Persistence of balsam fir and black spruce populations in the mixedwood and coniferous bioclimatic domain of eastern North America

The boreal ecocline (ca 49°N) between the southern mixedwood (dominated by balsam fir) and the northern coniferous bioclimatic domain (dominated by black spruce) may be explained by a northward decrease of balsam fir regeneration, explaining the gradual shift to black spruce dominance. 7,010 sample plots, with absence of major disturbances, were provided by the Quebec Ministry of Forest, Fauna, and Parks. The regeneration (sapling abundance) of balsam fir and black spruce were compared within and between the two bioclimatic domains, accounting for parental trees, main soil type (clay and till) and climate conditions, reflected by summer growing degree-days above 5°C (GDD_5), total summer precipitation (May–August; PP_MA). Parental trees and soil type determined balsam fir and black spruce regeneration. Balsam fir and black spruce, respectively, showed higher regeneration in the mixedwood and the coniferous bioclimatic domains. Overall, higher regeneration was obtained on till for balsam fir, and on clay soils for black spruce. GDD_5 and PP_MA were beneficial for balsam fir regeneration on clay and till soils, respectively, while they were detrimental for black spruce regeneration. At a population level, balsam fir required at least 28% of parental tree basal area in the mixedwood, and 38% in the coniferous bioclimatic domains to maintain a regeneration at least equal to the mean regeneration of the whole study area. However, black spruce required 82% and 79% of parental trees basal area in the mixedwood and the coniferous domains, respectively. The northern limit of the mixedwood bioclimatic domain was attributed to a gradual decrease toward the north of balsam fir regeneration most likely due to cooler temperatures, shorter growing seasons, and decrease of the parental trees further north of this northern limit. However, balsam fir still persists above this northern limit, owing to a patchy occurrence of small parental trees populations, and good establishment substrates

Field dependent transition to the non-linear regime in magnetic hyperthermia experiments : comparison between maghemite, copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles of similar sizes

Further advances inmagnetic hyperthermiamight be limited by biological constraints, such as using sufficiently low frequencies and low field amplitudes to inhibit harmfuleddy currents inside the patient’s body. These incite the need to optimize the heatingefficiency of the nano particles, referred to as the specific absorption rate (SAR).Among the several properties currently under research, one of particular importance is the transition from the linear to the non-linear regime that takes place as the field amplitude is increased, an aspect where the magnetic anisotropy is expected to play a fundamental role. In this paper we investigate the heating properties of cobalt ferrite and maghemite nano particles under the influence of a 500 kHz sinusoidal magneticfield with varying amplitude, up to 134 Oe. The particles were characterized byTEM, XRD, FMR and VSM, from which most relevant morphological, structural and magnetic properties were inferred. Both materials have similar size distributions and saturation magnetization, but strikingly different magnetic anisotropies. Frommagnetic hyperthermia experiments we found that, while at low fields maghemiteis the best nanomaterial for hyperthermia applications, above a critical field, close to the transition from the linear to the non-linear regime, cobalt ferrite becomesmore efficient. The results were also analyzed with respect to the energy conversionefficiency and compared with dynamic hysteresis simulations. Additional analysiswith nickel, zinc and copper-ferrite nanoparticles of similar sizes confirmed the importance of the magnetic anisotropy and the damping factor. Further, the analysis of the characterization parameters suggested core-shell nanostructures, probably due to a surface passivation process during the nanoparticle synthesis. Finally, we discussed the effect of particle-particle interactions and its consequences, in particular regarding discrepancies between estimated parameters and expected theoretical predictions

Silver nanoparticles in resin luting cements: antibacterial and physiochemical properties

