4 research outputs found
Spin-transfer in an open ferromagnetic layer: from negative damping to effective temperature
Spin-transfer is a typical spintronics effect that allows a ferromagnetic
layer to be switched by spin-injection. Most of the experimental results about
spin transfer are described on the basis of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert
equation of the magnetization, in which additional current-dependent damping
factors are added, and can be positive or negative. The origin of the damping
can be investigated further by performing stochastic experiments, like one shot
relaxation experiments under spin-injection in the activation regime of the
magnetization. In this regime, the N\'eel-Brown activation law is observed
which leads to the introduction of a current-dependent effective temperature.
In order to justify the introduction of these counterintuitive parameters
(effective temperature and negative damping), a detailed thermokinetic analysis
of the different sub-systems involved is performed. We propose a thermokinetic
description of the different forms of energy exchanged between the electric and
the ferromagnetic sub-systems at a Normal/Ferromagnetic junction. The
corresponding Fokker Planck equations, including relaxations, are derived. The
damping coefficients are studied in terms of Onsager-Casimir transport
coefficients, with the help of the reciprocity relations. The effective
temperature is deduced in the activation regime.Comment: 65 pages, 10 figure
A compilation of field surveys on gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) from contrasting environmental settings in Europe, South America, South Africa and China: separating fads from facts
Mercury is transported globally in the atmosphere
mostly in gaseous elemental form (GEM, Hg0
gas),
but still few worldwide studies taking into account
different and contrasted environmental settings are
available in a single publication. This work presents
and discusses data from Argentina, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Finland,
Italy, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Slovenia and
Venezuela. We classified the information in four
groups: (1) mining districts where this contaminant
poses or has posed a risk for human populations and/or
ecosystems; (2) cities, where the concentration ofatmospheric mercury could be higher than normal due
to the burning of fossil fuels and industrial activities;
(3) areas with natural emissions from volcanoes; and
(4) pristine areas where no anthropogenic influence
was apparent. All the surveys were performed using
portable LUMEX RA-915 series atomic absorption
spectrometers. The results for cities fall within a low
GEM concentration range that rarely exceeds 30 ng m-3,
that is, 6.6 times lower than the restrictive ATSDR
threshold (200 ng m-3) for chronic exposure to this
pollutant. We also observed this behavior in the former
mercury mining districts, where few data were above
200 ng m-3.We noted that high concentrations of GEM
are localized phenomena that fade away in short
distances. However, this does not imply that they do not
pose a risk for those working in close proximity to the
source. This is the case of the artisanal gold miners that
heat the Au–Hg amalgam to vaporize mercury. In this
respect, while GEM can be truly regarded as a hazard,
because of possible physical–chemical transformations
into other species, it is only under these localized
conditions, implying exposure to high GEM concentrations,
which it becomes a direct risk for humans.Grants
CGL2009-13171 and CTM2012-33918 from the Spanish
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and PII1I09-0142-
4389 from theCastilla-LaMancha (Spain)RegionalGovernment.Published713-7346A. Monitoraggio ambientale, sicurezza e territorioJCR Journalrestricte
A compilation of field surveys on gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) from contrasting environmental settings in Europe, South America, South Africa and China: separating fads from facts
Mercury is transported globally in the atmosphere
mostly in gaseous elemental form (GEM, Hg0
gas),
but still few worldwide studies taking into account
different and contrasted environmental settings are
available in a single publication. This work presents
and discusses data from Argentina, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Finland,
Italy, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Slovenia and
Venezuela. We classified the information in four
groups: (1) mining districts where this contaminant
poses or has posed a risk for human populations and/or
ecosystems; (2) cities, where the concentration ofatmospheric mercury could be higher than normal due
to the burning of fossil fuels and industrial activities;
(3) areas with natural emissions from volcanoes; and
(4) pristine areas where no anthropogenic influence
was apparent. All the surveys were performed using
portable LUMEX RA-915 series atomic absorption
spectrometers. The results for cities fall within a low
GEM concentration range that rarely exceeds 30 ng m-3,
that is, 6.6 times lower than the restrictive ATSDR
threshold (200 ng m-3) for chronic exposure to this
pollutant. We also observed this behavior in the former
mercury mining districts, where few data were above
200 ng m-3.We noted that high concentrations of GEM
are localized phenomena that fade away in short
distances. However, this does not imply that they do not
pose a risk for those working in close proximity to the
source. This is the case of the artisanal gold miners that
heat the Au–Hg amalgam to vaporize mercury. In this
respect, while GEM can be truly regarded as a hazard,
because of possible physical–chemical transformations
into other species, it is only under these localized
conditions, implying exposure to high GEM concentrations,
which it becomes a direct risk for humans
Diacylglycerol Kinase-α Mediates Hepatocyte Growth Factor-induced Epithelial Cell Scatter by Regulating Rac Activation and Membrane Ruffling
Diacylglycerol kinases (Dgk) phosphorylate diacylglycerol (DG) to phosphatidic acid (PA), thus turning off and on, respectively, DG-mediated and PA-mediated signaling pathways. We previously showed that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor, and anaplastic lymphoma kinase activate Dgkα in endothelial and leukemia cells through a Src-mediated mechanism and that activation of Dgkα is required for chemotactic, proliferative, and angiogenic signaling in vitro. Here, we investigate the downstream events and signaling pathways regulated by Dgkα, leading to cell scatter and migration upon HGF treatment and v-Src expression in epithelial cells. We report that specific inhibition of Dgkα, obtained either pharmacologically by R59949 treatment, or by expression of Dgkα dominant-negative mutant, or by small interfering RNA-mediated down-regulation of endogenous Dgkα, impairs 1) HGF- and v-Src-induced cell scatter and migration, without affecting the loss of intercellular adhesions; 2) HGF-induced cell spreading, lamellipodia formation, membrane ruffling, and focal adhesions remodeling; and 3) HGF-induced Rac activation and membrane targeting. In summary, we provide evidence that Dgkα, activated downstream of tyrosine kinase receptors and Src, regulates crucial steps directing Rac activation and Rac-dependent remodeling of actin cytoskeleton and focal contacts in migrating epithelial cells