Long-Lived Magnetization in an Atomic Spin Chain Tuned to a Diabolic Point.

Scaling magnets down to where quantum size effects become prominent triggers quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM), profoundly influencing magnetization dynamics. Measuring magnetization switching in an Fe atomic chain under a carefully tuned transverse magnetic field, we observe a nonmonotonic variation of magnetization lifetimes around a level crossing, known as the diabolic point (DP). Near DPs, local environment effects causing QTM are efficiently suppressed, enhancing lifetimes by three orders of magnitude.

The UK's pandemic preparedness and early response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article focuses on the UK's pre-COVID 19 pandemic preparedness and its early response to the COVID-19 pandemic (January '20 - March '20). The aim of this article is to explain the high excess mortality the UK experienced compared to many of its international and European peers in the first wave, which is contrary to the country's high ranking in pre-COVID-19 preparedness rankings. The article assesses the various components of pre-COVID-19 pandemic preparedness such as pandemic strategy, exercises, and stockpiles, and it covers government decision making processes on the early response, including questions around post-travel quarantining, test and trace, and mobility restrictions.

T-cell dysfunction in CLL is mediated through expression of Siglec-10 ligands CD24 and CD52 on CLL cells.

Autologous T-cell-based therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, exhibit low success rates in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and correlate with a dysfunctional T-cell phenotype observed in patients. Despite various proposed mechanisms of T-cell dysfunction in CLL, the specific CLL-derived factors responsible remain unidentified. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms through which CLL cells suppress CAR T-cell activation and function.

Designing Complex Tapestries with Photography-Inspired Manipulation of Self-Organized Thin-Films.

Thin-films patterned with complex motifs are of fundamental interest because of their advanced optical, mechanical and electronic properties, but fabrication of these materials remains challenging. Self-organization strategies, such as immersion controlled reaction-diffusion patterning, have shown great potential for production of patterned thin-films. However, the autonomous nature of such processes limits controllable pattern customizability and complexity.

Lessons from COVID-19 for GCR governance: a research agenda.

The Lessons from Covid-19 Research Agenda offers a structure to study the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic response from a Global Catastrophic Risk (GCR) perspective. The agenda sets out the aims of our study, which is to investigate the key decisions and actions (or failures to decide or to act) that significantly altered the course of the pandemic, with the aim of improving disaster preparedness and response in the future. It also asks how we can transfer these lessons to other areas of (potential) global catastrophic risk management such as extreme climate change, radical loss of biodiversity and the governance of extreme risks posed by new technologies.

Cation Exchange and Spontaneous Crystal Repair Resulting in Ultrathin, Planar CdS Nanosheets.

Cation exchange has become a major postsynthetic tool to obtain nanocrystals with a combination of stoichiometry, size, and shape that is challenging to achieve by direct wet-chemical synthesis. Here, we report on the transformation of highly anisotropic, ultrathin, and planar PbS nanosheets into CdS nanosheets of the same dimensions. We monitor the evolution of the Cd-for-Pb exchange by TEM, HAADF-STEM, and EDX.

Ectopic expression of cGAS in enhances STING-mediated IFN-β response in human macrophages and dendritic cells.

Background: Interferon (IFN)-β induction via activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has shown promising results in tumor models. STING is activated by cyclic dinucleotides such as cyclic GMP-AMP dinucleotides with phosphodiester linkages 2'-5' and 3'-5' (cGAMPs), that are produced by cyclic GMP-AMP synthetase (cGAS). However, delivery of STING pathway agonists to the tumor site is a challenge.

Redirecting T-cell Activity with Anti-BCMA/Anti-CD3 Bispecific Antibodies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Other B-cell Lymphomas.

Unlabelled: T-cell redirecting bispecific antibodies hold high promise for treatment of B-cell malignancies. B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) exhibits high expression on normal and malignant mature B cells including plasma cells, which can be enhanced by inhibition of γ-secretase. BCMA is considered a validated target in multiple myeloma but whether mature B-cell lymphomas can be targeted by the BCMAxCD3 T-cell redirector teclistamab is currently unknown.

Expression of glucose transporters in the endometrium and early conceptus membranes of the horse.

Introduction: Glucose is the primary energy substrate for early conceptus development and, for the first 40 days of gestation, the equine conceptus depends solely on glucose available in the histotroph; thereafter, histotrophic glucose provision continues to support transport across the definitive placenta.

Methods: To investigate glucose provision routes during early equine pregnancy we examined expression of glucose transporters in conceptus membranes and endometrium recovered on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 after ovulation. To further differentiate the contributions of maternal progesterone priming and conceptus-endometrium crosstalk in regulating glucose transporter expression, day 8 embryos were transferred to recipient mares on day 8 (synchronous) or day 3 (asynchronous) after ovulation; conceptuses and endometrium were recovered 6 or 11 days later.

Amino acid transporter expression in the endometrium and conceptus membranes during early equine pregnancy.

Maternally derived amino acids (AA) are essential for early conceptus development, and specific transporters enhance histotrophic AA content during early ruminant pregnancy. In the present study we investigated AA transporter expression in early equine conceptuses and endometrium, during normal pregnancy and after induction of embryo-uterus asynchrony. 'Normal' conceptuses and endometrium were recovered on Days 7, 14, 21 and 28 after ovulation.

