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The scope of this paper is to outline the main marks and performances of the MagneDyn beamline, which was designed and built to perform ultrafast magnetodynamic studies in solids. Open to users since 2019, MagneDyn operates with variable circular and linear polarized femtosecond pulses delivered by the externally laser-seeded FERMI free-electron laser (FEL). The very high degree of polarization, the high pulse-to-pulse stability, and the photon energy tunability in the 50-300 eV range allow performing advanced time-resolved magnetic dichroic experiments at the K-edge of light elements, e.g., carbon and at the M- and N-edge of the 3d-transition-metals and rare earth elements, respectively. To this end, two experimental end-stations are available. The first is equipped with an in situ dedicated electromagnet, a cryostat, and an extreme ultraviolet Wollaston-like polarimeter. The second, designed for carry-in user instruments, hosts also a spectrometer for pump-probe resonant x-ray emission and inelastic spectroscopy experiments with a sub-eV energy resolution. A Kirkpatrick-Baez active optics system provides a minimum focus of similar to 20x20 mu m(2) FWHM at the sample. A pump laser setup, synchronized with the FEL-laser seeding system, delivers sub-picosecond pulses with photon energies ranging from the mid-IR to near-UV for optical pump-FEL probe experiments with a minimal pump-probe jitter of few femtoseconds. The overall combination of these features renders MagneDyn a unique state-of-the-art tool for studying ultrafast magnetic and resonant emission phenomena in solids. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.

We utilize coherent femtosecond extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pulses derived from a free electron laser (FEL) to generate transient periodic magnetization patterns with periods as short as 44 nm. Combining spatially periodic excitation with resonant probing at the dichroic M-edge of cobalt allows us to create and probe transient gratings of electronic and magnetic excitations in a CoGd alloy. In a demagnetized sample, we observe an electronic excitation with 50 fs rise time close to the FEL pulse duration and ~0.5 ps decay time within the range for the electron-phonon relaxation in metals. When the experiment is performed on a sample magnetized to saturation in an external field, we observe a magnetization grating, which appears on a sub-picosecond time scale as the sample is demagnetized at the maxima of the EUV intensity and then decays on the time scale of tens of picoseconds via thermal diffusion. The described approach opens prospects for studying dynamics of ultrafast magnetic phenomena on nanometer length scales.

Understanding how a spin current flows across metal-semiconductor interfaces at pico- and femtosecond time scales is of paramount importance for ultrafast spintronics, data processing, and storage applications. However, the possibility to directly access the propagation of spin currents, within such time scales, has been hampered by the simultaneous lack of both ultrafast element-specific magnetic sensitive probes and tailored well-built and characterized metal-semiconductor interfaces. Here, by means of a novel free-electron laser-based element-sensitive ultrafast time-resolved Kerr spectroscopy, we reveal different magnetodynamics for the Ni M 2 , 3 and Si L 2 , 3 absorption edges. These results are assumed to be the experimental evidence of photoinduced spin currents propagating at a speed of ∼ 0.2 nm/fs across the Ni/Si interface.

Chemosensory systems (olfaction, taste, trigeminus nerve, solitary chemoreceptor cells, neuroendocrine pulmonary cells, and carotid body, etc.) detect molecules outside or inside our body and may share common molecular markers. In addition to the impairment of taste and olfaction, the detection of the internal chemical environment may also be incapacitated by COVID-19. If this is the case, different consequences can be expected. (1) In some patients, hypoxia does not trigger distressing dyspnea (“silent” hypoxia): Long-term follow-up may determine whether silent hypoxia is related to malfunctioning of carotid body chemoreceptors. Moreover, taste/olfaction and oxygen chemoreceptors may be hit simultaneously: Testing olfaction, taste, and oxygen chemoreceptor functions in the early stages of COVID-19 allows one to unravel their connections and trace the recovery path. (2) Solitary chemosensory cells are also involved in the regulation of the innate mucosal immune response: If these cells are affected in some COVID-19 patients, the mucosal innate immune response would be dysregulated, opening one up to massive infection, thus explaining why COVID-19 has lethal consequences in some patients. Similar to taste and olfaction, oxygen chemosensory function can be easily tested with a non-invasive procedure in humans, while functional tests for solitary chemosensory or pulmonary neuroendocrine cells are not available, and autoptic investigation is required to ascertain their involvement.

Here, we report on the conceptual design, the hardware realization, and the first experimental results of a novel and compact x-ray polarimeter capable of a single-pulse linear polarization angle detection in the extreme ultraviolet photon energy range. The polarimeter is tested by performing time resolved pump-probe experiments on a Ni80Fe20 Permalloy film at the M-2,M-3 Ni edge at an externally seeded free-electron laser source. Comparison with similar experiments reported in the literature shows the advantages of our approach also in view of future experiments.

