Topology by Design in Magnetic nano-Materials: Artificial Spin Ice

Artificial Spin Ices are two dimensional arrays of magnetic, interacting nano-structures whose geometry can be chosen at will, and whose elementary degrees of freedom can be characterized directly. They were introduced at first to study frustration in a controllable setting, to mimic the behavior of spin ice rare earth pyrochlores, but at more useful temperature and field ranges and with direct characterization, and to provide practical implementation to celebrated, exactly solvable models of statistical mechanics previously devised to gain an understanding of degenerate ensembles with residual entropy. With the evolution of nano--fabrication and of experimental protocols it is now possible to characterize the material in real-time, real-space, and to realize virtually any geometry, for direct control over the collective dynamics. This has recently opened a path toward the deliberate design of novel, exotic states, not found in natural materials, and often characterized by topological properties. Without any pretense of exhaustiveness, we will provide an introduction to the material, the early works, and then, by reporting on more recent results, we will proceed to describe the new direction, which includes the design of desired topological states and their implications to kinetics.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, 116 references, Book Chapte

Acute kidney disease and renal recovery : consensus report of the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) 16 Workgroup

Consensus definitions have been reached for both acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and these definitions are now routinely used in research and clinical practice. The KDIGO guideline defines AKI as an abrupt decrease in kidney function occurring over 7 days or less, whereas CKD is defined by the persistence of kidney disease for a period of > 90 days. AKI and CKD are increasingly recognized as related entities and in some instances probably represent a continuum of the disease process. For patients in whom pathophysiologic processes are ongoing, the term acute kidney disease (AKD) has been proposed to define the course of disease after AKI; however, definitions of AKD and strategies for the management of patients with AKD are not currently available. In this consensus statement, the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) proposes definitions, staging criteria for AKD, and strategies for the management of affected patients. We also make recommendations for areas of future research, which aim to improve understanding of the underlying processes and improve outcomes for patients with AKD

HVOF-Deposited WCCoCr as Replacement for Hard Cr in Landing Gear Actuators

WCCoCr coatings deposited by HVOF can replace hard Cr on landing gear components. Powders with two different WC particle sizes (micro and nano-) and geometries have been employed to study the effects on the coating’s properties. Moreover, coatings produced employing two sets of parameters resulting in high and low flame temperatures have been evaluated. Minor differences in microstructure and morphology were observed for the two powders employing the same spraying parameters, but the nano-sized powder exhibited a higher spraying efficiency. However, more significant microstructural changes result when the low- and high-energy spray parameters are used. Moreover, results of various tests which include adhesion, wear, salt fog corrosion resistance, liquid immersion, and axial fatigue strength, indicate that the coatings produced with high-energy flame are similar in behavior. On the other hand, the nanostructured low-energy flame coating exhibited a significantly lower salt fog corrosion resistanc

Spatial and temporal dimensions of landscape fragmentation across the Brazilian Amazon

The Brazilian Amazon in the past decades has been suffering severe landscape alteration, mainly due to anthropogenic activities, such as road building and land clearing for agriculture. Using a high-resolution time series of land cover maps (classified as mature forest, non-forest, secondary forest) spanning from 1984 through 2011, and four uncorrelated fragmentation metrics (edge density, clumpiness index, area-weighted mean patch size and shape index), we examined the temporal and spatial dynamics of forest fragmentation in three study areas across the Brazilian Amazon (Manaus, Santarém and Machadinho d’Oeste), inside and outside conservation units. Moreover, we compared the impacts on the landscape of: (1) different land uses (e.g. cattle ranching, crop production), (2) occupation processes (spontaneous vs. planned settlements) and (3) implementation of conservation units. By 2010/2011, municipalities located along the Arc of Deforestation had more than 55% of the remaining mature forest strictly confined to conservation units. Further, the planned settlement showed a higher rate of forest loss, a more persistent increase in deforested areas and a higher relative incidence of deforestation inside conservation units. Distinct agricultural activities did not lead to significantly different landscape structures; the accessibility of the municipality showed greater influence in the degree of degradation of the landscapes. Even with a high proportion of the landscapes covered by conservation units, which showed a strong inhibitory effect on forest fragmentation, we show that dynamic agriculturally driven economic activities, in municipalities with extensive road development, led to more regularly shaped, heavily fragmented landscapes, with higher densities of forest edge

