Role of dipolar interactions in a system of Ni nanoparticles studied by magnetic susceptibility measurements

The role of dipolar interactions among Ni nanoparticles (NP) embedded in an amorphous SiO2/C matrix with different concentrations has been studied performing ac magnetic susceptibility Chi_ac measurements. For very diluted samples, with Ni concentrations < 4 wt % Ni or very weak dipolar interactions, the data are well described by the Neel-Arrhenius law. Increasing Ni concentration to values up to 12.8 wt % Ni results in changes in the Neel-Arrhenius behavior, the dipolar interactions become important, and need to be considered to describe the magnetic response of the NPs system. We have found no evidence of a spin-glasslike behavior in our Ni NP systems even when dipolar interactions are clearly present.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 3 table

Quantitative proteomics identifies biomarkers to distinguish pulmonary from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas by immunohistochemistry

The differentiation between a pulmonary metastasis and a newly developed squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in patients with prior head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is difficult due to a lack of biomarkers but is crucially important for the prognosis and therapy of the affected patient. By using high-resolution mass spectrometry in combination with stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture, we identified 379 proteins that are differentially expressed in squamous cell carcinomas of the lung and the head and neck. Of those, CAV1, CAV2, LGALS1, LGALS7, CK19, and UGDH were tested by mmunohistochemistry on 194 tissue samples (98 lung and 96 HNSCCs). The combination of CAV1 and LGALS7 was able to distinguish the origin of the squamous cell carcinoma with high accuracy (area under the curve 0.876). This biomarker panel was tested on a cohort of 12 clinically classified lung tumours of unknown origin after HNSCC. Nine of those tumours were immunohistochemically classifiable

Antiproliferative activity, mechanism of action and oral antitumor activity of CP-4126, a fatty acid derivative of gemcitabine, in in vitro and in vivo tumor models

Gemcitabine is a deoxycytidine (dCyd) analog with activity in leukemia and solid tumors, which requires phosphorylation by deoxycytidine kinase (dCK). Decreased membrane transport is a mechanism of resistance to gemcitabine. In order to facilitate gemcitabine uptake and prolong retention in the cell, a lipophilic pro-drug was synthesized (CP-4126), with an elaidic fatty acid esterified at the 5'position. CP-4126 was tested in cell lines resistant to cytarabine, another dCyd analog or gemcitabine. Activity of gemcitabine and the derivative was comparable in the parent cell lines, while in dCK deficient cells all compounds were inactive. However, inhibition of nucleoside transport increased the IC(50) for gemcitabine up to 200-fold, but not for CP-4126, underlining the independence of a nucleoside transporter. For in vivo evaluation, nude mice bearing a human xenograft were treated intraperitoneally every third day for five doses at the maximal tolerated dose. In melanoma, sarcoma, lung, prostate, pancreatic and breast cancer xenografts, gemcitabine and CP-4126 were equally and highly effective; in four other xenografts moderately but equally active. In contrast to gemcitabine, CP-4126 could be administered orally, with a schedule and dose dependent toxicity and antitumor activity. In a colon cancer xenograft, antitumor activity of orally administered CP-4126 was equal to the intraperitoneally administered drug. In conclusion, CP-4126 is membrane transporter independent. Intraperitoneally administered CP-4126 was as effective as gemcitabine in several xenografts and CP-4126 is tolerated when orally administered. CP-4126 seems to be a promising new anticancer drug

Trace Metals and Their Isotopes in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean - Cruise No. M81/1, February 04 – March 08, 2010, Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain) – Port of Spain (Trinidad & Tobago)

Summary Meteor Cruise M81/1 was dedicated to the investigation of the distribution of dissolved and particulate trace metals and their isotopic compositions (TEIs) in the full water column of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and their driving factors including main external inputs and internal cycling and ocean circulation. The research program is embedded in the international GEOTRACES program (e.g. Henderson et al., 2007), which this cruise was an official part of and thus corresponds to GEOTRACES cruise GA11. This cruise was completely dedicated to the trace metal clean and contamination-free sampling of waters and particulates for subsequent analyses of the TEIs in the home laboratories of the national and international participants. Besides a standard rosette for the less contaminant prone metals, trace metal clean sampling was realized by using a dedicated and coated trace metal clean rosette equipped with Teflon-coated GO-FLO bottles operated via a polyester coated cable from a mobile winch that was thankfully made available by the U.S. partners of the GEOTRACES program for this cruise. The particulate samples were also collected under trace metal clean conditions using established in-situ pump systems. The cruise track led the cruise southward from the Canary Islands to 11°S and then continued northwestward along the northern margin of South America until it reached Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. The track crossed areas of major external inputs including exchange with the volcanic Canary Islands, the Saharan dust plume, as well as the plume of the Amazon outflow. In terms of internal cycling the equatorial high biological productivity band, as well as increased productivity associated with the Amazon Plume were covered. All major water masses contributing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, as well as the distinct narrow equatorial surface and subsurface east-west current bands were sampled. A total of 17 deep stations were sampled for the different dissolved TEIs, which were in most cases accompanied by particulate sampling. In addition, surface waters were continuously sampled under trace metal clean conditions using a towed fish

