Strong damping enhancement in nm-thick yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films due to Pt capping layers was observed. This damping is substantially larger than the expected damping due to conventional spin pumping, is accompanied by a shift in the ferromagnetic resonance field, and can be suppressed by the use of a Cu spacer in between the YIG and Pt films. The data indicate that such damping may originate from the ferromagnetic ordering in Pt atomic layers near the YIG/Pt interface and the dynamic exchange coupling between the ordered Pt spins and the spins in the YIG film.

A substantial knowledge on the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) by oxidative stress and inflammation is available. Berberine is a biologically active botanical that can combat oxidative stress and inflammation and thus ameliorate DM, especially type 2 DM. This article describes the potential of berberine against oxidative stress and inflammation with special emphasis on its mechanistic aspects. In diabetic animal studies, the modified levels of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers were observed after administering berberine. In renal, fat, hepatic, pancreatic and several others tissues, berberine-mediated suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation was noted. Berberine acted against oxidative stress and inflammation through a very complex mechanism consisting of several kinases and signaling pathways involving various factors, including NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB) and AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinases). Moreover, MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases) and Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2) also have mechanistic involvement in oxidative stress and inflammation. In spite of above advancements, the mechanistic aspects of the inhibitory role of berberine against oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetes mellitus still necessitate additional molecular studies. These studies will be useful to examine the new prospects of natural moieties against DM.

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Control of spin waves in a ferrite thin film via interfacial spin scattering was demonstrated. The experiments used a 4.6  μm-thick yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film strip with a 20-nm thick Pt capping layer. A dc current pulse was applied to the Pt layer and produced a spin current across the Pt thickness. As the spin current scatters off the YIG surface, it can either amplify or attenuate spin-wave pulses that travel in the YIG strip, depending on the current or field configuration. The spin scattering also affects the saturation behavior of high-power spin waves.

Objectives‘National Special Stewardship in the Clinical Use of Antibiotics’ was put forward in July 2011 in China. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the impact of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) managed by clinical pharmacists on antibiotic utilisation, prophylaxis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).DesignThis was a retrospective observational study of trends in antibiotic use and AMR in the context of AMS.SettingBeijing Chaoyang Hospital, a 1400-bed tertiary hospital, in China.Data and participantsAntibiotic prescriptions from 820 doctors included all outpatients (n=17 766 637) and inpatients (n=376 627) during 2010–2016. Bacterial resistance data were from all inpatients (n=350 699) during 2011–2016.InterventionsMultiaspect intervention measures were implemented by clinical pharmacists (13 persons), for example, formulating the activity programme and performance management, advising on antibacterial prescriptions and training.Outcome measuresThe proportion of antibiotic prescriptions among outpatients and inpatients, intensity of consumption in defined daily dose (DDD)/100 bed-days, antibiotic prophylaxis in type I incision operations and resistance rates ofEscherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumoniaeandPseudomonas aeruginosawere retrospectively analysed.ResultsThe proportion of antibiotic prescriptions decreased in outpatients (from 19.38% to 13.21%) and in inpatients (from 64.34% to 34.65%), the intensity of consumption dropped from 102.46 to 37.38 DDD/100 bed-days. The proportion of antibiotic prophylaxis decreased from 98.94% to 18.93%. The proportion of rational timing of initial dose increased from 71.11% to 96.74%, the proportion of rational duration rose from 2.84% to 42.63%. Time series analysis demonstrated the resistance rates ofE. coliandP. aeruginosato fluoroquinolones decreased, the incidence rate of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusalso decreased, whereas the resistance rates ofE. coliandK. pneumoniaeto carbapenems increased. The antibiotic use was partly positively correlated with AMR.ConclusionsAMS had an important role in reducing antibiotic use and surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. The AMR was positively correlated with antibiotic consumption to some extent.

Summary Soil plant‐pathogenic (PF) and mycorrhizal fungi (MF) are both important in maintaining plant diversity, for example via host‐specialized effects. However, empirical knowledge on the degree of host specificity and possible factors affecting the fungal assemblages is lacking. We identified PF and MF in fine roots of 519 individuals across 45 subtropical tree species in southern China in order to quantify the importance of host phylogeny (including via its effects on functional traits), habitat and space in determining fungal communities. We also compared host specificity in PF and MF at different host‐phylogenetic scales. In both PF and MF, host phylogeny independently accounted for > 19% of the variation in fungal richness and composition, whereas environmental and spatial factors each explained no more than 4% of the variation. Over 77% of the variation explained by phylogeny was attributable to covariation in plant functional traits. Host specificity was phylogenetically scale‐dependent, being stronger in PF than in MF at low host‐phylogenetic scales (e.g. within genus) but similar at larger scales. Our study suggests that host‐phylogenetic effects dominate the assembly of both PF and MF communities, resulting from phylogenetically clustered plant traits. The scale‐dependent host specificity implies that PF were specialized at lower‐level and MF at higher‐level host taxa.

We investigate gravitational microlensing signals produced by a spatially extended object transiting in front of a finite-sized source star. The most interesting features arise for lens and source sizes comparable to the Einstein radius of the setup. Using this information, we obtain constraints from the Subaru-hsc survey of M31 on the dark matter populations of nfw subhalos and boson stars of asteroid to Earth masses. These lens profiles capture the qualitative behavior of a wide range of dark matter substructures. We find that deviations from constraints on point-like lenses (e.g. primordial black holes and machos) become visible for lenses of radius 0.1 R and larger, with the upper bound on lens masses weakening with increasing lens size.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids and fibrous elements in the large arteries, which is the principal cause of coronary artery disease. Dysregulated exosomal microRNA (miRNA) levels in serum have been identified in patients with various diseases, including CAD. In the present study, nine candidate miRNAs were detected in the plasma exosome from 42 patients with coronary atherosclerosis, and a higher expression of miR-30e and miR-92a was identified in patients. Following bioinformatics analysis and confirmation through immunoblotting, it was demonstrated that ATP binding cassette (ABC)A1 is a direct target of miR-30e, and miR-92a. Furthermore, a negative correlation was identified between plasma miR-30e and ABCA1, or miR-30e and cholesterol. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that the miR-30e level in exosomes from serum may have the potential to be a novel diagnostic biomarker for coronary atherosclerosis.