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JQ1, a BRD4 inhibitor, first identified its therapeutic role in cancer, has gradually demonstrated a protective effect on the heart in recent years; however, it is unclear whether JQ1 also plays a role in LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction.A total of forty eight mice were randomly divided into control, LPS(7.5 mg/kg), and LPS + JQ1 (50 mg/kg). JQ1 was preprotected for 1 h, and LPS was stimulated for 12 h, mouse survival and cardiac function were observed, and histopathological, serum myocardial injury markers, and inflammatory indicators, and oxidative stress levels in heart tissue were examined. The experiment found that the cardiac BRD4 levels were upregulated and the heart severe damage in the LPS group compared with the control group. While compared with the LPS group, JQ1 preprotected increased survival rate and cardiac function, reducated cardiomypathological injury and CD45 infiltration, and reduced the release of LDH, CK-MB, IL-1, IL-18, reduced MDA generation, and increased SOD viability. In addition, JQ1 preprotected also upregulated SIRT1, and inhibited the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1p20, and GSDMD. Meanwhile, similar results were obtained in LPS-treated H9C2 cells, and further intervention with the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 partially blocked the JQ1-mediated down regulation of NLRP3, caspase-1p20, and GSDMD.We propose that JQ1 may improve LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting SIRT1-dependent activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, which may be a promising strategy for treating sepsis cardiomyopathy.

The current study aimed to investigate the protective effects of dietary thiamine supplementation on the regulation of colonic integrity and mucosal inflammation in goats fed a high-concentrate (HC) diet. Twenty-four Boer goats (live weight of 35·62 (sem 2·4) kg) were allocated to three groups (CON: concentrate/forage = 30:70; HC; concentrate/forage = 70:30 and HCT: concentrate/forage = 70:30 with 200 mg thiamine/kg DMI) for 12 weeks. Results showed that compared with the HC treatment, the HCT group had a significantly higher ruminal pH value from 0 to 12 h after the feeding. The haematoxylin–eosin staining showed that desquamation and severe cellular damage were observed in the colon epithelium of the HC group, whereas the HCT group exhibited more structural integrity of the epithelial cell morphology. Compared with the HC treatment, the HCT group showed a markedly increase in pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase enzymes activity. The mRNA expressions in the colonic epithelium of SLC19A2, SLC19A3, SLC25A19, Bcl-2, occludin, claudin-1, claudin-4 and ZO-1 in the HCT group were significantly increased in comparison with the HC diet treatment. Compared with the HC treatment, the HCT diet significantly increased the protein expression of claudin-1 and significantly decreased the protein expression of NF-κB-related proteins p65. The results show that dietary thiamine supplementation could improve the colon epithelial barrier function and alleviate mucosal inflammation injury in goats after lipopolysaccharide and low pH challenge.

Although incremental sheet forming (ISF) is featured with greater flexibility, lower cost, and shorter leading time, there is less comprehensive sustainability assessment for ISF. In order to summarize the research progress on the sustainability evaluation of ISF and further explore its potential application scenario specifically, the research with respect to energy consumption and environmental impact of ISF are reviewed in this paper. First, the characteristics and research status of ISF including geometry accuracy improvement, forming force prediction, and heating-aided ISF are introduced. Then, study on the influence of processing parameters, equipment, and consumables on energy consumption (both deformation energy and machine tool energy) and forming efficiency are comprehensively reviewed. Current research indicates that neither deformation energy consumption nor electric energy consumption of ISF is lower than stamping process since ISF has long motion trajectory and forming time. In addition, the current methods (such as Life Cycle Assess method) to assess the environmental impact of ISF are discussed. Additionally, the environmental impact of ISF mainly reflects on sheet material, energy consumption, and lubrication oil. Moreover, the comparison of the ISF process and the other processes with regard to sustainability is analyzed, which indicates that ISF has obvious advantage and broad prospects when the cost of molds is considered and the batch size is generally less than 1000. The study provides valuable guidance on the further improvement of ISF towards more efficiency and green manufacturing process.

In the present study, we fabricated tungsten carbide (WC) coatings on tungsten using a recently proposed two-step interstitial carburization method and systematically investigated their mechanical behavior, including their responses to indentation, scratch, and wear. The coatings comprised WC and a very small amount of W2C dispersed at the coating–substrate interface. The volume fraction of the carbide phases nearly reached 100 %, and the grain size of WC increased with increasing distance from the surface, thus exhibiting a distinct gradient microstructure with columnar WC grains. Indentation experiments on the coating surface showed that the coating attained a hardness of 25 GPa and cracks were generated when the indentation load exceeded 5 N. The fracture toughness of the coating was estimated to be 2.5 MPa m1/2. The response of the coating to scratching was not sensitive to the scratching speed, and an increase in the scratching speed did not alter the geometry of the grooves, but it resulted in an earlier occurrence and a higher density of cracks; further, it leads to increased acoustic emission. Delamination of the coating did not occur when the normal load was in the range of 0–100 N, indicating that the adhesion strength of the coating was greater than 100 N. We studied the wear behavior using a ball-on-disc tribometer and found that the WC coatings exhibited extraordinarily high wear resistance, and both abrasive wear and adhesive wear mechanisms acted concurrently during wear. Therefore, we verified that the WC coatings prepared by interstitial carburization have a high hardness and excellent scratch and wear resistance.