Surgical dislocation of the hip and the management of femoroacetabular impingement: results of the Christchurch experience.

Background: Surgical dislocation of the hip has been developed to deal with the problems causing femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). This is a relatively recent procedure that was historically reserved for larger areas specializing in hip surgery.

Methods: We hypothesized that surgical dislocation can be used for symptomatic FAI in a typical Australasian tertiary orthopaedic centre with acceptable results.

Computed tomography assessment of hip joints in asymptomatic individuals in relation to femoroacetabular impingement.

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement has become a well-recognized entity predisposing to acetabular labral tears and chondral damage, and subsequently development of osteoarthritis of the hip joint. In the authors' experience, it is common to see bony abnormalities predisposing to femoroacetabular impingement in the contralateral asymptomatic hips in patients with unilateral femoroacetabular impingement.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of bony abnormalities predisposing to femoroacetabular impingement in asymptomatic individuals without exposing study participants to unnecessary radiation.

Blockade of intragraft IL-2 receptor-alpha by basiliximab is insufficient to prevent activation of liver graft infiltrating cells.

Treatment with basiliximab, a CD25 (Interleukin-2 receptor-alpha; IL-2Ralpha)-blocking human-murine chimeric antibody, reduces the incidence of acute rejections after organ transplantation, but rejection is not completely prevented. We investigated whether rejections during basiliximab treatment were due to insufficient exposure to the antibody or to incomplete blockade of intragraft CD25, and whether CD25-blockade affected activation of liver transplant infiltrating cells. Twenty-seven basiliximab-treated liver transplant recipients and seven patients not treated with basiliximab, from which post-transplant liver biopsies were available, were retrospectively selected for this study.

Severe necrotising soft tissue infections in orthopaedic surgery.

Purpose: To review all cases of necrotising infection managed in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Dunedin Hospital in New Zealand between 1989 and 1998.

Methods: Hospital records were analysed for predisposing factors, clinical features, diagnostic results, treatment strategies, and outcomes.

Results: 13 cases (9 males and 4 females) of necrotising infection were identified.

Technique for arthroscopic assisted revision hip arthroplasty.

We describe a new technique in which the arthroscope is used to assist the preparation of the cement mantle for cemented revision hip arthroplasty. We present two case reports demonstrating the method and its rationale.

Cells expressing dendritic cell markers are present in the rheumatoid nodule.

Objective: To determine if dendritic antigen-presenting cells (DC) are present in rheumatoid nodules, as has been reported in the synovial lesions of rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: Nodules (n = 14) were examined with monoclonal antibodies (Mab) recognizing the DC differentiation/activation markers CD83, CMRF44, and CMRF56 and an antibody recognizing the CD1a antigen present on epithelial tissue associated DC. Results.

Chloroquine therapy in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis: the clinical response can be predicted by the low level of acute-phase reaction at baseline.

If rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with a mild disease course could be identified early in the phase of the disease, therapy with less aggressive and probably less toxic antirheumatic drugs seems to be rational. The aim of this study was to investigate which factors at baseline could predict a clinical response (American College of Rheumatology preliminary response criteria) after treatment with chloroquine for 16 weeks. Two hundred and three early RA patients with active disease were treated with oral chloroquine sulphate (Nivaquine) at a daily dose of 300 mg during the first 4 weeks, 200 mg during the second 4 weeks and 100 mg thereafter.

Combination therapy in recent onset rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized double blind trial of the addition of low dose cyclosporine to patients treated with low dose chloroquine.

Objective: To investigate whether there is interaction between chloroquine and cyclosporine (CyA) at the level of efficacy and toxicity in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Eighty-eight patients with recent onset RA, who had shown a suboptimal clinical response on low dose chloroquine monotherapy, were randomly assigned to additional treatment with placebo, CyA 1.25 mg/kg/day, or CyA 2.

Chickenpox monoarthritis: demonstration of varicella-zoster virus in joint fluid by polymerase chain reaction.

A case of chickenpox monoarthritis is described. The presence of varicella zoster virus (VZV) within the joint was demonstrated by the detection of viral DNA in synovial fluid at a time when peripheral blood cells were negative. This strongly suggests a direct role of VZV in causing monoarthritis complicating chickenpox.

The management of splenic rupture in infectious mononucleosis.

Non-operative management of splenic trauma is now well established; however, the role of conservative management in spontaneous splenic rupture is undetermined. The leading cause of spontaneous splenic rupture is infectious mononucleosis. We report on the management of four patients with spontaneous rupture, in association with infectious mononucleosis.

Necrotising fasciitis: a single centre's experience.

Aims: Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but serious soft tissue infection with high morbidity and mortality. We wished to review our 5 year experience with this condition 1989-94. In addition, in light of recent interest in the association between necrotising fasciitis and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, we wished to determine the incidence of NSAID use in our necrotising fasciitis patients.

Cyclosporine in common clinical practice: an estimation of the benefit/risk ratio in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To investigate in common clinical practice the toxicity/efficacy ratio of low dose cyclosporine A (CsA) in patients with advanced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after 12 months CsA administration.

Methods: One hundred and two patients with RA were included in the study. The initial dose of CsA was 2.