Anisotropic magnetic properties and magnetic structure of YbPdSi

YbPdSi with orthorhombic crystal structure (space group Pmmn) exhibits a magnetic transition at [Formula: see text] K, below which a ferromagnetic moment develops with an enhanced electronic specific-heat coefficient [Formula: see text] mJ K(-2) mol(-1). We have investigated the magnetization, electrical resistivity, and specific heat of YbPdSi using single crystalline samples as functions of temperature and magnetic field. It has been found that the ferromagnetic moment points to the c-direction, although the magnetic moments have an Ising-like anisotropy along the b-direction above the magnetic-transition temperature. Field dependence of the magnetization and electrical resistivity shows a metamagnetic-like transition at [Formula: see text] T when field is applied along the b-axis below T  =  3 K, suggesting the existence of an antiferromagnetic component along this direction. The magnetic structure has been investigated by neutron diffraction using powder samples. The magnetic unit cell is identical to the crystal unit cell. The Rietveld fitting has revealed that Yb at the 2a and 2b positions exhibit a collinear ferromagnetic order along the c-axis, whereas Yb at the 4e position undergoes a non-collinear order, involving the ferromagnetic moment along the c-axis and an antiferromagnetic component along the b-axis. The ferromagnetic moments determined by the neutron diffraction are 0.26, 1.3, and 0.15 [Formula: see text] for Yb at the 4e, 2b, and 2a sites, respectively. The reduced moments for the 4e and the 2a sites suggest that the Kondo screening effect is important in YbPdSi.

Three-dimensional Micro-culture System for Tooth Tissue Engineering

The arrangement of cells within a tissue plays an essential role in organogenesis, including tooth development. Progress is being made to regenerate teeth by reassociating dissociated embryonic dental cells and implanting them in vivo. In the present study, we tested the hanging drop method to study mixed epithelial-mesenchymal cell reorganization in a liquid instead of semisolid medium to see whether it could lead to tooth histogenesis and organogenesis. This method allowed the control of the proportion and number of cells to be used, and the forming microtissues showed homogeneous size. The liquid environment favored cell migrations as compared with collagen gels. Three protocols were compared. The one that sequentially combined the hanging drop and semisolid medium cultures prior to in vivo implantation gave the best results. Indeed, after implantation, teeth developed, showing a well-formed crown, mineralization of dentin and enamel, and the initiation of root formation. Vascularization and the cellular heterogeneity in the mesenchyme were similar to what was observed in developing molars. Finally, after coimplantation with a trigeminal ganglion, the dental mesenchyme, including the odontoblast layer, became innervated. The real advantage of this technique is the small number of cells required to make a tooth. This experimental model can be employed to study the development, physiology, metabolism, or toxicology in forming teeth and test other cell sources.

New insights into the magnetic properties of LaErO3, (La0.5Er0.5)2O3 and (La0.5Dy0.5)2O3 oxides

Orthorhombic LaErO3 and cubic (La0.5 Ln 0.5)2O3 oxides (Ln: Er, Dy) were examined by neutron powder diffraction between 1.5 K and 15 K in order to investigate their crystallographic and magnetic structures. At 1.5 K both LaErO3 and (La0.5Er0.5)2O3 display a magnetic moments ordering, whereas for (La0.5Dy0.5)2O3 only short range magnetic correlations can be argued, suggesting a possible magnetic moments ordering at lower temperature. LaErO3 is characterized by a magnetic wavevector k  =  (0, 0, 0) and forms an antiferromagnetic G x C y A z -type structure belonging to the [Formula: see text] Shubnikov group with a total magnetic moment of 6.78(3) μ B. The antiferromagnetic structure of (La0.5Er0.5)2O3 is similar to the one typical of Er2O3, with a total magnetic moment of 4.28(2) μ B at both different magnetic sites; it is characterized by k  =  (0, 0, 0) and belongs to the magnetic [Formula: see text] Shubnikov group.