Solid-state anaerobic digestion (SSAD) is vulnerable to excess volatile fatty acids (VFA), mainly acetate and propionate. The co-effects of VFAs and microbial dynamics under VFA accumulation were investigated in SSAD of pig manure and corn straw. Adding 2 and 4 mg/g acetate or propionate caused initial increases in total VFAs, followed by decreases after day 6, resulting in 'mild' VFA accumulation, while adding 6 mg/g caused similarly increased VFAs, but with no subsequent decrease, causing 'severe' VFA accumulation and poor methanation performance. Mild propionate accumulation promoted acetate consumption, whereas acetate accumulation inhibited propionate degradation by affecting crucial redox reactions. Under severe VFA accumulation, hydrolysis and acidification mainly conducted by acid-tolerant Clostridium sp. exacerbated VFA inhibition, causing a competition between Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta, and impairments of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and interspecies formate transfer. This study provides new insights into mechanisms of VFA accumulation in SSAD, and its effects on methanogenesis.

To improve the mechanical properties of the surface of iron-based alloys, a ZrC–Fe coating is produced on cast ion via in situ solid-phase diffusion (ISSD) at 1130 °C. The coating is completely dense, reaching a thickness of approximately 18 μm after 10 h of ISSD. The volume fraction of the ZrC phase in the coating reaches approximately 92.3%. The size of the long axis (short axis) of columnar ZrC particles gradually decreases from approximately 4 μm (1.5 μm) to 1 μm (0.3 μm) as the thickness of the coating increases, displaying a gradient microstructure. The formation mechanism of the coating is mainly attributed to the carbon atoms diffuse into the octahedral vacancies of the zirconium lattice to undergo a diffusion-type solid state phase transformation to form ZrC, and α-Fe phase are distributed among the ZrC particles through the Fe atoms diffusion. Due to the carbon concentration gradient, the nucleation rate is reduced, thereby forming a gradient microstructure on the grain scale. The growth of the coating obeys the growth kinetic model d 2 = 30.5 t . In addition, the nanohardness and elastic modulus of the surface of the ZrC–Fe coating reach 29.7 GPa and 425.1 GPa, respectively, showing remarkable improvement compared to those of the cast iron substrate (4.5 GPa and 229.5 GPa, respectively). The fracture toughness gradually increases from 2.9 ± 0.1 MPa m1/2 to 3.6 ± 0.1 MPa m1/2 as the thickness of the coating increases. Moreover, the coating exhibits the superior coating/substrate adhesion. The excellent comprehensive mechanical properties are tightly related to a small amount of high toughness α-Fe phase, high volume fraction of in situ ZrC particles and the gradient change of the ZrC grain scale.

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element, but excessive Cu intake can induce poor performance and Cu poisoning and result in various health problems. Cu and molybdenum (Mo) antagonize each other in vivo. Therefore, Mo can reduce the absorption and utilization of Cu. The aims of this study were to investigate the impacts of Mo fertilization on antioxidant capacity of grazing Nanjiang brown goat on Cu-polluted meadow and explore the control methods of Cu pollution in natural pasture. Fertilization and grazing experiments were carried out in Liangshan Yi Nationality Prefecture of the Western Sichuan Plateau, Sichuan Province, Southwest China. Cu-polluted meadows of 12 hm2 were fenced, and randomly divided into two groups (3 replications/group, 2 hm2/replication), control group and treatment group, fed with basic diets supplemented with 0 and 3 kg Mo/hm2 [ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate, (NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O], respectively. In the current study, 36 healthy Nanjiang brown goats (1 year old, 32.8 ± 1.1 kg) were randomly divided into two groups (3 replications/group, 6 goats/replication) and assigned to the experimental pastures. The grazing experiment lasted for 60 days. The results showed that the concentration of Mo in soil in treatment group was 96.28 mg/kg, far exceeding the normal levels. At days 30 and 60, the levels of Hb, RBC, and PCV in blood in treatment group and the activities of serum SOD, GSH-Px, T-AOC, CAT, and Cp were higher than those in control group (P < 0.01). The MDA content in treatment group was lower than that in control group (P < 0.01). The contents of Cu in blood and liver in treatment goats were lower than those in control animals (P < 0.01). The contents of Zn and Mo in blood and liver in treatment goats were higher than those in control animals (P < 0.01). The Mn content in liver in treatment group was higher than that in control animals (P < 0.01). These results indicated that fertilization of (NH4)6Mo7O24 not only markedly influenced the mineral contents in blood and liver, but also extremely improved antioxidant capacity of grazing Nanjiang brown goat from fertilized pastures and relieved the damage caused by Cu pollution.

