Detection of single-electron charging in an individual InAs quantum dot by noncontact atomic-force microscopy

Single-electron charging in an individual InAs quantum dot was observed by electrostatic force measurements with an atomic-force microscope (AFM). The resonant frequency shift and the dissipated energy of an oscillating AFM cantilever were measured as a function of the tip-back electrode voltage, and the resulting spectra show distinct jumps when the tip was positioned above the dot. The observed jumps in the frequency shift, with corresponding peaks in dissipation, are attributed to a single-electron tunneling between the dot and the back electrode governed by the Coulomb blockade effect, and are consistent with a model based on the free energy of the system. The observed phenomenon may be regarded as the "force version" of the Coulomb blockade effect.     

Electromagnetic coupling between a metal nanoparticle grating and a metallic surface

The electromagnetic coupling between a two-dimensional grating of resonant gold nanoparticles and a gold metallic film is investigated. We report on the observation of multipeaks in the extinction spectra attributed to resonant modes of the hybrid system, resulting from the coupling between the localized plasmon of the nanoparticles with the underlying surface plasmon mode. Simulations based on the Fourier modal method give good agreement with the experimental measurements and allow for the identification of the respective contributions.     

A role of melanin-concentrating hormone producing neurons in the central regulation of paradoxical sleep

Background

Peptidergic neurons containing the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and the hypocretins (or orexins) are intermingled in the zona incerta, perifornical nucleus and lateral hypothalamic area. Both types of neurons have been implicated in the integrated regulation of energy homeostasis and body weight. Hypocretin neurons have also been involved in sleep-wake regulation and narcolepsy. We therefore sought to determine whether hypocretin and MCH neurons express Fos in association with enhanced paradoxical sleep (PS or REM sleep) during the rebound following PS deprivation. Next, we compared the effect of MCH and NaCl intracerebroventricular (ICV) administrations on sleep stage quantities to further determine whether MCH neurons play an active role in PS regulation.

Results

Here we show that the MCH but not the hypocretin neurons are strongly active during PS, evidenced through combined hypocretin, MCH, and Fos immunostainings in three groups of rats (PS Control, PS Deprived and PS Recovery rats). Further, we show that ICV administration of MCH induces a dose-dependant increase in PS (up to 200%) and slow wave sleep (up to 70%) quantities.

Conclusion

These results indicate that MCH is a powerful hypnogenic factor. MCH neurons might play a key role in the state of PS via their widespread projections in the central nervous system.

     

Plasmodial Kinase Inhibitors Targeting Malaria: Recent Developments

Recent progress in reducing malaria cases and ensuing deaths is threatened by factors like mutations that induce resistance to artemisinin derivatives. Multiple drugs are currently in clinical trials for malaria treatment, including some with novel mechanisms of action. One of these, MMV390048, is a plasmodial kinase inhibitor. This review lists the recently developed molecules which target plasmodial kinases. A systematic review of the literature was performed using CAPLUS and MEDLINE databases from 2005 to 2020. It covers a total of 60 articles and describes about one hundred compounds targeting 22 plasmodial kinases. This work highlights the strong potential of compounds targeting plasmodial kinases for future drug therapies. However, the majority of the Plasmodium kinome remains to be explored.     

Competitive Salt Precipitation/Dissolution During Free-Water Reduction in Water-in-Salt Electrolyte

Water-in-salt electrolytes based on highly concentrated bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonimide (TFSI) promise aqueous electrolytes with stabilities nearing 3 V. However, especially with an electrode approaching the cathodic (reductive) stability, cycling stability is insufficient. While stability critically relies on a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), the mechanism behind the cathodic stability limit remains unclear. Now, two distinct reduction potentials are revealed for the chemical environments of free and bound water and that both contribute to SEI formation. Free water is reduced about 1 V above bound water in a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and is responsible for SEI formation via reactive intermediates of the HER; concurrent LiTFSI precipitation/dissolution establishes a dynamic interface. The free-water population emerges, therefore, as the handle to extend the cathodic limit of aqueous electrolytes and the battery cycling stability.     

Modulation of a Supramolecular Figure-of-Eight Strip Based on a Photoswitchable Stiff-Stilbene

The preparation, assembly and dynamic properties of photoswitchable bisphosphine ligands based on the stiff-stilbene scaffold are reported. Directional bonding and coordination-induced assembly allow complexation of these ligands with palladium(II), resulting in the formation of discrete metallo-supramolecular entities. While the Z isomer forms a simple bidentate metallo-macrocycle, an intricate double helicate figure-of-eight dimer is observed with the E ligand. Topologically 3D complexes can thus be obtained from 2D ligands. Upon irradiation with UV light, isomerization of the ligands allows control of the architecture of the formed complexes, resulting in a light-triggered modulation of the supramolecular topology. Furthermore, a mechanistic investigation unveiled the dynamic nature of the helicate chirality, where a transmission of motion from the palladium centers yields an „eight-to-eight“ inversion.     

Use of porous graphitic carbon for the analysis of nitrate ester, nitramine and nitroaromatic explosives and by-products by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry

A new LC/MS method was developed for the analysis of sixteen different analytes including the most common organic explosives encountered in forensic investigations. The separation was achieved using a porous graphitic carbon (PGC) column with a binary gradient elution. Molecular modeling suggested a possible interpretation for the elution order of explosive compounds on PGC. The introduction of ammonium formate in the mobile phase resulted in the formation of characteristic adduct ions thus enhancing the mass spectrometric detection of nitrate ester and nitramine compounds. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) were compared in terms of sensitivity. The final LC/APCI-MS method allowed easy identification of investigated compounds with limits of detection ranging from 0.04 to 1.06 ng/microl. The analysis of simulated forensic samples confirmed the performance of the method.     

An analytical method for computing Hopf bifurcation curves in neural field networks with space-dependent delays

We give an analytical parametrization of the curves of purely imaginary eigenvalues in the delay-parameter plane of the linearized neural field network equations with space-dependent delays. In order to determine if the rightmost eigenvalue is purely imaginary, we have to compute a finite number of such curves; the number of curves is bounded by a constant for which we give an expression. The Hopf bifurcation curve lies on these curves.     

Suppression of slow gain recovery in ultralong quantum-dash semiconductor optical amplifier emitting at 1.55 μm

Gain dynamics in two quantum-dash semiconductor optical amplifiers of different lengths emitting in the 1.55 μm region are investigated experimentally and compared. It is shown that slow gain recovery due to total carrier relaxation is totally suppressed in the ultralong amplifier. Consequently, the 10%-90% gain recovery time is drastically reduced from about 40 ps (short sample) to 10 ps (long one).     

Operator norm localization for linear groups and its application to K-theory

We prove the operator norm localization property for linear groups. As an application we prove the coarse Novikov conjecture for box spaces of a linear group.