In-situ laser synthesis of rare earth aluminate coatings in the system Ln-Al-O (Ln = Y, Gd)

Laser zone melting (LZM) was employed in this work to prepare Ln-Al-O coatings on polycrystalline Al2O3 substrates, using the corresponding mixtures of powdered rare-earth oxides and Al2O 3 as starting materials. In-situ synthesis of the compounds Ln = Y, Gd was performed using a CO2 laser, emitting at 10.6 μm. Microstructure (SEM) and phase nature (XRD) demonstrated in-situ formation of Al2O3/Y3Al5O12(YAG) and Al2O3/GdAlO3(GAP) eutectic systems. The interaction with the substrate resulted in mechanically stable, well integrated 200-500 μm thick composite coatings, as observed in nanoindentation tests. The phase relations found in these materials are consistent with the crystallographic concepts advanced by Vegas (Ramos-Gallardo & Vegas, J. Solid State Chem. 128 (1997) 69), where cation sub-arrays are proposed to play an important role in governing metal oxide structures. These sub-arrays are suggested as the structural drive behind eutectic oxide formation. LZM proves to be a convenient method to investigate the behaviour of complex oxide systems at high temperature, to apply a rational concept towards the understanding of phase relations and to develop design criteria for oxide coatings. © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Spanish Government (projects CEN 2007-2014, MAT2010- 18519 and SURFALUX SOL-00030930),Peer Reviewe

Process-generated nanoparticles from ceramic tile sintering : Emissions, exposure and environmental release

The ceramic industry is an industrial sector in need of significant process changes, which may benefit from innovative technologies such as laser sintering of ceramic tiles. Such innovations result in a considerable research gap within exposure assessment studies for process-generated ultrafine and nanoparticles. This study addresses this issue aiming to characterise particle formation, release mechanisms and their impact on personal exposure during a tile sintering activity in an industrial-scale pilot plant, as a follow-up of a previous study in a laboratory-scale plant. In addition, possible particle transformations in the exhaust system, the potential for particle release to the outdoor environment, and the effectiveness of the filtration system were also assessed. For this purpose, a tiered measurement strategy was conducted. The main findings evidence that nanoparticle emission patterns were strongly linked to temperature and tile chemical composition, and mainly independent of the laser treatment. Also, new particle formation (from gaseous precursors) events were detected, with nanoparticles A potential risk for nanoparticle and ultrafine particle release to the environment was also identified, despite the fact that the efficiency of the filtration system was successfully tested and evidenced a >87% efficiency in particle number concentrations removal. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Proteomics reveals ablation of PlGF increases antioxidant and neuroprotective proteins in the diabetic mouse retina

Placental growth factor (PlGF or PGF), a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) sub-family, plays a crucial role in pathological angiogenesis and inflammation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that PlGF mediates regarding the complications of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) remain elusive. Using an LC-MS/MS-based label-free quantification proteomic approach we characterized the alterations in protein expression caused by PlGF ablation in the retinas obtained from C57BL6, Akita, PlGF-/- and Akita.PlGF-/- mice. After extraction and enzymatic digestion with Trypsin/LysC, the retinal proteins were analyzed by Q-Exactive hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in four comparisons based on Z-score normalization and reproducibility by Pearson's correlation coefficient. The gene ontology (GO), functional pathways, and protein-protein network interaction analysis suggested that several proteins involved in insulin resistance pathways (Gnb1, Gnb2, Gnb4, Gnai2, Gnao1, Snap2, and Gngt1) were significantly down-regulated in PlGF ablated Akita diabetic mice (Akita.PlGF-/- vs. Akita) but up-regulated in Akita vs. C57 and PlGF-/- vs. C57 conditions. Two proteins involved in the antioxidant activity and neural protection pathways, Prdx6 and Map2 respectively, were up-regulated in the Akita.PlGF-/- vs. Akita condition. Overall, we predict that down-regulation of proteins essential for insulin resistance, together with the up-regulation of antioxidant and neuroprotection proteins highlight and epitomize the potential mechanisms important for future anti-PlGF therapies in the treatment of DR

Up-regulated expression of LAMP2 and autophagy activity during neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer LNCaP cells

