of selected existing literature on this topic. A case study illustrates a principal thesis of this essay according to which music was used by the German Nazis in the General Government as a key elements of propaganda and in appropriation of conquered territories as both physical and symbolic spaces.

Trust the process: community health psychology after Occupy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornish, Flora; Montenegro, Cristian; van Reisen, Kirsten; Zaka, Flavia; Sevitt, James

2014-01-01

This article argues that community health psychology's core strategy of 'community mobilisation' is in need of renewal and proposes a new way of conceptualising community health action. Taking the Occupy movement as an example, we critique modernist understandings of community mobilisation, which are based on instrumental action in the service of a predetermined goal. Aiming to re-invigorate the 'process' tradition of community health psychology, we explore possibilities of an open-ended, anti-hierarchical and inclusive mode of community action, which we label 'trusting the process'. The gains to be made are unpredictable, but we suggest that the risk is worth taking.

Quantitative Molecular Imaging with a Single Gd-Based Contrast Agent Reveals Specific Tumor Binding and Retention in Vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansen, Mette L; Gao, Ying; Hutnick, Melanie A; Craig, Sonya E L; Pokorski, Jonathan K; Flask, Chris A; Brady-Kalnay, Susann M

2017-06-06

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an indispensable tool in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, especially cancer. However, the poor sensitivity of MRI relative to other imaging modalities, such as PET, has hindered the development and clinical use of molecular MRI contrast agents that could provide vital diagnostic information by specifically locating a molecular target altered in the disease process. This work describes the specific and sustained in vivo binding and retention of a protein tyrosine phosphatase mu (PTPμ)-targeted, molecular magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent with a single gadolinium (Gd) chelate using a quantitative MRI T 1 mapping technique in glioma xenografts. Quantitative T 1 mapping is an imaging method used to measure the longitudinal relaxation time, the T 1 relaxation time, of protons in a magnetic field after excitation by a radiofrequency pulse. T 1 relaxation times can in turn be used to calculate the concentration of a gadolinium-containing contrast agent in a region of interest, thereby allowing the retention or clearance of an agent to be quantified. In this context, retention is a measure of molecular contrast agent binding. Using conventional peptide chemistry, a PTPμ-targeted peptide was linked to a chelator that had been conjugated to a lysine residue. Following complexation with Gd, this PTPμ-targeted molecular contrast agent containing a single Gd ion showed significant tumor enhancement and a sustained increase in Gd concentration in both heterotopic and orthotopic tumors using dynamic quantitative MRI. This single Gd-containing PTPμ agent was more effective than our previous version with three Gd ions. Differences between nonspecific and specific agents, due to specific tumor binding, can be determined within the first 30 min after agent administration by examining clearance rates. This more facile chemistry, when combined with quantitative MR techniques, allows for widespread adoption by academic

Single-site Lennard-Jones models via polynomial chaos surrogates of Monte Carlo molecular simulation

KAUST Repository

Kadoura, Ahmad Salim

2016-06-01

In this work, two Polynomial Chaos (PC) surrogates were generated to reproduce Monte Carlo (MC) molecular simulation results of the canonical (single-phase) and the NVT-Gibbs (two-phase) ensembles for a system of normalized structureless Lennard-Jones (LJ) particles. The main advantage of such surrogates, once generated, is the capability of accurately computing the needed thermodynamic quantities in a few seconds, thus efficiently replacing the computationally expensive MC molecular simulations. Benefiting from the tremendous computational time reduction, the PC surrogates were used to conduct large-scale optimization in order to propose single-site LJ models for several simple molecules. Experimental data, a set of supercritical isotherms, and part of the two-phase envelope, of several pure components were used for tuning the LJ parameters (ε, σ). Based on the conducted optimization, excellent fit was obtained for different noble gases (Ar, Kr, and Xe) and other small molecules (CH4, N2, and CO). On the other hand, due to the simplicity of the LJ model used, dramatic deviations between simulation and experimental data were observed, especially in the two-phase region, for more complex molecules such as CO2 and C2 H6.

[Prediction of the molecular response to pertubations from single cell measurements].

Science.gov (United States)

Remacle, Françoise; Levine, Raphael D

2014-12-01

The response of protein signalization networks to perturbations is analysed from single cell measurements. This experimental approach allows characterizing the fluctuations in protein expression levels from cell to cell. The analysis is based on an information theoretic approach grounded in thermodynamics leading to a quantitative version of Le Chatelier principle which allows to predict the molecular response. Two systems are investigated: human macrophages subjected to lipopolysaccharide challenge, analogous to the immune response against Gram-negative bacteria and the response of the proteins involved in the mTOR signalizing network of GBM cancer cells to changes in partial oxygen pressure. © 2014 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

Molecular and electronic structure of osmium complexes confined to Au(111) surfaces using a self-assembled molecular bridge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Llave, Ezequiel de la; Herrera, Santiago E.; Adam, Catherine; Méndez De Leo, Lucila P.; Calvo, Ernesto J.; Williams, Federico J., E-mail: fwilliams@qi.fcen.uba.ar [INQUIMAE-CONICET, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química-Física, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, Buenos Aires C1428EHA (Argentina)

2015-11-14

The molecular and electronic structure of Os(II) complexes covalently bonded to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au(111) surfaces was studied by means of polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopies, scanning tunneling microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. Attachment of the Os complex to the SAM proceeds via an amide covalent bond with the SAM alkyl chain 40° tilted with respect to the surface normal and a total thickness of 26 Å. The highest occupied molecular orbital of the Os complex is mainly based on the Os(II) center located 2.2 eV below the Fermi edge and the LUMO molecular orbital is mainly based on the bipyridine ligands located 1.5 eV above the Fermi edge.

Multi-scale Modeling of Compressible Single-phase Flow in Porous Media using Molecular Simulation

KAUST Repository

Saad, Ahmed Mohamed

2016-05-01

In this study, an efficient coupling between Monte Carlo (MC) molecular simulation and Darcy-scale flow in porous media is presented. The cell-centered finite difference method with a non-uniform rectangular mesh were used to discretize the simulation domain and solve the governing equations. To speed up the MC simulations, we implemented a recently developed scheme that quickly generates MC Markov chains out of pre-computed ones, based on the reweighting and reconstruction algorithm. This method astonishingly reduces the required computational time by MC simulations from hours to seconds. In addition, the reweighting and reconstruction scheme, which was originally designed to work with the LJ potential model, is extended to work with a potential model that accounts for the molecular quadrupole moment of fluids with non-spherical molecules such as CO2. The potential model was used to simulate the thermodynamic equilibrium properties for single-phase and two-phase systems using the canonical ensemble and the Gibbs ensemble, respectively. Comparing the simulation results with the experimental data showed that the implemented model has an excellent fit outperforming the standard LJ model. To demonstrate the strength of the proposed coupling in terms of computational time efficiency and numerical accuracy in fluid properties, various numerical experiments covering different compressible single-phase flow scenarios were conducted. The novelty in the introduced scheme is in allowing an efficient coupling of the molecular scale and Darcy scale in reservoir simulators. This leads to an accurate description of the thermodynamic behavior of the simulated reservoir fluids; consequently enhancing the confidence in the flow predictions in porous media.

Innovative molecular-based fluorescent nanoparticles for multicolor single particle tracking in cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daniel, Jonathan; Blanchard-Desce, Mireille; Godin, Antoine G; Palayret, Matthieu; Lounis, Brahim; Cognet, Laurent

2016-01-01

Based on an original molecular-based design, we present bright and photostable fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) showing excellent colloidal stability in various aqueous environments. Complementary near-infrared emitting and green emitting FONs were prepared using a simple, fast and robust protocol. Both types of FONs could be simultaneously imaged at the single-particle level in solution as well as in biological environments using a monochromatic excitation and a dual-color fluorescence microscope. No evidence of acute cytotoxicity was found upon incubation of live cells with mixed solutions of FONs, and both types of nanoparticles were found internalized in the cells where their motion could be simultaneously tracked at video-rate up to minutes. These fluorescent organic nanoparticles open a novel non-toxic alternative to existing nanoparticles for imaging biological structures, compatible with live-cell experiments and specially fitted for multicolor single particle tracking. (paper)

Molecular Electronics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jennum, Karsten Stein

This thesis includes the synthesis and characterisation of organic compounds designed for molecular electronics. The synthesised organic molecules are mainly based on two motifs, the obigo(phenyleneethynylenes) (OPE)s and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) as shown below. These two scaffolds (OPE and TTF......) are chemically merged together to form cruciform-like structures that are an essential part of the thesis. The cruciform molecules were subjected to molecular conductance measurements to explore their capability towards single-crystal field-effect transistors (Part 1), molecular wires, and single electron......, however, was obtained by a study of a single molecular transistor. The investigated OPE5-TTF compound was captured in a three-terminal experiment, whereby manipulation of the molecule’s electronic spin was possible in different charge states. Thus, we demonstrated how the cruciform molecules could...

Synthesis of a molecularly defined single-active site heterogeneous catalyst for selective oxidation of N-heterocycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yujing; Pang, Shaofeng; Wei, Zhihong; Jiao, Haijun; Dai, Xingchao; Wang, Hongli; Shi, Feng

2018-04-13

Generally, a homogeneous catalyst exhibits good activity and defined active sites but it is difficult to recycle. Meanwhile, a heterogeneous catalyst can easily be reused but its active site is difficult to reveal. It is interesting to bridge the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis via controllable construction of a heterogeneous catalyst containing defined active sites. Here, we report that a molecularly defined, single-active site heterogeneous catalyst has been designed and prepared via the oxidative polymerization of maleimide derivatives. These polymaleimide derivatives can be active catalysts for the selective oxidation of heterocyclic compounds to quinoline and indole via the recycling of -C=O and -C-OH groups, which was confirmed by tracing the reaction with GC-MS using maleimide as the catalyst and by FT-IR analysis with polymaleimide as the catalyst. These results might promote the development of heterogeneous catalysts with molecularly defined single active sites exhibiting a comparable activity to homogeneous catalysts.

Controlling the formation process and atomic structures of single pyrazine molecular junction by tuning the strength of the metal-molecule interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Satoshi; Takahashi, Ryoji; Fujii, Shintaro; Nishino, Tomoaki; Kiguchi, Manabu

2017-04-12

The formation process and atomic structures were investigated for single pyrazine molecular junctions sandwiched by three different Au, Ag, and Cu electrodes using a mechanically controllable break junction technique in ultrahigh vacuum conditions at 300 K. We demonstrated that the formation process of the single-molecule junction crucially depended on the choice of the metal electrodes. While single-molecule junction showing two distinct conductance states were found for the Au electrodes, only the single conductance state was evident for the Ag electrodes, and there was no junction formation for the Cu electrodes. These results suggested that metal-molecule interaction dominates the formation process and probability of the single-molecule junction. In addition to the metal-molecule interaction, temperature affected the formation process of the single-molecule junction. The single pyrazine molecular junction formed between Au electrodes exhibited significant temperature dependence where the junction-formation probability was about 8% at 300 K, while there was no junction-formation at 100 K. Instead of the junction formation, an Au atomic wire was formed at the low temperature. This study provides insight into the tuning of the junction-forming process for single-molecule junctions, which is needed to construct device structures on a single molecule scale.

Manipulating molecular quantum states with classical metal atom inputs: demonstration of a single molecule NOR logic gate.

Science.gov (United States)

Soe, We-Hyo; Manzano, Carlos; Renaud, Nicolas; de Mendoza, Paula; De Sarkar, Abir; Ample, Francisco; Hliwa, Mohamed; Echavarren, Antonio M; Chandrasekhar, Natarajan; Joachim, Christian

2011-02-22

Quantum states of a trinaphthylene molecule were manipulated by putting its naphthyl branches in contact with single Au atoms. One Au atom carries 1-bit of classical information input that is converted into quantum information throughout the molecule. The Au-trinaphthylene electronic interactions give rise to measurable energy shifts of the molecular electronic states demonstrating a NOR logic gate functionality. The NOR truth table of the single molecule logic gate was characterized by means of scanning tunnelling spectroscopy.

Quantum tunneling of magnetization in single molecular magnets coupled to ferromagnetic reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Misiorny, M.; Barnas, J.

2007-04-01

The role of spin polarized reservoirs in quantum tunneling of magnetization and relaxation processes in a single molecular magnet (SMM) is investigated theoretically. The SMM is exchange-coupled to the reservoirs and also subjected to a magnetic field varying in time, which enables the quantum tunneling of magnetization. The spin relaxation times are calculated from the Fermi golden rule. The exchange interaction of SMM and electrons in the leads is shown to affect the spin reversal due to quantum tunneling of magnetization. It is shown that the switching is associated with transfer of a certain charge between the leads.

Single-site Lennard-Jones models via polynomial chaos surrogates of Monte Carlo molecular simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kadoura, Ahmad, E-mail: ahmad.kadoura@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: adil.siripatana@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: shuyu.sun@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: omar.knio@kaust.edu.sa; Sun, Shuyu, E-mail: ahmad.kadoura@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: adil.siripatana@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: shuyu.sun@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: omar.knio@kaust.edu.sa [Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, The Earth Sciences and Engineering Department, The Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900 (Saudi Arabia); Siripatana, Adil, E-mail: ahmad.kadoura@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: adil.siripatana@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: shuyu.sun@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: omar.knio@kaust.edu.sa; Hoteit, Ibrahim, E-mail: ibrahim.hoteit@kaust.edu.sa [Earth Fluid Modeling and Predicting Group, The Earth Sciences and Engineering Department, The Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900 (Saudi Arabia); Knio, Omar, E-mail: ahmad.kadoura@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: adil.siripatana@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: shuyu.sun@kaust.edu.sa, E-mail: omar.knio@kaust.edu.sa [Uncertainty Quantification Center, The Applied Mathematics and Computational Science Department, The Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900 (Saudi Arabia)

2016-06-07

In this work, two Polynomial Chaos (PC) surrogates were generated to reproduce Monte Carlo (MC) molecular simulation results of the canonical (single-phase) and the NVT-Gibbs (two-phase) ensembles for a system of normalized structureless Lennard-Jones (LJ) particles. The main advantage of such surrogates, once generated, is the capability of accurately computing the needed thermodynamic quantities in a few seconds, thus efficiently replacing the computationally expensive MC molecular simulations. Benefiting from the tremendous computational time reduction, the PC surrogates were used to conduct large-scale optimization in order to propose single-site LJ models for several simple molecules. Experimental data, a set of supercritical isotherms, and part of the two-phase envelope, of several pure components were used for tuning the LJ parameters (ε, σ). Based on the conducted optimization, excellent fit was obtained for different noble gases (Ar, Kr, and Xe) and other small molecules (CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}, and CO). On the other hand, due to the simplicity of the LJ model used, dramatic deviations between simulation and experimental data were observed, especially in the two-phase region, for more complex molecules such as CO{sub 2} and C{sub 2} H{sub 6}.

Molecular orbital study of the chemisorption of carbon monoxide on a tungsten (100) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, T.H.; Rabalais, J.W.

1978-01-01

The adsorption energies of carbon monoxide chemisorbed at various sites on a tungsten (100) surface have been calculated by extended Hueckel molecular orbital theory (EHMO). The concept of a 'surface molecule' in which CO is bonded to an array of tungsten atoms Wsub(n) has been employed. Dissociative adsorption in which C occupies a four-fold, five-coordination site and O occupies either a four- or two-fold site has been found to be the most stable form for CO on a W surface. Stable one-fold and two-fold sites of molecularly adsorbed CO have also been found in which the CO group is normal to the surface plane and the C atom is nearest the surface. Adsorption energies and molecular orbitals for the stable molecularly and dissociatively adsorbed CO sites are compared with the experimental data on various types of adsorbed CO, i.e. virgin-, α-, and β-CO. Models are suggested for each of these adsorption types. The strongest bonding interactions occur between the CO 5sigma orbital and the totally symmetric 5d and 6s orbitals of the Wsub(n) cluster. Possible mechanisms for conversion of molecularly adsorbed CO to dissociatively adsorbed CO are proposed and the corresponding activation energies are estimated. (Auth.)

Density-dependent changes in effective area occupied for sea-bottom-associated marine fishes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorson, James T.; Rindorf, Anna; Gao, Jin

2016-01-01

among taxa and regions. The average relationship is weak but significant (0.6% increase in area for a 10% increase in abundance), whereas only a small proportion of species–region combinations show a negative relationship (i.e. shrinking area when abundance increases). Approximately one...... for every 10% abundance increase) followed by Pleuronectiformes and Scorpaeniformes, and the Eastern Bering Sea shows a strong relationship between abundance and area occupied relative to other regions. We conclude that the BM explains a small but important portion of spatial dynamics for sea......The spatial distribution of marine fishes can change for many reasons, including density-dependent distributional shifts. Previous studies show mixed support for either the proportional-density model (PDM; no relationship between abundance and area occupied, supported by ideal-free distribution...

Socializing space and politicizing financial innovation/destruction: some observations on Occupy Wall Street Socialisation de l’espace et politisation de l’innovation/destruction financière : quelques réflexions sur le mouvement “Occupy Wall Street”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel B. Aalbers

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This short paper discusses two issues related to the Occupy Wall Street movement. First, a local urban political geography is presented in which Liberty Plaza is not the accidental place of Occupy Wall Street but a deliberate one, not only because it is located between the towers of global capital, but also because it constitutes a so-called “privately owned public space” (POPS. Second, a global financial political geography is presented in which I argue that the imprecise demands of Occupy Wall Street are a result not so much of the heterogeneous base of the movement but of the still largely unknown and “under-understood” nature of finance.Ce court article est consacré à deux problèmes liés au mouvement “Occupy Wall Street”. En premier lieu, nous présentons une géographie politique urbaine au niveau local dans laquelle le choix de la Plaza Liberty n’est pas accidentel mais bien délibéré, non seulement en raison de sa localisation entre les tours du capital global mais également parce que cette place représente un “espace public aux mains du privé”. Dans un second temps, nous proposons une géographie politique de la finance globale, où nous défendons l’idée que les revendications assez floues du mouvement “Occupy Wall Street” résultent non pas tant du caractère hétérogène de sa base mais plutôt de la nature même de la finance, encore largement inconnue et “sous-comprise”.

The Influence of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Microarray-Based Molecular Karyotype on Preimplantation Embryonic Development Potential.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Li

Full Text Available In order to investigate the influence of the molecular karyotype based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP microarray on embryonic development potential in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data generated by PGD using embryos retrieved from parents with chromosome rearrangements in our center. In total, 929 embryos from 119 couples had exact diagnosis and development status. The blastocyst formation rate of balanced molecular karyotype embryos was 56.6% (276/488, which was significantly higher than that of genetic imbalanced embryos 24.5% (108/441 (P35 respectively. Blastocyst formation rates of male and female embryos were 44.5% (183/411 and 38.8% (201/518 respectively, with no significant difference between them (P>0.05. The rates of balanced molecular karyotype embryos vary from groups of embryos with different cell numbers at 68 hours after insemination. The blastocyst formation rate of embryos with 6-8 cells (48.1% was significantly higher than that of embryos with 8 cells (42.9% (P8 cells, embryos with 6-8 blastomeres have higher rate of balanced molecular karyotype and blastocyst formation.

Molecular dynamic simulations of the high-speed copper nanoparticles collision with the aluminum surface

Science.gov (United States)

Pogorelko, V. V.; Mayer, A. E.

2016-11-01

With the use of the molecular dynamic simulations, we investigated the effect of the high-speed (500 m/s, 1000 m/s) copper nanoparticle impact on the mechanical properties of an aluminum surface. Dislocation analysis shows that a large number of dislocations are formed in the impact area; the total length of dislocations is determined not only by the speed and size of the incoming copper nanoparticle (kinetic energy of the nanoparticle), but by a temperature of the system as well. The dislocations occupy the whole area of the aluminum single crystal at high kinetic energy of the nanoparticle. With the decrease of the nanoparticle kinetic energy, the dislocation structures are formed in the near-surface layer; formation of the dislocation loops takes place. Temperature rise of the system (aluminum substrate + nanoparticle) reduces the total dislocation length in the single crystal of aluminum; there is deeper penetration of the copper atoms in the aluminum at high temperatures. Average energy of the nanoparticles and room temperature of the system are optimal for production of high-quality layers of copper on the aluminum surface.

Design and synthesis of single-source molecular precursors to homogeneous multi-component oxide materials

Science.gov (United States)

Fujdala, Kyle Lee

This dissertation describes the syntheses of single-source molecular precursors to multi-component oxide materials. These molecules possess a core metal or element with various combinations of -OSi(O tBu)3, -O2P(OtBu) 2, and -OB[OSi(OtBu)3] 2 ligands. Such molecules decompose under mild thermolytic conditions (models for oxide-supported metal species and multi-component oxides. Significantly, the first complexes to contain three or more heteroelements suitable for use in the TMP method have been synthesized. Compounds for use as single-source molecular precursors have been synthesized containing Al, B, Cr, Hf, Mo, V, W, and Zr, and their thermal transformations have been examined. Heterogeneous catalytic reactions have been examined for selected materials. Also, cothermolyses of molecular precursors and additional molecules (i.e., metal alkoxides) have been utilized to provide materials with several components for potential use as catalysts or catalyst supports. Reactions of one and two equivs of HOSi(OtBu) 3 with Cr(OtBu)4 afforded the first Cr(IV) alkoxysiloxy complexes (tBuO) 3CrOSi(OtBu)3 and ( tBuO)2Cr[OSi(OtBu) 3]2, respectively. The high-yielding, convenient synthesis of (tBuO)3CrOSi(O tBu)3 make this complex a useful single-source molecular precursor, via the TMP method, to Cr/Si/O materials. The thermal transformations of (tBuO)3CrOSi(O tBu)3 and (tBuO) 2Cr[OSi(OtBu)3]2 to chromia-silica materials occurr at low temperatures (≤180°C), to give isobutene as the major carbon-containing product. The material generated from the solid-state conversion of (tBuO) 3CrOSi(OtBu)3 (CrOS ss) has an unexpectedly high surface area of 315 m2 g-1 that is slightly reduced to 275 m2 g-1 after calcination at 500°C in O2. The xerogel obtained by the thermolysis of an n-octane solution of (tBuO)3CrOSi(O tBu)3 (CrOSixg) has a surface area of 315 m2 g-1 that is reduced to 205 m2 g-1 upon calcination at 500°C. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis revealed that Cr2O 3 is

Molecular level computational studies of polyethylene and polyacrylonitrile composites containing single walled carbon nanotubes: effect of carboxylic acid functionalization on nanotube-polymer interfacial properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shayesteh eHaghighatpanah

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Molecular dynamics and molecular mechanics methods have been used to investigate additive-polymer interfacial properties in single walled carbon nanotube – polyethylene and single walled carbon nanotube – polyacrylonitrile composites. Properties such as the interfacial shear stress and bonding energy are similar for the two composites. In contrast, functionalizing the single walled carbon nanotubes with carboxylic acid groups leads to an increase in these properties, with a larger increase for the polar polyacrylonitrile composite. Increasing the percentage of carbon atoms that were functionalized from 1% to 5% also leads to an increase in the interfacial properties. In addition, the interfacial properties depend on the location of the functional groups on the single walled carbon nanotube wall.

Measurement of air velocity in animal occupied zones using an ultrasonic anemometer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wagenberg, van A.V.; Leeuw, de M.T.J.

2003-01-01

The air velocity in the animal occupied zone (AOZ) of a pig facility influences the thermal comfort of pigs and is affected by the ventilation system in the building. Little is known about the relationship between the air velocity in the AOZ and the ventilation system design. This article describes

Molecular assembly and electro polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene on Au(100) single crystal electrode using in-situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Jonyl L.; Tongol, Bernard John V.; ShuehLin Yau

2012-01-01

Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (Ec-STM) is a powerful technique that can provide molecular-level information regarding electrode surface processes in-situ in electrolyte solvent under ambient conditions. In this study, the adsorption and electro polymerization of an industrially important conducting polymer precursor, 3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene (EDOT), on Au (100) single crystal was probed using Ec-STM. The Au (100) single crystal electrode substrate used for this study was fabricated using the well-known Clavilier's flame melting procedure. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used along with Ec-STM to characterize the bare, EDOT-modified, and poly(EDOT)-modified Au (100) single crystal electrode. Time-dependent Ec-STM imaging at 0.550 V showed the formation of an EDOT self-assembled monolayer through 2-D surface dillusion. The resulting EDOT molecular assembly on Au (100) single crystal electrode was found to fit in a 4√2χ3√2 unit cell. Difference in apparent corrugation between molecular rows was attributed to different angular orientation with respect to the substrate. The electro polymerization of EDOT on Au (100) single crystal electrode was done by potentiostatic and potentiodynamic methods. Both methods suggested a solution-process mechanism for EDOT electro polymerization. (author)

Discerning urban spiritualities: Tahrir Square, Occupy Wall Street and the idols of global market capitalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calvyn C. du Toit

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Discernment might be said to be a process of searching for meaning in the light of an (un articulated Absolute. This search takes place in the tension between the private and public spheres of life, mostly mitigated by a community. Intermediate communities, such as churches or social movements, construct symbolic spirituality systems for its adherers to search for meaning in the light of an (unarticulated Absolute. The urban events of Occupy Wall Street and Tahrir Square also step into the tension between the public and private spheres of life, creating a (temporary symbolic spirituality system for its adherers. These events were attempts to construct alternatives to the meta-narrative of global market capitalism. As events attempting to symbolise an urban spirituality, Tahrir Square and Occupy Wall Street dissipated rapidly, effecting rather little change at the heart of global market capitalism. This article theorises a possible reason for these urban spiritualities� dissipation, namely an overlap with global market capitalism�s idols of instant gratification and technology.Interdisciplinary Implications: Viewing Occupy Walls Street and Tahrir Square as symbolic systems of spirituality further strengthens theological urban discourse whilst adding weight to viewing mass movements as spiritualities attempting discernment.

Latent Membrane Protein 1 as a molecular adjuvant for single-cycle lentiviral vaccines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmberg Andrew R

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Molecular adjuvants are a promising method to enhance virus-specific immune responses and protect against HIV-1 infection. Immune activation by ligands for receptors such as CD40 can induce dendritic cell activation and maturation. Here we explore the incorporation of two CD40 mimics, Epstein Barr Virus gene LMP1 or an LMP1-CD40 chimera, into a strain of SIV that was engineered to be limited to a single cycle of infection. Results Full length LMP1 or the chimeric protein LMP1-CD40 was cloned into the nef-locus of single-cycle SIV. Human and Macaque monocyte derived macrophages and DC were infected with these viruses. Infected cells were analyzed for activation surface markers by flow cytometry. Cells were also analyzed for secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70 and TNF by cytometric bead array. Conclusions Overall, single-cycle SIV expressing LMP1 and LMP1-CD40 produced a broad and potent TH1-biased immune response in human as well as rhesus macaque macrophages and DC when compared with control virus. Single-cycle SIV-LMP1 also enhanced antigen presentation by lentiviral vector vaccines, suggesting that LMP1-mediated immune activation may enhance lentiviral vector vaccines against HIV-1.

Transcriptional profiling at whole population and single cell levels reveals somatosensory neuron molecular diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Isaac M; Barrett, Lee B; Williams, Erika K; Strochlic, David E; Lee, Seungkyu; Weyer, Andy D; Lou, Shan; Bryman, Gregory S; Roberson, David P; Ghasemlou, Nader; Piccoli, Cara; Ahat, Ezgi; Wang, Victor; Cobos, Enrique J; Stucky, Cheryl L; Ma, Qiufu; Liberles, Stephen D; Woolf, Clifford J

2014-01-01

The somatosensory nervous system is critical for the organism's ability to respond to mechanical, thermal, and nociceptive stimuli. Somatosensory neurons are functionally and anatomically diverse but their molecular profiles are not well-defined. Here, we used transcriptional profiling to analyze the detailed molecular signatures of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. We used two mouse reporter lines and surface IB4 labeling to purify three major non-overlapping classes of neurons: 1) IB4+SNS-Cre/TdTomato+, 2) IB4−SNS-Cre/TdTomato+, and 3) Parv-Cre/TdTomato+ cells, encompassing the majority of nociceptive, pruriceptive, and proprioceptive neurons. These neurons displayed distinct expression patterns of ion channels, transcription factors, and GPCRs. Highly parallel qRT-PCR analysis of 334 single neurons selected by membership of the three populations demonstrated further diversity, with unbiased clustering analysis identifying six distinct subgroups. These data significantly increase our knowledge of the molecular identities of known DRG populations and uncover potentially novel subsets, revealing the complexity and diversity of those neurons underlying somatosensation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04660.001 PMID:25525749

Erasing the Material Base of Occupy Wall Street: When Soft Means Fail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Leary

2015-12-01

Full Text Available When Occupy Wall Street proved able to reach mass circulation in 2011, it registered as a threat to the status quo in the United States, where corporate entities with close relation to government normally control the flow of discourse. The Occupy encampments, therefore, were intolerable, not merely an annoyance that could be ignored or ridiculed. Once Occupy’s anti-corporate rhetoric had spread widely, the mainstream media took steps to derail the mass appeal of Occupy’s oppositional discourse through accusations of incoherence and indecency. However, such “soft” means of organizing consent from the public were very weak in 2011 because of the 2008 economic collapse which had been provoked by Wall Street. With instruments of soft persuasion weak, the dominant group turned to instruments of hard persuasion — arrests, harassments, beatings, random grabs, and finally the orchestrated assault carried out on November 15th, an operation that saw the media censored and sequestered, at night, in the dark, with no filmed images, and all subway stations and street access blocked.

Deuteron NMR resolved mesogen vs. crosslinker molecular order and reorientational exchange in liquid single crystal elastomers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Milavec, J.; Domenici, V.; Zupančič, B.; Rešetič, A.; Bubnov, Alexej; Zalar, B.

2016-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 5 (2016), s. 4071-4077 ISSN 1463-9076 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-02843S; GA MŠk(CZ) LD14007 Grant - others:EU - ICT(XE) COST Action IC1208 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : liquid single crystal elastomer * NMR * liquid crystal * molecular order * monomers Subject RIV: JJ - Other Materials Impact factor: 4.123, year: 2016

Design strategies for organic semiconductors beyond the molecular formula.

Science.gov (United States)

Henson, Zachary B; Müllen, Klaus; Bazan, Guillermo C

2012-09-01

Organic semiconducting materials based on polymers and molecular systems containing an electronically delocalized structure are the basis of emerging optoelectronic technologies such as plastic solar cells and flexible transistors. For isolated molecules, guidelines exist that rely on the molecular formula to tailor the frontier (highest occupied or lowest unoccupied) molecular orbital energy levels and optical absorption profiles. Much less control can be achieved over relevant properties, however, as one makes the transition to the ensemble behaviour characteristic of the solid state. Polymeric materials are also challenging owing to the statistical description of the average number of repeat units. Here we draw attention to the limitations of molecular formulae as predictive tools for achieving properties relevant to device performances. Illustrative examples highlight the relevance of organization across multiple length scales, and how device performances--although relevant for practical applications--poorly reflect the success of molecular design.

Inversion of single-particle levels in nuclear Hartree-Fock and Brueckner-HF calculations with broken symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, R.L.; Svenne, J.P.

1975-12-01

Energy levels of states connected by a symmetry of the Hamiltonian normally should be degenerate. In self-consistent field theories, when only one of a pair of single-particle levels connected by a symmetry of the full Hamiltonian is occupied, the degeneracy is split and the unoccupied level often lies below the occupied one. Inversions of neutron-proton (charge) and time-reversal doublets in odd nuclei, charge doublets in even nuclei with a neutron excess, and spin-orbit doublets in spherical configurations with spin-unsaturated shells are examined. The origin of the level inversion is investigated, and the following explanation offered. Unoccupied single-particle levels, from a calculation in an A-particle system, should be interpreted as levels of the (A + 1)-particle system. When the symmetry-related level, occupied in the A-particle system, is also calculated in the (A + 1)-particle system it is degenerate with or lies lower than the other. That is, when both levels are calculated in the (A + 1)-particle system, they are not inverted. It is demonstrated that the usual prescription to occupy the lowest-lying orbitals should be modified to refer to the single-particle energies calculated in the (A + 1)- or the (A - 1)-particle system. This observation is shown to provide a justification for avoiding an oscillation of occupancy between symmetry-related partners in successive iterations leading to a self-consistency. It is pointed out that two degenerate determinants arise from occupying one or the other partner of an initially degenerate pair of levels and then iterating to self-consistency. The existence of the degenerate determinants indicates the need for introducing correlations, either by mixing the two configurations or by allowing additional symmetry-breaking (resulting in a more highly deformed non-degenerate configuration). 2 figures, 3 tables, 43 references

Molecular fountain.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strecker, Kevin E.; Chandler, David W.

2009-09-01

A molecular fountain directs slowly moving molecules against gravity to further slow them to translational energies that they can be trapped and studied. If the molecules are initially slow enough they will return some time later to the position from which they were launched. Because this round trip time can be on the order of a second a single molecule can be observed for times sufficient to perform Hz level spectroscopy. The goal of this LDRD proposal was to construct a novel Molecular Fountain apparatus capable of producing dilute samples of molecules at near zero temperatures in well-defined user-selectable, quantum states. The slowly moving molecules used in this research are produced by the previously developed Kinematic Cooling technique, which uses a crossed atomic and molecular beam apparatus to generate single rotational level molecular samples moving slowly in the laboratory reference frame. The Kinematic Cooling technique produces cold molecules from a supersonic molecular beam via single collisions with a supersonic atomic beam. A single collision of an atom with a molecule occurring at the correct energy and relative velocity can cause a small fraction of the molecules to move very slowly vertically against gravity in the laboratory. These slowly moving molecules are captured by an electrostatic hexapole guiding field that both orients and focuses the molecules. The molecules are focused into the ionization region of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and are ionized by laser radiation. The new molecular fountain apparatus was built utilizing a new design for molecular beam apparatus that has allowed us to miniaturize the apparatus. This new design minimizes the volumes and surface area of the machine allowing smaller pumps to maintain the necessary background pressures needed for these experiments.

Personality and the collective: bold homing pigeons occupy higher leadership ranks in flocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Takao; Mann, Richard P; Warren, Katherine N; Herbert, Tristian; Wilson, Tara; Biro, Dora

2018-05-19

While collective movement is ecologically widespread and conveys numerous benefits on individuals, it also poses a coordination problem: who controls the group's movements? The role that animal 'personalities' play in this question has recently become a focus of research interest. Although many animal groups have distributed leadership (i.e. multiple individuals influence collective decisions), studies linking personality and leadership have focused predominantly on the group's single most influential individual. In this study, we investigate the relationship between personality and the influence of multiple leaders on collective movement using homing pigeons, Columba livia , a species known to display complex multilevel leadership hierarchies during flock flights. Our results show that more exploratory (i.e. 'bold') birds are more likely to occupy higher ranks in the leadership hierarchy and thus have more influence on the direction of collective movement than less exploratory (i.e. 'shy') birds during both free flights around their lofts and homing flights from a distant site. Our data also show that bold pigeons fly faster than shy birds during solo flights. We discuss our results in light of theories about the evolution of personality, with specific reference to the adaptive value of heterogeneity in animal groups.This article is part of the theme issue 'Collective movement ecology'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Temperature sensitivity of void nucleation and growth parameters for single crystal copper: a molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rawat, S; Chavan, V M; Warrier, M; Chaturvedi, S

2011-01-01

The effect of temperature on the void nucleation and growth is studied using the molecular dynamics (MD) code LAMMPS (Large-Scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator). Single crystal copper is triaxially expanded at 5 × 10 9  s −1 strain rate keeping the temperature constant. It is shown that the nucleation and growth of voids at these atomistic scales follows a macroscopic nucleation and growth (NAG) model. As the temperature increases there is a steady decrease in the nucleation and growth thresholds. As the melting point of copper is approached, a double-dip in the pressure–time profile is observed. Analysis of this double-dip shows that the first minimum corresponds to the disappearance of the long-range order due to the creation of stacking faults and the system no longer has a FCC structure. There is no nucleation of voids at this juncture. The second minimum corresponds to the nucleation and incipient growth of voids. We present the sensitivity of NAG parameters to temperature and the analysis of double-dip in the pressure–time profile for single crystal copper at 1250 K

Occupy Wall Street: From Representation to Post-Representation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Tormey

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Trying to assess something as recent and dynamic as Occupy Wall Street (OWS presents problems for political analysts. There is always a danger that by the time one has written in judgement the event-movement will have morphed into something quite different. For this reason alone we need to be careful about offering too definitive a judgment on what it represents, about what we think is new in the phenomenon as well as what we think presents linkages to the past. On the one hand, OWS is still in the process of becoming-something . On the other hand, though, we can see the outline of more or less familiar characteristics that might help orientate us towards something that is being greeted as a new departure.

Magnetic switching of a single molecular magnet due to spin-polarized current

Science.gov (United States)

Misiorny, Maciej; Barnaś, Józef

2007-04-01

Magnetic switching of a single molecular magnet (SMM) due to spin-polarized current flowing between ferromagnetic metallic leads (electrodes) is investigated theoretically. Magnetic moments of the leads are assumed to be collinear and parallel to the magnetic easy axis of the molecule. Electrons tunneling through the barrier between magnetic leads are coupled to the SMM via exchange interaction. The current flowing through the system, as well as the spin relaxation times of the SMM, are calculated from the Fermi golden rule. It is shown that spin of the SMM can be reversed by applying a certain voltage between the two magnetic electrodes. Moreover, the switching may be visible in the corresponding current-voltage characteristics.

Spectroscopic characterization of Venus at the single molecule level.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Charlotte C; Dedecker, Peter; De Cremer, Gert; Verstraeten, Natalie; Kint, Cyrielle; Michiels, Jan; Hofkens, Johan

2012-02-01

Venus is a recently developed, fast maturating, yellow fluorescent protein that has been used as a probe for in vivo applications. In the present work the photophysical characteristics of Venus were analyzed spectroscopically at the bulk and single molecule level. Through time-resolved single molecule measurements we found that single molecules of Venus display pronounced fluctuations in fluorescence emission, with clear fluorescence on- and off-times. These fluorescence intermittencies were found to occupy a broad range of time scales, ranging from milliseconds to several seconds. Such long off-times can complicate the analysis of single molecule counting experiments or single-molecule FRET experiments. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry and Owner Societies 2012

Neutron radiation damage in NbO single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, T.; Koiwa, M.; Ishikawa, Y.; Yamaguchi, S.; Hirabayashi, M.

1977-01-01

The effect of neutron irradiation and subsequent recovery has been studied for Nb0 single crystals of a defective NaCl structure containing 25% vacancies of niobium and oxygen. A very large increase (about 1%) in the lattice constant is observed after irradiation of 1.5 x 10 19 and 1 x 10 20 nvt (> 1 MeV). From the intensity measurements of x-ray and neutron diffraction, it is revealed that the knock-on atoms fill preferentially their respective vacant sites; Nb atoms occupy Nb-vacancies, and 0 atoms occupy 0-vacancies with nearly the same probabilities; 0.53 for 1.5 x 10 19 nvt. The mean threshold energy for displacement is estimated to be about 3 eV. (author)

A comprehensive experiment for molecular biology: Determination of single nucleotide polymorphism in human REV3 gene using PCR-RFLP.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xu; Shao, Meng; Gao, Lu; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Sun, Zixuan; Zhou, Liping; Yan, Yongmin; Shao, Qixiang; Xu, Wenrong; Qian, Hui

2017-07-08

Laboratory exercise is helpful for medical students to understand the basic principles of molecular biology and to learn about the practical applications of molecular biology. We have designed a lab course on molecular biology about the determination of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in human REV3 gene, the product of which is a subunit of DNA polymerase ζ and SNPs in this gene are associated with altered susceptibility to cancer. This newly designed experiment is composed of three parts, including genomic DNA extraction, gene amplification by PCR, and genotyping by RFLP. By combining these activities, the students are not only able to learn a series of biotechniques in molecular biology, but also acquire the ability to link the learned knowledge with practical applications. This comprehensive experiment will help the medical students improve the conceptual understanding of SNP and the technical understanding of SNP detection. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(4):299-304, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Single photon emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buvat, Irene

2011-09-01

The objective of this lecture is to present the single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging technique. Content: 1 - Introduction: anatomic, functional and molecular imaging; Principle and role of functional or molecular imaging; 2 - Radiotracers: chemical and physical constraints, main emitters, radioisotopes production, emitters type and imaging techniques; 3 - Single photon emission computed tomography: gamma cameras and their components, gamma camera specifications, planar single photon imaging characteristics, gamma camera and tomography; 4 - Quantification in single photon emission tomography: attenuation, scattering, un-stationary spatial resolution, partial volume effect, movements, others; 5 - Synthesis and conclusion

Occupied and unoccupied orbitals of C{sub 60} and C{sub 70} probed with C 1s emission and absorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlisle, J.A.; Terminello, L.J.; Hudson, E.A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)] [and others

1997-04-01

The aim of this work is to characterize the orbital structure of the fullerenes, and to pursue its evolution from a cluster to the infinite solid. For obtaining a complete picture of the electronic structure the authors compare a variety of experimental techniques, i.e. photoemission and core level emission for occupied orbitals and inverse photoemission and core level absorption for unoccupied orbitals. Their experimental results focus on optical probes involving the C 1s core level, i.e. absorption via transitions from the C 1s level into unoccupied {pi}* and {sigma}* orbitals and emission involving transitions from occupied orbitals into a C 1s hole. Due to the simplicity of the C 1s level there exist clear selection rules. For example, only transitions to and from orbitals with p-character are dipole-allowed. These results on the p-projected density of states are compared with inverse photoemission and photoemission results, where the selection rules are less definitive. In addition, a first-principles quasiparticle calculation of the density of states is used to assign the orbital features. The spectra from C{sub 60} and C{sub 70} are still far from their infinite analog, i.e., graphite, which is also measured with the same techniques. In order to determine the effect of electron transfer onto C{sub 60}, as in superconducting alkali fullerides, the authors are studying resonant emission of C{sub 60}. An electron is placed in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) by optical absorption from the C 1s level and the C 1s emission detected in the presence of this spectator electron.

Physical Meaning of Virtual Kohn-Sham Orbitals and Orbital Energies: An Ideal Basis for the Description of Molecular Excitations.

