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Abstract: In SrCoO3–δ (SC)-based mixed conductors, cation substitution is necessary to stabilize the high-oxygen permeable perovskite structure, but the dose of the substitution should be minimized to avoid degradation of permeability. To clarify the relation between the substitutional cation and the perovskite stability of the mixed conductor, SC-based oxides, (La0.1Sr0.9)CoO3–δ and Sr(Co0.9X0.1)O3–δ where X was Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Fe, Al, Ga, In, Ce, Ti, Zr, Sn, V and Nb, were studied. The appearance of the low oxygen permeable 2H–BaNiO3-type SrCoO2.52 phase during the preparation of the powder samples or post-annealing in oxygen was investigated and the tendency to transform to the hexagonal phase was evaluated. The sequence of the perovskite stability upon the substituting cation for SC was Thermogravimetry revealed that a rise in the valence of the substitutional cation increases the oxygen content, 3–δ, and enhances the stability of the perovskite structure. Oxygen permeability of the ceramic disk samples of SC, (La0.1Sr0.9)CoO3–δ (LaSC), Sr(Co0.9Fe0.1)O3–δ (SCFe), Sr(Co0.9Ti0.1)O3–δ (SCTi), Sr(Co0.9Nb0.1)O3–δ (SCNb) and Sr(Co0.8Fe0.2)O3–δ (SCF1082) were measured: the order of oxygen permeability at 900 °C was Comparison of the sequence of the perovskite stability and oxygen permeability suggests that oxygen permeability is not in a trade-off relation against the stability of the perovskite phase. Within the measured samples, SCNb exhibited the highest stability of the perovskite structure, the highest oxygen permeability of 4.24 cm3/min/cm2 at 900 °C, good gas-tightness and steady thermal expansion of 22.8 ppm/°C. Niobium substitution on the Co-site was found for the first time to be effective in preparing an SrCoO3–δ based mixed conductor for application as an oxygen separation membrane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A powder sample of body-centered tetragonal Ni2N in a single phase was prepared by a high rate-type triode dc reactive sputtering and the magnetic properties have been reinvestigated. It is confirmed that Ni2N is not a ferromagnet. However, the material is not a simple paramagnet either and shows a weak spin-glass-like behavior at low temperatures with a freezing temperature of about 8K. Posible origins of the behavior are discussed. Band-structure calculations are reported to see the stability of the nonmagnetic ground state of bct Ni2N against lattice expansion and appearance of nitrogen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The temperature dependence of the resonance frequency of 59Co NMR in a ferromagnetic Heusler alloy, Co2FeSi, in zero applied field is reported. The temperature dependence in the range 4.2–300K has been found to be well described by with , and , which corresponds to the spin-wave stiffness constant D of 2.60meVnm2. The behavior is roughly in agreement with the temperature dependence of the macroscopic magnetization and is consistent with the dominance of the spin-wave excitations in Co2FeSi at low temperatures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Experimental studies into the forced magnetostriction, magnetization, and temperature dependence of permeability in Ni 2 MnIn and Ni 2 MnSn ferromagnetic Heusler alloys were performed according to the spin fluctuation theory of itinerant ferromagnetism proposed by Takahashi. We investigated the magnetic field ( H ) dependence of magnetization ( M ) at the Curie temperature T C , and at T = 4.2 K, which concerns the ground state of the ferromagnetic state. The M - H result at T C was analyzed by means of the H versus M 5 dependence. At 4.2 K, it was investigated by means of an Arrott plot ( H / M vs. M 2 ) according to Takahashi's theory. As for Ni 2 MnIn and Ni 2 MnSn, the spin fluctuation parameters in k -space (momentum space, T A ) and that in energy space (frequency space, T 0 ) obtained at T C and 4.2 K were almost the same. The average values obtained at T C and 4.2 K were T A = 342 K, T 0 = 276 K for Ni 2 MnIn and T A = 447 K, T 0 = 279 K for Ni 2 MnSn, respectively. The forced magnetostriction at T C was also investigated. The forced linear magnetostriction (Δ L / L ) and the forced volume magnetostriction (Δ V / V ) were proportional to M 4 , which followed Takahashi's theory. We compared the forced volume magnetostriction Δ V / V and mechanical parameter, bulk modulus K . Δ V / V is inversely proportional to K . We also discuss the spin polarization of Ni 2 MnIn and other magnetic Heusler alloys. The p C / p S of Ni 2 MnIn was 0.860. This is comparable with that of Co 2 MnGa, which is a famous half-metallic alloy.

