Electromagnetic response of LaO_0.94F_0.06FeAs: AC susceptibility and microwave surface resistance

We discuss on the electromagnetic response of a polycrystalline sample of LaO_0.94F_0.06FeAs exposed to DC magnetic fields up to 10 kOe. The low- and high-frequency responses have been investigated by measuring the AC susceptibility at 100 kHz and the microwave surface resistance at 9.6 GHz. At low as well as high DC magnetic fields, the susceptibility strongly depends on the amplitude of the AC driving field, highlighting enhanced nonlinear effects. The field dependence of the AC susceptibility exhibits a magnetic hysteresis that can be justified considering the intragrain-field-penetration effects on the intergrain critical current density. The microwave surface resistance exhibits a clockwise magnetic hysteresis, which cannot be justified in the framework of the critical-state models of the Abrikosov-fluxon lattice; it may have the same origin as that detected in the susceptibility.Comment: 8 pages, 4 embedded eps figures; Proceedings of the 9th EUCAS Conference (Dresden, Germany, September 13-17, 2009

Revitalizing Endangered Languages: AI-powered language learning as a catalyst for language appreciation

According to UNESCO, there are nearly 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, of which around 3,000 languages are in danger of disappearing before the end of the century. With roughly 230 languages having already become extinct between the years 1950-2010, collectively this represents a significant loss of linguistic and cultural diversity. This position paper aims to explore the potential of AI-based language learning approaches that promote early exposure and appreciation of languages to ultimately contribute to the preservation of endangered languages, thereby addressing the urgent need to protect linguistic and cultural diversity.Comment: 3 page

Microwave Harmonic Emission in MgB2 Superconductor: Comparison with YBaCuO

We report results of microwave second-harmonic generation in ceramic samples of MgB2, prepared by different methods. The SH signal has been investigated as a function of the temperature and the static magnetic field. The results are discussed in the framework of models reported in the literature. We show that the peculiarities of the SH signal are related to the specific properties of the sample. A comparison with the results obtained in ceramic and crystalline YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) shows that the second-harmonic emission in MgB2 is weaker than that observed in ceramic YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7).Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures; Proceedings of Third Workshop on Metamaterials and Special Materials for Electromagnetic Applications and TLC (Rome, 30-31 March, 2006

CARBON-NITROGEN DOUBLE BOND STEREOSELECTIVE REDUCTION

The carbon-nitrogen double bond reduction represents a powerful and widely used transformation that allows to generate a new nitrogen-bearing stereocenter. Since chiral amino groups are ubiquitous in a variety of bioactive molecules, the development of a catalytic stereoselective process for the preparation of enantiomerically enriched amines by imine reduction is attracting increasing interest. Recently great efforts have been made to develop efficient organocatalytic methods to perform enantioselective imine reductions and reductive amination processes. In particular, research has focused on trichlorosilane-mediated reductions due to the possibility of generating chiral catalysts for imine reduction simply by coordination of HSiCl3 with a chiral Lewis base. This work reports the design and synthesis of new catalytic systems for the reduction of C=N double bond as well as the exploration of new synthetic applications. A set of enantiomerically pure Lewis bases containing different diphenyl phosphinyl oxide groups and proline-based catalysts were developed and successfully used in the trichlorosilane-mediated reduction. A highly stereoselective of N-benzyl enamines was also developed, leading to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure \uf062\uf02dlactams. Preliminary experiments allowed to obtain for the first time 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines via reductive amination with good levels of enantioselection, paving the way for further improvements

Superconducting Microwave Cavity Made of Bulk MgB2

We report the successful manufacture and characterization of a microwave resonant cylindrical cavity made of bulk MgB2 superconductor (Tc = 38.5 K), which has been produced by the Reactive Liquid Mg Infiltration technique. The quality factor of the cavity for the TE011 mode, resonating at 9.79 GHz, has been measured as a function of the temperature. At T = 4.2 K, the unloaded quality factor is 2.2x10^5; it remains of the order of 10^5 up to T ~ 30 K. We discuss the potential performance improvements of microwave cavities built from bulk MgB2 materials produced by reactive liquid Mg infiltration.Comment: 7 pages, 2 embedded figures, accepted for publication in Supercond. Sci. Techno