Science.gov (United States)

van Meer, R; Gritsenko, O V; Baerends, E J

2014-10-14

In recent years, several benchmark studies on the performance of large sets of functionals in time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations of excitation energies have been performed. The tested functionals do not approximate exact Kohn-Sham orbitals and orbital energies closely. We highlight the advantages of (close to) exact Kohn-Sham orbitals and orbital energies for a simple description, very often as just a single orbital-to-orbital transition, of molecular excitations. Benchmark calculations are performed for the statistical average of orbital potentials (SAOP) functional for the potential [J. Chem. Phys. 2000, 112, 1344; 2001, 114, 652], which approximates the true Kohn-Sham potential much better than LDA, GGA, mGGA, and hybrid potentials do. An accurate Kohn-Sham potential does not only perform satisfactorily for calculated vertical excitation energies of both valence and Rydberg transitions but also exhibits appealing properties of the KS orbitals including occupied orbital energies close to ionization energies, virtual-occupied orbital energy gaps very close to excitation energies, realistic shapes of virtual orbitals, leading to straightforward interpretation of most excitations as single orbital transitions. We stress that such advantages are completely lost in time-dependent Hartree-Fock and partly in hybrid approaches. Many excitations and excitation energies calculated with local density, generalized gradient, and hybrid functionals are spurious. There is, with an accurate KS, or even the LDA or GGA potentials, nothing problematic about the "band gap" in molecules: the HOMO-LUMO gap is close to the first excitation energy (the optical gap).

Molecular Structure, Spectroscopic and DFT Computational Studies of Arylidene-1,3-dimethylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H-trione

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Assem Barakat

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Reaction of barbituric acid derivatives and di-substituted benzaldehyde in water afforded arylidene-1,3-dimethylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H-trione derivatives (1 and 2. The one step reaction proceeded efficiently, smoothly, and in excellent yield. The arylidene compounds were characterized by spectrophotometric tools plus X-ray single crystal diffraction technique. Quantum chemical calculations were performed using the DFT/B3LYP method to optimize the structure of the two isomers (1 and 2 in the gas phase. The optimized structures were found to agree well with the experimental X-ray structure data. The highest occupied (HOMO and lowest unoccupied (LUMO frontier molecular orbitals analyses were performed and the atomic charges were calculated using natural populationanalysis.

Attitudes toward the health of men that regularly occupy in a trainer hall.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adamchhuk Ja.

2012-02-01

Full Text Available It is accepted to consider that by motivation for people that practice in a trainer hall is an improvement of health and original appearance. The aim of this research was to determine whether there is training by part of forming of positive attitude toward the health of men-sportsmen-amateurs that occupy in a trainer hall. In research took part 100 men that engage in the power training in one of three trainer halls of Warsaw. Investigational divided by two groups: 50 persons that occupy in a trainer hall more than one year, but no more than 3 years (group A and 50 persons that practice more than 3 (group B. It is well-proven that training positively influences on the emotional state of men. It was discovered at the same time, that than greater experience of sportsman-amateur, the considerably more often he used additions (including by a stimulant. There was no medical control in both groups. Positive influence of the power training shows that they can be the important element of prophylaxis and physiotherapy.

Lattice location of helium in uranium dioxide single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garrido, F.; Nowicki, L. E-mail: lech.nowicki@fuw.edu.pl; Sattonnay, G.; Sauvage, T.; Thome, L

2004-06-01

Lattice location of {sup 3}He atoms implanted into UO{sub 2} single crystals was performed by means of the channeling technique combined with nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The {sup 3}He(d,p){sup 4}He reaction was used. The experimental angular scans show that helium atoms occupy octahedral interstitial positions.

Occupy Wall Street, the Global Crisis, and Antisystemic Movements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Reifer

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The ancient discussion about the purposes of wealth and the conflict between oligarchy- rule of the rich - and democracy- the rule of the demos/the people comes to the fore once again within the current systemic crisis, from the Arab Spring to the Occupy protests, to the Arab Fall. Even as counterrevolution and growing regional and global turbulence - political, economic and military - appear to be triumphing over the new wave of democratic revolutions and rebellions, at least in the Arab world, with the threat of regional and global conflagration all too real, the underlying structural causes reality of a militarized capitalist world-system in deep crisis will ensure continued waves of antisystemic protests for years to come.

The Omega-Infinity Limit of Single Spikes

CERN Document Server

Axenides, Minos; Linardopoulos, Georgios

A new infinite-size limit of strings in RxS2 is presented. The limit is obtained from single spike strings by letting their angular velocity omega become infinite. We derive the energy-momenta relation of omega-infinity single spikes as their linear velocity v-->1 and their angular momentum J-->1. Generally, the v-->1, J-->1 limit of single spikes is singular and has to be excluded from the spectrum and be studied separately. We discover that the dispersion relation of omega-infinity single spikes contains logarithms in the limit J-->1. This result is somewhat surprising, since the logarithmic behavior in the string spectra is typically associated with their motion in non-compact spaces such as AdS. Omega-infinity single spikes seem to completely cover the surface of the 2-sphere they occupy, so that they may essentially be viewed as some sort of "brany strings". A proof of the sphere-filling property of omega-infinity single spikes is given in the appendix.

GaN Schottky diodes with single-crystal aluminum barriers grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tseng, H. Y.; Yang, W. C.; Lee, P. Y.; Lin, C. W.; Cheng, Kai-Yuan; Hsieh, K. C.; Cheng, K. Y., E-mail: kycheng@ee.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Hsu, C.-H. [Division of Scientific Research, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan (China)

2016-08-22

GaN-based Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with single-crystal Al barriers grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy are fabricated. Examined using in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffractions, ex-situ high-resolution x-ray diffractions, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, it is determined that epitaxial Al grows with its [111] axis coincident with the [0001] axis of the GaN substrate without rotation. In fabricated SBDs, a 0.2 V barrier height enhancement and 2 orders of magnitude reduction in leakage current are observed in single crystal Al/GaN SBDs compared to conventional thermal deposited Al/GaN SBDs. The strain induced piezoelectric field is determined to be the major source of the observed device performance enhancements.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering in Molecular Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwane, Madoka; Fujii, Shintaro; Kiguchi, Manabu

2017-08-18

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface-sensitive vibrational spectroscopy that allows Raman spectroscopy on a single molecular scale. Here, we present a review of SERS from molecular junctions, in which a single molecule or molecules are made to have contact from the top to the bottom of metal surfaces. The molecular junctions are nice platforms for SERS as well as transport measurement. Electronic characterization based on the transport measurements of molecular junctions has been extensively studied for the development of miniaturized electronic devices. Simultaneous SERS and transport measurement of the molecular junctions allow both structural (geometrical) and electronic information on the single molecule scale. The improvement of SERS measurement on molecular junctions open the door toward new nanoscience and nanotechnology in molecular electronics.

Surgical decompression for space-occupying cerebral infarction: outcomes at 3 years in the randomized HAMLET trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Geurts, Marjolein; van der Worp, H Bart; Kappelle, L Jaap; Amelink, G Johan; Algra, Ale; Hofmeijer, Jeannette

2013-09-01

We assessed whether the effects of surgical decompression for space-occupying hemispheric infarction, observed at 1 year, are sustained at 3 years. Patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarction, who were enrolled in the Hemicraniectomy After Middle cerebral artery infarction with Life-threatening Edema Trial within 4 days after stroke onset, were followed up at 3 years. Outcome measures included functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale), death, quality of life, and place of residence. Poor functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale >3. Of 64 included patients, 32 were randomized to decompressive surgery and 32 to best medical treatment. Just as at 1 year, surgery had no effect on the risk of poor functional outcome at 3 years (absolute risk reduction, 1%; 95% confidence interval, -21 to 22), but it reduced case fatality (absolute risk reduction, 37%; 95% confidence interval, 14-60). Sixteen surgically treated patients and 8 controls lived at home (absolute risk reduction, 27%; 95% confidence interval, 4-50). Quality of life improved between 1 and 3 years in patients treated with surgery. In patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarction, the effects of decompressive surgery on case fatality and functional outcome observed at 1 year are sustained at 3 years. http://www.controlled-trials.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN94237756.

Polymorphic transitions in single crystals: A new molecular dynamics method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parrinello, M.; Rahman, A.

1981-12-01

A new Lagrangian formulation is introduced. It can be used to make molecular dynamics (MD) calculations on systems under the most general, externally applied, conditions of stress. In this formulation the MD cell shape and size can change according to dynamical equations given by this Lagrangian. This new MD technique is well suited to the study of structural transformations in solids under external stress and at finite temperature. As an example of the use of this technique we show how a single crystal of Ni behaves under uniform uniaxial compressive and tensile loads. This work confirms some of the results of static (i.e., zero temperature) calculations reported in the literature. We also show that some results regarding the stress-strain relation obtained by static calculations are invalid at finite temperature. We find that, under compressive loading, our model of Ni shows a bifurcation in its stress-strain relation; this bifurcation provides a link in configuration space between cubic and hexagonal close packing. It is suggested that such a transformation could perhaps be observed experimentally under extreme conditions of shock.

Polymorphic transitions in single crystals: A new molecular dynamics method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrinello, M.; Rahman, A.

1981-01-01

A new Lagrangian formulation is introduced. It can be used to make molecular dynamics (MD) calculations on systems under the most general, externally applied, conditions of stress. In this formulation the MD cell shape and size can change according to dynamical equations given by this Lagrangian. This new MD technique is well suited to the study of structural transformations in solids under external stress and at finite temperature. As an example of the use of this technique we show how a single crystal of Ni behaves under uniform uniaxial compressive and tensile loads. This work confirms some of the results of static (i.e., zero temperature) calculations reported in the literature. We also show that some results regarding the stress-strain relation obtained by static calculations are invalid at finite temperature. We find that, under compressive loading, our model of Ni shows a bifurcation in its stress-strain relation; this bifurcation provides a link in configuration space between cubic and hexagonal close packing. It is suggested that such a transformation could perhaps be observed experimentally under extreme conditions of shock

Quantum conductance of carbon nanotube peapods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Young-Gui; Mazzoni, Mario S.C.; Louie, Steven G.

2003-01-01

We present a first-principles study of the quantum conductance of hybrid nanotube systems consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) encapsulating either an isolated single C60 molecule or a chain of C60 molecules (nanotube peapods). The calculations show a rather weak bonding interaction between the fullerenes and the SWCNTs. The conductance of a (10,10) SWCNT with a single C60 molecule is virtually unaffected at the Fermi level, but exhibits quantized resonant reductions at the molecular levels. The nanotube peapod arrangement gives rise to high density of states for the fullerene highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital bands

Failure of single electron descriptions of molecular orbital collision processes. [Electron promotion mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elston, S.B.

1978-01-01

Inner-shell excitation occurring in low and moderate (keV range) energy collisions between light atomic and ionic systems is frequently describable in terms of molecular promotion mechanisms, which were extensively explored both theoretically and experimentally. The bulk of such studies have concentrated on processes understandable through the use of single- and independent-electron models. Nonetheless, it is possible to find cases of inner-shell excitation in relatively simple collision systems which involve nearly simultaneous multiple-electron transitions and transitions induced by inherently two-electron interactions. Evidence for these many- and nonindependent-electron phenomena in inner-shell excitation processes and the importance of considering such effects in the interpretation of collisionally induced excitation spectra is discussed. 13 references.

Temperature-dependent mechanical properties of single-layer molybdenum disulphide: Molecular dynamics nanoindentation simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Junhua, E-mail: junhua.zhao@uni-weimar.de [Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Equipment and Technology of Food, Jiangnan University, 214122 Wuxi (China); Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, 99423 Weimar (Germany); Jiang, Jin-Wu, E-mail: jwjiang5918@hotmail.com [Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, 99423 Weimar (Germany); Rabczuk, Timon, E-mail: timon.rabczuk@uni-weimar.de [Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, 99423 Weimar (Germany); School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, 136-701 Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-02

The temperature-dependent mechanical properties of single-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS{sub 2}) are obtained using molecular dynamics (MD) nanoindentation simulations. The Young's moduli, maximum load stress, and maximum loading strain decrease with increasing temperature from 4.2 K to 500 K. The obtained Young's moduli are in good agreement with those using our MD uniaxial tension simulations and the available experimental results. The tendency of maximum loading strain with different temperature is opposite with that of metal materials due to the short range Stillinger-Weber potentials in MoS{sub 2}. Furthermore, the indenter tip radius and fitting strain effect on the mechanical properties are also discussed.

Italian Troops on USSR occupied Territories in 1941−1945

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Игорь Игоревич Баринов

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The article studies the activities of Italian allied troops of Nazi Germany in the occupied during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 of the USSR Soviet territories. The material contained in the article allows to compare the Italian occupation administration policy and its features as well as its involvement in war crimes on Soviet territory. This article also gives a possibility to trace the organizing role of Germany in terms of organization of the occupation regime on the Soviet territory and its relations with its allies and satellites on the Eastern Front. The work is based primarily on unexplored archival documents.

Drift correction for single-molecule imaging by molecular constraint field, a distance minimum metric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Renmin; Wang, Liansan; Xu, Fan; Zhang, Yongdeng; Zhang, Mingshu; Liu, Zhiyong; Ren, Fei; Zhang, Fa

2015-01-01

The recent developments of far-field optical microscopy (single molecule imaging techniques) have overcome the diffraction barrier of light and improve image resolution by a factor of ten compared with conventional light microscopy. These techniques utilize the stochastic switching of probe molecules to overcome the diffraction limit and determine the precise localizations of molecules, which often requires a long image acquisition time. However, long acquisition times increase the risk of sample drift. In the case of high resolution microscopy, sample drift would decrease the image resolution. In this paper, we propose a novel metric based on the distance between molecules to solve the drift correction. The proposed metric directly uses the position information of molecules to estimate the frame drift. We also designed an algorithm to implement the metric for the general application of drift correction. There are two advantages of our method: First, because our method does not require space binning of positions of molecules but directly operates on the positions, it is more natural for single molecule imaging techniques. Second, our method can estimate drift with a small number of positions in each temporal bin, which may extend its potential application. The effectiveness of our method has been demonstrated by both simulated data and experiments on single molecular images

Synthetic lethality between gene defects affecting a single non-essential molecular pathway with reversible steps.

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Andrei Zinovyev

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Systematic analysis of synthetic lethality (SL constitutes a critical tool for systems biology to decipher molecular pathways. The most accepted mechanistic explanation of SL is that the two genes function in parallel, mutually compensatory pathways, known as between-pathway SL. However, recent genome-wide analyses in yeast identified a significant number of within-pathway negative genetic interactions. The molecular mechanisms leading to within-pathway SL are not fully understood. Here, we propose a novel mechanism leading to within-pathway SL involving two genes functioning in a single non-essential pathway. This type of SL termed within-reversible-pathway SL involves reversible pathway steps, catalyzed by different enzymes in the forward and backward directions, and kinetic trapping of a potentially toxic intermediate. Experimental data with recombinational DNA repair genes validate the concept. Mathematical modeling recapitulates the possibility of kinetic trapping and revealed the potential contributions of synthetic, dosage-lethal interactions in such a genetic system as well as the possibility of within-pathway positive masking interactions. Analysis of yeast gene interaction and pathway data suggests broad applicability of this novel concept. These observations extend the canonical interpretation of synthetic-lethal or synthetic-sick interactions with direct implications to reconstruct molecular pathways and improve therapeutic approaches to diseases such as cancer.

Probing molecular orientations in thin films by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y.; Li, P.; Lu, Z.-H.

2018-03-01

A great number of functional organic molecules in active thin-film layers of optoelectronic devices have highly asymmetric structures, such as plate-like, rod-like, etc. This makes molecular orientation an important aspect in thin-films as it can significantly affect both the optical and electrical performance of optoelectronic devices. With a combination of in-situ ultra violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations for organic molecules having a broad range of structural properties, we discovered a rigid connection of core levels and frontier highest occupied molecular orbital levels at organic interfaces. This finding opens up opportunities of using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy as an alternative tool to UPS for providing an easy and unambiguous data interpretation in probing molecular orientations.

A structurally based analytic model of growth and biomass dynamics in single species stands of conifers

Science.gov (United States)

Robin J. Tausch

2015-01-01

A theoretically based analytic model of plant growth in single species conifer communities based on the species fully occupying a site and fully using the site resources is introduced. Model derivations result in a single equation simultaneously describes changes over both, different site conditions (or resources available), and over time for each variable for each...

Light-controlled supramolecular helicity of a liquid crystalline phase using a helical polymer functionalized with a single chiroptical molecular switch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pijper, Dirk; Jongejan, Mahthild G. M.; Meetsma, Auke; Feringa, Ben L.

2008-01-01

Control over the preferred helical sense of a poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) (PHIC) by using a single light-driven molecular motor, covalently attached at the polymer's terminus, has been accomplished in solution via a combination of photochemical and thermal isomerizations. Here, we report that after

Single Molecule Electronics and Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsui, Makusu; Taniguchi, Masateru

2012-01-01

The manufacture of integrated circuits with single-molecule building blocks is a goal of molecular electronics. While research in the past has been limited to bulk experiments on self-assembled monolayers, advances in technology have now enabled us to fabricate single-molecule junctions. This has led to significant progress in understanding electron transport in molecular systems at the single-molecule level and the concomitant emergence of new device concepts. Here, we review recent developments in this field. We summarize the methods currently used to form metal-molecule-metal structures and some single-molecule techniques essential for characterizing molecular junctions such as inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy. We then highlight several important achievements, including demonstration of single-molecule diodes, transistors, and switches that make use of electrical, photo, and mechanical stimulation to control the electron transport. We also discuss intriguing issues to be addressed further in the future such as heat and thermoelectric transport in an individual molecule. PMID:22969345

The long tail of molecular alterations in non-small cell lung cancer: a single-institution experience of next-generation sequencing in clinical molecular diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fumagalli, Caterina; Vacirca, Davide; Rappa, Alessandra; Passaro, Antonio; Guarize, Juliana; Rafaniello Raviele, Paola; de Marinis, Filippo; Spaggiari, Lorenzo; Casadio, Chiara; Viale, Giuseppe; Barberis, Massimo; Guerini-Rocco, Elena

2018-03-13

Molecular profiling of advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) is essential to identify patients who may benefit from targeted treatments. In the last years, the number of potentially actionable molecular alterations has rapidly increased. Next-generation sequencing allows for the analysis of multiple genes simultaneously. To evaluate the feasibility and the throughput of next-generation sequencing in clinical molecular diagnostics of advanced NSCLC. A single-institution cohort of 535 non-squamous NSCLC was profiled using a next-generation sequencing panel targeting 22 actionable and cancer-related genes. 441 non-squamous NSCLC (82.4%) harboured at least one gene alteration, including 340 cases (63.6%) with clinically relevant molecular aberrations. Mutations have been detected in all but one gene ( FGFR1 ) of the panel. Recurrent alterations were observed in KRAS , TP53 , EGFR , STK11 and MET genes, whereas the remaining genes were mutated in <5% of the cases. Concurrent mutations were detected in 183 tumours (34.2%), mostly impairing KRAS or EGFR in association with TP53 alterations. The study highlights the feasibility of targeted next-generation sequencing in clinical setting. The majority of NSCLC harboured mutations in clinically relevant genes, thus identifying patients who might benefit from different targeted therapies. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Role of dynamic CT perfusion study in evaluating various intracranial space-occupying lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamble, Ravindra B; Jayakumar, Peruvumba N; Shivashankar, Ravishankar

2015-01-01

Differentiating intracranial mass lesions on CT scan is challenging. The purpose of our study was to determine the perfusion parameters in various intracranial space-occupying lesions (ICSOL), differentiate benign and malignant lesions, and differentiate between grades of gliomas. We performed CT perfusion (CTP) in 64 patients, with age ranging from 17 to 68 years, having space-occupying lesions in brain and calculated relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV). We found significantly lower perfusion in low-grade gliomas as compared to high-grade tumors, lymphoma, and metastases. Similarly in infective lesions, TWT and abscesses showed significantly lower perfusion compared to TOT. In ring enhancing lesions, capsule of TWT showed significantly lower perfusion as compared to abscesses, TOT, and metastases. Thus, in conclusion, infective lesions can be differentiated from tumors like lymphomas, high-grade gliomas, or metastases based on perfusion parameters. The cut off value of rCBV 1.64 can be used to differentiate between low grade and high grade gliomas. However, depending only on perfusion parameters, differentiation between the tumors like lymphomas, high-grade gliomas, and metastases may not be possible

Role of dynamic CT perfusion study in evaluating various intracranial space-occupying lesions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravindra B Kamble

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: Differentiating intracranial mass lesions on CT scan is challenging. The purpose of our study was to determine the perfusion parameters in various intracranial space-occupying lesions (ICSOL, differentiate benign and malignant lesions, and differentiate between grades of gliomas. Materials and Methods: We performed CT perfusion (CTP in 64 patients, with age ranging from 17 to 68 years, having space-occupying lesions in brain and calculated relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV. Results: We found significantly lower perfusion in low-grade gliomas as compared to high-grade tumors, lymphoma, and metastases. Similarly in infective lesions, TWT and abscesses showed significantly lower perfusion compared to TOT. In ring enhancing lesions, capsule of TWT showed significantly lower perfusion as compared to abscesses, TOT, and metastases. Conclusion: Thus, in conclusion, infective lesions can be differentiated from tumors like lymphomas, high-grade gliomas, or metastases based on perfusion parameters. The cut off value of rCBV 1.64 can be used to differentiate between low grade and high grade gliomas. However, depending only on perfusion parameters, differentiation between the tumors like lymphomas, high-grade gliomas, and metastases may not be possible.

Small animal SPECT and its place in the matrix of molecular imaging technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meikle, Steven R; Kench, Peter; Kassiou, Michael; Banati, Richard B

2005-01-01

Molecular imaging refers to the use of non-invasive imaging techniques to detect signals that originate from molecules, often in the form of an injected tracer, and observe their interaction with a specific cellular target in vivo. Differences in the underlying physical principles of these measurement techniques determine the sensitivity, specificity and length of possible observation of the signal, characteristics that have to be traded off according to the biological question under study. Here, we describe the specific characteristics of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) relative to other molecular imaging technologies. SPECT is based on the tracer principle and external radiation detection. It is capable of measuring the biodistribution of minute ( -10 molar) concentrations of radio-labelled biomolecules in vivo with sub-millimetre resolution and quantifying the molecular kinetic processes in which they participate. Like some other imaging techniques, SPECT was originally developed for human use and was subsequently adapted for imaging small laboratory animals at high spatial resolution for basic and translational research. Its unique capabilities include (i) the ability to image endogenous ligands such as peptides and antibodies due to the relative ease of labelling these molecules with technetium or iodine (ii) the ability to measure relatively slow kinetic processes (compared with positron emission tomography, for example) due to the long half-life of the commonly used isotopes and (iii) the ability to probe two or more molecular pathways simultaneously by detecting isotopes with different emission energies. In this paper, we review the technology developments and design tradeoffs that led to the current state-of-the-art in SPECT small animal scanning and describe the position SPECT occupies within the matrix of molecular imaging technologies. (topical review)

In Vitro Selection of a Single-Stranded DNA Molecular Recognition Element Specific for Bromacil

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Ryan M. Williams

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Bromacil is a widely used herbicide that is known to contaminate environmental systems. Due to the hazards it presents and inefficient detection methods, it is necessary to create a rapid and efficient sensing device. Towards this end, we have utilized a stringent in vitro selection method to identify single-stranded DNA molecular recognition elements (MRE specific for bromacil. We have identified one MRE with high affinity (Kd=9.6 nM and specificity for bromacil compared to negative targets of selection and other pesticides. The selected ssDNA MRE will be useful as the sensing element in a field-deployable bromacil detection device.

Associate host in single-layer co-host polymer electrophosphorescent devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yuanmin; Teng Feng; Feng Bin; Wang Yongsheng; Xu Xurong

2006-01-01

The definition and role of 'host' in polymer LED materials are studied in the present work. 'Primary host' and 'associate host' have been proposed and the rules of how to select an associate host are reported. Based on our experiments and the analysis of the energy scheme of the devices, we suggest that the values of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) are critical determinant in selecting a suitable associate host. On one hand, the associate host should be a hole-blocking material. This can confine the excitons in the active layer. On the other hand, the associate host should have a suitable LUMO that is convenient for electrons to transport

SCELib2: the new revision of SCELib, the parallel computational library of molecular properties in the single center approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sanna, N.; Morelli, G.

2004-09-01

In this paper we present the new version of the SCELib program (CPC Catalogue identifier ADMG) a full numerical implementation of the Single Center Expansion (SCE) method. The physics involved is that of producing the SCE description of molecular electronic densities, of molecular electrostatic potentials and of molecular perturbed potentials due to a point negative or positive charge. This new revision of the program has been optimized to run in serial as well as in parallel execution mode, to support a larger set of molecular symmetries and to permit the restart of long-lasting calculations. To measure the performance of this new release, a comparative study has been carried out on the most powerful computing architectures in serial and parallel runs. The results of the calculations reported in this paper refer to real cases medium to large molecular systems and they are reported in full details to benchmark at best the parallel architectures the new SCELib code will run on. Program summaryTitle of program: SCELib2 Catalogue identifier: ADGU Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADGU Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Reference to previous versions: Comput. Phys. Commun. 128 (2) (2000) 139 (CPC catalogue identifier: ADMG) Does the new version supersede the original program?: Yes Computer for which the program is designed and others on which it has been tested: HP ES45 and rx2600, SUN ES4500, IBM SP and any single CPU workstation based on Alpha, SPARC, POWER, Itanium2 and X86 processors Installations: CASPUR, local Operating systems under which the program has been tested: HP Tru64 V5.X, SUNOS V5.8, IBM AIX V5.X, Linux RedHat V8.0 Programming language used: C Memory required to execute with typical data: 10 Mwords. Up to 2000 Mwords depending on the molecular system and runtime parameters No. of bits in a word: 64 No. of processors used: 1 to 32 Has the code been vectorized or parallelized?: Yes

The Limits of Decolonization: American Occupiers and the “Korean Problem” in Japan, 1945-1948

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew R. Augustine

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Korean and Japanese officials have never engaged in direct negotiations to reach a postcolonial settlement, unlike what followed the breakup of many European colonies. Instead, the problem of how to dissolve Japanese colonialism was indirectly addressed by external mediators; namely, US occupation administrations in Korea and Japan after World War II. Examining the history of third-party decolonization must therefore take into consideration how this process was initially mediated between the new American occupiers in the region. In order to understand how decolonization was compromised in part by evolving and competing American occupation policies, this article examines three interrelated issues that greatly affected Koreans in occupied Japan who found themselves displaced by the sudden collapse of the Japanese empire: repatriation, restitution, and nationality. The extent to which American occupation authorities in Korea and Japan jointly engaged in each of these critical issues vividly illustrates the limits of decolonization.

Ground-state energies and highest occupied eigenvalues of atoms in exchange-only density-functional theory

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yan; Harbola, Manoj K.; Krieger, J. B.; Sahni, Viraht

1989-11-01

The exchange-correlation potential of the Kohn-Sham density-functional theory has recently been interpreted as the work required to move an electron against the electric field of its Fermi-Coulomb hole charge distribution. In this paper we present self-consistent results for ground-state total energies and highest occupied eigenvalues of closed subshell atoms as obtained by this formalism in the exchange-only approximation. The total energies, which are an upper bound, lie within 50 ppm of Hartree-Fock theory for atoms heavier than Be. The highest occupied eigenvalues, as a consequence of this interpretation, approximate well the experimental ionization potentials. In addition, the self-consistently calculated exchange potentials are very close to those of Talman and co-workers [J. D. Talman and W. F. Shadwick, Phys. Rev. A 14, 36 (1976); K. Aashamar, T. M. Luke, and J. D. Talman, At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 22, 443 (1978)].

Single-Handed Helical Polybissilsesquioxane Nanotubes and Mesoporous Nanofibers Prepared by an External Templating Approach Using Low-Molecular-Weight Gelators

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Jing Hu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Chiral low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs derived from amino acids can self-assemble into helical fibers and twisted/coiled nanoribbons by H-bonding and π–π interaction. Silica nanotubes with single-handed helices have been prepared using chiral LMWGs through sol–gel transcription. Molecular-scale chirality exists at the inner surfaces. Here, we discuss single-handed helical aromatic ring-bridged polybissilsesquioxane nanotubes and mesoporous nanofibers prepared using chiral LMWGs. This review aims at describing the formation mechanisms of the helical nanostructures, the origination of optical activity, and the applications for other helical nanomaterial preparation, mainly based on our group’s results. The morphology and handedness can be controlled by changing the chirality and kinds of LMWGs and tuning the reaction conditions. The aromatic rings arrange in a partially crystalline structure. The optical activity of the polybissilsesquioxane nanotubes and mesoporous nanofibers originates from chiral defects, including stacking and twisting of aromatic groups, on the inner surfaces. They can be used as the starting materials for preparation of silica, silicon, carbonaceous, silica/carbon, and silicon carbide nanotubes.

Single Molecule Spectroscopy of Electron Transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holman, Michael; Zang, Ling; Liu, Ruchuan; Adams, David M.

2009-01-01

The objectives of this research are threefold: (1) to develop methods for the study electron transfer processes at the single molecule level, (2) to develop a series of modifiable and structurally well defined molecular and nanoparticle systems suitable for detailed single molecule/particle and bulk spectroscopic investigation, (3) to relate experiment to theory in order to elucidate the dependence of electron transfer processes on molecular and electronic structure, coupling and reorganization energies. We have begun the systematic development of single molecule spectroscopy (SMS) of electron transfer and summaries of recent studies are shown. There is a tremendous need for experiments designed to probe the discrete electronic and molecular dynamic fluctuations of single molecules near electrodes and at nanoparticle surfaces. Single molecule spectroscopy (SMS) has emerged as a powerful method to measure properties of individual molecules which would normally be obscured in ensemble-averaged measurement. Fluctuations in the fluorescence time trajectories contain detailed molecular level statistical and dynamical information of the system. The full distribution of a molecular property is revealed in the stochastic fluctuations, giving information about the range of possible behaviors that lead to the ensemble average. In the case of electron transfer, this level of understanding is particularly important to the field of molecular and nanoscale electronics: from a device-design standpoint, understanding and controlling this picture of the overall range of possible behaviors will likely prove to be as important as designing ia the ideal behavior of any given molecule.

Realization of a four-step molecular switch in scanning tunneling microscope manipulation of single chlorophyll-a molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Iancu, Violeta; Hla, Saw-Wai

2006-01-01

Single chlorophyll-a molecules, a vital resource for the sustenance of life on Earth, have been investigated by using scanning tunneling microscope manipulation and spectroscopy on a gold substrate at 4.6 K. Chlorophyll-a binds on Au(111) via its porphyrin unit while the phytyl-chain is elevated from the surface by the support of four CH3 groups. By injecting tunneling electrons from the scanning tunneling microscope tip, we are able to bend the phytyl-chain, which enables the switching of four molecular conformations in a controlled manner. Statistical analyses and structural calculations reveal that all reversible switching mechanisms are initiated by a single tunneling-electron energy-transfer process, which induces bond rotation within the phytyl-chain. PMID:16954201

Supramolecular Systems and Chemical Reactions in Single-Molecule Break Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaohui; Hu, Duan; Tan, Zhibing; Bai, Jie; Xiao, Zongyuan; Yang, Yang; Shi, Jia; Hong, Wenjing

2017-04-01

The major challenges of molecular electronics are the understanding and manipulation of the electron transport through the single-molecule junction. With the single-molecule break junction techniques, including scanning tunneling microscope break junction technique and mechanically controllable break junction technique, the charge transport through various single-molecule and supramolecular junctions has been studied during the dynamic fabrication and continuous characterization of molecular junctions. This review starts from the charge transport characterization of supramolecular junctions through a variety of noncovalent interactions, such as hydrogen bond, π-π interaction, and electrostatic force. We further review the recent progress in constructing highly conductive molecular junctions via chemical reactions, the response of molecular junctions to external stimuli, as well as the application of break junction techniques in controlling and monitoring chemical reactions in situ. We suggest that beyond the measurement of single molecular conductance, the single-molecule break junction techniques provide a promising access to study molecular assembly and chemical reactions at the single-molecule scale.

Structure-based molecular simulations reveal the enhancement of biased Brownian motions in single-headed kinesin.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanada, Ryo; Kuwata, Takeshi; Kenzaki, Hiroo; Takada, Shoji

2013-01-01

Kinesin is a family of molecular motors that move unidirectionally along microtubules (MT) using ATP hydrolysis free energy. In the family, the conventional two-headed kinesin was experimentally characterized to move unidirectionally through "walking" in a hand-over-hand fashion by coordinated motions of the two heads. Interestingly a single-headed kinesin, a truncated KIF1A, still can generate a biased Brownian movement along MT, as observed by in vitro single molecule experiments. Thus, KIF1A must use a different mechanism from the conventional kinesin to achieve the unidirectional motions. Based on the energy landscape view of proteins, for the first time, we conducted a set of molecular simulations of the truncated KIF1A movements over an ATP hydrolysis cycle and found a mechanism exhibiting and enhancing stochastic forward-biased movements in a similar way to those in experiments. First, simulating stand-alone KIF1A, we did not find any biased movements, while we found that KIF1A with a large friction cargo-analog attached to the C-terminus can generate clearly biased Brownian movements upon an ATP hydrolysis cycle. The linked cargo-analog enhanced the detachment of the KIF1A from MT. Once detached, diffusion of the KIF1A head was restricted around the large cargo which was located in front of the head at the time of detachment, thus generating a forward bias of the diffusion. The cargo plays the role of a diffusional anchor, or cane, in KIF1A "walking."

Structure-based molecular simulations reveal the enhancement of biased Brownian motions in single-headed kinesin.

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Ryo Kanada

Full Text Available Kinesin is a family of molecular motors that move unidirectionally along microtubules (MT using ATP hydrolysis free energy. In the family, the conventional two-headed kinesin was experimentally characterized to move unidirectionally through "walking" in a hand-over-hand fashion by coordinated motions of the two heads. Interestingly a single-headed kinesin, a truncated KIF1A, still can generate a biased Brownian movement along MT, as observed by in vitro single molecule experiments. Thus, KIF1A must use a different mechanism from the conventional kinesin to achieve the unidirectional motions. Based on the energy landscape view of proteins, for the first time, we conducted a set of molecular simulations of the truncated KIF1A movements over an ATP hydrolysis cycle and found a mechanism exhibiting and enhancing stochastic forward-biased movements in a similar way to those in experiments. First, simulating stand-alone KIF1A, we did not find any biased movements, while we found that KIF1A with a large friction cargo-analog attached to the C-terminus can generate clearly biased Brownian movements upon an ATP hydrolysis cycle. The linked cargo-analog enhanced the detachment of the KIF1A from MT. Once detached, diffusion of the KIF1A head was restricted around the large cargo which was located in front of the head at the time of detachment, thus generating a forward bias of the diffusion. The cargo plays the role of a diffusional anchor, or cane, in KIF1A "walking."

Scattering of atomic and molecular ions from single crystal surfaces of Cu, Ag and Fe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoest, J.M. van.

1986-01-01

This thesis deals with analysis of crystal surfaces of Cu, Ag and Fe with Low Energy Ion scattering Spectroscopy (LEIS). Different atomic and molecular ions with fixed energies below 7 keV are scattered by a metal single crystal (with adsorbates). The energy and direction of the scattered particles are analysed for different selected charge states. In that way information can be obtained concerning the composition and atomic and electronic structure of the single crystal surface. Energy spectra contain information on the composition of the surface, while structural atomic information is obtained by direction measurements (photograms). In Ch.1 a description is given of the experimental equipment, in Ch.2 a characterization of the LEIS method. Ch.3 deals with the neutralization of keV-ions in surface scattering. Two different ways of data interpretation are presented. First a model is treated in which the observed directional dependence of neutralization action of the first atom layer of the surface is presented by a laterally varying thickness of the neutralizing layer. Secondly it is shown that the data can be reproduced by a more realistic, physical model based on atomic transition matrix elements. In Ch.4 the low energy hydrogen scattering is described. The study of the dissociation of H 2 + at an Ag surface r0230ted in a model based on electronic dissociation, initialized by electron capture into a repulsive (molecular) state. In Ch.5 finally the method is applied to the investigation of the surface structure of oxidized Fe. (Auth.)

The validity of sedimentation data from high molecular weight DNA and the effects of additives on radiation-induced single-strand breakage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dugle, D.L.

1979-10-01

The optimization of many of the factors governing reproducible sedimentation behaviour of high molecular weight single-strand DNA in a particular alkaline sucrose density gradient system is described. A range of angular momenta is defined for which a constant strand breakage efficiency is required, despite a rotor speed effect which increases the measured molecular weights at decreasing rotor speeds for larger DNA molecules. The possibility is discussed that the bimodal control DNA profiles obtained after sedimentation at 11 500 rev/min (12 400 g) or less represent structural subunits of the chromatid. The random induction of single-strand DNA breaks by ionizing radiation is demonstrated by the computer-derived fits to the experimental profiles. The enhancement of single-strand break (SSB) yields in hypoxic cells by oxygen, para-nitroacetophenone (PNAP), or any of the three nitrofuran derivatives used was well correlated with increased cell killing. Furthermore, reductions in SSB yields for known hydroxyl radical (OH.) scavengers correlates with the reactivities of these compounds toward OH.. This supports the contention that some type of OH.-induced initial lesion, which may ultimately be expressed as an unrepaired or misrepaired double-strand break, constitutes a lethal event. (author)

Direct Participation in and Indirect Exposure to the Occupy Central Movement and Depressive Symptoms: A Longitudinal Study of Hong Kong Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Michael Y; Li, Tom K; Pang, Herbert; Chan, Brandford H Y; Yuan, Betty Y; Kawachi, Ichiro; Schooling, C Mary; Leung, Gabriel M

2016-11-01

Despite the extensive history of social movements around the world, the evolution of population mental health before, during, and after a social movement remains sparsely documented. We sought to assess over time the prevalence of depressive symptoms during and after the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong and to examine the associations of direct and indirect exposures to Occupy Central with depressive symptoms. We longitudinally administered interviews to 909 adults who were randomly sampled from the population-representative FAMILY Cohort at 6 time points from March 2009 to March 2015: twice each before, during, and after the Occupy Central protests. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depressive symptoms and probable major depression (defined as Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥10). The absolute prevalence of probable major depression increased by 7% after Occupy Central, regardless of personal involvement in the protests. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with online and social media exposure to protest-related news (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 1.55) and more frequent Facebook use (IRR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.71). Higher levels of intrafamilial sociopolitical conflict was associated with more depressive symptoms (IRR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.09). The Occupy Central protests resulted in substantial and sustained psychological distress in the community. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of the substitution of F on the photoswitching behavior in single molecular device

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Baoan; Zheng, Yapeng; Yuan, Peipei; Liao, Bin; Chen, Wei; An, Xiuhua; Mo, Xiaotong; Ding, Yuqiang

2017-09-01

We carry out first-principles calculations based on density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function to investigate the electronic transport properties of a 5-arylidenehydantoin molecule sandwiched between two Au electrodes. A reversible switching behavior between E and Z isomerization can be observed in the device through light irradiation, and their currents display different characteristic. Furthermore, it is found that the substitution of F in the molecule enlarges the switching ratio of device. The different characteristics of currents for E/Z forms and E/Z with the substitution of F are discussed by the transmission spectra and the molecular projected self-consistent Hamiltonian states. We discuss the change of Fermi level alignment due to the substitution of F, and the polarization effect under bias. We find the negative differential resistance effect in the E form with the substitution of F, which is explained by change of molecule-electrode coupling with the varied bias. The results suggest that the 5-arylidenehydantoin molecule with the substitution of F that improves the performance of device, becoming one of the methods for improving single molecular photoswitching performance in the future.

Probing molecular orientations in thin films by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Li

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A great number of functional organic molecules in active thin-film layers of optoelectronic devices have highly asymmetric structures, such as plate-like, rod-like, etc. This makes molecular orientation an important aspect in thin-films as it can significantly affect both the optical and electrical performance of optoelectronic devices. With a combination of in-situ ultra violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS investigations for organic molecules having a broad range of structural properties, we discovered a rigid connection of core levels and frontier highest occupied molecular orbital levels at organic interfaces. This finding opens up opportunities of using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy as an alternative tool to UPS for providing an easy and unambiguous data interpretation in probing molecular orientations.

Spectrally resolved single-molecule electrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ruggeri, F.; Krishnan, M.

2018-03-01

Escape-time electrometry is a recently developed experimental technique that offers the ability to measure the effective electrical charge of a single biomolecule in solution with sub-elementary charge precision. The approach relies on measuring the average escape-time of a single charged macromolecule or molecular species transiently confined in an electrostatic fluidic trap. Comparing the experiments with the predictions of a mean-field model of molecular electrostatics, we have found that the measured effective charge even reports on molecular conformation, e.g., folded or disordered state, and non-uniform charge distribution in disordered proteins or polyelectrolytes. Here we demonstrate the ability to use the spectral dimension to distinguish minute differences in electrical charge between individual molecules or molecular species in a single simultaneous measurement, under identical experimental conditions. Using one spectral channel for referenced measurement, this kind of photophysical distinguishability essentially eliminates the need for accurate knowledge of key experimental parameters, otherwise obtained through intensive characterization of the experimental setup. As examples, we demonstrate the ability to detect small differences (˜5%) in the length of double-stranded DNA fragments as well as single amino acid exchange in an intrinsically disordered protein, prothymosin α.

SUPERGIANT SHELLS AND MOLECULAR CLOUD FORMATION IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dawson, J. R.; Dickey, John M. [School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus, Churchill Avenue, Sandy Bay, TAS 7005 (Australia); McClure-Griffiths, N. M. [Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Marsfield NSW 2122 (Australia); Wong, T. [Astronomy Department, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Hughes, A. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany); Fukui, Y. [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya (Japan); Kawamura, A., E-mail: joanne.dawson@utas.edu.au [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

2013-01-20

We investigate the influence of large-scale stellar feedback on the formation of molecular clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Examining the relationship between H I and {sup 12}CO(J = 1-0) in supergiant shells (SGSs), we find that the molecular fraction in the total volume occupied by SGSs is not enhanced with respect to the rest of the LMC disk. However, the majority of objects ({approx}70% by mass) are more molecular than their local surroundings, implying that the presence of a supergiant shell does on average have a positive effect on the molecular gas fraction. Averaged over the full SGS sample, our results suggest that {approx}12%-25% of the molecular mass in supergiant shell systems was formed as a direct result of the stellar feedback that created the shells. This corresponds to {approx}4%-11% of the total molecular mass of the galaxy. These figures are an approximate lower limit to the total contribution of stellar feedback to molecular cloud formation in the LMC, and constitute one of the first quantitative measurements of feedback-triggered molecular cloud formation in a galactic system.