Background: Silver has a long history of use in medicine as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent. Silver nanoparticles (NAg) offer the possibility to control the formation oral biofilms through the use of nanoparticles with biocidal, anti-adhesive, and delivery abilities. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial effect of resin luting cements with and without NAg, and their influence on color, sorption and solubility. Material and methods: NAg were incorporated to two dual-cured resin cements (RelyX ARC (RA) color A1 and RelyX U200 (RU) color A2) in two concentrations (0.05% and 0.07%, in weight), obtaining six experimental groups. Disc specimens (1x6mm) were obtained to verify the antibacterial effect against Streptococcus mutans in BHI broth after immersion for 1min, 5min, 1h, 6h, and 24h (n=3), through optical density readings. Specimens were evaluated for color changes after addition of NAg with a spectrophotometer (n=10). Sorption and solubility tests were also performed, considering storage in water or 75% ethanol for 28 days (n=5), according to ISO 4049:2010. Data were subjected to statistical analysis with ANOVA and Tukey (p=0.05). Results: The optical density of the culture broths indicated bacterial growth, with and without NAg. NAg produced significant color change on the resin cements, especially in RA. Solubility values were very low for all groups, while sorption values raised with NAg. The cements with NAg did not show antibacterial activity against S. mutans. They also showed perceptible color change and higher sorption than the materials without NAg. Conclusions: The resin luting cements with NAg addition did not show antibacterial activity against S. mutans. They also showed perceptible color change and higher sorption than the materials without NAg

Cytotoxicity of glass ionomer cements containing silver nanoparticles

Background: Some studies have investigated the possibility of incorporating silver nanoparticles (NAg) into dental materials to improve their antibacterial properties. However, the potential toxic effect of this material on pulp cells should be investigated in order to avoid additional damage to the pulp tissue. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of conventional and resin-modified glass ionomer cements (GIC) with and without addition of NAg. Material and Methods: NAg were added to the materials at two different concentrations by weight: 0.1% and 0.2%. Specimens with standardized dimensions were prepared, immersed in 400 μL of culture medium and incubated at 37°C and 5% CO2 for 48 h to prepare GIC liquid extracts, which were then incubated in contact with cells for 48 h. Culture medium and 0.78% NAg solution were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Cell viability was determined by MTT and Trypan Blue assays. ANOVA and the Tukey test (α=0.05) were used for statistical analyses. Results: Both tests revealed a significant decrease in cell viability in all groups of resin modified cements ( p ˂0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between groups with and without NAg ( p ˃0.05). The differences in cell viability between any group of conventional GIC and the negativ e control were not statistically significant ( p >0.05). Conclusions: NAg did not affect the cytotoxicity of the GIC under evaluatio

Magnetic hyperthermia investigation of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles: Comparison between experiment, linear response theory, and dynamic hysteresis simulations

Considerable effort has been made in recent years to optimize materials properties for magnetic hyperthermia applications. However, due to the complexity of the problem, several aspects pertaining to the combined influence of the different parameters involved still remain unclear. In this paper, we discuss in detail the role of the magnetic anisotropy on the specific absorption rate of cobalt-ferrite nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 3 to 14 nm. The structural characterization was carried out using x-ray diffraction and Rietveld analysis and all relevant magnetic parameters were extracted from vibrating sample magnetometry. Hyperthermia investigations were performed at 500 kHz with a sinusoidal magnetic field amplitude of up to 68 Oe. The specific absorption rate was investigated as a function of the coercive field, saturation magnetization, particle size, and magnetic anisotropy. The experimental results were also compared with theoretical predictions from the linear response theory and dynamic hysteresis simulations, where exceptional agreement was found in both cases. Our results show that the specific absorption rate has a narrow and pronounced maxima for intermediate anisotropy values. This not only highlights the importance of this parameter but also shows that in order to obtain optimum efficiency in hyperthermia applications, it is necessary to carefully tailor the materials properties during the synthesis process. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4729271]CNPqCAPESFINEPFAPEGFAPESPFAPDFFUNAP

Tetramethylguanidine covalently bonded onto silica gel as catalyst for the addition of nitromethane to cyclopentenone

