High resolution system for nanoparticles hyperthermia efficiency evaluation

A system to evaluate nanoparticles efficiency in hyperthermia applications is presented. The method allows a direct measurement of the power dissipated by the nanoparticles through the determination of the first harmonic component of the in quadrature magnetic moment induced by the applied field. The magnetic moment is measured by using an induction method. To avoid errors and reduce the noise signal a double in phase demodulation technique is used. To test the system viability we have measured nanowires, nanoparticles and copper samples of different volumes to prove by comparing experimental and modeled results

Secunda secundæ partis Summæ Theologicæ / D. Thomae Aquinatis ... ; Reuerendiss. Domini Thomae à Vio Caietani ... Commentariis illustrata, [et] summo studio à quàmpluribus mendis vindicata suoq[ue] pristino nitori restituta ; cui accesserunt marginales locorum ab Authore citatorum Adnotationes suis locis congruenter apposit[a]e ; quaestionum item [et] singulorum Articulorum, additus est index

Marca tip. en port.

Influencia de las condiciones de almacenamiento sobre la relajación de aceros de pretensado = Influence of storage conditions on prestressing steel relaxation losses

La pérdida de tensión por relajación en las armaduras activas afecta de forma importante a las estructuras de hormigón pretensado. Por ello se realizan ensayos de relajación de los alambres y cordones de pretensado tras su fabricación. Después, el material es enrollado y almacenado durante periodos que en ocasiones pueden superar el año de duración. Generalmente se desprecia la influencia que estas operaciones posteriores a la fabricación pueden tener sobre el material. Sin embargo, diversos fabricantes y suministradores han constatado experimentalmente que, en ocasiones, el material almacenado durante un periodo prolongado presenta pérdidas de relajación mayores que inmediatamente tras su fabricación. En este trabajo se realizan ensayos de laboratorio para comprobar la influencia que el radio de enrollamiento y el periodo de almacenamiento tienen sobre las pérdidas de relajación. También se propone un modelo analítico que permite predecir de manera razonablemente aproximada el valor del ensayo de relajación sobre un alambre sometido a un enrollamiento prolongado. Este modelo explica la evolución del perfil de tensiones durante el proceso de enrollamiento- almacenamiento-desenrollamiento, así como la influencia de las tensiones residuales.Stress relaxation losses on active reinforcement have significant impact on prestressed concrete structures. This is why relaxation tests are carried out on prestressing steel wires and strands after being manufactured. Then, these materials are coiled and stored for a long-term period, sometimes in excess of one year. The influence of these operations, carried out after manufacturing, is usually neglected. Nevertheless, some manufacturers and contractors have noticed that, sometimes, when relaxation tests are carried out after a long-term storage, the relaxation losses found are higher than those measured immediately after manufacturing. In this work, lab tests are performed to check the influence of the coiling radius and the period of storage on the relaxation test. In addition to this, an analytical model is presented to predict the results of a relaxation

Evaluation of the Magnetic Field Generated by the Inverter of an Electric Vehicle

In hybrid and electric vehicles, passengers sit very close to an electric system of significant power, which means that they may be subjected to high electromagnetic fields. The hazards of long-term exposure to these fields must be taken into account when designing electric vehicles and their components. Among all the electric devices present in the power train, the electronic converter is the most difficult to analyze, given that it works with different frequencies. In this paper, a methodology to evaluate the magnetic field created by a power electronics converter is proposed. After a brief overview of the recommendations of electromagnetic fields exposure, the magnetic field produced by an inverter is analyzed using finite element techniques. The results obtained are compared to laboratory measurements, taken from a real inverter, in order to validate the model. Finally, results are used to draw some conclusions regarding vehicle design criteria and magnetic shielding efficiency.

Efecto de la edad relativa en la trayectoria deportiva de los jugadores de baloncesto y de fútbol en España

Las consecuencias de la diferencia de edad cronológica existente entre dos sujetos de un mismo grupo de edad Gutiérrez (2013) son conocidas como efecto de la edad relativa (RAE) y ha sido ampliamente estudiado en varios países y deportes, entre ellos el fútbol y el baloncesto. El semestre del año en el que se nace afecta mucho a lo largo de la vida de todo deportista, ya que las diferencias madurativas existentes entre los jugadores de un mismo grupo de edad influyen para llegar al profesionalismo. Esto ocurre tanto en fútbol como en baloncesto. El presente estudio pretende analizar el efecto de la edad relativa en el fútbol y el baloncesto élite español y sus diferencias. Se ha utilizado una muestra de 1224 jugadores de ACB y LFP, selecciones cadete y juvenil de los dos deportes desde el 2004 hasta el 2013 en los años que se clasificaron para jugar el campeonato de Europa. Los resultados muestran la existencia del efecto de la edad relativa en ambos deportes, y un efecto mayor en edades más tempranas. También se puede observar la diferencia en ambos deportes, siendo más en ACB que en la LFP los seleccionados en edades tempranas. En cambio, de las selecciones de la LFP han logrado más que en ACB el éxito profesional, considerándose como llegar a primera, ya sea en España u otros países.