Ly6Chi monocyte recruitment is responsible for Th2 associated host-protective macrophage accumulation in liver inflammation due to schistosomiasis

Accumulation of M2 macrophages in the liver, within the context of a strong Th2 response, is a hallmark of infection with the parasitic helminth, Schistosoma mansoni, but the origin of these cells is unclear. To explore this, we examined the relatedness of macrophages to monocytes in this setting. Our data show that both monocyte-derived and resident macrophages are engaged in the response to infection. Infection caused CCR2-dependent increases in numbers of Ly6Chi monocytes in blood and liver and of CX3CR1+ macrophages in diseased liver. Ly6Chi monocytes recovered from liver had the potential to differentiate into macrophages when cultured with M-CSF. Using pulse chase BrdU labeling, we found that most hepatic macrophages in infected mice arose from monocytes. Consistent with this, deletion of monocytes led to the loss of a subpopulation of hepatic CD11chi macrophages that was present in infected but not naïve mice. This was accompanied by a reduction in the size of egg-associated granulomas and significantly exacerbated disease. In addition to the involvement of monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages in hepatic inflammation due to infection, we observed increased incorporation of BrdU and expression of Ki67 and MHC II in resident macrophages, indicating that these cells are participating in the response. Expression of both M2 and M1 marker genes was increased in liver from infected vs. naive mice. The M2 fingerprint in the liver was not accounted for by a single cell type, but rather reflected expression of M2 genes by various cells including macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes. Our data point to monocyte recruitment as the dominant process for increasing macrophage cell numbers in the liver during schistosomiasis

Compromiso organizacional y satisfacción laboral: un estudio exploratorio en unidades de salud familiar portuguesas

Explorou-se a relação entre compromisso organizacional e satisfação laboral nos colaboradores de unidades de saúde familiar. Participaram seis unidades de saúde familiar do norte de Portugal e 105 profissionais (médico, enfermeiros e secretários clínicos). Utilizaram-se as adaptações portuguesas da Escala do Compromisso Organizacional de Meyer & Allen (1997) e do Questionário de Satisfação com o Trabalho (Spector, 1985). Os resultados sugerem associação positiva entre compromisso organizacional e satisfação laboral. Os profissionais estão moderadamente satisfeitos e comprometidos com as unidades de saúde familiar, sendo a natureza do trabalho, a relação com os colegas e a comunicação os aspectos mais satisfatórios, e as recompensas o mais insatisfatório. A componente afetiva do compromisso evidencia-se, salientando o envolvimento e a identificação dos profissionais com o projeto unidades de saúde familiar. O modelo de regressão linear revelou-se significativo, o compromisso organizacional explica 22,7% da variância da satisfação com o trabalho. Para esta amostra, o compromisso organizacional prediz a satisfação com o trabalho.This study explored the relationship between organizational commitment and job satisfaction among workers in family health units. Six family health units in the North of Portugal participated, including 105 health professionals (physicians, nurses, and clinical secretaries). The study used the Portuguese adaptations of the Organizational Commitment Scale by Meyer & Allen (1997) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1985). The results suggest a positive association between organizational commitment and job satisfaction. The professionals are moderately satisfied and committed to the family health units; the most satisfactory aspects are the nature of the work, relationship to coworkers, and communication, while pay is the most unsatisfactory. The affective component of the commitment appears, highlighting the professionals' involvement in (and identification with) the family health units project. The linear regression model proved significant, and organizational commitment explains 22.7% of the variance in job satisfaction. For this sample, organizational commitment predicts job satisfaction.Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr Ricardo Jorgeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Regulation of immunity during visceral Leishmania infection

