1,790 research outputs found
Evidence for a temperature-induced spin-state transition of Co3+ in La2-xSrxCoO4
We study the magnetic susceptibility of mixed-valent La2-xSrxCoO4 single
crystals in the doping range of 0.5<= x <= 0.8 for temperatures up to 1000 K.
The magnetism below room temperature is described by paramagnetic Co2+ in the
high-spin state and by Co3+ in the non-magnetic low-spin state. Above room
temperature, an increase in susceptibility compared to the behavior expected
from Co2+ is seen, which we attribute to a spin-state transition of Co3+. The
susceptibility is analyzed by comparison to full-multiplet calculations for the
thermal population of the high- and intermediate-spin states of Co3+
25-hydroxycholesterol effect on membrane structure and mechanical properties
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Cholesterol is responsible for the plasticity of plasma membranes and is involved in physiological and pathophysiological responses. Cholesterol homeostasis is regulated by oxysterols, such as 25-hydroxycholesterol. The presence of 25-hydroxycholesterol at the membrane level has been shown to interfere with several viruses' entry into their target cells. We used atomic force microscopy to assess the effect of 25-hydroxycholesterol on different properties of supported lipid bilayers with controlled lipid compositions. In particular, we showed that 25-hydroxycholesterol inhibits the lipid-condensing effects of cholesterol, rendering the bilayers less rigid. This study indicates that the inclusion of 25-hydroxycholesterol in plasma membranes or the conversion of part of their cholesterol content into 25-hydroxycholesterol leads to morphological alterations of the sphingomyelin (SM)-enriched domains and promotes lipid packing inhomogeneities. These changes culminate in membrane stiffness variations.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia—Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES, Portugal) project PTDC/BBB-BQB/3494/2014, as well as by the FCT-MCTES program of “stimulus of scientific employment” CEECIND/02961/2017 to MMD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Plasma from Volunteers Breathing Helium Reduces Hypoxia-Induced Cell Damage in Human Endothelial Cells-Mechanisms of Remote Protection Against Hypoxia by Helium.
PurposeRemote ischemic preconditioning protects peripheral organs against prolonged ischemia/reperfusion injury via circulating protective factors. Preconditioning with helium protected healthy volunteers against postischemic endothelial dysfunction. We investigated whether plasma from helium-treated volunteers can protect human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) against hypoxia in vitro through release of circulating of factors.MethodsHealthy male volunteers inhaled heliox (79% helium, 21% oxygen) or air for 30 min. Plasma was collected at baseline, directly after inhalation, 6 h and 24 h after start of the experiment. HUVECs were incubated with either 5% or 10% of the plasma for 1 or 2 h and subjected to enzymatically induced hypoxia. Cell damage was measured by LDH content. Furthermore, caveolin 1 (Cav-1), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF1α), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were determined.ResultsPrehypoxic exposure to 10% plasma obtained 6 h after helium inhalation decreased hypoxia-induced cell damage in HUVEC. Cav-1 knockdown in HUVEC abolished this effect.ConclusionsPlasma of healthy volunteers breathing helium protects HUVEC against hypoxic cell damage, possibly involving circulating Cav-1
Electronic and magnetic properties of the kagome systems YBaCo4O7 and YBaCo3MO7 (M=Al, Fe)
We present a combined experimental and theoretical x-ray absorption
spectroscopy (XAS) study of the new class of cobaltates YBaCo4O7 and YBaCo3MO7
(M= Al, Fe). The focus is on the local electronic and magnetic properties of
the transition metal ions in these geometrically frustrated kagome compounds.
For the mixed valence cobaltate YBaCo4O7, both the Co2+ and Co3+ are found to
be in the high spin state. The stability of these high spin states in
tetrahedral coordination is compared with those in the more studied case of
octahedral coordination. For the new compound YBaCo3FeO7, we find exclusively
Co2+ and Fe3+ as charge states
Orbital order in La0.5Sr1.5MnO4: beyond a common local Jahn-Teller picture
The standard way to find the orbital occupation of Jahn-Teller (JT) ions is
to use structural data, with the assumption of a one-to-one correspondence
between the orbital occupation and the associated JT distortion, e.g. in O6
octahedron. We show, however, that this approach in principle does not work for
layered systems. Specifically, using the layered manganite La0.5Sr1.5MnO4 as an
example, we found from our x-ray absorption measurements and theoretical
calculations, that the type of orbital ordering strongly contradicts the
standard local distortion approach for the Mn3+O6 octahedra, and that the
generally ignored long-range crystal field effect and anisotropic hopping
integrals are actually crucial to determine the orbital occupation. Our
findings may open a pathway to control of the orbital state in multilayer
systems and thus of their physical properties.Comment: 4+ pages, 4 figure
Correlation effects in CaCu3Ru4O12
We have investigated the electronic structure of CaCu3Ru4O12 and LaCu3Ru4O12
using soft x-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy together with band
structure and cluster configuration interaction calculations. We found the Cu
to be in a robust divalent ionic state while the Ru is more itinerant in
character and stabilizes the metallic state. Substitution of Ca by La
predominantly affects the Ru states. We observed strong correlation effects in
the Cu 3d states affecting the valence band line shape considerably. Using
resonant photoelectron spectroscopy at the Cu L3 edge we were able to unveil
the position of the Zhang-Rice singlet states in the one-electron removal
spectrum of the Cu with respect to the Ru-derived metallic bands in the
vicinity of the chemical potential
Effect of helium pre- or postconditioning on signal transduction kinases in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery
Background: The noble gas helium induces pre- and postconditioning in animals and humans. Volatile anesthetics induce cardioprotection in humans undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. We hypothesized that helium induces pre-and postconditioning in CABG-patients, affecting signaling molecules protein kinase C-epsilon (PKC-epsilon), p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK-1/2) and heat shock protein 27 (HSP-27) within cardiac tissue, and reducing postoperative troponin levels.