The application of industrial symbiosis to chemical processes is made possible by considering physical by-products as new sources in spite of potential waste. The by-product acts as a substitution of raw materials in symbiotic chemical companies, possibly taking into account geographical proximity. While advantages appear evident in terms of reduced cost savings and resource consumption, benefits related to other environmental impacts seem to be less clear. This chapter deals with different case studies of industrial symbiosis and how these are treated according to literature, regulatory approaches and main guidelines. Once the different approaches and their range of applications are presented, the chapter describes the main barriers and strengths in the application of these rules to the chemical sector. Finally, the identified approaches are applied to a specific case of industrial symbiosis in the chemical sector by illustrating how the single data can be calculated and can quantitatively change. This chapter aims to guide the LCA practitioner through an agile set of rules in modelling industrial symbiosis in an LCA perspective and to provide a quantitative evaluation of the effects that a modelling choice may produce with respect to another.

The biomass to liquids process (BtL) is an interesting path to produce synthetic petroleum via biomass gasification and Fischer Tropsch (FT) synthesis. The scope of this work is to describe, to simulate and to assess the economic and the environmental impact of the BtL multistep process. The process simulation tool is CheOpe, the economics have been estimated via Aspen Process Economic Analyzer V7.2.1 and the environmental assessment via GaBi V6.0. In this study, cobalt-based catalyst kinetics are simulated in a FT slurry bubble column reactor. The feedstock for FT is the syngas obtained from biomass gasification. The first step is a syngas reforming followed by a water gas shift (WGS) section to adjust the H2 to CO ratio to about 2 (required for FT catalysis) and then by a Rectisol® island to remove the acid gases (H2S, poison for FT catalysis, and CO2, inert gas in FT reaction). Finally, after the FT reaction section, the last step is the upgrading (UPG) of FT products to produce diesel and naphtha. An estimation of CAPEX for a 3000 bbl/d capacity plant has been carried out. Estimated investment costs are about M€ 400. This result has been paired with a life cycle assessment (LCA) in order to complete a decisional frame. LCA points out the environmental advantages in the use of BtL-fuels in the reduction of CO2 global emissions, if compared to the ones relevant to fossil fuels. This result respects the recent EU Directives limits.

Protein kinase A (PKA) are tetramers of two catalytic and two regulatory subunits, docked at precise intracellular sites to provide localized phosphorylating activity, triggered by cAMP binding to regulatory subunits and subsequent dissociation of catalytic subunits. It is unclear whether in the brain PKA dissociated subunits may also be found. PKA catalytic subunit was examined in various mouse brain areas using immunofluorescence, equilibrium binding and western blot, to reveal its location in comparison to regulatory subunits type RI and RII. In the cerebral cortex, catalytic subunits colocalized with clusters of RI, yet not all RI clusters were bound to catalytic subunits. In stria terminalis, catalytic subunits were in proximity to RI but separated from them. Catalytic subunits clusters were also present in the corpus striatum, where RII clusters were detected, whereas RI clusters were absent. Upon cAMP addition, the distribution of regulatory subunits did not change, while catalytic subunits were completely released from regulatory subunits. Unpredictably, catalytic subunits were not solubilized; instead, they re-targeted to other binding sites within the tissue, suggesting local macromolecular reorganization. Hence, the interactions between catalytic and regulatory subunits of protein kinase A consistently vary in different brain areas, supporting the idea of multiple interaction patterns.

Here we demonstrate that the 0-dimensional confinement of Ge2Sb2Te5 results in a drastic reduction of the minimum critical fluence required for optical-induced amorphization when compared to the thin-film cases. We show that by using single-shot laser pulses, the investigated nanoparticles display a crystalline-to-amorphous transition, satisfying a mandatory requirement of a bit-memory element. These unprecedented results open a viable route to boost energy efficient phase-change processes.

The present work describes an example Life Cycle Thinking (LCT), focused on environmental aspects of LCT. More in details, for biofuels, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is compulsory for certification of industrial sites since their sustainability must be in line with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) requirements. Eni’s Green Refinery is an example of the application of LCT. The paper describes a process, at R&D level, for biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass deriving from crops not in conflict with the food sector. In particular, the process allows to obtain sugars from these lignocellulosic biomasses (saccharification section) and, once recovered, these sugars are used by oleaginous microrganisms (yeasts) in fermentations (fermentation section) for their growth. The lipids contained in yeast cells are recovered to produce a microbial oil that could be processed in an Ecofining™ plant, producing HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil). The environmental impact of advanced HVO has been compared with other biofuels pathways and with RED to prove its environmental sustainability.

