2,008 research outputs found
Symmetry analysis of magneto-optical effects: The case of x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption at the transition metal L23 edge
A general symmetry analysis of the optical conductivity or scattering tensor
is used to rewrite the conductivity tensor as a sum of fundamental spectra
multiplied by simple functions depending on the local magnetization direction.
Using this formalism, we present several numerical examples at the transition
metal L23 edge. From these numerical calculations we can conclude that large
deviations from the magneto-optical effects in spherical symmetry are found.
These findings are in particular important for resonant x-ray diffraction
experiments where the polarization dependence and azimuthal dependence of the
scattered Bragg intensity is used to determine the local ordered magnetization
direction
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+
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
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
Anisotropic Susceptibility of La_2-xSr_xCoO_4 related to the Spin States of Cobalt
We present a study of the magnetic susceptibility of La_2-xSr_xCoO_4 single
crystals in a doping range 0.3<=x<=0.8. Our data shows a pronounced magnetic
anisotropy for all compounds. This anisotropy is in agreement with a low-spin
ground state (S=0) of Co^3+ for x>=0.4 and a high-spin ground state (S=3/2) of
Co^2+. We compare our data with a crystal-field model calculation assuming
local moments and find a good description of the magnetic behavior for x>=0.5.
This includes the pronounced kinks observed in the inverse magnetic
susceptibility, which result from the anisotropy and low-energy excited states
of Co^2+ and are not related to magnetic ordering or temperature-dependent
spin-state transitions
Intraoperative fluid restriction in pancreatic surgery : a double blinded randomised controlled trial
Background : Perioperative fluid restriction in a variety of operations has shown improvement of: complications, recovery of gastrointestinal function and length of stay (LOS). We investigated effects of crystalloid fluid restriction in pancreatic surgery. Our hypothesis: enhanced recovery of gastrointestinal function.
Methods : In this double-blinded randomized trial, patients scheduled to undergo pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) were randomized: standard (S: 10ml/kg/hr) or restricted (R:5ml/kg/hr) fluid protocols. Primary endpoint: gastric emptying scintigraphically assessed on postoperative day 7.
Results : In 66 randomized patients, complications and 6-year survival were analyzed. 54 patients were analyzed in intention to treat: 24 S-group and 30 R-group. 32 patients actually underwent a PD and 16 patients had a palliative gastrojejunostomy bypass operation in the full protocol analysis. The median gastric emptying time (T1/2) was 104 minutes (S-group, 95% confidence interval: 74-369) versus 159 minutes (R-group, 95% confidence interval: 61-204) (P = 0.893, NS). Delayed gastric emptying occurred in 10 patients in the S-group and in 13 patients in the R-group (45% and 50%, P = 0.779, NS). The primary outcome parameter, gastric emptying time, did not show a statistically significant difference between groups.
Conclusion : A fluid regimen of 10ml/kg/hr or 5ml/kg/hr during pancreatic surgery did not lead to statistically significant differences in gastric emptying. A larger study would be needed to draw definite conclusions about fluid restriction in pancreatic surgery
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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