Neuroendocrine (NE) prostate cancer (PCa) is a highly aggressive subtype of prostate cancer associated with resistance to androgen ablation therapy. In this study, we used LNCaP prostate cancer cells cultured in a serum-free medium for 6 days as a NE model of prostate cancer. Serum deprivation increased the expression of NE markers such as neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and βIII tubulin (βIII tub) and decreased the expression of the androgen receptor protein in LNCaP cells. Using cDNA microarrays, we compared gene expression profiles of NE cells and non-differentiated LNCaP cells. We identified up-regulation of 155 genes, among them LAMP2, a lysosomal membrane protein involved in lysosomal stability and autophagy. We then confirmed up-regulation of LAMP2 in NE cells by qRT-PCR, Western blot and confocal microscopy assays, showing that mRNA up-regulation correlated with increased levels of LAMP2 protein. Subsequently, we determined autophagy activity in NE cells by assessing the protein levels of SQSTM/p62 and LC3 by Western blot and LC3 and Atg5 mRNAs content by qRT-PCR. The decreased levels of SQSTM/p62 was accompanied by an enhanced expression of LC3 and ATG5, suggesting activation of autophagy in NE cells. Blockage of autophagy with 1μM AKT inhibitor IV, or by silencing Beclin 1 and Atg5, prevented NE cell differentiation, as revealed by decreased levels of the NE markers. In addition, AKT inhibitor IV as well as Beclin1 and Atg5 kwockdown attenuated LAMP2 expression in NE cells. On the other hand, LAMP2 knockdown by siRNA led to a marked blockage of autophagy, prevention of NE differentiation and decrease of cell survival. Taken together, these results suggest that LAMP2 overexpression assists NE differentiation of LNCaP cells induced by serum deprivation and facilitates autophagy activity in order to attain the NE phenotype and cell survival. LAMP2 could thus be a potential biomarker and potential target for NE prostate cancer

Combined immunodeficiency and Epstein-Barr virus-induced B cell malignancy in humans with inherited CD70 deficiency

In this study, we describe four patients from two unrelated families of different ethnicities with a primary immunodeficiency, predominantly manifesting as susceptibility to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–related diseases. Three patients presented with EBV-associated Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hypogammaglobulinemia; one also had severe varicella infection. The fourth had viral encephalitis during infancy. Homozygous frameshift or in-frame deletions in CD70 in these patients abolished either CD70 surface expression or binding to its cognate receptor CD27. Blood lymphocyte numbers were normal, but the proportions of memory B cells and EBV-specific effector memory CD8+ T cells were reduced. Furthermore, although T cell proliferation was normal, in vitro–generated EBV-specific cytotoxic T cell activity was reduced because of CD70 deficiency. This reflected impaired activation by, rather than effects during killing of, EBV-transformed B cells. Notably, expression of 2B4 and NKG2D, receptors implicated in controlling EBV infection, on memory CD8+ T cells from CD70-deficient individuals was reduced, consistent with their impaired killing of EBV-infected cells. Thus, autosomal recessive CD70 deficiency is a novel cause of combined immunodeficiency and EBV-associated diseases, reminiscent of inherited CD27 deficiency. Overall, human CD70–CD27 interactions therefore play a nonredundant role in T and B cell–mediated immunity, especially for protection against EBV and humoral immunity

"Naughty girls," "bad wives" and "unwise mothers" : subtitle early stories by Oba Minako in the literary-social context of Japan in the 1960s

This thesis explores Ȏba Minako's (1930-) philosophy of the feminine in the literarysocial context of Japan of the 1960s. Ȏba is one of the most remarkable contemporary Japanese women writers both as a talented author and a social nonconformist. Ȏba's revolutionary concepts of the feminine were the most explicitly articulated in her early stories, "Kȏzu no nai e" [Picture with no Composition] (1963), "Niji to ukihashi" [The Rainbow and a Floating Bridge] (1967) and "Sanbiki no kani" [The Three Crabs] (1967). The main body of my thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter One begins with a brief overview of the basic aspects of human sexuality, the genesis of the institution qf marriage and family, and the roots of the subordinate status of women. It also includes a very concise history of the gender relations in premodern Japan and the evolution of those into the reactionary concept "ryȏsai kenbo" [good wife, wise mother] during the Meiji period (1868-1911). This concept survived Japan's defeat in the Pacific War and the following democratization of the country's political and social systems. In 1960s in Japan it still remained a dominant idea in gender relations. The second chapter of my thesis deals with the texts of Ȏba's early stories, mentioned above. These works are analyzed in order to conceptualize Ȏba's views on the feminine and the marital-familial system. Chapter Three briefly outlines the situation in Japanese women's literature in the 1960s and discusses four pieces of the female fiction of that time-"Parutai" [Partei] (1960) by Kurahashi Yumiko, "Banshȏ" [Evening Bells] (1960) by Harada Yasuko, "Kiji" [Pheasant] (1963) by Setouchi Harumi and "Saigo no toki" [The Last Time] (1966) by Kȏno Taeko . Having examined the above-mentioned texts, I conclude that the philosophy of the feminine, which Ȏba Minako articulated in her early stories, boldly and openly challenged the Japanese establishment and its "good wife, wise mother" dogma, which remained a cornerstone of gender relations in the 1960s. The radicalism and unorthodoxy of this author's views went far ahead of her time, having almost no analogues in Japanese women's literature of that time.Arts, Faculty ofAsian Studies, Department ofGraduat