Author(s): Malvestuto, M; Caretta, A; Casarin, B; Ciprian, R; Dell'Angela, M; Laterza, S; Chuang, YD; Wurth, W; Revcolevschi, A; Wray, LA; Parmigiani, F | Abstract: Using high resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering measurements, we have observed that the orbital excitations of the quasi-1D spin chain compound CuGeO3 has nontrivial and noticeable orbital mixing effects from 3d valence spin-orbit coupling. In particular, the SOC leads to a significant correction of dz2 state, which has a direct interplay with the low energy physics of cuprates. Guided by atomic multiplet based modeling, our results strongly support a 3d spin-orbit mixing scenario and explore in detail the nature of these excitations.

Deregulation of intracellular signal transduction pathways is a hallmark of cancer cells, clearly differentiating them from healthy cells. Differential intracellular distribution of the cAMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA) was previously detected in cell cultures and in vivo in glioblastoma and medulloblastoma. Our goal is to extend this observation to meningioma, to explore possible differences among tumors of different origins and prospective outcomes. The distribution of regulatory and catalytic subunits of PKA has been examined in tissue specimens obtained during surgery from meningioma patients. PKA RI subunit appeared more evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm, but it was clearly detectable only in some tumors. RII was present in discrete spots, presumably at high local concentration, these aggregates could also be visualized under equilibrium binding conditions with fluorescent 8-substituted cAMP analogues, at variance with normal brain tissue and other brain tumors. The PKA catalytic subunit showed exactly overlapping pattern to RII and in fixed sections could be visualized by fluorescent cAMP analogues. Gene expression analysis showed that the PKA catalytic subunit revealed a significant correlation pattern with genes involved in meningioma. Hence, meningioma patients show a distinctive distribution pattern of PKA regulatory and catalytic subunits, different from glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, and healthy brain tissue. These observations raise the possibility of exploiting the PKA intracellular pathway as a diagnostic tool and possible therapeutic interventions.

The future Magneto Dynamics (MagneDyn) beamline will be devoted to study the electronic states and the local magnetic properties of excited and transient states of complex systems by means of the time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy technique. The beamline will use FERMI's high-energy source covering the wavelength range from 60 nm down to 1.3 nm. An on-line photon energy spectrometer will allow spectra to be measured with high resolution while delivering most of the beam to the end-stations. Downstream the beam will be possibly split and delayed, by means of a delay line, and then focused with a set of active Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors. These mirrors will be able to focus the radiation in one of the two MagneDyn experimental chambers: the electromagnet end-station and the resonant inelastic X-ray scattering end-station. After an introduction of the MagneDyn scientific case, the layout will be discussed showing the expected performances of the beamline.

Despite cellular complexity, a limited number of small molecules act as intracellular second messengers. Protein kinase A (PKA) is the main transducer of the information carried by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Recently, cellular imaging has achieved major technical advancements, although the search for more specific and sensitive low-molecular-weight probes to explore subcellular events involving second messengers is still in progress. The convergent synthesis of a novel, fluorescent small molecule comprising the cAMP structure and a rhodamine-based fluorescent residue, connected through a flexible linker, is described here. The interaction motif of this compound with PKA was investigated in silico using a blind docking approach, comparing its theoretical binding energy with the one calculated for cAMP. Moreover, the predicted pharmacokinetic properties were also computed and discussed. The new probe was tested on three areas of the mouse central nervous system (parietal cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellar cortex) with different fixation methods demonstrating remarkable selectivity towards the PKA RIα subunit. The probe showed overall better performances when compared to other commercially available fluorescent cAMP analogues, acting at lower concentrations, and providing stable labeling.

Phytoremediation represents a solution for treating soils contaminated by heavy metals, provided that appropriate plant species are selected and the proper strategy chosen. When dealing with soil contaminated with arsenic and/or lead, which are non-essential elements for plants but also among the most toxic metals, this task is particularly difficult to achieve. In a previous contribution we showed that metals accumulation by Lupinus albus, Brassica juncea and Helianthus annuus can be improved by dosing suitable chemicals (i.e. phosphate and EDTA), leading to a quicker and cheaper intervention. This study discusses the assisted phytoremediation of a real site contaminated by several metals, presenting an environmental assessment realized by using the GaBi LCA software. The environmental sustainability of the reclamation technology was analyzed in terms of Global Warming Potential (GWP-100 years), considering different destinations for the harvested biomass, and comparing its ecological footprint with the outcomes of a conventional treatment of excavation and landfill disposal. The comparison clearly shows the great advantage of the phytoremediation, in terms of environmental impact, highlighting the importance of correctly handling the disposal of contaminated biomass produced. In fact, its incineration (aimed at reducing the volumes to be disposed of) could be more onerous than a direct landfilling, but re-qualify as a more sustainable choice if combined with energy recovery. The same applies to fast pyrolysis, which seems to be the most sustainable approach to date, at least in terms of technological maturity, although this requires technical-economic considerations on the quality and use of biofuels produced.