Panama and the WTO : new constitutionalism of trade policy and global tax governance

"Corrigendum" in Review of International Political Economy, 24(4), p. 738 (DOI: 10.1080/09692290.2017.1332547).Tax havens and tax flight have lately received increasing attention, while interest toward multilateral trade policies has somewhat diminished. We argue that more attention needs to be paid exactly to the interrelations between trade and tax policies. Drawing from two case studies on Panama's trade disputes, we show how World Trade Organization (WTO) rules can be used both to resist attempts to sanction secrecy structures and to promote measures against tax flight. The theory of new constitutionalism can help to explain how trade treaties can 'lock in' tax policies. However, our case studies show that trade policy not only 'locks in' democratic policy-making, but also enables tax havens to use their commercialized sovereignty to resists anti-secrecy measures. What is being 'locked in' are the policy tools, not necessarily the policies. The changing relationship between trade and tax policies can also create new and unexpected tools for tackling tax evasion, underlining the importance of epistemic arbitrage in the context of new constitutionalism. In principle, political actors with sufficient technical and juridical knowledge can shape global tax governance to various directions regardless of their formal position in the world political hierarchies. This should be taken into account when trade treaties are being negotiated or revised.Peer reviewe

Towards a dynamic earthquake risk framework for Switzerland

Scientists from different disciplines at ETH Zurich are developing a dynamic, harmonised, and user-centred earthquake risk framework for Switzerland, relying on a continuously evolving earthquake catalogue generated by the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) using the national seismic networks. This framework uses all available information to assess seismic risk at various stages and facilitates widespread dissemination and communication of the resulting information. Earthquake risk products and services include operational earthquake (loss) forecasting (OE(L)F), earthquake early warning (EEW), ShakeMaps, rapid impact assessment (RIA), structural health monitoring (SHM), and recovery and rebuilding efforts (RRE). Standardisation of products and workflows across various applications is essential for achieving broad adoption, universal recognition, and maximum synergies. In the Swiss dynamic earthquake risk framework, the harmonisation of products into seamless solutions that access the same databases, workflows, and software is a crucial component. A user-centred approach utilising quantitative and qualitative social science tools like online surveys and focus groups is a significant innovation featured in all products and services. Here we report on the key considerations and developments of the framework and its components. This paper may serve as a reference guide for other countries wishing to establish similar services for seismic risk reduction.</p

Tissue Microenvironments Define and Get Reinforced by Macrophage Phenotypes in Homeostasis or during Inflammation, Repair and Fibrosis

Current macrophage phenotype classifications are based on distinct in vitro culture conditions that do not adequately mirror complex tissue environments. In vivo monocyte progenitors populate all tissues for immune surveillance which supports the maintenance of homeostasis as well as regaining homeostasis after injury. Here we propose to classify macrophage phenotypes according to prototypical tissue environments, e.g. as they occur during homeostasis as well as during the different phases of (dermal) wound healing. In tissue necrosis and/or infection, damage- and/or pathogen-associated molecular patterns induce proinflammatory macrophages by Toll-like receptors or inflammasomes. Such classically activated macrophages contribute to further tissue inflammation and damage. Apoptotic cells and antiinflammatory cytokines dominate in postinflammatory tissues which induce macrophages to produce more antiinflammatory mediators. Similarly, tumor-associated macrophages also confer immunosuppression in tumor stroma. Insufficient parenchymal healing despite abundant growth factors pushes macrophages to gain a profibrotic phenotype and promote fibrocyte recruitment which both enforce tissue scarring. Ischemic scars are largely devoid of cytokines and growth factors so that fibrolytic macrophages that predominantly secrete proteases digest the excess extracellular matrix. Together, macrophages stabilize their surrounding tissue microenvironments by adapting different phenotypes as feed-forward mechanisms to maintain tissue homeostasis or regain it following injury. Furthermore, macrophage heterogeneity in healthy or injured tissues mirrors spatial and temporal differences in microenvironments during the various stages of tissue injury and repair. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base