30 research outputs found
Huge quadratic magneto-optical Kerr effect and magnetization reversal in the CoFeSi Heusler compound
CoFeSi(100) films with L2 structure deposited onto MgO(100) were
studied exploiting both longitudinal (LMOKE) and quadratic (QMOKE)
magneto-optical Kerr effect. The films exhibit a huge QMOKE signal with a
maximum contribution of up to 30 mdeg, which is the largest QMOKE signal in
reflection that has been measured thus far. This large value is a fingerprint
of an exceptionally large spin-orbit coupling of second or higher order. The
CoFeSi(100) films exhibit a rather large coercivity of 350 and 70 Oe for
film thicknesses of 22 and 98 nm, respectively. Despite the fact that the films
are epitaxial, they do not provide an angular dependence of the anisotropy and
the remanence in excess of 1% and 2%, respectively
Ion beam induced modification of exchange interaction and spin-orbit coupling in the CoFeSi Heusler compound
A CoFeSi (CFS) film with L2 structure was irradiated with different
fluences of 30 keV Ga ions. Structural modifications were subsequently
studied using the longitudinal (LMOKE) and quadratic (QMOKE) magneto-optical
Kerr effect. Both the coercivity and the LMOKE amplitude were found to show a
similar behavior upon irradiation: they are nearly constant up to ion fluences
of ion/cm, while they decrease with further
increasing fluences and finally vanish at a fluence of
ion/cm, when the sample becomes paramagnetic. However, contrary to this
behavior, the QMOKE signal nearly vanishes even for the smallest applied
fluence of ion/cm. We attribute this reduction of the
QMOKE signal to an irradiation-induced degeneration of second or higher order
spin-orbit coupling, which already happens at small fluences of 30 keV Ga
ions. On the other hand, the reduction of coercivity and LMOKE signal with high
ion fluences is probably caused by a reduction of the exchange interaction
within the film material
The Use of Biomaterials in Islet Transplantation
Pancreatic islet transplantation is a therapeutic option to replace destroyed β cells in autoimmune diabetes. Islets are transplanted into the liver via the portal vein; however, inflammation, the required immunosuppression, and lack of vasculature decrease early islet viability and function. Therefore, the use of accessory therapy and biomaterials to protect islets and improve islet function has definite therapeutic potential. Here we review the application of niche accessory cells and factors, as well as the use of biomaterials as carriers or capsules, for pancreatic islet transplantation
Influence of microenvironment on engraftment of transplanted β-cells
Pancreatic islet transplantation into the liver provides a possibility to treat selected patients with brittle type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, massive early β-cell death increases the number of islets needed to restore glucose homeostasis. Moreover, late dysfunction and death contribute to the poor long-term results of islet transplantation on insulin independence. Studies in recent years have identified early and late challenges for transplanted pancreatic islets, including an instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction when exposing human islets to the blood microenvironment in the portal vein and the low oxygenated milieu of islets transplanted into the liver. Poor revascularization of remaining intact islets combined with severe changes in the gene expression of islets transplanted into the liver contributes to late dysfunction. Strategies to overcome these hurdles have been developed, and some of these interventions are now even tested in clinical trials providing a hope to improve results in clinical islet transplantation. In parallel, experimental and clinical studies have, based on the identified problems with the liver site, evaluated the possibility of change of implantation organ in order to improve the results. Site-specific differences clearly exist in the engraftment of transplanted islets, and a more thorough characterization of alternative locations is needed. New strategies with modifications of islet microenvironment with cells and growth factors adhered to the islet surface or in a surrounding matrix could be designed to intervene with site-specific hurdles and provide possibilities to improve future results of islet transplantation
All-optical probe of magnetization dynamics in exchange biased bilayers on the picosecond timescale
All-optical control of the magnetization of polycrystalline exchange bias bilayer systems is achieved using short picosecond laser pulses. Due to the photoexcitation, the spin temperature across the interface between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layer is elevated, resulting in a collapse of the interfacial exchange coupling. Thus, within the first 10 ps, a fast reduction of both the exchange bias field and the coercive field is observed for three different exchange bias systems comprising both different ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. The fast thermal unpinning is followed by a slower heat diffusion dominated relaxation process, which strongly depends on the thermal conductivity of the used buffer layers and substrates. The fast optical unpinning can be understood in terms of an internal anisotropy pulse field capable of triggering ultrafast precessional magnetization dynamics of the ferromagnetic layer, which makes heat-assisted coherent magnetization rotation feasible. Copyright EDP Sciences/Società Italiana di Fisica/Springer-Verlag 2005
Synthesis of macroporous poly(dimethylsiloxane) scaffolds for tissue engineering applications
Macroporous, biostable scaffolds with controlled porous architecture were prepared from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) using sodium chloride particles (NaCl) and a solvent casting and particulate leaching (SCPL) technique. The effect of particulate size range and overall porosity on the resulting structure was evaluated. Results found 90% v/v scaffolds and particulate ranges above 100 µm to have the most optimal open framework and porosity. Resulting hydrophobic PDMS scaffolds were coated with fibronectin and evaluated as a platform for adherent cell culture using human mesenchymal stem cells. Biocompatibility of PDMS scaffolds was also evaluated in a rodent model, where implants were found to be highly biocompatibile and biostable, with positive extracellular matrix deposition throughout the scaffold. These results demonstrate the suitability of macroporous PDMS scaffolds for tissue engineering applications where strong integration with the host is desired