The study of ultrafast magnetodynamics has entered a new era thanks to the groundbreaking technological advances in free-electron laser (FEL) light sources. The advent of these light sources has made possible unprecedented experimental schemes for time-resolved x-ray magneto-optic spectroscopies, which are now paving the road for exploring the ultimate limits of out-of-equilibrium magnetic phenomena. In particular, these studies will provide insights into elementary mechanisms governing spin and orbital dynamics, therefore contributing to the development of ultrafast devices for relevant magnetic technologies. This topical review focuses on recent advancement in the study of non-equilibrium magnetic phenomena from the perspective of time-resolved extreme ultra violet (EUV) and soft x-ray spectroscopies at FELs with highlights of some important experimental results.

Here we report a giant, completely reversible magneto-electric coupling of 100 nm polycrystalline Co layer in contact with ZnO nanorods. When the sample is under an applied bias of ±2 V, the Co magnetic coercivity is reduced by a factor 5 from the un-poled case, with additionally a reduction of total magnetic moment in Co. Taking into account the chemical properties of ZnO nanorods measured by X-rays absorption near edge spectroscopy under bias, we conclude that these macroscopic effects on the magnetic response of the Co layer are due to the microstructure and the strong strain-driven magneto-electric coupling induced by the ZnO nanorods, whose nanostructuration maximizes the piezoelectric response under bias.

Brain tumor glioblastoma has no clear molecular signature and there is no effective therapy. In rodents, the intracellular distribution of the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (Protein kinase A, PKA) R2Alpha subunit was previously shown to differentiate tumor cells from healthy brain cells. Now, we aim to validate this observation in human tumors. The distribution of regulatory (R1 and R2) and catalytic subunits of PKA was examined via immunohistochemistry and Western blot in primary cell cultures and biopsies from 11 glioblastoma patients. Data were compared with information obtained from 17 other different tumor samples. The R1 subunit was clearly detectable only in some samples. The catalytic subunit was variably distributed in the different tumors. Similar to rodent tumors, all human glioblastoma specimens showed perinuclear R2 distribution in the Golgi area, while it was undetectable outside the tumor. To test the effect of targeting PKA as a therapeutic strategy, the intracellular cyclic AMP concentration was modulated with different agents in four human glioblastoma cell lines. A significant increase in cell death was detected after increasing cAMP levels or modulating PKA activity. These data raise the possibility of targeting the PKA intracellular pathway for the development of diagnostic and/or therapeutic tools for human glioblastoma.

Physical review / B 96(18), 184420 (2017). doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.96.184420, We report a high-resolution resonant inelastic extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scattering study of the quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet KCoF$_3$. By tuning the EUV photon energy to the cobalt M$_{23}$ edge, a complete set of low-energy 3d spin-orbital excitations is revealed. These low-lying electronic excitations are modeled using an extended multiplet-based mean-field calculation to identify the roles of lattice and magnetic degrees of freedom in modifying the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectral line shape. We have demonstrated that the temperature dependence of RIXS features upon the antiferromagnetic ordering transition enables us to probe the energetics of short-range spin correlations in this material., Published by APS, Woodbury, NY

The use of a glycol reclaiming unit as a side device in a TEG regeneration section in natural gas plants reduces the continuous accumulation of contaminants in TEG. The scope of this study is to investigate performances of a reclaimer by describing a thermodynamic model of vapour–liquid and vapour–liquid–liquid equilibria for the mixture of TEG with hydrocarbons and water, fitting experimental distillation data. A UNIFAC group-contribution method approach has been applied to fit data, contaminants behaviour in TEG has been described at infinite dilution conditions. The reliability of the model has been verified by process simulation with eni in-house CheOpe.