A catalyst based on silica chemically modified with tetramethylguanidine (TMG) was synthesized by the co-condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) with a new silylant agent derived from the reaction between the TMG molecule and (3-chloropropyl)trimethoxysilane. A neutral n-dodecylamine template was used to organize the polymerization of the inorganic-organic catalyst. Thermogravimetry showed that the number of active pendant groups in the catalyst was 1.35 mmol g-1, with a surface area of 811 ± 75 m² g-1. Infrared spectroscopy and 13C and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance data are in agreement with the proposed structure. This material has been used to catalyse the addition of nitromethane to cyclopentenone. The catalytic efficiency was followed and the nitromethylcyclopentanone conversion presented a yield of 98% at 3 h of reaction. The catalyst was recovered and reused 14 times, maintaining about 98% of its catalytic efficiency.Um catalisador baseado em sílica quimicamente modificada com tetrametilguanidina (TMG) foi sintetizado pela co-condensação de tetraetilortossilicato (TEOS) com um novo agente sililante, preparado pela reação entre a molécula TMG e (3-cloropropil)trimetoxisilano. O direcionador n-dodecilamina foi utilizado para organizar a polimerização do catalisador inorgânico-orgânico. A termogravimetria mostrou que o número de sítios ativos do catalisador foi de 1,35 mmol g-1, com uma área superficial de 811 ± 75 m² g-1. A espectroscopia na região do infravermelho e de ressonância magnética nuclear no estado sólido para os núcleos 29Si e 13C confirmou a obtenção do produto desejado. Este material foi usado para catalisar a adição de nitrometano em ciclopentenona. 98% de conversão foi observada depois de 3 h de reação. O catalisador foi recuperado e reutilizado por mais catorze vezes, mantendo uma eficiência catalítica em torno de 98%

Engineering shape anisotropy of Fe3O4-¿-Fe2O3 hollow nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia

The use of microwave-assisted synthesis (in water) of a-Fe2O3 nanomaterials followed by their transformation onto iron oxide Fe3O4-¿-Fe2O3 hollow nanoparticles encoding well-defined sizes and shapes [nanorings (NRs) and nanotubes (NTs)] is henceforth described. The impact of experimental variables such as concentration of reactants, volume of solvent employed, and reaction times/temperatures during the shape-controlled synthesis revealed that the key factor that gated generation of morphologically diverse nanoparticles was associated to the initial concentration of phosphate anions employed in the reactant mixture. All the nanomaterials presented were fully characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The hollow nanoparticles that expressed the most promising magnetic responses, NTs and NRs, were further tested in terms of efficiencies in controlling the magnetic hyperthermia, in view of their possible use for biomedical applications, supported by their excellent viability as screened by in vitro cytotoxicity tests. These systems NTs and NRs expressed very good magneto-hyperthermia properties, results that were further validated by micromagnetic simulations. The observed specific absorption rate (SAR) and intrinsic loss power of the NRs and NTs peaked the values of 340 W/g and 2.45 nH m2 kg-1 (NRs) and 465 W/g and 3.3 nH m2 kg-1 (NTs), respectively, at the maximum clinical field 450 Oe and under a frequency of 107 kHz and are the highest values among those reported so far in the hollow iron-oxide family. The higher SAR in NTs accounts the importance of magnetic shape anisotropy, which is well-predicted by the modified dynamic hysteresis (ß-MDH) theoretical model

Effects of the randomly distributed magnetic field on the phase diagrams of the Ising Nanowire I: discrete distributions

The effect of the random magnetic field distribution on the phase diagrams and ground state magnetizations of the Ising nanowire is investigated with effective field theory with correlations. Trimodal distribution chosen as a random magnetic field distribution. The variation of the phase diagrams with that distribution parameters obtained and some interesting results found such as reentrant behavior. Also for the trimodal distribution, ground state magnetizations for different distribution parameters determined which can be regarded as separate partially ordered phases of the system.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure