Tuning interfacial domain walls in GdCo/Gd/GdCo′ spring magnets

Under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY).-- et al.Spring magnets based on GdCo multilayers have been prepared to study the nucleation and evolution of interfacial domain walls (iDWs) depending on layer composition and interlayer coupling. GdCo alloy compositions in each layer were chosen so that their net magnetization aligns either with the Gd (Gd35Co65) or Co(Gd11Co89) sublattices. This condition forces an antiparallel arrangement of the layers' net magnetization and leads to nucleation of iDWs above critical magnetic fields whose values are dictated by the interplay between Zeeman and exchange energies. By combining x-ray resonant magnetic scattering with Kerr magnetometry, we provide detailed insight into the nucleation and spatial profile of the iDWs. For strong coupling (GdCo/GdCo′ bilayer), iDWs are centered at the interface but with asymmetric width depending on each layer magnetization. When interlayer coupling is weakened by introducing a thin Gd interlayer, the exchange spring effect becomes restricted to a lower temperature and field range than observed in the bilayer structure. Due to the ferromagnetic alignment between the high magnetization Gd35Co65 layer and the Gd interlayer, the iDW shrinks and moves into the lower exchange Gd interlayer, causing a reduction of iDW energy.Work supported by Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) under grant FIS2013-45469 and Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (MICINN) under grant FIS2008-06249. Work at Argonne was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.Peer Reviewe

El uso de las nuevas tecnologías en la formación continua de los trabajadores en el sector papelero.

La clave del desarrollo industrial radica en que la formación debe desarrollarse a lo largo de toda la vida activa. Sin embargo, aunque esta necesidad de ampliar el acceso es reconocida por todos los actores implicados (institutos especializados en formación y la dirección de las empresas), hasta el momento se han producido escasos progresos debido a la ausencia de programas específicos de detección de necesidades formativas y metodologías concretas en la industria europea (en particular en la industria de la pasta y el papel). Movilidad, aprendizaje continuo y el uso de nuevos instrumentos tecnológicos obligan a alcanzar un mayor desarrollo de las cualificaciones laborales no sólo durante su etapa escolar sino a lo largo de la vida activa. Hoy día, aparecen nuevos campos de conocimiento en tecnología papelera que deben ser renovados en periodos de tiempo cada vez menores. Ciertos se definen en términos de conocimientos fundamentales (idiomas, informática, economía, etc.) y técnicos o profesionales (contabilidad, calidad, medio ambiente, etc.). El uso de nuevas herramientas formativas con capacidad de renovación (como los CD-Rom o la formación interactiva por Internet) permitirá una inmediata mejora de las cualificaciones de los empleados, en contraste con los diplomas que pierden su valor con el paso del tiempo.The key point is that access to training should be developed throughout life. While the need for such access is recognised by everybody, specialised institutes and the business sector alike, until now, there has been little progress in this area due to the absence of specific detection programmes and methodologies in the European chemistry industry (specially in the pulp and paper industry). Mobility, lifelong learning and the use of new technological instruments. It is necessary to achieve a higher develop of personal skills not only during the compulsory schooling but also through the working life. In these days, emerging particular knowledge fields in paper technology, production systems or business culture that should be renewal in periods of time that become shorter each time. Some of them are defined in terms of fundamental (languages, maths, law, computers, economics, etc.) or technical or vocational (accounting, quality, environment, etc.) knowledge. The use of new training tools easily renewable as the CD-ROM, Internet,... could allow an immediate improvement of people’s qualifications throughout their lives, in contrast to diplomas which lose their values as years go by

Control of magnetic domain wall motion in Co microwires by tridimensional e-beam lithographied structures

Resumen del póster presentado al 6th Spanish Workshop in Nanolithography celebrado en Zaragoza (España) del 28 al 30 de octubre de 2014.Work supported by the Spanish MICINN FIS2008-06249 and CSIC JAE Predoc grants.Peer Reviewe

Nitric oxide compounds have different effects profiles on human articular chondrocyte metabolism

