Designing a fully compensated half-metallic ferrimagnet

Recent experimental work on Mn2RuxGa demonstrates its potential as a compensated ferrimagnetic half-metal (CFHM). Here we present a set of high-throughput ab initio density functional theory calculations and detailed experimental characterisation, that enable us to correctly describe the nominal Mn2RuxGa thin films, in particular with regard to site-disorder and defects. We then construct models that accurately capture all the key features of the Mn-Ru-Ga system, including magnetic compensation and the spin gap at the Fermi level. We find that electronic doping is neccessary, which is achieved with a Mn/Ga ratio smaller than two. Our study shows how composition and substrate-induced biaxial strain can be combined to design a ferrimagnetic half-metal with a compensation point close to room temperature

Ecological observations on an East-African bat community

The stricture and ecology of bat faunas is a subject of interest to mammalogists (Findley, 1976; Wilson, 1973). Syntopic African bat communities, however, have received little study in comparison with neotropical faunas (cf. Fleming et al., 1972 ; LaVal and Fitch, 1977; McNab, 1971). Verschuren (1957) presented natural history information and species accounts for a localized central African bat fauna. Foraging related characteristics of a Rhodesian community have also been analyzed (Fenton, 1975; Fenton et al., 1977), but not on a seasonal basis. Other reports on African bat faunas are restricted to regional summaries (cf. Koopman, 1975 or Rosevear, 1965) and do not consider ecological aspects of a single localized community. The purpose of our study was to follow species composition, reproduction, and foraging related characteristics of an East African bat fauna over a full annual cycle

Santa Clara Demonstration Status

Fuel Cell Engineering Corporation (FCE) is in the fourth year of a DOE Cooperative Agreement Program (private-sector cost-shared) aimed at the demonstration of ERC's direct carbonate fuel cell (DFC) technology at full scale. FCE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Research Corporation (ERC), which has been pursuing the development of the DFC for commercialization near the end of this decade. The DFC produces power directly from hydrocarbon fuels electrochemically, without the need for external reforming or intermediate mechanical conversion steps. As a result, the DFC has the potential to achieve very high efficiency with very low levels of environmental emissions. Modular DFC power plants, which can be shop-fabricated and sited near the user, are ideally suited for distributed generation, cogeneration, industrial, and defense applications. This project is an integral part of the ERC effort to commercialize the technology to serve these applications. Potential users of the commercial DFC power plant under development at ERC will require that the technology be demonstrated at or near the full scale of the commercial products. The objective of the Santa Clara Demonstration Project (SCDP) is to provide the first such demonstration of the technology. The approach ERC has taken in the commercialization of the DFC is described in detail elsewhere [1]. Briefly, an aggressive core technology development program is in place which is focused by ongoing contact with customers and vendors to optimize the design of the commercial power plant. ERC has selected a 2.85 MW power plant unit for initial market entry. Two ERC subsidiaries are supporting the commercialization effort: The Fuel Cell Manufacturing Corporation (FCMC) and the Fuel Cell Engineering Corporation (FCE). FCMC manufactures carbonate stacks and multi-stack modules, currently from its manufacturing facility in Torrington, CT. FCE is responsible for power plant design, integration of all subsystems, sales/marketing, and client services. The commercial product specifications have been developed by working closely with the Fuel Cell Commercialization Group (FCCG). FCCG members include municipal utilities, rural electric co-ops, and investor owned utilities who have expressed interest in being the initial purchasers of the first commercial DFC power plants. The utility participants in the SCDP have been drawn from the membership of FCCG. FCE is serving as the prime contractor for the design, construction, and testing of the SCDP Plant, and FCMC has manufactured the multi-stack submodules used in the DC power section of the plant. Fluor Daniel Inc. (FDI) served as the architect-engineer for the design and construction of the plant, and also provided support to the design of the multi-stack submodules. FDI is also assisting the ERC companies in commercial power plant design

Studying manganese carbonyl photochemistry in a permanently porous metal–organic framework