[Secondary male hypogonadism induced by sellar space-occupying lesion: Clinical analysis of 22 cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hong-Lei; Wang, Tao; Xu, Hao; Chen, Li-Ping; Rao, Ke; Yang, Jun; Yuan, Hui-Xing; Liu, Ji-Hong

2016-08-01

To analyze the clinical characteristics of secondary male hypogonadism induced by sellar space-occupying lesion, explore its pathogenesis, and improve its diagnosis and treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data about 22 cases of secondary male hypogonadism induced by sellar space-occupying lesion, reviewed related literature, and investigated the clinical manifestation, etiological factors, and treatment methods of the disease. Hypogonadism developed in 10 of the patients before surgery and radiotherapy (group A) and in the other 12 after it (group B). The patients received endocrine therapy with Andriol (n=7) or hCG (n=15). The average diameter of the sellar space-occupying lesions was significantly longer in group A than in B (［2.35±0.71］ vs ［1.83±0.36］ cm, P<0.05) and the incidence rate of prolactinomas was markedly higher in the former than in the latter group (60% vs 0, P<0.01). The levels of lutein hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T) were remarkably decreased in group B after surgery and radiotherapy (P<0.01). Compared with the parameters obtained before endocrine therapy, all the patients showed significant increases after intervention with Andriol or hCG in the T level (［0.78±0.40］ vs ［2.71±0.70］ ng/ml with Andriol; ［0.93±0.44］ vs ［3.07±0.67］ ng/ml with hCG) and IIEF-5 score (5.00±2.61 vs 14.50±3.62 with Andriol; 5.36±1.82 vs 15.07±3.27 with hCG) (all P<0.01). The testis volume increased and pubic hair began to grow in those with hypoevolutism. The patients treated with hCG showed a significantly increased testis volume (P<0.01) and sperm was detected in 7 of them, whose baseline testis volume was markedly larger than those that failed to produce sperm (［11.5±2.3］ vs ［7.5±2.3］ ml, P<0.01). Those treated with Andriol exhibited no significant difference in the testis volume before and after intervention and produced no sperm, either. Hypothyroidism might be attributed

Single Molecule Nanoelectrochemistry in Electrical Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Richard J; Higgins, Simon J

2016-11-15

It is now possible to reliably measure single molecule conductance in a wide variety of environments including organic liquids, ultrahigh vacuum, water, ionic liquids, and electrolytes. The most commonly used methods deploy scanning probe microscopes, mechanically formed break junctions, or lithographically formed nanogap contacts. Molecules are generally captured between a pair of facing electrodes, and the junction current response is measured as a function of bias voltage. Gating electrodes can also be added so that the electrostatic potential at the molecular bridge can be independently controlled by this third noncontacting electrode. This can also be achieved in an electrolytic environment using a four-electrode bipotentiostatic configuration, which allows independent electrode potential control of the two contacting electrodes. This is commonly realized using an electrochemical STM and enables single molecule electrical characterization as a function of electrode potential and redox state of the molecular bridge. This has emerged as a powerful tool in modern interfacial electrochemistry and nanoelectrochemistry for studying charge transport across single molecules as a function of electrode potential and the electrolytic environments. Such measurements are possible in electrolytes ranging from aqueous buffers to nonaqueous ionic liquids. In this Account, we illustrate a number of examples of single molecule electrical measurements under electrode potential control use a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and demonstrate how these can help in the understanding of charge transport in single molecule junctions. Examples showing charge transport following phase coherent tunneling to incoherent charge hopping across redox active molecular bridges are shown. In the case of bipyridinium (or viologen) molecular wires, it is shown how electrochemical reduction leads to an increase of the single molecule conductance, which is controlled by the liquid electrochemical

Computation of Hydration Free Energies Using the Multiple Environment Single System Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Method.

Science.gov (United States)

König, Gerhard; Mei, Ye; Pickard, Frank C; Simmonett, Andrew C; Miller, Benjamin T; Herbert, John M; Woodcock, H Lee; Brooks, Bernard R; Shao, Yihan

2016-01-12

A recently developed MESS-E-QM/MM method (multiple-environment single-system quantum mechanical molecular/mechanical calculations with a Roothaan-step extrapolation) is applied to the computation of hydration free energies for the blind SAMPL4 test set and for 12 small molecules. First, free energy simulations are performed with a classical molecular mechanics force field using fixed-geometry solute molecules and explicit TIP3P solvent, and then the non-Boltzmann-Bennett method is employed to compute the QM/MM correction (QM/MM-NBB) to the molecular mechanical hydration free energies. For the SAMPL4 set, MESS-E-QM/MM-NBB corrections to the hydration free energy can be obtained 2 or 3 orders of magnitude faster than fully converged QM/MM-NBB corrections, and, on average, the hydration free energies predicted with MESS-E-QM/MM-NBB fall within 0.10-0.20 kcal/mol of full-converged QM/MM-NBB results. Out of five density functionals (BLYP, B3LYP, PBE0, M06-2X, and ωB97X-D), the BLYP functional is found to be most compatible with the TIP3P solvent model and yields the most accurate hydration free energies against experimental values for solute molecules included in this study.

Experimental techniques for single cell and single molecule biomechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, C.T.; Zhou, E.H.; Li, A.; Vedula, S.R.K.; Fu, H.X.

2006-01-01

Stresses and strains that act on the human body can arise either from external physical forces or internal physiological environmental conditions. These biophysical interactions can occur not only at the musculoskeletal but also cellular and molecular levels and can determine the health and function of the human body. Here, we seek to investigate the structure-property-function relationship of cells and biomolecules so as to understand their important physiological functions as well as establish possible connections to human diseases. With the recent advancements in cell and molecular biology, biophysics and nanotechnology, several innovative and state-of-the-art experimental techniques and equipment have been developed to probe the structural and mechanical properties of biostructures from the micro- down to picoscale. Some of these experimental techniques include the optical or laser trap method, micropipette aspiration, step-pressure technique, atomic force microscopy and molecular force spectroscopy. In this article, we will review the basic principles and usage of these techniques to conduct single cell and single molecule biomechanics research

Molecular perspective on diazonium adsorption for controllable functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes in aqueous surfactant solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shangchao; Hilmer, Andrew J; Mendenhall, Jonathan D; Strano, Michael S; Blankschtein, Daniel

2012-05-16

Functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using diazonium salts allows modification of their optical and electronic properties for a variety of applications, ranging from drug-delivery vehicles to molecular sensors. However, control of the functionalization process remains a challenge, requiring molecular-level understanding of the adsorption of diazonium ions onto heterogeneous, charge-mobile SWCNT surfaces, which are typically decorated with surfactants. In this paper, we combine molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, experiments, and equilibrium reaction modeling to understand and model the extent of diazonium functionalization of SWCNTs coated with various surfactants (sodium cholate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide). We show that the free energy of diazonium adsorption, determined using simulations, can be used to rank surfactants in terms of the extent of functionalization attained following their adsorption on the nanotube surface. The difference in binding affinities between linear and rigid surfactants is attributed to the synergistic binding of the diazonium ion to the local "hot/cold spots" formed by the charged surfactant heads. A combined simulation-modeling framework is developed to provide guidance for controlling the various sensitive experimental conditions needed to achieve the desired extent of SWCNT functionalization.

Origin of the defects-induced ferromagnetism in un-doped ZnO single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Peng; Xie, Zheng; Li, Zhengcao; Wang, Weipeng; Zhang, Zhengjun; Li, Zhuoxin; Cheng, Guodong; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Baoyi; Cao, Xingzhong

2013-02-01

We clarified, in this Letter, that in un-doped ZnO single crystals after thermal annealing in flowing argon, the defects-induced room-temperature ferromagnetism was originated from the surface defects and specifically, from singly occupied oxygen vacancies denoted as F+, by the optical and electrical properties measurements as well as positron annihilation analysis. In addition, a positive linear relationship was observed between the ferromagnetism and the F+ concentration, which is in support with the above clarification.

Large-scale single-chirality separation of single-wall carbon nanotubes by simple gel chromatography

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Huaping; Nishide, Daisuke; Tanaka, Takeshi; Kataura, Hiromichi

2011-01-01

Monostructured single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are important in both scientific research and electronic and biomedical applications; however, the bulk separation of SWCNTs into populations of single-chirality nanotubes remains challenging. Here we report a simple and effective method for the large-scale chirality separation of SWCNTs using a single-surfactant multicolumn gel chromatography method utilizing one surfactant and a series of vertically connected gel columns. This method is based on the structure-dependent interaction strength of SWCNTs with an allyl dextran-based gel. Overloading an SWCNT dispersion on the top column results in the adsorption sites of the column becoming fully occupied by the nanotubes that exhibit the strongest interaction with the gel. The unbound nanotubes flow through to the next column, and the nanotubes with the second strongest interaction with the gel are adsorbed in this stage. In this manner, 13 different (n, m) species were separated. Metallic SWCNTs were finally collected as unbound nanotubes because they exhibited the lowest interaction with the gel. PMID:21556063

Piezoelectric sensors based on molecular imprinted polymers for detection of low molecular mass analytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Uludağ, Yildiz; Piletsky, Sergey A; Turner, Anthony P F; Cooper, Matthew A

2007-11-01

Biomimetic recognition elements employed for the detection of analytes are commonly based on proteinaceous affibodies, immunoglobulins, single-chain and single-domain antibody fragments or aptamers. The alternative supra-molecular approach using a molecularly imprinted polymer now has proven utility in numerous applications ranging from liquid chromatography to bioassays. Despite inherent advantages compared with biochemical/biological recognition (which include robustness, storage endurance and lower costs) there are few contributions that describe quantitative analytical applications of molecularly imprinted polymers for relevant small molecular mass compounds in real-world samples. There is, however, significant literature describing the use of low-power, portable piezoelectric transducers to detect analytes in environmental monitoring and other application areas. Here we review the combination of molecularly imprinted polymers as recognition elements with piezoelectric biosensors for quantitative detection of small molecules. Analytes are classified by type and sample matrix presentation and various molecularly imprinted polymer synthetic fabrication strategies are also reviewed.

Transitional Justice: A Conceptual and Normative Framework for Combating Terrorism in Occupied Territories

OpenAIRE

QUESADA ALCALA, Carmen; ZAKERIAN, Mehdi

2010-01-01

Product of workshop No. 2 at the 10th MRM 2009 Transitional justice generally refers to a range of approaches, judicial and non-judicial, that States may use to build the transition from violence and repression to societal stability and peace. The term “transitional justice” has recently received ever greater attention with respect to the Occupied Territories, especially in relation to terrorism and its consequences. The purpose of this paper is to establish a normative and ...

Electrochemically-gated single-molecule electrical devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Shaoyin; Artés, Juan Manuel; Díez-Pérez, Ismael

2013-01-01

In the last decade, single-molecule electrical contacts have emerged as a new experimental platform that allows exploring charge transport phenomena in individual molecular blocks. This novel tool has evolved into an essential element within the Molecular Electronics field to understand charge transport processes in hybrid (bio)molecule/electrode interfaces at the nanoscale, and prospect the implementation of active molecular components into functional nanoscale optoelectronic devices. Within this area, three-terminal single-molecule devices have been sought, provided that they are highly desired to achieve full functionality in logic electronic circuits. Despite the latest experimental developments offer consistent methods to bridge a molecule between two electrodes (source and drain in a transistor notation), placing a third electrode (gate) close to the single-molecule electrical contact is still technically challenging. In this vein, electrochemically-gated single-molecule devices have emerged as an experimentally affordable alternative to overcome these technical limitations. In this review, the operating principle of an electrochemically-gated single-molecule device is presented together with the latest experimental methodologies to built them and characterize their charge transport characteristics. Then, an up-to-date comprehensive overview of the most prominent examples will be given, emphasizing on the relationship between the molecular structure and the final device electrical behaviour

SCELib3.0: The new revision of SCELib, the parallel computational library of molecular properties in the Single Center Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sanna, N.; Baccarelli, I.; Morelli, G.

2009-12-01

SCELib is a computer program which implements the Single Center Expansion (SCE) method to describe molecular electronic densities and the interaction potentials between a charged projectile (electron or positron) and a target molecular system. The first version (CPC Catalog identifier ADMG_v1_0) was submitted to the CPC Program Library in 2000, and version 2.0 (ADMG_v2_0) was submitted in 2004. We here announce the new release 3.0 which presents additional features with respect to the previous versions aiming at a significative enhance of its capabilities to deal with larger molecular systems. SCELib 3.0 allows for ab initio effective core potential (ECP) calculations of the molecular wavefunctions to be used in the SCE method in addition to the standard all-electron description of the molecule. The list of supported architectures has been updated and the code has been ported to platforms based on accelerating coprocessors, such as the NVIDIA GPGPU and the new parallel model adopted is able to efficiently run on a mixed many-core computing system. Program summaryProgram title: SCELib3.0 Catalogue identifier: ADMG_v3_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADMG_v3_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 2 018 862 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 4 955 014 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C Compilers used: xlc V8.x, Intel C V10.x, Portland Group V7.x, nvcc V2.x Computer: All SMP platforms based on AIX, Linux and SUNOS operating systems over SPARC, POWER, Intel Itanium2, X86, em64t and Opteron processors Operating system: SUNOS, IBM AIX, Linux RedHat (Enterprise), Linux SuSE (SLES) Has the code been vectorized or parallelized?: Yes. 1 to 32 (CPU or GPU) used RAM: Up to 32 GB depending on the molecular

Criterion 1: Conservation of biological diversity - Indicator 8: The number of forest dependent species that occupy a small portion of their former range

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis H. Flather; Carolyn Hull Sieg; Michael S. Knowles; Jason McNees

2003-01-01

This indicator measures the portion of a species' historical distribution that is currently occupied as a surrogate measure of genetic diversity. Based on data for 1,642 terrestrial animals associated with forests, most species (88 percent) were found to fully occupy their historic range - at least as measured by coarse state-level occurrence patterns. Of the 193...

Clinical study on temporal lobe epilepsy in childhood caused by temporal lobe space occupying lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuura, Mariko; Oguni, Hirokazu; Funatsuka, Makoto; Osawa, Makiko; Yamane, Fumitaka; Hori, Tomokatsu; Shimizu, Hiroyuki

2008-01-01

We studied the clinicoelectrical and neuroimaging features of 11 patients with symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) caused by temporal lobe space occupying lesions (SOLs), and compared its characteristics with those of 19 mesial TLE (MTLE) patients. Brain MRI demonstrated SOLs in the mesiotemporal lobe in 9, and laterotemporal lobe in the remaining 2 patients. Ten of the 11 patients successfully underwent surgery, which revealed tumors in 7 and focal cortical dysplasia in 3 patients. Comparisons of the clinical features between those with space occupying TLE (SOTLE) and MTLE showed that both conditions shared the same clinical seizure manifestations such as gastric uprising sensation or ictal fear and a favorable response to surgery. However, the patients with SOTLE had fewer febrile convulsion, and more frequent seizure recurrences as well as TLE EEG discharges and associations of the monophasic clinical course than those with MTLE. In addition, the MRI findings were characterized by unilateral hippocampal atrophy in MTLE and expanding or SOLs in the SOTLE group. Children with complex partial seizures of suspected temporal lobe origin should undergo extensive neuroimaging evaluation. (author)

Synthesis, characterization, and molecular structure of tetraethylammonium pentakis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2'-bipyridine)uranate(IV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiley, R.O.; Von Dreele, R.B.; Brown, T.M.

1980-01-01

The synthesis of tetraethylammonium pentakis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2'-bipyridine)uranate(IV) has been accomplished, and it was characterized by classical physical methods. The crystal and molecular structure was determined from single-crystal x-ray data collected by the theta-2theta technique on an automated diffractometer. The compound consists of pentakis(isothiocyanato)bis (2,2'-bipyridine)uranate(IV) anions and disordered tetraethylammonium cations. Uranium is bound to nine nitrogen atoms in a highly distorted monocapped square antiprism in which one bipyridine occupies a position bridging the cap and the near square while the other bipyridine spans the opposite edge of the far square. Distortion from the ideal geometry is caused by the small ligand bite of the bipyridine ligand. An alternative description of the coordination geometry is derived from the seven-coordinate pentagonal bipyramid in which each bipyridine ligand is assumed to occupy an axial position with the five thiocyanato ligands forming the pentagonal girdle. The U-N bond distances vary from 2.35 to 2.47 A for the thiocyanato ligands and from 2.61 to 2.65 A for the bipyridine ligands. The structure was solved by standard heavy-atom techniques and refined by large-block matrix least squares to a final R value of 0.083 for 3878 independent observed reflections. The compound crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2 1 /c, Z = 4, with lattice parameters a = 14.427 (10) A, b = 18.612 (17) A, c = 15.710 (10) A, and β = 105.17 (7) 0 , rho/sub obsd/ = 1.57 g cm -3

Media Spectacle, Insurrection and the Crisis of Neoliberalism from the Arab Uprisings to Occupy Everywhere!

Science.gov (United States)

Kellner, Douglas

2013-01-01

I argue that 2011 witnessed a series of challenges to neoliberalism on a global scale perhaps not seen since the political upheavals of 1968, and that media spectacle provided the form of a series of global insurgences from the North African Arab Uprisings to the Occupy movements. Crises of neoliberalism also generated movements in Italy, Spain,…

Using Single-Protein Tracking to Study Cell Migration.

Science.gov (United States)

Orré, Thomas; Mehidi, Amine; Massou, Sophie; Rossier, Olivier; Giannone, Grégory

2018-01-01

To get a complete understanding of cell migration, it is critical to study its orchestration at the molecular level. Since the recent developments in single-molecule imaging, it is now possible to study molecular phenomena at the single-molecule level inside living cells. In this chapter, we describe how such approaches have been and can be used to decipher molecular mechanisms involved in cell migration.

[Medical waste management in healthcare centres in the occupied Palestinian territory].

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Khatib, Issam A

2007-01-01

Medical waste management in primary and secondary healthcare centres in the occupied Palestinian territory was assessed. The overall monthly quantity of solid healthcare waste was estimated to be 512.6 tons. Only 10.8% of the centres completely segregated the different kinds of healthcare waste and only 15.7% treated their medical waste. In the centres that treated waste, open burning was the main method of treatment. The results indicate that Palestinians are exposed to health and environmental risks because of improper disposal of medical waste and steps are needed to improve the situation through the establishment and enforcement of laws, provision of the necessary infrastructure for proper waste management and training of healthcare workers and cleaners.

31phosphorus spectroscopy of space-occupying lesions of the salivary glands. Clinic results and differential diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogl, T.J.; Dadashi, A.; Jassoy, A.; Becker, C.; Reimann, V.; Lissner, J.

1993-01-01

In a prospective study, 15 normals and 20 patients with space-occupying lesions of the salivary glands were examined by MRT images and by in vivo 31 phosphorus spectroscopy. The spectra of malignant tumours showed a significant increase in concentration of phosphomonoesters, phosphodiesters and inorganic phosphates when compared with normals. In addition there was an enormous reduction in creatine phosphates. Increased pH values and marked increase in concentration of inorganic phosphates correlated with poorly vascularised necrotic tumour segments. Concentrations of ATP and PCr were similar to normal muscle tissue. High concentrations of PME and PDE correlated directly with the proliferation of tumour cells and were an important marker for the bioenergy and phospholipid metabolism of the growing tumour. Standardised in vivo 31 phosphorus spectroscopy of space-occupying lesions of the salivary glands provides noninvasive prognostic information on the type and behaviour of the lesion and is complementary to clinical and histological findings. (orig.) [de

The band structure of carbonmonoxide on 2-D Au islands on graphene

KAUST Repository

Katsiev, Khabiboulakh

2014-06-01

The dispersion of the occupied molecular orbitals of carbon monoxide adsorbed on Au 2D islands, vapor-deposited on graphene/Ru(0 0 0 1), is seen to be wave vector dependent, as revealed by angle-resolved photoemission. The band dispersion is similar to CO monolayers adsorbed on many single crystal metal surfaces. Thus not only are the adsorbed gold islands on graphene flat and crystalline, as evident in the dispersion of the Au d-states, but the CO molecular adlayer is both molecular and ordered as well. The experimental angle-resolved photoemission combined with model calculations of the occupied CO band structure, suggest that, in spite of being a very weakly bound adsorbate, the CO adlayer on Au 2D islands on graphene is strongly hybridized to the Au layer. . © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NIR-emitting molecular-based nanoparticles as new two-photon absorbing nanotools for single particle tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, J.; Godin, A. G.; Clermont, G.; Lounis, B.; Cognet, L.; Blanchard-Desce, M.

2015-07-01

In order to provide a green alternative to QDs for bioimaging purposes and aiming at designing bright nanoparticles combining both large one- and two-photon brightness, a bottom-up route based on the molecular engineering of dedicated red to NIR emitting dyes that spontaneously form fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) has been implemented. These fully organic nanoparticles built from original quadrupolar dyes are prepared using a simple, expeditious and green protocol that yield very small molecular-based nanoparticles (radius ~ 7 nm) suspension in water showing a nice NIR emission (λem=710 nm). These FONs typically have absorption coefficient more than two orders larger than popular NIR-emitting dyes (such as Alexa Fluor 700, Cy5.5 ….) and much larger Stokes shift values (i.e. up to over 5500 cm-1). They also show very large two-photon absorption response in the 800-1050 nm region (up to about 106 GM) of major promise for two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy. Thanks to their brightness and enhanced photostability, these FONs could be imaged as isolated nanoparticles and tracked using wide-field imaging. As such, thanks to their size and composition (absence of heavy metals), they represent highly promising alternatives to NIR-emitting QDs for use in bioimaging and single particle tracking applications. Moreover, efficient FONs coating was achieved by using a polymeric additive built from a long hydrophobic (PPO) and a short hydrophilic (PEO) segment and having a cationic head group able to interact with the highly negative surface of FONs. This electrostatically-driven interaction promotes both photoluminescence and two-photon absorption enhancement leading to an increase of two-photon brightness of about one order of magnitude. This opens the way to wide-field single particle tracking under two-photon excitation

Madelung and Hubbard interactions in polaron band model of doped organic semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Png, Rui-Qi; Ang, Mervin C.Y.; Teo, Meng-How; Choo, Kim-Kian; Tang, Cindy Guanyu; Belaineh, Dagmawi; Chua, Lay-Lay; Ho, Peter K.H.

2016-01-01

The standard polaron band model of doped organic semiconductors predicts that density-of-states shift into the π–π* gap to give a partially filled polaron band that pins the Fermi level. This picture neglects both Madelung and Hubbard interactions. Here we show using ultrahigh workfunction hole-doped model triarylamine–fluorene copolymers that Hubbard interaction strongly splits the singly-occupied molecular orbital from its empty counterpart, while Madelung (Coulomb) interactions with counter-anions and other carriers markedly shift energies of the frontier orbitals. These interactions lower the singly-occupied molecular orbital band below the valence band edge and give rise to an empty low-lying counterpart band. The Fermi level, and hence workfunction, is determined by conjunction of the bottom edge of this empty band and the top edge of the valence band. Calculations are consistent with the observed Fermi-level downshift with counter-anion size and the observed dependence of workfunction on doping level in the strongly doped regime. PMID:27582355

Comparison of single-ion molecular dynamics in common solvents

Science.gov (United States)

Muralidharan, A.; Pratt, L. R.; Chaudhari, M. I.; Rempe, S. B.

2018-06-01

Laying a basis for molecularly specific theory for the mobilities of ions in solutions of practical interest, we report a broad survey of velocity autocorrelation functions (VACFs) of Li+ and PF6- ions in water, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, and acetonitrile solutions. We extract the memory function, γ(t), which characterizes the random forces governing the mobilities of ions. We provide comparisons controlling for the effects of electrolyte concentration and ion-pairing, van der Waals attractive interactions, and solvent molecular characteristics. For the heavier ion (PF6-), velocity relaxations are all similar: negative tail relaxations for the VACF and a clear second relaxation for γ (t ), observed previously also for other molecular ions and with n-pentanol as the solvent. For the light Li+ ion, short time-scale oscillatory behavior masks simple, longer time-scale relaxation of γ (t ). But the corresponding analysis of the solventberg Li+(H2O)4 does conform to the standard picture set by all the PF6- results.

Magnetoresistance effect of heat generation in a single-molecular spin-valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Feng; Yan, Yonghong; Wang, Shikuan; Yan, Yijing

2016-01-01

Based on non-equilibrium Green's functions' theory and small polaron transformation's technology, we study the heat generation by current through a single-molecular spin-valve. Numerical results indicate that the variation of spin polarization degree can change heat generation effectively, the spin-valve effect happens not only in electrical current but also in heat generation when Coulomb repulsion in quantum dot is smaller than phonon frequency and interestingly, when Coulomb repulsion is larger than phonon frequency, the inverse spin-valve effect appears by sweeping gate voltage and is enlarged with bias increasing. The inverse spin-valve effect will induce the unique heat magnetoresistance effect, which can be modulated from heat-resistance to heat-gain by gate voltage easily. - Highlights: • Spin-valve effect of heat generation happens when Coulomb repulsion in quantum dot is less than phonon frequency. • When Coulomb repulsion is larger than phonon frequency, inverse spin-valve effect appears and is enlarged with bias increasing. • The variation of spin polarization degree can change heat generation effectively. • The heat magnetoresistance can be modulated from heat-resistance to heat-gain by gate voltage easily.

Handbook of Molecular Force Spectroscopy

CERN Document Server

Noy, Aleksandr

2008-01-01

"...Noy's Handbook of Molecular Force Spectroscopy is both a timely and useful summary of fundamental aspects of molecular force spectroscopy, and I believe it would make a worthwhile addition to any good scientific library. New research groups that are entering this field would be well advisedto study this handbook in detail before venturing into the exciting and challenging world of molecular force spectroscopy." Matthew F. Paige, University of Saskatchewan, Journal of the American Chemical Society Modern materials science and biophysics are increasingly focused on studying and controlling intermolecular interactions on the single-molecule level. Molecular force spectroscopy was developed in the past decade as the result of several unprecedented advances in the capabilities of modern scientific instrumentation, and defines a number of techniques that use mechanical force measurements to study interactions between single molecules and molecular assemblies in chemical and biological systems. Examples of these...

A 5.4mW GPS CMOS quadrature front-end based on a single-stage LNA-mixer-VCO

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liscidini, Amtonio; Mazzanti, Andrea; Tonietto, Riccardo

2006-01-01

A GPS RF front-end combines the LNA, mixer, and VCO in a single stage and can operate from a 1.2V supply. The chip is implemented in a 0.13um CMOS process and occupies 1.5mm2 active area. It consumes 5.4mW with a 4.8dB NF, 36dB gain, and a P1dB of -31dBm.......A GPS RF front-end combines the LNA, mixer, and VCO in a single stage and can operate from a 1.2V supply. The chip is implemented in a 0.13um CMOS process and occupies 1.5mm2 active area. It consumes 5.4mW with a 4.8dB NF, 36dB gain, and a P1dB of -31dBm....

Molecular electronics: the single molecule switch and transistor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sotthewes, Kai; Geskin, Victor; Heimbuch, Rene; Kumar, Avijit; Zandvliet, Henricus J.W.

2014-01-01

In order to design and realize single-molecule devices it is essential to have a good understanding of the properties of an individual molecule. For electronic applications, the most important property of a molecule is its conductance. Here we show how a single octanethiol molecule can be connected

First-principles molecular dynamics study of Al/Alq3 interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kousuke Takeuchi et al

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We have carried out first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of Al deposition on tris (8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3 layers to investigate atomic geometries and electronic properties of Al/Alq3 interfaces. Al atoms were ejected to Alq3 one by one with the kinetic energy of 37.4 kJ/mol, which approximately corresponds to the average kinetic energy of Al at the boiling temperature of metal Al. The first Al atom interacts with two of the three O atoms of meridional Alq3. Following Al atoms interact with Alq3 rather weakly and they tend to aggregate each other to form Al clusters. During the deposition process, Alq3 was not broken and its molecular structure remained essentially intact. At the interface, weak bonds between deposited Al atoms and N and C atoms were formed. The projected density of states (PDOS onto the Alq3 molecular orbitals shows gap states in between the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs, which were experimentally observed by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and metastable atom electron spectroscopy (MAES. Our results show that even though the Alq3 molecular structure is retained, weak N–Al and C–Al bonds induce gap states.

The kinetic and thermodynamic sorption and stabilization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in natural organic matter surrogate solutions: The effect of surrogate molecular weight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Tingting; Lin, Daohui; Li, Lu; Wang, Zhengyu; Wu, Fengchang

2014-01-01

Styrene sulfonate (SS) and polystyrene sulfonates (PSSs) were used as surrogates of natural organic matter to study the effect of molecular weight (from 206.2 to 70,000 Da) on their sorption by a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and an activated carbon (AC) and on their stabilization of MWCNT suspension. Results indicate that surface-diffusion through the liquid-sorbent boundary was the rate-controlling step of the kinetic sorption of both MWCNTs and AC, and surface-occupying and pore-filling mechanisms respectively dominated the thermodynamic sorption of MWCNTs and AC. Sorption rates and capacities of MWCNTs and AC in molecular concentration of SS and PSS decreased with increasing molecular weight. The PSSs but not SS facilitated the stabilization of MWCNT suspension because of the increased electrosteric repulsion. The PSSs with more monomers had greater capabilities to stabilize the MWCNT suspension, but the capabilities were comparable after being normalized by the total monomer number. -- Highlights: • Surface-diffusion controlled the kinetic sorption of NOM surrogates to MWCNTs and AC. • Surface-occupying mechanism dominates the thermodynamic sorption of MWCNTs. • The sorption in molecular concentration decreased with increasing M w of the PSSs. • PSS but not SS stabilized MWCNT suspension through electrosteric repulsion. • Stabilization capabilities normalized by monomer number of the PSSs were comparable. -- Molecular weight of NOM influences its sorption on and stabilizing MWCNTs

Intra-molecular Charge Transfer and Electron Delocalization in Non-fullerene Organic Solar Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Qinghe [Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong Province, Shantou University, Guangdong 515063, P. R. China; Zhao, Donglin [Department of Chemistry, The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Goldey, Matthew B. [Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5747 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Filatov, Alexander S. [Department of Chemistry, The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Sharapov, Valerii [Department of Chemistry, The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Colón, Yamil J. [Institute for Molecular Engineering, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States; Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5747 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Cai, Zhengxu [Department of Chemistry, The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Chen, Wei [Institute for Molecular Engineering, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States; Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5747 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; de Pablo, Juan [Institute for Molecular Engineering, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States; Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5747 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Galli, Giulia [Institute for Molecular Engineering, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States; Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5747 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States; Yu, Luping [Department of Chemistry, The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States

2018-03-02

Two types of electron acceptors were synthesized by coupling two kinds of electron-rich cores with four equivalent perylene diimides (PDIs) at the a position. With fully aromatic cores, TPB and TPSe have pi-orbitals spread continuously over the whole aromatic conjugated backbone, unlike TPC and TPSi, which contain isolated PDI units due to the use of a tetrahedron carbon or silicon linker. Density functional theory calculations of the projected density of states showed that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) for TPB are localized in separate regions of space. Further, the LUMO of TPB shows a greater contribution from the orbitals belonging to the connective core of the molecules than that of TPC. Overall, the properties of the HOMO and LUMO point at increased intra-molecular delocalization of negative charge carriers for TPB and TPSe than for TPC and TPSi and hence at a more facile intra-molecular charge transfer for the former. The film absorption and emission spectra showed evidences for the inter -molecular electron delocalization in TPB and TPSe, which is consistent with the network structure revealed by X-ray diffraction studies on single crystals of TPB. These features benefit the formation of charge transfer states and/or facilitate charge transport. Thus, higher electron mobility and higher charge dissociation probabilities under J(sc) condition were observed in blend films of TPB:PTB7-Th and TPSe:PTB7-Th than those in TPC:PTB7Th and TPSi:PTB7-Th blend films. As a result, the J(sc) and fill factor values of 15.02 mA/cm(2), 0.58 and 14.36 mA/cm(2), 0.55 for TPB- and TPSe-based solar cell are observed, whereas those for TPC and TPSi are 11.55 mA/cm2, 0.47 and 10.35 mA/cm(2), 0.42, respectively.

Single molecule detection, thermal fluctuation and life

Science.gov (United States)

YANAGIDA, Toshio; ISHII, Yoshiharu

2017-01-01

Single molecule detection has contributed to our understanding of the unique mechanisms of life. Unlike artificial man-made machines, biological molecular machines integrate thermal noises rather than avoid them. For example, single molecule detection has demonstrated that myosin motors undergo biased Brownian motion for stepwise movement and that single protein molecules spontaneously change their conformation, for switching to interactions with other proteins, in response to thermal fluctuation. Thus, molecular machines have flexibility and efficiency not seen in artificial machines. PMID:28190869

Single-layered graphene oxide nanosheet/polyaniline hybrids fabricated through direct molecular exfoliation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guan-Liang; Shau, Shi-Min; Juang, Tzong-Yuan; Lee, Rong-Ho; Chen, Chih-Ping; Suen, Shing-Yi; Jeng, Ru-Jong

2011-12-06

In this study, we used direct molecular exfoliation for the rapid, facile, large-scale fabrication of single-layered graphene oxide nanosheets (GOSs). Using macromolecular polyaniline (PANI) as a layered space enlarger, we readily and rapidly synthesized individual GOSs at room temperature through the in situ polymerization of aniline on the 2D GOS platform. The chemically modified GOS platelets formed unique 2D-layered GOS/PANI hybrids, with the PANI nanorods embedded between the GO interlayers and extended over the GO surface. X-ray diffraction revealed that intergallery expansion occurred in the GO basal spacing after the PANI nanorods had anchored and grown onto the surface of the GO layer. Transparent folding GOSs were, therefore, observed in transmission electron microscopy images. GOS/PANI nanohybrids possessing high conductivities and large work functions have the potential for application as electrode materials in optoelectronic devices. Our dispersion/exfoliation methodology is a facile means of preparing individual GOS platelets with high throughput, potentially expanding the applicability of nanographene oxide materials. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Nucleation of single GaN nanorods with diameters smaller than 35 nm by molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yen-Ting; Araki, Tsutomu; Palisaitis, Justinas; Persson, Per O. Å.; Olof Holtz, Per; Birch, Jens; Chen, Li-Chyong; Chen, Kuei-Hsien; Nanishi, Yasushi

2013-01-01

Nucleation mechanism of catalyst-free GaN nanorod grown on Si(111) is investigated by the fabrication of uniform and narrow (<35 nm) nanorods without a pre-defined mask by molecular beam epitaxy. Direct evidences show that the nucleation of GaN nanorods stems from the sidewall of the underlying islands down to the Si(111) substrate, different from commonly reported ones on top of the island directly. Accordingly, the growth and density control of the nanorods is exploited by a “narrow-pass” approach that only narrow nanorod can be grown. The optimal size of surrounding non-nucleation area around single nanorod is estimated as 88 nm

Nucleation of single GaN nanorods with diameters smaller than 35 nm by molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yen-Ting [Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, S-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Araki, Tsutomu [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 525-8577 Shiga (Japan); Palisaitis, Justinas; Persson, Per O. Å.; Olof Holtz, Per; Birch, Jens [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, S-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Chen, Li-Chyong [Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chen, Kuei-Hsien [Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan (China); Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan (China); Nanishi, Yasushi [Global Innovation Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, 525-8577 Shiga (Japan)

2013-11-11

Nucleation mechanism of catalyst-free GaN nanorod grown on Si(111) is investigated by the fabrication of uniform and narrow (<35 nm) nanorods without a pre-defined mask by molecular beam epitaxy. Direct evidences show that the nucleation of GaN nanorods stems from the sidewall of the underlying islands down to the Si(111) substrate, different from commonly reported ones on top of the island directly. Accordingly, the growth and density control of the nanorods is exploited by a “narrow-pass” approach that only narrow nanorod can be grown. The optimal size of surrounding non-nucleation area around single nanorod is estimated as 88 nm.

Lattice constants of pure methane and carbon dioxide hydrates at low temperatures. Implementing quantum corrections to classical molecular dynamics studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costandy, Joseph; Michalis, Vasileios K.; Economou, Ioannis G., E-mail: i.tsimpanogiannis@qatar.tamu.edu, E-mail: ioannis.economou@qatar.tamu.edu [Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha (Qatar); Tsimpanogiannis, Ioannis N., E-mail: i.tsimpanogiannis@qatar.tamu.edu, E-mail: ioannis.economou@qatar.tamu.edu [Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha (Qatar); Environmental Research Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research NCSR “Demokritos,” 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis (Greece); Stubos, Athanassios K. [Environmental Research Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research NCSR “Demokritos,” 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis (Greece)

2016-03-28

We introduce a simple correction to the calculation of the lattice constants of fully occupied structure sI methane or carbon dioxide pure hydrates that are obtained from classical molecular dynamics simulations using the TIP4PQ/2005 water force field. The obtained corrected lattice constants are subsequently used in order to obtain isobaric thermal expansion coefficients of the pure gas hydrates that exhibit a trend that is significantly closer to the experimental behavior than previously reported classical molecular dynamics studies.

Occupy Wall Street? Position-Blindness in the New Leftist Revolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnes Gagyi

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The following I write as an Eastern European sociologist and activist, departing from the basic question of how local movements in my region might connect with Occupy Wall Street (OWS. By this time, it is evident that OWS has made an indelible mark on present-day discussions on globalisation and world order. Immanuel Wallerstein (2011, for example, has spoken directly of an ongoing transformation in world economy, asking whether the present crisis in the dominant model of capitalism-cum-democracy will be resolved through a shift towards a less democratic and more unequal system, or whether global social movements might help bring about a more equal and democratic social order. Keeping in sight the controversial lessons of the alter-globalism movement in Eastern Europe, I will argue that certain characteristics of the OWS movementthemselves pose an obstacle to the development of a truly global social movement

Molecular Dynamics Investigation of Cl− and Water Transport through a Eukaryotic CLC Transporter

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Mary Hongying; Coalson, Rob D.

2012-01-01

Early crystal structures of prokaryotic CLC proteins identified three Cl– binding sites: internal (Sint), central (Scen), and external (Sext). A conserved external GLU (GLUex) residue acts as a gate competing for Sext. Recently, the first crystal structure of a eukaryotic transporter, CmCLC, revealed that in this transporter GLUex competes instead for Scen. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate Cl– transport through CmCLC. The gating and Cl–/H+ transport cycle are inferred through comparative molecular dynamics simulations with protonated and deprotonated GLUex in the presence/absence of external potentials. Adaptive biasing force calculations are employed to estimate the potential of mean force profiles associated with transport of a Cl– ion from Sext to Sint, depending on the Cl– occupancy of other sites. Our simulations demonstrate that protonation of GLUex is essential for Cl– transport from Sext to Scen. The Scen site may be occupied by two Cl– ions simultaneously due to a high energy barrier (∼8 Kcal/mol) for a single Cl– ion to translocate from Scen to Sint. Binding two Cl– ions to Scen induces a continuous water wire from Scen to the extracellular solution through the side chain of the GLUex gate. This may initiate deprotonation of GLUex, which then drives the two Cl– ions out of Scen toward the intracellular side via two putative Cl– transport paths. Finally, a conformational cycle is proposed that would account for the exchange stoichiometry. PMID:22455919

Ultrahigh-throughput exfoliation of graphite into pristine ‘single-layer’ graphene using microwaves and molecularly engineered ionic liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Michio; Saito, Yusuke; Park, Chiyoung; Fukushima, Takanori; Aida, Takuzo

2015-09-01

Graphene has shown much promise as an organic electronic material but, despite recent achievements in the production of few-layer graphene, the quantitative exfoliation of graphite into pristine single-layer graphene has remained one of the main challenges in developing practical devices. Recently, reduced graphene oxide has been recognized as a non-feasible alternative to graphene owing to variable defect types and levels, and attention is turning towards reliable methods for the high-throughput exfoliation of graphite. Here we report that microwave irradiation of graphite suspended in molecularly engineered oligomeric ionic liquids allows for ultrahigh-efficiency exfoliation (93% yield) with a high selectivity (95%) towards ‘single-layer’ graphene (that is, with thicknesses oligomeric ionic liquids up to ~100 mg ml-1, and form physical gels in which an anisotropic orientation of graphene sheets, once induced by a magnetic field, is maintained.

Antiferromagnetic Mott insulating state in the single-component molecular material Pd(tmdt)2

Science.gov (United States)

Takagi, Rina; Sari, Dita Puspita; Mohd-Tajudin, Saidah Sakinah; Ashi, Retno; Watanabe, Isao; Ishibashi, Shoji; Miyagawa, Kazuya; Ogura, Satomi; Zhou, Biao; Kobayashi, Akiko; Kanoda, Kazushi

2017-12-01

A family of compounds built by a single molecular species, M (tmdt) 2, with a metal ion, M , and organic ligands, tmdt, affords diverse electronic phases due to M -dependent interplays between d electrons in M , and π electrons in tmdt. We investigated the spin state in Pd (tmdt) 2 , a π -electron system without a d -electron contribution, through 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and muon-spin resonance experiments. The temperature profiles of the NMR linewidth, relaxation rate, and asymmetry parameter in muon decay show an inhomogeneous antiferromagnetic order with moments distributed around ˜0.1 μB that onsets at above 100 K. This result provides an example of the antiferromagnetic order in a pure π -electron system in M (tmdt) 2, and it demonstrates that correlation among the π electrons is so strong as to give the Néel temperature over 100 K. The small and inhomogeneous moments are understandable as the crucial disorder effect in correlated electrons situated near the Mott transition.

Advance of Mechanically Controllable Break Junction for Molecular Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lu; Wang, Ling; Zhang, Lei; Xiang, Dong

2017-06-01

Molecular electronics stands for the ultimate size of functional elements, keeping up with an unstoppable trend over the past few decades. As a vital component of molecular electronics, single molecular junctions have attracted significant attention from research groups all over the world. Due to its pronounced superiority, the mechanically controllable break junctions (MCBJ) technique has been widely applied to characterize the dynamic performance of single molecular junctions. This review presents a system analysis for single-molecule junctions and offers an overview of four test-beds for single-molecule junctions, thus offering more insight into the mechanisms of electron transport. We mainly focus on the development of state-of-the-art mechanically controlled break junctions. The three-terminal gated MCBJ approaches are introduced to manipulate the electron transport of molecules, and MCBJs are combined with characterization techniques. Additionally, applications of MCBJs and remarkable properties of single molecules are addressed. Finally, the challenges and perspective for the mechanically controllable break junctions technique are provided.