Unicellular eukaryotes of the genus Leishmania are collectively responsible for a heterogeneous group of diseases known as leishmaniasis. The visceral form of leishmaniasis, caused by L. donovani or L. infantum, is a devastating condition, claiming 20,000 to 40,000 lives annually, with particular incidence in some of the poorest regions of the world. Immunity to Leishmania depends on the development of protective type I immune responses capable of activating infected phagocytes to kill intracellular amastigotes. However, despite the induction of protective responses, disease progresses due to a multitude of factors that impede an optimal response. These include the action of suppressive cytokines, exhaustion of specific T cells, loss of lymphoid tissue architecture and a defective humoral response. We will review how these responses are orchestrated during the course of infection, including both early and chronic stages, focusing on the spleen and the liver, which are the main target organs of visceral Leishmania in the host. A comprehensive understanding of the immune events that occur during visceral Leishmania infection is crucial for the implementation of immunotherapeutic approaches that complement the current anti-Leishmania chemotherapy and the development of effective vaccines to prevent disease.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement No.602773 (Project KINDRED). VR is supported by a post-doctoral fellowship granted by the KINDReD consortium. RS thanks the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for an Investigator Grant (IF/00021/2014). This work was supported by grants to JE from ANR (LEISH-APO, France), Partenariat Hubert Curien (PHC) (program Volubilis, MA/11/262). JE acknowledges the support of the Canada Research Chair Program

Hyperdominance in the Amazonian tree flora

The vast extent of the Amazon Basin has historically restricted the study of its tree communities to the local and regional scales. Here, we provide empirical data on the commonness, rarity, and richness of lowland tree species across the entire Amazon Basin and Guiana Shield (Amazonia), collected in 1170 tree plots in all major forest types. Extrapolations suggest that Amazonia harbors roughly 16,000 tree species, of which just 227 (1.4%) account for half of all trees. Most of these are habitat specialists and only dominant in one or two regions of the basin. We discuss some implications of the finding that a small group of species--less diverse than the North American tree flora--accounts for half of the world's most diverse tree community.This work was supported by Alberta Mennega Stichting; ALCOA Suriname; Banco de la República; Center for Agricultural Research in Suriname; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Plano Nacional de Pós-Graduação); Conselho Nacional de Desenvovimento Científico e Tecnológico of Brazil (CNPq) projects Programa de Pesquisas Ecológicas de Longa Duração (PELD) (558069/2009-6), Programa de Apoio a Núcleos de Excelência da Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (PRONEX-FAPEAM) (1600/2006), Áreas Úmidas, and MAUA; PELD (403792/2012-6), PPBio, CENBAM, Universal (479599/2008-4), and Universal 307807-2009-6; Fundação de Amparo À Pesquisa Do Estado Do Amazonas (APEAM) projects DCR/2006, Hidroveg with FAPESP, and PRONEX with CNPq; FAPESP; Colciencias; Duke University; Ecopetrol; FEPIM 044/2003; the Field Museum; Conservation International/DC (TEAM/INPA Manuas), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Guyana Forestry Commission; Investissement d’Avenir grant of the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) (Centre d’Étude de la Biodiversité Amazonienne ANR-10-LABX-0025); Margaret Mee Amazon Trust; Miquel fonds; National Geographic Society (7754-04, 8047-06 to P.M.J.); Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research WOTRO grants WB85- 335 and W84-581; Primate Conservation Incorporated; Programme Ecosystèmes Tropicaux (French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development; Shell Prospecting and Development Peru; Smithsonian Institution’s Biological Diversity of the Guiana Shield Program; Stichting het van Eeden-fonds; the Body Shop; the Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador; TROBIT; Tropenbos International; NSF (NSF-0743457 and NSF-0101775 to P.M.J.); USAID; Variety Woods Guyana; WWF-Brazil; WWF-Guianas; XIIéme Contrat de Plan Etat Région-Guyane (French Government and European Union); and grants to RAINFOR from the European Union, UK Natural Environment Research Council, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and U.S. National Geographic Society. O.L.P. is supported by a European Research Council Advanced Grant and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award

Genetic variation and exercise-induced muscle damage: implications for athletic performance, injury and ageing.

