Magnetic anisotropies and magnetization reversal of the Co2_2Cr0.6_{0.6}Fe0.4_{0.4}Al Heusler compound

Magnetic anisotropies and magnetization reversal properties of the epitaxial Heusler compound Co$_2$Cr$_{0.6}$Fe$_{0.4}$Al (CCFA) deposited on Fe and Cr buffer layers are studied. Both samples exhibit a growth-induced fourfold anisotropy, and magnetization reversal occurs through the formation of stripy domains or 90 degree domains. During rotational magnetometric scans the sample deposited on Cr exhibits about 2 degree sharp peaks in the angular dependence of the coercive field, which are oriented along the hard axis directions. These peaks are a consequence of the specific domain structure appearing in this particular measurement geometry. A corresponding feature in the sample deposited on Fe is not observed.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Mutation on lysX from Mycobacterium avium hominissuis impacts the host–pathogen interaction and virulence phenotype

The lysX gene from Mycobacterium avium hominissuis (MAH) is not only involved in cationic antimicrobial resistance but also regulates metabolic activity. An MAH lysX deficient mutant was shown to exhibit a metabolic shift at the extracellular state preadapting the bacteria to the conditions inside host-cells. It further showed stronger growth in human monocytes. In the present study, the LysX activity on host–pathogen interactions were analyzed. The lysX mutant from MAH proved to be more sensitive toward host-mediated stresses such as reactive oxygen species. Further, the lysX mutant exhibited increased inflammatory response in PBMC and multinucleated giant cell (MGC) formation in human macrophages during infection studies. Coincidentally, the lysX mutant strain revealed to be more reproductive in the Galleria mellonella infection model. Together, these data demonstrate that LysX plays a role in regulating the bacillary load in host organisms and the lack of lysX gene facilitates MAH adaptation to intracellular host-habitat, thereby suggesting an essential role of LysX in the modulation of host–pathogen interaction.Peer Reviewe

Post-depositional redistribution of trace metals in reservoir sediments of a mining/smelting-impacted watershed (the Lot River, SW France)

International audienceMining/smelting wastes and reservoir sediment cores from the Lot River watershed were studied using mineralogical (XRD, SEM-EDS, EMPA) and geochemical (redox dynamics, selective extractions) approaches to characterize the main carrier phases of trace metals. These two approaches permitted determining the role of post-depositional redistribution processes in sediments and their effects on the fate and mobility of trace metals. The mining/smelting wastes showed heterogeneous mineral compositions with highly variable contents of trace metals. The main trace metal-bearing phases include spinels affected by secondary processes, silicates and sulfates. The results indicate a clear change in the chemical partitioning of trace metals between the reservoir sediments upstream and downstream of the mining/smelting activities, with the downstream sediments showing a 2-fold to 5-fold greater contribution of the oxidizable fraction. This increase was ascribed to stronger post-depositional redistribution of trace metals related to intense early diagenetic processes, including dissolution of trace metal-bearing phases and precipitation of authigenic sulfide phases through organic matter (OM) mineralization. This redistribution is due to high inputs (derived from mining/smelting waste weathering) at the water-sediment interface of (i) dissolved SO4 promoting more efficient OM mineralization, and (ii) highly reactive trace metal-bearing particles. As a result, the main trace metal-bearing phases in the downstream sediments are represented by Zn- and Fe-sulfides, with minor occurrence of detrital zincian spinels, sulfates and Fe oxyhydroxides. Sequestration of trace metals in sulfides at depth in reservoir sediments does not represent long term sequestration owing to possible resuspension of anoxic sediments by natural (floods) and/or anthropogenic (dredging, dam flush) events that might promote trace metal mobilization through sulfide oxidation. It is estimated that, during a major flood event, about 870 t of Zn, 18 t of Cd, 25 t of Pb and 17 t of Cu could be mobilized from the downstream reservoir sediments along the Lot River by resuspension-induced oxidation of sulfide phases. These amounts are equivalent to 13-fold (Cd), not, vert, similar6-fold (Zn), 4-fold (Pb) the mean annual inputs of the respective dissolved trace metals into the Gironde estuary

The Formation and Coarsening of the Concertina Pattern

The concertina is a magnetization pattern in elongated thin-film elements of a soft material. It is a ubiquitous domain pattern that occurs in the process of magnetization reversal in direction of the long axis of the small element. Van den Berg argued that this pattern grows out of the flux closure domains as the external field is reduced. Based on experimental observations and theory, we argue that in sufficiently elongated thin-film elements, the concertina pattern rather bifurcates from an oscillatory buckling mode. Using a reduced model derived by asymptotic analysis and investigated by numerical simulation, we quantitatively predict the average period of the concertina pattern and qualitatively predict its hysteresis. In particular, we argue that the experimentally observed coarsening of the concertina pattern is due to secondary bifurcations related to an Eckhaus instability. We also link the concertina pattern to the magnetization ripple and discuss the effect of a weak (crystalline or induced) anisotropy

Chiral skyrmions in thin magnetic films: new objects for magnetic storage technologies?