Molecular Etiology of Hereditary Single-Side Deafness: Its Association With Pigmentary Disorders and Waardenburg Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Shin Hye; Kim, Ah Reum; Choi, Hyun Seok; Kim, Min Young; Chun, Eun Hi; Oh, Seung-Ha; Choi, Byung Yoon

2015-10-01

Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL)/single-side deafness (SSD) is a frequently encountered disability in children. The etiology of a substantial portion of USNHL/SSD still remains unknown, and genetic causes have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, the authors evaluated the heritability of USNHL/SSD.The authors sequentially recruited 50 unrelated children with SSD. For an etiologic diagnosis, we performed a rigorous review on the phenotypes of family members of all children and conducted, if necessary, molecular genetic tests including targeted exome sequencing of 129 deafness genes.Among the 50 SSD children cohort, the authors identify 4 (8%) unrelated SSD probands from 4 families (SH136, SB173, SB177, and SB199) with another hearing impaired family members. Notably, all 4 probands in our cohort with a familial history of SSD also have pigmentary abnormalities such as brown freckles or premature gray hair within first degree relatives, which may indicate that genes whose products are involved with pigmentary disorder could be candidates for heritable SSD. Indeed, SH136 and SB199 turned out to segregate a mutation in MITF and PAX3, respectively, leading to a molecular diagnosis of Waardenburg syndrome (WS).We report, for the first time in the literature, a significant heritability of pediatric SSD. There is a strong association between the heritability of USNHL/SSD and the pigmentary abnormality, shedding a new light on the understanding of the molecular basis of heritable USNHL/SSD. In case of children with congenital SSD, it would be mandatory to rigorously screen pigmentary abnormalities. WS should also be included in the differential diagnosis of children with USNHL/SSD, especially in a familial form.

The use of phase sequence image sets to reconstruct the total volume occupied by a mobile lung tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gagne, Isabelle M.; Robinson, Don M.; Halperin, Ross; Roa, Wilson

2005-01-01

The use of phase sequence image (PSI) sets to reveal the total volume occupied by a mobile target is presented. Isocontrast composite clinical target volumes (CCTVs) may be constructed from PSI sets in order to reveal the total volume occupied by a mobile target during the course of its travel. The ability of the CCTV technique to properly account for target motion is demonstrated by comparison to contours of the true total volume occupied (TVO) for a number of experimental phantom geometries. Finally, using real patient data, the clinical utility of the CCTV technique to properly account for internal tumor motion while minimizing the volume of healthy lung tissue irradiated is assessed by comparison to the standard approach of applying safety margins. Results of the phantom study reveal that CCTV cross sections constructed at the 20% isocontrast level yield good agreement with the total cross sections (TXO) of mobile targets. These CCTVs conform well to the TVOs of the moving targets examined whereby the addition of small uniform margins ensures complete circumscription of the TVO with the inclusion of minimal amounts of surrounding external volumes. The CCTV technique is seen to be clearly superior to the common practice of the addition of safety margins to individual CTV contours in order to account for internal target motion. Margins required with the CCTV technique are eight to ten times smaller than those required with individual CTVs

EDITORIAL: Molecular switches at surfaces Molecular switches at surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Weinelt, Martin; von Oppen, Felix

2012-10-01

In nature, molecules exploit interaction with their environment to realize complex functionalities on the nanometer length scale. Physical, chemical and/or biological specificity is frequently achieved by the switching of molecules between microscopically different states. Paradigmatic examples are the energy production in proton pumps of bacteria or the signal conversion in human vision, which rely on switching molecules between different configurations or conformations by external stimuli. The remarkable reproducibility and unparalleled fatigue resistance of these natural processes makes it highly desirable to emulate nature and develop artificial systems with molecular functionalities. A promising avenue towards this goal is to anchor the molecular switches at surfaces, offering new pathways to control their functional properties, to apply electrical contacts, or to integrate switches into larger systems. Anchoring at surfaces allows one to access the full range from individual molecular switches to self-assembled monolayers of well-defined geometry and to customize the coupling between molecules and substrate or between adsorbed molecules. Progress in this field requires both synthesis and preparation of appropriate molecular systems and control over suitable external stimuli, such as light, heat, or electrical currents. To optimize switching and generate function, it is essential to unravel the geometric structure, the electronic properties and the dynamic interactions of the molecular switches on surfaces. This special section, Molecular Switches at Surfaces, collects 17 contributions describing different aspects of this research field. They analyze elementary processes, both in single molecules and in ensembles of molecules, which involve molecular switching and concomitant changes of optical, electronic, or magnetic properties. Two topical reviews summarize the current status, including both challenges and achievements in the field of molecular switches on

Regulation of β2-adrenergic receptor function by conformationally selective single-domain intrabodies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Staus, Dean P; Wingler, Laura M; Strachan, Ryan T

2014-01-01

. However, a monomeric single-domain antibody (nanobody) from the Camelid family was recently found to allosterically bind and stabilize an active conformation of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR). Here, we set out to study the functional interaction of 18 related nanobodies with the β2AR to investigate...... their roles as novel tools for studying GPCR biology. Our studies revealed several sequence-related nanobody families with preferences for active (agonist-occupied) or inactive (antagonist-occupied) receptors. Flow cytometry analysis indicates that all nanobodies bind to epitopes displayed...... on the intracellular receptor surface; therefore, we transiently expressed them intracellularly as "intrabodies" to test their effects on β2AR-dependent signaling. Conformational specificity was preserved after intrabody conversion as demonstrated by the ability for the intracellularly expressed nanobodies...

Single-molecule imaging and manipulation of biomolecular machines and systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Iino, Ryota; Iida, Tatsuya; Nakamura, Akihiko; Saita, Ei-Ichiro; You, Huijuan; Sako, Yasushi

2018-02-01

Biological molecular machines support various activities and behaviors of cells, such as energy production, signal transduction, growth, differentiation, and migration. We provide an overview of single-molecule imaging methods involving both small and large probes used to monitor the dynamic motions of molecular machines in vitro (purified proteins) and in living cells, and single-molecule manipulation methods used to measure the forces, mechanical properties and responses of biomolecules. We also introduce several examples of single-molecule analysis, focusing primarily on motor proteins and signal transduction systems. Single-molecule analysis is a powerful approach to unveil the operational mechanisms both of individual molecular machines and of systems consisting of many molecular machines. Quantitative, high-resolution single-molecule analyses of biomolecular systems at the various hierarchies of life will help to answer our fundamental question: "What is life?" This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biophysical Exploration of Dynamical Ordering of Biomolecular Systems" edited by Dr. Koichi Kato. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single particle tracking and single molecule energy transfer

CERN Document Server

Bräuchle, Christoph; Michaelis, Jens

2009-01-01

Closing a gap in the literature, this handbook gathers all the information on single particle tracking and single molecule energy transfer. It covers all aspects of this hot and modern topic, from detecting virus entry to membrane diffusion, and from protein folding using spFRET to coupled dye systems, as well recent achievements in the field. Throughout, the first-class editors and top international authors present content of the highest quality, making this a must-have for physical chemists, spectroscopists, molecular physicists and biochemists.

Peripheral blood values in workers occupied in the petrochemical production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G.G. Badamshina

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The study is devoted to solution of the problems of the early changes detection in a body on the stages, when only the conditions for the pathology formation were created. The analysis of peripheral blood in the workers, occupied in petrochemical production, allowed us to diagnose the changes that testify the body defenses’ decrease that occurs under exposure to chemicals. It is shown that in the initial period of exposure to harmful substances the body's reaction to a toxic irritant contain both specific and nonspecific components. The first working years is characterized by the reduction of the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin. Over the next years the gradual stabilization is presented, and then the moderate and persistent increase in red blood indices occur, what indicate on the adaptive nature of the condition. It was established, that in dependence of the tropism, mechanism of action and the hazard class of hazardous substances, the diverse hematological changes in the body workers are revealed.

Modulation and Control of Charge Transport Through Single-Molecule Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kun; Xu, Bingqian

2017-02-01

The ability to modulate and control charge transport though single-molecule junction devices is crucial to achieving the ultimate goal of molecular electronics: constructing real-world-applicable electronic components from single molecules. This review aims to highlight the progress made in single-molecule electronics, emphasizing the development of molecular junction electronics in recent years. Among many techniques that attempt to wire a molecule to metallic electrodes, the single-molecule break junction (SMBJ) technique is one of the most reliable and tunable experimental platforms for achieving metal-molecule-metal configurations. It also provides great freedom to tune charge transport through the junction. Soon after the SMBJ technique was introduced, it was extensively used to measure the conductances of individual molecules; however, different conductances were obtained for the same molecule, and it proved difficult to interpret this wide distribution of experimental data. This phenomenon was later found to be mainly due to a lack of precise experimental control and advanced data analysis methods. In recent years, researchers have directed considerable effort into advancing the SMBJ technique by gaining a deeper physical understanding of charge transport through single molecules and thus enhancing its potential applicability in functional molecular-scale electronic devices, such as molecular diodes and molecular transistors. In parallel with that research, novel data analysis methods and approaches that enable the discovery of hidden yet important features in the data are being developed. This review discusses various aspects of molecular junction electronics, from the initial goal of molecular electronics, the development of experimental techniques for creating single-molecule junctions and determining single-molecule conductance, to the characterization of functional current-voltage features and the investigation of physical properties other than charge

The food security under another look: analysis on the evolution of the Brazilian population occupied in activities of self-consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávio Sacco dos Anjos

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the evolution of the Brazilian active population occupied in activities of self-consumption between 2001 and 2006 years. The date used come from the National Research on Sample of Domiciles. The authors examine the situation since the point of view the individuals and families (rural or urban, also classified as employers, self employed e and workers families, besides others forms of classification (exclusively agrarian, no-agrarian and pluriactive. The study reveals an important and general increment on the population employed in the self-consumption activities. However this research showed that this kind of activity is essentially feminine which occupies approximately 6.1 million of families in rural and urban areas of Brazil.

Photoelectron and UV absorption spectroscopy for determination of electronic configurations of negative molecular ions: Chlorophenols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tseplin, E.E.; Tseplina, S.N.; Tuimedov, G.M.; Khvostenko, O.G.

2009-01-01

The photoelectron and UV absorption spectra of p-, m-, and o-chlorophenols in the gas phase have been obtained. On the basis of DFT B3LYP/6-311++G(d, p) calculations, the photoelectron bands have been assigned to occupied molecular orbitals. From the TDDFT B3LYP/6-311++G(d, p) calculation results, the UV absorption bands have been assigned to excited singlet states of the molecules under investigation. For each excited state a dominant transition was found. It has been shown that the energies of these singlet transitions correlate with the energy differences between the ground-state molecular orbitals participating in them. Using the UV spectra interpretation, the electronic states of molecular anions detected earlier for the same compounds by means of the resonant electron capture mass-spectrometry have been determined.

Interplay of single particle and collective response in molecular dynamics simulation of dusty plasma system

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Srimanta; Das, Amita; Kumar, Sandeep; Tiwari, Sanat Kumar

2018-04-01

The collective response of the plasma medium is well known and has been explored extensively in the context of dusty plasma medium. On the other hand, the individual particle response associated with the collisional character giving rise to the dissipative phenomena has not been explored adequately. In this paper, two-dimensional molecular dynamics simulation of dust particles interacting via Yukawa potential has been considered. It has been shown that disturbances induced in a dust crystal elicit both collective and single particle responses. Generation of a few particles moving at speeds considerably higher than acoustic and/or shock speed (excited by the external disturbance) is observed. This is an indication of a single particle response. Furthermore, as these individual energetic particles propagate, the dust crystal is observed to crack along their path. Initially when the energy is high, these particles generate secondary energetic particles by the collisional scattering process. However, ultimately as these particles slow down they excite a collective response in the dust medium at secondary locations in a region which is undisturbed by the primary external disturbance. The condition when the cracking of the crystal stops and collective excitations get initiated has been identified quantitatively. The trailing collective primary disturbances would thus often encounter a disturbed medium with secondary and tertiary collective perturbations, thereby suffering significant modification in its propagation. It is thus clear that there is an interesting interplay (other than mere dissipation) between the single particle and collective response which governs the dynamics of any disturbance introduced in the medium.

Crystal and molecular structure of new fullerides (Ph4P)2C60Hal (Hal = Br, I) and (Ph4As)2C60Cl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gritsenko, V.V.; D'yachenko, O.A.; Shilov, G.V.; Spitsyn, N.G.; Yagubskij, E h.B.

1997-01-01

New stable on air fullerides (Ph 4 P) 2 C 60 Hal (Hal = Br, I) and (Ph 4 As) 2 C 60 Cl were synthesized and their crystal structure were determined. On the basis of their relative crystallochemical analysis fullerides obtained were shown to be isostructural. They are described by general formula (Ph 4 X) 2 C 60 Hal (X = H, As; Hal = Cl, Br, I) and crystallized in triclinic system. Anions C 60 - and Hal - occupy the centre-symmetrical positions, cations (PH 4 P) + and (Ph 4 As) + occupy the general positions. The main parameters of molecular structure are presented

EPR and optical absorption studies of paramagnetic molecular ion (VO2+) in Lithium Sodium Acid Phthalate single crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Subbulakshmi, N.; Kumar, M. Saravana; Sheela, K. Juliet; Krishnan, S. Radha; Shanmugam, V. M.; Subramanian, P.

2017-12-01

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies of VO2+ ions as paramagnetic impurity in Lithium Sodium Acid Phthalate (LiNaP) single crystal have been done at room temperature on X-Band microwave frequency. The lattice parameter values are obtained for the chosen system from Single crystal X-ray diffraction study. Among the number of hyperfine lines in the EPR spectra only two sets are reported from EPR data. The principal values of g and A tensors are evaluated for the two different VO2+ sites I and II. They possess the crystalline field around the VO2+ as orthorhombic. Site II VO2+ ion is identified as substitutional in place of Na1 location and the other site I is identified as interstitial location. For both sites in LiNaP, VO2+ are identified in octahedral coordination with tetragonal distortion as seen from the spin Hamiltonian parameter values. The ground state of vanadyl ion in the LiNaP single crystal is dxy. Using optical absorption data the octahedral and tetragonal parameters are calculated. By correlating EPR and optical data, the molecular orbital bonding parameters have been discussed for both sites.

The Topology of a Discussion: The #Occupy Case.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Floriana Gargiulo

Full Text Available We analyse a large sample of the Twitter activity that developed around the social movement 'Occupy Wall Street', to study the complex interactions between the human communication activity and the semantic content of a debate.We use a network approach based on the analysis of the bipartite graph @Users-#Hashtags and of its projections: the 'semantic network', whose nodes are hashtags, and the 'users interest network', whose nodes are users. In the first instance, we find out that discussion topics (#hashtags present a high structural heterogeneity, with a relevant role played by the semantic hubs that are responsible to guarantee the continuity of the debate. In the users' case, the self-organisation process of users' activity, leads to the emergence of two classes of communicators: the 'professionals' and the 'amateurs'.Both the networks present a strong community structure, based on the differentiation of the semantic topics, and a high level of structural robustness when certain sets of topics are censored and/or accounts are removed.By analysing the characteristics of the dynamical networks we can distinguish three phases of the discussion about the movement. Each phase corresponds to a specific moment of the movement: from declaration of intent, organisation and development and the final phase of political reactions. Each phase is characterised by the presence of prototypical #hashtags in the discussion.

Measuring Conductance of Phenylenediamine as a Molecular Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taekyeong Kim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We report experimental measurements of molecular conductance as a single molecular sensor by using scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction (STM-BJ technique. The gap was created after Au atomic point contact was ruptured, and the target molecule was inserted and bonded to the top and bottom electrodes. We successfully measured the conductance for a series of amine-terminated oligophenyl molecules by forming the molecular junctions with Au electrodes. The measured conductance decays exponentially with molecular backbone length, enabling us to detect the type of molecules as a molecular sensor. Furthermore, we demonstrated reversible binary switching in a molecular junction by mechanical control of the gap between the electrodes. Since our method allows us to measure the conductance of a single molecule in ambient conditions, it should open up various practical molecular sensing applications.

Autologous peptides constitutively occupy the antigen binding site on Ia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buus, S; Sette, A; Colon, S M

1988-01-01

Low molecular weight material associated with affinity-purified class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules of mouse (Ia) had the expected properties of peptides bound to the antigen binding site of Ia. Thus, the low molecular weight material derived from the I-Ad isotype...

Light and redox switchable molecular components for molecular electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Wesley R; Feringa, Ben L

2010-01-01

The field of molecular and organic electronics has seen rapid progress in recent years, developing from concept and design to actual demonstration devices in which both single molecules and self-assembled monolayers are employed as light-responsive components. Research in this field has seen numerous unexpected challenges that have slowed progress and the initial promise of complex molecular-based computers has not yet been realised. Primarily this has been due to the realisation at an early stage that molecular-based nano-electronics brings with it the interface between the hard (semiconductor) and soft (molecular) worlds and the challenges which accompany working in such an environment. Issues such as addressability, cross-talk, molecular stability and perturbation of molecular properties (e.g., inhibition of photochemistry) have nevertheless driven development in molecular design and synthesis as well as our ability to interface molecular components with bulk metal contacts to a very high level of sophistication. Numerous groups have played key roles in progressing this field not least teams such as those led by Whitesides, Aviram, Ratner, Stoddart and Heath. In this short review we will however focus on the contributions from our own group and those of our collaborators, in employing diarylethene based molecular components.

Interface-Engineered Charge-Transport Properties in Benzenedithiol Molecular Electronic Junctions via Chemically p-Doped Graphene Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Yeonsik; Kwon, Sung-Joo; Shin, Jaeho; Jeong, Hyunhak; Hwang, Wang-Taek; Kim, Junwoo; Koo, Jeongmin; Ko, Taeg Yeoung; Ryu, Sunmin; Wang, Gunuk; Lee, Tae-Woo; Lee, Takhee

2017-12-06

In this study, we fabricated and characterized vertical molecular junctions consisting of self-assembled monolayers of benzenedithiol (BDT) with a p-doped multilayer graphene electrode. The p-type doping of a graphene film was performed by treating pristine graphene (work function of ∼4.40 eV) with trifluoromethanesulfonic (TFMS) acid, producing a significantly increased work function (∼5.23 eV). The p-doped graphene-electrode molecular junctions statistically showed an order of magnitude higher current density and a lower charge injection barrier height than those of the pristine graphene-electrode molecular junctions, as a result of interface engineering. This enhancement is due to the increased work function of the TFMS-treated p-doped graphene electrode in the highest occupied molecular orbital-mediated tunneling molecular junctions. The validity of these results was proven by a theoretical analysis based on a coherent transport model that considers asymmetric couplings at the electrode-molecule interfaces.

Towards molecular electronics with large-area molecular junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akkerman, HB; Blom, PWM; de Leeuw, DM; de Boer, B

2006-01-01

Electronic transport through single molecules has been studied extensively by academic(1-8) and industrial(9,10) research groups. Discrete tunnel junctions, or molecular diodes, have been reported using scanning probes(11,12), break junctions(13,14), metallic crossbars(6) and nanopores(8,15). For

Sustainability, materiality, assurance and the UK’s leading property companies: a briefing paper for occupiers

OpenAIRE

Jones, Peter; Comfort, Daphne; Hillier, David

2015-01-01

Purpose\\ud – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief for property occupiers who look to monitor trends in sustainability reporting. The paper offers a preliminary examination of the extent to which the UK’s leading commercial property companies are embracing the concept of materiality and commissioning independent external assurance as a part of their sustainability reporting processes and some wider reflections on materiality and external assurance in sustainability reporting.\\ud \\ud...

Molecular-level chemistry of model single-crystal oxide surfaces with model halogenated compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Adib, Kaveh

Synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) have been used to investigate, at a molecular level, the chemistry of different terminations of single crystal iron-oxide surfaces with probe molecules (CCl4 and D2O). Comparisons of the reactivity of these surfaces towards CCl4, indicate that the presence of an uncapped surface Fe cation (strong Lewis acid site) and an adjacent oxygen site capped by that cation can effect the C-Cl bond cleavage in CCl4, resulting in dissociatively adsorbed Cl-adatoms and carbon-containing fragments. If in addition to these sites, an uncapped surface oxygen (Lewis base) site is also available, the carbon-containing moiety can then move that site, coordinate itself with that uncapped oxygen, and stabilize itself. At a later step, the carbon-containing fragment may form a strong covalent bond with the uncapped oxygen and may even abstract that surface oxygen. On the other hand, if an uncapped oxygen is not available to stabilize the carbon-containing fragment, the surface coordination will not occur and upon the subsequent thermal annealing of the surface the Cl-adatoms and the carbon-containing fragments will recombine and desorb as CCl4. Finally, the presence of surface deuteroxyls blocking the strong Lewis acid and base sites of the reactive surface, passivates this surface. Such a deuteroxylated surface will be unreactive towards CCl 4. Such a molecular level understanding of the surface chemistry of metal-oxides will have applications in the areas of selective catalysis, including environmental catalysis, and chemical sensor technology.

Molecular basis of Bcl-X(L-p53 interaction: insights from molecular dynamics simulations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nagakumar Bharatham

Full Text Available Bcl-X(L, an antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, plays a central role in the regulation of the apoptotic pathway. Heterodimerization of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins with the proapoptotic family members such as Bad, Bak, Bim and Bid is a crucial step in the apoptotic regulation. In addition to these conventional binding partners, recent evidences reveal that the Bcl-2 family proteins also interact with noncanonical binding partners such as p53. Our previous NMR studies showed that Bcl-X(L: BH3 peptide and Bcl-X(L: SN15 peptide (a peptide derived from residues S15-N29 of p53 complex structures share similar modes of bindings. To further elucidate the molecular basis of the interactions, here we have employed molecular dynamics simulations coupled with MM/PBSA approach. Bcl-X(L and other Bcl-2 family proteins have 4 hydrophobic pockets (p1-p4, which are occupied by four systematically spaced hydrophobic residues (h1-h4 of the proapoptotic Bad and Bak BH3 peptides. We observed that three conserved hydrophobic residues (F19, W23 and L26 of p53 (SN15 peptide anchor into three hydrophobic pockets (p2-p4 of Bcl-X(L in a similar manner as BH3 peptide. Our results provide insights into the novel molecular recognition by Bcl-X(L with p53.

Molecular Genetic Characterization of Mutagenesis Using a Highly Sensitive Single-Stranded DNA Reporter System in Budding Yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Kin

2018-01-01

Mutations are permanent alterations to the coding content of DNA. They are starting material for the Darwinian evolution of species by natural selection, which has yielded an amazing diversity of life on Earth. Mutations can also be the fundamental basis of serious human maladies, most notably cancers. In this chapter, I describe a highly sensitive reporter system for the molecular genetic analysis of mutagenesis, featuring controlled generation of long stretches of single-stranded DNA in budding yeast cells. This system is ~100- to ~1000-fold more susceptible to mutation than conventional double-stranded DNA reporters, and is well suited for generating large mutational datasets to investigate the properties of mutagens.

A Molecular Dynamics Study of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) Dispersed in Bile Salt Surfactants

Science.gov (United States)

Phelan, Frederick, Jr.; Sun, Huai

2014-03-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNCTs) are materials with structural, electronic and optical properties that make them attractive for a myriad of advanced technology applications. A practical barrier to their use is that SWCNT synthesis techniques produce heterogeneous mixtures of varying lengths and chirality, whereas applications generally require tubes with narrow size distributions and individual type. Most separation techniques currently in use to obtain monodisperse tube fractions rely on dispersion of these materials in aqueous solution using surfactants. The dispersion process results in a mixture of colloidal structures in which individual tubes are dispersed and contained in a surfactant shell. Understanding the structure and properties of the SWCNT-surfactant complex at the molecular level, and how this is affected by chirality, is key to understanding and improving separations processes. In this study, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the structure and properties of SWCNT-surfactant colloidal complexes. We tested a number of methods and protocols in order to build an accurate model for simulating SWCNT systems for a variety of bile salt surfactants as well as anionic co-surfactants, components that are widely used and important in experimental separation studies at NIST. The custom force field parameters used here will be stored in WebFF, a Web-hosted smart force-field repository for polymeric and organic materials being developed at NIST for the Materials Genome Initiative.

Molecular magnetism, status and perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Gatteschi, Dante; Bogani, Lapo; Cornia, Andrea; Mannini, Matteo; Sorace, Lorenzo; Sessoli, Roberta

2008-12-01

A short review is made of molecular magnetism, trying to discuss what is alive and well, with perspectives for the future. All the main fields of activity are mentioned, ranging from the so-called spin cross-over systems to the quest for organic (molecular) ferromagnets. Particular attention is devoted to some of the recent advances in these fields, highlighting also the opportunities for the development of applications. Low dimensional magnets are perhaps the best opportunity to use molecules, and the status of single-molecule and single chain magnets is discussed. The last part is devoted to the organization of magnetic molecules and to the development of techniques which allow to measure the magnetic properties of thin layers and, in perspective, of single molecules.

DNA-Based Single-Molecule Electronics: From Concept to Function

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Beyond being the repository of genetic information, DNA is playing an increasingly important role as a building block for molecular electronics. Its inherent structural and molecular recognition properties render it a leading candidate for molecular electronics applications. The structural stability, diversity and programmability of DNA provide overwhelming freedom for the design and fabrication of molecular-scale devices. In the past two decades DNA has therefore attracted inordinate amounts of attention in molecular electronics. This review gives a brief survey of recent experimental progress in DNA-based single-molecule electronics with special focus on single-molecule conductance and I–V characteristics of individual DNA molecules. Existing challenges and exciting future opportunities are also discussed. PMID:29342091

DNA-Based Single-Molecule Electronics: From Concept to Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kun

2018-01-17

Beyond being the repository of genetic information, DNA is playing an increasingly important role as a building block for molecular electronics. Its inherent structural and molecular recognition properties render it a leading candidate for molecular electronics applications. The structural stability, diversity and programmability of DNA provide overwhelming freedom for the design and fabrication of molecular-scale devices. In the past two decades DNA has therefore attracted inordinate amounts of attention in molecular electronics. This review gives a brief survey of recent experimental progress in DNA-based single-molecule electronics with special focus on single-molecule conductance and I-V characteristics of individual DNA molecules. Existing challenges and exciting future opportunities are also discussed.

Single-Molecule Interfacial Electron Transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, H. Peter [Bowling Green State Univ., Bowling Green, OH (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Center for Photochemical Sciences

2017-11-28

This project is focused on the use of single-molecule high spatial and temporal resolved techniques to study molecular dynamics in condensed phase and at interfaces, especially, the complex reaction dynamics associated with electron and energy transfer rate processes. The complexity and inhomogeneity of the interfacial ET dynamics often present a major challenge for a molecular level comprehension of the intrinsically complex systems, which calls for both higher spatial and temporal resolutions at ultimate single-molecule and single-particle sensitivities. Combined single-molecule spectroscopy and electrochemical atomic force microscopy approaches are unique for heterogeneous and complex interfacial electron transfer systems because the static and dynamic inhomogeneities can be identified and characterized by studying one molecule at a specific nanoscale surface site at a time. The goal of our project is to integrate and apply these spectroscopic imaging and topographic scanning techniques to measure the energy flow and electron flow between molecules and substrate surfaces as a function of surface site geometry and molecular structure. We have been primarily focusing on studying interfacial electron transfer under ambient condition and electrolyte solution involving both single crystal and colloidal TiO₂ and related substrates. The resulting molecular level understanding of the fundamental interfacial electron transfer processes will be important for developing efficient light harvesting systems and broadly applicable to problems in fundamental chemistry and physics. We have made significant advancement on deciphering the underlying mechanism of the complex and inhomogeneous interfacial electron transfer dynamics in dyesensitized TiO₂ nanoparticle systems that strongly involves with and regulated by molecule-surface interactions. We have studied interfacial electron transfer on TiO₂ nanoparticle surfaces by using ultrafast single

The importance of scale in Occupy movement protests: a case study of a local Occupy protest as a tool of communication through Public Relations and Social Media/La importancia de la magnitud de las protestas del movimiento Occupy: el caso de una protesta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Adi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available AbstractThis paper explores the persuasive communications (public relations and branding through social media of a micro Occupy event, namely a nine-day appearance of the global protest movement at Bournemouth University (BU, on the south coast of the UK. It reflects on how student and town protesters used digital and social media in comparison to the wider and more successful UK movement. It interviews the student leader, and asks questions about the role social networks like Occupii.org played in formulating communication strategies as well as how they integrated with more popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The conclusions coming from our micro case study suggest that without a supportive geographic and civic location; clear and focused messages, and robust strategic communication planning and execution, Occupy events will remain very small.ResumenEste artículo explora las comunicaciones persuasivas (relaciones públicas y branding a través de los medios de comunicación social de un minúsculo evento de Ocupación, la Ocupación de nueve días del campus de la Universidad de Bournemouth (BU, en la costa sur del Reino Unido. El articulo refleja cómo los ciudadanos y estudiantes manifestantes utilizan los medios digitales y sociales y los compara con el movimiento más amplio y exitoso de Ocupación en el Reino Unido. En este artículo se incluye la entrevista al líder estudiantil del movimiento, con preguntas sobre cómo el papel que redes sociales como Occupii.org han jugado en la formulación de estrategias de comunicación de ese grupo, y como el grupo integra sus comunicaciones con las plataformas sociales más populares como Facebook y Twitter. Las conclusiones de nuestro estudio sugieren que sin una ubicación geográfica favorable y cívica, sin mensajes claros y concretos, y sin una sólida y planificada estrategia de comunicación, las Ocupaciones se quedarán muy pequeñas.

Edge-on gating effect in molecular wires.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Wai-Yip; Bi, Wuguo; Li, Lianwei; Jung, In Hwan; Yu, Luping

2015-02-11

This work demonstrates edge-on chemical gating effect in molecular wires utilizing the pyridinoparacyclophane (PC) moiety as the gate. Different substituents with varied electronic demands are attached to the gate to simulate the effect of varying gating voltages similar to that in field-effect transistor (FET). It was observed that the orbital energy level and charge carrier's tunneling barriers can be tuned by changing the gating group from strong electron acceptors to strong electron donors. The single molecule conductance and current-voltage characteristics of this molecular system are truly similar to those expected for an actual single molecular transistor.

Occupied and unoccupied electronic structures of an L-cysteine film studied by core-absorption and resonant photoelectron spectroscopies

Science.gov (United States)

Kamada, M.; Hideshima, T.; Azuma, J.; Yamamoto, I.; Imamura, M.; Takahashi, K.

2016-04-01

Unoccupied and occupied electronic structures of an L-cysteine film have been studied by absorption and resonant photoelectron spectroscopies. Core absorptions at S-L, C-K, N-K, and O-K levels indicate that the lower unoccupied states are predominantly composed of oxygen-2p, carbon-2p, and sulfur-4s+3d orbitals, while higher unoccupied states may be attributed dominantly to nitrogen-np (n ≥ 3), oxygen-np (n ≥ 3), and sulfur-ns+md (n ≥ 4, m ≥ 3) orbitals. Resonant photoelectron spectra at S-L23 and O-K levels indicate that the highest occupied state is originated from sulfur-3sp orbitals, while oxygen-2sp orbitals contribute to the deeper valence states. The delocalization lifetimes of the oxygen-1s and sulfur-2p excited states are estimated from a core-hole clock method to be about 9 ± 1 and 125 ± 25 fs, respectively.

Occupied and unoccupied electronic structures of an L-cysteine film studied by core-absorption and resonant photoelectron spectroscopies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamada, M., E-mail: kamada@cc.saga-u.ac.jp; Hideshima, T.; Azuma, J.; Yamamoto, I.; Imamura, M.; Takahashi, K. [Synchrotron Light Application Center, Saga University, Honjo 1, Saga 840-8502 (Japan)

2016-04-15

Unoccupied and occupied electronic structures of an L-cysteine film have been studied by absorption and resonant photoelectron spectroscopies. Core absorptions at S-L, C-K, N-K, and O-K levels indicate that the lower unoccupied states are predominantly composed of oxygen-2p, carbon-2p, and sulfur-4s+3d orbitals, while higher unoccupied states may be attributed dominantly to nitrogen-np (n ≥ 3), oxygen-np (n ≥ 3), and sulfur-ns+md (n ≥ 4,  m ≥ 3) orbitals. Resonant photoelectron spectra at S-L{sub 23} and O-K levels indicate that the highest occupied state is originated from sulfur-3sp orbitals, while oxygen-2sp orbitals contribute to the deeper valence states. The delocalization lifetimes of the oxygen-1s and sulfur-2p excited states are estimated from a core-hole clock method to be about 9 ± 1 and 125 ± 25 fs, respectively.

Comparative magnetic resonance imaging of renal space-occupying lesions with a high and a low field MRI system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehl, H.B.; Lorch, H.; Amblank, O.B.M.; Engerhoff, B.; Weiss, H.D.

1998-01-01

Purpose: A prospective study of the diagnostic accuracy and image quality of two MRI systems in the detection of renal tumors was investigated. Materials and Methods: 34 patients with the clinical suspicion of a space-occupying renal lesion were examined by MRI with a low field (0.2 Tesla magnet) and a high field (1.5 Tesla magnet) for comparison. An 'informed' and a 'blind' observer evaluated all of the MR images. In addition, the signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios were evaluated as second quality parameters. Results: In 29 cases the results could be compared with a confirmed release diagnosis. Diagnostic accuracy was comparable with both systems (Sensitivity for both observer on LF apparatus: 83%, HF apparatus: 81%) although the signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios were significantly poorer at low field. Conclusions: The low field system in comparable to the high field MRI for detection and differentiation of renal space-occupying lesions. (orig.) [de

An exploratory study of the ways in which mothers keep their infants occupied

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Botha

1992-09-01

Full Text Available The mother child relationship can help or hinder the social, emotional and intellectual development of the infant. Research has shown that the interaction between mother and child can affect the child’s cognitive development. Research has shown that mothers from the lower socio-economic groups do not stimulate their babies optimally and that this may affect the children negatively. In this study 86 underprivileged mothers from two different cultural backgrounds were asked to describe the ways in which they kept their infants occupied during the first year of their infants’ lives. The differences between the two groups are discussed and recommendations are made.

Far-infrared spectroscopy of lanthanide-based molecular magnetic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haas, Sabrina

2015-05-13

This thesis demonstrates the applicability of far-infrared spectroscopy for the study of the crystal-field splitting of lanthanides in single-molecular magnetic materials. The far-infrared studies of three different kinds of single-molecular-magnetic materials, a single-ion magnet, a single-chain magnet and an exchange-coupled cluster, yielded a deeper understanding of the crystal-field splitting of the lanthanides in these materials. In addition, our results offered the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the relaxation processes of these materials.

Investigation on single carbon atom transporting through the single-walled carbon nanotube by MD simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Yinfeng; Zhang Zhibin; Ke Xuezhi; Zhu Zhiyuan; Zhu Dezhang; Wang Zhenxia; Xu Hongjie

2005-01-01

The single carbon atom transporting through the single-walled carbon nanotube has been studied by molecular-dynamics (MD) simulation. We got different trajectories of the carbon atom by changing the input parameters. The simulation results indicate that the single carbon atom with low energy can transport through the carbon nanotube under some input conditions and result in different trajectories being straight line or 'rosette' or circular. (authors)

Electron spectroscopy in the X-ray range for occupied and free levels and the application to transition metal silicides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Speier, W.

1988-03-01

Intermetallic compounds of transition metals are investigated by means of XPS, Bremsstrahlung Isochromate Spectroscopy and XAS. Occupied and free levels are characterized and moreover a systematic overview over the electronic structure of the transition element silicides is given. (BHO)

Molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma

OpenAIRE

Northcott, Paul A; Dubuc, Adrian M; Pfister, Stefan; Taylor, Michael D

2012-01-01

Recent efforts at stratifying medulloblastomas based on their molecular features have revolutionized our understanding of this morbidity. Collective efforts by multiple independent groups have subdivided medulloblastoma from a single disease into four distinct molecular subgroups characterized by disparate transcriptional signatures, mutational spectra, copy number profiles and, most importantly, clinical features. We present a summary of recent studies that have contributed to our understand...

Identification of single-copy orthologous genes between Physalis and Solanum lycopersicum and analysis of genetic diversity in Physalis using molecular markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jingli; Hu, Xiaorong; Yang, Jingjing; Yang, Wencai

2012-01-01

The genus Physalis includes a number of commercially important edible and ornamental species. Its high nutritional value and potential medicinal properties leads to the increased commercial interest in the products of this genus worldwide. However, lack of molecular markers prevents the detailed study of genetics and phylogeny in Physalis, which limits the progress of breeding. In the present study, we compared the DNA sequences between Physalis and tomato, and attempted to analyze genetic diversity in Physalis using tomato markers. Blasting 23180 DNA sequences derived from Physalis against the International Tomato Annotation Group (ITAG) Release2.3 Predicted CDS (SL2.40) discovered 3356 single-copy orthologous genes between them. A total of 38 accessions from at least six species of Physalis were subjected to genetic diversity analysis using 97 tomato markers and 25 SSR markers derived from P. peruviana. Majority (73.2%) of tomato markers could amplify DNA fragments from at least one accession of Physalis. Diversity in Physalis at molecular level was also detected. The average Nei's genetic distance between accessions was 0.3806 with a range of 0.2865 to 0.7091. These results indicated Physalis and tomato had similarity at both molecular marker and DNA sequence levels. Therefore, the molecular markers developed in tomato can be used in genetic study in Physalis.

Novel approaches for single molecule activation and detection

CERN Document Server

Benfenati, Fabio; Torre, Vincent

2014-01-01

How can we obtain tools able to process and exchange information at the molecular scale In order to do this, it is necessary to activate and detect single molecules under controlled conditions. This book focuses on the generation of biologically-inspired molecular devices. These devices are based on the developments of new photonic tools able to activate and stimulate single molecule machines. Additionally, new light sensitive molecules can be selectively activated by photonic tools. These technological innovations will provide a way to control activation of single light-sensitive molecules, a

Molecular dynamics study on heat transport from single-walled carbon nanotubes to Si substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Ya; Zhu, Jie, E-mail: zhujie@iet.cn; Tang, Da-Wei

2015-02-06

In this paper, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the heat transport between a vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) and Si substrate, to find out the influence of temperature and system sizes, including diameter and length of SWNT and measurements of substrate. Results revealed that high temperature hindered heat transport in SWNT itself but was a beneficial stimulus for heat transport at interface of SWNT and Si. Furthermore, the system sizes strongly affected the peaks in vibrational density of states of Si, which led to interfacial thermal conductance dependent on system sizes. - Highlights: • NEMD is performed to simulate the heat transport from SWNT to Si substrate. • We analyze both interfacial thermal conductance and thermal conductivity of SWNT. • High temperature is a beneficial stimulus for heat transport at the interface. • Interfacial thermal conductance strongly depends on the sizes of SWNT and substrate. • We calculate VDOS of C and Si atoms to analyze phonon couplings between them.

Engineering Molecular Immunity Against Plant Viruses

KAUST Repository

Zaidi, Syed Shan-e-Ali; Tashkandi, Manal; Mahfouz, Magdy M.

2017-01-01

Genomic engineering has been used to precisely alter eukaryotic genomes at the single-base level for targeted gene editing, replacement, fusion, and mutagenesis, and plant viruses such as Tobacco rattle virus have been developed into efficient vectors for delivering genome-engineering reagents. In addition to altering the host genome, these methods can target pathogens to engineer molecular immunity. Indeed, recent studies have shown that clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) systems that target the genomes of DNA viruses can interfere with viral activity and limit viral symptoms in planta, demonstrating the utility of this system for engineering molecular immunity in plants. CRISPR/Cas9 can efficiently target single and multiple viral infections and confer plant immunity. Here, we discuss the use of site-specific nucleases to engineer molecular immunity against DNA and RNA viruses in plants. We also explore how to address the potential challenges encountered when producing plants with engineered resistance to single and mixed viral infections.

Engineering Molecular Immunity Against Plant Viruses

KAUST Repository

Zaidi, Syed Shan-e-Ali

2017-04-26

Genomic engineering has been used to precisely alter eukaryotic genomes at the single-base level for targeted gene editing, replacement, fusion, and mutagenesis, and plant viruses such as Tobacco rattle virus have been developed into efficient vectors for delivering genome-engineering reagents. In addition to altering the host genome, these methods can target pathogens to engineer molecular immunity. Indeed, recent studies have shown that clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) systems that target the genomes of DNA viruses can interfere with viral activity and limit viral symptoms in planta, demonstrating the utility of this system for engineering molecular immunity in plants. CRISPR/Cas9 can efficiently target single and multiple viral infections and confer plant immunity. Here, we discuss the use of site-specific nucleases to engineer molecular immunity against DNA and RNA viruses in plants. We also explore how to address the potential challenges encountered when producing plants with engineered resistance to single and mixed viral infections.

Luminescence studies of molecular materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, P.F.

2000-01-01

Molecular materials have been widely studied for their potential uses in novel semiconductor devices. They occupy the intellectually interesting area between molecular and bulk descriptions of matter, and as such often have unique and useful characteristics. The design and engineering of these structures is inter-disciplinary in its nature, embracing the fields of physics, electrical engineering and both synthetic and physical chemistry. In this thesis luminescence studies of molecular materials will be presented that probe the nature of the excited states in two promising semiconductor systems. Luminescence techniques provide a powerful and sensitive tool in the investigation of kinetic pathways of radiative and non-radiative emission from these samples. This is particularly appropriate here, as the materials being studied are of potential use in electroluminescent devices. The suitability of photoluminescence techniques comes from both the electroluminescence and photoluminescence sharing the same emitting state. The first class of material studied here is an organic semiconducting polymer, cyano-substituted polyphenylenevinylene (CN-PPV). Conjugated polymers combine semiconducting electronic properties with favourable processing properties and offer the possibility of tuning their optical and electronic properties chemically. The cyanosubstitution increases the electron affinity of the polymer backbone, facilitating electron injection in light-emitting diodes. The polymers are soluble in solvents such as toluene and chloroform due the presence of alkoxy sidegroups. CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals are the other class of material characterised in this work. Semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit interesting size-tunable optical properties due to the confinement of the electronic wave functions. Characterisation of samples produced by different synthetic routes has been carried out to demonstrate the advantages of a novel synthetic method in terms of physical and

Co-occurring Synechococcus ecotypes occupy four major oceanic regimes defined by temperature, macronutrients and iron.

Science.gov (United States)

Sohm, Jill A; Ahlgren, Nathan A; Thomson, Zachary J; Williams, Cheryl; Moffett, James W; Saito, Mak A; Webb, Eric A; Rocap, Gabrielle

2016-02-01

Marine picocyanobacteria, comprised of the genera Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, are the most abundant and widespread primary producers in the ocean. More than 20 genetically distinct clades of marine Synechococcus have been identified, but their physiology and biogeography are not as thoroughly characterized as those of Prochlorococcus. Using clade-specific qPCR primers, we measured the abundance of 10 Synechococcus clades at 92 locations in surface waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We found that Synechococcus partition the ocean into four distinct regimes distinguished by temperature, macronutrients and iron availability. Clades I and IV were prevalent in colder, mesotrophic waters; clades II, III and X dominated in the warm, oligotrophic open ocean; clades CRD1 and CRD2 were restricted to sites with low iron availability; and clades XV and XVI were only found in transitional waters at the edges of the other biomes. Overall, clade II was the most ubiquitous clade investigated and was the dominant clade in the largest biome, the oligotrophic open ocean. Co-occurring clades that occupy the same regime belong to distinct evolutionary lineages within Synechococcus, indicating that multiple ecotypes have evolved independently to occupy similar niches and represent examples of parallel evolution. We speculate that parallel evolution of ecotypes may be a common feature of diverse marine microbial communities that contributes to functional redundancy and the potential for resiliency.