INTRODUCTION: The pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by the production of high amounts of nitric oxide (NO), as a consequence of up-regulation of chondrocyte-inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induced by inflammatory cytokines. NO donors represent a powerful tool for studying the role of NO in the cartilage in vitro. There is no consensus about NO effects on articular cartilage in part because the differences between the NO donors available. The aim of this work is to compare the metabolic profile of traditional and new generation NO donors to see which one points out the osteoarthritic process in the best way. METHODS: Human healthy and OA chondrocytes were isolated from patients undergoing joint replacement surgery, and primary cultured. Cells were stimulated with NO donors (NOC-12 or SNP). NO production was evaluated by the Griess method, and apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by analysing respiratory chain enzyme complexes, citrate synthase (CS) activities by enzymatic assay, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) by JC-1 using flow cytometry, and ATP levels were measured by luminescence assays. Glucose transport was measured as the uptake of 2-deoxy-[(3)H]glucose (2-[(3)H]DG). Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: NOC-12 liberates approximately ten times more NO2- than SNP, but the level of cell death induced was not as profound as that produced by SNP. Normal articular chondrocytes stimulated with NOC-12 had reduced activity from complexes I, III y IV, and the mitochondrial mass was increased in these cells. Deleterious effects on ΔΨm and ATP levels were more profound with SNP, and this NO donor was able to reduce 2-[(3)H]DG levels. Both NO donors had opposite effects on lactate release, SNP diminished the levels and NOC-12 lead to lactate accumulation. OA chondrocytes incorporate significantly more 2-[(3)H]DG than healthy cells. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the new generation donors, specifically NOC-12, mimic the OA metabolic process much better than SNP. Previous results using SNP have to be considered prudently since most of the effects observed can be induced by the interactions of secondary products of NO.The authors express appreciation to the Department of Orthopedics and the Tissue Bank of the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña for providing cartilage samples. This study was supported by grants from the Fondo Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain: (CIBER- CB06/01/0040; PI-12/00329; RETIC-RIER-RD12/0009/0018; and Proteo-Red/ISCIII); Ministerio Ciencia e Innovación, Madrid, Spain: PLE2009-0144 and FEDER (European Community).S

Spectral Line Identification and Modelling (SLIM) in the MAdrid Data CUBe Analysis (MADCUBA) package: An interactive software for data cube analysis

In this paper we present the detailed formalism at the core of the Spectral Line Identification and Modelling (SLIM) within the MAdrid Data CUBe Analysis (MADCUBA) package and their main data handling functionalities. These tools have been developed to visualize, analyze and model large spectroscopic data cubes. We present the highly interactive on-the-fly visualization and modelling tools of MADCUBA and SLIM, which includes an stand-alone spectroscopic database. The parameters stored therein are used to solve the full radiative transfer equation under Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE). SLIM provides tools to generate synthetic LTE model spectra based on input physical parameters of column density, excitation temperature, velocity, line width and source size. SLIM also provides an automatic fitting algorithm to obtain the physical parameters (with their associated errors) better fitting the observations. Synthetic spectra can be overlayed in the data cubes/spectra to easy the task of multi-molecular line identification and modelling.We present the Java-based MADCUBA and its internal module SLIM packages which provide all the necessary tools for manipulation and analysis of spectroscopic data cubes. We describe in detail the spectroscopic fitting equations and make use of this tool to explore the breaking conditions and implicit errors of commonly used approximations in the literature. Easy-to-use tools like MADCUBA allow the users to derive the physical information from spectroscopic data without the need of resourcing to simple approximations. SLIM allows to use the full radiative transfer equation, and to interactively explore the space of physical parameters and associated uncertainties from observational data.Comment: 18 pages, 7 Figures, Accepted for publication in A&

