Spin Hall oscillators (SHOs) based on bilayers of a ferromagnet (FM) and a non-magnetic heavy metal (HM) are electrically tunable nanoscale microwave signal generators. Achieving high output power in SHOs requires driving large-amplitude magnetization dynamics by a direct spin Hall current. Here we present an SHO engineered to have easy-plane magnetic anisotropy oriented normal to the bilayer plane, enabling large-amplitude easy-plane dynamics driven by spin Hall current. Our experiments and micromagnetic simulations demonstrate that the easy-plane anisotropy can be achieved by tuning the magnetic shape anisotropy and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in a nanowire SHO, leading to a significant enhancement of the generated microwave power. The easy-plane SHO experimentally demonstrated here is an ideal candidate for realization of a spintronic spiking neuron. Our results provide an approach to design of high-power SHOs for wireless communications, neuromorphic computing, and microwave assisted magnetic recording.

Determining the mechanisms by which genes are switched on and off during development is a key aim of current biomedical research. Gene transcription has been widely observed to occur in a discontinuous fashion, with short bursts of activity interspersed with periods of inactivity. It is currently not known if or how this dynamic behaviour changes as mammalian cells differentiate. To investigate this, using an on-microscope analysis, we monitored mouse α-globin transcription in live cells throughout erythropoiesis. We find that changes in the overall levels of α-globin transcription are most closely associated with changes in the fraction of time a gene spends in the active transcriptional state. We identify differences in the patterns of transcriptional bursting throughout differentiation, with maximal transcriptional activity occurring in the mid-phase of differentiation. Early in differentiation, we observe increased fluctuation in transcriptional activity whereas at the peak of gene expression, in early erythroblasts, transcription is relatively stable. Later during differentiation as α-globin expression declines, we again observe more variability in transcription within individual cells. We propose that the observed changes in transcriptional behaviour may reflect changes in the stability of active transcriptional compartments as gene expression is regulated during differentiation.

We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of parametric resonance of spin wave eigenmodes in Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$/Pt bilayer nanowires. Using electrically detected magnetic resonance, we measure the spectrum of spin wave eigenmodes in transversely magnetized nanowires and study parametric excitation of these eigenmodes by a microwave magnetic field. We also develop an analytical theory of spin wave eigenmodes and their parametric excitation in the nanowire geometry that takes into account magnetic dilution at the nanowire edges. We measure tuning of the parametric resonance threshold by antidamping spin Hall torque from a direct current for the edge and bulk eigenmodes, which allows us to independently evaluate frequency, damping and ellipticity of the modes. We find good agreement between theory and experiment for parametric resonance of the bulk eigenmodes but significant discrepancies arise for the edge modes. The data reveals that ellipticity of the edge modes is significantly lower than expected, which can be attributed to strong modification of magnetism at the nanowire edges. Our work demonstrates that parametric resonance of spin wave eigenmodes is a sensitive probe of magnetic properties at edges of thin-film nanomagnets.

Spin-orbit torque nano-oscillators based on bilayers of ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic metals are ultra-compact current-controlled microwave signal sources. They are attractive for practical applications such as microwave assisted magnetic recording, neuromorphic computing, and chip-to-chip wireless communications. However, a major drawback of these devices is low output microwave power arising from the relatively small anisotropic magnetoresistance of the ferromagnetic layer. Here we experimentally show that the output power of a spin-orbit torque nano-oscillator can be significantly enhanced without compromising its structural simplicity. Addition of a ferromagnetic reference layer to the oscillator allows us to employ current-in-plane giant magnetoresistance to boost the output power of the device. This enhancement of the output power is a result of both large magnitude of giant magnetoresistance compared to that of anisotropic magnetoresistance and their different angular dependencies. Our results hold promise for practical applications of spin-orbit torque nano-oscillators.

Auto-oscillations of magnetization driven by direct spin current have been previously observed in multiple quasi-zero-dimensional (0D) ferromagnetic systems such as nanomagnets and nanocontacts. Recently, it was shown that pure spin Hall current can excite coherent auto-oscillatory dynamics in quasi-one-dimensional (1D) ferromagnetic nanowires but not in quasi-two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic films. Here we study the 1D to 2D dimensional crossover of current-driven magnetization dynamics in wire-based Pt/$\mathrm{Ni}_{80}\mathrm{Fe}_{20}$ bilayer spin Hall oscillators via varying the wire width. We find that increasing the wire width results in an increase of the number of excited auto-oscillatory modes accompanied by a decrease of the amplitude and coherence of each mode. We also observe a crossover from a hard to a soft onset of the auto-oscillations with increasing the wire width. The amplitude of auto-oscillations rapidly decreases with increasing temperature suggesting that interactions of the phase-coherent auto-oscillatory modes with incoherent thermal magnons plays an important role in suppression of the auto-oscillatory dynamics. Our measurements set the upper limit on the dimensions of an individual spin Hall oscillator and elucidate the mechanisms leading to suppression of coherent auto-oscillations with increasing oscillator size.