Nanogap Electrodes towards Solid State Single-Molecule Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Ajuan; Dong, Huanli; Hu, Wenping

2015-12-01

With the establishment of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-based integrated circuit technology, it has become more difficult to follow Moore's law to further downscale the size of electronic components. Devices based on various nanostructures were constructed to continue the trend in the minimization of electronics, and molecular devices are among the most promising candidates. Compared with other candidates, molecular devices show unique superiorities, and intensive studies on molecular devices have been carried out both experimentally and theoretically at the present time. Compared to two-terminal molecular devices, three-terminal devices, namely single-molecule transistors, show unique advantages both in fundamental research and application and are considered to be an essential part of integrated circuits based on molecular devices. However, it is very difficult to construct them using the traditional microfabrication techniques directly, thus new fabrication strategies are developed. This review aims to provide an exclusive way of manufacturing solid state gated nanogap electrodes, the foundation of constructing transistors of single or a few molecules. Such single-molecule transistors have the potential to be used to build integrated circuits. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Handbook of Single-Molecule Biophysics

CERN Document Server

Hinterdorfer, Peter

2009-01-01

The last decade has seen the development of a number of novel biophysical methods that allow the manipulation and study of individual biomolecules. The ability to monitor biological processes at this fundamental level of sensitivity has given rise to an improved understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. Through the removal of ensemble averaging, distributions and fluctuations of molecular properties can be characterized, transient intermediates identified, and catalytic mechanisms elucidated. By applying forces on biomolecules while monitoring their activity, important information can be obtained on how proteins couple function to structure. The Handbook of Single-Molecule Biophysics provides an introduction to these techniques and presents an extensive discussion of the new biological insights obtained from them. Coverage includes: Experimental techniques to monitor and manipulate individual biomolecules The use of single-molecule techniques in super-resolution and functional imaging Single-molec...

Light and Redox Switchable Molecular Components for Molecular Electronics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Browne, Wesley R.; Feringa, Bernard

2010-01-01

The field of molecular and organic electronics has seen rapid progress in recent years, developing from concept and design to actual demonstration devices in which both single molecules and self-assembled monolayers are employed as light-responsive components. Research in this field has seen

Standardized technique for single port laparoscopic ileostomy and colostomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, A; Moftah, M; Hadi Nahar Al-Furaji, H; Cahill, R A

2014-07-01

Single site laparoscopic techniques and technology exploit maximum usefulness from confined incisions. The formation of an ileostomy or colostomy seems very applicable for this modality as the stoma occupies the solitary incision obviating any additional wounds. Here we detail the principles of our approach to defunctioning loop stoma formation using single port laparoscopic access in a stepwise and standardized fashion along with the salient specifics of five illustrative patients. No specialized instrumentation is required and the single access platform is established table-side using the 'glove port' technique. The approach has the intra-operative advantage of excellent visualization of the correct intestinal segment for exteriorization along with direct visual control of its extraction to avoid twisting. Postoperatively, abdominal wall trauma has been minimal allowing convalescence and stoma care education with only one parietal incision. Single incision stoma siting proves a ready, robust and reliable technique for diversion ileostomy and colostomy with a minimum of operative trauma for the patient. Colorectal Disease © 2014 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Transport mirages in single-molecule devices

Science.gov (United States)

Gaudenzi, R.; Misiorny, M.; Burzurí, E.; Wegewijs, M. R.; van der Zant, H. S. J.

2017-03-01

Molecular systems can exhibit a complex, chemically tailorable inner structure which allows for targeting of specific mechanical, electronic, and optical properties. At the single-molecule level, two major complementary ways to explore these properties are molecular quantum-dot structures and scanning probes. This article outlines comprehensive principles of electron-transport spectroscopy relevant to both these approaches and presents a new, high-resolution experiment on a high-spin single-molecule junction exemplifying these principles. Such spectroscopy plays a key role in further advancing our understanding of molecular and atomic systems, in particular, the relaxation of their spin. In this joint experimental and theoretical analysis, particular focus is put on the crossover between the resonant regime [single-electron tunneling] and the off-resonant regime [inelastic electron (co)tunneling spectroscopy (IETS)]. We show that the interplay of these two processes leads to unexpected mirages of resonances not captured by either of the two pictures alone. Although this turns out to be important in a large fraction of the possible regimes of level positions and bias voltages, it has been given little attention in molecular transport studies. Combined with nonequilibrium IETS—four-electron pump-probe excitations—these mirages provide crucial information on the relaxation of spin excitations. Our encompassing physical picture is supported by a master-equation approach that goes beyond weak coupling. The present work encourages the development of a broader connection between the fields of molecular quantum-dot and scanning probe spectroscopy.

Single Molecules as Optical Probes for Structure and Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Orrit, Michel

Single molecules and single nanoparticles are convenient links between the nanoscale world and the laboratory. We discuss the limits for their optical detection by three different methods: fluorescence, direct absorption, and photothermal detection. We briefly review some recent illustrations of qualitatively new information gathered from single-molecule signals: intermittency of the fluorescence intensity, acoustic vibrations of nanoparticles (1-100 GHz) or of extended defects in molecular crystals (0.1-1 MHz), and dynamical heterogeneity in glass-forming molecular liquids. We conclude with an outlook of future uses of single-molecule methods in physical chemistry, soft matter, and material science.

Insights into structural features of HDAC1 and its selectivity inhibition elucidated by Molecular dynamic simulation and Molecular Docking.

Science.gov (United States)

Sixto-López, Yudibeth; Bello, Martiniano; Correa-Basurto, José

2018-03-06

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of proteins whose main function is the removal of acetyl groups from lysine residues located on histone and non-histone substrates, which regulates gene transcription and other activities in cells. HDAC1 dysfunction has been implicated in cancer development and progression; thus, its inhibition has emerged as a new therapeutic strategy. Two additional metal binding sites (Site 1 and Site 2) in HDACs have been described that are primarily occupied by potassium ions, suggesting a possible structural role that affects HDAC activity. In this work, we explored the structural role of potassium ions in Site 1 and Site 2 and how they affect the interactions of compounds with high affinities for HDAC1 (AC1OCG0B, Chlamydocin, Dacinostat and Quisinostat) and SAHA (a pan-inhibitor) using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in concert with a Molecular-Mechanics-Generalized-Born-Surface-Area (MMGBSA) approach. Four models were generated: one with a potassium ion (K + ) in both sites (HDAC1 k ), a second with K + only at site 1 (HDAC1 ks1 ), a third with K + only at site 2 (HDAC1 ks2 ) and a fourth with no K + (HDAC1 wk ). We found that the presence or absence of K + not only impacted the structural flexibility of HDAC1, but also its molecular recognition, consistent with experimental findings. These results could therefore be useful for further structure-based drug design studies addressing new HDAC1 inhibitors.

Solid-state molecular organometallic chemistry. Single-crystal to single-crystal reactivity and catalysis with light hydrocarbon substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Chadwick, F Mark; McKay, Alasdair I; Martinez-Martinez, Antonio J; Rees, Nicholas H; Krämer, Tobias; Macgregor, Stuart A; Weller, Andrew S

2017-08-01

0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 1111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 CHCD 3 , using [Rh(Cy 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PCy 2 )(η 2 η 2 -NBA)][BAr F 4 ] scrambles the D-label into all possible positions of the propene, as shown by isotopic perturbation of equilibrium measurements for the agostic interaction. Periodic DFT calculations show a low barrier to H/D exchange (10.9 kcal mol -1 , PBE-D3 level), and GIPAW chemical shift calculations guide the assignment of the experimental data. When synthesized using solution routes a bis-propene complex, [Rh(Cy 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PCy 2 )(propene) 2 ][BAr F 4 ] , is formed. [Rh(Cy 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PCy 2 )(butene)][BAr F 4 ] ( x = 1) is characterized as having 2-butene bound as the cis -isomer and a single Rh···H 3 C agostic interaction. In the solid-state two low-energy fluxional processes are proposed. The first is a simple libration of the 2-butene that exchanges the agostic interaction, and the second is a butene isomerization process that proceeds via an allyl-hydride intermediate with a low computed barrier of 14.5 kcal mol -1 . [Rh(Cy 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PCy 2 )(η 2 η 2 -NBA)][BAr F 4 ] and the polymorphs of [Rh(Cy 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PCy 2 )(ethene) 2 ][BAr F 4 ] are shown to be effective in solid-state molecular organometallic catalysis (SMOM-Cat) for the isomerization of 1-butene to a mixture of cis - and trans -2-butene at 298 K and 1 atm, and studies suggest that catalysis is likely dominated by surface-active species. [Rh(Cy 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PCy 2 )(η 2 η 2 -NBA

Wigglers and single-particle dynamics in the NLC damping rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venturini, Marco; Wolski, Andrzej; Dragt, Alex

2003-01-01

Wiggler insertions are expected to occupy a significant portion of the lattice of the Next Linear Collider (NLC) Main Damping Rings (MDR) and have a noticeable impact on the single-particle beam dynamics. Starting from a realistic 3D representation of the magnetic fields we calculate the transfer maps for the wigglers, accounting for linear and nonlinear effects, and we study the beam dynamics with particular attention paid to the Dynamic Aperture(DA). A DA reduction is observed but appears to remain within acceptable limits

Calibration of denaturing agarose gels for molecular weight estimation of DNA: size determination of the single-stranded genomes of parvoviruses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Snyder, C.E. (Oak Ridge National Lab., TN); Schmoyer, R.L.; Bates, R.C.; Mitra, S.

1982-01-01

Vertical slab gel electrophoresis of DNA with CH/sub 3/HgOH-containing agarose produces sharp bands whose mobilities are suitable for size estimation of single-stranded DNA containing 600 to 20,000 bases. The relationship of electrophoretic mobility to size of DNA over this range is a smooth, S-shaped function, and an empirical model was developed to express the relationship. The model involves terms in squared and reciprocal mobilities, and produced excellent fit of known standard markers to measured mobilities. It was used to estimate the sizes of six parvovirus DNAs: Kilham rat virus (KRV), H-1, LuIII, and minute virus of mice (MVM) DNAs had molecular weights of 1.66 to 1.70 x 10/sup 6/, while the molecular weight of bovine parvovirus (BPV) DNA was 1.84 x 10/sup 6/ and that of adenoassociated virus (AAV) DNA was 1.52 x 10/sup 6/.

Investigation on Single-Molecule Junctions Based on Current–Voltage Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuji Isshiki

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The relationship between the current through an electronic device and the voltage across its terminals is a current–voltage characteristic (I–V that determine basic device performance. Currently, I–V measurement on a single-molecule scale can be performed using break junction technique, where a single molecule junction can be prepared by trapping a single molecule into a nanogap between metal electrodes. The single-molecule I–Vs provide not only the device performance, but also reflect information on energy dispersion of the electronic state and the electron-molecular vibration coupling in the junction. This mini review focuses on recent representative studies on I–Vs of the single molecule junctions that cover investigation on the single-molecule diode property, the molecular vibration, and the electronic structure as a form of transmission probability, and electronic density of states, including the spin state of the single-molecule junctions. In addition, thermoelectronic measurements based on I–Vs and identification of the charged carriers (i.e., electrons or holes are presented. The analysis in the single-molecule I–Vs provides fundamental and essential information for a better understanding of the single-molecule science, and puts the single molecule junction to more practical use in molecular devices.

A molecular-mechanics based finite element model for strength prediction of single wall carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meo, M.; Rossi, M.

2007-01-01

The aim of this work was to develop a finite element model based on molecular mechanics to predict the ultimate strength and strain of single wallet carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). The interactions between atoms was modelled by combining the use of non-linear elastic and torsional elastic spring. In particular, with this approach, it was tried to combine the molecular mechanics approach with finite element method without providing any not-physical data on the interactions between the carbon atoms, i.e. the CC-bond inertia moment or Young's modulus definition. Mechanical properties as Young's modulus, ultimate strength and strain for several CNTs were calculated. Further, a stress-strain curve for large deformation (up to 70%) is reported for a nanotube Zig-Zag (9,0). The results showed that good agreement with the experimental and numerical results of several authors was obtained. A comparison of the mechanical properties of nanotubes with same diameter and different chirality was carried out. Finally, the influence of the presence of defects on the strength and strain of a SWNT was also evaluated. In particular, the stress-strain curve a nanotube with one-vacancy defect was evaluated and compared with the curve of a pristine one, showing a reduction of the ultimate strength and strain for the defected nanotube. The FE model proposed demonstrate to be a reliable tool to simulate mechanical behaviour of carbon nanotubes both in the linear elastic field and the non-linear elastic field

Molecular selectivity of graphene-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shengxi; Ling, Xi; Liang, Liangbo; Song, Yi; Fang, Wenjing; Zhang, Jin; Kong, Jing; Meunier, Vincent; Dresselhaus, Mildred S

2015-05-13

Graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS) is a recently discovered Raman enhancement phenomenon that uses graphene as the substrate for Raman enhancement and can produce clean and reproducible Raman signals of molecules with increased signal intensity. Compared to conventional Raman enhancement techniques, such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS), in which the Raman enhancement is essentially due to the electromagnetic mechanism, GERS mainly relies on a chemical mechanism and therefore shows unique molecular selectivity. In this paper, we report graphene-enhanced Raman scattering of a variety of different molecules with different molecular properties. We report a strong molecular selectivity for the GERS effect with enhancement factors varying by as much as 2 orders of magnitude for different molecules. Selection rules are discussed with reference to two main features of the molecule, namely its molecular energy levels and molecular structures. In particular, the enhancement factor involving molecular energy levels requires the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies to be within a suitable range with respect to graphene's Fermi level, and this enhancement effect can be explained by the time-dependent perturbation theory of Raman scattering. The enhancement factor involving the choice of molecular structures indicates that molecular symmetry and substituents similar to that of the graphene structure are found to be favorable for GERS enhancement. The effectiveness of these factors can be explained by group theory and the charge-transfer interaction between molecules and graphene. Both factors, involving the molecular energy levels and structural symmetry of the molecules, suggest that a remarkable GERS enhancement requires strong molecule-graphene coupling and thus effective charge transfer between the molecules and graphene. These conclusions are further

Automated Construction of Molecular Active Spaces from Atomic Valence Orbitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayfutyarova, Elvira R; Sun, Qiming; Chan, Garnet Kin-Lic; Knizia, Gerald

2017-09-12

We introduce the atomic valence active space (AVAS), a simple and well-defined automated technique for constructing active orbital spaces for use in multiconfiguration and multireference (MR) electronic structure calculations. Concretely, the technique constructs active molecular orbitals capable of describing all relevant electronic configurations emerging from a targeted set of atomic valence orbitals (e.g., the metal d orbitals in a coordination complex). This is achieved via a linear transformation of the occupied and unoccupied orbital spaces from an easily obtainable single-reference wave function (such as from a Hartree-Fock or Kohn-Sham calculations) based on projectors to targeted atomic valence orbitals. We discuss the premises, theory, and implementation of the idea, and several of its variations are tested. To investigate the performance and accuracy, we calculate the excitation energies for various transition-metal complexes in typical application scenarios. Additionally, we follow the homolytic bond breaking process of a Fenton reaction along its reaction coordinate. While the described AVAS technique is not a universal solution to the active space problem, its premises are fulfilled in many application scenarios of transition-metal chemistry and bond dissociation processes. In these cases the technique makes MR calculations easier to execute, easier to reproduce by any user, and simplifies the determination of the appropriate size of the active space required for accurate results.

Multiplexed single-molecule force spectroscopy using a centrifuge.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Darren; Ward, Andrew; Halvorsen, Ken; Wong, Wesley P

2016-03-17

We present a miniature centrifuge force microscope (CFM) that repurposes a benchtop centrifuge for high-throughput single-molecule experiments with high-resolution particle tracking, a large force range, temperature control and simple push-button operation. Incorporating DNA nanoswitches to enable repeated interrogation by force of single molecular pairs, we demonstrate increased throughput, reliability and the ability to characterize population heterogeneity. We perform spatiotemporally multiplexed experiments to collect 1,863 bond rupture statistics from 538 traceable molecular pairs in a single experiment, and show that 2 populations of DNA zippers can be distinguished using per-molecule statistics to reduce noise.

Neurons of the dentate molecular layer in the rabbit hippocampus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco J Sancho-Bielsa

Full Text Available The molecular layer of the dentate gyrus appears as the main entrance gate for information into the hippocampus, i.e., where the perforant path axons from the entorhinal cortex synapse onto the spines and dendrites of granule cells. A few dispersed neuronal somata appear intermingled in between and probably control the flow of information in this area. In rabbits, the number of neurons in the molecular layer increases in the first week of postnatal life and then stabilizes to appear permanent and heterogeneous over the individuals' life span, including old animals. By means of Golgi impregnations, NADPH histochemistry, immunocytochemical stainings and intracellular labelings (lucifer yellow and biocytin injections, eight neuronal morphological types have been detected in the molecular layer of developing adult and old rabbits. Six of them appear as interneurons displaying smooth dendrites and GABA immunoreactivity: those here called as globoid, vertical, small horizontal, large horizontal, inverted pyramidal and polymorphic. Additionally there are two GABA negative types: the sarmentous and ectopic granular neurons. The distribution of the somata and dendritic trees of these neurons shows preferences for a definite sublayer of the molecular layer: small horizontal, sarmentous and inverted pyramidal neurons are preferably found in the outer third of the molecular layer; vertical, globoid and polymorph neurons locate the intermediate third, while large horizontal and ectopic granular neurons occupy the inner third or the juxtagranular molecular layer. Our results reveal substantial differences in the morphology and electrophysiological behaviour between each neuronal archetype in the dentate molecular layer, allowing us to propose a new classification for this neural population.

Single Cell Oncogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xin

It is believed that cancer originates from a single cell that has gone through generations of evolution of genetic and epigenetic changes that associate with the hallmarks of cancer. In some cancers such as various types of leukemia, cancer is clonal. Yet in other cancers like glioblastoma (GBM), there is tremendous tumor heterogeneity that is likely to be caused by simultaneous evolution of multiple subclones within the same tissue. It is obvious that understanding how a single cell develops into a clonal tumor upon genetic alterations, at molecular and cellular levels, holds the key to the real appreciation of tumor etiology and ultimate solution for therapeutics. Surprisingly very little is known about the process of spontaneous tumorigenesis from single cells in human or vertebrate animal models. The main reason is the lack of technology to track the natural process of single cell changes from a homeostatic state to a progressively cancerous state. Recently, we developed a patented compound, photoactivatable (''caged'') tamoxifen analogue 4-OHC and associated technique called optochemogenetic switch (OCG switch), which we believe opens the opportunity to address this urgent biological as well as clinical question about cancer. We propose to combine OCG switch with genetically engineered mouse models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and high grade astrocytoma (including GBM) to study how single cells, when transformed through acute loss of tumor suppressor genes PTEN and TP53 and gain of oncogenic KRAS, can develop into tumor colonies with cellular and molecular heterogeneity in these tissues. The abstract is for my invited talk in session ``Beyond Darwin: Evolution in Single Cells'' 3/18/2016 11:15 AM.

Charge Transport Processes in Molecular Junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Christopher Eugene

Molecular electronics (ME) has evolved into a rich area of exploration that combines the fields of chemistry, materials, electronic engineering and computational modeling to explore the physics behind electronic conduction at the molecular level. Through studying charge transport properties of single molecules and nanoscale molecular materials the field has gained the potential to bring about new avenues for the miniaturization of electrical components where quantum phenomena are utilized to achieve solid state molecular device functionality. Molecular junctions are platforms that enable these studies and consist of a single molecule or a small group of molecules directly connected to electrodes. The work presented in this thesis has built upon the current understanding of the mechanisms of charge transport in ordered junctions using self-assembled monolayer (SAM) molecular thin films. Donor and acceptor compounds were synthesized and incorporated into SAMs grown on metal substrates then the transport properties were measured with conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM). In addition to experimentally measured current-voltage (I-V) curves, the transport properties were addressed computationally and modeled theoretically. The key objectives of this project were to 1) investigate the impact of molecular structure on hole and electron charge transport, 2) understand the nature of the charge carriers and their structure-transport properties through long (chemically gated to modulate the transport. These results help advance our understanding of transport behavior in semiconducting molecular thin films, and open opportunities to engineer improved electronic functionality into molecular devices.

Nucleon molecular orbitals and the transition mechanism between molecular orbitals in nucleus-nucleus collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imanishi, B.; Misono, S.; von Oertzen, W.; Voit, H.

1988-08-01

The molecular orbitals of the nucleon(s) in nucleus-nucleus collisions are dynamically defined as a linear combination of nucleon single-particle orbits (LCNO) in a rotating frame by using the coupled-reaction-channel (CRC) theory. Nucleon molecular orbitals and the promotions of nucleon, - especially due to the Landau-Zener radial coupling are discussed with the method above mentioned. (author)

Identification of single-copy orthologous genes between Physalis and Solanum lycopersicum and analysis of genetic diversity in Physalis using molecular markers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingli Wei

Full Text Available The genus Physalis includes a number of commercially important edible and ornamental species. Its high nutritional value and potential medicinal properties leads to the increased commercial interest in the products of this genus worldwide. However, lack of molecular markers prevents the detailed study of genetics and phylogeny in Physalis, which limits the progress of breeding. In the present study, we compared the DNA sequences between Physalis and tomato, and attempted to analyze genetic diversity in Physalis using tomato markers. Blasting 23180 DNA sequences derived from Physalis against the International Tomato Annotation Group (ITAG Release2.3 Predicted CDS (SL2.40 discovered 3356 single-copy orthologous genes between them. A total of 38 accessions from at least six species of Physalis were subjected to genetic diversity analysis using 97 tomato markers and 25 SSR markers derived from P. peruviana. Majority (73.2% of tomato markers could amplify DNA fragments from at least one accession of Physalis. Diversity in Physalis at molecular level was also detected. The average Nei's genetic distance between accessions was 0.3806 with a range of 0.2865 to 0.7091. These results indicated Physalis and tomato had similarity at both molecular marker and DNA sequence levels. Therefore, the molecular markers developed in tomato can be used in genetic study in Physalis.

Synthesis, crystal growth and characterization of bioactive material: 2- Amino-1H-benzimidazolium pyridine-3-carboxylate single crystal- a proton transfer molecular complex

Science.gov (United States)

Fathima, K. Saiadali; Kavitha, P.; Anitha, K.

2017-09-01

The 1:1 molecular adducts 2- Amino-1H-benzimidazolium pyridine-3-carboxylate (2ABPC) was synthesized and grown as single crystal where 2-aminobenzimidazole (ABI) acts as a donor and nicotinic acid (NA) acts as an acceptor. The presence of proton and carbon were predicted using 1H and 13C NMR spectral analysis. The molecular structure of the crystal was elucidated by subjecting the grown crystals to the single crystal x-ray diffraction analysis and was refined by full matrix least-squares method to R = 0.038 for 2469 reflections. The vibrational modes of functional group have been studied using FTIR and Raman spectroscopic analysis. The UV-Vis spectrum exhibited a visible band at 246 nm for 2ABPC due to the nicotinate anion of the molecule. Further, the antimicrobial activity of 2ABPC complex against B. subtilis, klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas eruginos and E. coli pathogens was investigated. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for this crystal was obtained using UV spectrometer against MRSA pathogen. It was found that the benzimidazole with aminogroup at position 2 increases the general antimicrobial activities of 2ABPC crystal.

Picturing anti-Semitism in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands : Anti-Jewish Stereotyping in a racist Second World War Comic Strip

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ribbens, Kees

In 1942, the Dutch weekly magazine Volk en Vaderland, which propagated the political opinions of the Dutch National Socialists in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, published a comic strip, “Rare, maar ware commentaren” (Odd, but true comments). In it, the illustrator, Peter Beekman (1911–1959) depicted

Molecular dynamics study on the evolution of interfacial dislocation network and mechanical properties of Ni-based single crystal superalloys

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nan-Lin; Wu, Wen-Ping; Nie, Kai

2018-05-01

The evolution of misfit dislocation network at γ /γ‧ phase interface and tensile mechanical properties of Ni-based single crystal superalloys at various temperatures and strain rates are studied by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. From the simulations, it is found that with the increase of loading, the dislocation network effectively inhibits dislocations emitted in the γ matrix cutting into the γ‧ phase and absorbs the matrix dislocations to strengthen itself which increases the stability of structure. Under the influence of the temperature, the initial mosaic structure of dislocation network gradually becomes irregular, and the initial misfit stress and the elastic modulus slowly decline as temperature increasing. On the other hand, with the increase of the strain rate, it almost has no effect on the elastic modulus and the way of evolution of dislocation network, but contributes to the increases of the yield stress and tensile strength. Moreover, tension-compression asymmetry of Ni-based single crystal superalloys is also presented based on MD simulations.

On the Wrapping of Polyglycolide, Poly(Ethylene Oxide), and Polyketone Polymer Chains Around Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Rouhi, S.; Alizadeh, Y.; Ansari, R.

2015-02-01

By using molecular dynamics simulations, the interaction between a single-walled carbon nanotube and three different polymers has been studied in this work. The effects of various parameters such as the nanotube geometry and temperature on the interaction energy and radius of gyration of polymers have been explored. By studying the snapshots of polymers along the single-walled carbon nanotube, it has been shown that 50 ps can be considered as a suitable time after which the shape of polymer chains around the nanotube remains almost unchanged. It is revealed that the effect of temperature on the interaction energy and radius of gyration of polymers in the range of 250 to 500 K is not significant Also, it is shown that the interaction energy depends on the nanotube diameter.

Molecular Basis for the Neutralization of Tumor Necrosis Factor α by Certolizumab Pegol in the Treatment of Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jee Un Lee

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Monoclonal antibodies against TNFα, including infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab, and certolizumab pegol, are widely used for the treatment of the inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Recently, the crystal structures of TNFα, in complex with the Fab fragments of infliximab and adalimumab, have revealed the molecular mechanisms of these antibody drugs. Here, we report the crystal structure of TNFα in complex with the Fab fragment of certolizumab pegol to clarify the precise antigen-antibody interactions and the structural basis for the neutralization of TNFα by this therapeutic antibody. The structural analysis and the mutagenesis study revealed that the epitope is limited to a single protomer of the TNFα trimer. Additionally, the DE loop and the GH loop of TNFα play critical roles in the interaction with certolizumab, suggesting that this drug exerts its effects by partially occupying the receptor binding site of TNFα. In addition, a conformational change of the DE loop was induced by certolizumab binding, thereby interrupting the TNFα-receptor interaction. A comprehensive comparison of the interactions of TNFα blockers with TNFα revealed the epitope diversity on the surface of TNFα, providing a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of TNFα blockers. The accumulation of these structural studies can provide a basis for the improvement of therapeutic antibodies against TNFα.

Ultrastructural and molecular characterization of Glugea serranus n. sp., a microsporidian infecting the blacktail comber, Serranus atricauda (Teleostei: Serranidae), in the Madeira Archipelago (Portugal).

Science.gov (United States)

Casal, Graça; Rocha, Sónia; Costa, Graça; Al-Quraishy, Saleh; Azevedo, Carlos

2016-10-01

A new microsporidian infecting the connective tissue of the coelomic cavity of the blacktail comber Serranus atricauda, in the Madeira Archipelago (Portugal), is described on the basis of morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular features. The microsporidian formed large whitish xenomas adhering to the peritoneal visceral organs of the host. Each xenoma consisted of a single hypertrophic cell, in the cytoplasm of which mature spores proliferated within parasitophorous vacuoles surrounded by numerous collagen fibers. Mature spores were ellipsoidal and uninucleated, measuring an average of 6.5 ± 0.5 μm in length and 3.4 ± 0.6 μm in width. The anchoring disk of the polar filament was subterminal, laterally shifted from the anterior pole of the spore. The isofilar polar filament coiled in 18-19 turns, forming two rows that surrounded the posterior vacuole. The latter occupied about one third of the spore length. The polaroplast surrounding the apical and uncoiled portion of the polar filament displayed two distinct regions: a lamellar region and an electron-dense globule. Molecular analysis of the rRNA genes, including the internal transcribed spacer region, and phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and neighbor joining demonstrated that this microsporidian parasite clustered with some Glugea species. Based on the differences found both at the morphological and molecular levels, to other members of the genus Glugea, the microsporidian infecting the blacktail comber is considered a new species, thus named Glugea serranus n. sp.

Amorphous molecular junctions produced by ion irradiation on carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhenxia; Yu Liping; Zhang Wei; Ding Yinfeng; Li Yulan; Han Jiaguang; Zhu Zhiyuan; Xu Hongjie; He Guowei; Chen Yi; Hu Gang

2004-01-01

Experiments and molecular dynamics have demonstrated that electron irradiation could create molecular junctions between crossed single-wall carbon nanotubes. Recently molecular dynamics computation predicted that ion irradiation could also join single-walled carbon nanotubes. Employing carbon ion irradiation on multi-walled carbon nanotubes, we find that these nanotubes evolve into amorphous carbon nanowires, more importantly, during the process of which various molecular junctions of amorphous nanowires are formed by welding from crossed carbon nanotubes. It demonstrates that ion-beam irradiation could be an effective way not only for the welding of nanotubes but also for the formation of nanowire junctions

Single beam pass migmacell method and apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maglich, B.C.; Nering, J.E.; Mazarakis, M.G.; Miller, R.A.

1976-01-01

The invention provides improvements in migmacell apparatus and method by dispensing with the need for metastable confinement of injected molecular ions for multiple precession periods. Injected molecular ions undergo a 'single pass' through the reaction volume. By preconditioning the injected beam such that it contains a population distribution of molecules in higher vibrational states than in the case of a normal distribution, injected molecules in the single pass exper-ience collisionless dissociation in the migmacell under magnetic influence, i.e., so-called Lorentz dissociation. Dissociationions then form atomic migma

Single molecules and nanotechnology

CERN Document Server

Vogel, Horst

2007-01-01

This book focuses on recent advances in the rapidly evolving field of single molecule research. These advances are of importance for the investigation of biopolymers and cellular biochemical reactions, and are essential to the development of quantitative biology. Written by leading experts in the field, the articles cover a broad range of topics, including: quantum photonics of organic dyes and inorganic nanoparticles their use in detecting properties of single molecules the monitoring of single molecule (enzymatic) reactions single protein (un)folding in nanometer-sized confined volumes the dynamics of molecular interactions in biological cells The book is written for advanced students and scientists who wish to survey the concepts, techniques and results of single molecule research and assess them for their own scientific activities.

Crucial role of molecular planarity on the second order nonlinear optical property of pyridine based chalcone single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, Anthoni Praveen; Jayarama, A.; Ng, Seik Weng

2015-05-01

An efficient nonlinear optical material 2E-3-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(pyridin-3-yl) prop-2-en-1-one (BPP) was synthesized and single crystals were grown using slow evaporation solution growth technique at room temperature. Grown crystal had prismatic morphology and its structure was confirmed by various spectroscopic studies, elemental analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The single crystal XRD of the crystal showed that BPP crystallizes in monoclinic system with noncentrosymmetric space group P21 and the cell parameters are a = 5.6428(7) Å, b = 3.8637(6) Å, c = 26.411(2) Å, β = 97.568(11) deg and v = 575.82(12) Å3. The UV-Visible spectrum reveals that the crystal is optically transparent and has high optical energy band gap of 3.1 eV. The powder second harmonic generation efficiency (SHG) of BPP is 6.8 times that of KDP. From thermal analysis it is found that the crystal melts at 139 °C and decomposes at 264 °C. High optical transparency down to blue region, higher powder SHG efficiency and better thermal stability than that of urea makes this chalcone derivative a promising candidate for SHG applications. Furthermore, effect of molecular planarity on SHG efficiency and role of pyridine ring adjacent to carbonyl group in forming noncentrosymmetric crystal systems of chalcone family is also discussed.

Investigation of the molecular conformations of ethanol using electron momentum spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning, C G; Luo, Z H; Huang, Y R; Liu, K; Zhang, S F; Deng, J K; Hajgato, B; Morini, F; Deleuze, M S

2008-01-01

The valence electronic structure and momentum-space electron density distributions of ethanol have been investigated with our newly constructed high-resolution electron momentum spectrometer. The measurements are compared to thermally averaged simulations based on Kohn-Sham (B3LYP) orbital densities as well as one-particle Green's function calculations of ionization spectra and Dyson orbital densities, assuming Boltzmann's statistical distribution of the molecular structure over the two energy minima defining the anti and gauche conformers. One-electron ionization energies and momentum distributions in the outer-valence region were found to be highly dependent upon the molecular conformation. Calculated momentum distributions indeed very sensitively reflect the distortions and topological changes that molecular orbitals undergo due to the internal rotation of the hydroxyl group, and thereby exhibit variations which can be traced experimentally. The B3LYP model Kohn-Sham orbital densities are overall in good agreement with the experimental distributions, and closely resemble benchmark ADC(3) Dyson orbital densities. Both approaches fail to quantitatively reproduce the experimental momentum distributions characterizing the highest occupied molecular orbital. Since electron momentum spectroscopy measurements at various electron impact energies indicate that the plane wave impulse approximation is valid, this discrepancy between theory and experiment is tentatively ascribed to thermal disorder, i.e. large-amplitude and thermally induced dynamical distortions of the molecular structure in the gas phase

The Gas-Surface Interaction of a Human-Occupied Spacecraft with a Near-Earth Object

Science.gov (United States)

Farrell, W. M.; Hurley, D. M.; Poston, M. J.; Zimmerman, M. I.; Orlando, T. M.; Hibbitts, C. A.; Killen, R. M.

2016-01-01

NASA's asteroid redirect mission (ARM) will feature an encounter of the human-occupied Orion spacecraft with a portion of a near- Earth asteroid (NEA) previously placed in orbit about the Moon by a capture spacecraft. Applying a shuttle analog, we suggest that the Orion spacecraft should have a dominant local water exosphere, and that molecules from this exosphere can adsorb onto the NEA. The amount of adsorbed water is a function of the defect content of the NEA surface, with retention of shuttle-like water levels on the asteroid at 10(exp 15) H2O's/m2 for space weathered regolith at T approximately 300 K.

Gd doped Au nanoclusters: Molecular magnets with novel properties

KAUST Repository

Mokkath, Junais Habeeb

2014-01-01

The structural, magnetic, and optical properties of subnanometer Au N and AuN-1Gd1 gas phase clusters (N = 2 to 8) are systematically investigated in the framework of (time-dependent) density functional theory, using the B3LYP hybrid exchange correlation functional. The size dependent evolution of the gap between the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, the magnetism, and the absorption spectra are studied. The simultaneous appearance of large magnetic moments, significant band gaps, and plasmon resonances in the visible spectral region leads to novel multi-functional nanomaterials for applications in drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging, and photo-responsive agents. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A molecular beacon microarray based on a quantum dot label for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Qingsheng; Bai, Zhixiong; Liu, Yuqian; Sun, Qingjiang

2016-03-15

In this work, we report the application of streptavidin-coated quantum dot (strAV-QD) in molecular beacon (MB) microarray assays by using the strAV-QD to label the immobilized MB, avoiding target labeling and meanwhile obviating the use of amplification. The MBs are stem-loop structured oligodeoxynucleotides, modified with a thiol and a biotin at two terminals of the stem. With the strAV-QD labeling an "opened" MB rather than a "closed" MB via streptavidin-biotin reaction, a sensitive and specific detection of label-free target DNA sequence is demonstrated by the MB microarray, with a signal-to-background ratio of 8. The immobilized MBs can be perfectly regenerated, allowing the reuse of the microarray. The MB microarray also is able to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms, exhibiting genotype-dependent fluorescence signals. It is demonstrated that the MB microarray can perform as a 4-to-2 encoder, compressing the genotype information into two outputs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lanthanides in the frame of Molecular Magnetism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gatteschi D.

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Molecular magnetism is producing new types of materials which cover up to date aspects of basic science together with possible applications. This article highlights recent results from the point of view of lanthanides which are now intensively used to produce single molecule magnets, single chain and single ion magnets. After a short introduction reminding the main steps of development of molecular magnetism, the basic properties of lanthanides will be covered highlighting important features which are enhanced by the electronic structure of lanthanides, like spin frustration and chirality, anisotropy and non collinear axes in zero and one dimensional materials. A paragraph of conclusions will discuss what has been done and theperspectives to be expected.

Dynamical quenching of tunneling in molecular magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

José Santander, María; Nunez, Alvaro S.; Roldán-Molina, A.; Troncoso, Roberto E.

2015-01-01

It is shown that a single molecular magnet placed in a rapidly oscillating magnetic field displays the phenomenon of quenching of tunneling processes. The results open a way to manipulate the quantum states of molecular magnets by means of radiation in the terahertz range. Our analysis separates the time evolution into slow and fast components thereby obtaining an effective theory for the slow dynamics. This effective theory presents quenching of the tunnel effect, in particular, stands out its difference with the so-called coherent destruction of tunneling. We support our prediction with numerical evidence based on an exact solution of Schrödinger's equation. - Highlights: • Single molecular magnets under rapidly oscillating magnetic fields is studied. • It is shown that this system displays the quenching of tunneling processes. • Our findings provide a control of quantum molecular magnets via terahertz radiation

Dynamical quenching of tunneling in molecular magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

José Santander, María, E-mail: maria.jose.noemi@gmail.com [Recursos Educativos Quántica, Santiago (Chile); Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile and CEDENNA, Avda. Ecuador 3493, Santiago (Chile); Nunez, Alvaro S., E-mail: alnunez@dfi.uchile.cl [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 487-3, Santiago (Chile); Roldán-Molina, A. [Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Curauma, Valparaíso (Chile); Troncoso, Roberto E., E-mail: r.troncoso.c@gmail.com [Centro para el Desarrollo de la Nanociencia y la Nanotecnología, CEDENNA, Avda. Ecuador 3493, Santiago 9170124 (Chile); Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso (Chile)

2015-12-15

It is shown that a single molecular magnet placed in a rapidly oscillating magnetic field displays the phenomenon of quenching of tunneling processes. The results open a way to manipulate the quantum states of molecular magnets by means of radiation in the terahertz range. Our analysis separates the time evolution into slow and fast components thereby obtaining an effective theory for the slow dynamics. This effective theory presents quenching of the tunnel effect, in particular, stands out its difference with the so-called coherent destruction of tunneling. We support our prediction with numerical evidence based on an exact solution of Schrödinger's equation. - Highlights: • Single molecular magnets under rapidly oscillating magnetic fields is studied. • It is shown that this system displays the quenching of tunneling processes. • Our findings provide a control of quantum molecular magnets via terahertz radiation.

Single-Molecule Stochastic Resonance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Hayashi

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Stochastic resonance (SR is a well-known phenomenon in dynamical systems. It consists of the amplification and optimization of the response of a system assisted by stochastic (random or probabilistic noise. Here we carry out the first experimental study of SR in single DNA hairpins which exhibit cooperatively transitions from folded to unfolded configurations under the action of an oscillating mechanical force applied with optical tweezers. By varying the frequency of the force oscillation, we investigate the folding and unfolding kinetics of DNA hairpins in a periodically driven bistable free-energy potential. We measure several SR quantifiers under varied conditions of the experimental setup such as trap stiffness and length of the molecular handles used for single-molecule manipulation. We find that a good quantifier of the SR is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR of the spectral density of measured fluctuations in molecular extension of the DNA hairpins. The frequency dependence of the SNR exhibits a peak at a frequency value given by the resonance-matching condition. Finally, we carry out experiments on short hairpins that show how SR might be useful for enhancing the detection of conformational molecular transitions of low SNR.

Photoelectron diffraction studies of small adsorbates on single crystal surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascal, Mathieu

2002-01-01

The structural determination of small molecules adsorbed on single crystal surfaces has been investigated using scanned energy mode photoelectron diffraction (PhD). The experimental PhD data were compared to theoretical models using a simulation program based on multiple scattering calculations. Three adsorption systems have been examined on Ag(110), Cu(110) and Cu(111) crystals. The structure of the (2x1)-O adsorption phase on Ag(110) revealed that the O atoms occupied the long bridge site and are almost co-planar with the top layer of Ag atoms. The best agreement between multiple scattering theory and experiment has been obtained for a missing-row (or equivalently an 'added- row') reconstruction. Alternative buckled-row and unreconstructed surface models can be excluded. The adsorption of the benzoate species on Cu(110) has been found to occur via the carboxylate group. The molecules occupy short bridge sites with the O atoms being slightly displaced from atop sites and are aligned along the close-packed azimuth. The tilt of the molecule with respect to the surface and the degree to which the surface is relaxed have also been investigated. The adsorption of methyl on Cu(111) was studied using either azomethane or methyl iodide to prepare the surface layers. At saturation coverage the preferred adsorption site is the fcc threefold hollow site, whereas at half saturation coverage ∼ 30 % of the methyl species occupy the hop threefold hollow sites. Best agreement between theory and experiment corresponded to a methyl group adsorbed with C 3v symmetry. The height of the C above the surface in a pure methyl layer was 1.66 ± 0.02 A, but was reduced to 1.62 ± 0.02 A in the presence of co-adsorbed iodine, suggesting that iodine increases the strength of adsorption. Iodine was also found to occupy the fee threefold hollow sites with a Cu-l bondlength of 2.61 ± 0.02 A. (author)

A multistep single-crystal-to-single-crystal bromodiacetylene dimerization

Science.gov (United States)

Hoheisel, Tobias N.; Schrettl, Stephen; Marty, Roman; Todorova, Tanya K.; Corminboeuf, Clémence; Sienkiewicz, Andrzej; Scopelliti, Rosario; Schweizer, W. Bernd; Frauenrath, Holger

2013-04-01

Packing constraints and precise placement of functional groups are the reason that organic molecules in the crystalline state often display unusual physical or chemical properties not observed in solution. Here we report a single-crystal-to-single-crystal dimerization of a bromodiacetylene that involves unusually large atom displacements as well as the cleavage and formation of several bonds. Density functional theory computations support a mechanism in which the dimerization is initiated by a [2 + 1] photocycloaddition favoured by the nature of carbon-carbon short contacts in the crystal structure. The reaction proceeded up to the theoretical degree of conversion without loss of crystallinity, and it was also performed on a preparative scale with good yield. Moreover, it represents the first synthetic pathway to (E)-1,2-dibromo-1,2-diethynylethenes, which could serve as synthetic intermediates for the preparation of molecular carbon scaffolds. Our findings both extend the scope of single-crystal-to-single-crystal reactions and highlight their potential as a synthetic tool for complex transformations.