Prolonged unaccustomed exercise involving muscle lengthening (eccentric) actions can result in ultrastructural muscle disruption, impaired excitation-contraction coupling, inflammation and muscle protein degradation. This process is associated with delayed onset muscle soreness and is referred to as exercise-induced muscle damage. Although a certain amount of muscle damage may be necessary for adaptation to occur, excessive damage or inadequate recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage can increase injury risk, particularly in older individuals, who experience more damage and require longer to recover from muscle damaging exercise than younger adults. Furthermore, it is apparent that inter-individual variation exists in the response to exercise-induced muscle damage, and there is evidence that genetic variability may play a key role. Although this area of research is in its infancy, certain gene variations, or polymorphisms have been associated with exercise-induced muscle damage (i.e. individuals with certain genotypes experience greater muscle damage, and require longer recovery, following strenuous exercise). These polymorphisms include ACTN3 (R577X, rs1815739), TNF (-308 G>A, rs1800629), IL6 (-174 G>C, rs1800795), and IGF2 (ApaI, 17200 G>A, rs680). Knowing how someone is likely to respond to a particular type of exercise could help coaches/practitioners individualise the exercise training of their athletes/patients, thus maximising recovery and adaptation, while reducing overload-associated injury risk. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical analysis of the literature concerning gene polymorphisms associated with exercise-induced muscle damage, both in young and older individuals, and to highlight the potential mechanisms underpinning these associations, thus providing a better understanding of exercise-induced muscle damage

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans: structure, protein interactions and cell signaling

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are ubiquitously found at the cell surface and extracellular matrix in all the animal species. This review will focus on the structural characteristics of the heparan sulfate proteoglycans related to protein interactions leading to cell signaling. The heparan sulfate chains due to their vast structural diversity are able to bind and interact with a wide variety of proteins, such as growth factors, chemokines, morphogens, extracellular matrix components, enzymes, among others. There is a specificity directing the interactions of heparan sulfates and target proteins, regarding both the fine structure of the polysaccharide chain as well precise protein motifs. Heparan sulfates play a role in cellular signaling either as receptor or co-receptor for different ligands, and the activation of downstream pathways is related to phosphorylation of different cytosolic proteins either directly or involving cytoskeleton interactions leading to gene regulation. The role of the heparan sulfate proteoglycans in cellular signaling and endocytic uptake pathways is also discussed.Proteoglicanos de heparam sulfato são encontrados tanto superfície celular quanto na matriz extracelular em todas as espécies animais. Esta revisão tem enfoque nas características estruturais dos proteoglicanos de heparam sulfato e nas interações destes proteoglicanos com proteínas que levam à sinalização celular. As cadeias de heparam sulfato, devido a sua variedade estrutural, são capazes de se ligar e interagir com ampla gama de proteínas, como fatores de crescimento, quimiocinas, morfógenos, componentes da matriz extracelular, enzimas, entreoutros. Existe uma especificidade estrutural que direciona as interações dos heparam sulfatos e proteínas alvo. Esta especificidade está relacionada com a estrutura da cadeia do polissacarídeo e os motivos conservados da cadeia polipeptídica das proteínas envolvidas nesta interação. Os heparam sulfatos possuem papel na sinalização celular como receptores ou coreceptores para diferentes ligantes. Esta ligação dispara vias de sinalização celular levam à fosforilação de diversas proteínas citosólicas ou com ou sem interações diretas com o citoesqueleto, culminando na regulação gênica. O papel dos proteoglicanos de heparam sulfato na sinalização celular e vias de captação endocítica também são discutidas nesta revisão.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de BioquímicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de OftalmologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de BioquímicaUNIFESP, Depto. de OftalmologiaSciEL