The single-electron transport in a three-ion magnetic molecule modulated by a transverse field

We study single-electron transport in a three-ion molecule with strong uniaxial anisotropy and in the presence of a transverse magnetic field. Two magnetic ions are connected to each other through a third, nonmagnetic ion. The magnetic ions are coupled to ideal metallic leads and a back gate voltage is applied to the molecule, forming a field-effect transistor. The microscopic Hamiltonian describing this system includes inter-ion hopping, on-site repulsions, and magnetic anisotropies. For a range of values of the parameters of the Hamiltonian, we obtain an energy spectrum similar to that of single-molecule magnets in the giant-spin approximation where the two states with maximum spin projection along the uniaxial anisotropy axis are well separated from other states. In addition, upon applying an external in-plane magnetic field, the energy gap between the ground and first excited states of the molecule oscillates, going to zero at certain special values of the field, in analogy to the diabolical points resulting from Berry phase interference in the giant spin model. Thus, our microscopic model provides the same phenomenological behavior expected from the giant spin model of a single-molecule magnet but with direct access to the internal structure of the molecule, thus making it more appropriate for realistic electronic transport studies. To illustrate this point, the nonlinear electronic transport in the sequential tunneling regime is evaluated for values of the field near these degeneracy points. We show that the existence of these points has a clear signature in the I-V characteristics of the molecule, most notably the modulation of excitation lines in the differential conductance.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figure

Geminivirus C2 protein represses genes involved in sulphur assimilation and this effect can be counteracted by jasmonate treatment

Geminiviruses are plant viruses that infect a broad range of crops and cause extensive losses worldwide, having an important economic impact. C2, a multifunctional pathogenicity factor encoded by geminiviruses, has been recently shown to suppress the responses to jasmonates in the host plant, which might at least partially explain its well-established role in pathogenicity. Sulphur is one of the essential macro-elements for plant life, and is considered to have a role in plant defence, in a phenomenon named sulphur-induced resistance (SIR) or sulphur-enhanced defence (SED). In this work, we show that geminivirus C2 protein represses the expression of genes involved in the sulphur assimilation pathway in Arabidopsis, but, interestingly, this effect can be neutralized by exogenous jasmonate treatment. These preliminary results may raise the idea that geminiviruses might be affecting sulphur metabolism, and maybe counteracting SIR/SED, through the manipulation of the jasmonate signalling pathway, which would define a novel strategy in plant-virus interactions and may unveil SIR/SED as an important player in the plant defence against viruses.Ministerio de Ciencia y Innovación/FEDER AGL2007-66062-C02-02/AGR AGL2010-22287-CO2European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) BIO2010-15201Junta de Andalucía BIO­27

Transient Transcriptional Regulation of the CYS-C1 Gene and Cyanide Accumulation upon Pathogen Infection in the Plant Immune Response

Cyanide is produced concomitantly with ethylene biosynthesis. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) detoxifies cyanide primarily through the enzyme b-cyanoalanine synthase, mainly by the mitochondrial CYS-C1. CYS-C1 loss of function is not toxic for the plant and leads to an increased level of cyanide in cys-c1 mutants as well as a root hairless phenotype. The classification of genes differentially expressed in cys-c1 and wild-type plants reveals that the high endogenous cyanide content of the cys-c1 mutant is correlated with the biotic stress response. Cyanide accumulation and CYS-C1 gene expression are negatively correlated during compatible and incompatible plant-bacteria interactions. In addition, cys-c1 plants present an increased susceptibility to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea and an increased tolerance to the biotrophic Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 bacterium and Beet curly top virus. The cys-c1 mutation produces a reduction in respiration rate in leaves, an accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and an induction of the alternative oxidase AOX1a and pathogenesis-related PR1 expression.We hypothesize that cyanide, which is transiently accumulated during avirulent bacterial infection and constitutively accumulated in the cys-c1 mutant, uncouples the respiratory electron chain dependent on the cytochrome c oxidase, and this uncoupling induces the alternative oxidase activity and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which act by stimulating the salicylic aciddependent signaling pathway of the plant immune systemEspaña MINECO BIO2010-15201Junta de Andalucía grant no. CVI-719

Theoretical characterization of several models of nanoporous carbon

"Elastic, electronic and vibrational properties of seven models of nanoporous carbon are reported. The studied structures are periodic graphitic arrangements with heptagonal and octagonal rings of carbon, known as Schwarzites. The calculations were performed within a non-orthogonal tight binding framework which has been shown to be reliable for diamond, graphene layers, fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. In contrast with previous studies, each structure was properly relaxed, so that differences between each model must be assigned to intrinsic properties rather than to differences in their construction. Thermodynamic properties were calculated from the vibrational density of states.