Axisymmetric magnetic lines of nanometer sizes (chiral vortices or skyrmions) have been predicted to exist in a large group of noncentrosymmetric crystals more than two decades ago. Recently these magnetic textures have been directly observed in nanolayers of cubic helimagnets and monolayers of magnetic metals. We develop a micromagnetic theory of chiral skyrmions in thin magnetic layers for magnetic materials with intrinsic and induced chirality. Such particle-like and stable micromagnetic objects can exist in broad ranges of applied magnetic fields including zero field. Chiral skyrmions can be used as a new type of highly mobile nanoscale data carriers

Identification of binding proteins for cholesterol absorption inhibitors as components of the intestinal cholesterol transporter

AbstractTo identify protein components of the intestinal cholesterol transporter, rabbit small intestinal brush border membrane vesicles were submitted to photoaffinity labeling using photoreactive derivatives of 2-azetidinone cholesterol absorption inhibitors. An integral membrane protein of Mr 145.3±7.5 kDa was specifically labeled in brush border membrane vesicles from rabbit jejunum and ileum. Its labeling was concentration-dependently inhibited by the presence of cholesterol absorption inhibitors whereas bile acids, D-glucose, fatty acids or cephalexin had no effect. The inhibitory potency of 2-azetidinones to inhibit photolabeling of the 145 kDa protein correlated with their in vivo activity to inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption. These results suggest that an integral membrane protein of Mr 145 kDa is (a component of) the cholesterol absorption system in the brush border membrane of small intestinal enterocytes

Photodynamic drug delivery enhancement in tumours does not depend on leukocyte-endothelial interaction in a human mesothelioma xenograft model†

OBJECTIVES The pre-treatment of tumour neovessels by low-level photodynamic therapy (PDT) improves the distribution of concomitantly administered systemic chemotherapy. The mechanism by which PDT permeabilizes the tumour vessel wall is only partially known. We have recently shown that leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction is essential for photodynamic drug delivery to normal tissue. The present study investigates whether PDT enhances drug delivery in malignant mesothelioma and whether it involves comparable mechanisms of actions. METHODS Human mesothelioma xenografts (H-meso-1) were grown in the dorsal skinfold chambers of 28 nude mice. By intravital microscopy, the rolling and recruitment of leukocytes were assessed in tumour vessels following PDT (Visudyne® 400μg/kg, fluence rate 200mW/cm2and fluence 60J/cm2) using intravital microscopy. Likewise, the distribution of fluorescently labelled macromolecular dextran (FITC-dextran, MW 2000kDa) was determined after PDT. Study groups included no PDT, PDT, PDT plus a functionally blocking anti-pan-selectin antibody cocktail and PDT plus isotype control antibody. RESULTS PDT significantly enhanced the extravascular accumulation of FITC-dextran in mesothelioma xenografts, but not in normal tissue. PDT significantly increased leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction in tumour. While PDT-induced leukocyte recruitment was significantly blunted by the anti-pan-selectin antibodies in the tumour xenograft, this manipulation did not affect the PDT-induced extravasation of FITC-dextran. CONCLUSIONS Low-level PDT pre-treatment selectively enhances the uptake of systemically circulating macromolecular drugs in malignant mesothelioma, but not in normal tissue. Leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction is not required for PDT-induced drug delivery to malignant mesotheliom

Genetic diversification of persistent Mycobacterium abscessus within cystic fibrosis patients

Mycobacterium (M.) abscessus infections in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients cause a deterioration of lung function. Treatment of these multidrug-resistant pathogens is associated with severe side-effects, while frequently unsuccessful. Insight on M. abscessus genomic evolvement during chronic lung infection would be beneficial for improving treatment strategies. A longitudinal study enrolling 42 CF patients was performed at a CF center in Berlin, Germany, to elaborate phylogeny and genomic diversification of in-patient M. abscessus. Eleven of the 42 CF patients were infected with M. abscessus. Five of these 11 patients were infected with global human-transmissible M. abscessus cluster strains. Phylogenetic analysis of 88 genomes from isolates of the 11 patients excluded occurrence of M. abscessus transmission among members of the study group. Genome sequencing and variant analysis of 30 isolates from 11 serial respiratory samples collected over 4.5 years from a chronically infected patient demonstrated accumulation of gene mutations. In total, 53 genes exhibiting non-synonymous variations were identified. Enrichment analysis emphasized genes involved in synthesis of glycopeptidolipids, genes from the embABC (arabinosyltransferase) operon, betA (glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase) and choD (cholesterol oxidase). Genetic diversity evolved in a variety of virulence- and resistance-associated genes. The strategy of M. abscessus populations in chronic lung infection is not clonal expansion of dominant variants, but to sustain simultaneously a wide range of genetic variants facilitating adaptation of the population to changing living conditions in the lung. Genomic diversification during chronic infection requires increased attention when new control strategies against M. abscessus infections are explored.Peer Reviewe

Antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling across an amorphous metallic spacer layer

By means of magneto-optical Kerr effect we observe for the first time antiferromagnetic coupling between ferromagnetic layers across an amorphous metallic spacer layer. Biquadratic coupling occurs at the transition from a ferromagnetically to an antiferromagnetically coupled region. Scanning tunneling microscopy images of all involved layers are used to extract thickness fluctuations and to verify the amorphous state of the spacer. The observed antiferromagnetic coupling behavior is explained by RKKY interaction taking into account the amorphous structure of the spacer material.Comment: Typset using RevTex, 4 pages with 4 figures (.eps