Spin-orbit torque nano-oscillators based on bilayers of ferromagnetic (FM) and nonmagnetic (NM) metals are ultra-compact current-controlled microwave signal sources. They serve as a convenient testbed for studies of spin-orbit torque physics and are attractive for practical applications such as microwave assisted magnetic recording, neuromorphic computing, and chip-to-chip wireless communications. However, a major drawback of these devices is low output microwave power arising from the relatively small anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) of the FM layer. Here we experimentally show that the output power of a spin-orbit torque nano-oscillator can be enhanced by nearly three orders of magnitude without compromising its structural simplicity. Addition of a FM reference layer to the oscillator allows us to employ current-in-plane giant magnetoresistance (CIP GMR) to boost the output power of the device. This enhancement of the output power is a result of both large magnitude of GMR compared to that of AMR and different angular dependences of GMR and AMR. Our results pave the way for practical applications of spin-orbit torque nano-oscillators.

The relationship between grid carbon intensity and household renewable energy consumption on domestic user behaviour is complicated. Furthermore, two recent developments, domestic battery storage and low cost monitoring devices, have enabled householders to understand the interplay between solar generation, battery storage and demand shifting (such as selective EV charging). Householders can use this understanding to inform their decisions in reducing the carbon intensity of their electricity consumption. This paper reports on a long-term study of five homes in the United Kingdom and shows how national grid carbon tracking combined with IoT energy monitoring can provide the information people need to reduce grid carbon without affecting their lifestyle.

Spin Hall oscillators (SHO) are promising candidates for the generation, detection and amplification of high frequency signals, that are tunable through a wide range of operating frequencies. They offer to be read out electrically, magnetically and optically in combination with a simple bilayer design. Here, we experimentally study the spatial dependence and spectral properties of auto-oscillations in SHO devices based on Pt(7 nm)/Ni80Fe20(5 nm) tapered nanowires. Using Brillouin light scattering microscopy, we observe two individual self-localized spin-wave bullets that oscillate at two distinct frequencies (5.2 GHz and 5.45 GHz) and are localized at different positions separated by about 750 nm within the SHO. This state of a tapered SHO has been predicted by a Ginzburg-Landau auto-oscillator model, but not yet been directly confirmed experimentally. We demonstrate that the observed bullets can be individually synchronized to external microwave signals, leading to a frequency entrainment, linewidth reduction and increase in oscillation amplitude for the bullet that is selected by the microwave frequency. At the same time, the amplitude of other parasitic modes decreases, which promotes the single-mode operation of the SHO. Finally, the synchronization of the spin-wave bullets is studied as a function of the microwave power. We believe that our findings promote the realization of extended spin Hall oscillators accomodating several distinct spin-wave bullets, that jointly cover an extended range of tunability.

Rapid and reliable detection of disease-associated DNA methylation patterns has major potential to advance molecular diagnostics and underpin research investigations. We describe the development and validation of minimal methylation classifier (MIMIC), combining CpG signature design from genome-wide datasets, multiplex-PCR and detection by single-base extension and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, in a novel method to assess multi-locus DNA methylation profiles within routine clinically-applicable assays. We illustrate the application of MIMIC to successfully identify the methylation-dependent diagnostic molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma (the most common malignant childhood brain tumour), using scant/low-quality samples remaining from the most recently completed pan-European medulloblastoma clinical trial, refractory to analysis by conventional genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Using this approach, we identify critical DNA methylation patterns from previously inaccessible cohorts, and reveal novel survival differences between the medulloblastoma disease subgroups with significant potential for clinical exploitation.

This paper presents a case study on teaching network engineering in conjunction with interactive learning resources. This case study has been developed in collaboration with the Cisco Networking Academy in the context of the FORGE project, which promotes online learning and experimentation by offering access to virtual and remote labs. The main goal of this work is allowing learners and educators to perform network simulations within a web browser or an interactive eBook by using any type of mobile, tablet or desktop device. Learning Analytics are employed in order to monitor learning behaviour for further analysis of the learning experience offered to students.

Rotavirus is the leading cause of infantile diarrhoea worldwide in children <5 years1. Although mortality rates are low in Ireland, certain populations are more susceptible to the associated morbidity and mortality of infection. A retrospective chart review of 14 patients with confirmed IMDs who were admitted to Temple Street Children's Hospital between 2010 to 2015 with rotavirus infection were compared with 14 randomly selected age matched controls. The median length of stay was 7 days (SD25.3) in IMD patients versus 1.5 days (SD 2.1) in the controls. IV fluids were required on average for 4.5 days (range 0-17) in IMD patients versus 0.63 days (range 0-3) in controls. This report highlights the increased morbidity of rotavirus infection in patients with IMD compared to healthy children. This vulnerable population are likely to benefit from the recent introduction of the rotavirus oral vaccination in October 2016.