APORTES EDUCATIVOS EN SALUD INTEGRAL EN MUJERES ADOLESCENTES

Las actividades de extensión desarrolladas en la comunidad nos permiten llegar a un gran número de personas con alta vulnerabilidad. El objetivo de este trabajo de extensión fue lograr una mejor calidad de vida tratando en forma integral la salud de un grupo de mujeres adolescentes en estado de vulnerabilidad. Basamos nuestra labor en la motivación hacia el cuidado de la salud en general y la salud bucodental a través de charlas informativas y acciones preventivas donde se trabajó sobre factores que interfieren el equilibrio del estado de salud. Charlas educativas, talleres sobre educación sexual, prevención de enfermedades sexuales y métodos de cuidado, respaldado en leyes nacionales vigentes. Los resultados fueron satisfactorios, se logró despertar el interés, motivación y acciones de mejoramiento en hábitos de higiene bucal, logrando niveles compatibles con salud en un 80% de las adolescentes intervenidas. Relacionar estas manifestaciones bucales, con las de salud general brindó herramientas para el autocuidado de mujeres adolescentes

Thermal decomposition reaction of 3,3,6,6-tetramethyl- 1,2,4,5-tetroxane in 2-methoxy- ethanol solution

The thermal decomposition study of 3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-1,2,4,5-tetroxane (acetone cyclic diperoxide) was carried out in 2-methoxyethanol solution in the 130-166 °C temperature range. The overall reaction follows a first-order kinetic law up to at least 75% diperoxide conversion. The activation parameters (ΔH# = 22.5 ± 0.7 kcal⋅mol–1 and ΔS# = -25.6 ± 0.5 cal⋅mol–1⋅K–1) for the unimolecular rupture of the O–O bond in the diperoxide molecule were obtained by measuring the remnant diperoxide at different reaction times by the CG technique. Acetone was detected by GC as the major organic product of the reaction.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasInstituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

Thermal decomposition of the acetone cyclic diperoxide in 1-octanol solution

The thermal decomposition reaction of acetone cyclic diperoxide (ACDP) in 1-octanol (OCT) solution, at the temperatures and initial concentration ranges of 130° -166 ºC and (0.94-3.00) x 10-2 mol/L , respectively, follows a pseudo-first order kinetic law. Acetone is the main organic decomposition product observed. The activation parameters values of the initial reaction step (ΔH# = 25.8 ± 0.3 kcal/mol; ΔS# = -19.1 ± 0.6 cal/mol K; Ea = 26.6 ± 0.3 kcal/mol), support a reaction mechanism which includes a homolytic rupture of one peroxidic bond of the ACDP molecule with participation of the solvent and involving a biradical intermediate.La reacción de descomposición térmica del diperóxido de acetona cíclico (ACDP) en solución de 1-octanol (OCT), en los rangos de temperatura y concentraciones iniciales de 130° -166 ºC y (0.94-3.00) x 10-2 mol/L respectivamente, sigue una ley cinética de seudo primer orden. La acetona es el principal producto de descomposición observado. Loa valores de activación de la etapa inicial (ΔH# = 25.8 ± 0.3 kcal/mol; ΔS# = -19.1 ± 0.6 cal/mol K; Ea = 26.6 ± 0.3 kcal/mol) apoyan un mecanismo de reacción que incluye una ruptura homolítica de un enlace peroxídico en la molécula del ACDP con participación del solvente y que involucra un birradical intermediario.Laboratorio de Estudio de Compuestos OrgánicosInstituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

First identification of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis sheep strain in Argentina

We here identified for the first time the presence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) sheep (S) strain in Argentina. IS900 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive. The S strain was compared with MAP cattle (C) strains by using IS1311 PCR-restriction endonuclease analysis (PCR-REA), multiplex PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

First identification of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis sheep strain in Argentina

We here identified for the first time the presence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) sheep (S) strain in Argentina. IS900 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive. The S strain was compared with MAP cattle (C) strains by using IS1311 PCR-restriction endonuclease analysis (PCR-REA), multiplex PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Interaction with touchscreen smartphones in patientswith essential tremor and healthy individuals.

tremorAbstractIntroduction: Smartphone use in biomedical research is becoming more prevalent in differ-ent clinical settings. We performed a pilot study to obtain information on smartphone use bypatients with essential tremor (ET) and healthy controls, with a view to determining whetherperformance of touchscreen tasks is different between these groups and describing touchscreeninteraction factors.Method: A total of 31 patients with ET and 40 sex- and age-matched healthy controls com-pleted a descriptive questionnaire about the use of smartphones. Participants subsequentlyinteracted with an under-development Android application, and performed 4 tests evaluatingtypical touchscreen interaction gestures; each test was performed 5 times.Result: The type of smartphone use and touchscreen interaction were not significantly differ-ent between patients and controls. Age and frequency of smartphone use are key factors intouchscreen interaction.Conclusion: Our results support the use of smartphone touchscreens for research into ET,although further studies are required.pre-print1030 K