The biogeochemical cycle of mercury in the Augusta Bay

Mercurial, the metaphor for volatile unpredictable behavior, aptly reflects the complexities of one of the most insidiously interesting and scientifically challenging biogeochemical cycles at the Earth\u2019s surface. At the base of this toxic metal cycle there is the conversion between the different Hg chemical species, in which the balance between the reduced and oxidized forms depends primary on redox system conditions. The potential risks of human exposure to Hg, especially in the form of monomethylmercury (MMHg), particularly prenatally, and the potential deleterious ecological consequences from localized to global scale Hg pollution, have given much impetus to mercury studies and regulatory activities at international level. Much of this advancement has come since the early 1970s, and the growth in mercury research continues at breakneck pace. The menace of this item for environment and human health deserves further information concerning the geochemistry of mercury, especially in coastal marine system. The Augusta Bay is a semi-enclosed marine area, located in the SE of Sicily (southern Italy), well-known because of the high Hg pollution. The area indeed has experienced, since the early 60s, a significant industrialization phase that put in several chemical and petrochemical plants and oil refineries resulting in a severe pollution of the surrounding environment. In particular, the petrochemical district of Augusta Bay hosted one of the most important chlor-alkali plant in Italy, that produced chlorine and caustic soda by electrolysis of sodium chloride aqueous solution in electrolytic cells with a graphite anode and metallic mercury cathode. Uncontrolled chemical discharge of Hg occurred in the Augusta Bay until 1978, when restrictions were imposed by the Italian legislation. For this reason, in the last decade, several studies have provided detailed information on the pollution levels and risks for human health of resident populations of Augusta Bay. The effects of this indiscriminate Hg discharge include the alarming high concentrations of the element recently measured in sediments of the basin, prompting the Italian government to include the Augusta basin in the National Remediation Plan. The \u201cAugusta case\u201c menaces to not remain confined to a \u201clocal problem\u201d, but to became a large-scale threat. Indeed, the effects of meso-scale circulation of the Ionian Sea create a higher potential risk for HgT contamination of the basin, being affected by the transit and transformation of the major water masses, which regulate the general thermohaline circulation in the upper, intermediate and deep layers, respectively. Owing to the geographical location of the Augusta basin, its outflowing shelf waters are immediately intercepted by the surface Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS) and mixed with the main gyres of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, thus representing a risk for the large-scale marine system. This complex water circulation system, together with the closeness with the steep continental slope (part of the Malta escarpment), make the area a potential point sources of mercury for the entire Mediterranean sea, as previously speculated by Sprovieri et al. (2011). All this features make the Augusta Bay an ideal natural laboratory for deeper insights on the biogeochemical cycle of mercury in a coastal marine environment and the need to investigate the large-scale effect of Augusta Bay pollution has become imperative! With the aim to fill this requirement, an integrated model on the biogeochemical cycle of Hg has been created. Hg cycle is a very articulated topic. Once introduced in the aquatic system environment the fate of Hg in the marine system is affected by sorption/ desorption processes onto suspended particulate matter and, based on associated kinetics, it may be partially transferred from surface waters to bottom sediments. Microorganisms, at the water/sediments interface such as sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), mediate the transformation of inorganic Hg to MMHg with high rates of methylation favored by the presence of high content of organic matter under reducing environmental conditions. Therefore, sediments are considered key contributors of MMHg to the marine ecosystem. Clearly, this analysis stresses the necessity for better knowledge of the specificity of the mercury biogeochemical cycle in this particular environment through the gathering of more data on the distribution and fluxes among the various compartments including the water column, sediment, atmosphere and biota. This multidisciplinary approach offers a nice opportunity to explore the biogeochemical dynamic of mercury in highly complex coastal areas under important anthropic impact and the potential on larger scale diffusion. Multiple oceanographic cruises, realized during 2011-2012 period, permitted to collect samples of sediments, seawaters and fishes inside and outside the Augusta Bay. Furthermore in order to trace the entire chain, from sources (polluted sediments) to sink (man), analysis of Hg in fishes (the main route of Hg uptake for humans), and toxicological aspects have been addressed. Analysis of THg in muscles and liver of some pelagic, demersal and benthic species captured inside and outside the semi-enclosed area, has been analysed in order to explore the effects of HgT pollution on fish compartment and to assess the potential health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated fish. THg content of fishes shows a wide range of concentration (range: 0.02 - 2.71 \u3bcg g-1and 0.03 -9.72 \u3bcg g-1 in muscles and in livers respectively), with highest values measured in benthic species and the lowest in pelagic ones. This increasing trend along the habitat depth suggests an active release mechanism of mercury from polluted sediments to the water column, with consequent effects of bioaccumulation in the trophic web. Anomalous THg content measured in pelagic species captured in the external zone of the bay confirms the role of the Augusta marine environment as pollutant source of Hg for the surrounding area and underscores the crucial risk associated with contaminant transfer from the basin to