Magnetism in nanometer-thick magnetite

The oldest known magnetic material, magnetite, is of current interest for use in spintronics as a thin film. An open question is how thin can magnetite films be and still retain the robust ferrimagnetism required for many applications. We have grown one-nanometer-thick magnetite crystals and characterized them in situ by electron and photoelectron microscopies including selected-area x-ray circular dichroism. Well-defined magnetic patterns are observed in individual nano-crystals up to at least 520 K, establishing the retention of ferrimagnetism in magnetite two-unit-cells thick.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Comparative study of the synthesis and characterization of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using an eco friendly reducing agent

In this work, the reducing action of four reducing agents—ascorbic acid, inorganic salt, sodium hydrosulfte and polysaccharide—was investigated. Some reducing agents, in addition to being environmentally friendly, are good substitutes for dangerous chemicals used industrially. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by the modifed Hummers method and was reduced with ascorbic acid (RGO-AA), inorganic salt (RGO-SI), sodium hydrosulfte (RGO-HS) and polysaccharide (RGO-PS). The microstructural, morphological, optical, electrochemical and thermal properties of GO, RGO-AA, RGOSI, RGO-HS and RGO-PS were characterized by x-ray difraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy/attenuated total refectance (FTIR-ATR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM)/energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), feld-emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), UV–Vis, zeta potential, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and diferential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The conclusive results showed that the four agents demonstrated reducing capability. It was observed that the reducing agent derived from inverted sugar (polysaccharide) was the most efcient because it presented a reduction in GO with fewer microstructural defects, a lower number of sheets, and electrochemical and thermal properties superior to the properties obtained from conventional reducing agents. Therefore, with these impressive results obtained with polysaccharide, it was concluded that an efective GO reducing agent was obtained using this green and ecological product, resulting in a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with few sheets and fewer defects and, consequently, with greater supercapacitor application potential.CNPq -Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico(45034/2020-3

Predictors of high-quality cord blood units

BACKGROUNDAnalysis of umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplants shows a correlation between engraftment and total number of infused cells. Thus, it is worth evaluating what maternal and neonatal characteristics and collection techniques may affect the quality of UCB units. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA cross-sectional study was performed with 7897 donors sequentially selected in three health care institutions in Brazil from October 2004 to March 2012, in which both quantitative and qualitative approaches were applied. All donors were considered suitable for cord blood collection. RESULTSThe maternal and neonatal characteristics and techniques of collection that influenced the total number of nucleated cells (TNCsp<0.001) were type of delivery, newborn weight and sex, and institution of UCB collection. The TNC count was associated with gestational age (p=0.008), type of delivery (p<0.001), newborn sex (p<0.001), newborn weight (p<0.001), and UCB collection technique (p=0.003). Center B presented the largest number of nucleated cells in its results (p<0.001), followed by Center A (p=0.001). Other characteristics, such as maternal age, were analyzed but were not relevant for the nucleated cell number. CONCLUSIONThis study provides elements for a model that allows an efficient selection of UCB donors, prioritizing candidates who have a better chance to lead to an optimized use of cord blood cells units.Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Enfermagem, Sao Paulo, BrazilInst Nacl Cardiol, Rio De Janeiro, BrazilInst Israelita Ensino & Pesquisa Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, BrazilHosp Israelita Albert Einstein, Dept Hemoterapia, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Enfermagem, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Integrated spectral evolution of galactic open clusters

We present a library of 47 open-cluster integrated spectra, mostly obtained at CASLEO (San Juan, Argentina) in the range 3600 < λ < 7400 Å, which are made available at CDS. The data are combined with previous spectra to obtain 10 high signal-to-noise ratio basic templates in the young and intermediate-age domains, which are also provided in the library. These Galactic disc templates represent the increased time resolution spectral evolution of a stellar population unit around the Solar metallicity level. The improved signal-to-noise ratio of the present templates with respect to previous template lists, together with their increased time resolution, allowed us to improve the fundamental parameters of some open clusters. The present spectral library will be useful for several astrophysical applications, particularly for population syntheses of star-forming giant galaxies.Fil: Piatti, Andres Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Bica, Eduardo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Clariá, Juan José. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Santos Jr., João F. C.. Universidade Federal do Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Ahumada, Andrea Veronica. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Espectros integrados EFOSC2/NTT de 10 cúmulos estelares pertenecientes a las Nubes de Magallanes

