Fluoride technology of obtaining REM magnetic alloys and master alloys

Rare earth permanent magnets (REPM) based on neodymium-Fe-boron system are the most promising, since they have the highest magnetic and satisfactory mechanical characteristics. The paper covers physical-chemical principles and shows the results of experimental studies of the process of obtaining REM alloys and master alloys using fundamentally new fluoride technology based on ladle calciothermal REM fluorides and Fe reduction

Корректировка шкал локальных K-индексов для высокоширотных магнитных станций

To assess the magnetic activity, various indices (numerical characteristics of the planetary and local disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field) are used. Most widely used for various purposes are the planetary Kp-index and the local K-index, proposed by Bartels. The K-index characterizes the Earth’s magnetic field disturbance in a 3-hour interval (0–3, 3–6, etc. UTC) and is defined in a range from 0 to 9 by the amplitude of the horizontal component deviation from the quiet level. K = 0 indicates the absence of geomagnetic activity, and K = 9 corresponds to a strong geomagnetic storm. The lower limit of K = 9 is the amplitude of magnetic field horizontal component variation above which the K-index is assigned the maximum value of 9. This limit is selected individually for each station, depending on its geomagnetic latitude. The latest scales of the K-indices boundaries for the Russian Arctic stations were determined in the middle of the last century and have not been corrected since then. The significant discrepancy between the K-indices calculated using these scales and the planetary Kp-index shows that they had to be refined, and in some cases, they must be re-selected. The local indices lower boundaries (K = 9) for stations in the Arctic Russian sector were determined. K-indices lower boundaries were received for the strong magnetic storm according to the IAGA procedure. It is shown that for different magnetic field horizontal component variation values K-indices for different observation points practically coincide with the Kp-index. The lower value K = 9 dependence on the observation point geomagnetic latitude is presented. This relation can be used to obtain the lower boundary of K = 9 for any magnetic station. A table with local K-index scales for Russian Arctic magnetic stations has been compiled.Для оценки уровня геомагнитной возмущенности в каждом пункте магнитных наблюдений рассчитывается собственный K-индекс. Нижняя граница балла K = 9 — это значение амплитуды вариации горизонтальной компоненты магнитного поля, при превышении которой К-индексу присваивается максимальное значение, равное 9. Эта граница подбирается индивидуально для каждой станции в зависимости от ее геомагнитной широты. Последний раз шкалы К-индексов для российских станций были установлены в середине прошлого века и с тех пор не корректировались. Существенное расхождение K-индексов, вычисленных по этим шкалам, с планетарным Kp-индексом показывает, что они нуждаются в уточнении, а в некоторых случаях их необходимо определять заново. Составлена таблица шкал локальных K-индексов для пунктов магнитных наблюдений в Российской Арктике, и получена зависимость нижнего значения балла K = 9 от геомагнитной широты пункта наблюдений. Новые шкалы К-индексов могут быть использованы при оперативной работе на сети высокоширотных станций магнитных наблюдений Росгидромета

MICU2, a Paralog of MICU1, Resides within the Mitochondrial Uniporter Complex to Regulate Calcium Handling

Mitochondrial calcium uptake is present in nearly all vertebrate tissues and is believed to be critical in shaping calcium signaling, regulating ATP synthesis and controlling cell death. Calcium uptake occurs through a channel called the uniporter that resides in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Recently, we used comparative genomics to identify MICU1 and MCU as the key regulatory and putative pore-forming subunits of this channel, respectively. Using bioinformatics, we now report that the human genome encodes two additional paralogs of MICU1, which we call MICU2 and MICU3, each of which likely arose by gene duplication and exhibits distinct patterns of organ expression. We demonstrate that MICU1 and MICU2 are expressed in HeLa and HEK293T cells, and provide multiple lines of biochemical evidence that MCU, MICU1 and MICU2 reside within a complex and cross-stabilize each other's protein expression in a cell-type dependent manner. Using in vivo RNAi technology to silence MICU1, MICU2 or both proteins in mouse liver, we observe an additive impairment in calcium handling without adversely impacting mitochondrial respiration or membrane potential. The results identify MICU2 as a new component of the uniporter complex that may contribute to the tissue-specific regulation of this channel.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (GM0077465)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (DK080261

Cholesterol precursors and facial clefting

Inborn errors of cholesterol synthesis cause human malformation syndromes, including Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, lathosterolosis, desmosterolosis, X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata type 2, and congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects. Because adequate cholesterol is not transported across the placenta, low cholesterol and elevated sterol precursor levels are present during embryogenesis. It has been debated whether the malformations result from low cholesterol or the buildup of sterol precursors. In this issue of the JCI, Engelking et al. provide evidence that sterol precursor accumulation plays a pivotal role in the genesis of facial malformations (see the related article beginning on page 2356)