Biomarkers of inflammatory arthritis and proteomics

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Integrated disease and pest control in Irish mushroom tunnels.

End of Project ReportThis project set out, in the year 1999, to develop and disseminate an integrated pest and diseases management system for mushrooms. The project was a natural successor to project 4095 (Chemical and Biological Control of Mushroom Pests and Diseases). The main objective was to research and bring together information on efficient methods of control and to put this information into a suitable blueprint to enable Irish growers achieve satisfactory disease and pest control with minimal pesticide usage. Factors identified for improved disease control include: (1) Avoidance of soil contamination including dust in the growing unit (2) Protection of new casing (3)Good hygienic practices (4) Use of spore grade filters on the air intake (5) Good fly control. People and flies are efficient disease carriers (6) Early detection and eradication (7) Suitable procedures when emptying tunnels (8) Use of steam cookout. Factors identified for improved pest control include: (1) Protection of newly spawned compost (2) Exclusion by screening air inlets and vents (3) Proper sealing of tunnels and closing doors promptly (4) Early detection by monitoring (5) Judicious use of approved pesticides (6) Biological control methods (7) Early termination of infested cropsEuropean Union Structural Funds (EAGGF

Fluctuating local moments, itinerant electrons and the magnetocaloric effect: the compositional hypersensitivity of FeRh

We describe an ab-initio Disordered Local Moment Theory for materials with quenched static compositional disorder traversing first order magnetic phase transitions. It accounts quantitatively for metamagnetic changes and the magnetocaloric effect. For perfect stoichiometric B2-ordered FeRh, we calculate the transition temperature of the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition to be $T_t =$ 495K and a maximum isothermal entropy change in 2 Tesla of $|\Delta S|= 21.1$ J~K$^{-1}$~kg$^{-1}$. A large (40\%) component of $|\Delta S|$ is electronic. The transition results from a fine balance of competing electronic effects which is disturbed by small compositional changes - e.g. swapping just 2\% Fe of `defects' onto the Rh sublattice makes $T_t$ drop by 290K. This hypersensitivity explains the narrow compositional range of the transition and impurity doping effects.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Torque magnetometry study of the spin reorientation transition and temperature-dependent magnetocrystalline anisotropy in NdCo5

We present the results of torque magnetometry and magnetic susceptibility measurements to study in detail the spin reorientation transition (SRT) and magnetic anisotropy in the permanent magnet NdCo5. We further show simulations of the measurements using first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory and the disordered local moment picture of magnetism at finite temperatures. The good agreement between theory and experimental data leads to a detailed description of the physics underpinning the SRT. In particular we are able to resolve the magnetization of, and to reveal a canting between, the Nd and Co sublattices. The torque measurements carried out in the ac and ab planes near the easy direction allow us to estimate the anisotropy constants, K 1, K 2 and K 4 and their temperature dependences. Torque curves, τ(γ) recorded by varying the direction of a constant magnetic field in the crystallographic ac plane show a reversal in the polarity as the temperature is changed across the SRT (240 < T < 285 K). Within this domain, τ(γ) exhibits unusual features different to those observed above and below the transition. The single crystals of NdCo5 were grown using the optical floating zone technique

Tunability of the spin reorientation transitions with pressure in NdCo5

We present pressure-dependent magnetization measurements carried out in the domain of the spin reorientation transitions (SRTs) of a NdCo5 single crystal. The application of a hydrostatic pressure leads to a shift in the SRTs to higher temperatures. This shift is found to be very sensitive to pressure, with the SRT temperatures increasing at a rate of ≈17 K/GPa. To explain the experimental results, we have also performed first-principles calculations of the SRT temperatures for different applied strains, which corroborate the experimental findings. The calculations attribute the pressure dependence of the SRTs to a faster weakening of the Co contribution to the magnetocrystalline anisotropy with pressure compared to the Nd contribution

The onset of magnetic order in fcc-Fe films on Cu(100)

On the basis of a first-principles electronic structure theory of finite temperature metallic magnetism in layered materials, we investigate the onset of magnetic order in thin (2-8 layers) fcc-Fe films on Cu(100) substrates. The nature of this ordering is altered when the systems are capped with copper. Indeed we find an oscillatory dependence of the Curie temperatures as a function of Cu-cap thickness, in excellent agreement with experimental data. The thermally induced spin-fluctuations are treated within a mean-field disordered local moment (DLM) picture and give rise to layer-dependent `local exchange splittings' in the electronic structure even in the paramagnetic phase. These features determine the magnetic intra- and interlayer interactions which are strongly influenced by the presence and extent of the Cu cap.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Chemical and biological control of mushroom pests and diseases.

End of Project ReportThis study set out to determine the occurrence of diseases and pests in Irish mushroom units and their method of control using chemical, biological and other means of control. It also examined the role of a combination of these methods to enable control with minimal pesticide input. It was found that pesticides alone will never give effective disease and pest control and that they should only be considered an adjunct to the implementation of other methods. They include: (1) Exclusion (2) Containment of spread (3) Elimination. A major factor in good disease and pest control was found to be the implementation of a good programme of hygiene which must be followed from the time of filling a tunnel to the time of emptying after cropping. Biological systems offer good potential for control but at present are not as effective as the best chemical control methods.European Union Structural Funds (EAGGF