Scientific reports 6, 38796 (2016). doi:10.1038/srep38796, In the past few years, we have been witnessing an increased interest for studying materials properties under non-equilibrium conditions. Several well established spectroscopies for experiments in the energy domain have been successfully adapted to the time domain with sub-picosecond time resolution. Here we show the realization of high resolution resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) with a stable ultrashort X-ray source such as an externally seeded free electron laser (FEL). We have designed and constructed a RIXS experimental endstation that allowed us to successfully measure the d-d excitations in KCoF3 single crystals at the cobalt M$_{2,3}$-edge at FERMI FEL (Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy). The FEL-RIXS spectra show an excellent agreement with the ones obtained from the same samples at the MERIXS endstation of the MERLIN beamline at the Advanced Light Source storage ring (Berkeley, USA). We established experimental protocols for performing time resolved RIXS experiments at a FEL source to avoid X ray-induced sample damage, while retaining comparable acquisition time to the synchrotron based measurements. Finally, we measured and modelled the influence of the FEL mixed electromagnetic modes, also present in externally seeded FELs, and the beam transport with ~120 meV experimental resolution achieved in the presented RIXS setup., Published by Nature Publishing Group, London

A long-standing question for avant-garde data storage technology concerns the nature of the ultrafast photoinduced phase transformations in the wide class of chalcogenide phase-change materials (PCMs). Overall, a comprehensive understanding of the microstructural evolution and the relevant kinetics mechanisms accompanying the out-of-equilibrium phases is still missing. Here, after overheating a phase-change chalcogenide superlattice by an ultrafast laser pulse, we indirectly track the lattice relaxation by time resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy (tr-XAS) with a sub-ns time resolution. The approach to the tr-XAS experimental results reported in this work provides an atomistic insight of the mechanism that takes place during the cooling process; meanwhile a first-principles model mimicking the microscopic distortions accounts for a straightforward representation of the observed dynamics. Finally, we envisage that our approach can be applied in future studies addressing the role of dynamical structural strain in PCMs.

The extraordinary electronic and optical properties of the crystal-to-amorphous transition in phase-change materials have led to important developments in memory applications. A promising outlook is offered by nanoscaling such phase-change structures. Following this research line, we study the interband optical transmission spectra of nanoscaled $\text{GeTe}/{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ chalcogenide superlattice films. We determine, for films with varying stacking sequence and growth methods, the density and scattering time of the free carriers, and the characteristics of the valence-to-conduction transition. It is found that the free carrier density decreases with increasing GeTe content, for sublayer thicknesses below $\ensuremath{\sim}3$ nm. A simple band model analysis suggests that GeTe and ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ layers mix, forming a standard GeSbTe alloy buffer layer. We show that it is possible to control the electronic transport properties of the films by properly choosing the deposition layer thickness, and we derive a model for arbitrary film stacks.

A new-concept approach to room temperature magnetic gas sensing has been developed, based on newly designed Co/ZnO hybrid nanostructures. The sensor prototype has been demonstrated to be sensitive, reversible, fast and scalable. In this work, the role of the Co/ZnO surface and interface in the gas-sensing mechanism has been clarified. In order to attain a comprehensive understanding of the physics governing the remarkable properties of the Co/ZnO stack, an extensive electronic and structural investigation has been carried out. The reaction at room temperature with target gases involves the surface and the lateral faces of the ZnO nanorods, with the formation of structural defects and vacancies. In particular, it has been discovered that the stress enhancement as well as the change in the polarizability of the ZnO nanorods are transduced by Co in a change of its magnetization. The interplay between these phenomena may provide versatile approaches to tune the intrinsic electronic, magnetic and optical properties of the hybrid nanostructure.

The in vitro and ex vivo antiplatelet effects of 2-amino-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one (1) are compared with those of its parent compound 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one (2) and with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) against different agonists. 2-Amino-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one inhibits adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-, arachidonic acid (AA)- and collagen-induced human platelet aggregation in vitro, with IC50 values of 8.90 × 10 -5 , 1.50 × 10 -6 and 5.11 × 10 -8 mol/l, respectively. The strong inhibitory activity is significant not only for collagen but also for AA-induced aggregation. The same compound inhibits ex vivo collagenand particularly AA-induced rabbit platelet aggregation at the tested dose of 10 mg/kg i.m. In view of the potential use of 2-amino-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one as antithrombotic agent, the log P values for both 1,2- benzisothiazolin-3-one derivatives 1 and 2 are determined, to gain an understanding of the significance of the 2-amino group in the 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one moiety with respect to the biological activity under study.