CFD modelling of particle matter dispersion in a real hot-spot

Urban air quality is one of the main environmental concerns. The interaction between atmosphere and buildings induces complex flows within the streets and squares. This fact joint with the traffic emissions produce a heterogeneous distribution of pollutants with high gradients of concentration. The main objective of this work is to obtain high resolution maps of particle matter concentration using a CFD model so as to analyze air quality and population exposure. This study is focused on a heavily trafficked roundabout in Madrid (Fernandez Ladreda square). To achieve this objective, CFD modelling coupled with detailed emissions of PM10 and PM2.5 and outputs from WRF meteorological mesoscale model is performed. Emissions from vehicle exhaust and particle resuspension are considered with a resolution of 5 m x 5 m. The simulated mesoscale vertical profiles of wind velocity and turbulent kinetic energy, previously checked with onsite meteorological measurements, are used as boundary conditions. The effects of urban vegetation are modelled and moreover, the CFD modelling is improved implementing vehicle induced turbulence as a source of turbulence on the roads. Modelling results are evaluated for several periods of summer and winter by using data from experimental campaigns carried out in this zone in the framework of the TECNAIRE research project

Intrapericardial delivery of apa-microcapsules as promising stem cell therapy carriers in an experimental acute myocardial infarction model

The administration of cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is very promising. CDC encapsulation in alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) could increase cell survival and adherence. The intrapericardial (IP) approach potentially achieves high concentrations of the therapeutic agent in the infarcted area. We aimed to evaluate IP therapy using a saline vehicle as a control (CON), a dose of 30 × 106 CDCs (CDCs) or APA microcapsules containing 30 × 106 CDCs (APA-CDCs) at 72 h in a porcine AMI model. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to determine the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), infarct size (IS), and indexed end diastolic and systolic volumes (EDVi; ESVi) pre-and 10 weeks post-injection. Programmed electrical stimulation (PES) was performed to test arrhythmia inducibility before euthanasia. Histopathological analysis was carried out afterwards. The IP infusion was successful in all animals. At 10 weeks, MRI revealed significantly higher LVEF in the APA-CDC group compared with CON. No significant differences were observed among groups in IS, EDVi, ESVi, PES and histopathological analyses. In conclusion, the IP injection of CDCs (microencapsulated or not) was feasible and safe 72 h post-AMI in the porcine model. Moreover, CDCs APA encapsulation could have a beneficial effect on cardiac function, reflected by a higher LVEF at 10 weeks. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Enhancing dna immunization by targeting asfv antigens to sla-ii bearing cells

One of the main criticisms to DNA vaccines is the poor immunogenicity that they confer on occasions, at least in large animals. Confirming this theory, immunization with plasmid DNA encoding two African swine fever virus genes in frame (pCMV-PQ), failed in inducing detectable immune responses in pigs, while it was successful in mice. Aiming to improve the immune responses induced in swine, a new plasmid was constructed, encoding the viral genes fused in frame with a single chain variable fragment of an antibody specific for a swine leukocyte antigen II (pCMV-APCH1PQ). Our results clearly demonstrate that targeting antigens to antigen professional cells exponentially enhanced the immune response induced in pigs, albeit that the DNA vaccine was not able to confer protection against lethal viral challenge. Indeed, a viremia exacerbation was observed in each of the pigs that received the pCMV-APCH1PQ plasmid, this correlating with the presence of non-neutralizing antibodies and antigen-specific SLA II-restricted T-cells. The implications of our discoveries for the development of future vaccines against African swine fever virus and other swine pathogens are discussed.Fil: Argilaguet, J. M.. No especifíca;Fil: Pérez Martín, E.. No especifíca;Fil: Gallardo, C.. No especifíca;Fil: Salguero, F. J.. No especifíca;Fil: Borrego, B.. No especifíca;Fil: Lacasta, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Accensi, F.. No especifíca;Fil: Díaz, I.. No especifíca;Fil: Nofrarías, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Pujols, J.. No especifíca;Fil: Blanco, E.. No especifíca;Fil: Pérez Filgueira, Daniel Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Escribano, José M.. No especifíca;Fil: Rodríguez, F.. No especifíca

Ordered vacancy network induced by the growth of epitaxial graphene on Pt(111)

We have studied large areas of (v3×v3)R30° graphene commensurate with a Pt(111) substrate. A combination of experimental techniques with ab initio density functional theory indicates that this structure is related to a reconstruction at the Pt surface, consisting of an ordered vacancy network formed in the outermost Pt layer and a graphene layer covalently bound to the Pt substrate. The formation of this reconstruction is enhanced if low temperatures and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are used as molecular precursors for epitaxial growth of the graphene layers