Optically probing symmetry breaking in the chiral magnet Cu2OSeO3

We report on the linear optical properties of the chiral magnet Cu2OSeO3, specifically associated with the absence of inversion symmetry, the chiral crystallographic structure, and magnetic order. Through spectroscopic ellipsometry, we observe local crystal-field excitations below the charge-transfer gap. These crystal-field excitations are optically allowed due to the lack of inversion symmetry at the Cu sites. Optical polarization rotation measurements were used to study the structural chirality and magnetic order. The temperature dependence of the natural optical rotation, originating in the chiral crystal structure, provides evidence for a finite magneto-electric effect in the helimagnetic phase. We find a large magneto-optical susceptibility on the order of V(540nm)~10^4 rad/(T*m) in the helimagnetic phase and a maximum Faraday rotation of ~165deg/mm in the ferrimagnetic phase. The large value of V can be explained by considering spin cluster formation and the relative ease of domain reorientation in this metamagnetic material. The magneto-optical activity allows us to map the magnetic phase diagram, including the skyrmion lattice phase. In addition to this, we probe and discuss the nature of the various magnetic phase transitions in Cu2OSeO3.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

Towards a high-resolution 3D-analysis of sand-bank architecture on the Belgian Continental Shelf (RESOURCE-3D): Final report

Revealing the internal structure of sand banks by means of high-resolution seismic (acoustic) methods remains one of the classic methodological challenges in shallow marine geophysical prospection. This is mostly due to the strong heterogeneity of the sand-bank body in combination with complex sea-floor morphology. This study has focussed on the optimisation of a methodological-technological approach through a comparison of various state-of-the-art high-resolution seismic source/receiver configurations for the investigation of the internal architecture of sand banks. On the basis of a dense network of seismic profiles, the 3D architecture of a test site on the Belgian Continental Shelf was studied in detail. Digital acquisition of the data enabled postacquisition processing and data enhancement. Specialised software was used to identify, trace and map the structuring sediment bodies. To translate the “acoustic information” in a most unbiased way, in terms of its lithological and sedimentological nature, UGent-RCMG’s knowledge database and available background information on the Quaternary geology of the Belgian part of the North Sea has been used intensively. Finally, the interpreted seismic data were integrated with other datasets, such as multibeam bathymetry. This enabled a highresolution 3D quantitative analysis and representation of the sand-bank architecture and its economical potential. After comparison of the acquired test data sets, a set of recommendations is formulated regarding the most optimal strategy for future 4D prospecting of marine aggregates on the Belgian Continental Shelf

Optical diagnostics study of air flow and powder fluidisation in Nexthaler (R)-Part I: Studies with lactose placebo formulation

Effective drug delivery to the lungs by a DPI device requires the air-stream through the device to have sufficient power to aerosolise the powder. Furthermore, sufficient turbulence must be induced, along with particle-wall and particle-particle collisions, in order to de-aggregate small drug particles from large carrier particles. As a result, the emitted and the fine particle doses produced by many commercially available DPI devices tend to be strongly affected by the natural inter-patient variability of the inhaled air flow. The Nexthaler® is a multi-dose breath-actuated dry-powder inhaler with minimum drug delivery-flow rate dependency and incorporating a dose protector. The actuation mechanism of the dose-protector ensures that the dose is only exposed to the inhaled air flow if the flow has sufficient power to cause complete aerosolisation. For this study, a proprietary lactose placebo powder blend was filled into “transparent “ Nexthalers® to allow application of high speed imaging and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques to successfully interrogate and reveal details of the powder entrainment and emission processes coupled with characterisation of the flow environment in the vicinity of the mouthpiece exit. The study showed that fluidisation of the bulk of the powder occurs very quickly (~20 ms) after withdrawal of the dose protector followed by powder emission from the device within ~50 ms thereafter. The bulk of the metered placebo dose was emitted within 100-200 ms. The visualisation study also revealed that a very small fraction of powder fines is emitted whilst the dose protector still covers the dosing cup as the flow rate through the device accelerates. The PIV results show that the flow exiting the device is highly turbulent with a rotating flow structure, which forces the particles to follow internal paths having a high probability of wall impacts, suggesting that the flow environment inside the Nexthaler® DPI will be very beneficial for carrier-drug de-aggregation