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants in workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Xiao; Zheng, Xiaobo; Wang, Meihuan; Zheng, Jing; Xu, Rongfa; Zhuang, Xi; Lin, Ying; Ren, Mingzhong

2018-06-01

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were determined in workers from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site and an incineration plant, in order to assess the PFR exposure risks of workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration. Bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) were the most frequently detected chemicals (82-93%). The median concentrations of BCEP, BDCIPP, and DPHP were 1.77, 0.23, and 0.70 ng/mL, and 1.44, 0.22, and 0.11 ng/mL in samples from the e-waste site and the incineration plant, respectively. Dibutyl phosphate (DBP) was detected in all samples from the incineration plant, with a median level of 0.30 ng/mL. The concentrations of BDCIPP (r = -0.31, p waste site. Negative and significant correlations were also observed between the concentrations of BCEP (r = -0.42, p incineration plant. No gender differences were observed in levels of PFR metabolites in urine samples (p > 0.05). Concentrations of BDCIPP in female were significantly correlated with occupational exposure time (r = -0.507, p  0.05). Overall, the workers with occupational exposure to PFRs had different profiles of urinary PFR metabolites. The age, occupational exposure time, and gender seemed not to be main factors mediating the exposure to PFRs for workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analytical and molecular dynamics studies on the impact loading of single-layered graphene sheet by fullerene

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini-Hashemi, Shahrokh; Sepahi-Boroujeni, Amin; Sepahi-Boroujeni, Saeid

2018-04-01

Normal impact performance of a system including a fullerene molecule and a single-layered graphene sheet is studied in the present paper. Firstly, through a mathematical approach, a new contact law is derived to describe the overall non-bonding interaction forces of the "hollow indenter-target" system. Preliminary verifications show that the derived contact law gives a reliable picture of force field of the system which is in good agreements with the results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Afterwards, equation of the transversal motion of graphene sheet is utilized on the basis of both the nonlocal theory of elasticity and the assumptions of classical plate theory. Then, to derive dynamic behavior of the system, a set including the proposed contact law and the equations of motion of both graphene sheet and fullerene molecule is solved numerically. In order to evaluate outcomes of this method, the problem is modeled by MD simulation. Despite intrinsic differences between analytical and MD methods as well as various errors arise due to transient nature of the problem, acceptable agreements are established between analytical and MD outcomes. As a result, the proposed analytical method can be reliably used to address similar impact problems. Furthermore, it is found that a single-layered graphene sheet is capable of trapping fullerenes approaching with low velocities. Otherwise, in case of rebound, the sheet effectively absorbs predominant portion of fullerene energy.

The impact of treatment density and molecular weight for fractional laser-assisted drug delivery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haak, Christina S; Bhayana, Brijesh; Farinelli, William A

2012-01-01

Ablative fractional lasers (AFXL) facilitate uptake of topically applied drugs by creating narrow open micro-channels into the skin, but there is limited information on optimal laser settings for delivery of specific molecules. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of laser...... treatment density (% of skin occupied by channels) and molecular weight (MW) for fractional CO(2) laser-assisted drug delivery. AFXL substantially increased intra- and transcutaneous delivery of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) in a MW range from 240 to 4300 Da (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, p...

Image charge effects in single-molecule junctions: Breaking of symmetries and negative-differential resistance in a benzene single-electron transistor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaasbjerg, Kristen; Flensberg, K.

2011-01-01

and molecular symmetries remain unclear. Using a theoretical framework developed for semiconductor-nanostructure-based single-electron transistors (SETs), we demonstrate that the image charge interaction breaks the molecular symmetries in a benzene-based single-molecule transistor operating in the Coulomb...... blockade regime. This results in the appearance of a so-called blocking state, which gives rise to negative-differential resistance (NDR). We show that the appearance of NDR and its magnitude in the symmetry-broken benzene SET depends in a complicated way on the interplay between the many-body matrix...

Molecular Genetic Studies of Some Eye Diseases Affecting the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Molecular Genetic Studies of Some Eye Diseases Affecting the Indian Population. Single gene disorders. Complex eye diseases. Genotype-phenotype correlation. Molecular diagnostics.

Diffusion of chlorine in single-crystal (Sr,Y)Cl2.03

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goff, J.P.; Hayes, W.; Ward, R.C.C; Hull, S.; Hutchings, M.T.

1992-01-01

Quasielastic energy broadening of the incoherent neutron scattering from single-crystal (Sr,Y)Cl 2.03 has been studied at elevated temperatures using the time-of-flight spectrometer IRIS at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory. Incoherent spectra measured at temperatures of 923 and 973 K have been fitted by a Chudley-Elliott model, in which individual anions occupy sites for a mean residence time τ before hopping to adjacent regular lattice sites. These results obtained from an anion-excess system are compared with a previous investigation of chlorine diffusion in pure SrCl 2 . (orig.)

Molecular Theory of the Living Cell Concepts, Molecular Mechanisms, and Biomedical Applications

CERN Document Server

Ji, Sungchul

2012-01-01

This book presents a comprehensive molecular theory of the living cell based on over thirty concepts, principles and laws imported from thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, chemical kinetics, informatics, computer science, linguistics, semiotics, and philosophy. The author formulates physically, chemically and enzymologically realistic molecular mechanisms to account for the basic living processes such as ligand-receptor interactions, protein folding, single-molecule enzymic catalysis, force-generating mechanisms in molecular motors, signal transduction, regulation of the genome-wide RNA metabolism, morphogenesis, the micro-macro coupling in coordination dynamics, the origin of life, and the mechanisms of biological evolution itself. Possible solutions to basic and practical problems facing contemporary biology and biomedical sciences have been suggested, including pharmacotheragnostics and personalized medicine.

Synthesis, XRD single crystal structure analysis, vibrational spectral analysis, molecular dynamics and molecular docking studies of 2-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole

Science.gov (United States)

Sarau Devi, A.; Aswathy, V. V.; Sheena Mary, Y.; Yohannan Panicker, C.; Armaković, Stevan; Armaković, Sanja J.; Ravindran, Reena; Van Alsenoy, C.

2017-11-01

The vibrational spectra and corresponding vibrational assignments of 2-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole is reported. Single crystal XRD data of the title compound is reported and the orientation of methoxy group is cis to nitrogen atom of the thiazole ring. The phenyl ring breathing modes of the title compound are assigned at 1042 and 731 cm-1 theoretically. The charge transfer within the molecule is studied using frontier molecular orbital analysis. The chemical reactivity descriptors are calculated theoretically. The NMR spectral data predicted theoretically are in good agreement with the experimental data. The strong negative region spread over the phenyl rings, nitrogen atom and oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group in the MEP plot is due to the immense conjugative and hyper conjugative resonance charge delocalization of π-electrons. Molecule sites prone to electrophilic attacks have been determined by analysis of ALIE surfaces, while Fukui functions provided further insight into the local reactivity properties of title molecule. Autoxidation properties have been investigated by calculation of bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of hydrogen abstraction, while BDEs of the rest of the single acyclic bonds were valuable for the further investigation of degradation properties. Calculation of radial distribution functions was performed in order to determine which atoms of the title molecule have pronounced interactions with water molecules. The title compound forms a stable complex with aryl hydrocarbon receptor and can be a lead compound for developing new anti-tumor drug. Antimicrobial properties of the title compound was screened against one bacterial culture Escherchia coli and four fungal cultures viz., Aspergillus niger, Pencillum chrysogenum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhyzopus stolonifer.

From Global Justice to Occupy and Podemos: Mapping Three Stages of Contemporary Activism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter N. Funke

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Surveying the varied contributions to this special issue, this article examines the relationships, points of inspirations and contradictory dynamics that characterize the current epoch of social movement politics and global protest. The authors argue that with the progression of neoliberal capitalism and the explosion of new technologies, a shared logic of social movement politics has emerged. This logic spans from the Zapatistas and the Global Justice Movement to the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, the Occupy struggles and the most recent wave characterized by Podemos. While each of these waves of contention has a particular character, together they make up a broader epoch of struggle that thrives on multiplicity, emphasized radical participatory democracy, the innovative use of media and the heterogeneity of political struggle.

Light-Induced Switching of Tunable Single-Molecule Junctions

KAUST Repository

Sendler, Torsten; Luka-Guth, Katharina; Wieser, Matthias; Lokamani; Wolf, Jannic Sebastian; Helm, Manfred; Gemming, Sibylle; Kerbusch, Jochen; Scheer, Elke; Huhn, Thomas; Erbe, Artur

2015-01-01

A major goal of molecular electronics is the development and implementation of devices such as single-molecular switches. Here, measurements are presented that show the controlled in situ switching of diarylethene molecules from their nonconductive to conductive state in contact to gold nanoelectrodes via controlled light irradiation. Both the conductance and the quantum yield for switching of these molecules are within a range making the molecules suitable for actual devices. The conductance of the molecular junctions in the opened and closed states is characterized and the molecular level E 0, which dominates the current transport in the closed state, and its level broadening Γ are identified. The obtained results show a clear light-induced ring forming isomerization of the single-molecule junctions. Electron withdrawing side-groups lead to a reduction of conductance, but do not influence the efficiency of the switching mechanism. Quantum chemical calculations of the light-induced switching processes correlate these observations with the fundamentally different low-lying electronic states of the opened and closed forms and their comparably small modification by electron-withdrawing substituents. This full characterization of a molecular switch operated in a molecular junction is an important step toward the development of real molecular electronics devices.

Light-Induced Switching of Tunable Single-Molecule Junctions

KAUST Repository

Sendler, Torsten

2015-04-16

A major goal of molecular electronics is the development and implementation of devices such as single-molecular switches. Here, measurements are presented that show the controlled in situ switching of diarylethene molecules from their nonconductive to conductive state in contact to gold nanoelectrodes via controlled light irradiation. Both the conductance and the quantum yield for switching of these molecules are within a range making the molecules suitable for actual devices. The conductance of the molecular junctions in the opened and closed states is characterized and the molecular level E 0, which dominates the current transport in the closed state, and its level broadening Γ are identified. The obtained results show a clear light-induced ring forming isomerization of the single-molecule junctions. Electron withdrawing side-groups lead to a reduction of conductance, but do not influence the efficiency of the switching mechanism. Quantum chemical calculations of the light-induced switching processes correlate these observations with the fundamentally different low-lying electronic states of the opened and closed forms and their comparably small modification by electron-withdrawing substituents. This full characterization of a molecular switch operated in a molecular junction is an important step toward the development of real molecular electronics devices.

CT in the evaluation of space-occupying lesions of the thoracic and abdominal wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchal, G.; Coenen, Y.; Baert, A.L.; Wilms, G.

1979-01-01

The progress of CT is predominantly based upon a higher densitometric resolution. Besides the bony skeleton, still more precisely studied by conventional techniques, the different soft components of the wall can now be directly and distinctly visualized. It is our experience that CT represents an important contribution in the diagnosis of wall lesions for the following reasons: 1. Correct topographic delineation of space-occupying masses, even when these cannot be visualized by conventional X-ray examination. 2. Indication of extension, with all the practical surgical and radiotherapeutic consequences. 3. It is a very valuable noninvasive method of follow-up of these soft tissue masses in radiotherapy as well as in chemotherapy. (orig.) 891 MG/orig. 892 MB [de

Counting constituents in molecular complexes by fluorescence photon antibunching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fore, S; Laurence, T; Hollars, C; Huser, T

2007-04-17

Modern single molecule fluorescence microscopy offers new, highly quantitative ways of studying the systems biology of cells while keeping the cells healthy and alive in their natural environment. In this context, a quantum optical technique, photon antibunching, has found a small niche in the continuously growing applications of single molecule techniques to small molecular complexes. Here, we review some of the most recent applications of photon antibunching in biophotonics, and we provide a guide for how to conduct photon antibunching experiments at the single molecule level by applying techniques borrowed from time-correlated single photon counting. We provide a number of new examples for applications of photon antibunching to the study of multichromophoric molecules and small molecular complexes.

Impact of Anchoring Groups on Ballistic Transport: Single Molecule vs Monolayer Junctions

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Tuning the transport properties of molecular junctions by chemically modifying the molecular structure is one of the key challenges for advancing the field of molecular electronics. In the present contribution, we investigate current–voltage characteristics of differently linked metal–molecule–metal systems that comprise either a single molecule or a molecular assembly. This is achieved by employing density functional theory in conjunction with a Green’s function approach. We show that the conductance of a molecular system with a specific anchoring group is fundamentally different depending on whether a single molecule or a continuous monolayer forms the junction. This is a consequence of collective electrostatic effects that arise from dipolar elements contained in the monolayer and from interfacial charge rearrangements. As a consequence of these collective effects, the “ideal” choice for an anchoring group is clearly different for monolayer and single molecule devices. A particularly striking effect is observed for pyridine-docked systems. These are subject to Fermi-level pinning at high molecular packing densities, causing an abrupt increase of the junction current already at small voltages. PMID:26401191

Patterns of surface burrow plugging in a colony of black-tailed prairie dogs occupied by black-footed ferrets

Science.gov (United States)

Eads, David E.; Biggins, Dean E.

2012-01-01

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) can surface-plug openings to a burrow occupied by a black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). At a coarse scale, surface plugs are more common in colonies of prairie dogs occupied by ferrets than in colonies without ferrets. However, little is known about spatial and temporal patterns of surface plugging in a colony occupied by ferrets. In a 452-ha colony of black-tailed prairie dogs in South Dakota, we sampled burrow openings for surface plugs and related those data to locations of ferrets observed during spotlight surveys. Of 67,574 burrow openings in the colony between June and September 2007, 3.7% were plugged. In a colony-wide grid of 80 m × 80 m cells, the occurrence of surface plugging (≥1 opening plugged) was greater in cells used by ferrets (93.3% of cells) than in cells not observably used by ferrets (70.6%). Rates of surface plugging (percentages of openings plugged) were significantly higher in cells used by ferrets (median = 3.7%) than in cells without known ferret use (median = 3.2%). Also, numbers of ferret locations in cells correlated positively with numbers of mapped surface plugs in the cells. To investigate surface plugging at finer temporal and spatial scales, we compared rates of surface plugging in 20-m-radius circle-plots centered on ferret locations and in random plots 1–4 days after observing a ferret (Jun–Oct 2007 and 2008). Rates of surface plugging were greater in ferret-plots (median = 12.0%) than in random plots (median = 0%). For prairie dogs and their associates, the implications of surface plugging could be numerous. For instance, ferrets must dig to exit or enter plugged burrows (suggesting energetic costs), and surface plugs might influence microclimates in burrows and consequently influence species that cannot excavate soil (e.g., fleas that transmit the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis).

Tip chip : Subcellular sampling from single cancer cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quist, Jos; Sarajlic, Edin; Lai, Stanley C.S.; Lemay, Serge G.

2016-01-01

To analyze the molecular content of single cells, cell lysis is typically required, yielding a snapshot of cell behavior only. To follow complex molecular profiles over time, subcellular sampling methods potentially can be used, but to date these methods involve laborious offline analysis. Here we

Noncovalent Molecular Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gryn'ova, G; Corminboeuf, C

2018-05-03

Molecular electronics covers several distinctly different conducting architectures, including organic semiconductors and single-molecule junctions. The noncovalent interactions, abundant in the former, are also often found in the latter, i.e., the dimer junctions. In the present work, we draw the parallel between the two types of noncovalent molecular electronics for a range of π-conjugated heteroaromatic molecules. In silico modeling allows us to distill the factors that arise from the chemical nature of their building blocks and from their mutual arrangement. We find that the same compounds are consistently the worst and the best performers in the two types of electronic assemblies, emphasizing the universal imprint of the underlying chemistry of the molecular cores on their diverse charge transport characteristics. The interplay between molecular and intermolecular factors creates a spectrum of noncovalent conductive architectures, which can be manipulated using the design strategies based upon the established relationships between chemistry and transport.

Single-Molecule Electrochemical Gating in Ionic Liquids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kay, Nicola J.; Higgins, Simon J.; Jeppesen, Jan O.

2012-01-01

The single-molecular conductance of a redox active molecular bridge has been studied in an electrochemical single-molecule transistor configuration in a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL). The redox active pyrrolo-tetrathiafulvalene (pTTF) moiety was attached to gold contacts at both ends through...... −(CH2)6S– groups, and gating of the redox state was achieved with the electrochemical potential. The water-free, room-temperature, ionic liquid environment enabled both the monocationic and the previously inaccessible dicationic redox states of the pTTF moiety to be studied in the in situ scanning...... and decreases again as the second redox process is passed. This is described as an “off–on–off–on–off” conductance switching behavior. This molecular conductance vs electrochemical potential relation could be modeled well as a sequential two-step charge transfer process with full or partial vibrational...

Impact of Owner-Occupied Property Valuation by Historical Cost on Fixed Assets Value at Bankruptcy Risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kinga Bauer

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the findings of the author’s own studies on the influence of owner-occupied property valuation by historical cost on fixed assets value of entities at risk of bankruptcy. Methodology: As part of the implementation of the study, objective desk research was carried out. Empirical research was carried out on a group of 100 companies on which the courts had declared bankruptcy. The study sample constituted 14% of all bankruptcy cases in 2011 and was a significant representation of the national phenomenon. Findings: The findings indicated that historical cost values of owner-occupied properties in most cases are significantly lower that estimated fair value when business activities continuation is threatened. The historical cost valuation also does not provide useful information about the market value of property, plant and equipment of entities at risk of bankruptcy that do not possess real estate. Research limitations/implications: Information about market value of fixed assets of entities at risk of bankruptcy is essential in making the decision to begin bankruptcy roceedings and estimating the ability to repay debts to creditors. Originality/value: The results are a part of the author’s own study concerning assets valuation when business activities continuation is threatened. The results emphasize the role of fair value estimation of property, plant and equipment when an entity is at risk of bankruptcy.

Molecular basis of proton uptake in single and double mutants of cytochrome c oxidase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henry, Rowan M; Caplan, David; Pomes, Regis [Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8 (Canada); Fadda, Elisa, E-mail: pomes@sickkids.ca [Department of Chemistry, University of Galway (Ireland)

2011-06-15

Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, utilizes the reduction of dioxygen into water to pump protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The principal pathway of proton uptake into the enzyme, the D channel, is a 2.5 nm long channel-like cavity named after a conserved, negatively charged aspartic acid (D) residue thought to help recruiting protons to its entrance (D132 in the first subunit of the S. sphaeroides enzyme). The single-point mutation of D132 to asparagine (N), a neutral residue, abolishes enzyme activity. Conversely, replacing conserved N139, one-third into the D channel, by D, induces a decoupled phenotype, whereby oxygen reduction proceeds but not proton pumping. Intriguingly, the double mutant D132N/N139D, which conserves the charge of the D channel, restores the wild-type phenotype. We use molecular dynamics simulations and electrostatic calculations to examine the structural and physical basis for the coupling of proton pumping and oxygen chemistry in single and double N139D mutants. The potential of mean force for the conformational isomerization of N139 and N139D side chains reveals the presence of three rotamers, one of which faces the channel entrance. This out-facing conformer is metastable in the wild-type and in the N139D single mutant, but predominant in the double mutant thanks to the loss of electrostatic repulsion with the carboxylate group of D132. The effects of mutations and conformational isomerization on the pKa of E286, an essential proton-shuttling residue located at the top of the D channel, are shown to be consistent with the electrostatic control of proton pumping proposed recently (Fadda et al 2008 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1777 277-84). Taken together, these results suggest that preserving the spatial distribution of charges at the entrance of the D channel is necessary to guarantee both the uptake and the relay of protons to the active site of the enzyme. These findings highlight the interplay

Molecular basis of proton uptake in single and double mutants of cytochrome c oxidase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henry, Rowan M; Caplan, David; Pomes, Regis; Fadda, Elisa

2011-01-01

Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, utilizes the reduction of dioxygen into water to pump protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The principal pathway of proton uptake into the enzyme, the D channel, is a 2.5 nm long channel-like cavity named after a conserved, negatively charged aspartic acid (D) residue thought to help recruiting protons to its entrance (D132 in the first subunit of the S. sphaeroides enzyme). The single-point mutation of D132 to asparagine (N), a neutral residue, abolishes enzyme activity. Conversely, replacing conserved N139, one-third into the D channel, by D, induces a decoupled phenotype, whereby oxygen reduction proceeds but not proton pumping. Intriguingly, the double mutant D132N/N139D, which conserves the charge of the D channel, restores the wild-type phenotype. We use molecular dynamics simulations and electrostatic calculations to examine the structural and physical basis for the coupling of proton pumping and oxygen chemistry in single and double N139D mutants. The potential of mean force for the conformational isomerization of N139 and N139D side chains reveals the presence of three rotamers, one of which faces the channel entrance. This out-facing conformer is metastable in the wild-type and in the N139D single mutant, but predominant in the double mutant thanks to the loss of electrostatic repulsion with the carboxylate group of D132. The effects of mutations and conformational isomerization on the pKa of E286, an essential proton-shuttling residue located at the top of the D channel, are shown to be consistent with the electrostatic control of proton pumping proposed recently (Fadda et al 2008 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1777 277-84). Taken together, these results suggest that preserving the spatial distribution of charges at the entrance of the D channel is necessary to guarantee both the uptake and the relay of protons to the active site of the enzyme. These findings highlight the interplay

Molecular basis of proton uptake in single and double mutants of cytochrome c oxidase

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Rowan M.; Caplan, David; Fadda, Elisa; Pomès, Régis

2011-06-01

Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, utilizes the reduction of dioxygen into water to pump protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The principal pathway of proton uptake into the enzyme, the D channel, is a 2.5 nm long channel-like cavity named after a conserved, negatively charged aspartic acid (D) residue thought to help recruiting protons to its entrance (D132 in the first subunit of the S. sphaeroides enzyme). The single-point mutation of D132 to asparagine (N), a neutral residue, abolishes enzyme activity. Conversely, replacing conserved N139, one-third into the D channel, by D, induces a decoupled phenotype, whereby oxygen reduction proceeds but not proton pumping. Intriguingly, the double mutant D132N/N139D, which conserves the charge of the D channel, restores the wild-type phenotype. We use molecular dynamics simulations and electrostatic calculations to examine the structural and physical basis for the coupling of proton pumping and oxygen chemistry in single and double N139D mutants. The potential of mean force for the conformational isomerization of N139 and N139D side chains reveals the presence of three rotamers, one of which faces the channel entrance. This out-facing conformer is metastable in the wild-type and in the N139D single mutant, but predominant in the double mutant thanks to the loss of electrostatic repulsion with the carboxylate group of D132. The effects of mutations and conformational isomerization on the pKa of E286, an essential proton-shuttling residue located at the top of the D channel, are shown to be consistent with the electrostatic control of proton pumping proposed recently (Fadda et al 2008 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1777 277-84). Taken together, these results suggest that preserving the spatial distribution of charges at the entrance of the D channel is necessary to guarantee both the uptake and the relay of protons to the active site of the enzyme. These findings highlight the interplay

Combining molecular docking and QSAR studies for modeling the anti-tyrosinase activity of aromatic heterocycle thiosemicarbazone analogues

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Huanhuan; Liu, Jing; Liu, Xiaoru; Yu, Yanying; Cao, Shuwen

2018-01-01

A collection of thirty-six aromatic heterocycle thiosemicarbazone analogues presented a broad span of anti-tyrosinase activities were designed and obtained. A robust and reliable two-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship model, as evidenced by the high q2 and r2 values (0.848 and 0.893, respectively), was gained based on the analogues to predict the quantitative chemical-biological relationship and the new modifier direction. Inhibitory activities of the compounds were found to greatly depend on molecular shape and orbital energy. Substituents brought out large ovality and high highest-occupied molecular orbital energy values helped to improve the activity of these analogues. The molecular docking results provided visual evidence for QSAR analysis and inhibition mechanism. Based on these, two novel tyrosinase inhibitors O04 and O05 with predicted IC50 of 0.5384 and 0.8752 nM were designed and suggested for further research.

High-speed collision of copper nanoparticle with aluminum surface: Molecular dynamics simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Pogorelko, Victor V.; Mayer, Alexander E.; Krasnikov, Vasiliy S.

2016-12-01

We investigate the effect of the high-speed collision of copper nanoparticles with aluminum surface by means of molecular dynamic simulations. Studied diameter of nanoparticles is varied within the range 7.2-22 nm and the velocity of impact is equal to 500 or 1000 m/s. Dislocation analysis shows that a large quantity of dislocations is formed within the impact area. Overall length of dislocations is determined, first of all, by the impact velocity and by the size of incident copper nanoparticle, in other words, by the kinetic energy of the nanoparticle. Dislocations occupy the total volume of the impacted aluminum single crystal layer (40.5 nm in thickness) in the form of intertwined structure in the case of large kinetic energy of the incident nanoparticle. Decrease in the initial kinetic energy or increase in the layer thickness lead to restriction of the penetration depth of the dislocation net; formation of separate dislocation loops is observed in this case. Increase in the initial system temperature slightly raises the dislocation density inside the bombarded layer and considerably decreases the dislocation density inside the nanoparticle. The temperature increase also leads to a deeper penetration of the copper atoms inside the aluminum. Additional molecular dynamic simulations show that the deposited particles demonstrate a very good adhesion even in the case of the considered relatively large nanoparticles. Medium energy of the nanoparticles corresponding to velocity of about 500 m/s and elevated temperature of the system about 700-900 K are optimal parameters for production of high-quality layers of copper on the aluminum surface. These conditions provide both a good adhesion and a less degree of the plastic deformation. At the same time, higher impact velocities can be used for combined treatment consisting of both the plastic deformation and the coating.

EPR of CU+2:Mb single crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nascimento, O.R.; Ribeiro, S.C.; Bemski, G.

1976-01-01

Copper introduced into met-myoglobin crystals occupies various sites as indicated by EPR parameters. CU 2+ (A) is probably liganded to histidine A10, lysine A14 and asparagine GH4 (Banaszak, 1965) and shows super-hyperfine interaction with a single (imidazole) nitrogen. Cu 2+ (B) and Cu 2+ (C) correspond to other anisotropic sites described with lesser details. Cu 2+ (A) exhibits a transition to an isotropic form with a transition temperature of 40.5 0 C. This transition is indicative of a conformational change in myoglobin and could correspond to a motion of A helix away from the GH section. The transition temperature is 7 0 C higher than the previously reported (Atanasov, 1971) one for myoglobin in solution

Cell biochemistry studied by single-molecule imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Mashanov, G I; Nenasheva, T A; Peckham, M; Molloy, J E

2006-11-01

Over the last decade, there have been remarkable developments in live-cell imaging. We can now readily observe individual protein molecules within living cells and this should contribute to a systems level understanding of biological pathways. Direct observation of single fluorophores enables several types of molecular information to be gathered. Temporal and spatial trajectories enable diffusion constants and binding kinetics to be deduced, while analyses of fluorescence lifetime, intensity, polarization or spectra give chemical and conformational information about molecules in their cellular context. By recording the spatial trajectories of pairs of interacting molecules, formation of larger molecular complexes can be studied. In the future, multicolour and multiparameter imaging of single molecules in live cells will be a powerful analytical tool for systems biology. Here, we discuss measurements of single-molecule mobility and residency at the plasma membrane of live cells. Analysis of diffusional paths at the plasma membrane gives information about its physical properties and measurement of temporal trajectories enables rates of binding and dissociation to be derived. Meanwhile, close scrutiny of individual fluorophore trajectories enables ideas about molecular dimerization and oligomerization related to function to be tested directly.

Epitaxial Growth of an Organic p-n Heterojunction: C60 on Single-Crystal Pentacene.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakayama, Yasuo; Mizuno, Yuta; Hosokai, Takuya; Koganezawa, Tomoyuki; Tsuruta, Ryohei; Hinderhofer, Alexander; Gerlach, Alexander; Broch, Katharina; Belova, Valentina; Frank, Heiko; Yamamoto, Masayuki; Niederhausen, Jens; Glowatzki, Hendrik; Rabe, Jürgen P; Koch, Norbert; Ishii, Hisao; Schreiber, Frank; Ueno, Nobuo

2016-06-01

Designing molecular p-n heterojunction structures, i.e., electron donor-acceptor contacts, is one of the central challenges for further development of organic electronic devices. In the present study, a well-defined p-n heterojunction of two representative molecular semiconductors, pentacene and C60, formed on the single-crystal surface of pentacene is precisely investigated in terms of its growth behavior and crystallographic structure. C60 assembles into a (111)-oriented face-centered-cubic crystal structure with a specific epitaxial orientation on the (001) surface of the pentacene single crystal. The present experimental findings provide molecular scale insights into the formation mechanisms of the organic p-n heterojunction through an accurate structural analysis of the single-crystalline molecular contact.

Single photon emission computed tomography of the liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makler, P.T. Jr.

1988-01-01

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the liver has been introduced in order to improve sensitivity and localization of space-occupying lesions. There have been numerous reports on the usefulness of the technique, as well as extensive analyses of its technical drawbacks. In general, SPECT provides a more accurate estimation of defect size than does conventional planar scintigraphy for cases in which one wishes to evaluate changes in lesion size due to therapy. The presence of a superimposed parenchymal disease, however, remains a major problem, which will only be resolved by a scanning technique that specifically detects the disease process of concern (hot spot imaging) rather than displacement of normal tissue (cold spot imaging)

Estimate of the area occupied by reforestation programs in Rio de Janeiro state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hugo Barbosa Amorim

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This study was based on a preliminary survey and inventory of existing reforestation programs in Rio de Janeiro state, through geoprocessing techniques and collection of field data. The reforested area was found to occupy 18,426.96 ha, which amounts to 0.42% of the territory of the state. Much of reforestation programs consists of eucalyptus (98%, followed by pine plantations (0.8%, and the remainder is distributed among 10 other species. The Médio Paraíba region was found to contribute the most to the reforested area of the state (46.6%. The estimated volume of eucalyptus timber was nearly two million cubic meters. This study helped crystallize the ongoing perception among those militating in the forestry sector of Rio de Janeiro state that the planted area and stock of reforestation timber is still incipient in the state.

Molecular hierarchy in neurons differentiated from mouse ES cells containing a single human chromosome 21.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chi Chiu; Kadota, Mitsutaka; Nishigaki, Ryuichi; Kazuki, Yasuhiro; Shirayoshi, Yasuaki; Rogers, Michael Scott; Gojobori, Takashi; Ikeo, Kazuho; Oshimura, Mitsuo

2004-02-06

Defects in neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation in the fetal brain of Down syndrome (DS) patients lead to the apparent neuropathological abnormalities and contribute to the phenotypic characters of mental retardation, and premature development of Alzheimer's disease, those being the most common phenotype in DS. In order to understand the molecular mechanism underlying the cause of phenotypic abnormalities in the DS brain, we have utilized an in vitro model of TT2F mouse embryonic stem cells containing a single human chromosome 21 (hChr21) to study neuron development and neuronal differentiation by microarray containing 15K developmentally expressed cDNAs. Defective neuronal differentiation in the presence of extra hChr21 manifested primarily the post-transcriptional and translational modification, such as Mrpl10, SNAPC3, Srprb, SF3a60 in the early neuronal stem cell stage, and Mrps18a, Eef1g, and Ubce8 in the late differentiated stage. Hierarchical clustering patterned specific expression of hChr21 gene dosage effects on neuron outgrowth, migration, and differentiation, such as Syngr2, Dncic2, Eif3sf, and Peg3.

Studies on the self-catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation, characterization, DPPH radical scavenging activity, cytotoxicity, and molecular properties of 5-arylidene-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-diones using single crystal XRD and DFT techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Suresh Kumar, G. S.; Antony Muthu Prabhu, A.; Bhuvanesh, N.

2014-10-01

We have studied the self-catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation, spectral characterization, DPPH radical scavenging activity, cytotoxicity, and molecular properties of 5-arylidene-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-diones using single crystal XRD and DFT techniques. In the absence of any catalyst, a series of novel 5-arylidene-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-diones were synthesized using Meldrum’s acid and formylphenoxyaliphatic acid(s) in water. These molecules are arranged in the dimer form through intermolecular H-bonding in the single crystal XRD structure. Compounds have better DPPH radical scavenging activity and cytotoxicity against A431 cancer cell line. The optimized molecular structure, natural bond orbital analysis, electrostatic potential map, HOMO-LUMO energies, molecular properties, and atomic charges of these molecules have been studied by performing DFT/B3LYP/3-21G(*) level of theory in gas phase.

A Wide Band Gap Polymer with a Deep Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital Level Enables 14.2% Efficiency in Polymer Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Sunsun; Ye, Long; Zhao, Wenchao; Yan, Hongping; Yang, Bei; Liu, Delong; Li, Wanning; Ade, Harald; Hou, Jianhui

2018-05-21

To simultaneously achieve low photon energy loss ( E loss ) and broad spectral response, the molecular design of the wide band gap (WBG) donor polymer with a deep HOMO level is of critical importance in fullerene-free polymer solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we developed a new benzodithiophene unit, i.e., DTBDT-EF, and conducted systematic investigations on a WBG DTBDT-EF-based donor polymer, namely, PDTB-EF-T. Due to the synergistic electron-withdrawing effect of the fluorine atom and ester group, PDTB-EF-T exhibits a higher oxidation potential, i.e., a deeper HOMO level (ca. -5.5 eV) than most well-known donor polymers. Hence, a high open-circuit voltage of 0.90 V was obtained when paired with a fluorinated small molecule acceptor (IT-4F), corresponding to a low E loss of 0.62 eV. Furthermore, side-chain engineering demonstrated that subtle side-chain modulation of the ester greatly influences the aggregation effects and molecular packing of polymer PDTB-EF-T. With the benefits of the stronger interchain π-π interaction, the improved ordering structure, and thus the highest hole mobility, the most symmetric charge transport and reduced recombination are achieved for the linear decyl-substituted PDTB-EF-T (P2)-based PSCs, leading to the highest short-circuit current density and fill factor (FF). Due to the high Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ), surface-directed phase separation occurs in the P2:IT-4F blend, which is supported by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results and cross-sectional transmission electron microscope images. By taking advantage of the vertical phase distribution of the P2:IT-4F blend, a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.2% with an outstanding FF of 0.76 was recorded for inverted devices. These results demonstrate the great potential of the DTBDT-EF unit for future organic photovoltaic applications.

Molecular magnetic hysteresis at 60 kelvin in dysprosocenium

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, Conrad A. P.; Ortu, Fabrizio; Reta, Daniel; Chilton, Nicholas F.; Mills, David P.

2017-08-01

Lanthanides have been investigated extensively for potential applications in quantum information processing and high-density data storage at the molecular and atomic scale. Experimental achievements include reading and manipulating single nuclear spins, exploiting atomic clock transitions for robust qubits and, most recently, magnetic data storage in single atoms. Single-molecule magnets exhibit magnetic hysteresis of molecular origin—a magnetic memory effect and a prerequisite of data storage—and so far lanthanide examples have exhibited this phenomenon at the highest temperatures. However, in the nearly 25 years since the discovery of single-molecule magnets, hysteresis temperatures have increased from 4 kelvin to only about 14 kelvin using a consistent magnetic field sweep rate of about 20 oersted per second, although higher temperatures have been achieved by using very fast sweep rates (for example, 30 kelvin with 200 oersted per second). Here we report a hexa-tert-butyldysprosocenium complex—[Dy(Cpttt)2][B(C6F5)4], with Cpttt = {C5H2tBu3-1,2,4} and tBu = C(CH3)3—which exhibits magnetic hysteresis at temperatures of up to 60 kelvin at a sweep rate of 22 oersted per second. We observe a clear change in the relaxation dynamics at this temperature, which persists in magnetically diluted samples, suggesting that the origin of the hysteresis is the localized metal-ligand vibrational modes that are unique to dysprosocenium. Ab initio calculations of spin dynamics demonstrate that magnetic relaxation at high temperatures is due to local molecular vibrations. These results indicate that, with judicious molecular design, magnetic data storage in single molecules at temperatures above liquid nitrogen should be possible.

Single-molecule force-conductance spectroscopy of hydrogen-bonded complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Pirrotta, Alessandro; De Vico, Luca; Solomon, Gemma C.; Franco, Ignacio

2017-03-01

The emerging ability to study physical properties at the single-molecule limit highlights the disparity between what is observable in an ensemble of molecules and the heterogeneous contributions of its constituent parts. A particularly convenient platform for single-molecule studies are molecular junctions where forces and voltages can be applied to individual molecules, giving access to a series of electromechanical observables that can form the basis of highly discriminating multidimensional single-molecule spectroscopies. Here, we computationally examine the ability of force and conductance to inform about molecular recognition events at the single-molecule limit. For this, we consider the force-conductance characteristics of a prototypical class of hydrogen bonded bimolecular complexes sandwiched between gold electrodes. The complexes consist of derivatives of a barbituric acid and a Hamilton receptor that can form up to six simultaneous hydrogen bonds. The simulations combine classical molecular dynamics of the mechanical deformation of the junction with non-equilibrium Green's function computations of the electronic transport. As shown, in these complexes hydrogen bonds mediate transport either by directly participating as a possible transport pathway or by stabilizing molecular conformations with enhanced conductance properties. Further, we observe that force-conductance correlations can be very sensitive to small changes in the chemical structure of the complexes and provide detailed information about the behavior of single molecules that cannot be gleaned from either measurement alone. In fact, there are regions during the elongation that are only mechanically active, others that are only conductance active, and regions where both force and conductance changes as the complex is mechanically manipulated. The implication is that force and conductance provide complementary information about the evolution of molecules in junctions that can be used to

Uncovering molecular processes in crystal nucleation and growth by using molecular simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Anwar, Jamshed; Zahn, Dirk

2011-02-25

Exploring nucleation processes by molecular simulation provides a mechanistic understanding at the atomic level and also enables kinetic and thermodynamic quantities to be estimated. However, whilst the potential for modeling crystal nucleation and growth processes is immense, there are specific technical challenges to modeling. In general, rare events, such as nucleation cannot be simulated using a direct "brute force" molecular dynamics approach. The limited time and length scales that are accessible by conventional molecular dynamics simulations have inspired a number of advances to tackle problems that were considered outside the scope of molecular simulation. While general insights and features could be explored from efficient generic models, new methods paved the way to realistic crystal nucleation scenarios. The association of single ions in solvent environments, the mechanisms of motif formation, ripening reactions, and the self-organization of nanocrystals can now be investigated at the molecular level. The analysis of interactions with growth-controlling additives gives a new understanding of functionalized nanocrystals and the precipitation of composite materials. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hemicraniectomy after middle cerebral artery infarction with life-threatening Edema trial (HAMLET). Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of decompressive surgery in space-occupying hemispheric infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmeijer, Jeannette; Amelink, G Johan; Algra, Ale; van Gijn, Jan; Macleod, Malcolm R; Kappelle, L Jaap; van der Worp, H Bart

2006-09-11

Patients with a hemispheric infarct and massive space-occupying brain oedema have a poor prognosis. Despite maximal conservative treatment, the case fatality rate may be as high as 80%, and most survivors are left severely disabled. Non-randomised studies suggest that decompressive surgery reduces mortality substantially and improves functional outcome of survivors. This study is designed to compare the efficacy of decompressive surgery to improve functional outcome with that of conservative treatment in patients with space-occupying supratentorial infarction The study design is that of a multi-centre, randomised clinical trial, which will include 112 patients aged between 18 and 60 years with a large hemispheric infarct with space-occupying oedema that leads to a decrease in consciousness. Patients will be randomised to receive either decompressive surgery in combination with medical treatment or best medical treatment alone. Randomisation will be stratified for the intended mode of conservative treatment (intensive care or stroke unit care). The primary outcome measure will be functional outcome, as determined by the score on the modified Rankin Scale, at one year.

Single molecule image formation, reconstruction and processing: introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashok, Amit; Piestun, Rafael; Stallinga, Sjoerd

2016-07-01

The ability to image at the single molecule scale has revolutionized research in molecular biology. This feature issue presents a collection of articles that provides new insights into the fundamental limits of single molecule imaging and reports novel techniques for image formation and analysis.

Dissipative tunneling and orthogonality catastrophe in molecular transistors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Braig, S.; Flensberg, Karsten

2004-01-01

Transport through molecular devices with weak tunnel coupling to the leads but with strong coupling to a single vibrational mode is considered in the case where the vibration is damped by coupling to the environment. In particular, we investigate what influence the electrostatic coupling of the c......Transport through molecular devices with weak tunnel coupling to the leads but with strong coupling to a single vibrational mode is considered in the case where the vibration is damped by coupling to the environment. In particular, we investigate what influence the electrostatic coupling...

Biological Nanopores: Confined Spaces for Electrochemical Single-Molecule Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Chan; Long, Yi-Tao

2018-02-20

Nanopore sensing is developing into a powerful single-molecule approach to investigate the features of biomolecules that are not accessible by studying ensemble systems. When a target molecule is transported through a nanopore, the ions occupying the pore are excluded, resulting in an electrical signal from the intermittent ionic blockade event. By statistical analysis of the amplitudes, duration, frequencies, and shapes of the blockade events, many properties of the target molecule can be obtained in real time at the single-molecule level, including its size, conformation, structure, charge, geometry, and interactions with other molecules. With the development of the use of α-hemolysin to characterize individual polynucleotides, nanopore technology has attracted a wide range of research interest in the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, and nanoscience. As a powerful single-molecule analytical method, nanopore technology has been applied for the detection of various biomolecules, including oligonucleotides, peptides, oligosaccharides, organic molecules, and disease-related proteins. In this Account, we highlight recent developments of biological nanopores in DNA-based sensing and in studying the conformational structures of DNA and RNA. Furthermore, we introduce the application of biological nanopores to investigate the conformations of peptides affected by charge, length, and dipole moment and to study disease-related proteins' structures and aggregation transitions influenced by an inhibitor, a promoter, or an applied voltage. To improve the sensing ability of biological nanopores and further extend their application to a wider range of molecular sensing, we focus on exploring novel biological nanopores, such as aerolysin and Stable Protein 1. Aerolysin exhibits an especially high sensitivity for the detection of single oligonucleotides both in current separation and duration. Finally, to facilitate the use of nanopore measurements and statistical analysis

Molecular and solid-state properties of tris-(8-hydroxyquinolate)-aluminum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Richard L.; Kress, Joel D.; Campbell, I. H.; Smith, D. L.

