We observe this blue-shift in photoluminescence excitation experiments. The photoluminescence excitation energies of the QWs are satisfactorily simulated when taking into account the variation of the exciton binding energy with the QW width and the residual anisotropic strain. Then we compare the photoluminescence properties of homoepitaxial find more QWs grown on ZnO bulk substrate and heteroepitaxial QWs grown on sapphire. We show that the reduction of structural defects and the improvement of surface morphology are correlated with a strong enhancement of the photoluminescence properties: reduction of full width at half maximum, strong increase of the luminescence intensities. The comparison
convincingly demonstrates the interest of
homoepitaxial nonpolar QWs for bright UV emission applications. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3578636]“
“Background: Supplementation in lactating HIV-1-infected women with preformed vitamin A and beta-carotene (VA/BC) increases the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breastfeeding. Identifying a biological mechanism to explain this unexpected finding would lend support to a causal effect.
Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of VA/BC or multivitamin (B complex, www.selleckchem.com/products/Adriamycin.html vitamin C, and vitamin E) supplementation of HIV-infected women on HIV shedding in breast milk during the first 2 y postpartum.
Design: We quantified viral (cell-free) and proviral (cell-associated) HIV loads in breast-milk samples collected <= 15 d after delivery and every 3 mo thereafter from 594 Tanzanian HIV-1-infected women who participated in a randomized trial. Women received 1 of the following 4 daily oral regimens in a 2 x 2 factorial
fashion during pregnancy and throughout the first 2 y postpartum: multivitamin, VA/BC, multivitamin including VA/BC, or placebo.
Results: The proportion of breast-milk samples with detectable viral load was significantly higher in women who received VA/BC (51.3%) than in women who were not assigned to VA/BC (44.8%; LY2090314 price P = 0.02). The effect was apparent >= 6 mo postpartum (relative risk: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.73). No associations with proviral load were observed. The multivitamin had no effects. In observational analyses, beta-carotene but not retinol breast-milk concentrations were significantly associated with an increased viral load in milk.
Conclusions: VA/BC supplementation in lactating women increases the HIV load in breast milk. This finding contributes to explaining the adverse effect of VA/BC on mother-to-child transmission. beta-Carotene appears to have an effect on breast-milk viral load, independent of preformed vitamin A. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00197756. Am J Mar 2010;92:881-6.