Erratum: “Seed layer technique for high quality epitaxial manganite films” [AIP Advances 6, 085109 (2016)]

No abstract available

Surface nanostructures in manganite films

Ultrathin manganite films are widely used as active electrodes in organic spintronic devices. In this study, a scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) investigation with atomic resolution revealed previously unknown surface features consisting of small non-stoichiometric islands. Based upon this evidence, a new mechanism for the growth of these complex materials is proposed. It is suggested that the non-stoichiometric islands result from nucleation centres that are below the critical threshold size required for stoichiometric crystalline growth. These islands represent a kinetic intermediate of single-layer growth regardless of the film thickness, and should be considered and possibly controlled in manganite thin-film applications

Functional estrogen receptors of red blood cells. Do they influence intracellular signaling?

Background/Aims: Estrogen could play a key role in the mechanisms underlying sex-related disparity in the incidence of thrombotic events. We investigated whether estrogen receptors (ERs) were expressed in human red blood cells (RBCs), and if they affected cell signaling of erythrocyte constitutive isoform of endothelial NO-synthase (eNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) release. Methods: RBCs from 29 non-smoker volunteers (15 males and 14 females) aged between 20 and 40 years were analyzed by cytometry and western blot. In particular, content and distribution of ER-α and ER-β, tyrosine kinases and eNOS phosphorylation and NO release were analyzed. Results: We demonstrated that: i) both ER-α and ER-β were expressed by RBCs; ii) they were both functionally active; and iii) ERs distribution and function were different in males and females. In particular, ERs modulated eNOS phosphorylation and NO release in RBCs from both sexes, but they induced the phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues of kinases linked to eNOS activation and NO release in the RBCs from females only. Conclusion: Collectively, these data suggest that ERs could play a critical role in RBC intracellular signaling. The possible implication of this signaling in sex-linked risk disparity in human cardiovascular diseases, e.g. in thrombotic events, may not be ruled out

Fully Onboard AI-powered Human-Drone Pose Estimation on Ultra-low Power Autonomous Flying Nano-UAVs

Many emerging applications of nano-sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with a few form-factor, revolve around safely interacting with humans in complex scenarios, for example, monitoring their activities or looking after people needing care. Such sophisticated autonomous functionality must be achieved while dealing with severe constraints in payload, battery, and power budget ( 100). In this work, we attack a complex task going from perception to control: to estimate and maintain the nano-UAV’s relative 3D pose with respect to a person while they freely move in the environment – a task that, to the best of our knowledge, has never previously been targeted with fully onboard computation on a nano-sized UAV. Our approach is centered around a novel vision-based deep neural network (DNN), called PULP-Frontnet, designed for deployment on top of a parallel ultra-low-power (PULP) processor aboard a nano-UAV. We present a vertically integrated approach starting from the DNN model design, training, and dataset augmentation down to 8-bit quantization and deployment in-field. PULP-Frontnet can operate in real-time (up to 135frame/), consuming less than 87 for processing at peak throughput and down to 0.43/frame in the most energy-efficient operating point. Field experiments demonstrate a closed-loop top-notch autonomous navigation capability, with a tiny 27-grams Crazyflie 2.1 nano-UAV. Compared against an ideal sensing setup, onboard pose inference yields excellent drone behavior in terms of median absolute errors, such as positional (onboard: 41, ideal: 26) and angular (onboard: 3.7, ideal: 4.1). We publicly release videos and the source code of our work

Alteration of the in vivo nicotinic receptor density in ADNFLE patients: a PET study

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are involved in a familial form of frontal lobe epilepsy, autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE). In several ADNFLE families, mutations were identified in the nAChR α4 or β2 subunit, which together compose the main cerebral nAChR. Electrophysiological assessment using in vitro expression systems indicated a gain of function of the mutant receptors. However the precise mechanisms by which they contribute to the pathogenesis of a focal epilepsy remain obscure, especially since α4β2 nAChRs are known to be widely distributed within the entire brain. PET study using [18F]-F-A-85380, a high affinity agonist at the α4β2 nAChRs, allows the determination of the regional distribution and density of the nAChRs in healthy volunteers and in ADNFLE patients, thus offering a unique opportunity to investigate some in vivo consequences of the molecular defect. We have assessed nAChR distribution in eight non-smoking ADNFLE patients (from five families) bearing an identified mutation in nAChRs and in seven age-matched non-smoking healthy volunteers using PET and [18F]-F-A-85380. Parametric images of volume of distribution (Vd) were generated as the ratio of tissue to plasma radioactivities. The images showed a clear difference in the pattern of the nAChR density in the brains of the patients compared to the healthy volunteers. Vd values revealed a significant increase (between 12 and 21%, P < 0.05) in the ADNFLE patients in the mesencephalon, the pons and the cerebellum when compared to control subjects. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was then used to better analyse subtle regional differences. This analysis confirmed clear regional differences between patients and controls: patients had increased nAChR density in the epithalamus, ventral mesencephalon and cerebellum, but decreased nAChR density in the right dorsolateral prefrontal region. In five patients who underwent an additional [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET experiment, hypometabolism was observed in the neighbouring area of the right orbitofrontal cortex. The demonstration of a regional nAChR density decrease in the prefrontal cortex, despite the known distribution of these receptors throughout the cerebral cortex, is consistent with a focal epilepsy involving the frontal lobe. We also propose that the nAChR density increase in mesencephalon is involved in the pathophysiology of ADNFLE through the role of brainstem ascending cholinergic systems in arousa

