568 research outputs found
Magnetic ground state and 2D behavior in pseudo-Kagome layered system Cu3Bi(SeO3)2O2Br
Anisotropic magnetic properties of a layered kagome-like system
Cu3Bi(SeO3)2O2Br have been studied by bulk magnetization and magnetic
susceptibility measurements as well as powder and single-crystal neutron
diffraction. At T_N = 27.4 K the system develops an alternating
antiferromagnetic order of (ab) layers, which individually exhibit canted
ferrimagnetic moment arrangement, resulting from the competing ferro- and
antiferro-magnetic intralayer exchange interactions. A magnetic field B_C ~ 0.8
T applied along the c axis (perpendicular to the layers) triggers a
metamagnetic transition, when every second layer flips, i.e., resulting in a
ferrimagnetic structure. Significantly higher fields are required to rotate the
ferromagnetic component towards the b axis (~7 T) or towards the a axis (~15
T). The estimates of the exchange coupling constants and features indicative of
an XY character of this quasi-2D system are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, final versio
Many-spin effects in inelastic neutron scattering and electron paramagnetic resonance of molecular nanomagnets
Many molecular magnetic clusters, such as single-molecule magnets, are
characterized by spin ground states with defined total spin S exhibiting
zero-field-splittings. In this work, the spectroscopic intensities of the
transitions within the ground-state multiplet are analyzed. In particular, the
effects of a mixing with higher-lying spin multiplets, which is produced by
anisotropic interactions and is neglected in the standard single-spin
description, are investigated systematically for the two experimental
techniques of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and electron paramagnetic
resonance (EPR), with emphasis on the former technique. The spectroscopic
transition intensities are calculated analytically by constructing
corresponding effective spin operators perturbationally up to second order and
consequently using irreducible tensor operator techniques. Three main effects
of spin mixing are observed. Firstly, a pronounced dependence of the INS
intensities on the momentum transfer Q, with a typical oscillatory behavior,
emerges in first order, signaling the many-spin nature of the wave functions in
exchange-coupled clusters. Secondly, as compared to the results of a
first-order calculation, the intensities of the transitions within the spin
multiplet are affected differently by spin mixing. This allows one, thirdly, to
differentiate the higher-order contributions to the cluster magnetic anisotropy
which come from the single-ion ligand-field terms and spin mixing,
respectively. The analytical results are illustrated by means of the three
examples of an antiferromagnetic heteronuclear dimer, the Mn-[3 x 3] grid
molecule, and the single-molecule magnet Mn12.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, REVTEX4, to appear in PR
Field dependent anisotropy change in a supramolecular Mn(II)-[3x3] grid
The magnetic anisotropy of a novel Mn(II)-[3x3] grid complex was investigated
by means of high-field torque magnetometry. Torque vs. field curves at low
temperatures demonstrate a ground state with S > 0 and exhibit a torque step
due to a field induced level-crossing at B* \approx 7.5 T, accompanied by an
abrupt change of magnetic anisotropy from easy-axis to hard-axis type. These
observations are discussed in terms of a spin Hamiltonian formalism.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Exchange-coupling constants, spin density map, and Q dependence of the inelastic neutron scattering intensity in single-molecule magnets
The Q dependence of the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) intensity of
transitions within the ground-state spin multiplet of single-molecule magnets
(SMMs) is considered. For these transitions, the Q dependence is related to the
spin density map in the ground state, which in turn is governed by the
Heisenberg exchange interactions in the cluster. This provides the possibility
to infer the exchange-coupling constants from the Q dependence of the INS
transitions within the spin ground state. The potential of this strategy is
explored for the M = +-10 -> +- 9 transition within the S = 10 multiplet of the
molecule Mn12 as an example. The Q dependence is calculated for powder as well
as single-crystal Mn12 samples for various exchange-coupling situations
discussed in the literature. The results are compared to literature data on a
powder sample of Mn12 and to measurements on an oriented array of about 500
single-crystals of Mn12. The calculated Q dependence exhibits significant
variation with the exchange-coupling constants, in particular for a
single-crystal sample, but the experimental findings did not permit an
unambiguous determination. However, although challenging, suitable experiments
are within the reach of today's instruments.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, REVTEX4, to appear in PR
Biophysical and Biological Tools to Better Characterize the Stability, Safety and Efficacy of a Cosmeceutical for Acne-Prone Skin
(1) Background: Acne is a widespread skin disease, especially among adolescents. Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of masks, the problem has been affecting a greater number of people, and the attention of the skin care beauty routine cosmetics has been focused on the \u201cMaskne\u201d, caused by the sebum excretion rate (SER) that stimulates microbial proliferation. (2) Methods: the present study was focused on the rheological characterization and quality assurance of the preservative system of an anti-acne serum. The biological effectiveness (cytotoxicity\u2014skin and eye irritation\u2014antimicrobial, biofilm eradication and anti-inflammatory activity) was evaluated in a monolayer cell line of keratinocytes (HaCaT) and on 3D models (reconstructed human epidermis, RHE and human reconstructed corneal epithelium, HCE). The Cutibacterium acnes, as the most relevant acne-inducing bacterium, is chosen as a pro-inflammatory stimulus and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the serum. (3) Results and Conclusions: Rheology allows to simulate serum behavior at rest, extrusion and application, so the serum could be defined as having a solid-like behavior and being pseudoplastic. The preservative system is in compliance with the criteria of the reference standard. Biological effectiveness evaluation shows non-cytotoxic and irritant behavior with a good antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of the formulation, supporting the effectiveness of the serum for acne-prone skin treatment