Layer-preferential substitutions and magnetic properties of pyrrhotite-type Fe7-yMyX8 chalcogenides (X = S, Se; M = Ti, Co)

A comparative study of four series of pyrrhotite-type chalcogenide compounds Fe(7-y)M(y)X(8) (X = S, Se) with substitution of Ti or Co for iron has been performed by means of x-ray and neutron powder diffraction, and by magnetization measurements. In Fe(7-y)M(y)X(8) compounds having a ferrimagnetic order at y = 0, the substitution of either Ti or Co for iron is observed to result in a monotonous decrease of the magnetic ordering temperature, while the resultant magnetization shows a non-monotonous behavior with a minimum around y = 1.0-1.5 in all the Fe(7-y)M(y)X(8) families except Fe(7-y)Co(y)Se(8). Suppression of a magnetically ordered state with substitutions in Fe(7-y)M(y)X(8) is ascribed to nearly zero values of Ti and Co magnetic moments, while the non-monotonous changes of the resultant magnetization are explained by the compensation of the sublattice magnetizations due to the non-random substitutions in alternating metallic layers. The difference in the cation partitioning observed in Fe(7-y)Ti(y)X(8) and Fe(7-y)Co(y)X(8) is attributed to the difference in the spatial extension of Ti and Co 3d orbitals. High coercive field values (20-24 kOe) observed at low temperatures in the Ti-containing compounds Fe(7-y)Ti(y)X(8) with y ⩾ 3 are suggested to result from the enhancement of Fe orbital moment due to the Ti for Fe substitution.

High pressure induced spin state crossover in Sr2CaYCo4O10.5

The layered cobaltite Sr(2)CaYCo(4)O(10.5) with formal average cobalt oxidation state close to 3+ has been studied as functions of both temperature and pressure up to 4 GPa by neutron powder diffraction (NPD). The crystal structure is shown to have tetragonal symmetry (space group I4/mmm; 2a(p) × 2a(p) × 4a(p) superstructure), and the magnetic structure at ambient pressure is found to be G-type antiferromagnetic with TN close to 310 K. The magnetic moments within the CoO(6) octahedral layers and anion-deficient CoO(4.5) layers are 1.2μ(B) and 2.8μ(B), respectively. At 25 K, and applied pressure of 3.5 GPa is sufficient to completely suppress a long-range magnetic order. This result is interpreted in terms of a pressure-induced high-to-low spin state crossover of the Co(3+) ions.

Expression of foraging and Gp-9 are associated with social organization in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta

The aim of this study was to investigate levels of expression of two major genes, the odorant binding protein Gp-9 (general protein-9) and foraging, that have been shown to be associated with behavioural polymorphisms in ants. We analysed workers and young nonreproductive queens collected from nests of the monogyne (single reproductive queen per nest) and polygyne (multiple reproductive queens) social forms of Solenopsis invicta. In workers but not young queens, the level of foraging expression was significantly associated with social form and the task performed (ie localization in the nest or foraging area). The level of expression of Gp-9 was also associated with social form and worker localization. In addition there was a higher level of expression of the Gp-9(b) allele compared with the Gp-9(B) allele in the heterozygote workers and the young nonreproductive queens. Finally, in the polygyne colonies the level of expression of foraging was not significantly associated with the Gp-9 genotype for either workers or young nonreproductive queens, suggesting that both genes have independent non-epistatic effects on behaviour in S. invicta.

Coexistence of magnetic and atomic position modulations in CaMn7O12

The rhombohedral CaMn7O12 manganite is an important material which shows magnetoelectrioc coupling with very high values of the electric polarization [1]. These outstanding properties motivated many experimental studies and also theoretical analysis. The mechanism which leads to these extraordinary properties has not been explained up to now. A fundamental information needed for such studies is the crystal structure and the magnetic ordering. CaMn7O12 has a complex structure with a magnetic moments modulation below TN=90K [1,2], a modulation of the atomic positions below TC=250K [2] and also orbital ordering. The magnetic modulation propagation vector qm is related with the atomic positions modulation vector qp by the relation qp=2qm [2]. This 2:1 relation is valid across a large range of temperatures and show the importance of spin-lattice coupling. The crystal and magnetic structure of CaMn7O12 was studied by neutron powder diffraction at the instrument DMC at SINQ [3]. The magnetic and atomic position modulations are described by using the superspace group formalism. This approach is especially important for description of both modulations with the same model [2]. The resulting magnetic ordering model obtained in [3] is more precise as compared with earlier works [1,2]. The present results [3] differ from those published by other authors [1]. The important difference is that in the present studies the angle, Phi, between Mn3+ and Mn4+ magnetic moments located in the same (001) planes (Phi = 0.99(2)Pi), i.e. the moments are antiparallel, whereas Johnson et al. [1] determined this angle as Phi=0.84(4) Pi. This angle is an important parameter of the model Hamiltonians describing the electronic and magnetic properties of CaMn7O12.