Microstructure and transport properties of Bi-2212 prepared by CO 2 laser line scanning

A novel Laser Line Scanning method has been applied to process rectangular cross-section Bi-2212 monoliths containing 2.9 % Ag using a CO2 Laser. Although previous work has suggested the use of nIR lasers (?0.8-1.1 µm) for melt-processing metal oxide superconductors, the results obtained here demonstrate that mid-IR radiation from a CO2 laser (10.6 µm) may be just as convenient for such a purpose while it enables processing large surface areas. The samples described here were processed at traverse rates ranging between 15 and 60 mm/h, exhibited a complex textured microstructure and yielded highest Ic values of 71 A at 77 K. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.LIFE11/ENV/ES 560 Direction Générale de l’Armement: Superconductivity MAT2011-22719, MAT2008-00429 Universidad de Zaragoza: UZ2011-TEC-03Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the European Commission LIFE Program (LIFE11/ENV/ES 560 “CERAMGLASS”), the Spanish MINECO and European Commission FEDER Program (Projects MAT2008-00429 and MAT2011-22719), Universidad de Zaragoza (Project UZ2011-TEC-03 and Servicio General de Apoyo a la Investigación-SAI), as well as DGA for Groups T87 (Laser Applications Lab) and T13 (Applied Superconductivity)

Processing of textured superconductors with a continuous laser furnace

Resumen del trabajo presentado a la: "3rd International Conference on Superconductivity and Magnetism" celebrada en Estambul (Turquia) del 29 de abril al 4 de mayo de 2012.Texture control in oxide superconductors has been studied intensively since the discovery of High temperature superconductivity. Efforts to induce texture with laser heating have been widely published in the literature, using systems, which usually made no use of external heating to avoid microcrack formation due to excessive thermal stress around the laser incidence area. The typical cylindrical geometry, most often used in Laser Float Zone Melting (LFZ) hindered the development of appropriate heating devices, thus efforts were launched in order to design a Laser Zone Melting system where the effect of external heating of the superconductor could be ascertained in order to obtain textured superconducting material in planar geometries. A number of papers have thus appeared in the literature based on Laser Zone Melting of Bi-2212. Recently, the method has been improved with the use of a patented continuous Laser Furnace, which will be described here. Combination of colloidal processing and continuous Laser Furnace has been used to fabricate superconducting coatings on different ceramics substrates. In particular we will present results about the optimization of colloidal processing of Bi-2212, RE-123, RE-211 and Cu5Ba3O8 green tapes as well as BaZrO3 substrates. Surface modification of the substrates and texture of the superconducting materials have been reached using a continuous Laser Furnace. The effects of the laser parameters and the temperature of the furnace on the microstructure and physical properties of the samples are also presented. Results show the potential of these processing techniques in the controlled modification of the microstructure and properties of different ceramic materials.Peer reviewe

Microstructure and Transport Properties of Bi-2212 Prepared by CO2 Laser Line Scanning

3rd International Conference on Superconductivity and Magnetism (ICSM) -- APR 29-MAY 04, 2012 -- Istanbul, TURKEYWOS: 000317014500040A novel Laser Line Scanning method has been applied to process rectangular cross-section Bi-2212 monoliths containing 2.9 % Ag using a CO2 Laser. Although previous work has suggested the use of nIR lasers (a parts per thousand 0.8-1.1 mu m) for melt-processing metal oxide superconductors, the results obtained here demonstrate that mid-IR radiation from a CO2 laser (10.6 mu m) may be just as convenient for such a purpose while it enables processing large surface areas. The samples described here were processed at traverse rates ranging between 15 and 60 mm/h, exhibited a complex textured microstructure and yielded highest I (c) values of 71 A at 77 K