Structural and doping effects in the half-metallic double perovskite A2A_2CrWO6_6

he structural, transport, magnetic and optical properties of the double perovskite $A_2$CrWO$_6$ with $A=\text{Sr, Ba, Ca}$ have been studied. By varying the alkaline earth ion on the $A$ site, the influence of steric effects on the Curie temperature $T_C$ and the saturation magnetization has been determined. A maximum $T_C=458$ K was found for Sr$_2$CrWO$_6$ having an almost undistorted perovskite structure with a tolerance factor $f\simeq 1$. For Ca$_2$CrWO$_6$ and Ba$_2$CrWO$_6$ structural changes result in a strong reduction of $T_C$. Our study strongly suggests that for the double perovskites in general an optimum $T_C$ is achieved only for $f \simeq 1$, that is, for an undistorted perovskite structure. Electron doping in Sr$_2$CrWO$_6$ by a partial substitution of Sr$^{2+}$ by La$^{3+}$ was found to reduce both $T_C$ and the saturation magnetization $M_s$. The reduction of $M_s$ could be attributed both to band structure effects and the Cr/W antisites induced by doping. Band structure calculations for Sr$_2$CrWO$_6$ predict an energy gap in the spin-up band, but a finite density of states for the spin-down band. The predictions of the band structure calculation are consistent with our optical measurements. Our experimental results support the presence of a kinetic energy driven mechanism in $A_2$CrWO$_6$, where ferromagnetism is stabilized by a hybridization of states of the nonmagnetic W-site positioned in between the high spin Cr-sites.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure

Functional diversity of chemokines and chemokine receptors in response to viral infection of the central nervous system.

Encounters with neurotropic viruses result in varied outcomes ranging from encephalitis, paralytic poliomyelitis or other serious consequences to relatively benign infection. One of the principal factors that control the outcome of infection is the localized tissue response and subsequent immune response directed against the invading toxic agent. It is the role of the immune system to contain and control the spread of virus infection in the central nervous system (CNS), and paradoxically, this response may also be pathologic. Chemokines are potent proinflammatory molecules whose expression within virally infected tissues is often associated with protection and/or pathology which correlates with migration and accumulation of immune cells. Indeed, studies with a neurotropic murine coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), have provided important insight into the functional roles of chemokines and chemokine receptors in participating in various aspects of host defense as well as disease development within the CNS. This chapter will highlight recent discoveries that have provided insight into the diverse biologic roles of chemokines and their receptors in coordinating immune responses following viral infection of the CNS

Recent progress on univariate and multivariate polynomial and spline quasi-interpolants

Polynomial and spline quasi-interpolants (QIs) are practical and effective approximation operators. Among their remarkable properties, let us cite for example: good shape properties, easy computation and evaluation (no linear system to solve), uniform boundedness independently of the degree (polynomials) or of the partition (splines), good approximation order. We shall emphasize new results on various types of univariate and multivariate polynomial or spline QIs, depending on the nature of coefficient functionals, which can be differential, discrete or integral. We shall also present some applications of QIs to numerical methods

The 3-Band Hubbard-Model versus the 1-Band Model for the high-Tc Cuprates: Pairing Dynamics, Superconductivity and the Ground-State Phase Diagram

One central challenge in high-$T_c$ superconductivity (SC) is to derive a detailed understanding for the specific role of the $Cu$-$d_{x^2-y^2}$ and $O$-$p_{x,y}$ orbital degrees of freedom. In most theoretical studies an effective one-band Hubbard (1BH) or t-J model has been used. Here, the physics is that of doping into a Mott-insulator, whereas the actual high-$T_c$ cuprates are doped charge-transfer insulators. To shed light on the related question, where the material-dependent physics enters, we compare the competing magnetic and superconducting phases in the ground state, the single- and two-particle excitations and, in particular, the pairing interaction and its dynamics in the three-band Hubbard (3BH) and 1BH-models. Using a cluster embedding scheme, i.e. the variational cluster approach (VCA), we find which frequencies are relevant for pairing in the two models as a function of interaction strength and doping: in the 3BH-models the interaction in the low- to optimal-doping regime is dominated by retarded pairing due to low-energy spin fluctuations with surprisingly little influence of inter-band (p-d charge) fluctuations. On the other hand, in the 1BH-model, in addition a part comes from "high-energy" excited states (Hubbard band), which may be identified with a non-retarded contribution. We find these differences between a charge-transfer and a Mott insulator to be renormalized away for the ground-state phase diagram of the 3BH- and 1BH-models, which are in close overall agreement, i.e. are "universal". On the other hand, we expect the differences - and thus, the material dependence to show up in the "non-universal" finite-T phase diagram ($T_c$-values).Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure

Interchangeability of position tracking technologies; can we merge the data?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the interchangeability of position tracking metrics obtained using global positioning systems (GPS) versus those obtained by a semi-automatic high definition (HD) optical camera system. Methods: Data was collected from a cohort of 29 elite soccer players (age: 23.1 ± 5.1 years, height: 180.4 ± 5.8 cm, mass: 74.6 ± 6.7 kg) in four matches played in four different stadiums. In two matches 10Hz GPS (GPS-1, StatSports, Belfast, UK) were used, while in the other two matches augmented 10Hz GPS (GPS-2, StatSports, Belfast, UK) were used. All four matches were analysed concomitantly using six semi-automated HD motion cameras sampling at 25Hz (TRACAB, Chyronhego, New York, USA). Results: Mean bias was between 6-10% for GPS-1 and 1-4% for GPS-2 respectively. No proportional bias was found (p > 0.184). The SEE within calibration functions (expressed in % to mean) was between 5-22% for GPS-1 and 4-14% for GPS-2. While some significant differences existed between GPS-1 and TRACAB (total distance and high-speed), positional tracking variables were highly correlated between GPS-1, GPS-2 and TRACAB (r2 > 0.92) with GPS-2 displaying stronger correlations (> r2 = 0.96). Conclusion: In the present study augmented GPS technology (GPS-2) and the TRACAB camera system provided interchangeable measures of positional tracking metrics to allow concurrent assessment and monitoring of training and competition in soccer players. However, we recommend practitioners evaluate their own systems to identify where errors exist and re-calibrate accordingly to confidently interchange data

HiFlo-DAT: Indian Himalayan Flood Database, for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Kullu District

‘HiFlo-DAT’ is an ongoing bi-lateral research project (UK and India, UGC-UKIERI funded, 2018-2020), focussing on historical floods in the Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, Indian Himalaya. The project team, comprising academic and state/district disaster management authorities, are together developing a new historical flood hazard database as a foundation for improved disaster risk management functions in the region. This is necessary as current management relies on incomplete knowledge of past flood event occurrence, bringing elevated exposure/ risk to development. The HiFlo-DAT database provides a step-change, drawing on extensive mining of archive materials held in private and public collections in India, UK and USA. These materials include newspapers, government reports/ registers, diaries, books, academic articles etc. Most extensive are English language Indian region newspapers, of which we have amassed overlapping holdings over 184 years (1835 to present), totalling c. 150,000 pages. Our acquisition includes coverage of annual periods where publications are digitally searchable (e.g. The Tribune, The Times of India, The Indian Express). In contrast, where archives remain in an analogue microfilm format (e.g. The Civil and Military Gazette, The Friend of India) we restricted data searches to monsoon season months (i.e. July to September) given this is the typical window for floods in the Western Himalaya. The HiFlo-DAT database architecture takes account of best practice, having systematically reviewed global (most commonly European) flood database research in the last c. 30 years, in regard to database structure, data entry/verification protocols, analytical foci and societal impact. HiFlo-DAT has 103 possible entry categories for each event record, which are aggregated into 11 principal groups (i.e. database management, citation information, timing/ duration, location, causation and hydro-meteorological magnitude, channel/ catchment geomorphological impacts, damage/ destruction/ costs, human casualties, pre-event actions, event response, post-event actions). The bi-lateral review of source materials and population of the database are governed by an agreed set of protocols. Initial analyses are focussing on: (1) event spatial/ temporal/ impact signatures; (2) the relationship between flood occurrence and rainfall conditions. The latter makes use of a unique long-term daily rainfall series for Naggar Farm, being compiled from British government records (1891-1950) and current IARI data (1962 to present). HiFlo-DAT is designed with capacity for future updating, and will be open access via the BathSPAdata repository and HPSDMA website

The delivery of personalised, precision medicines via synthetic proteins

Introduction: The design of advanced drug delivery systems based on synthetic and su-pramolecular chemistry has been very successful. Liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx®), and liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome®), estradiol topical emulsion (EstrasorbTM) as well as soluble or erodible polymer systems such as pegaspargase (Oncaspar®) or goserelin acetate (Zoladex®) represent considerable achievements. The Problem: As deliverables have evolved from low molecular weight drugs to biologics (currently representing approximately 30% of the market), so too have the demands made of advanced drug delivery technology. In parallel, the field of membrane trafficking (and endocytosis) has also matured. The trafficking of specific receptors i.e. material to be recycled or destroyed, as well as the trafficking of protein toxins has been well characterized. This, in conjunction with an ability to engineer synthetic, recombinant proteins provides several possibilities. The Solution: The first is using recombinant proteins as drugs i.e. denileukin diftitox (Ontak®) or agalsidase beta (Fabrazyme®). The second is the opportunity to use protein toxin architecture to reach targets that are not normally accessible. This may be achieved by grafting regulatory domains from multiple species to form synthetic proteins, engineered to do multiple jobs. Examples include access to the nucleocytosolic compartment. Herein the use of synthetic proteins for drug delivery has been reviewed