Electric polarization from spiral order below 200K in multiferroic YBaCuFeO5

Ferroelectric materials have been known for almost one century [1]. While their potential for applications was rapidly recognized, the possibility of combining ferroelectricity with magnetic order -preferably with ferromagnetism- has resulted in an enormous deal of interest during the last decade. Several new materials combining both types of order have been recently reported, although their promising multifunctionalities have been obscured by two facts: on one side, most of them are antiferromagnetic; on the other, their transition temperatures, typically below 40K, are too low for most practical applications. The oxygen-defficient double perovskite YBaFeCuO5 constitutes a remarkable exception. Spontaneous electric polarization has been recently reported to exist below an unusually high temperature of TC ≍ 200K [2] coinciding with the occurrence of a commensurate - to - incommensurate reorientation of the Fe3+ and Cu2+ magnetic moments [3,4]. From a more fundamental point of view the observation of incommensurable magnetic order in a tetragonal material at such high temperatures is rather surprising. In particular, the nature of the relevant competing magnetic interactions and its possible link to low dimensionality or geometrical frustration is not understood at present. Although the existence of the spin reorientation in this material is known since 1995 [3] the low temperature magnetic structure has not yet been solved. Using neutron powder diffraction we have recently been able to propose a spiral model which satisfactorily describes the measured magnetic intensities below TC. Further, investigation of the crystal structure showed the existence of small anomalies in the lattice parameters and some interatomic distances at TC. The relevance of these findings for the magnetoelectric coupling, the direction of the polarization, the modification of the different exchange paths in the structure and the stabilization of the incommensurate magnetic order below TC is discussed.

Introgression from domestic goat generated variation at the major histocompatibility complex of Alpine ibex

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a crucial component of the vertebrate immune system and shows extremely high levels of genetic polymorphism. The extraordinary genetic variation is thought to be ancient polymorphisms maintained by balancing selection. However, introgression from related species was recently proposed as an additional mechanism. Here we provide evidence for introgression at the MHC in Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex). At a usually very polymorphic MHC exon involved in pathogen recognition (DRB exon 2), Alpine ibex carried only two alleles. We found that one of these DRB alleles is identical to a DRB allele of domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus). We sequenced 2489 bp of the coding and non-coding regions of the DRB gene and found that Alpine ibex homozygous for the goat-type DRB exon 2 allele showed nearly identical sequences (99.8%) to a breed of domestic goats. Using Sanger and RAD sequencing, microsatellite and SNP chip data, we show that the chromosomal region containing the goat-type DRB allele has a signature of recent introgression in Alpine ibex. A region of approximately 750 kb including the DRB locus showed high rates of heterozygosity in individuals carrying one copy of the goat-type DRB allele. These individuals shared SNP alleles both with domestic goats and other Alpine ibex. In a survey of four Alpine ibex populations, we found that the region surrounding the DRB allele shows strong linkage disequilibria, strong sequence clustering and low diversity among haplotypes carrying the goat-type allele. Introgression at the MHC is likely adaptive and introgression critically increased MHC DRB diversity in the genetically impoverished Alpine ibex. Our finding contradicts the long-standing view that genetic variability at the MHC is solely a consequence of ancient trans-species polymorphism. Introgression is likely an underappreciated source of genetic diversity at the MHC and other loci under balancing selection.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a crucial component of the defense against pathogens, contains the most polymorphic functional genes in vertebrate genomes. The extraordinary genetic variation is generally considered to be ancient. We investigated whether a previously neglected mechanism, introgression from related species, provides an additional source of MHC variation. We show that introgression from domestic goat dramatically increased genetic variation at the MHC of Alpine ibex, a species that had nearly gone extinct during the 18^th century, but has been restored to large numbers since. We show that Alpine ibex share one of only two alleles at a generally highly polymorphic MHC locus with domestic goats and that the chromosomal region containing the goat-type allele has a signature of recent introgression. Our finding contradicts the long-standing view that ancient trans-species polymorphism is the sole source of the extraordinary genetic variability at the MHC. Instead, we show that in Alpine ibex introgression generated genetic diversity at a MHC locus. Our study supports the view that loci favoring genetic polymorphism may be susceptible to adaptive introgression from related species and will encourage future research to identify unexpected signatures of introgression.