First published 15 Aug 2023. OnlinePublMn(diimine)(CO)₃X (X = halide) complexes are critical components of chromophores, photo- and electrocatalysts, and photoactive CO-releasing molecules (photoCORMs). While these entities have been incorporated into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a detailed understanding of the photochemical and chemical processes that occur in a permanently porous support is lacking. Here we site-isolate and study the photochemistry of a Mn(diimine)(CO)₃Br moiety anchored within a permanently porous MOF support, allowing for not only the photo-liberation of CO from the metal but also its escape from the MOF crystals. In addition, the high crystallinity and structural flexibility of the MOF allows crystallographic snapshots of the photolysis products to be obtained. We report these photo-crystallographic studies in the presence of coordinating solvents, THF and acetonitrile, showing the changing coordination environment of the Mn species as CO loss proceeds. Using time resolved experiments, we report complementary spectroscopic studies of the photolysis chemistry and characterize the final photolysis product as a possible Mn(II) entity. These studies inform the chemistry that occurs in MOF-based photoCORMs and where these moieties are employed as catalysts.Rosemary J. Young, Michael T. Huxley, Lingjun Wu, Jack Hart, James O'Shea, Christian J. Doonan, Neil R. Champness and Christopher J. Sumb

Cross-sectional surveillance study to phenotype lorry drivers’ sedentary behaviours, physical activity and cardio-metabolic health

Objectives Elevated risk factors for a number of chronic diseases have been identified in lorry drivers. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as a lack of physical activity (PA) and high levels of sedentary behaviour (sitting) likely contribute to this elevated risk. This study behaviourally phenotyped UK lorry drivers’ sedentary and non-sedentary behaviours during workdays and non-workdays and examined markers of drivers cardio-metabolic health.Setting A transport company from the East Midlands, UK. Participants A sample of 159 male heavy goods vehicle drivers (91% white European; (median (range)) age: 50 (24, 67) years) completed the health assessments. 87 (age: 50.0 (25.0, 65.0); body mass index (BMI): 27.7 (19.6, 43.4) kg/m2) provided objective information on sedentary and non-sedentary time.Outcomes Participants self-reported their sociodemographic information. Primary outcomes: sedentary behaviour and PA, assessed over 7 days using an activPAL3 inclinometer. Cardio-metabolic markers included: blood pressure (BP), heart rate, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, body composition and fasted capillary blood glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipopreotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) levels. These cardio-metabolic markers were treated as secondary outcomes.Results Lorry drivers presented an unhealthy cardio-metabolic health profile (median (IQR) systolic BP: 129 (108.5, 164) mm Hg; diastolic BP: 81 (63, 104) mm Hg; BMI: 29 (20, 47) kg/m2; WC: 102 (77.5, 146.5) cm; LDL-C: 3 (1, 6) mmol/L; TC: 4.9 (3, 7.5) mmol/L). 84% were overweight or obese, 43% had type 2 diabetes or prediabetes and 34% had the metabolic syndrome. The subsample of lorry drivers with objective postural data (n=87) accumulated 13 hours/day and 8 hours/day of sedentary behaviour on workdays and non-workdays (p<0.001), respectively. On average, drivers accrued 12 min/day on workdays and 6 min/day on non-workdays of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA).Conclusion Lorry drivers demonstrate a high-risk cardio-metabolic profile and are highly sedentary and physically inactive. Interventions to reduce sitting and increase MVPA during breaks and leisure time to improve cardio-metabolic health are urgently needed. Educational programmes to raise awareness about diet and exercise are recommended.%U http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/7/6/e013162.full.pd

JAK inhibition differentially affects NK cell and ILC1 homeostasis

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are widely used in the treatment of multiple autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Immunologic and transcriptomic profiling have revealed major alterations on natural killer (NK) cell homeostasis associated with JAK inhibitions, while information on other innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) is still lacking. Herein, we observed that, in mice, the homeostatic pool of liver ILC1 was less affected by JAK inhibitors compared to the pool of NK cells present in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. JAK inhibition had overlapping effects on the transcriptome of both subsets, mainly affecting genes regulating cell cycle and apoptosis. However, the differential impact of JAK inhibition was linked to the high levels of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl2 expressed by ILC1. Our findings provide mechanistic explanations for the effects of JAK inhibitors on NK cells and ILC1 which could be of major clinically relevance

Network analysis of host-virus communities in bats and rodents reveals determinants of cross-species transmission.