Ultra-rapid glutathionylation of chymotrypsinogen in its molten globule-like conformation: a comparison to archaeal proteins

Chymotrypsinogen, when reduced and taken to its molten globule-like conformation, displays a single cysteine with an unusual kinetic propensity toward oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and other organic thiol reagents. A single residue, identified by mass spectrometry like Cys1, reacts with GSSG about 1400 times faster than an unperturbed protein cysteine. A reversible protein-GSSG complex and a low pK(a) (8.1 +/- 0.1) make possible such astonishing kinetic property which is absent toward other natural disulfides like cystine, homocystine and cystamine. An evident hyper-reactivity toward 5,5 ' -dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) was also found for this specific residue. The extraordinary reactivity toward GSSG is absent in two proteins of the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, an organism lacking glutathione: the Protein Disulphide Oxidoreductase (SsPDO) and the Bacterioferritin Comigratory Protein 1 (Bcp1) that displays Cys residues with an even lower pK(a) value (7.5 +/- 0.1) compared to chymotrypsinogen. This study, which also uses single mutants in Cys residues for Bcp1, proposes that this hyper-reactivity of a single cysteine, similar to that found in serum albumin, lysozyme, ribonuclease, may have relevance to drive the "incipit" of the oxidative folding of proteins from organisms where the glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) system is present

A Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Three-Dimensional Polycaprolactone Bioactive Glass Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Purposes

: In the development of bone graft substitutes, a fundamental step is the use of scaffolds with adequate composition and architecture capable of providing support in regenerative processes both on the tissue scale, where adequate resistance to mechanical stress is required, as well as at the cellular level where compliant chemical-physical and mechanical properties can promote cellular activity. In this study, based on a previous optimization study of this group, the potential of a three-dimensional construct based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and a novel biocompatible Mg- and Sr-containing glass named BGMS10 was explored. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed the inclusion of BGMS10 in the scaffold structure. Mesenchymal stem cells cultured on both PCL and PCL-BGMS10 showed similar tendencies in terms of osteogenic differentiation; however, no significant differences were found between the two scaffold types. This circumstance can be explained via X-ray microtomography and atomic force microscopy analyses, which correlated the spatial distribution of the BGMS10 within the bulk with the elastic properties and topography at the cell scale. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of multidisciplinary approaches to understand the relationship between design parameters, material properties, and cellular response in polymer composites, which is crucial for the development and design of scaffolds for bone regeneration

SOT-MRAM 300mm integration for low power and ultrafast embedded memories

We demonstrate for the first time full-scale integration of top-pinned perpendicular MTJ on 300 mm wafer using CMOS-compatible processes for spin-orbit torque (SOT)-MRAM architectures. We show that 62 nm devices with a W-based SOT underlayer have very large endurance (> 5x10^10), sub-ns switching time of 210 ps, and operate with power as low as 300 pJ.Comment: presented at VLSI2018 session C8-

Body image dissatisfaction during adolescence and its relation to sexual maturation

Sérios problemas comportamentais envolvendo hábitos alimentares, com repercussão na percepção da imagem corporal, tornam-se cada vez mais comuns. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar a percepção da insatisfação da imagem corporal de um grupo de adolescentes. Pesquisou-se jovens de uma Instituição de Rede Particular de Ensino Fundamental, de 10 a 14 anos, de ambos os sexos. Para análise de dados utilizou-se como critério a idade, transformada em fase de maturação sexual. Para avaliar a percepção da imagem corporal aplicou-se escala de satisfação adaptada, composta por 15 áreas corporais. Registrou-se para meninos, maior insatisfação para peso corporal, cintura e estômago e meninas para peso corporal, tórax/seio e estômago. Na associação entre insatisfação corporal e maturação corporal, as áreas significantes foram, para os meninos, ombro/costas e para as meninas, rosto, cabelo, quadril, estômago, cintura, tórax/seio, tônus muscular, altura e aspectos gerais. Conclui-se que meninas pós-púberes mostraram-se mais suscetíveis à manifestação da insatisfação corporal quando comparadas aos seus pares.Severe behavioral problems related to feeding habits, with repercussion on body presentation, perception and image, and related to feeding practices have, nowadays, its prevalence increased. The present study aimed to verify adolescents' perception regarding body image dissatisfaction. We analyzed students of a private school, aged 10 to 14, of both sexes. The boys and girls were divided for the analysis based on their age, transformed into sexual maturation phase. To assess body image perception, an adapted body satisfaction scale was applied, composed of 15 body areas. Boys showed more dissatisfaction with weight, waist and stomach. Girls with weight, chest/breast and stomach. The association between sexual maturation and body satisfaction was significant, among the boys, for the shoulder/back area, while among girls, the significant areas were: face, hair, hip, stomach, waist, chest/breast, muscle strength, height and general aspects. We concluded that post-pubescent girls proved to be more susceptible to the manifestation of body dissatisfaction when compared with their peers