Adopting policies that promote health for the entire biosphere (One Health) requires human societies to transition towards a more sustainable food supply as well as to deepen the understanding of the metabolic and health effects of evolving food habits. At the same time, life sciences are experiencing rapid and groundbreaking technological developments, in particular in laboratory analytics and biocomputing, placing nutrition research in an unprecedented position to produce knowledge that can be translated into practice in line with One Health policies. In this dynamic context, nutrition research needs to be strategically organised to respond to these societal expectations. One key element of this strategy is to integrate precision nutrition into epidemiological research. This position article therefore reviews the recent developments in nutrition research and proposes how they could be integrated into cohort studies, with a focus on the Swiss research landscape specifically.

In this study, we conducted the first energy dispersive x-ray diffraction (EDXRD) experiments on Li/Li1.1V3O8 coin cells discharged to different lithiation levels in order to investigate the phase transitions upon electrochemical reduction. The phase transformation from layered Li-poor α to Li-rich α to defect rock-salt β phase was confirmed with cells of different lithiation stages. No spatial localization of phase formation was observed throughout the cathodes under the conditions of this measurement.

Metal hydrides present a feasible means of energy storage and hydrogen sensing but have several performance criteria that must be addressed, including the hysteresis effect during hydrogen loading and unloading. We present the results of a theoretical and experimental study which demonstrates the possibility to control or eliminate hysteresis during metal-hydride transformation in epitaxial Pd thin films. Theoretical analysis predicts stabilization of two-phase metal-hydride state in film due to its elastic interaction with the substrate. It is shown, by atomic force and scanning electron microscopy, that transformation in 100nm thick epitaxial Pd films on Al2O3 substrate proceeds by the formation of transversely modulated two-phase nanostructure. Morphology and crystallographic orientation of the metal-hydride interface corresponds to the theoretically predicted characteristics of coherent phases.

A heterophase polydomain structure has been recently discovered in BiFeO3 epitaxial ferroelectric films, which provides large electromechanical responses. In this work, the formation of such a microstructure is explained by theory of elastic domains. The thermodynamics of the heterophase polydomain microstructure is analyzed to predict the equilibrium volume fraction of domains at different film-substrate lattice misfits. Extrinsic mechanical and piezoelectric properties are discussed for the heterophase polydomains. It is shown that an applied electric field, which increases electrostatic interaction between domains, may lead to dramatic increase of piezo response. The results of this work are in good agreement with experimental data for BiFeO3.

Summary. Stony clays, comprising weathered bryzoan-rich chert and silica clay, are found adjacent to Carboniferous Limestone on the west and a weathered dolomitized zone on the east near Birr, County Offaly, Ireland. A gravity survey together with a stratigraphy obtained from boreholes and other test borings suggests a depth of about 40 m and a surface width or diameter of approximately 60 m for the deposit. Indirect evidence points to a possible Tertiary age. The interpreted origin of the stony clays is by silification of Carboniferous Limestone and preservation by solution subsidence along a possible fault zone.

The Lower Palaeozoic strata west of the Leinster Granite in eastern Ireland, normally referred to as Ordovician, are mainly a greywacke sequence which lithologically resembles undoubted Silurian rocks elsewhere to the north and west. A scanty fauna occurs which could be either Ordovician or Silurian.

Abundance data, determined by epithermal neutron activation analysis, are reported for radioelements in the northern units of the Leinster granite. Compared to similar data for silicic igneous rocks and British Caledonian granites, the Leinster granite shows normal U and K contents but is low in Th. Inter-element correlations and fission-track results suggest that most Th and up to 40% of the U is bound in resistate accessory phases (zircon, sphene, apatite), but that the bulk of U is associated with late-stage alteration products and is located at interstitial labile sites within the host-rock matrix. Mobilization of U located at such sites in the Leinster granite by hydrothermal leaching could lead to redeposition and enrichment in marginal sediments of Old Red Sandstone or younger age.

Iron-platinum (FePt) nano-particles were synthesized using a hot metal salt reduction reaction with iron chloride and platinum acetylacetonate as the precursor salts. The synthesis route was based upon work done previously by Sun et Al.[6]. The size and composition of the FePt nano-particles were controlled by varying the surfactant to reagent molar ratio and refluxing time during synthesis. The average size of FePt nano-particles synthesized ranged from 4.08 nm to 5.23 nm. The composition of the nano-particles ranged from Fe60Pt40 to Fe55Pt45. The size was shown to increase as the surfactant to reagent molar ratio was changed from 1:6 to 1:1. The platinum composition increased from 40 % to 45 % with an increase in the refluxing time from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. The X-ray analysis (XRD) showed that the unannealed nano-particles had a FCC crystal structure. The FCC FePt nano-particles were superparamagnetic at room temperature. A blocking temperature (Tb) of 35 K was measured for 5.23 nm Fe55Pt45 nano-particles. Annealing of the Fe55Pt45 nano-particles induced a FCT crystal structure with hard-magnetic properties. Coercivity (Hc) of approximately 13000 Oe was measured at room temperature.

(a) Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, San Jose State University

(b) Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Jose State University

(c) Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University