In this article, we review the magnetostriction and magneto-volume effects of Ni 2 MnGa-type ferromagnetic Heusler alloys at the martensitic, premartensitic, and austenitic phases. The correlations of forced magnetostriction (ΔV/V) and magnetization ( M ), using the self-consistent renormalization (SCR) spin fluctuation theory of an itinerant electron ferromagnet proposed by Takahashi, are evaluated for the ferromagnetic Heusler alloys. The magneto-volume effect occurs due to the interaction between the magnetism and volume change of the magnetic crystals. The magnetic field-induced strain (referred to as forced magnetostriction) and the magnetization are measured, and the correlation of magnetostriction and magnetization is evaluated. The forced volume magnetostriction ΔV/V at the Curie temperature, T C is proportional to M 4 , and the plots cross the origin point; that is, ( M 4 , ΔV/V) = (0, 0). This consequence is in good agreement with the spin fluctuation theory of Takahashi. An experimental study is carried out and the results of the measurement agree with the theory. The value of forced magnetostriction is proportional to the valence electron concentration per atom ( e / a ). Therefore, the forced magnetostriction reflects the electronic states of the ferromagnetic alloys. The magnetostriction near the premartensitic transition temperature ( T P ) induces lattice softening; however, lattice softening is negligible at T C . The forced magnetostriction at T C occurs due to spin fluctuations of the itinerant electrons. In the martensitic and premartensitic phases, softening of the lattice occurs due to the shallow hollow (potential barrier) of the total energy difference between the L2 1 cubic and modulated 10M or 14M structures. As a result, magnetostriction is increased by the magnetic field., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The magnetization, electric resistivity, and magnetoresistance properties of Pd 2 Mn 1 . 4 Sn 0 . 6 Heusler alloys were investigated. The Curie temperature of the parent phase, martensitic transformation temperatures, and magnetic field dependence of the martensitic transformation temperatures were determined. The magnetoresistance was investigated from 10 to 290 K, revealing both intrinsic and extrinsic magnetoresistance properties for this alloy. A maximum of about - 3 . 5 % of intrinsic magnetoresistance under 90 kOe and of about - 30 % of extrinsic magnetoresistance under 180 kOe were obtained. Moreover, the thermal transformation arrest phenomenon was confirmed in the Pd 2 Mn 1 . 4 Sn 0 . 6 alloy, and an abnormal heating-induced martensitic transformation (HIMT) behavior was observed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Experimental investigations into the field dependence of magnetization and temperature dependences of magnetic susceptibility in Ni 2+ x MnGa 1- x ( x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04) and Co₂VGa Heusler alloy ferromagnets were performed following the spin fluctuation theory of itinerant ferromagnetism, called as "Takahashi theory". We investigated the magnetic field dependence of magnetization at the Curie temperature T C , which is the critical temperature of the ferromagnetic⁻paramagnetic transition, and also at T = 5 K, which concerns the ground state of the ferromagnetic state. The field dependence of the magnetization was analyzed by means of the H vs. M ⁵ dependence, and the field dependence of the ground state at 5 K was investigated by means of an Arrott plot ( H/M vs. M ²) according to the Takahashi theory. As for Ni 2+ x MnGa 1- x , the spin fluctuation parameter in k -space (momentum space, T A ) and that in energy space ( T ₀) obtained at T C and 5 K were almost the same. On the contrary, as for Co₂VGa, the H vs. M ⁵ dependence was not shown at T C . We obtained T A and T ₀ by means of an Arrott plot at 5 K. We created a generalized Rhodes⁻Wohlfarth plot of p eff / p S versus T C / T ₀ for the other ferromagnets. The plot indicated that the relationship between p eff / p S and T ₀/ T C followed Takahashi's theory. We also discussed the spontaneous magnetic moment at the ground state, p S , which was obtained by an Arrott plot at 5 K and the high temperature magnetic moment, p C , at the paramagnetic phase. As for the localized ferromagnet, the p C / p S was 1. As for weak ferromagnets, the p C / p S was larger than 1. In contrast, the p C / p S was smaller than 1 by many Heusler alloys. This is a unique property of Heusler ferromagnets. Half-metallic ferromagnets of Co₂VGa and Co₂MnGa were in accordance with the generalized Rhodes⁻Wohlfarth plot with a k m around 1.4. The magnetic properties of the itinerant electron of these two alloys appeared in the majority bands and was confirmed by Takahashi's theory.