the open sea. Finally, values of hazard target quotient (THQ) and estimated weekly intake (EWI) demonstrate that consumption of fishes caught inside the bay represents a serious risk for human health and suggests caution in consuming demersal and benthic fishes from outside the Augusta Bay, definitively demanding for appropriate social actions. Hg distribution in sediments (range: 1.77 - 55.34 mgKg-1; mean: 13.78 \ub110.72 mgKg-1) clearly divides the area into three parts, with the lowest values recorded in the northern Augusta Bay, intermediate value in the center and the highest HgT concentrations recorded in the southern part of the Augusta basin (from the Pontile Cementeria down to the dam) with decreasing values from the coastline. Despite sequential extraction procedure (SEP) documented that the most part of HgT in sediments consists of strong complexes (~80% of HgT as strong complex, ~15% of Hg as less strong forms and ~ 2% of HgT as more soluble and bioavailable forms), some anaerobic microorganisms can manage these stable Hg trapped in minerals structures as substrate for their metabolism, making Hg more easily bioavailable for the environment. Analysis of THg and DHg content at different quote of the water column, provided significant information on Hg distribution along space and depth. The HgT distribution in seawaters (range: 0.45 - 129.27 ngL-1 and >0.01 - 21.3 ngL-1 for THg and HgD respectively), putted in light an evident increasing trend of Hg content toward the southern and more contaminated part of the Augusta Bay, where waste spillage from chlor-alkali plant occurred. A clear trend was also observed on the vertical, with Hg concentration increasing near the bottom and reducing in surface water, strengthening the role of Augusta sediments as sources for the overlying water. Moreover the unexpected THg concentrations measured in seawater outside the bay (range: 2.62-11.95 ng L-1; mean: 6.46\ub12.95 ngL-1), confirmed the hypothesis of transport of Hg from Augusta harbor to the open sea representing a vehicle of contamination for the entire Mediterranean basin through the complex circulating currents affecting the western Ionian. In this scenario, fluxes assessment at the interface sediments-seawater-air became crucial in order to create a mass balance of Hg in the study area and to determine the net outflow for the Mediterranean sea. Detailed information on the mobilization processes from sediment to seawater and consequent escape to the atmosphere has been investigated. For this reason, for the first time in this area, a benthic chamber and a dynamic accumulation chamber, have been employed in order to evaluate fluxes at the interfaces sediments/seawater and seawater/air and to recognize equilibrium of exchanges among phases. Using in situ accumulation chamber Bagnato et al., 2013 reported an estimated sea\u2013air Hg evasion for the entire Augusta basin (~23.5 km2) of about 9.7 \ub1 0.1 g d-1 (~0.004 t yr-1), accounting for ~0.0002% of the global Hg oceanic evasion (2000 t yr-1). Simultaneously using in situ benthic chamber, a total flow from sediment to seawater for the whole Augusta Bay has been estimated in 0.22 kmol y-1 in 2011 (0.05 ty-1) and 0.38 kmol y-1 in 2012 (0.11 ty-1). The mass balance calculation permitted to estimate a HgT output from the Augusta basin to Ionian surface waters (O) corresponding to an average of 1.29 kmol y-1. Analysis of Hg isotopes in sediments and fishes of the Augusta Bay, provided unique information on Hg sources in the environment and processes influencing Hg cycling. The success of such an approach strongly depends on two factors. First, different natural and anthropogenic Hg sources must have analytically discernible Hg isotope signatures. Second, the processes that transport and transform emitted or discharged Hg into the environment must not obscure the original Hg source isotope signatures. This requires that fractionation of Hg isotopes after release is either small relative to source differences or is predictable enough to be corrected for, allowing estimation of the source isotopic composition. The magnitude of mass-dependent (MDF) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF) has been described primarily as \u3b4 202Hg and \u394201Hg. The positive MIF fractionation in fishes, especially in pelagic one, demonstrated photochemical reaction of Hg(II) prior of the intake in the marine food web. Sediments isotopes fractionation demonstrated reaction of methylmercury production biological mediated. A geographic pattern in \u3b4202Hg and \u394199Hg values suggests that the sources of Hg to the sediment are locally controlled. Hairs exhibit positive MIF fractionation, suggesting reaction of photochemical reduction of MeHg in presence of organic matter. The overlapping \u3b4 202Hg values of both sediments and fishes suggested sediments represent the source of Hg for fish. The positive relationship obtained by plotting \u394201Hg vs. \u394199Hg of both hairs and sediments demonstrate fish consumption represents the first pathway of exposure for human. Difference of 2\u2030 between \u3b4 202Hg in fishes and values, could be due to could suggest that substantial MDF takes place during MMHg human metabolism Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are important because their geochemical properties enable them to be powerful tracers of chemical processes. Their distribution has been investigated in seawater of the Augusta Bay in order to verify if anthropogenic sign can also transpire through the investigation of REE. The REEs distribution along the water column suggests that the high dissolved organic matter created ideal condition for an increasing of REE in dissolved phases, much to hide the negative Ce anomaly usually recorded in the oligothropic water. Gd anomaly, expressed as Gd/Gd*>1, suggests significant contributions of the petrochemical industries, using gadolinium, in the form of gadolinium oxide, as petroleum cracking catalyst. A common thread, started from the evaluation of Hg in the key component of the cycle, the study of fluxes at the interfaces, the evaluation of Hg isotopic fractioning and the REE distribution in water column, permitted to evaluate the fate of Hg in the Augusta Bay and the main processes rule the Hg biogeochemical cycle