The anti-ageing and whitening potential of a cosmetic serum containing 3-o-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid
Skin ageing has many manifestations such as wrinkles, dryness, hyperpigmentation, and uneven skin tone. Extrinsic and intrinsic factors, especially solar ultraviolet light (UVB), contribute to skin ageing; its main features are brown spots, alterations in melanin pigmentation, and a decrease in collagen and hyaluronic acid linked to oxidative stress. Several studies showed that topical products containing ingredients with antioxidant activity can reduce oxidative damage; to provide a maximum anti-ageing effect to the skin, topical products can combine various ingredients. C-SHOT SERUM contains a combination of two molecules with a proven anti-ageing activity: a high percentage (30%) of a more stable vitamin C derivative, 3-O-ethyl-L-ascorbic acid, and lactic acid (1%). The product showed a high biocompatibility, assessed through an MTT assay on keratinocytes and on Reconstructed Human Epidermis (RHE, SkinEthic); the anti-ageing activity was demonstrated on human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes by a statistically significant increase in collagen production and a reduction of a UVB-induced DNA damage marker (\u3b3-H2AX histone), indicating DNA protection. Moreover, a depigmenting activity, shown by a highly significant decrease in melanin content on treated Reconstructed Human Pigmented Epidermis (RHPE), was assessed. According to the data of our study, the tested product contrasts the effect of skin ageing and irregular pigmentation due to the physiological decline of the skin
A practical approach for the in vitro safety and efficacy assessment of an anti-ageing cosmetic cream enriched with functional compounds
(1) Background: Cosmeceuticals are topical products applied to human skin to prevent skin ageing and maintain a healthy skin appearance. Their effectiveness is closely linked to the compounds present in a final formulation. In this article, we propose a panel of in vitro tests to support the efficacy assessment of an anti-ageing cream enriched with functional compounds. (2) Methods: biocompatibility and the irritant effect were evaluated on reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) and corneal epithelium (HCE) 3D models. After a preliminary MTT assay, normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and keratinocytes (HaCaT) were used to evaluate the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein synthesis, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) production. (3) Results: data collected showed good biocompatibility and demonstrated the absence of the irritant effect in both 3D models. Therefore, we demonstrated a statistical increase in collagen and elastin productions in NHDF cells. In HaCaT cells, we highlighted an anti-inflammatory effect through a reduction in IL-6 levels in inflammatory stimulated conditions. Moreover, the reduction of MMP-1 production after UV-B radiation was demonstrated, showing significant photo-protection. (4) Conclusion: a multiple in vitro assays approach is proposed for the valid and practical assessment of the anti-ageing protection, anti-inflammatory and biocompatible claims that can be assigned to a cosmetic product containing functional compounds
Automatic Quantum Error Correction
Criteria are given by which dissipative evolution can transfer populations
and coherences between quantum subspaces, without a loss of coherence. This
results in a form of quantum error correction that is implemented by the joint
evolution of a system and a cold bath. It requires no external intervention
and, in principal, no ancilla. An example of a system that protects a qubit
against spin-flip errors is proposed. It consists of three spin 1/2 magnetic
particles and three modes of a resonator. The qubit is the triple quantum
coherence of the spins, and the photons act as ancilla.Comment: 16 pages 12 fig LaTex uses multicol, graphicx expanded version of
letter submitted to Phys Rev Let
Peripheral ENO1-specific T cells mirror the intratumoral immune response and their presence is a potential prognostic factor for pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease with an average survival of 4-6 months following diagnosis. Surgical resection is the only treatment with curative intent, but resectable PDAC patients are in the minority. Also, unlike other neoplasms, PDAC is resistant to conventional and targeted chemotherapy. Innovative treatments, such as immunotherapy, can be very important and the study of the immune response is fundamental. We previously demonstrated that PDAC patients show tumor-infiltrating T cells specific to a-enolase (ENO1), a glycolytic enzyme over expressed by pancreatic tumor cells, which plays an important role in promoting cell migration and cancer metastasis. In the present study, we evaluate the functional anticancer proprieties of ENO1-specific T cells isolated from the peripheral blood of PDAC patients. Furthermore, comparing the T cell receptor repertoire of ENO1-specific peripheral and infiltrating tumor T cells from the same patient suggests that ENO1-specific T cells, despite having a different functional profile, can recirculate from the tumor to the periphery. Finally, of clinical relevance, the presence of peripheral ENO1-specific T cells has a prognostic value and significantly correlates with a longer survival
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Highly efficient separation of actinides from lanthanides by a phenanthroline-derived bis-triazine ligand
The synthesis, lanthanide complexation, and solvent ex- traction of actinide(III) and lanthanide(III) radiotracers from nitric acid solutions by a phenanthroline-derived quadridentate bis-triazine ligand are described. The ligand separates Am(III) and Cm(III) from the lanthanides with remarkably high efficiency, high selectivity, and fast extraction kinetics compared to its 2,2'-bipyridine counterpart. Structures of the 1:2 bis-complexes of the ligand with Eu(III) and Yb(III) were elucidated by X-ray crystallography and force field calculations, respec-tively. The Eu(III) bis-complex is the first 1:2 bis-complex of a quadridentate bis-triazine ligand to be characterized by crystallography. The faster rates of extraction were verified by kinetics measurements using the rotating membrane cell technique in several diluents. The improved kinetics of metal ion extraction are related to the higher surface activity of the ligand at the phase interface. The improvement in the ligand's properties on replacing the bipyridine unit with a phenanthroline unit far exceeds what was anticipated based on ligand design alone
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