Experimental investigations into the field dependence of magnetization and the relationship between magnetization and magnetostriction in Ni 2+x MnGa 1-x (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04) alloy ferromagnets were performed following the self-consistent renormalization (SCR) spin fluctuation theory of itinerant ferromagnetism. In this study, we investigated the magnetization of and magnetostriction on Ni 2+x MnGa 1-x ( x = 0.02, 0.04) to check whether these relations held when the ratio of Ni to Ga and, the valence electron concentration per atom, e / a were varied. When the ratio of Ni to Ga was varied, e/a increased with increasing x. The magnetization results for x = 0.02 ( e / a = 7.535) and 0.04 ( e / a = 7.570) suggest that the critical index δ of H ∝ M δ is around 5.0 at the Curie temperature T C , which is the critical temperature of the ferromagnetic⁻paramagnetic transition. This result confirms Takahashi's spin fluctuation theory and the experimental results of Ni₂MnGa. The spontaneous magnetization p S slightly decreased with increasing x . For x = 0.00, the spin fluctuation parameter in k -space (momentum space; T A ) and that in energy space ( T ₀) were obtained. The relationship between p eff / p S and T C / T ₀ can also be explained by Takahashi's theory, where p eff indicates the effective magnetic moments. We created a generalized Rhodes-Wohlfarth plot of p eff / p S versus T C / T ₀ for other ferromagnets. The plot indicates that the relationship between p eff / p S and T ₀/ T C follows Takahashi's theory. We also measured the magnetostriction for Ni 2+x MnGa 1-x (x = 0.02, 0.04). As a result, at T C , the plot of the magnetostriction (Δ L / L ) versus M ⁴ shows proportionality and crosses the origin. These magnetization and magnetostriction results were analyzed in terms of Takahashi's SCR spin fluctuation theory. We investigated the magnetostriction at the premartensite phase, which is the precursor state to the martensitic transition. In Ni₂MnGa system alloys, the maximum value of magnetostriction is almost proportional to the e / a ., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Snake venom metalloproteases (SVMPs) are members of the a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) family of proteins, as they possess similar domains. SVMPs are known to elicit snake venom-induced haemorrhage; however, the target proteins and cleavage sites are not known. In this work, we identified a target protein of vascular apoptosis-inducing protein 1 (VAP1), an SVMP, relevant to its ability to induce haemorrhage. VAP1 disrupted cell-cell adhesions by relocating VE-cadherin and γ-catenin from the cell-cell junction to the cytosol, without inducing proteolysis of VE-cadherin. The Wnt receptors low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6 (LRP5/6) are known to promote catenin relocation, and are rendered constitutively active in Wnt signalling by truncation. Thus, we examined whether VAP1 cleaves LRP5/6 to induce catenin relocation. Indeed, we found that VAP1 cleaved the extracellular region of LRP6 and LRP5. This cleavage removes four inhibitory β-propeller structures, resulting in activation of LRP5/6. Recombinant human ADAM8 and ADAM12 also cleaved LRP6 at the same site. An antibody against a peptide including the LRP6-cleavage site inhibited VAP1-induced VE-cadherin relocation and disruption of cell-cell adhesions in cultured cells, and blocked haemorrhage in mice in vivo. Intriguingly, animals resistant to the effects of haemorrhagic snake venom express variants of LRP5/6 that lack the VAP1-cleavage site, or low-density lipoprotein receptor domain class A domains involved in formation of the constitutively active form. The results validate LRP5/6 as physiological targets of ADAMs. Furthermore, they