Bats are natural reservoirs of several important emerging viruses. Cross-species transmission appears to be quite common among bats, which may contribute to their unique reservoir potential. Therefore, understanding the importance of bats as reservoirs requires examining them in a community context rather than concentrating on individual species. Here, we use a network approach to identify ecological and biological correlates of cross-species virus transmission in bats and rodents, another important host group. We show that given our current knowledge the bat viral sharing network is more connected than the rodent network, suggesting viruses may pass more easily between bat species. We identify host traits associated with important reservoir species: gregarious bats are more likely to share more viruses and bats which migrate regionally are important for spreading viruses through the network. We identify multiple communities of viral sharing within bats and rodents and highlight potential species traits that can help guide studies of novel pathogen emergence.This work was supported by the Research and Policy for Infectious Disease Dynamics (RAPIDD) program of the Science and Technology Directorate (US Department of Homeland Security) and the Fogarty International Center (National Institutes of Health). D.T.S.H. acknowledges funding from a David H. Smith post-doctoral fellowship. A.A.C. is partially funded by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit award, and J.L.N.W. is supported by the Alborada Trust. Thanks to Paul Cryan and Michael O'Donnell of the USGS Fort Collins Science Center for help with species distribution analyses.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.1249

Towards UK poSt Arthroplasty Follow-up rEcommendations (UK SAFE): protocol for an evaluation of the requirements for arthroplasty follow-up, and the production of consensus-based recommendations

Introduction: Hip and knee arthroplasties have revolutionised the management of degenerative joint diseases and, due to an ageing population, are becoming increasingly common. Follow-up of joint prostheses is to identify problems in symptomatic or asymptomatic patients due to infection, osteolysis, bone loss or potential peri-prosthetic fracture, enabling timely intervention to prevent catastrophic failure at a later date. Early revision is usually more straight-forward surgically and less traumatic for the patient. However, routine long-term follow-up is costly and requires considerable clinical time. Therefore, some centres in the UK have curtailed this aspect of primary hip and knee arthroplasty services, doing so without an evidence-base that such disinvestment is clinically- or cost-effective. Methods: Given the timeline from joint replacement to revision, conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to determine potential consequences of disinvestment in hip and knee arthroplasty follow-up is not feasible. Furthermore the low revision rates of modern prostheses, less than 10% at 10 years, would necessitate thousands of patients to adequately power such a study. The huge variation in follow-up practice across the UK also limits the generalisability of an RCT. This study will therefore use a mixed-methods approach to examine the requirements for arthroplasty follow-up and produce evidence- and consensus-based recommendations as to how, when and on whom follow-up should be conducted. Four interconnected work packages will be completed: 1) a systematic literature review; 2a) analysis of routinely-collected NHS data from five national datasets to understand when and which patients present for revision surgery; 2b) prospective data regarding how patients currently present for revision surgery; 3) economic modelling to simulate long-term costs and quality-adjusted life years associated with different follow-up care models; 4) a Delphi-consensus process, involving all stakeholders, to develop a policy document which includes a stratification algorithm to determine appropriate follow-up care for an individual patient

Process of assay selection and optimization for the study of case and control samples from a phase IIb efficacy trial of a candidate tuberculosis vaccine, MVA85A.

The first phase IIb safety and efficacy trial of a new tuberculosis vaccine since that for BCG was completed in October 2012. BCG-vaccinated South African infants were randomized to receive modified vaccinia virus Ankara, expressing the Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 85A (MVA85A), or placebo. MVA85A did not significantly boost the protective effect of BCG. Cryopreserved samples provide a unique opportunity for investigating the correlates of the risk of tuberculosis disease in this population. Due to the limited amount of sample available from each infant, preliminary work was necessary to determine which assays and conditions give the most useful information. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were stimulated with antigen 85A (Ag85A) and purified protein derivative from M. tuberculosis in an ex vivo gamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISpot) and a Ki67 proliferation assay. The effects of a 2-h or overnight rest of thawed PBMC on ELISpot responses and cell populations were determined. Both the ELISpot and Ki67 assays detected differences between the MVA85A and placebo groups, and the results correlated well. The cell numbers and ELISpot responses decreased significantly after an overnight rest, and surface flow cytometry showed a significant loss of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Of the infants tested, 50% had a positive ELISpot response to a single pool of flu, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) (FEC) peptides. This pilot work has been essential in determining the assays and conditions to be used in the correlate study. Moving forward, PBMC will be rested for 2 h before assay setup. The ELISpot assay, performed in duplicate, will be selected over the Ki67 assay, and further work is needed to evaluate the effect of high FEC responses on vaccine-induced immunity and susceptibility to tuberculosis disease