Purpose: There is growing concern about the increasing prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes associated with foodborne outbreaks. Data concerning the prevalence and epidemiology of L. monocytogenes in South Africa are lacking. To prevent, investigate and control Listeria outbreaks, molecular epidemiological data are critical for understanding strain relatedness and defining source attribution. This present study describes the first whole-genome sequencing data for L. monocytogenes isolates from South Africa. Methods & Materials: A cluster of human cases of L. monocytogenes was recently reported from the Western Cape Province (WCP) of South Africa. This initiated our inaugural whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis of L. monocytogenes. To date, 11 isolates have been analyzed; WCP [n=9], Gauteng Province (GP) [n=1] and Eastern Cape Province (ECP) [n=1]. For WGS analysis, raw sequencing data generated on Illumina MiSeq equipment (2 x 300 paired-end sequencing runs) was analyzed using tools available in the CLC Genomics Workbench Software; trimmed reads were assembled using the ‘De novo Assembly Tool’. Assembled WGS data was analyzed using bioinformatics tools and on-line analysis pipelines available at the Center for Genomic Epidemiology (CGE), Technical University of Denmark (http://cge.cbs.dtu.dk/services/). Results: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis separated our 11 isolates into 6 branches of a SNP phylogenetic tree. In particular, SNP analysis determined that the cluster of WCP isolates was not the result of a single strain, but rather that several strains were involved. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) data concurred with SNP results in differentiating the isolates. MLST subtype data were as follows: ST6 (n=4, WCP), ST1 (n=2, WCP), ST876 (n=2, WCP), ST54 (n=1, WCP), ST3 (n=1, GP), ST820 (n=1, ECP). In particular, our largest group was associated with MLST subtype ST6, a subtype commonly associated with unfavourable outcomes in patients. Conclusion: Analysis of WGS data using bioinformatics tools and on-line analysis pipelines at the CGE provided a single, rapid and cost-effective approach to investigate the molecular epidemiology of L. monocytogenes. This study has initiated a larger surveillance project for L. monocytogenes in South Africa. In future, all South African L. monocytogenes isolates will routinely be investigated using WGS.

The assessment of the blood volume is crucial for the management of many acute and chronic diseases. Recent studies have shown that circulating blood volume correlates with the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the internal jugular vein (IJV) estimated from ultrasound imagery. In this paper, a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm is proposed using a combination of region growing and active contour techniques to provide fast and accurate segmentation of IJV ultrasound videos. The algorithm is applied to track and segment the IJV across a range of image qualities, shapes and temporal variation. The experimental results show that the algorithm performs well compared to expert manual segmentation and outperforms several published algorithms incorporating speckle tracking.

The energy drivers use to charge their Electric Vehicles (EVs) comes from various sources. Of those, some are renewable green energy sources such as solar photovoltaic systems (SolarPV) and home storage battery whilst some are called brown sources such as gas turbine, coal and oil. To analyse the behaviour of EV drivers as to how they use household green and brown energy, separating the mix is a necessity. This paper argues that the Internet of Things (IoT) can be helpful in achieving that goal and demonstrates a pilot study showing the process of separating the green and brown energy from the EV charging.

We examined the effect of several recently-introduced anti-oncogenic agents acting against the tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptor family on the survival and biological characteristics of human endogenous cardiac stem cells (eCSCs) in vitro. Three of these Trk inhibitor (Trk-I) drugs (imatinib mesylate; sunitinib malate; sorafenib tosylate) were examined, due to their contrasting ranges of Trk targets, using concentrations comparable to the ‘peak’ and ‘trough’ levels seen in clinical plasma samples (for 24 hours and 7?days respectively). The cardiotoxicity associated with Trk-Is may involve their damaging effects on the resident eCSCs through inhibition of the ability of the CSCs to: maintain their stemness and self-renewal; generate new cardiomyocytes and other cells needed for cardiac tissue homeostasis; produce pro-survival growth factors supporting other injured cells in the myocardium. We identified an impact of all three drugs upon eCSC survival, using a fluorescein diacetate viability assay, with effects seen with ‘peak’ and ‘trough’ concentrations. Expression levels of several genes (Akt, HGF, Wnt2, Nkx2.5) linked with eCSC-to-cardiomyocyte lineage differentiation were significantly reduced by Trk-I application. Further to this, examination of the percentages of eCSCs which committed to the cardiomyocyte lineage during differentiation for 14 days was significantly reduced by sorafenib tosylate. In addition, the Trk-Is’ impacts upon a range of pro-survival growth factors (previously identified as being expressed by eCSCs), and second messenger systems linked with the targeted Trk receptors were examined. In summary, we identified that Trk-Is impact upon human eCSC biology and their ability to contribute to myocardial tissue repair.