Effect of electric field polarization and temperature on the effective permittivity and conductivity of porous anodic aluminium oxide membranes

Porous insulators offer new opportunities for the controlled guest–host synthesis of nanowires for future integrated circuits characterized by low propagation delay, crosstalk and power consumption. We propose a method to estimate the effect of the electric field polarization and temperature on the electrical properties of different types of synthesized porous anodic aluminium oxide membranes. It results that the effective permittivity along the pore axis is generally 20% higher than the one in the orthogonal direction. The type of solution and the voltage level applied during anodization are the main parameters affecting the AAO templates characteristics, i.e. their porosity and chemical content. The values of permittivity of the final material, are typically in the range 2.6–3.2 for large pore diameter membranes including phosphorus element and having a low water content, and in the range 3.5–4 for the ones with smaller pores, and showing sulphur element incorporation. Moreover, the dc conductivity of the different membranes appears to be correlated to the pore density

Cellular distribution of the histamine H3 receptor in the basal ganglia : functional modulation of dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission

This is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Basal ganglia. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Vol. 3 Núm. 2 (Jul. 2013)Altres ajuts: Red_de_Trastornos_Adictivos/RD06/0001/0015Histamine H3 receptors (H3R) are widely expressed in the brain where they participate in sleep-wake cycle and cognition among other functions. Despite their high expression in some regions of the basal ganglia, their functional role in this forebrain neural network remains unclear. The present findings provide in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical evidence for H3R expression in several neuronal populations of the rat basal ganglia but not in astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactive cells). We demonstrate the presence of H3R mRNA and protein in dopaminergic neurons (tyrosine hydroxylase positive) of the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra. In the dorsal and ventral (nucleus accumbens) striatal complex we show H3R immunoreactivity in cholinergic (choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive) and GABAergic neurons (substance P, proenkephalin or dopamine D1 receptor positive) as well as in corticostriatal terminals (VGLUT1-immunoreactive). Double-labelling experiments in the medial prefrontal cortex show that H3R is expressed in D1R-positive interneurons and VGLUT1-positive corticostriatal output neurons. Our functional experiments confirm that H3R ligands modulate dopamine synthesis and the probability of glutamate release in the striatum from cortico-striatal afferents. The presence of H3R in such different neuronal populations and its involvement in the control of striatal dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmission ascribes a complex role to H3R in the function of the basal ganglia neural network

Electrical behaviour, characteristics and properties of anodic aluminium oxide films coloured by nickel electrodeposition

Porous anodic films on 1050 aluminium substrate were coloured by AC electrodeposition of nickel. Several experiments were performed at different deposition voltages and nickel concentrations in the electrolyte in order to correlate the applied electrical power to the electrical behaviour, as well as the characteristics and properties of the coatings. The content of nickel inside the coatings reached 1.67 g/m2, depending on the experimental conditions. According to the applied AC voltage in comparison with the threshold voltage Ut, the coating either acted only as a capacitor when U\Ut and, when U[Ut, the behaviour during the anodic and cathodic parts of the power sine wave was different. In particular, due to the semi-conducting characteristics of the barrier layer, additional oxidation of the aluminium substrate occurred during the anodic part of the electrical signal, whilst metal deposition (and solvent reduction) occurred during the cathodic part; these mechanisms correspond to the blocked and pass directions of the barrier layer/electrolyte junction, respectively

Identification of Adipose Tissue as a Reservoir of Macrophages after Acute Myocardial Infarction

International audienceMedullary and extra-medullary hematopoiesis has been shown to govern inflammatory cell infiltration and subsequently cardiac remodeling and function after acute myocardial infarction (MI). Emerging evidence positions adipose tissue (AT) as an alternative source of immune cell production. We, therefore, hypothesized that AT could act as a reservoir of inflammatory cells that participate in cardiac homeostasis after MI. To reveal the distinct role of inflammatory cells derived from AT or bone marrow (BM), chimeric mice were generated using standard repopulation assays. We showed that AMI increased the number of AT-derived macrophages in the cardiac tissue. These macrophages exhibit pro-inflammatory characteristics and their specific depletion improved cardiac function as well as decreased infarct size and interstitial fibrosis. We then reasoned that the alteration of AT-immune compartment in type 2 diabetes could, thus, contribute to defects in cardiac remodeling. However, in these conditions, myeloid cells recruited in the infarcted heart mainly originate from the BM, and AT was no longer used as a myeloid cell reservoir. Altogether, we showed here that a subpopulation of cardiac inflammatory macrophages emerges from myeloid cells of AT origin and plays a detrimental role in cardiac remodeling and function after MI. Diabetes abrogates the ability of AT-derived myeloid cells to populate the infarcted heart

Solution Epitaxial Growth of Cobalt Nanowires on Crystalline Substrates for Data Storage Densities beyond 1 Tbit/in 2

International audienceThe implementation of nano-objects in numerous emerging applications often demands their integration in macroscopic devices. Here we present the bottom-up epitaxial solution growth of high-density arrays of vertical 5 nm diameter single-crystalline metallic cobalt nanowires on wafer-scale crystalline metal surfaces. The nanowires form regular hexagonal arrays on unpatterned metallic films. These hybrid heterostructures present an important perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and pave the way to a high density magnetic recording device, with capacities above 10 Terabits/in2. This method bypasses the need of assembling and orientating free colloidal nanocrystals on surfaces. Its generalization to other materials opens new perspectives toward many applications

Cellular distribution of the histamine H3 receptor in the basal ganglia : functional modulation of dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission

This is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Basal ganglia. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Vol. 3 Núm. 2 (Jul. 2013)Histamine H3 receptors (H3R) are widely expressed in the brain where they participate in sleep-wake cycle and cognition among other functions. Despite their high expression in some regions of the basal ganglia, their functional role in this forebrain neural network remains unclear. The present findings provide in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical evidence for H3R expression in several neuronal populations of the rat basal ganglia but not in astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactive cells). We demonstrate the presence of H3R mRNA and protein in dopaminergic neurons (tyrosine hydroxylase positive) of the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra. In the dorsal and ventral (nucleus accumbens) striatal complex we show H3R immunoreactivity in cholinergic (choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive) and GABAergic neurons (substance P, proenkephalin or dopamine D1 receptor positive) as well as in corticostriatal terminals (VGLUT1-immunoreactive). Double-labelling experiments in the medial prefrontal cortex show that H3R is expressed in D1R-positive interneurons and VGLUT1-positive corticostriatal output neurons. Our functional experiments confirm that H3R ligands modulate dopamine synthesis and the probability of glutamate release in the striatum from cortico-striatal afferents. The presence of H3R in such different neuronal populations and its involvement in the control of striatal dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmission ascribes a complex role to H3R in the function of the basal ganglia neural network

Solution Epitaxial Growth of Cobalt Nanowires on Crystalline Substrates for Data Storage Densities beyond 1 Tbit/in²

The implementation of nano-objects in numerous emerging applications often demands their integration in macroscopic devices. Here we present the bottom-up epitaxial solution growth of high-density arrays of vertical 5 nm diameter single-crystalline metallic cobalt nanowires on wafer-scale crystalline metal surfaces. The nanowires form regular hexagonal arrays on unpatterned metallic films. These hybrid heterostructures present an important perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and pave the way to a high density magnetic recording device, with capacities above 10 Terabits/in². This method bypasses the need of assembling and orientating free colloidal nanocrystals on surfaces. Its generalization to other materials opens new perspectives toward many applications

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field