We investigate relative productivity levels and decompose productivity change for European agriculture between 2004 and 2013. Specifically (i) we contribute to the debate on whether agricultural ...Total Factor Productivity (TFP) has declined or not in the European Union (EU); (ii) we compare the relative TFP level across EU Member States and investigate the difference between ‘old’ Member States (OMS, i.e. the EU‐15) and ‘new’ Member States (NMS); and (iii) we test whether TFP is converging or not among Member States. The empirical analysis applies an aggregate quantity framework to country‐level panel data from the Economic Accounts for Agriculture for 23 EU Member States. The results imply that TFP has slightly decreased in the EU over the analysed period; however there are significant differences between the OMS and NMS and across Member States. Finally, our estimates suggest that productivity is generally converging over this period, albeit slowly.
Different diagnostic and prognostic groups of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) have been defined. However, accurate diagnosis and prediction of survival are sometimes difficult. Gene expression profiling ...might improve these classifications and bring new insights into underlying molecular mechanisms. We profiled 50 cancerous and noncancerous colon tissues using DNA microarrrays consisting of approximately 8000 spotted human cDNA. Global hierarchical clustering was to some extent able to distinguish clinically relevant subgroups, normal versus cancer tissues and metastatic versus nonmetastatic tumours. Supervised analyses improved these segregations by identifying sets of genes that discriminated between normal and tumour tissues, tumours associated or not with lymph node invasion or genetic instability, and tumours from the right or left colon. A similar approach identified a gene set that divided patients with significantly different 5-year survival (100% in one group and 40% in the other group; P=0.005). Discriminator genes were associated with various cellular processes. An immunohistochemical study on 382 tumour and normal samples deposited onto a tissue microarray subsequently validated the upregulation of NM23 in CRC and a downregulation in poor prognosis tumours. These results suggest that microarrays may provide means to improve the classification of CRC, provide new potential targets against carcinogenesis and new diagnostic and/or prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.
Cardiac fibrosis contributes to end-stage extracellular matrix remodeling and heart failure (HF). Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) differentiate into myofibroblasts (myoFbs) to preserve the structural ...integrity of the heart; however, the molecular mechanisms regulating CF transdifferentiation remain poorly understood. Protein arginine deiminase (PAD), which converts arginine to citrulline, has been shown to play a role in myocardial infarction, fibrosis, and HF. This study aimed to investigate the role of PAD in CF differentiation to myoFbs and identify the citrullinated proteins that were associated with phenotypic changes in CFs.
Gene expression analysis showed that PAD1 and PAD2 isoforms, but not PAD4 isoforms, were abundant in both CFs and myoFbs, and PAD1 was significantly upregulated in myoFbs. The pan-PAD inhibitor BB-Cl-amidine (BB-Cl) downregulated the mRNA expression of PAD1 and PAD2 as well as the protein expression of the fibrosis marker COL1A1 in CFs and myoFbs. Interestingly, a proteomic approach pointed to the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway upon BB-Cl treatment in CFs and myoFbs. BB-Cl administration resulted in the upregulation of HO-1 at both the gene and protein levels in CFs and myoFbs. Importantly, the protein citrullination landscape of CFs consisting of 86 novel citrullination sites associated with focal adhesion (FN1(R1054)), inflammation (TAGLN(R12)) and DNA replication (EEF2(R767)) pathways was identified.
In summary, we revealed that BB-Cl treatment resulted in increased HO-1 expression via the Nrf2 pathway, which could prevent excessive tissue damage, thereby leading to substantial clinical benefits for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis.
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•We investigated the role of PAD in cardiac fibroblast activation to myofibroblast.•Human cardiac fibroblasts express PAD (PAD1>PAD2>PAD4, based on mRNA data).•68 proteins are citrullinated upon TGF-β1 activation and PAD inhibition.•Inhibition of PAD activates the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in cardiac fibroblasts.
Non-volatile magnetic random-access memories (MRAMs), such as spin-transfer torque MRAM and next-generation spin-orbit torque MRAM, are emerging as key to enabling low-power technologies, which are ...expected to spread over large markets from embedded memories to the Internet of Things. Concurrently, the development and performances of devices based on two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures bring ultracompact multilayer compounds with unprecedented material-engineering capabilities. Here we provide an overview of the current developments and challenges in regard to MRAM, and then outline the opportunities that can arise by incorporating two-dimensional material technologies. We highlight the fundamental properties of atomically smooth interfaces, the reduced material intermixing, the crystal symmetries and the proximity effects as the key drivers for possible disruptive improvements for MRAM at advanced technology nodes.
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are targeted therapies that inhibit PARP proteins which are involved in a variety of cell functions. PARPi may act as modulators of angiogenesis; ...however, the relationship between PARPi and the vasculogenic mimicry (VM) in breast cancer remains unclear. To determine whether PARPi regulate the vascular channel formation, we assessed whether the treatment with olaparib, talazoparib and veliparib inhibits the vascular channel formation by breast cancer cell lines. Here, we found that PARPi act as potent inhibitors of the VM formation in triple negative breast cancer cells, independently of the BRCA status. Mechanistically, we find that PARPi trigger and inhibit the NF-κB signaling, leading to the inhibition of the VM. We further show that PARPi decrease the expression of the angiogenic factor PTX3. Moreover, PTX3 rescued the PARPi-inhibited VM inhibition. In conclusion, our results indicate that PARPi, by targeting the VM, may provide a new therapeutic approach for triple negative breast cancer.