Nanomechanical Properties of Active Nanofibrous Implants After In Vivo Bone Regeneration

With the aging of the population and a correlated increase in the incidence of osteoarticular damage, great attention is focused on regenerative nanomedicine solutions to restore durable articular function and comfort. A durable cartilage repair is not effective without regeneration of an intact subchondral bed along with the surface chondral regeneration. Our expected outcomes are the development of clinical applications in the field of tissue engineering and nanomedicine, and more particularly in bone-cartilage unit regeneration. Here we report for the first time the nanomechanical analysis of the retrieved active implant after subchondral bone regeneration in vivo, which is much more efficient and long lasting solution to osteochondral defects than the existing ones. We believe that our results make a significant contribution to the area of regenerative nanomedicine. The concepts discovered here may serve to design sophisticated implants for placement into a broad variety of tissues.

Meta-analysis of 74,046 individuals identifies 11 new susceptibility loci for Alzheimer's disease

Eleven susceptibility loci for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) were identified by previous studies; however, a large portion of the genetic risk for this disease remains unexplained. We conducted a large, two-stage meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in individuals of European ancestry. In stage 1, we used genotyped and imputed data (7,055,881 SNPs) to perform meta-analysis on 4 previously published GWAS data sets consisting of 17,008 Alzheimer's disease cases and 37,154 controls. In stage 2, 11,632 SNPs were genotyped and tested for association in an independent set of 8,572 Alzheimer's disease cases and 11,312 controls. In addition to the APOE locus (encoding apolipoprotein E), 19 loci reached genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10(-8)) in the combined stage 1 and stage 2 analysis, of which 11 are newly associated with Alzheimer's disease.

DC magnetic susceptibility and neutron powder diffraction analysis of the perovskite-type compounds LaYbO₃ and LaHoO₃

Magnetization measurements and neutron powder diffraction analyses followed by Rietveld refinement have been carried out in order to investigate the magnetic structures of LaYbO3 and LaHoO3. Both compounds exhibit a negative thermal expansion along the a and b axes. In LaYbO3 Yb(3+) spins order at 2.4 K according to a FyGz-type structure, belonging to the Pn'ma' magnetic space group. Conversely, LaHoO3 is paramagnetic down to 1.5 K.

ES cells-derived ectomesenchymal cells for tooth engineering

Recent progresses in stem cell biology and tissue engineering allow considering the possible development of new therapies for compensating the dental tissue losses associated with traumas, pathologies or ageing. The possibility of generating a tooth by mimicking development through reassociations between dental epithelial cells and ectomesenchymal cells derived from the neural crest (NC) has been demonstrated in the mouse. In the search of cell sources to be used for a human transfer, pluripotent stem cells could represent a good alternative. Our study thus focuses on obtaining, ectomesenchymal cells from pluripotent ES cells, capable of promoting tooth histomorphogenesis, when reassociated with a competent dental epithelium. To this end, two ES differentiation protocols, using cyclopamine or a combination of FGF2 and BMP4, have been developed and tested for their capacity to generate such cells. The differentiated ES cells were characterized by quantitative RT-PCR. Both protocols led the cells to acquire in 10 days a mesenchymal-like cell morphology. Rapidly after induction, the cells loose their expression of pluripotent genes while sequentially activating typical NC specifiers. However, the kinetics of gene activation differed between the 2 protocols. Interestingly, Twist, a gene whose expression in the NC is associated with a commitment towards an ectomesenchymal fate, is only activated under the influence of FGF2 and BMP4. Reassociation experiments with a competent epithelium will allow testing the odontogenic potential of the differentiated ES cells. These experiments performed in the mouse system should allow defining a strategy for obtaining odontogenic competent human cells.

Field induced incommensurate-to-commensurate magnetic phase transition in Ca₃Co₁.₈Fe₀.₂O₆: a neutron diffraction study

Neutron powder diffraction experiments have been performed to investigate the nature of magnetic ordering, as a function of temperature (1.5-100 K) and magnetic field (0, 2 and 4 T), in the compound Ca3Co1.8Fe0.2O6. In zero applied field, the compound orders magnetically in the incommensurate spin density wave (SDW) structure (TN ∼ 20 K). Under an applied field of ∼2 T, an incommensurate-to-commensurate magnetic phase transition has been observed. With a further increase in the magnetic field (∼4 T), the commensurate magnetic structure transforms into a ferrimagnetic structure. In zero applied field, magnetic short-range ordering (SRO) coexists with the SDW long-range ordering (LRO) at all temperatures below TN. In an applied magnetic field (2 and 4 T), SRO is converted into LRO only over the temperature range 12-20 K; however, below ∼12 K, an increase in the volume fraction of the SRO has been observed. The correlation length for the SRO (below ∼12 K) also gets affected by the application of a field.