The effect of Fe atoms on the adsorption of a W atom on W(100) surface

We report a first-principles calculation that models the effect of iron (Fe) atoms on the adsorption of a tungsten (W) atom on W(100) surfaces. The adsorption of a W atom on a clean W(100) surface is compared with that of a W atom on a W(100) surface covered with a monolayer of Fe atoms. The total energy of the system is computed as the function of the height of the W adatom. Our result shows that the W atom first adsorbs on top of the Fe monolayer. Then the W atom can replace one of the Fe atoms through a path with a moderate energy barrier and reduce its energy further. This intermediate site makes the adsorption (and desorption) of W atoms a two-step process in the presence of Fe atoms and lowers the overall adsorption energy by nearly 2.4 eV. The Fe atoms also provide a surface for W atoms to adsorb facilitating the diffusion of W atoms. The combination of these two effects result in a much more efficient desorption and diffusion of W atoms in the presence of Fe atoms. Our result provides a fundamental mechanism that can explain the activated sintering of tungsten by Fe atoms.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Effect of an agri-environmental measure on nitrate leaching from a beef farming system in Ireland

peer-reviewedAgricultural nitrogen (N) management remains a key environmental challenge. Improving N management is a matter of urgency to reduce the serious ecological consequences of the reactive N. Nitrate (NO3−–N) leaching was measured under suckler beef production systems stocked at two intensities: (1) intensive, 210 kg organic N ha−1 with two cut silage harvests; and (2) rural environmental protection scheme (REPS), 170 kg organic N ha−1 with one cut silage harvest. Three replicate plots of each treatment were instrumented with ceramic cups (8 per plot), randomly placed within each plot at a depth of 1 m to collect soil solution for NO3−–N at 50 kPa suction to collecting vessels one week prior to sampling. Samples were taken on a total of 53 sampling dates over 3 winter drainage periods (2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05). Over the course of the experiment the mean annual soil solution NO3−–N concentration exceeded the MAC twice out of 15 means (5 treatments over 3 years). The REPS grazing and silage sub treatments had significantly lower mean annual soil solution total oxidized N (TON) concentrations than the respective intensive treatments in years 2 and 3. Annual total NO3−–N losses over the three years in intensive and REPS systems ranged from 55 to 71 and 15 to 20 kg N ha−1, respectively. Mean N surpluses in intensive and REPS systems were 210 and 95 kg ha−1, respectively with the corresponding mean N inputs of 272 and 124 kg N ha−1. The reduction in N inputs under the REPS system results in lower N leaching losses and contributed to a significant reduction in pressures on water quality

How reproductive allocation and flowering probability of individuals in plant populations are affected by position in stand size hierarchy, plant size and CO2 regime

We investigate the effect of position within a size-structured population on the reproductive allocation (RA) and flowering probability of individual plants of Sinapis arvensis. We also assess the effects of plant size and changing level of CO2 on both responses

Frequency and characteristics of disease flares in ankylosing spondylitis

Objective. To examine the characteristics and frequency of disease flares in a cohort of people with AS

Early hemostatic responses to trauma identified with hierarchical clustering analysis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111900/1/jth12919.pd

Towards delineating functions within the fasciola secreted cathepsin L protease family by integrating in vivo based sub-proteomics and phylogenetics

BACKGROUND: Fasciola hepatica, along with Fasciola gigantica, is the causative agent of fasciolosis, a foodborne zoonotic disease affecting grazing animals and humans worldwide. Pathology is directly related to the release of parasite proteins that facilitate establishment within the host. The dominant components of these excretory-secretory (ES) products are also the most promising vaccine candidates, the cathepsin L (Cat L) protease family. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The sub-proteome of Cat L proteases from adult F. hepatica ES products derived from in vitro culture and in vivo from ovine host bile were compared by 2-DE. The individual Cat L proteases were identified by tandem mass spectrometry with the support of an in-house translated liver fluke EST database. The study reveals plasticity within the CL1 clade of Cat L proteases; highlighted by the identification of a novel isoform and CL1 sub-clade, resulting in a new Cat L phylogenetic analysis including representatives from other adult Cat L phylogenetic clades. Additionally, for the first time, mass spectrometry was shown to be sufficiently sensitive to reveal single amino acid polymorphisms in a resolved 2-DE protein spot derived from pooled population samples. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We have investigated the sub-proteome at the population level of a vaccine target family using the Cat L proteases from F. hepatica as a case study. We have confirmed that F. hepatica exhibits more plasticity in the expression of the secreted CL1 clade of Cat L proteases at the protein level than previously realised. We recommend that superfamily based vaccine discovery programmes should screen parasite populations from different host populations and, if required, different host species via sub-proteomic assay in order to confirm the relative expression at the protein level prior to the vaccine development phase

Restoration of SMN in Schwann cells reverses myelination defects and improves neuromuscular function in spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease caused by low levels of SMN protein, primarily affecting lower motor neurons. Recent evidence from SMA and related conditions suggests that glial cells can influence disease severity. Here, we investigated the role of glial cells in the peripheral nervous system by creating SMA mice selectively overexpressing SMN in myelinating Schwann cells (Smn(−/−);SMN2(tg/0);SMN1(SC)). Restoration of SMN protein levels restricted solely to Schwann cells reversed myelination defects, significantly improved neuromuscular function and ameliorated neuromuscular junction pathology in SMA mice. However, restoration of SMN in Schwann cells had no impact on motor neuron soma loss from the spinal cord or ongoing systemic and peripheral pathology. This study provides evidence for a defined, intrinsic contribution of glial cells to SMA disease pathogenesis and suggests that therapies designed to include Schwann cells in their target tissues are likely to be required in order to rescue myelination defects and associated disease symptoms