indicate that SVMP-induced cleavage of LRP5/6 causes disruption of cell-cell adhesion and haemorrhage, potentially opening new avenues for the treatment of snake bites., (© 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Thermal strain, permeability, and magnetization measurements of the ferromagnetic shape memory alloys Ni 50+ x Mn 27- x Ga 23 ( x = 2.0, 2.5, 2.7) were performed. For x = 2.7, in which the martensite transition and the ferromagnetic transition occur at the same temperature, the martensite transition starting temperature T Ms shift in magnetic fields around a zero magnetic field was estimated to be d T = 1.1 ± 0.2 K/T, thus indicating that magnetic fields influences martensite transition. We discussed the itinerant electron magnetism of Ms /d B = 1.1 ± 0.2 K/T, thus indicating that magnetic fields influences martensite transition. We discussed the itinerant electron magnetism of x = 2.0 and 2.5. As for x = 2.5, the M ⁴ vs. B/M plot crosses the origin of the coordinate axis at the Curie temperature, and the plot indicates a good linear relation behavior around the Curie temperature. The result is in agreement with the theory by Takahashi, concerning itinerant electron ferromagnets.

Stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured during maximal symptom-limited bicycle exercise testing in 13 young patients (age, 11-26 years) with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). SV was measured by impedance plethysmocardiography; %SVend, %COend, and %SBPend represent the ratio of the value at termination of the exercise to the respective value at rest. In all patients of HCM-I (the Cardiac Event Group, 3 patients) and 3 of HCM-II (the Non-Cardiac Event Group, 10 patients), the %SVend was less than 100%. The %SVend of HCM-I was significantly lower than the respective values of the HCM-II and Control groups. The %COend values of the HCM-I and HCM-II groups were each significantly lower than that of the Control. The %SBPend values of the HCM-I and HCM-II groups were each significantly lower than that of the Control. Among the HCM patients, the %SVend value was positively correlated with the %SBPend value. The patients who had more severe HCM had poorer exercise-induced increases in SV and SBP. These results suggest that sudden cardiac death in young HCM patients is associated with inhibition of the increase in SV upon exercise.

Background: Idiopathic sustained ventricular tachycardia originating from the left ventricle (ILVT) has been an indication for catheter ablation. The present study evaluated the clinical features, long-term prognosis and indications for treatment in pediatric patients with ILVT., Methods: The subjects of the present study were eight patients (four males and four females) with a mean age at onset of 11.0 years (range 3-15 years). The mean follow-up period was 7.7 years (range 2.1-11.3 years)., Results: In electrophysiologic studies, intravenously administered verapamil was effective for the termination of tachycardia in all six patients who received this treatment and for the prevention of tachycardia in four of five patients. Oral administration of verapamil was effective in five of seven patients. Propranolol or flecainide was added to the treatment protocol for two patients who did not respond to verapamil alone. Tachycardia disappeared without drugs in four patients during the follow-up period and became non-sustained in another patient. Two of three patients with persistent tachycardia underwent catheter ablation. Pharmacologic treatment was very effective for ILVT among these patients., Conclusions: Pharmacologic therapy, such as with verapamil, is still the treatment of choice for ILVT because of a good long-term prognosis and potential risks and complications by manipulation of catheter ablation.