We report on graphene-passivated ferromagnetic electrodes (GPFE) for spin devices. GPFE are shown to act as spin-polarized oxidation-resistant electrodes. The direct coating of nickel with few layer ...graphene through a readily scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process allows the preservation of an unoxidized nickel surface upon air exposure. Fabrication and measurement of complete reference tunneling spin valve structures demonstrate that the GPFE is maintained as a spin polarizer and also that the presence of the graphene coating leads to a specific sign reversal of the magneto-resistance. Hence, this work highlights a novel oxidation-resistant spin source which further unlocks low cost wet chemistry processes for spintronics devices.
Spin orbit torque (SOT) has drawn widespread attention in the emerging field of magnetic memory devices, such as magnetic random access memory (MRAM). To promote the performance of SOT-MRAM, most ...efforts have been devoted to enhance the SOT switching efficiency by improving the damping-like torque. Recently, some studies noted that the field-like torque also plays a crucial role in the nanosecond-timescale SOT dynamics. However, there is not yet an effective way to tune its relative amplitude. Here, we experimentally modulate the field-like SOT in W/CoFeB/MgO trilayers through tuning the interfacial spin accumulation. By performing spin Hall magnetoresistance measurement, we find that the CoFeB with enhanced spin dephasing, either generated from larger layer thickness or from proper annealing, can distinctly boost the spin absorption and enhance the interfacial spin mixing conductance
G
r
. While the damping-like torque efficiency increases with
G
r
, the field-like torque efficiency is found to decrease with it. The results suggest that the interfacial spin accumulation, which largely contributes to the field-like torque, is reduced by higher interfacial spin transparency. Our work shows a new path to further improve the performance of SOT-based ultrafast magnetic devices.
We experimentally modulate the field-like spin orbit torque in heavy metal/ferromagnet heterostructures by control of interfacial spin transmission.
Recent experiments show that topological surface states (TSS) in topological insulators (TI) can be exploited to manipulate magnetic ordering in ferromagnets. In principle, TSS should also exist for ...other topological materials, but it remains unexplored as to whether such states can also be utilized to manipulate ferromagnets. Herein, current‐induced magnetization switching enabled by TSS in a non‐TI topological material, namely, a topological Dirac semimetal α‐Sn, is reported. The experiments use an α‐Sn/Ag/CoFeB trilayer structure. The magnetization in the CoFeB layer can be switched by a charge current at room temperature, without an external magnetic field. The data show that the switching is driven by the TSS of the α‐Sn layer, rather than spin‐orbit coupling in the bulk of the α‐Sn layer or current‐produced heating. The switching efficiency is as high as in TI systems. This shows that the topological Dirac semimetal α‐Sn is as promising as TI materials in terms of spintronic applications.
Room‐temperature switching of magnetization in a CoFeB thin film by a spin‐orbit torque from a neighboring topological Dirac semimetal α‐Sn thin film is reported. The α‐Sn film is grown by sputtering on a silicon substrate. The switching is driven mainly by the topological surface states in the α‐Sn. The switching efficiency is comparable to that in topological‐insulator‐based structures.
The objective of this study was to examine the energy use patterns and cost of production in greenhouse and open-field grape production. Data used in the study were obtained from the experiment ...conducted at the Akdeniz university research field. In the study, energy values were calculated by multiplying the amount of inputs and outputs by the related energy conversion factors. The results indicated that total input energy use in greenhouse and open-field production was found to be 24513.0 and 23640.9
MJ/ha, respectively. However, the output energy of greenhouse grapes (73396.0
MJ/ha) was lower than open-field grapes (120596
MJ/ha). The output–input ratio for greenhouse and open-field grape production was found to be 2.99 and 5.10, respectively. The economic analysis revealed that production costs for greenhouse grapes were higher than open-field grapes but greenhouse grapes were more profitable than open-field due to premium prices for greenhouse grapes.
The remanent magnetization of ferromagnets has long been studied and used to store binary information. While early magnetic memory designs relied on magnetization switching by locally generated ...magnetic fields, key insights in condensed matter physics later suggested the possibility of doing it by electrical means instead. In the 1990s, Slonczewski and Berger formulated the concept of current-induced spin torques in magnetic multilayers through which a spin-polarized current generated by a first ferromagnet may be used to switch the magnetization of a second one. This discovery drove the development of spin-transfer-torque magnetic random-access memories (MRAMs). More recent fundamental research revealed other types of current-induced torques named spin-orbit torques (SOTs) and will lead to a new generation of devices including SOT MRAMs and skyrmion-based devices. Parallel to these advances, multiferroics and their magnetoelectric coupling, first investigated experimentally in the 1960s, experienced a renaissance. Dozens of multiferroic compounds with new magnetoelectric coupling mechanisms were discovered and high-quality multiferroic films were synthesized (notably of BiFeO3), also leading to novel device concepts for information and communication technology such as the magnetoelectric spin-orbit (MESO) transistor. The story of the electrical switching of magnetization, which is discussed in this review, is that of a dance between fundamental research (in spintronics, condensed matter physics, and materials science) and technology (MRAMs, MESO transistors, microwave emitters, spin diodes, skyrmion-based devices, components for neuromorphics, etc.). This pas de deux has led to major scientific and technological breakthroughs in recent decades (such as the conceptualization of pure spin currents, the observation of magnetic skyrmions, and the discovery of spin-charge interconversion effects). As a result, this field has not only propelled MRAMs into consumer electronics products but also fueled discoveries in adjacent research areas such as ferroelectrics or magnonics. In this review, recent advances in the control of magnetism by electric fields and by current-induced torques are covered. Fundamental concepts in these two directions are reviewed first, their combination is then discussed, and finally current various families of devices harnessing the electrical control of magnetic properties for various application fields are addressed. The review concludes by giving perspectives in terms of both emerging fundamental physics concepts and new directions in materials science.
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