Tissue factor/FVIIa activates Bcl-2 and prevents doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane protein that acts as a receptor for activated coagulation factor VII (FVIIa), initiating the coagulation cascade. Recent studies demonstrate that expression of tumor-derived TF also mediates intracellular signaling relevant to tumor growth and apoptosis. Our present study investigates the possible mechanism by which the interaction between TF and FVIIa regulates chemotherapy resistance in neuroblastoma cell lines.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Gene and siRNA transfection was used to enforce TF expression in a TF-negative neuroblastoma cell line and to silence endogenous TF expression in a TF-overexpressing neuroblastoma line, respectively. The expression of TF, Bcl-2, STAT5, and Akt as well as the phosphorylation of STAT5 and Akt in gene transfected cells or cells treated with JAK inhibitor and LY294002 were determined by Western blot assay. Tumor cell growth was determined by a clonogenic assay. Cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of doxorubicin on neuroblastoma cell lines was analyzed by WST assay and annexin-V staining (by flow cytometry) respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Enforced expression of TF in a TF-negative neuroblastoma cell line in the presence of FVIIa induced upregulation of Bcl-2, leading to resistance to doxorubicin. Conversely, inhibition of endogenous TF expression in a TF-overexpressing neuroblastoma cell line using siRNA resulted in down-regulation of Bcl-2 and sensitization to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Additionally, neuroblastoma cells expressing high levels of either endogenous or transfected TF treated with FVIIa readily phosphorylated STAT5 and Akt. Using selective pharmacologic inhibitors, we demonstrated that JAK inhibitor I, but not the PI3K inhibitor LY294002, blocked the TF/FVIIa-induced upregulation of Bcl-2.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study shows that in neuroblastoma cell lines overexpressed TF ligated with FVIIa produced upregulation of Bcl-2 expression through the JAK/STAT5 signaling pathway, resulting in resistance to apoptosis. We surmise that this TF-FVIIa pathway may contribute, at least in part, to chemotherapy resistance in neuroblastoma.</p

Pairing of charged particles in a quantum plasmoid

We study a quantum spherically symmetric object which is based on radial plasma oscillations. Such a plasmoid is supposed to exist in a dense plasma containing electrons, ions, and neutral particles. The method of creation and annihilation operators is applied to quantize the motion of charged particles in a self-consistent potential. We also study the effective interaction between oscillating particles owing to the exchange of a virtual acoustic wave, which is excited in the neutral component of plasma. It is shown that this interaction can be attractive and result in the formation of ion pairs. We discuss possible applications of this phenomenon in astrophysical and terrestrial plasmas.Comment: 17 pages, no figures, two columns, LaTeX2e; paper was significantly revised; title was changed; 16 new references were included; the discussion on ion-acoustic waves was added to Sec. 2; Secs. 3 and 4 were shortened; a more detailed discussion was added to Sec. 7; accepted for publication to J.Phys.

Activity and Process Stability of Purified Green Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Pectin Methylesterase

Pectin methylesterase (PME) from green bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) was extracted and purified by affinity chromatography on a CNBr-Sepharose-PMEI column. A single protein peak with pectin methylesterase activity was observed. For the pepper PME, a biochemical characterization in terms of molar mass (MM), isoelectric points (pI), and kinetic parameters for activity and thermostability was performed. The optimum pH for PME activity at 22 °C was 7.5, and its optimum temperature at neutral pH was between 52.5 and 55.0 °C. The purified pepper PME required the presence of 0.13 M NaCl for optimum activity. Isothermal inactivation of purified pepper PME in 20 mM Tris buffer (pH 7.5) could be described by a fractional conversion model for lower temperatures (55?57 °C) and a biphasic model for higher temperatures (58?70 °C). The enzyme showed a stable behavior toward high-pressure/temperature treatments. Keywords: Capsicum annuum; pepper; pectin methylesterase; purification; characterization; thermal and high-pressure stabilit

Magneto-optical study of metamagnetic transitions in the antiferromagnetic phase of α-RuCl3

alpha-RuCl3 is a promising candidate material to realize the so far elusive quantum spin liquid ground state. However, at low temperatures, the coexistence of different exchange interactions couple the effective pseudospins into an antiferromagnetically zigzag (ZZ) ordered state. The low-field evolution of spin structure is still a matter of debate and the magnetic anisotropy within the honeycomb planes is an open and challenging question. Here, we investigate the evolution of the ZZ order parameter by second-order magneto-optical effects, the magnetic linear dichroism and magnetic linear birefringence. Our results clarify the presence and nature of metamagnetic transitions in the ZZ phase of alpha-RuCl3. The experimental observations show the presence of initial magnetic domain repopulation followed by a spin-flop transition for small in-plane applied magnetic fields (approximate to 1.6 T) along specific crystallographic directions. In addition, using a magneto-optical approach, we detected the recently reported emergence of a field-induced intermediate phase before suppressing the ZZ order. The results disclose the details of various angle-dependent in-plane metamagnetic transitions quantifying the bond-anisotropic interactions present in alpha-RuCl3