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In this study, the basic properties of Ba2AgSi3 were investigated in detail from both experimental and computational viewpoints. Polycrystalline Ba2AgSi3 formed by an arc-melting apparatus under an argon atmosphere was ground into powders, and then powder samples were sintered using the spark plasma sintering method. Both n-type and p-type samples were obtained. This may be due to a slight deviation from the stoichiometric composition. The energy bandgap of Ba2AgSi3 was measured to be around 0.17 eV from the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity and was in agreement with that by first-principles calculations. Sintered samples exhibited a high Seebeck coefficient of −273 μV K−1 and a high power factor of 0.38 mW m−1 K−2 at 307 K for n-type samples. They were 217 μV K−1 and 0.23 mW m−1 K−2, respectively, at 320 K for p-type samples. The electronic structures of impurity-doped Ba2AgSi3 were also discussed using first-principles calculations to investigate the insertion site of impurity atoms. The calculations suggest that the substitution of B (P) at any Si site shifts the Fermi level and transforms it into p-type (n-type) semiconductors. On the other hand, substitution of Ba or Ag sites with B or P is unlikely to occur in terms of formation energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the data release of the Uchuu–SDSS galaxies: a set of 32 high-fidelity galaxy light-cones constructed from the large Uchuu 2.1 trillion particles N -body simulation using Planck cosmology. We adopt subhalo abundance matching to populate the Uchuu-box halo catalogues with SDSS galaxy luminosities. These box catalogues generated at several redshifts are combined to create a set of light-cones with redshift-evolving galaxy properties. The Uchuu–SDSS galaxy light-cones are built to reproduce the footprint and statistical properties of the SDSS main galaxy survey, along with stellar masses and star formation rates. This facilitates a direct comparison of the observed SDSS and simulated Uchuu–SDSS data. Our light-cones reproduce a large number of observational results, such as the distribution of galaxy properties, galaxy clustering, stellar mass functions, and halo occupation distributions. Using simulated and real data, we select samples of bright red galaxies at z eff = 0.15 to explore redshift space distortions and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) by fitting the full two-point correlation function and the BAO peak. We create a set of 5100 galaxy light-cones using GLAM N -body simulations to compute covariance errors. We report a |$\sim 30~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| precision increase on f σ8 and the pre-reconstruction BAO scale, due to our better estimate of the covariance matrix. From our BAO-inferred α∥ and α⊥ parameters, we obtain the first SDSS measurements of the Hubble and angular diameter distances |$D_\mathrm{H}(z=0.15) / r_d = 27.9^{+3.1}_{-2.7}$|⁠ , |$D_\mathrm{M}(z=0.15) / r_d = 5.1^{+0.4}_{-0.4}$|⁠. Overall, we conclude that the Planck Λ CDM cosmology nicely explains the observed large-scale structure statistics of SDSS. All data sets are made publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of eco-friendly thin-film thermoelectric generators for microenergy harvesting applications is highly desired. Ge-based materials have recently attracted significant research interest because of their superior performance at room temperature as human-compatible thermoelectric constituents. We examined the synthesis of Yb3Ge5 thin films and assessed their thermoelectric properties, considering the exceptional ability of Yb as a heavy metal to scatter phonons. The components of the resulting thin film were strongly dependent on the Yb/Ge deposition ratio and the subsequent annealing temperature. An increase in the Yb content augmented the formation of Yb2O3, whereas an increase in the Ge content facilitated the formation of Ge crystals. These trends were more evident at higher annealing temperatures. By controlling the YbGe composition, a power factor of 1470 µW m−1 K−2 was obtained at an annealing temperature of 700 °C, along with a low thermal conductivity of 3.1 W m−1 K−1. Machine-learning-facilitated data analysis revealed that the high power factor originated from Yb3Ge5. Notably, the power factor reached 1370 µW m−1 K−2 even at a temperature of 500 °C, causing the expansion of heat-resistant plastic films. Thus, we established the impressive potential of Yb3Ge5 as a suitable material for eco-friendly thin-film thermoelectric generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of thin-film thermoelectric generators for micro-energy harvesting is highly anticipated. In this study, we have investigated the synthesis and thermoelectric applications of ternary alloy InAs1−xSbx thin films, which are narrow-gap III–V compound semiconductors. Polycrystalline InAs1−xSbx thin films with sub-micrometer grain size were synthesized on glass using molecular-beam deposition at 400 °C with all composition x. The InAs1−xSbx thin films exhibited n-type conduction, and their electrical and thermoelectric properties were strongly dependent on x and the amount of Sn doping. The ternary alloying reduced the power factor and contributed to a reduction in thermal conductivity. The InAs0.2Sb0.8 thin film on a glass substrate exhibited a power factor of 100 μW m−1 K−2 and a thermal conductivity of 2.0 W m−1 K−1 at room temperature. Furthermore, a comparable performance was demonstrated for an InAs0.2Sb0.8 thin film grown on a plastic film. These achievements will pave the way for the application of III–V compound semiconductors in flexible thermoelectric generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masakazu Kotoda,1 Hirofumi Ino,1 Yasutomo Kumakura,1 Tetsuya Iijima,1 Tadahiko Ishiyama,2 Takashi Matsukawa11Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan; 2Surgical Center, University of Yamanashi Hospital, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, JapanPurpose: Although amiodarone is classified as a Vaughan-Williams class Ⅲ antiarrhythmic drug, it has inhibitory effects on voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels and on β-adrenergic receptors. Given these pharmacological profiles, amiodarone may have analgesic properties. Most patients who are prescribed amiodarone possess multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Despite the fact that pain plays a crucial role as a clinical indicator of cardiovascular events, the effects of amiodarone on pain have not been investigated. The aim of the current study was to investigate the analgesic effects of amiodarone by using mouse models of pain in an effort to elucidate underlying mechanisms.Methods: Adult male C57B6 mice received single bolus intraperitoneal injections of amiodarone at doses of 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, while the mice in the control group received only normal saline. The analgesic effects of amiodarone were evaluated using the acetic acid-induced writhing test, formalin test, and tail withdrawal test. In addition, the potassium channel opener NS1643, voltage-gated sodium channel opener veratrine, calcium channel opener BAYK8644, and selective β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol were used to uncover the underlying mechanism.Results: During the acetic acid-induced writhing test, formalin test, and tail withdrawal test, amiodarone induced analgesic responses in a dose-dependent manner. The analgesic effects of amiodarone were abolished by veratrine but not by NS1643, BAYK8644, or isoproterenol.Conclusion: Amiodarone induced analgesic responses in a dose-dependent manner, likely by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels. These results indicate that clinical doses of amiodarone can affect nociception and may mask or attenuate pain induced by acute cardiovascular events.Keywords: amiodarone, antinociception, pain, sodium channels

Electron-spin resonance (ESR) measurements were conducted on Er-doped GaAs grown with oxygen codoping by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. An isotropic line was seen in samples without oxygen codoping. For samples with oxygen codoping, other strong anisotropic ESR lines started from four types of Er3+ centers (A,B,C and D) were seen in addition to the weaker isotropic line. ESR measurement under light illumination and the Er concentration dependence indicated that the B center with C2v symmetry corresponds to the dominant Er luminescent center under host photoexcitation.

Measurements on Yb-doped n-type and p-type InP layers using electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques are made to evaluate ESR intensity and spectra of said products. Samples are grown from semi-insulating InP substrates using tris(cyclopentadienyl)ytterbium as Yb source. Test results showing a higher ESR intensity for p-type compared with n-type samples may indicate that an electron captured by the AE trap is in the Yb 4f shell.