In the past, many chromosomal and genetic alterations have been examined as possible causes of cancer. However, some tumors do not display a clear molecular and/or genetic signature. Therefore, other cellular processes may be involved in carcinogenesis. Genetic alterations of proteins involved in signal transduction have been extensively studied, for example oncogenes, while modifications in intracellular compartmentalization of these molecules, or changes in the expression of unmodified genes have received less attention. Yet, epigenetic modulation of second messenger systems can deeply modify cellular functioning and in the end may cause instability of many processes, including cell mitosis. It is important to understand the functional meaning of modifications in second messenger intracellular pathways and unravel the role of downstream proteins in the initiation and growth of tumors. Within this framework, the cAMP system has been examined. cAMP is a second messenger involved in regulation of a variety of cellular functions. It acts mainly through its binding to cAMP-activated protein kinases (PKA), that were suggested to participate in the onset and progression of various tumors. PKA may represent a biomarker for tumor detection, identification and staging, and may be a potential target for pharmacological treatment of tumors.

The intracellular second messenger adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) acts mainly through cAMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA). In mammals and reptiles, the PKA regulatory isoforms (RI and RII) are differentially distributed among the various brain areas and cell types, according to the age of the animal. Since PKA distribution may be an additional marker for homologous areas, PKA regulatory subunit types RI and RII were examined in the chicken brain, a species not yet investigated. Chicken brains were examined from prehatching to adult age, by means of immunohistochemistry and biochemical characterization. Most PKA regulatory subunits were segregated in discrete non-soluble clusters that contained either RI or RII. While RII aggregates were present also in non-neuronal cells, RI aggregates were detected only in neurons of some brain areas that are mainly related to the telencephalon. They appeared later than RII aggregates; their presence and location varied during development. RI aggregates were detected first in the olfactory bulb, around embryonic day 14; within 3 days they appeared in the hyperpallium and nidopallium, where the most intense labeling was observed in the perihatching period. Fainter RI aggregates persisted up to 3 years in the olfactory bulb and nidopallium caudale. Less intense RI aggregates were present for a shorter time, from 2 weeks to 3 months, in the septal nuclei, thalamic medial nuclei, periventricular hypothalamus, optic tectum periventricular area, brainstem reticular formation and spinal cord substantia gelatinosa. RI aggregates were not detected in many brain areas including the arcopallium, striatum and cranial nerve nuclei. RII distribution showed less variation during development. From embryonic day 12, some insoluble RII aggregates were detected in the brain; however, only minor modifications were observed in positive structures once they started to harbor insoluble RII aggregates. The present results suggest that the distribution of PKA aggregates may assist in characterizing phylogenetically homologous structures of the vertebrate central nervous system and may also unravel biochemical differences among areas considered homologous.

Here we report on the magneto-optical Kerr effect employing a nematic liquid crystal (LC) device as an optical modulator. This device allows performing intensity, phase, and polarization modulated measurements with a huge signal-to-noise ratio when compared to those obtained by means of an opto-mechanical chopper and a photo-elastic modulator. The results demonstrate that the optimal performance is achieved modulating the polarization state of the incident light by means of the LCs. © 2018 Author(s).

By comparing the photo-induced magnetization dynamics in simple layered systems we show how light-induced modifications of the magnetic anisotropy directly enhance the magnetization. It is observed that the spin precession in (CH3NH3)2CuCl4, initiated by a light pulse, increases in amplitude at the critical temperature TC. The phenomenon is related to the dependence of the critical temperature on the axial magnetic anisotropy. The present results underline the possibility and the importance of the optical modifications of the anisotropy, opening new paths toward the control of the magnetization state for ultrafast memories., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, supplementary info as SIr.pdf

ABSTRACT Glioblastoma is the most lethal brain tumor. The poor prognosis results from lack of defined tumor margins, critical location of the tumor mass and presence of chemo- and radio-resistant tumor stem cells. The current treatment for glioblastoma consists of neurosurgery, followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy. A better understanding of the role of molecular and genetic heterogeneity in glioblastoma pathogenesis allowed the design of novel targeted therapies. New targets include different key-role signaling molecules and specifically altered pathways. The new approaches include interference through small molecules or monoclonal antibodies and RNA-based strategies mediated by siRNA, antisense oligonucleotides and ribozymes. Most of these treatments are still being tested yet they stay as solid promises for a clinically relevant success.

Urine is one of the major media for intraspecific chemical communication in mice. The urination pattern is dependent both on the mice's hormonal and social status. The urination pattern and the morphology of the urinary tract were examined in mice following hormonal manipulations. In the first experiment, we compared pairs of intact and castrated males: intact males urinated earlier when exposed to a new environment, with a greater number of drops that were smaller than those of castrated males. In the second experiment, groups of intact males, castrated, testosterone-supplemented castrated, and isolated intact males were compared. The micturition pattern of isolated intact males consisted of numerous small droplets of urine, with a high volume of urine retained in the bladder after voiding. This also applied to grouped intact males and testosterone-treated castrated mice, while castrated mice voided a larger fraction of bladder content. Bladder weight was higher in intact males and testosterone-treated castrated males, as compared to castrated males. In the third experiment, ovary-intact and testosterone-treated intact females were compared. Testosterone-treated ovary-intact females retained a larger quantity of urine in the bladder and also had a larger bladder compared to ovary-intact females. Testosterone thus induces the morphological modifications of the urinary tract necessary for the dominant male urination pattern, which is an increase in postvoid urinary residual volume and bladder weight. As evidenced from the comparison of histological sections from intact, castrated, and testosterone-treated castrated males, the increase in bladder weight was mainly due to the bladder muscular mass.