We present integrated spectra in the optical range for 10 concentrated Magellanic Clouds’ (MCs) stellar clusters, six of them belonging to the Large Magellanic Cloud, and the other four to the Small Magellanic Cloud. The spectra were obtained with the EFOSC2 spectrograph (NTT-ESO, La Silla, Chile). We estimate simultaneously age and foreground reddening by comparing the continuum distribution and line strengths of the cluster spectra with those of template spectra. The present cluster sample complements previous ones, in an effort to create a spectral library for the MCs with several clusters per age bin.Se presentan espectros integrados en el rango optico obtenidos con el espectrografo EFOSC2 (NTT-ESO, La Silla, Chile) de 6 cumulos estelares (CEs) de la Nube Mayor de Magallanes (NMM) y 4 de la Nube Menor (NmM). Las edades y enrojecimientos se determinaron comparando la distribucion del continuo y la intensidad de lıneas espectrales con estas mismas caracterısticas en espectros patrones (templates). Los 10 cumulos estudiados abarcan un amplio rango de edad y estan levemente enrojecidos. Estos espectros seran de gran utilidad para actualizar las bases de templates actualmente existentes para la metalicidad tıpicamente subsolar de las Nubes de Magallanes (NMs).Fil: Ahumada, Andrea Veronica. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Benítez Llambay, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Astronomia Teórica y Experimental. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba. Instituto de Astronomia Teórica y Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Santos, J. F. C.. Universidade Federal do Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Claria Olmedo, Juan Jose. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Bica, E.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Piatti, Andres Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; Argentin

A Review on the Potential and Efficacy of Plant-Based Mosquito Repellents Against DEET-Based Mosquito Repellents

The number of insect-borne diseases has brought many health-related issues, prompting the search, discovery, and formulation of insect repellents to prevent the acquisition of diseases. However, the preferred and conventional chemical-based repellent has downsides contrary to the benefits, such as the concern towards human and environmental safety. Meanwhile, scientific understanding of plants is mainly underexplored, resulting in people’s preferences for chemical-based insect repellents. The main objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of N, N-diethyl-3-methyl-benzamide (DEET), found in chemical-based repellents, and terpenes, found in plant essential oil-based repellents, to show the potential of both, along with the possibility of using plant-based repellents as an alternative to the conventional ones. The review was done by comparing and analyzing the fundamental data obtained from previous studies, focusing on the DEET or essential oil concentration, repellency rate, protection time for the efficacy, and the mosquito species that the tested repellents have shown to repel. After reviewing and comparing the results from primary sources, the researchers concluded that DEET-based and plant-based repellents both have potential depending on the concentration and the process of repellent formulation, as some plant-based repellents demonstrate longer protection times and thus greater potential than some of the DEET-based ones

Phytoplankton Biomass and Environmental Descriptors of Water Quality of an Urban Lagoon

The Jansen lagoon is a coastal system formed by damming the Ana Jansen Creek, which is located in the northwest of São Luís Island (northern Brazil) and is under high urban influence. The use of indexes to assess the water quality in aquatic systems is important because they show the degradation degree of an area and give support to measures for the sustainability and protection of aquatic life, consequently. For the seasonal and spatial analysis of environmental and biological variables, six bimonthly surveys between November 2011 and September 2012 were carried out at five sampling sites. In addition, indexes such as the index of minimum parameters for the protection of aquatic communities, Trophic State Index, and Aquatic Life Protection Index were applied to evaluate the water quality. High levels of dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a were observed in the lagoon waters. In general, the water quality indexes showed that the Jansen lagoon has a poor water quality due to elevated DO and pH as well as high concentration of surfactants and phenols. These environmental conditions favored the intense process of eutrophication (hypereutrophy) and environmental degradation of the area, affecting the development of aquatic biota

Molecular characterization of the human COQ5 C-methyltransferase in coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis

Under a Creative Commons license.Coq5 catalyzes the only C-methylation involved in the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q (Q or ubiquinone) in humans and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As one of eleven polypeptides required for Q production in yeast, Coq5 has also been shown to assemble with the multi-subunit complex termed the CoQ-synthome. In humans, mutations in several COQ genes cause primary Q deficiency, and a decrease in Q biosynthesis is associated with mitochondrial, cardiovascular, kidney and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we characterize the human COQ5 polypeptide and examine its complementation of yeast coq5 point and null mutants. We show that human COQ5 RNA is expressed in all tissues and that the COQ5 polypeptide is associated with the mitochondrial inner membrane on the matrix side. Previous work in yeast has shown that point mutations within or adjacent to conserved COQ5 methyltransferase motifs result in a loss of Coq5 function but not Coq5 steady state levels. Here, we show that stabilization of the CoQ-synthome within coq5 point mutants or by over-expression of COQ8 in coq5 null mutants permits the human COQ5 homolog to partially restore coq5 mutant growth on respiratory media and Q6 content. Immunoblotting against the human COQ5 polypeptide in isolated yeast mitochondria shows that the human Coq5 polypeptide migrates in two-dimensional blue-native/SDS-PAGE at the same high molecular mass as other yeast Coq proteins. The results presented suggest that human and Escherichia coli Coq5 homologs expressed in yeast retain C-methyltransferase activity but are capable of rescuing the coq5 yeast mutants only when the CoQ-synthome is assembled.Open Access funded by Telethon (Italy).Peer Reviewe

Magnetism in nanometer-thick magnetite

The oldest known magnetic material, magnetite, is of current interest for use in spintronics as a thin film. An open question is how thin can magnetite films be and still retain the robust ferrimagnetism required for many applications. We have grown 1-nm-thick magnetite crystals and characterized them in situ by electron and photoelectron microscopies including selected-area x-ray circular dichroism. Well-defined magnetic patterns are observed in individual nanocrystals up to at least 520 K, establishing the retention of ferrimagnetism in magnetite two unit cells thick