Cloning of a gene (RIG-G) associated with retinoic acid-induced differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells and representing a new member of a family of interferon-stimulated genes

In a cell line (NB4) derived from a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia, all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and interferon (IFN) induce the expression of a novel gene we call RIG-G (for retinoic acid-induced gene G). This gene codes for a 58-kDa protein containing 490 amino acids with several potential sites for post-translational modification. In untreated NB4 cells, the expression of RIG-G is undetectable. ATRA treatment induces the transcriptional expression of RIG-G relatively late (12–24 hr) in a protein synthesis-dependent manner, whereas IFN-α induces its expression early (30 min to 3 hr). Database search has revealed a high-level homology between RIG-G and several IFN-stimulated genes in human (ISG54K, ISG56K, and IFN-inducible and retinoic acid-inducible 58K gene) and some other species, defining a well conserved gene family. The gene is composed of two exons and has been mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization to chromosome 10q24, where two other human IFN-stimulated gene members are localized. A synergistic induction of RIG-G expression in NB4 cells by combined treatment with ATRA and IFNs suggests that a collaboration exists between their respective signaling pathways.

Filament structure as an essential factor for regulation of Dictyostelium myosin by regulatory light chain phosphorylation

Phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain (RLC) activates the actin-dependent ATPase activity of Dictyostelium myosin II. To elucidate this regulatory mechanism, we characterized two mutant myosins, MyΔC1225 and MyΔC1528, which are truncated at Ala-1224 and Ser-1527, respectively. These mutant myosins do not contain the C-terminal assembly domain and thus are unable to form filaments. Their activities were only weakly regulated by RLC phosphorylation, suggesting that, unlike smooth muscle myosin, efficient regulation of Dictyostelium myosin II requires filament assembly. Consistent with this hypothesis, wild-type myosin progressively lost the regulation as its concentration in the assay mixture was decreased. Dephosphorylated RLC did not inhibit the activity when the concentration of myosin in the reaction mixture was very low. Furthermore, 3xAsp myosin, which does not assemble efficiently due to point mutations in the tail, also was less well regulated than the wild-type. We conclude that the activity in the monomer state is exempt from inhibition by the dephosphorylated RLC and that the complete regulatory switch is formed only in the filament structure. Interestingly, a chimeric myosin composed of Dictyostelium heavy meromyosin fused to chicken skeletal light meromyosin was not well regulated by RLC phosphorylation. This suggests that, in addition to filament assembly, some specific feature of the filament structure is required for efficient regulation.

Direct Involvement of N-Cadherin–mediated Signaling in Muscle Differentiation

Cell–cell interactions, mediated by members of the cadherin family of Ca2+-dependent adhesion molecules, play key roles in morphogenetic processes as well as in the transduction of long-range growth and differentiation signals. In muscle differentiation cell adhesion is involved in both early stages of myogenic induction and in later stages of myoblast interaction and fusion. In this study we have explored the involvement of a specific cadherin, namely N-cadherin, in myogenic differentiation. For that purpose we have treated different established lines of cultured myoblasts with beads coated with N-cadherin–specific ligands, including a recombinant N-cadherin extracellular domain, and anti-N-cadherin antibodies. Immunofluorescent labeling for cadherins and catenins indicated that treatment with the cadherin-reactive beads for several hours enhances the assembly of cell–cell adherens-type junctions. Moreover, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting analyses indicated that treatment with the beads for 12–24 h induces myogenin expression and growth arrest, which are largely independent of cell plating density. Upon longer incubation with the beads (2–3 d) a major facilitation in the expression of several muscle-specific sarcomeric proteins and in cell fusion into myotubes was observed. These results suggest that surface clustering or immobilization of N-cadherin can directly trigger signaling events, which promote the activation of a myogenic differentiation program.