The solid solution series KxBa1-xO2-δ (x < 0.41) is synthesized from stoichiometric amounts of Ba(NO3)2 and KO2 in liquid NH3 (-40 to -60 °C, 30 min).

Within a species, sharing of data about identity, sex, health and hormonal status or feeding resources confers an advantage for survival and is actively pursued by linking signalling molecules to specific behavioural or neurohormonal responses. The proper identification of the signals (morphology), their correct use (grammar) and their meaning (semantics) allow us to understand the link between signals and responses. In mice, Mus musculus, the identification of meaningful molecules has revealed that both small airborne molecules and custom-tailored proteins are involved in chemical signalling. Among them, the major urinary proteins (MUPs) are barrel-like lipocalins excreted in urine. They bind and transport volatile molecules that may have different meanings, yet MUPs participate in transmitting different pieces of information. Therefore, they are not a simple blend of molecules but a communication system with its own rules to produce, transmit and process information. These actions affect both the physiology and the behaviour of sender and receiver. In fact, functional, behavioural and anatomical specializations allow production and emission of chemosignals by the sender, and proper signal detection and response management by the receiver. Moreover, the response to chemosignals may vary in time, according to internal and external conditions. The mechanism of biological chemical signalling is so efficient and versatile that MUPs are now used as molecular traps to develop biomimetic chemical sensors.

In eukaryotic cells, cAMP regulates many different cellular functions. Its effects are in most cases mediated by cAMP-dependent protein kinases. These consist of two regulatory and two catalytic subunits. In mammals, four different isoforms of cAMP-dependent protein kinases regulatory subunits have been characterized (RIα and β, RIIα and β). These four isoforms show a high level of homology and slightly different biochemical properties. In addition to biochemical properties, a different anatomical distribution of the regulatory isoforms may contribute to determine the specificity of diverse cAMP effects. By immunohistochemistry, the distribution of the detergent-insoluble fraction of RIβ isoform has been examined in rat and mouse brain. Biochemical fractionation shows that a large fraction of both RIα and RIβ isoforms is bound to the cytoskeleton. RIβ labelling can be observed only in few locations: Purkinje cells, olfactory mitral cells, lateral thalamic neurons, superior olivary complex neurons. These cell populations are involved in the so called Purkinje cell degeneration. On the other hand, RIα aggregates have a more widespread distribution, in brain areas involved in visceroemotional control. At the subcellular level, these two subunits show a different pattern of labelling: in most cells a sharply defined clustered labelling is observed for RIα isoforms, while the RIβ isoform presents a weaker, diffuse intracytoplasmic distribution. Competition experiments point to the presence of, as yet unidentified, different and selective anchoring proteins for the two similar RIα and β isoforms. It is suggested that, as is the case for structural proteins, a different supramolecular organization of similar regulatory proteins may be crucial in order to fulfill different functions.

The hybrid material copper (II) tetrachloro-bis(phenyl ethyl ammonium) (C6H5CH2CH2NH3)2CuCl4, or PEACuCl, has been investigated by temperature-dependent spectroscopic absorption experiments. The absorption bands observed in the near-infrared region (1.3–1.9 eV) generally exhibit redshifts with increasing temperature. The temperature-induced energy shifts of the spectral components are shown to be consistently related to temperature-induced Cu–Cl bond length changes. Additionally, the thermochromic color change is caused by a charge transfer band edge redshifting (in the visible region 2.0–2.8 eV) with increasing temperature. By comparison with similar Cu-based systems, it is suggested that this shift is caused by broadening and strengthening of the band.