Endurance training damages small airway epithelium in mice.

RATIONALE: In athletes, airway inflammatory cells were found to be increased in induced sputum or bronchial biopsies. Most data were obtained after exposure to cold and dry air at rest or during exercise. Whether training affects epithelial and inflammatory cells in small airways is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To test whether endurance training under standard environmental conditions causes epithelial damage and inflammation in the small airways of mice. METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung sections were obtained in sedentary (n = 14) and endurance-trained (n = 16) Swiss mice at baseline and after 15, 30, and 45 days of training. The following variables were assessed (morphometry and immunohistochemistry) in small airways (basement membrane length < 1 mm): (1) integrity, proliferation, and apoptosis of bronchiolar epithelium; and (2) infiltration, activation, and apoptosis of inflammatory cells. MAIN RESULTS: Compared with sedentary mice, bronchiolar epithelium of trained mice showed progressive loss of ciliated cells, slightly increased thickness, unchanged goblet cell number and appearance, and increased apoptosis and proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) (p < 0.001 for all variables). Leukocytes (CD45(+) cells) infiltrated airway walls (p < 0.0001) and accumulated within the lumen (p < 0.001); however, apoptosis of CD45(+) cells did not differ between trained and sedentary mice. Nuclear factor-kappaB translocation and inhibitor-alpha of NF-kappaB (IkappaBalpha) phosphorylation were not increased in trained compared with sedentary mice. CONCLUSIONS: Bronchiolar epithelium showed damage and repair associated with endurance training. Training increased inflammatory cells in small airways, but inflammatory activation was not increased. These changes may represent an adaptive response to increased ventilation during exercise