Methods: After ethical approval and informed consent, 125 elective patients undergoing CABG surgery were randomised into this prospective, placebo controlled, investigator blinded, parallel arm single-centre study. Helium preconditioning (3 x 5 min of 70 % helium and 30 % oxygen) was applied before aortic cross clamping; postconditioning (15 min of helium) was applied before release of the aortic cross clamp. Signaling molecules were measured in right atrial appendix specimens. Troponin-T was measured at 4, 12, 24 and 48 h postoperatively.
Results: Baseline characteristics of all groups were similar. Helium preconditioning did not significantly alter the primary outcome (molecular levels of kinases PKC-e and HSP-27, ratio of activated p38 MAPK or ERK 1/2). Postoperative troponin T was 11 arbitrary units [5, 31; area-under-the-curve (interquartile range)] for controls, and no statistically significant changes were observed after helium preconditioning [He-pre: 11 (6, 18)], helium postconditioning [He-post: 11 (8, 15)], helium pre-and postconditioning [He-PP: 14 (6, 20)] and after sevoflurane preconditioning [APC: 12 (8, 24), p = 0.13]. No adverse effects related to study treatment were observed in this study.
Conclusions: No effect was observed of helium preconditioning, postconditioning or the combination thereof on activation of p38 MAPK, ERK 1/2 or levels of HSP27 and PKC-e in the human heart. Helium pre-and postconditioning did not affect postoperative troponin release in patients undergoing CABG surgery
High-density speckle contrast optical tomography of cerebral blood flow response to functional stimuli in the rodent brain
Noninvasive, three-dimensional, and longitudinal imaging of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in small animal models and ultimately in humans has implications for fundamental research and clinical applications. It enables the study of phenomena such as brain development and learning and the effects of pathologies, with a clear vision for translation to humans. Speckle contrast optical tomography (SCOT) is an emerging optical method that aims to achieve this goal by directly measuring three-dimensional blood flow maps in deep tissue with a relatively inexpensive and simple system. High-density SCOT is developed to follow CBF changes in response to somatosensory cortex stimulation. Measurements are carried out through the intact skull on the rat brain. SCOT is able to follow individual trials in each brain hemisphere, where signal averaging resulted in comparable, cortical images to those of functional magnetic resonance images in spatial extent, location, and depth. Sham stimuli are utilized to demonstrate that the observed response is indeed due to local changes in the brain induced by forepaw stimulation. In developing and demonstrating the method, algorithms and analysis methods are developed. The results pave the way for longitudinal, nondestructive imaging in preclinical rodent models that can readily be translated to the human brain
Spin blockade, orbital occupation and charge ordering in La_(1.5)Sr_(0.5)CoO4
Using Co-L_(2,3) and O-K x-ray absorption spectroscopy, we reveal that the
charge ordering in La_(1.5)Sr_(0.5)CoO4 involves high spin (S=3/2) Co^2+ and
low spin (S=0) Co^3+ ions. This provides evidence for the spin blockade
phenomenon as a source for the extremely insulating nature of the
La_(2-x)Sr_(x)CoO4 series. The associated e_g^2 and e_g^0 orbital occupation
accounts for the large contrast in the Co-O bond lengths, and in turn, the high
charge ordering temperature. Yet, the low magnetic ordering temperature is
naturally explained by the presence of the non-magnetic (S=0) Co^3+ ions. From
the identification of the bands we infer that La_(1.5)Sr_(0.5)CoO4 is a narrow
band material.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Orbital occupation and magnetic moments of tetrahedrally coordinated iron in CaBaFe4O7
CaBaFe4O7 is a mixed-valent transition metal oxide having both Fe2+ and Fe3+
ions in tetrahedral coordination. Here we characterize its magnetic properties
by magnetization measurements and investigate its local electronic structure
using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Fe L2,3 edges, in combination
with multiplet cluster and spin-resolved band structure calculations. We found
that the Fe2+ ion in the unusual tetrahedral coordination is Jahn-Teller active
with the high-spin e^2 (up) t2^3 (up) e^1 (down) configuration having a
x^2-y^2-like electron for the minority spin. We deduce that there is an
appreciable orbital moment of about L_z=0.36 caused by multiplet interactions,
thereby explaining the observed magnetic anisotropy. CaBaFe4O7, a member of the
'114' oxide family, offers new opportunities to explore charge, orbital and
spin physics in transition metal oxides
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