We have synthesized members of an isostructural solid solution series KxBa1-xO2-delta (x

The binding of thioperamide, a known H3-receptor antagonist, to rat plasma proteins and its affinity for rat cerebral phospholipids are investigated. Thioperamide is strongly bound to plasma proteins (95−80% at plasma concentrations of 3.5−400 μg mL−1), and its binding can be resolved into two components: a high-affinity, saturable component and a non-specific component. The drug has a high affinity for cerebral phospholipids, with a partition coefficient of approximately 100 (log K = 2.06 ± 0.14), which should promote brain penetration and accumulation. Protein binding and cerebral phospholipid affinity can suggest the explanation of some differences reported in the literature on thioperamide distribution data: at low plasma concentrations of the drug, its protein binding (95% at 3.5 μg mL−1) can prevent brain accumulation, while at higher concentrations the free plasma fraction suddenly increases (> 10% at 18 μg mL−1) and it allows passive distribution to lipophilic tissues such as brain tissue.

The pirenzepine-related analogue, nuvenzepine, and the antagonists selective for the three muscarinic receptor subtypes 4-DAMP (M, and M3 receptors), pirenzepine (M 1 receptors), methoctramine (M 2 receptors) have been tested on rabbit isolated small and large intestinal regions provided with spontaneous motor activity. The employed drugs differently affected intestinal motility patterns. The ileum pendular movements as well as the proximal colon and taenia coli tone, spike amplitude and frequency were concentration-dependently inhibited by the compounds here employed. Their pIC 50 values followed the rank order of potency generally reported for the involvement of the M 3 muscarinic receptors (4-DAMP≥atropine>nuvenzepine≥pirenzepine>methoctramine). Unlike nuvenzepine and the other antimuscarinics assayed, the M 1 selective antagonist pirenzepine, at nanomolar concentrations, was able to enhance the proximal taenia coli motility patterns suggesting that a M 1 -inhibitory pathway might operate in the physiological modulation of taenia coli motility. At variance with longitudinal ileum and colon contractile activity, proximal circular colon motility was resistant to muscarinic as well as to α 1 -, H 1 -, 5-HT-blockade indicating that NANC neuronal mechanisms could act at this level. In summary, these data provide evidence that, at intestinal level, nuvenzepine is almost completely devoid of reliable M 1 -linked effect thus possessing a different pharmacological selectivity at muscarinic receptor subtypes with respect to pirenzepine. Furthermore, it emerges that rabbit spontaneous small and large intestinal motility is probably driven by different physiological mechanisms regional-related. The peculiar circular colon refractoriness deserves further studies to be extended to the human tissue.

Summary -- The synthesis of new H3-receptor antagonists, 4-(2-heteroarylaminoethyl) and 4-(2-heteroarylthioethyl) imidazoles and their H3-receptor affinity obtained from competitive binding curves vs [3H]-NC~-methylhistamine ([3H]NAMHA) on rat brain cortex membranes are described. These compounds are derived from structural modulations of thioperamide and were synthesized in order to study binding interactions with H3-receptors and find alternative lead compounds with H3-receptor antagonist activity. The new compounds differ from thioperamide by the following features: 1) the N-cyclohexylcarbothioamide moiety of thioperamide has been replaced by a benzothiazole (1); 2) the piperidine ring has been replaced by more flexible aminoethyl and thioethyl chains, in order to lower the excessive rigidity of 1 and to test the importance of the tertiary piperidine nitrogen; and 3) the benzothiazole moiety of 1 has been replaced by other heterocyclic nuclei, endowed with different lipophilic, steric and hydrogen-bonding features. Some of the compounds tested showed good affinity for central H3-receptors (pKi range: 5.89-7.96) and can be considered as lead compounds for further optimization studies. The most lipophilic compounds showed higher affinities among benzo-condensed compounds, while imidazolylthioethyl imidazoles were more potent in displacing [3H]NAMHA than thiazolylthioethyl and thiazolylaminoethyl imidazoles which suggests an interaction between the annular NH of the imidazolylthioethyl moiety and the binding site. heteroarylglaminoethylimidazole / heteroarylthioethylimidazole / histamine H3-receptor affinity / [3H]-Na-methylhistamine / rat brain cortex membrane

We demonstrate, using a combination of experiment and density functional theory, that orbital ordering drives the formation of a one-dimensional (1D) $S=1/2$ antiferromagnetic spin chain in the 3D rocksalt structure of cesium superoxide (${\mathrm{CsO}}_{2}$). The magnetic superoxide anion (${\mathrm{O}}_{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$) exhibits degeneracy of its $2p$-derived molecular orbitals, which is lifted by a structural distortion on cooling. A spin chain is then formed by zigzag ordering of the half-filled superoxide orbitals, promoting a superexchange pathway mediated by the ${p}_{z}$ orbitals of ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{+}$ along only one crystal direction. This scenario is analogous to the $3d$-orbital-driven spin chain found in the perovskite ${\mathrm{KCuF}}_{3}$ and is the first example of an inorganic quantum spin system with unpaired $p$ electrons.