2000-01-01

We use a hybrid density-functional-theory approach to calculate ground-state electronic properties and a time-dependent density-functional-theory approach to investigate the excited state electronic properties of molecular tris-(8-hydroxyquinolate)-aluminum, Alq. The calculated molecular results are compared with measurements on dense solid-state films of Alq. We specifically consider: the optical absorption spectrum near the fundamental absorption threshold, the ionization potential, the single-particle energy gap, the static dielectric constant, and the electric-field dependence of the electron mobility. We find that the molecular calculations can describe the optical absorption spectrum near the fundamental absorption threshold without significant corrections for solid-state effects. The energies of the triplet excited states are computed and the lowest triplet is found to lie 0.64 eV below the lowest excited singlet state. In contrast, large dielectric corrections must be included for the molecular calculations to describe the ionization potential and single-particle energy gap. When these dielectric corrections are made, using the calculated molecular polarizability, which accurately gives the measured static dielectric constant, both the ionization potential and single-particle energy gap are well described. The calculated molecular dipole moment can be used to interpret the electric-field dependence of the electron mobility. The solid-state properties, determined from the molecular calculations, are then used in a device model to describe the measured current-voltage characteristics in Alq diodes. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

Organic field-effect transistors using single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Tatsuo; Takeya, Jun

2009-01-01

Organic field-effect transistors using small-molecule organic single crystals are developed to investigate fundamental aspects of organic thin-film transistors that have been widely studied for possible future markets for 'plastic electronics'. In reviewing the physics and chemistry of single-crystal organic field-effect transistors (SC-OFETs), the nature of intrinsic charge dynamics is elucidated for the carriers induced at the single crystal surfaces of molecular semiconductors. Materials for SC-OFETs are first reviewed with descriptions of the fabrication methods and the field-effect characteristics. In particular, a benchmark carrier mobility of 20-40 cm 2 Vs -1 , achieved with thin platelets of rubrene single crystals, demonstrates the significance of the SC-OFETs and clarifies material limitations for organic devices. In the latter part of this review, we discuss the physics of microscopic charge transport by using SC-OFETs at metal/semiconductor contacts and along semiconductor/insulator interfaces. Most importantly, Hall effect and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements reveal that interface charge transport in molecular semiconductors is properly described in terms of band transport and localization by charge traps. (topical review)

Coming of age under Hitler and Stalin: the everyday life of adolescent girls in occupied Latvia.

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, Linda

2010-01-01

This article explores the possibility of the continuation of everyday life in occupied Europe through a case study of the lives of twenty-five adolescent girls and young women living in Latvia between 1939 and 1944. Late adolescence is the period in which young women are struggling to establish some degree of independence, especially through leaving the parental home and entering the labour market. These transitions are the conventional markers of adulthood in modern societies. The article explores how occupation by the Soviet Union and the Third Reich affected daily life and the speed and nature of the transition to adulthood.

Corticospinal MRI tractography in space-occupying brain lesions by diffusion tensor and kurtosis imaging methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leote, Joao [epartment of Neurosurgery, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada (Portugal); Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa (Portugal); Nunes, Rita; Cerqueira, Luis; Ferreira, Hugo Alexandre [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa (Portugal)

2015-05-18

Recently, DKI-based tractography has been developed, showing improved crossing-fiber resolution in comparison to deterministic DTI-based tractography in healthy subjects. In this work, DTI and DKI-based tractography methods were compared regarding the assessment of the corticospinal tract in patients presenting space-occupying brain lesions near cortical motor areas. Nine patients (4 males) aged 23 to 62 years old, with space-occupying brain lesions (e.g. tumors) were studied for pre-surgical planning using a 1.5T MRI scanner and a 12-channel head coil. In 5 patients diffusion data was acquired along 64 directions and in 4 patients along 32 directions both with b-values 0, 1000 and 2000 s/mm2. Corticospinal tracts were estimated using deterministic DTI and DKI methods and also using probabilistic DTI. The superior cerebellar peduncles and the motor cortical areas, ipsilateral and contralateral to the lesions, were used as seed regions-of-interest for fiber tracking. Tracts courses and volumes were documented and compared between methods. Results showed that it was possible to estimate fiber tracts using deterministic DTI and DKI methods in 8/9 patients, and using the probabilistic DTI method in all patients. Overall, it was observed that DKI-based tractography showed more voluminous fiber tracts than when using deterministic DTI. The DKI method also showed curvilinear fibers mainly above lesions margins, which were not visible with deterministic DTI in 5 patients. Similar tracts were observed when using probabilistic DTI in 3 of those patients. Results suggest that the DKI method contribute with additional information about the corticospinal tract course in comparison with the DTI method, especially with subcortical lesions and near lesions’ margins. Therefore, this study suggests that DKI-based tractography could be useful in MRI and hybrid PET-MRI pre-surgical planning protocols for improved corticospinal tract evaluation.

Label-free screening of single biomolecules through resistive pulse sensing technology for precision medicine applications

Science.gov (United States)

Harrer, S.; Kim, S. C.; Schieber, C.; Kannam, S.; Gunn, N.; Moore, S.; Scott, D.; Bathgate, R.; Skafidas, S.; Wagner, J. M.

2015-05-01

Employing integrated nano- and microfluidic circuits for detecting and characterizing biological compounds through resistive pulse sensing technology is a vibrant area of research at the interface of biotechnology and nanotechnology. Resistive pulse sensing platforms can be customized to study virtually any particle of choice which can be threaded through a fluidic channel and enable label-free single-particle interrogation with the primary read-out signal being an electric current fingerprint. The ability to perform label-free molecular screening with single-molecule and even single binding site resolution makes resistive pulse sensing technology a powerful tool for analyzing the smallest units of biological systems and how they interact with each other on a molecular level. This task is at the core of experimental systems biology and in particular ‘omics research which in combination with next-generation DNA-sequencing and next-generation drug discovery and design forms the foundation of a novel disruptive medical paradigm commonly referred to as personalized medicine or precision medicine. DNA-sequencing has approached the 1000-Dollar-Genome milestone allowing for decoding a complete human genome with unmatched speed and at low cost. Increased sequencing efficiency yields massive amounts of genomic data. Analyzing this data in combination with medical and biometric health data eventually enables understanding the pathways from individual genes to physiological functions. Access to this information triggers fundamental questions for doctors and patients alike: what are the chances of an outbreak for a specific disease? Can individual risks be managed and if so how? Which drugs are available and how should they be applied? Could a new drug be tailored to an individual’s genetic predisposition fast and in an affordable way? In order to provide answers and real-life value to patients, the rapid evolvement of novel computing approaches for analyzing big data in

Label-free screening of single biomolecules through resistive pulse sensing technology for precision medicine applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrer, S; Kim, S C; Schieber, C; Kannam, S; Gunn, N; Moore, S; Scott, D; Bathgate, R; Skafidas, S; Wagner, J M

2015-05-08

Employing integrated nano- and microfluidic circuits for detecting and characterizing biological compounds through resistive pulse sensing technology is a vibrant area of research at the interface of biotechnology and nanotechnology. Resistive pulse sensing platforms can be customized to study virtually any particle of choice which can be threaded through a fluidic channel and enable label-free single-particle interrogation with the primary read-out signal being an electric current fingerprint. The ability to perform label-free molecular screening with single-molecule and even single binding site resolution makes resistive pulse sensing technology a powerful tool for analyzing the smallest units of biological systems and how they interact with each other on a molecular level. This task is at the core of experimental systems biology and in particular 'omics research which in combination with next-generation DNA-sequencing and next-generation drug discovery and design forms the foundation of a novel disruptive medical paradigm commonly referred to as personalized medicine or precision medicine. DNA-sequencing has approached the 1000-Dollar-Genome milestone allowing for decoding a complete human genome with unmatched speed and at low cost. Increased sequencing efficiency yields massive amounts of genomic data. Analyzing this data in combination with medical and biometric health data eventually enables understanding the pathways from individual genes to physiological functions. Access to this information triggers fundamental questions for doctors and patients alike: what are the chances of an outbreak for a specific disease? Can individual risks be managed and if so how? Which drugs are available and how should they be applied? Could a new drug be tailored to an individual's genetic predisposition fast and in an affordable way? In order to provide answers and real-life value to patients, the rapid evolvement of novel computing approaches for analyzing big data in

Policy Instruments to Improve Energy Performance of Existing Owner Occupied Dwellings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorraine Colette Murphy

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this thesis is to add knowledge to the role and impact of policy instruments in meeting energy performance ambition in the existing owner occupied housing stock. The focus was instruments available in the Netherlands in 2011 and 2012. These instruments represented the ‘on the ground’ efforts to meet climate change targets and many continue to do so today in the same or slightly altered forms. At international level there is a recognized need to keep global temperatures within the range of 1.5 - 2°C above pre-industrial levels (Carrington, 2016. At European level, the 2020 package contains a series of binding legislation to help the EU meet its more immediate climate and energy targets. 2020 targets include 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emission, 20% of EU energy obtained from renewable sources and 20% improvement in energy efficiency. 2020 targets for the Netherlands are a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 14% increase in energy generation from renewable sources (Vringer et al., 2014. A raft of policies has been produced over the last number of decades from international to local level to orientate action towards targets. At European level the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD drives efforts at reducing energy among one of the biggest players, the building sector. By requiring a mandatory certificate at the point of sale and rent of buildings and making regulatory demands on existing buildings the EPBD upped the ante of what could be expected from the building sector, but especially the existing dwelling stock. National governments have already been tackling existing dwellings for decades propelled by the energy crisis and later by climate change policy. Information campaigns, subsidies, energy taxes, energy loans and tailored advice are among the instruments that have been available to homeowners to carry out works on their dwellings to reduce energy consumption. In recent years, the pace of efforts

Programmable autonomous synthesis of single-stranded DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Kishi, Jocelyn Y.; Schaus, Thomas E.; Gopalkrishnan, Nikhil; Xuan, Feng; Yin, Peng

2018-02-01

DNA performs diverse functional roles in biology, nanotechnology and biotechnology, but current methods for autonomously synthesizing arbitrary single-stranded DNA are limited. Here, we introduce the concept of primer exchange reaction (PER) cascades, which grow nascent single-stranded DNA with user-specified sequences following prescribed reaction pathways. PER synthesis happens in a programmable, autonomous, in situ and environmentally responsive fashion, providing a platform for engineering molecular circuits and devices with a wide range of sensing, monitoring, recording, signal-processing and actuation capabilities. We experimentally demonstrate a nanodevice that transduces the detection of a trigger RNA into the production of a DNAzyme that degrades an independent RNA substrate, a signal amplifier that conditionally synthesizes long fluorescent strands only in the presence of a particular RNA signal, molecular computing circuits that evaluate logic (AND, OR, NOT) combinations of RNA inputs, and a temporal molecular event recorder that records in the PER transcript the order in which distinct RNA inputs are sequentially detected.

Development of the Fragment Molecular Orbital Method for Calculating Nonlocal Excitations in Large Molecular Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Takatoshi; Mochizuki, Yuji

2018-04-19

We developed the fragment-based method for calculating nonlocal excitations in large molecular systems. This method is based on the multilayer fragment molecular orbital method and the configuration interaction single (CIS) wave function using localized molecular orbitals. The excited-state wave function for the whole system is described as a superposition of configuration state functions (CSFs) for intrafragment excitations and for interfragment charge-transfer excitations. The formulation and calculations of singlet excited-state Hamiltonian matrix elements in the fragment CSFs are presented in detail. The efficient approximation schemes for calculating the matrix elements are also presented. The computational efficiency and the accuracy were evaluated using the molecular dimers and molecular aggregates. We confirmed that absolute errors of 50 meV (relative to the conventional calculations) are achievable for the molecular systems in their equilibrium geometries. The perturbative electron correlation correction to the CIS excitation energies is also demonstrated. The present theory can compute a large number of excited states in large molecular systems; in addition, it allows for the systematic derivation of a model exciton Hamiltonian. These features are useful for studying excited-state dynamics in condensed molecular systems based on the ab initio electronic structure theory.

Study for reclamation of land occupied by solar evaporation pond at UCIL, Bhopal, India.

Science.gov (United States)

George, K V; Patil, M R; Swaminathan, R

2001-12-01

Solar Evaporation Ponds (SEP) were used by Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), Bhopal for storage of wastewater containing high concentrations of inorganic chemicals especially chlorides. Area occupied by the SEPs had to be recovered due to closure of the plant. A prerequisite to the reclamation of the SEP area is a study of adjoining soil and groundwater, which may be contaminated due to possible leakage in the pond. Surface soil, subsurface soil and groundwater samples were collected and analysed. The electrical conductivity method was employed inside the pond to test for leak in the geo-membrane liner. This was further confirmed by physically checking the liners. Based on the wet period, total rainfall and evaporation rate of the region, drying of remaining wastewater by spreading in dry ponds followed by pond dismantling was scheduled.

Full two-electron calculations of antiproton collisions with molecular hydrogen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lühr, Armin Christian; Saenz, Alejandro

2010-01-01

Total cross sections for single ionization and excitation of molecular hydrogen by antiproton impact are presented over a wide range of impact energies from 1 keV to 6.5 MeV. A nonperturbative time-dependent close-coupling method is applied to fully treat the correlated dynamics of the electrons....... Good agreement is obtained between the present calculations and experimental measurements of single-ionization cross sections at high energies, whereas some discrepancies with the experiment are found around the maximum. The importance of the molecular geometry and a full two-electron description...... is demonstrated. The present findings provide benchmark results which might be useful for the development of molecular models....

Investigations on the photographic elementary process in AgCl single crystal foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, H.; Haase, G.; Zoergiebel, F.

1977-01-01

The behaviour of the latent image produced by actinic radiation (lambda = 365 nm and lambda = 407 nm) in AgCl monocrystal foils highly doped with Cd and grown and annealed under various conditions was studied by extinction measurements in the near infrared. The photographic elementary process in these highly doped crystals cannot be described satisfactorily by the classical Gurney Mott model. Therefore another model was used based on the creation of anion vacancies and molecular chlorine complexes. The radiation-induced electrons occupy these anion vacancies, and quasimetallic centres are formed. By this model the behaviour of the light-induced latent image can also be described as the nuclear particle track formation in the Cd doped AgCl crystals. (author)

Extended Lagrangian Density Functional Tight-Binding Molecular Dynamics for Molecules and Solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aradi, Balint; Frauenheim, Thomas

2015-01-01

A computationally fast quantum mechanical molecular dynamics scheme using an extended Lagrangian density functional tight-binding formulation has been developed and implemented in the DFTB+ electronic structure program package for simulations of solids and molecular systems. The scheme combines the computational speed of self-consistent density functional tight-binding theory with the efficiency and long-term accuracy of extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. Furthermore, for systems without self-consistent charge instabilities, only a single diagonalization or construction of the single-particle density matrix is required in each time step. The molecular dynamics simulation scheme can also be applied to a broad range of problems in materials science, chemistry, and biology

Extended Lagrangian Density Functional Tight-Binding Molecular Dynamics for Molecules and Solids.

Science.gov (United States)

Aradi, Bálint; Niklasson, Anders M N; Frauenheim, Thomas

2015-07-14

A computationally fast quantum mechanical molecular dynamics scheme using an extended Lagrangian density functional tight-binding formulation has been developed and implemented in the DFTB+ electronic structure program package for simulations of solids and molecular systems. The scheme combines the computational speed of self-consistent density functional tight-binding theory with the efficiency and long-term accuracy of extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. For systems without self-consistent charge instabilities, only a single diagonalization or construction of the single-particle density matrix is required in each time step. The molecular dynamics simulation scheme can be applied to a broad range of problems in materials science, chemistry, and biology.

Challenges for single molecule electronic devices with nanographene and organic molecules. Do single molecules offer potential as elements of electronic devices in the next generation?

Science.gov (United States)

Enoki, Toshiaki; Kiguchi, Manabu

2018-03-01

Interest in utilizing organic molecules to fabricate electronic materials has existed ever since organic (molecular) semiconductors were first discovered in the 1950s. Since then, scientists have devoted serious effort to the creation of various molecule-based electronic systems, such as molecular metals and molecular superconductors. Single-molecule electronics and the associated basic science have emerged over the past two decades and provided hope for the development of highly integrated molecule-based electronic devices in the future (after the Si-based technology era has ended). Here, nanographenes (nano-sized graphene) with atomically precise structures are among the most promising molecules that can be utilized for electronic/spintronic devices. To manipulate single small molecules for an electronic device, a single molecular junction has been developed. It is a powerful tool that allows even small molecules to be utilized. External electric, magnetic, chemical, and mechanical perturbations can change the physical and chemical properties of molecules in a way that is different from bulk materials. Therefore, the various functionalities of molecules, along with changes induced by external perturbations, allows us to create electronic devices that we cannot create using current top-down Si-based technology. Future challenges that involve the incorporation of condensed matter physics, quantum chemistry calculations, organic synthetic chemistry, and electronic device engineering are expected to open a new era in single-molecule device electronic technology.

Counting molecular-beam grown graphene layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plaut, Annette S. [School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Wurstbauer, Ulrich [Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Pinczuk, Aron [Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Garcia, Jorge M. [MBE Lab, IMM-Instituto de Microelectronica de Madrid (CNM-CSIC), Madrid, E-28760 (Spain); Pfeiffer, Loren N. [Electrical Engineering Department, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544 (United States)

2013-06-17

We have used the ratio of the integrated intensity of graphene's Raman G peak to that of the silicon substrate's first-order optical phonon peak, accurately to determine the number of graphene layers across our molecular-beam (MB) grown graphene films. We find that these results agree well both, with those from our own exfoliated single and few-layer graphene flakes, and with the results of Koh et al.[ACS Nano 5, 269 (2011)]. We hence distinguish regions of single-, bi-, tri-, four-layer, etc., graphene, consecutively, as we scan coarsely across our MB-grown graphene. This is the first, but crucial, step to being able to grow, by such molecular-beam-techniques, a specified number of large-area graphene layers, to order.

Single-active-electron potentials for molecules in intense laser fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abu-Samha, Mahmoud; Madsen, Lars Bojer

2010-01-01

Single-active-electron potentials are computed for selected molecules, and molecular wave functions with the correct asymptotic behavior are produced. Asymptotic expansion coefficients are extracted from the wave functions and used to compute alignment-dependent ionization yields from molecular...

Vibrationally coupled electron transport through single-molecule junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haertle, Rainer

2012-04-26

Single-molecule junctions are among the smallest electric circuits. They consist of a molecule that is bound to a left and a right electrode. With such a molecular nanocontact, the flow of electrical currents through a single molecule can be studied and controlled. Experiments on single-molecule junctions show that a single molecule carries electrical currents that can even be in the microampere regime. Thereby, a number of transport phenomena have been observed, such as, for example, diode- or transistor-like behavior, negative differential resistance and conductance switching. An objective of this field, which is commonly referred to as molecular electronics, is to relate these transport phenomena to the properties of the molecule in the contact. To this end, theoretical model calculations are employed, which facilitate an understanding of the underlying transport processes and mechanisms. Thereby, one has to take into account that molecules are flexible structures, which respond to a change of their charge state by a profound reorganization of their geometrical structure or may even dissociate. It is thus important to understand the interrelation between the vibrational degrees of freedom of a singlemolecule junction and the electrical current flowing through the contact. In this thesis, we investigate vibrational effects in electron transport through singlemolecule junctions. For these studies, we calculate and analyze transport characteristics of both generic and first-principles based model systems of a molecular contact. To this end, we employ a master equation and a nonequilibrium Green's function approach. Both methods are suitable to describe this nonequilibrium transport problem and treat the interactions of the tunneling electrons on the molecular bridge non-perturbatively. This is particularly important with respect to the vibrational degrees of freedom, which may strongly interact with the tunneling electrons. We show in detail that the resulting

Photoelectron spectroscopy on the charge reorganization energy and small polaron binding energy of molecular film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kera, Satoshi, E-mail: kera@ims.ac.jp [Institute for Molecular Science, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585 (Japan); Department of Nanomaterial Science, Graduate School of Advanced Integration Science, Chiba University, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522 (Japan); Ueno, Nobuo [Department of Nanomaterial Science, Graduate School of Advanced Integration Science, Chiba University, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522 (Japan)

2015-10-01

Understanding of electron-phonon coupling as well as intermolecular interaction is required to discuss the mobility of charge carrier in functional molecular solids. This article summarizes recent progress in direct measurements of valence hole-vibration coupling in ultrathin films of organic semiconductors by using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The experimental study of hole-vibration coupling of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) state in ordered monolayer film by UPS is essential to comprehend hole-hopping transport and small-polaron related transport in organic semiconductors. Only careful measurements can attain the high-resolution spectra and provide key parameters in hole-transport dynamics, namely the charge reorganization energy and small polaron binding energy. Analyses methods of the UPS HOMO fine feature and resulting charge reorganization energy and small polaron binding energy are described for pentacene and perfluoropentacene films. Difference between thin-film and gas-phase results is discussed by using newly measured high-quality gas-phase spectra of pentacene. Methodology for achieving high-resolution UPS measurements for molecular films is also described.

Single and couple doping ZnO nanocrystals characterized by positron techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Pasang, Tenzin; Namratha, Keerthiraj; Guagliardo, Paul; Byrappa, Kullaiah; Ranganathaiah, Chikkakuntappa; Samarin, S.; Williams, J. F.

2015-04-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals have been synthesized using a mild hydrothermal process using low temperatures and pressures with the advantages of free growth catalyst, low cost and alternative technology. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB) spectroscopic methods have been used to investigate the roles of single- and co-dopants and native defects of the ZnO nanocrystals controlled by the synthesis process. It is shown that single Ag1+ and Pd2+ dopants occupy interstitial sites of the ZnO lattice and single Ru3+ doping replaces Zn vacancies substitutionally with a significant effect on the CDB momentum ratio curves when compared using ZnO as the reference spectrum. The co-doping of the ZnO lattice with (Sn4+ + Co2+) shows similar CDB ratios as Ru3+ single-doping. Also co-doping with (Ag1+ + Pd2+) or (Ag1+ + W6+) shows significant decreases in the band gap energy up to about 12.6% compared to single doping. The momentum ratio curves, referenced to undoped ZnO, indicate dopants in interstitial and substitutional sites. The presence of transition metal ions interstitially will trap electrons which resist the recombination of electrons and in turn affect the conductivity of the material.

Single and couple doping ZnO nanocrystals characterized by positron techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasang, Tenzin; Namratha, Keerthiraj; Byrappa, Kullaiah; Guagliardo, Paul; Ranganathaiah, Chikkakuntappa; Samarin, S; Williams, J F

2015-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals have been synthesized using a mild hydrothermal process using low temperatures and pressures with the advantages of free growth catalyst, low cost and alternative technology. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB) spectroscopic methods have been used to investigate the roles of single- and co-dopants and native defects of the ZnO nanocrystals controlled by the synthesis process. It is shown that single Ag 1+ and Pd 2+ dopants occupy interstitial sites of the ZnO lattice and single Ru 3+ doping replaces Zn vacancies substitutionally with a significant effect on the CDB momentum ratio curves when compared using ZnO as the reference spectrum. The co-doping of the ZnO lattice with (Sn 4+ + Co 2+ ) shows similar CDB ratios as Ru 3+ single-doping. Also co-doping with (Ag 1+ + Pd 2+ ) or (Ag 1+ + W 6+ ) shows significant decreases in the band gap energy up to about 12.6% compared to single doping. The momentum ratio curves, referenced to undoped ZnO, indicate dopants in interstitial and substitutional sites. The presence of transition metal ions interstitially will trap electrons which resist the recombination of electrons and in turn affect the conductivity of the material. (paper)

Space-use and habitat associations of Black-backed Woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) occupying recently disturbed forests in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

Christopher T. Rota; Mark A. Rumble; Joshua J. Millspaugh; Chadwick P. Lehman; Dylan C. Kesler

2014-01-01

Black-backed Woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) are a disturbance-dependent species that occupy recently burned forest and mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestations. Forest management practices that reduce the amount of disturbed forest may lead to habitat loss for Black-backed Woodpeckers, which have recently been petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. We...

Molecular outflows in protostellar evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukui, Y.; Iwata, T.; Mizuno, A.; Ogawa, H.; Kawabata, K.; Sugitani, K.

1989-01-01

Molecular outflow is an energetic mass-ejection phenomenon associated with very early stage of stellar evolution. The large kinetic energy involved in the phenomenon indicates that outflow may play an essential role in the process of star formation, particularly by extracting angular momentum. Most of the previous searches have been strongly biased toward optical or near-infrared signposts of star formation. They are not able, therefore, to provide the complete database necessary for a statistical study of the evolutionary status of molecular outflow. To overcome this difficulty, it is of vital importance to make an unbiased search of single molecular clouds for molecular outflows; here we report the final result of such a survey of the Lynds 1641 dark cloud. We show that molecular outflows are characterized by a total luminosity significantly greater than that of T Tauri stars. This indicates that molecular outflow corresponds to the main accretion phase of protostellar evolution, in which the luminosity excess is due to the gravitational energy released by dynamical mass accretion onto the protostellar core. (author)

A rationalized approach to the imaging of space-occupying lesions in the liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelbrecht, H.E.

1985-01-01

A rational approach to the imaging of mass lesions within the liver has been presented. An attempt has been made to advocate a philosophy which emphasizes the importance of considering pathological, biochemical, clinical and likely management criteria in each case before selecting a first-line imaging procedure. The subject is presented under three headings: i) What That is, clinical and pathological criteria for assesing the nature of a suspected space-occupying lesion in the liver; ii) Why That is a projection of the likely practical value of the result; iii) How That is determination of a logical imaging program depending on the assesment of criteria under the first two headings. The following examples of active treatment are discussed: partial hepotectomy, highly vascular lesions, toxaemia and pyrexia. The following factors influence the decision of the imaging procedure to be used: the accuracy of the modality in relation to the suspected lesion, local availability of equipment and expentise, invasive versus non-invasive aspects and cost-effectiveness

Correlation effects beyond coupled cluster singles and doubles approximation through Fock matrix dressing.

Science.gov (United States)

Maitra, Rahul; Nakajima, Takahito

2017-11-28

We present an accurate single reference coupled cluster theory in which the conventional Fock operator matrix is suitably dressed to simulate the effect of triple and higher excitations within a singles and doubles framework. The dressing thus invoked originates from a second-order perturbative approximation of a similarity transformed Hamiltonian and induces higher rank excitations through local renormalization of individual occupied and unoccupied orbital lines. Such a dressing is able to recover a significant amount of correlation effects beyond singles and doubles approximation, but only with an economic n 5 additional cost. Due to the inclusion of higher rank excitations via the Fock matrix dressing, this method is a natural improvement over conventional coupled cluster theory with singles and doubles approximation, and this method would be demonstrated via applications on some challenging systems. This highly promising scheme has a conceptually simple structure which is also easily generalizable to a multi-reference coupled cluster scheme for treating strong degeneracy. We shall demonstrate that this method is a natural lowest order perturbative approximation to the recently developed iterative n-body excitation inclusive coupled cluster singles and doubles scheme [R. Maitra et al., J. Chem. Phys. 147, 074103 (2017)].

Flow characteristics in occupied zone – An experimental study with symmetrically located thermal plumes and low-momentum diffuse ceiling air distribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lestinen, Sami; Kilpeläinen, Simo; Kosonen, Risto

2018-01-01

and turbulent mixing that can further yield a draught discomfort in an occupied zone. The main objective was to investigate large-scale airflow patterns and fluctuations as a result of interaction of buoyancy flows and diffuse ceiling flow. Experiments were performed in a test room of 5.5 m (length) x 3.8 m...

Current-driven dynamics in molecular-scale devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seideman, Tamar

2003-01-01

We review recent theoretical work on current-triggered processes in molecular-scale devices - a field at the interface between solid state physics and chemical dynamics with potential applications in diverse areas, including artificial molecular machines, unimolecular transport, surface nanochemistry and nanolithography. The qualitative physics underlying current-triggered dynamics is first discussed and placed in context with several well-studied phenomena with which it shares aspects. A theory for modelling these dynamics is next formulated within a time-dependent scattering approach. Our end result provides useful insight into the system properties that determine the reaction outcome as well as a computationally convenient framework for numerical realization. The theory is applied to study single-molecule surface reactions induced by a scanning tunnelling microscope and current-triggered dynamics in single-molecule transistors. We close with a discussion of several potential applications of current-induced dynamics in molecular devices and several opportunities for future research. (topical review)

A Theoretical Investigation on Rectifying Performance of a Single Motor Molecular Device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lei Hui; Tan Xun-Qiong

2015-01-01

We report ab initio calculations of the transport behavior of a phenyl substituted molecular motor. The calculated results show that the transport behavior of the device is sensitive to the rotation degree of the rotor part. When the rotor part is parallel with the stator part, a better rectifying performance can be found in the current-voltage curve. However, when the rotor part revolves to vertical with the stator part, the currents in the positive bias region decrease slightly. More importantly, the rectifying performance disappears. Thus this offers us a new method to modulate the rectifying behavior in molecular devices. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Organic field-effect transistors using single crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatsuo Hasegawa and Jun Takeya

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Organic field-effect transistors using small-molecule organic single crystals are developed to investigate fundamental aspects of organic thin-film transistors that have been widely studied for possible future markets for 'plastic electronics'. In reviewing the physics and chemistry of single-crystal organic field-effect transistors (SC-OFETs, the nature of intrinsic charge dynamics is elucidated for the carriers induced at the single crystal surfaces of molecular semiconductors. Materials for SC-OFETs are first reviewed with descriptions of the fabrication methods and the field-effect characteristics. In particular, a benchmark carrier mobility of 20–40 cm2 Vs−1, achieved with thin platelets of rubrene single crystals, demonstrates the significance of the SC-OFETs and clarifies material limitations for organic devices. In the latter part of this review, we discuss the physics of microscopic charge transport by using SC-OFETs at metal/semiconductor contacts and along semiconductor/insulator interfaces. Most importantly, Hall effect and electron spin resonance (ESR measurements reveal that interface charge transport in molecular semiconductors is properly described in terms of band transport and localization by charge traps.

Molecular detection of eukaryotes in a single human stool sample from Senegal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Hamad

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Microbial eukaryotes represent an important component of the human gut microbiome, with different beneficial or harmful roles; some species are commensal or mutualistic, whereas others are opportunistic or parasitic. The diversity of eukaryotes inhabiting humans remains relatively unexplored because of either the low abundance of these organisms in human gut or because they have received limited attention from a whole-community perspective. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: In this study, a single fecal sample from a healthy African male was studied using both culture-dependent methods and extended molecular methods targeting the 18S rRNA and ITS sequences. Our results revealed that very few fungi, including Candida spp., Galactomyces spp., and Trichosporon asahii, could be isolated using culture-based methods. In contrast, a relatively a high number of eukaryotic species could be identified in this fecal sample when culture-independent methods based on various primer sets were used. A total of 27 species from one sample were found among the 977 analyzed clones. The clone libraries were dominated by fungi (716 clones/977, 73.3%, corresponding to 16 different species. In addition, 187 sequences out of 977 (19.2% corresponded to 9 different species of plants; 59 sequences (6% belonged to other micro-eukaryotes in the gut, including Entamoeba hartmanni and Blastocystis sp; and only 15 clones/977 (1.5% were related to human 18S rRNA sequences. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed a complex eukaryotic community in the volunteer's gut, with fungi being the most abundant species in the stool sample. Larger investigations are needed to assess the generality of these results and to understand their roles in human health and disease.

A Biofunctional Molecular Beacon for Detecting Single Base Mutations in Cancer Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haiyan Dong

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The development of a convenient and sensitive biosensing system to detect specific DNA sequences is an important issue in the field of genetic disease therapy. As a classic DNA detection technique, molecular beacon (MB is often used in the biosensing system. However, it has intrinsic drawbacks, including high assay cost, complicated chemical modification, and operational complexity. In this study, we developed a simple and cost-effective label-free multifunctional MB (LMMB by integrating elements of polymerization primer, template, target recognition, and G-quadruplex into one entity to detect target DNA. The core technique was accomplished by introducing a G-hairpin that features fragments of both G-quadruplex and target DNA recognition in the G-hairpin stem. Hybridization between LMMB and target DNA triggered conformational change between the G-hairpin and the common C-hairpin, resulting in significant SYBR-green signal amplification. The hybridization continues to the isothermal circular strand-displacement polymerization and accumulation of the double-stranded fragments, causing the uninterrupted extension of the LMMB without a need of chemical modification and other assistant DNA sequences. The novel and programmable LMMB could detect target DNA with sensitivity at 250 pmol/l with a linear range from 2 to 100 nmol/l and the relative standard deviation of 7.98%. The LMMB could sense a single base mutation from the normal DNA, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR amplicons of the mutant-type cell line from the wild-type one. The total time required for preparation and assaying was only 25 minutes. Apparently, the LMMB shows great potential for detecting DNA and its mutations in biosamples, and therefore it opens up a new prospect for genetic disease therapy.

Phylogenetic molecular function annotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelhardt, Barbara E; Jordan, Michael I; Repo, Susanna T; Brenner, Steven E

2009-01-01

It is now easier to discover thousands of protein sequences in a new microbial genome than it is to biochemically characterize the specific activity of a single protein of unknown function. The molecular functions of protein sequences have typically been predicted using homology-based computational methods, which rely on the principle that homologous proteins share a similar function. However, some protein families include groups of proteins with different molecular functions. A phylogenetic approach for predicting molecular function (sometimes called 'phylogenomics') is an effective means to predict protein molecular function. These methods incorporate functional evidence from all members of a family that have functional characterizations using the evolutionary history of the protein family to make robust predictions for the uncharacterized proteins. However, they are often difficult to apply on a genome-wide scale because of the time-consuming step of reconstructing the phylogenies of each protein to be annotated. Our automated approach for function annotation using phylogeny, the SIFTER (Statistical Inference of Function Through Evolutionary Relationships) methodology, uses a statistical graphical model to compute the probabilities of molecular functions for unannotated proteins. Our benchmark tests showed that SIFTER provides accurate functional predictions on various protein families, outperforming other available methods.

An all-electric single-molecule motor.

Science.gov (United States)

Seldenthuis, Johannes S; Prins, Ferry; Thijssen, Joseph M; van der Zant, Herre S J

2010-11-23

Many types of molecular motors have been proposed and synthesized in recent years, displaying different kinds of motion, and fueled by different driving forces such as light, heat, or chemical reactions. We propose a new type of molecular motor based on electric field actuation and electric current detection of the rotational motion of a molecular dipole embedded in a three-terminal single-molecule device. The key aspect of this all-electronic design is the conjugated backbone of the molecule, which simultaneously provides the potential landscape of the rotor orientation and a real-time measure of that orientation through the modulation of the conductivity. Using quantum chemistry calculations, we show that this approach provides full control over the speed and continuity of motion, thereby combining electrical and mechanical control at the molecular level over a wide range of temperatures. Moreover, chemistry can be used to change all key parameters of the device, enabling a variety of new experiments on molecular motors.

Temperature and Pressure Dependences of the Elastic Properties of Tantalum Single Crystals Under Tensile Loading: A Molecular Dynamics Study

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei-bing; Li, Kang; Fan, Kan-qi; Zhang, Da-xing; Wang, Wei-dong

2018-04-01

Atomistic simulations are capable of providing insights into physical mechanisms responsible for mechanical properties of the transition metal of Tantalum (Ta). By using molecular dynamics (MD) method, temperature and pressure dependences of the elastic properties of Ta single crystals are investigated through tensile loading. First of all, a comparative study between two types of embedded-atom method (EAM) potentials is made in term of the elastic properties of Ta single crystals. The results show that Ravelo-EAM (Physical Review B, 2013, 88: 134101) potential behaves well at different hydrostatic pressures. Then, the MD simulation results based on the Ravelo-EAM potential show that Ta will experience a body-centered-cubic (BCC) to face-centered-cubic (FCC) phase transition before fracture under tensile loading at 1 K temperature, and model size and strain rate have no obvious effects on tensile behaviors of Ta. Next, from the simulation results at the system temperature from 1 to 1500 K, it can be derived that the elastic modulus of E 100 linearly decrease with the increasing temperature, while the yielding stress decrease with conforming a quadratic polynomial formula. Finally, the pressure dependence of the elastic properties is performed from 0 to 140 GPa and the observations show that the elastic modulus increases with the increasing pressure overall.

Library of molecular associations: curating the complex molecular basis of liver diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maass Thorsten

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Systems biology approaches offer novel insights into the development of chronic liver diseases. Current genomic databases supporting systems biology analyses are mostly based on microarray data. Although these data often cover genome wide expression, the validity of single microarray experiments remains questionable. However, for systems biology approaches addressing the interactions of molecular networks comprehensive but also highly validated data are necessary. Results We have therefore generated the first comprehensive database for published molecular associations in human liver diseases. It is based on PubMed published abstracts and aimed to close the gap between genome wide coverage of low validity from microarray data and individual highly validated data from PubMed. After an initial text mining process, the extracted abstracts were all manually validated to confirm content and potential genetic associations and may therefore be highly trusted. All data were stored in a publicly available database, Library of Molecular Associations http://www.medicalgenomics.org/databases/loma/news, currently holding approximately 1260 confirmed molecular associations for chronic liver diseases such as HCC, CCC, liver fibrosis, NASH/fatty liver disease, AIH, PBC, and PSC. We furthermore transformed these data into a powerful resource for molecular liver research by connecting them to multiple biomedical information resources. Conclusion Together, this database is the first available database providing a comprehensive view and analysis options for published molecular associations on multiple liver diseases.

Electronic structure and molecular orbital study of hole-transport material triphenylamine derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, B.-C.; Liao, H.-R.; Chang, J.-C.; Chen Likey; Yeh, J.-T.

2007-01-01

Recently, triphenylamine (TPA), 4,4'-bis(phenyl-m-tolylamino)biphenyl (TPD), 4,4'-bis(1-naphthylphenylamino)biphenyl (NPB) and their derivatives are widely used in the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices as a hole-transporting material (HTM) layer. We have optimized twenty different structures of HTM materials by using density functional theory (DFT), B3LYP/6-31G method. All these different structures contain mono-amine and diamine TPA derivatives. The energies of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) along with molecular orbitals for these HTMs are also determined. We have found that the central amine nitrogen atom and the phenyl ring, which is next to the central amine nitrogen atom, show significant contribution to the HOMO and LUMO, respectively. The sum of the calculated bond angles (α+β+γ) of the central amine nitrogen atom has been applied to describe the bonding and the energy difference for HOMO and LUMO in these TPA derivatives. Electronic structure calculations have been performed for these TPA derivatives. Again, the LCAO-MO patterns of HOMO and LUMO levels of these derivatives are used to investigate their electron density. A series of electron-transporting steps are predicted for these compounds employing these calculated results

National impacts of the Weatherization Assistance Program in single-family and small multifamily dwellings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.A.; Berry, L.G.; Balzer, R.A.; Faby, E.

1993-05-01

Since 1976, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has operated one of the largest energy conservation programs in the nation -- the low-income Weatherization Assistance Program. The program strives to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings occupied by low-income persons in order to reduce their energy consumption, lower their fuel bills, increase the comfort of their homes, and safeguard their health. It targets vulnerable groups including the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children. The most recent national evaluation of the impacts of the Program was completed in 1984 based on energy consumption data for households weatherized in 1981. DOE Program regulations and operations have changed substantially since then: new funding sources, management principles, diagnostic procedures, and weatherization technologies have been incorporated. Many of these new features have been studied in isolation or at a local level; however, no recent evaluation has assessed their combined, nationwide impacts to date or their potential for the future. In 1990, DOE initiated such an evaluation. This evaluation is comprised of three ``impact`` studies (the Single-Family Study, High-Density Multifamily Study, and Fuel-Oil Study) and two ``policy`` studies. Altogether, these five studies will provide a comprehensive national assessment of the Weatherization Assistance Program as it existed in the 1989 Program Year (PY 1989). This report presents the results of the first phase of the Single-Family Study. It evaluates the energy savings and cost effectiveness of the Program as it has been applied to the largest portion of its client base -- low-income households that occupy single-family dwellings, mobile homes, and small (2- to 4-unit) multifamily dwellings. It is based upon a representative national sample that covers the full range of conditions under which the program was implemented in PY 1989.

Single Cell Assay for Analyzing Single Cell Exosome and Endocrine Secretion and Cancer Markers

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Yu-Jui

To understand the inhomogeneity of cells in biological systems, there is a growing demand for the capability to characterize the properties of individual single cells. Since single cell studies require continuous monitoring of the cell behaviors instead of a snapshot test at a single time point, an effective single-cell assay that can support time lapsed studies in a high throughput manner is desired. Most currently available single-cell technologies cannot provide proper environments to sustain cell growth and cannot provide, for appropriate cell types, proliferation of single cells and convenient, non-invasive tests of single cell behaviors from molecular markers. In this dissertation, I present a highly versatile single-cell assay that can accommodate different cellular types, enable easy and efficient single cell loading and culturing, and be suitable for the study of effects of in-vitro environmental factors in combination with drug screening. The salient features of the assay are the non-invasive collection and surveying of single cell secretions at different time points and massively parallel translocation of single cells by user defined criteria, producing very high compatibility to the downstream process such as single cell qPCR and sequencing. Above all, the acquired information is quantitative -- for example, one of the studies is measured by the number of exosomes each single cell secretes for a given time period. Therefore, our single-cell assay provides a convenient, low-cost, and enabling tool for quantitative, time lapsed studies of single cell properties.

Development of constraint algorithm for the number of electrons in molecular orbitals consisting mainly 4f atomic orbitals of rare-earth elements and its introduction to tight-binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endou, Akira; Onuma, Hiroaki; Jung, Sun-ho

2007-01-01

Our original tight-binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics code, Colors', has been successfully applied to the theoretical investigation of complex materials including rare-earth elements, e.g., metal catalysts supported on a CeO 2 surface. To expand our code so as to obtain a good convergence for the electronic structure of a calculation system including a rare-earth element, we developed a novel algorithm to provide a constraint condition for the number of electrons occupying the selected molecular orbitals that mainly consist of 4f atomic orbitals of the rare-earth element. This novel algorithm was introduced in Colors. Using Colors, we succeeded in obtaining the classified electronic configurations of the 4f atomic orbitals of Ce 4+ and reduced Ce ions in a CeO 2 bulk model with one oxygen defect, which makes it difficult to obtain a good convergence using a conventional first-principles quantum chemical calculation code. (author)

Two dimensional molecular electronics spectroscopy for molecular fingerprinting, DNA sequencing, and cancerous DNA recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajan, Arunkumar Chitteth; Rezapour, Mohammad Reza; Yun, Jeonghun; Cho, Yeonchoo; Cho, Woo Jong; Min, Seung Kyu; Lee, Geunsik; Kim, Kwang S

2014-02-25

Laser-driven molecular spectroscopy of low spatial resolution is widely used, while electronic current-driven molecular spectroscopy of atomic scale resolution has been limited because currents provide only minimal information. However, electron transmission of a graphene nanoribbon on which a molecule is adsorbed shows molecular fingerprints of Fano resonances, i.e., characteristic features of frontier orbitals and conformations of physisorbed molecules. Utilizing these resonance profiles, here we demonstrate two-dimensional molecular electronics spectroscopy (2D MES). The differential conductance with respect to bias and gate voltages not only distinguishes different types of nucleobases for DNA sequencing but also recognizes methylated nucleobases which could be related to cancerous cell growth. This 2D MES could open an exciting field to recognize single molecule signatures at atomic resolution. The advantages of the 2D MES over the one-dimensional (1D) current analysis can be comparable to those of 2D NMR over 1D NMR analysis.

