We have employed time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy to study the impact of HfO2 surface capping by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the optical properties of InP nanowires (NWs). The deposition of high-kappa dielectrics acting as a gate oxide is of particular interest in view of possible applications of semiconductor NWs in future wrap-gated field effect transistors (FETs). A high n

The Si(001)-2 x 1 surface saturated by water is characterized by the passivation of nearly all of the dimerized atoms by H/OH terminations, except isolated dangling bonds, whose areal density is in the range of 1.5 +/- 0.2 x 10(-2) defects per Si atom. Therefore the water-saturated Si(001)-2 x 1 surface presents similarities with the defective H-terminated Si(001)2 x I. surface (presence of monohy

Recovery from infection is not always complete, and mild chronic infection may persist. Although the direct costs of such infections are apparently small, the potential for any long-term effects on Darwinian fitness is poorly understood. In a wild population of great reed warblers, we found that low-level chronic malaria infection reduced life span as well as the lifetime number and quality of off

Several investigations have revealed surprisingly high activities during the winter in vegetation and soil in temperate and subarctic areas. Plants have been found to photosynthesize even under snow cover and at temperatures below freezing, and decomposer microorganisms can function, at low rates, all year around. In temperate grasslands, the vegetation includes winter annual herbs as well as bryo

Although not yet widely implemented, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has emerged in recent years as a potentially useful biomarker for the assessment of airway inflammation both in undiagnosed patients with non-specific respiratory symptoms and in those with established airway disease. Research to date essentially suggests that FeNO measurement facilitates the identification of patients ex

Unexpected transitions are induced by weaker interactions not included in the gross structure model of the ion under investigation. We discuss different examples of such decay channels, starting with relativistic spin-induced transitions. These represented an important field of study a few decades ago, and we illustrate how some challenging cases can be treated very accurately with today's computa

Objective. To study the effect of valgus malalignment on knee osteoarthritis (OA) incidence and progression. Methods. We measured the mechanical axis from long limb radiographs from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) and the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) to define limbs with valgus malalignment (mechanical axis of >= 1.1 degrees valgus) and examined the effect of valgus alignment versus

Abstract Dercum's disease is characterised by pronounced pain in the adipose tissue and a number of associated symptoms and is, in most patients, accompanied by obesity. Postoperative sensory change after liposuction is a well-known side effect, and probably caused by mechanical trauma to the nerves. The aim of this investigation was to find out whether the thermal and sensory sensation changed af

Plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been associated with aortic stenosis in observational studies; however, randomized trials with cholesterol-lowering therapies in individuals with established valve disease have failed to demonstrate reduced disease progression.

To study the outcome of different surgical methods of treating subperiosteal abscesses resulting from acute mastoiditis.

We report calculations of Born-Oppenheimer potential energy curves of the chromium-rubidium heteronuclear molecule ((CrRb)-Cr-52-Rb-87), and the long-range dispersion coefficient for the interaction between ground state Cr and Rb atoms. Our calculated van der Waals coefficient (C-6 = 1770 a.u.) has an expected error of 3%. The ground state (6)Sigma(+) molecule at its equilibrium separation has a p

Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) are key components of many carbohydrate-modifying enzymes. CBMs affect the activity of these enzymes by modulating bonding and catalysis. To further characterize and study CBM-ligand binding interactions, neutron crystallographic studies of an engineered family 4-type CBM in complex with a branched xyloglucan ligand were conducted. The first neutron crystal stru

Adsorption, desorption, and precipitation reactions at environmental interfaces govern the fate of phosphorus in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Typically, a substantial part of the total pool of phosphorus consists of organophosphate, and in this study we have focused on the interactions between glucose-I-phosphate (G I P) and goethite (alpha-FeOOH) particles. The adsorption and surface-pro

Investigations into molecular motor dynamics are increasingly focused on small-scale features of the motor's motion. We define performance measures of a common type of single-molecule motility assay, the bead assay, for its ability to detect such features. Using numerical models, we explore the dependence of assay performance on a number of experimentally controllable parameters, including bead si

It is not known if aggressive postresuscitation care, including therapeutic hypothermia and percutaneous coronary intervention, benefits cardiac arrest survivors more than 75 years old. We compared treatments and outcomes of patients at six regional percutaneous coronary intervention centers in the United States to determine if aggressive care of elderly patients was warranted.

We present free energy estimates of nine 3-amidinobenzyl-1H-indole-2-carboxamide inhibitors of factor Xa. Using alchemical thermodynamic integration (TI) calculations, we estimate the difference in binding free energies with high accuracy and precision, except for mutations involving one of the amidinobenzyl rings. Crystal studies show that the inhibitors may bind in two distinct conformations, an

Introduction: Our understanding of how comorbid diseases influence health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is limited and in need of improvement. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between comorbidities and HRQL as measured by the instruments EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT). Methods: Infor

The occupancy level of dwellings is an important parameter to know to determine the energy efficiency, energy use and indoor air quality, especially in low-energy buildings where the user-related energy uses, such as household electricity and domestic hot water heating, are significant parts of the energy balance in a building. For residential buildings, there is a lack of occupancy level data, wh