The negative feedback actions of progesterone on gonadotropinreleasing hormone secretion are transduced by the classical progesterone receptor

Progesterone (P) powerfully inhibits gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion in ewes, as in other species, but the neural mechanisms underlying this effect remain poorly understood. Using an estrogen (E)-free ovine model, we investigated the immediate GnRH and luteinizing hormone (LH) response to acute manipulations of circulating P concentrations and whether this response was mediated by the nuclear P receptor. Simultaneous hypophyseal portal and jugular blood samples were collected over 36 hr: 0–12 hr, in the presence of exogenous P (P treatment begun 8 days earlier); 12–24 hr, P implant removed; 24–36 hr, P implant reinserted. P removal caused a significant rapid increase in the GnRH pulse frequency, which was detectable within two pulses (175 min). P insertion suppressed the GnRH pulse frequency even faster: the effect detectable within one pulse (49 min). LH pulsatility was modulated identically. The next two experiments demonstrated that these effects of P are mediated by the nuclear P receptor since intracerebroventricularly infused P suppressed LH release but 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one, which operates through the type A γ-aminobutyric acid receptor, was without effect and pretreatment with the P-receptor antagonist RU486 blocked the ability of P to inhibit LH. Our final study showed that P exerts its acute suppression of GnRH through an E-dependent system because the effects of P on LH secretion, lost after long-term E deprivation, are restored after 2 weeks of E treatment. Thus we demonstrate that P acutely inhibits GnRH through an E-dependent nuclear P-receptor system.

Cankuzo region, Burundi, 1994, Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) Series Z724, Sheet 4974-IV (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the United States Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) Series Z724, Burundi, 1:50,000 Topographic Line Map (TLM) Series sheet map entitled: Cankuzo. Printed in: 1994. Covers portions of Cankuzo region, Burundi. Sheet: 4974-IV. Edition statement: Ed. 1 - DMA. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to World Geodetic System (1984) coordinates. All map collar information is also available as part of the raster image. Burundi 1:50:000 Series Z724 maps are in English and French (legends also include Rundi). Each source map in the series is printed in color at a scale of 1:50,000. Series source sheets were published in 1994-1995 by the United States Defense Mapping Agency, Hydrographic/Topographic Center. The source map was scanned and georeferenced for Harvard University's Center for Geographic Analysis' AfricaMap project by East View Cartographic. Individual TLM sheets covering Burundi (40 sheets in total) were selected from the TLM worldwide series. DMA Topographic Line Map series maps are typical topographic maps portraying both natural and manmade features. They show and name works of nature, such as mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, vegetation, etc. They also identify the principal works of humans, such as roads, railroads, boundaries, transmission lines, major buildings, etc. Relief is shown with standard contour intervals of 20 meters, with some sheets having supplemental meter contours, form lines, hachures, shading, and/or spot heights. Depths shown by bathymetric isolines. Please pay close attention to map collar information on projections, spheroid, compilation dates, legend information, and keys to grid numbering and other numbers which appear inside the neatline.

Dissolved organic carbon in sediments of the central Arctic Ocean collected during POLARSTERN cruise ARK-XXVII/3 from August-September 2012

Marine organic matter (OM) sinks from surface waters to the seafloor via the biological pump. Benthic communities, which use this sedimented OM as energy and carbon source, produce dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the process of remineralization, enriching the sediment porewater with fresh DOM compounds. We hypothesized that in the oligotrophic deep Arctic basin the molecular signal of freshly deposited primary produced OM is restricted to the surface sediment pore waters which should differ from bottom water and deeper sediment pore water in DOM composition. This study focused on: 1) the molecular composition of the DOM in sediment pore waters of the deep Eurasian Arctic basins, 2) whether the signal of marine vs. terrigenous DOM is represented by different compounds preserved in the sediment pore waters and 3) whether there is any relation between Arctic Ocean ice cover and DOM composition. Molecular data, obtained via 15 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, were correlated with environmental parameters by partial least square analysis. The fresher marine detrital OM signal from surface waters was limited to pore waters from < 5 cm sediment depth. The productive ice margin stations showed higher abundances of peptides, unsaturated aliphatics and saturated fatty acids formulae, indicative of fresh OM/pigments deposition, compared to northernmost stations which had stronger aromatic signals. This study contributes to the understanding of the coupling between the Arctic Ocean productivity and its depositional regime, and how it will be altered in response to sea ice retreat and increasing river runoff.

(Table 1) Age determination of surface sediment samples from the North Atlantic

Most seafloor sediments are dated with radiocarbon, and the sediment is assumed to be zero-age (modern) when the signal of atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons is present (Fraction modern (Fm) > 1). Using a simple mass balance, we show that even with Fm > 1, half of the planktonic foraminifera at the seafloor can be centuries old, because of bioturbation. This calculation, and data from four core sites in the western North Atlantic indicate that, first, during some part of the Little Ice Age (LIA) there may have been more Antarctic Bottom Water than today in the deep western North Atlantic. Alternatively, bioturbation may have introduced much older benthic foraminifera into surface sediments. Second, paleo-based warming of Sargasso Sea surface waters since the LIA must lag the actual warming because of bioturbation of older and colder foraminifera.