Synthesis of single-molecule nanocars.

Science.gov (United States)

Vives, Guillaume; Tour, James M

2009-03-17

The drive to miniaturize devices has led to a variety of molecular machines inspired by macroscopic counterparts such as molecular motors, switches, shuttles, turnstiles, barrows, elevators, and nanovehicles. Such nanomachines are designed for controlled mechanical motion and the transport of nanocargo. As researchers miniaturize devices, they can consider two complementary approaches: (1) the "top-down" approach, which reduces the size of macroscopic objects to reach an equivalent microscopic entity using photolithography and related techniques and (2) the "bottom-up" approach, which builds functional microscopic or nanoscopic entities from molecular building blocks. The top-down approach, extensively used by the semiconductor industry, is nearing its scaling limits. On the other hand, the bottom-up approach takes advantage of the self-assembly of smaller molecules into larger networks by exploiting typically weak molecular interactions. But self-assembly alone will not permit complex assembly. Using nanomachines, we hope to eventually consider complex, enzyme-like directed assembly. With that ultimate goal, we are currently exploring the control of nanomachines that would provide a basis for the future bottom-up construction of complex systems. This Account describes the synthesis of a class of molecular machines that resemble macroscopic vehicles. We designed these so-called nanocars for study at the single-molecule level by scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The vehicles have a chassis connected to wheel-terminated axles and convert energy inputs such as heat, electric fields, or light into controlled motion on a surface, ultimately leading to transport of nanocargo. At first, we used C(60) fullerenes as wheels, which allowed the demonstration of a directional rolling mechanism of a nanocar on a gold surface by STM. However, because of the low solubility of the fullerene nanocars and the incompatibility of fullerenes with photochemical processes, we developed new

Investigations on the photographic elementary process in AgCl single crystal foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, H.; Haase, G.; Zoergiebel, F.

1976-01-01

The behaviour of the latent image produced by actinic radiation (lambda = 365 mn and lambda = 407 nm) in AgCl-monocrystal foils highly doped with Cd and grown and annealed under various conditions was studied by extinction measurements in the near infrared. The photographic elementary process in these highly doped crystals cannot be described satisfactorily by the classical Gurney Mott model. Therefore another model was used based on the creation of anion vacancies and molecular chlorine complexes. The radiation induced electrons occupy these anion vacancies, and quasimetallic centers are formed. By this model the behaviour of the light induced latent image can as well be described as the nuclear particle track formation in the Cd doped AgCl-crystals. (orig.) [de

Single-molecule analysis of DNA replication in Xenopus egg extracts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yardimci, Hasan; Loveland, Anna B.; van Oijen, Antoine M.; Walter, Johannes C.; Mechali, Marcel

The recent advent in single-molecule imaging and manipulation methods has made a significant impact on the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying many essential cellular processes. Single-molecule techniques such as electron microscopy and DNA fiber assays have been employed to study the

Surgical decompression for space-occupying cerebral infarction (the Hemicraniectomy After Middle Cerebral Artery infarction with Life-threatening Edema Trial [HAMLET]): a multicentre, open, randomised trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmeijer, Jeannette; Kappelle, L Jaap; Algra, Ale; Amelink, G Johan; van Gijn, Jan; van der Worp, H Bart

2009-04-01

Patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarctions have a poor prognosis, with case fatality rates of up to 80%. In a pooled analysis of randomised trials, surgical decompression within 48 h of stroke onset reduced case fatality and improved functional outcome; however, the effect of surgery after longer intervals is unknown. The aim of HAMLET was to assess the effect of decompressive surgery within 4 days of the onset of symptoms in patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarction. Patients with space-occupying hemispheric infarction were randomly assigned within 4 days of stroke onset to surgical decompression or best medical treatment. The primary outcome measure was the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at 1 year, which was dichotomised between good (0-3) and poor (4-6) outcome. Other outcome measures were the dichotomy of mRS score between 4 and 5, case fatality, quality of life, and symptoms of depression. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered, ISRCTN94237756. Between November, 2002, and October, 2007, 64 patients were included; 32 were randomly assigned to surgical decompression and 32 to best medical treatment. Surgical decompression had no effect on the primary outcome measure (absolute risk reduction [ARR] 0%, 95% CI -21 to 21) but did reduce case fatality (ARR 38%, 15 to 60). In a meta-analysis of patients in DECIMAL (DEcompressive Craniectomy In MALignant middle cerebral artery infarction), DESTINY (DEcompressive Surgery for the Treatment of malignant INfarction of the middle cerebral arterY), and HAMLET who were randomised within 48 h of stroke onset, surgical decompression reduced poor outcome (ARR 16%, -0.1 to 33) and case fatality (ARR 50%, 34 to 66). Surgical decompression reduces case fatality and poor outcome in patients with space-occupying infarctions who are treated within 48 h of stroke onset. There is no evidence that this operation improves functional outcome when it is delayed for up to 96 h after stroke onset

Dissociation of single-strand DNA: single-walled carbon nanotube hybrids by Watson-Crick base-pairing.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Seungwon; Cha, Misun; Park, Jiyong; Jeong, Namjo; Kim, Gunn; Park, Changwon; Ihm, Jisoon; Lee, Junghoon

2010-08-18

It has been known that single-strand DNA wraps around a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) by pi-stacking. In this paper it is demonstrated that such DNA is dissociated from the SWNT by Watson-Crick base-pairing with a complementary sequence. Measurement of field effect transistor characteristics indicates a shift of the electrical properties as a result of this "unwrapping" event. We further confirm the suggested process through Raman spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis. Experimental results are verified in view of atomistic mechanisms with molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy analyses.

Estimation of mechanical properties of single wall carbon nanotubes ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Molecular mechanics; single wall carbon nanotube; mechanical proper- ... Fracture Mechanics); Rossi & Meo 2009). Furthermore, the work carried out by Natsuki & Endo. (2004), Xiao et al (2005) and Sun & Zhao (2005) in the direction of ..... Jin Y and Yuan F G 2003 Simulation of elastic properties of single walled carbon ...

[Towards a molecular psychiatry].

Science.gov (United States)

de la Fuente, J R

1988-06-01

Recent research data from psychopharmacology, brain imaging and molecular genetics support the notion of a new psychiatric frontier: that of molecular psychiatry. Identification of different subtypes of neurotransmitter receptors and their changes in density and sensitivity in response to endogenous ligands and/or psychotropic drugs may account for the clinical expression of various behavioral phenomena, including some psychiatric disorders. Brain imaging, in particular positron-emission tomographic evaluations, are likely to change psychiatric nosology. New diagnostic elements derived from these scanners will allow to associate psychotic states to neuroreceptor changes. Molecular genetics has shown that bipolar affective disorder can be caused by a single gene. A strong linkage seems to exist between a gene locus on chromosome 11 and bipolar illness. An amyloid gene located on chromosome 21 has also been shown to be strongly related to familial Alzheimer's disease. While genetic heterogeneity limits the screening value of these findings, the powerful techniques of molecular biology have entered the field of psychiatry. Ethical issues regarding DNA immortality, gene cloning and gene therapy will strengthen this relationship.

Ecological niche comparison and molecular phylogeny segregate the invasive moss species Campylopus introflexus (Leucobryaceae, Bryophyta) from its closest relatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Gama, Renato; Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Jesús; Stech, Michael

2017-10-01

The delimitation of the invasive moss species Campylopus introflexus from its closest relative, Campylopus pilifer , has been long debated based on morphology. Previous molecular phylogenetic reconstructions based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 and 2 showed that C. pilifer is split into an Old World and a New World lineage, but remained partly inconclusive concerning the relationships between these two clades and C. introflexus . Analyses of an extended ITS dataset displayed statistically supported incongruence between ITS1 and ITS2. ITS1 separates the New World clade of C. pilifer from a clade comprising C. introflexus and the Old World C. pilifer . Ancestral state reconstruction showed that this topology is morphologically supported by differences in the height of the dorsal costal lamellae in leaf cross-section (despite some overlap). ITS2, in contrast, supports the current morphological species concept, i.e., separating C. introflexus from C. pilifer , which is morphologically supported by the orientation of the hyaline hair point at leaf apex as well as costal lamellae height. Re-analysis of published and newly generated plastid atpB-rbcL spacer sequences supported the three ITS lineages. Ecological niche modeling proved a useful approach and showed that all three molecular lineages occupy distinct environmental spaces that are similar, but undoubtedly not equivalent. In line with the ITS1 topology, the C. pilifer lineage from the New World occupies the most distinct environmental niche, whereas the niches of Old World C. pilifer and C. introflexus are very similar. Taking the inferences from ecological niche comparisons, phylogenetics, and morphology together, we conclude that all three molecular lineages represent different taxa that should be recognized as independent species, viz. C. introflexus , C. pilifer (Old World clade), and the reinstated C. lamellatus Mont. (New World clade).

Film Distribution in Occupied Belgium (1940–1944): German Film Politics and its Implementation by the ‘Corporate’ Organisations and the Film Guild

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vande Winkel, Roel

2017-01-01

textabstractThe military successes achieved by the Wehrmacht in the first years of World War II, provided Nazi Germany with the opportunity to realise a long-dormant ambition of cultural hegemony. This article, focusing on film distribution in German-occupied Belgium (1940–1944), investigates the

Single NdPc2 molecules on surfaces. Adsorption, interaction, and molecular magnetism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fahrendorf, Sarah

2013-01-01

They have huge potential for application in molecular-spin-transistors, molecular-spinvalves, and molecular quantum computing. SMMs are characterized by high spin ground states with zero-field splitting leading to high relaxation barriers and long relaxation times. A relevant class of molecules are the lanthanide double-decker phthalocyanines (LaPc 2 ) with only one metal atom sandwiched between two organic phthalocyanine (Pc) ligands. For envisaged spintronic applications it is important to understand the interaction between the molecules and the substrate and its influence on the electronic and magnetic properties. The subject of this thesis is the investigation of the adsorbed neodymium double-decker phthalocyanine (NdPc 2 ) by means of low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM and STS). The molecules are deposited by sublimation onto different substrates. It is observed that a large fraction of the double-decker molecules decomposes during deposition. The decomposition probability strongly depends on the chosen substrate. Therefore it is concluded that the substrate modifies the electronic structure of the molecule leading to a stabilization or destabilization of the molecular entity. Charge transfer from the surface to the molecule is identified as a potential stabilizing mechanism. The electronic and magnetic properties are investigated in detail for adsorbed NdPc 2 molecules on Cu(100). The results of the experimental study are compared to state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations performed by our colleagues from the Peter Gruenberg Institute (PGI-1) at the Forschungszentrum Juelich. Interestingly, the lower Pc ring of the molecule hybridizes intensely with the substrate leading to strong chemisorption of the molecule, while the upper Pc ring keeps its molecular type electronic states, which can be energetically shifted by an external electric field. Importantly, it is possible to get direct access to the spin

Hemoglobin binding of aromatic amines: molecular dosimetry and quantitative structure-activity relationships for N-oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabbioni, G

1993-01-01

Aromatic amines are important intermediates in industrial manufacturing. N-Oxidation to N-hydroxyarylamines is a key step in determining the genotoxic properties of aromatic amines. N-Hydroxyarylamines can form adducts with DNA, with tissue proteins, and with the blood proteins albumin and hemoglobin in a dose-dependent manner. The determination of hemoglobin adducts is a useful tool for biomonitoring exposed populations. We have established the hemoglobin binding index (HBI) [(mmole compound/mole hemoglobin)/(mmole compound/kg body weight)] of several aromatic amines in female Wistar rats. Including the values from other researchers obtained in the same rat strain, the logarithm of hemoglobin binding (logHBI) was plotted against the following parameters: the sum of the Hammett constants(sigma sigma = sigma p + sigma m), pKa, logP (octanol/water), the half-wave oxidation potential (E1/2), and the electronic descriptors of the amines and their corresponding nitrenium ions obtained by semi-empirical calculations (MNDO, AMI, and PM3), such as atomic charge densities, energies of the highest occupied molecular orbit and lowest occupied molecular orbit and their coefficients, the bond order of C-N, the dipole moments, and the reaction enthalpy [MNDOHF, AM1HF or PM3HF = Hf(nitrenium) - Hf(amine)]. The correlation coefficients were determined from the plots of all parameters against log HBI for all amines by means of linear regression analysis. The amines were classified in three groups: group 1, all parasubstituted amines (maximum, n = 9); group 2, all amines with halogens (maximun, n = 11); and group 3, all amines with alkyl groups (maximum, n = 13).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:8319626

Diradical character of some fluoranthenes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SVETLANA MARKOVIĆ

2010-09-01

Full Text Available It is shown that some Kekuléan fluoranthenes are diradicals and that their ground state is a triplet. In the energetically less favorable singlet state, these hydrocarbons also exhibit pronounced diradical character. The diradical character y of the compounds under investigation was estimated using the unrestricted symmetry-broken (yPUHF and complete active space (yNOON methods. It was found that the yPUHF values better reproduce the diradical character of the investigated hydrocarbons. It was shown that singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO and SOMO-1 of a diradical structure occupy different parts of space with a small shared region, resulting in a spin density distribution over the entire molecule. The spatial diradical distribution in the singlet diradical structures was examined by inspecting the HOMOs and LUMOs for a and b spin electrons. It was shown that the a-HOMO and the b-LUMO (as well as the b-HOMO and the a-LUMO occupy practically the same part of space. In this way, there are no unpaired electrons in a singlet diradical structure, yet two of them occupy different parts of space, thus allowing the p-electrons to delocalize.

Evaluation of the Electronic Structure of Single-Molecule Junctions Based on Current-Voltage and Thermopower Measurements: Application to C60 Single-Molecule Junction.

Science.gov (United States)

Komoto, Yuki; Isshiki, Yuji; Fujii, Shintaro; Nishino, Tomoaki; Kiguchi, Manabu

2017-02-16

The electronic structure of molecular junctions has a significant impact on their transport properties. Despite the decisive role of the electronic structure, a complete characterization of the electronic structure remains a challenge. This is because there is no straightforward way of measuring electron spectroscopy for an individual molecule trapped in a nanoscale gap between two metal electrodes. Herein, a comprehensive approach to obtain a detailed description of the electronic structure in single-molecule junctions based on the analysis of current-voltage (I-V) and thermoelectric characteristics is described. It is shown that the electronic structure of the prototypical C 60 single-molecule junction can be resolved by analyzing complementary results of the I-V and thermoelectric measurement. This combined approach confirmed that the C 60 single-molecule junction was highly conductive with molecular electronic conductances of 0.033 and 0.003 G 0 and a molecular Seebeck coefficient of -12 μV K -1 . In addition, we revealed that charge transport was mediated by a LUMO whose energy level was located 0.5≈0.6 eV above the Fermi level of the Au electrode. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecular imaging of cancer using PET and SPECT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjaer, Andreas

2006-01-01

for molecular imaging of cancer. Especially the possibility of a quick transfer of methods developed in animals to patients (translational research) is an important strength. This article will briefly discuss the newest applications and their importance and perspective in relation to the shift in paradigm......Molecular imaging allows for the study of molecular and cellular events in the living intact organism. The nuclear medicine methodologies of positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) posses several advantages, which make them particularly suited...

Molecular imaging in oncology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schober, Otmar; Riemann, Burkhard (eds.) [Universitaetsklinikum Muenster (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin

2013-02-01

Considers in detail all aspects of molecular imaging in oncology, ranging from basic research to clinical applications in the era of evidence-based medicine. Examines technological issues and probe design. Discusses preclinical studies in detail, with particular attention to multimodality imaging. Presents current clinical use of PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and optical imagingWritten by acknowledged experts. The impact of molecular imaging on diagnostics, therapy, and follow-up in oncology is increasing significantly. The process of molecular imaging includes key biotarget identification, design of specific molecular imaging probes, and their preclinical evaluation, e.g., in vivo using small animal studies. A multitude of such innovative molecular imaging probes have already entered clinical diagnostics in oncology. There is no doubt that in future the emphasis will be on multimodality imaging in which morphological, functional, and molecular imaging techniques are combined in a single clinical investigation that will optimize diagnostic processes. This handbook addresses all aspects of molecular imaging in oncology, ranging from basic research to clinical applications in the era of evidence-based medicine. The first section is devoted to technology and probe design, and examines a variety of PET and SPECT tracers as well as multimodality probes. Preclinical studies are then discussed in detail, with particular attention to multimodality imaging. In the third section, diverse clinical applications are presented, and the book closes by looking at future challenges. This handbook will be of value to all who are interested in the revolution in diagnostic oncology that is being brought about by molecular imaging.

Molecular imaging in oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schober, Otmar; Riemann, Burkhard

2013-01-01

Considers in detail all aspects of molecular imaging in oncology, ranging from basic research to clinical applications in the era of evidence-based medicine. Examines technological issues and probe design. Discusses preclinical studies in detail, with particular attention to multimodality imaging. Presents current clinical use of PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and optical imagingWritten by acknowledged experts. The impact of molecular imaging on diagnostics, therapy, and follow-up in oncology is increasing significantly. The process of molecular imaging includes key biotarget identification, design of specific molecular imaging probes, and their preclinical evaluation, e.g., in vivo using small animal studies. A multitude of such innovative molecular imaging probes have already entered clinical diagnostics in oncology. There is no doubt that in future the emphasis will be on multimodality imaging in which morphological, functional, and molecular imaging techniques are combined in a single clinical investigation that will optimize diagnostic processes. This handbook addresses all aspects of molecular imaging in oncology, ranging from basic research to clinical applications in the era of evidence-based medicine. The first section is devoted to technology and probe design, and examines a variety of PET and SPECT tracers as well as multimodality probes. Preclinical studies are then discussed in detail, with particular attention to multimodality imaging. In the third section, diverse clinical applications are presented, and the book closes by looking at future challenges. This handbook will be of value to all who are interested in the revolution in diagnostic oncology that is being brought about by molecular imaging.

Single Molecule Sensors to Study Hydrophobic Phenomena

OpenAIRE

Geisler, Michael

2010-01-01

The nature and magnitude of the hydrophobic interaction is crucial for many technical and biological processes. In the current study a molecular probe was developed which consists of a single polymer that is bound onto the tip of an AFM cantilever in order to study these effects on the molecular scale. In the following, equilibrium forces are measured and factors of influence such as temperature, cosolvents and chemical composition are varied. Thereby, the system under investigation is so sma...

Paramagnetism and antiferromagnetic interactions in single-phase Fe-implanted ZnO

CERN Document Server

Pereira, Lino Miguel da Costa; Correia, João Guilherme; Van Bael, M J; Temst, Kristiaan; Vantomme, André; Araújo, João Pedro

2013-01-01

As the intrinsic origin of the high temperature ferromagnetism often observed in wide-gap dilute magnetic semiconductors becomes increasingly debated, there is a growing need for comprehensive studies on the single-phase region of the phase diagram of these materials. Here we report on the magnetic and structural properties of Fe-doped ZnO prepared by ion implantation of ZnO single crystals. A detailed structural characterization shows that the Fe impurities substitute for Zn in ZnO in a wurtzite Zn$_{1−x}$Fe$_{x}$O phase which is coherent with the ZnO host. In addition, the density of beam-induced defects is progressively decreased by thermal annealing up to 900$^{\\circ}$C, from highly disordered after implantation to highly crystalline upon subsequent annealing. Based on a detailed analysis of the magnetometry data, we demonstrate that isolated Fe impurities occupying Zn substitutional sites behave as localized paramagnetic moments down to 2$^{\\circ}$K, irrespective of the Fe concentration and the density...

Single Molecular Level Probing of Structure and Dynamics of Papain Under Denaturation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Bhaswati; Chaudhury, Apala; Das, Nilimesh; Sen, Pratik

2017-01-01

Papain is a cysteine protease enzyme present in papaya and known to help in digesting peptide. Thus the structure and function of the active site of papain is of interest. The objective of present study is to unveil the overall structural transformation and the local structural change around the active site of papain as a function of chemical denaturant. Papain has been tagged at Cys-25 with a thiol specific fluorescence probe N-(7- dimethylamino-4-methylcoumarin-3-yl) iodoacetamide (DACIA). Guanidine hydrochloride (GnHCl) has been used as the chemical denaturant. Steady state, time-resolved, and single molecular level fluorescence techniques was applied to map the change in the local environment. It is found that papain undergoes a two-step denaturation in the presence of GnHCl. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopic (FCS) data indicate that the size (hydrodynamic diameter) of native papain is ~36.8 Å, which steadily increases to ~53 Å in the presence of 6M GnHCl. FCS study also reveals that the conformational fluctuation time of papain is 6.3 µs in its native state, which decreased to 2.7 µs in the presence of 0.75 M GnHCl. Upon further increase in GnHCl concentration the conformational fluctuation time increase monotonically till 6 M GnHCl, where the time constant is measured as 14 µs. On the other hand, the measurement of ellipticity, hence the helical structure, by circular dichroism spectroscopy is found to be incapable to capture such structural transformation. It is concluded that in the presence of small amount of GnHCl the active site of papain takes up a more compact structure (although the overall size increases) than in the native state, which has been designated as the intermediate state. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Collective excitations in circular atomic configurations and single-photon traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammer, Hanno

2004-01-01

Correlated excitations in a plane circular configuration of identical atoms with parallel dipole moments are investigated. The collective energy eigenstates, which are formally identical to Frenkel excitons, can be computed together with their level shifts and decay rates by decomposing the atomic state space into carrier spaces for the irreducible representations of the symmetry group Z N of the circle. It is shown that the index p of these representations can be used as a quantum number analogously to the orbital angular momentum quantum number l in hydrogenlike systems. Just as the hydrogen s states are the only electronic wave functions which can occupy the central region of the Coulomb potential, the quasiparticle corresponding to a collective excitation of the atoms in the circle can occupy the central atom only for vanishing Z N quantum number p. If a central atom is present, the p=0 state splits into two and shows level crossing at certain radii; in the regions between these radii, damped quantum beats between two 'extreme' p=0 configurations occur. The physical mechanisms behind super- and subradiance at a given radius are discussed. It is shown that, beyond a certain critical number of atoms in the circle, the lifetime of the maximally subradiant state increases exponentially with the number of atoms in the configuration, making the system a natural candidate for a single-photon trap

Prediction of the Fate of Organic Compounds in the Environment From Their Molecular Properties: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mamy, Laure; Patureau, Dominique; Barriuso, Enrique; Bedos, Carole; Bessac, Fabienne; Louchart, Xavier; Martin-Laurent, Fabrice; Miege, Cecile; Benoit, Pierre

2015-06-18

A comprehensive review of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) allowing the prediction of the fate of organic compounds in the environment from their molecular properties was done. The considered processes were water dissolution, dissociation, volatilization, retention on soils and sediments (mainly adsorption and desorption), degradation (biotic and abiotic), and absorption by plants. A total of 790 equations involving 686 structural molecular descriptors are reported to estimate 90 environmental parameters related to these processes. A significant number of equations was found for dissociation process (pK a ), water dissolution or hydrophobic behavior (especially through the K OW parameter), adsorption to soils and biodegradation. A lack of QSAR was observed to estimate desorption or potential of transfer to water. Among the 686 molecular descriptors, five were found to be dominant in the 790 collected equations and the most generic ones: four quantum-chemical descriptors, the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (E HOMO ) and the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (E LUMO ), polarizability (α) and dipole moment (μ), and one constitutional descriptor, the molecular weight. Keeping in mind that the combination of descriptors belonging to different categories (constitutional, topological, quantum-chemical) led to improve QSAR performances, these descriptors should be considered for the development of new QSAR, for further predictions of environmental parameters. This review also allows finding of the relevant QSAR equations to predict the fate of a wide diversity of compounds in the environment.

IMPACT OF HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OPERATION AND LEAKAGE ON VENTILATION AND INTERCOMPARTMENT TRANSPORT: STUDIES IN UNOCCUPIED AND OCCUPIED TENNESSEE VALLEY HOMES

Science.gov (United States)

Forced-air heating and air conditioning (HAC) systems caused an average and maximum increase in air infiltration rates of 1.8- and 4.3-fold, respectively, during brief whole-house studies of tracer gas decay In 39 occupied houses. An average Increase in air infiltration rate of 0...

Molecular alignment dependent electron interference in attosecond ultraviolet photoionization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai-Jun Yuan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We present molecular photoionization processes by intense attosecond ultraviolet laser pulses from numerical solutions of time-dependent Schrödinger equations. Simulations preformed on a single electron diatomic H2+ show minima in molecular photoelectron energy spectra resulting from two center interference effects which depend strongly on molecular alignment. We attribute such sensitivity to the spatial orientation asymmetry of the photoionization process from the two nuclei. A similar influence on photoelectron kinetic energies is also presented.

Molecular alignment dependent electron interference in attosecond ultraviolet photoionization

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Kai-Jun; Bandrauk, André D.

2015-01-01

We present molecular photoionization processes by intense attosecond ultraviolet laser pulses from numerical solutions of time-dependent Schrödinger equations. Simulations preformed on a single electron diatomic H2+ show minima in molecular photoelectron energy spectra resulting from two center interference effects which depend strongly on molecular alignment. We attribute such sensitivity to the spatial orientation asymmetry of the photoionization process from the two nuclei. A similar influence on photoelectron kinetic energies is also presented. PMID:26798785

Alternative types of molecule-decorated atomic chains in Au–CO–Au single-molecule junctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoltán Balogh

2015-06-01

Full Text Available We investigate the formation and evolution of Au–CO single-molecule break junctions. The conductance histogram exhibits two distinct molecular configurations, which are further investigated by a combined statistical analysis. According to conditional histogram and correlation analysis these molecular configurations show strong anticorrelations with each other and with pure Au monoatomic junctions and atomic chains. We identify molecular precursor configurations with somewhat higher conductance, which are formed prior to single-molecule junctions. According to detailed length analysis two distinct types of molecule-affected chain-formation processes are observed, and we compare these results to former theoretical calculations considering bridge- and atop-type molecular configurations where the latter has reduced conductance due to destructive Fano interference.

Measurement of the conductance properties of single organic molecules using gold nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Gordin, Yoav

In this work we describe the development and application of a new method for the electrical conductance measurement of single molecules. The issue of reliable theoretical modeling of molecular electronic transport is still very much in debate. The experimental methods used in the field are difficult to realize and interpret; most have very low yield, preventing proper statistical analysis and many have problems in the researchers' ability to characterize the system properly. We address this issue by using self assembly of gold nanoparticle-molecule-gold nanoparticle objects called dimers. This method allows fabrication of molecular junctions with greater ease; moreover it allows individual characterization of the various elements of the junction, removing much of the uncertainties that exist in this kind of measurements. We make use of home grown gold nanoparticles with a few tens of nanometer diameter to form the hybrid dimers. The dimers are large enough to connect between electrodes fabricated using electron beam lithography and to measure the electric properties of the molecule. We have invested significant effort in the characterization of the system, ensuring that the dimers are indeed bridged by the molecules, and that the chances that more than a single molecule exists in a dimer are negligibly small. We have made measurements on single gold nanoparticles, to characterize their properties separately from those of the molecule. These measurements have allowed us to observe single electron transistor (SET) behavior, resulting from the requirement that electrons charge the nanoparticle during transport. We have shown that the energy associated with this charging scales with nanoparticle size as expected. We have performed measurements on single organic molecules, showing that there is a very strong influence of molecular conjugation (the way electronic orbitals are spread along the molecular backbone) on its conductance. The molecules with broken conjugation

Massively Parallel, Molecular Analysis Platform Developed Using a CMOS Integrated Circuit With Biological Nanopores

Science.gov (United States)

Roever, Stefan

2012-01-01

A massively parallel, low cost molecular analysis platform will dramatically change the nature of protein, molecular and genomics research, DNA sequencing, and ultimately, molecular diagnostics. An integrated circuit (IC) with 264 sensors was fabricated using standard CMOS semiconductor processing technology. Each of these sensors is individually controlled with precision analog circuitry and is capable of single molecule measurements. Under electronic and software control, the IC was used to demonstrate the feasibility of creating and detecting lipid bilayers and biological nanopores using wild type α-hemolysin. The ability to dynamically create bilayers over each of the sensors will greatly accelerate pore development and pore mutation analysis. In addition, the noise performance of the IC was measured to be 30fA(rms). With this noise performance, single base detection of DNA was demonstrated using α-hemolysin. The data shows that a single molecule, electrical detection platform using biological nanopores can be operationalized and can ultimately scale to millions of sensors. Such a massively parallel platform will revolutionize molecular analysis and will completely change the field of molecular diagnostics in the future.

Experimental and computational study on molecular structure and vibrational analysis of an antihyperglycemic biomolecule: Gliclazide

Science.gov (United States)

Karakaya, Mustafa; Kürekçi, Mehmet; Eskiyurt, Buse; Sert, Yusuf; Çırak, Çağrı

2015-01-01

In present study, the experimental and theoretical harmonic vibrational frequencies of gliclazide molecule have been investigated. The experimental FT-IR (400-4000 cm-1) and Laser-Raman spectra (100-4000 cm-1) of the molecule in the solid phase were recorded. Theoretical vibrational frequencies and geometric parameters (bond lengths and bond angles) have been calculated using ab initio Hartree Fock (HF), density functional theory (B3LYP hybrid function) methods with 6-311++G(d,p) and 6-31G(d,p) basis sets by Gaussian 09W program. The assignments of the vibrational frequencies were performed by potential energy distribution (PED) analysis by using VEDA 4 program. Theoretical optimized geometric parameters and vibrational frequencies have been compared with the corresponding experimental data, and they have been shown to be in a good agreement with each other. Also, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies have been found.

Molecular modeling of ligand-receptor interactions in the OR5 olfactory receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, M S; Shepherd, G M

1994-06-02

Olfactory receptors belong to the superfamily of seven transmembrane domain, G protein-coupled receptors. In order to begin analysis of mechanisms of receptor activation, a computer model of the OR5 olfactory receptor has been constructed and compared with other members of this superfamily. We have tested docking of the odor molecule lyral, which is known to activate the OR5 receptor. The results point to specific ligand-binding residues on helices III through VII that form a binding pocket in the receptor. Some of these residues occupy sequence positions identical to ligand-binding residues conserved among other superfamily members. The results provide new insights into possible molecular mechanisms of odor recognition and suggest hypotheses to guide future experimental studies using site-directed mutagenesis.

Quantum Point Contact Single-Nucleotide Conductance for DNA and RNA Sequence Identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Afsari, Sepideh; Korshoj, Lee E; Abel, Gary R; Khan, Sajida; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

2017-11-28

Several nanoscale electronic methods have been proposed for high-throughput single-molecule nucleic acid sequence identification. While many studies display a large ensemble of measurements as "electronic fingerprints" with some promise for distinguishing the DNA and RNA nucleobases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil), important metrics such as accuracy and confidence of base calling fall well below the current genomic methods. Issues such as unreliable metal-molecule junction formation, variation of nucleotide conformations, insufficient differences between the molecular orbitals responsible for single-nucleotide conduction, and lack of rigorous base calling algorithms lead to overlapping nanoelectronic measurements and poor nucleotide discrimination, especially at low coverage on single molecules. Here, we demonstrate a technique for reproducible conductance measurements on conformation-constrained single nucleotides and an advanced algorithmic approach for distinguishing the nucleobases. Our quantum point contact single-nucleotide conductance sequencing (QPICS) method uses combed and electrostatically bound single DNA and RNA nucleotides on a self-assembled monolayer of cysteamine molecules. We demonstrate that by varying the applied bias and pH conditions, molecular conductance can be switched ON and OFF, leading to reversible nucleotide perturbation for electronic recognition (NPER). We utilize NPER as a method to achieve >99.7% accuracy for DNA and RNA base calling at low molecular coverage (∼12×) using unbiased single measurements on DNA/RNA nucleotides, which represents a significant advance compared to existing sequencing methods. These results demonstrate the potential for utilizing simple surface modifications and existing biochemical moieties in individual nucleobases for a reliable, direct, single-molecule, nanoelectronic DNA and RNA nucleotide identification method for sequencing.

Exchange interaction of strongly anisotropic tripodal erbium single-ion magnets with metallic surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreiser, Jan; Wäckerlin, Christian; Ali, Md. Ehesan

2014-01-01

We present a comprehensive study of Er(trensal) single-ion magnets deposited in ultrahigh vacuum onto metallic surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the molecular structure is preserved after sublimation, and that the molecules are physisorbed on Au(111) while they are chemisorbed...... on a Ni thin film on Cu(100) single-crystalline surfaces. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements performed on Au(111) samples covered with molecular monolayers held at temperatures down to 4 K suggest that the easy axes of the strongly anisotropic molecules are randomly oriented...... pathways toward optical addressing of surface-deposited single-ion magnets....

Pitfall in quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical molecular dynamics simulation of small solutes in solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Hao; Liu, Haiyan

2013-05-30

Developments in computing hardware and algorithms have made direct molecular dynamics simulation with the combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods affordable for small solute molecules in solution, in which much improved accuracy can be obtained via the quantum mechanical treatment of the solute molecule and even sometimes water molecules in the first solvation shell. However, unlike the conventional molecular mechanical simulations of large molecules, e.g., proteins, in solutions, special care must be taken in the technical details of the simulation, including the thermostat of the solute/solvent system, so that the conformational space of the solute molecules can be properly sampled. We show here that the common setup for classical molecular mechanical molecular dynamics simulations, such as the Berendsen or single Nose-Hoover thermostat, and/or rigid water models could lead to pathological sampling of the solutes' conformation. In the extreme example of a methanol molecule in aqueous solution, improper and sluggish setups could generate two peaks in the distribution of the O-H bond length. We discuss the factors responsible for this somewhat unexpected result and evoke a simple and ancient technical fix-up to resolve this problem.

Single-cell technologies in molecular marine studies

KAUST Repository

Kodzius, Rimantas

2015-01-24

Middle Eastern countries are experiencing a renaissance, with heavy investment in both in infrastructure and science. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a new and modern university in Saudi Arabia. At the Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC) we are working on exploring the Red Sea and beyond, collaborating with Japanese and other research centers. We are using the environment to collect and analyze the microorganisms present. The platform being established at CBRC allows to process samples in a pipeline. The pipeline components consist of sample collection, processing and sequencing, following the in silico analysis, determining the gene functions, identifying the organisms. The genomes of microorganisms of interest are targeted modified by genome editing technology such as CRISPR and desired properties are selected by single cell instrumentation. The final output is to identify valuable microorganisms with production of bio-energy, nutrients, the food and fine chemicals.

Enzymatic single-chain antibody tagging: a universal approach to targeted molecular imaging and cell homing in cardiovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ta, H T; Prabhu, S; Leitner, E; Jia, F; von Elverfeldt, D; Jackson, Katherine E; Heidt, T; Nair, A K N; Pearce, H; von Zur Muhlen, C; Wang, X; Peter, K; Hagemeyer, C E

2011-08-05

Antibody-targeted delivery of imaging agents can enhance the sensitivity and accuracy of current imaging techniques. Similarly, homing of effector cells to disease sites increases the efficacy of regenerative cell therapy while reducing the number of cells required. Currently, targeting can be achieved via chemical conjugation to specific antibodies, which typically results in the loss of antibody functionality and in severe cell damage. An ideal conjugation technique should ensure retention of antigen-binding activity and functionality of the targeted biological component. To develop a biochemically robust, highly reproducible, and site-specific coupling method using the Staphylococcus aureus sortase A enzyme for the conjugation of a single-chain antibody (scFv) to nanoparticles and cells for molecular imaging and cell homing in cardiovascular diseases. This scFv specifically binds to activated platelets, which play a pivotal role in thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. The conjugation procedure involves chemical and enzyme-mediated coupling steps. The scFv was successfully conjugated to iron oxide particles (contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging) and to model cells. Conjugation efficiency ranged between 50% and 70%, and bioactivity of the scFv after coupling was preserved. The targeting of scFv-coupled cells and nanoparticles to activated platelets was strong and specific as demonstrated in in vitro static adhesion assays, in a flow chamber system, in mouse intravital microscopy, and in in vivo magnetic resonance imaging of mouse carotid arteries. This unique biotechnological approach provides a versatile and broadly applicable tool for procuring targeted regenerative cell therapy and targeted molecular imaging in cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases and beyond.

Molecular beam epitaxy of single crystal colossal magnetoresistive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckstein, J.N.; Bozovic, I.; Rzchowski, M.; O'Donnell, J.; Hinaus, B.; Onellion, M.

1996-01-01

The authors have grown films of (LaSr)MnO 3 (LSMO) and (LaCa)MnO 3 (LCMO) using atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE). Depending on growth conditions, substrate lattice constant and the exact cation stoichiometry, the films are either pseudomorphic or strain relaxed. The pseudomorphic films show atomically flat surfaces, with a unit cell terrace structure that is a replica of that observed on the slightly vicinal substrates, while the strain relaxed films show bumpy surfaces correlated with a dislocation network. All films show tetragonal structure and exhibit anisotropic magnetoresistance, with a low field response, (1/R)(dR/dH) as large as 5 T -1

Single molecular switch based on thiol tethered iron(II)clathrochelate on gold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viswanathan, Subramanian [Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima 10, 10-747 Olsztyn (Poland); Voloshin, Yan Z. [Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Radecka, Hanna [Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima 10, 10-747 Olsztyn (Poland); Radecki, Jerzy [Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima 10, 10-747 Olsztyn (Poland)], E-mail: radecki@pan.olsztyn.pl

2009-09-30

Molecular electronics has been associated with high density nano-electronic devices. Developments of molecular electronic devices were based on reversible switching of molecules between the two conductive states. In this paper, self-assembled monolayers of dodecanethiol (DDT) and thiol tethered iron(II)clathrochelate (IC) have been prepared on gold film. The electrochemical and electronic properties of IC molecules inserted into the dodecanethiol monolayer (IC-DDT SAM) were investigated using voltammetric, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and cross-wire tunneling measurements. The voltage triggered switching behaviour of IC molecules on mixed SAM was demonstrated. Deposition of polyaniline on the redox sites of IC-DDT SAM using electrochemical polymerization of aniline was performed in order to confirm that this monolayer acts as nano-patterned semiconducting electrode surface.

Towards Rectifying Performance at the Molecular Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guang-Ping; Xie, Zhen; Song, Yang; Hu, Gui-Chao; Wang, Chuan-Kui

2017-10-24

Molecular diode, proposed by Mark Ratner and Arieh Aviram in 1974, is the first single-molecule device investigated in molecular electronics. As a fundamental device in an electric circuit, molecular diode has attracted an enduring and extensive focus during the past decades. In this review, the theoretical and experimental progresses of both charge-based and spin-based molecular diodes are summarized. For the charge-based molecular diodes, the rectifying properties originated from asymmetric molecules including D-σ-A, D-π-A, D-A, and σ-π type compounds, asymmetric electrodes, asymmetric nanoribbons, and their combination are analyzed. Correspondingly, the rectification mechanisms are discussed in detail. Furthermore, a series of strategies for modulating rectification performance is figured out. Discussion on concept of molecular spin diode is also involved based on a magnetic co-oligomer. At the same time, the intrinsic mechanism as well as the modulation of the spin-current rectification performance is introduced. Finally, several crucial issues that need to be addressed in the future are given.

Single-Molecule Chemistry with Surface- and Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zrimsek, Alyssa B; Chiang, Naihao; Mattei, Michael; Zaleski, Stephanie; McAnally, Michael O; Chapman, Craig T; Henry, Anne-Isabelle; Schatz, George C; Van Duyne, Richard P

2017-06-14

Single-molecule (SM) surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) have emerged as analytical techniques for characterizing molecular systems in nanoscale environments. SERS and TERS use plasmonically enhanced Raman scattering to characterize the chemical information on single molecules. Additionally, TERS can image single molecules with subnanometer spatial resolution. In this review, we cover the development and history of SERS and TERS, including the concept of SERS hot spots and the plasmonic nanostructures necessary for SM detection, the past and current methodologies for verifying SMSERS, and investigations into understanding the signal heterogeneities observed with SMSERS. Moving on to TERS, we cover tip fabrication and the physical origins of the subnanometer spatial resolution. Then, we highlight recent advances of SMSERS and TERS in fields such as electrochemistry, catalysis, and SM electronics, which all benefit from the vibrational characterization of single molecules. SMSERS and TERS provide new insights on molecular behavior that would otherwise be obscured in an ensemble-averaged measurement.

Molecular magnets physics and applications

CERN Document Server

Bartolomé, Juan; Fernández, Julio F

2013-01-01

This book provides an overview of the physical phenomena discovered in magnetic molecular materials over the last 20 years. It is written by leading scientists having made the most important contributions to this active area of research. The main topics of this book are the principles of quantum tunneling and quantum coherence of single-molecule magnets (SMMs), phenomena which go beyond the physics of individual molecules, such as the collective behavior of arrays of SMMs, the physics of one-dimensional singleâ€"chain magnets and magnetism of SMMs grafted on substrates.

Potentials of single-cell biology in identification and validation of disease biomarkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Furong; Wang, Diane C; Lu, Jiapei; Wu, Wei; Wang, Xiangdong

2016-09-01

Single-cell biology is considered a new approach to identify and validate disease-specific biomarkers. However, the concern raised by clinicians is how to apply single-cell measurements for clinical practice, translate the message of single-cell systems biology into clinical phenotype or explain alterations of single-cell gene sequencing and function in patient response to therapies. This study is to address the importance and necessity of single-cell gene sequencing in the identification and development of disease-specific biomarkers, the definition and significance of single-cell biology and single-cell systems biology in the understanding of single-cell full picture, the development and establishment of whole-cell models in the validation of targeted biological function and the figure and meaning of single-molecule imaging in single cell to trace intra-single-cell molecule expression, signal, interaction and location. We headline the important role of single-cell biology in the discovery and development of disease-specific biomarkers with a special emphasis on understanding single-cell biological functions, e.g. mechanical phenotypes, single-cell biology, heterogeneity and organization of genome function. We have reason to believe that such multi-dimensional, multi-layer, multi-crossing and stereoscopic single-cell biology definitely benefits the discovery and development of disease-specific biomarkers. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.