β-SiAlON/TiC0.3N0.7 composites containing 2.0-7.5 wt.% TiC0.3N0.7 are prepared by pressureless spark plasma sintering (SPS) with Al2O3-AlN-Y2O3 additives. The TiC0.3N0.7 phase particles are homogeneously dispersed in the β-SiAlON matrix. The reaction between the sample and the graphite mold can be avoided during the pressureless SPS. The β-SiAlON/TiC0.3N0.7 composite with 5 wt.% TiC0.3N0.7, fabricated at 1550°C, exhibits a high density of 3.28 g cm−3 (98% relative density), high Vickers hardness of 14.53 GPa, and high fracture toughness of 7.20 MPa m1/2. By further SPS under a pressure of 24 MPa at 1400 oC, these properties are enhanced to a higher density of 3.32 g cm−3 (full density), higher Vickers hardness of 15.87 GPa, and higher fracture toughness of 7.44 MPa m1/2. Obviously, the fracture toughness of the as-prepared β-SiAlON/TiC0.3N0.7 composites is apparently higher than those of the reported β-SiAlON-based ceramic composites prepared by pressurized SPS, which is mainly attributed to the highly dense microstructures of the interlocking lath β-SiAlON grains and the uniformly distributed TiC0.3N0.7 particles, and the disappearance of the oriented ununiform stress caused by uniaxial pressure in normal pressurized SPS. Accordingly, the pressureless SPS could be a potential technique for the fabrication of high-performance β-SiAlON matrix composites.

Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is an advanced sheet forming process featured with great flexibility, enhanced formability, and high efficiency especially for small batch production. However, the poor surface finish and the large forming load are the main shortages of ISF, especially for the difficult-to-form materials such as titanium sheets. In the present work, a self-lubricating coating was successfully prepared on pure titanium substrates by the atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) process before the forming process for improving the lubrication condition. It was found that the friction is significantly reduced during the forming process when using the self-lubricating coating compared with that with traditional mineral oil as the lubricant. In addition, the wear rate suggests that components’ surface has self-lubrication coating after forming due to excellent wear resistance of the coating. Furthermore, a better external surface quality can be obtained when the friction resistance is lower since the friction plays a crucial role in material deformation. The tensile test suggests that the effect of heating on sheet mechanical properties is opposite to coating on that. Finally, the effects of coating on mechanical properties of the TA1 sheet were investigated and the appropriate parameters for spraying the self-lubricating coating were determined. The present work provides a novel method for enhancing the product quality in ISF through lubrication condition improvement.

JQ1, a BRD4 protein inhibitor, first identified because of its therapeutic role in cancer, has gradually demonstrated a protective effect on the heart in recent years; however, it is unclear whether JQ1 also plays a role in LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction. This paper aims to investigate the effects of the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 on LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and its mechanism. In the experiments, we found that BRD4 was significantly upregulated in the hearts of LPS-treated mice.JQ1 treatment improved survival and cardiac function in LPS-treated mice and reduced cardiomyopathologic injury, inflammation, and oxidative injury.JQ1 treatment similarly reduced the release of lactate dehydrogenase and inflammatory factors in H9C2 cells treated with LPS.JQ1 significantly upregulated silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) expression and suppressed the upregulation of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), cleaved caspase-1, and GSDMD in heart tissues induced by LPS.Meanwhile, we obtained the same results in H9C2 cells treated with LPS. The administration of the SIRT1 inhibitor (EX527) intervention partially blocked the JQ1-mediated downregulation of NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, GSDMD in LPS-induced H9C2 cells. Therefore, we propose that JQ1 can improve LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting SIRT1-dependent activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, which may be a promising strategy for treating sepsis cardiomyopathy.

This paper presents an integrated design method for the customization and lightweight design of free-shaped wearable devices, illustrated by a lower limb exoskeleton. The customized design space is derived from the 3D scanning models. Based on the finite element analysis, the structural framework is determined through topology optimization with allowable strength. By means of generative design, the lattice library is constructed to fill the frames under different conformal algorithms. Finally, the proposed method is illustrated by the exoskeleton design case.

Background: We aimed to investigate the effect of copper stainless steel on apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells in coronary artery. Methods: The study was carried out in 2019 at Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, China. The rat coronary artery smooth muscle cell was used for cell resuscitation and culture. MTT method was used to visualize cell growth curve and to detect the cell survival and growth. The incubated cells were randomly divided into copper-containing stainless-steel group, ordinary stainless-steel group, and control group. The cells were made into single cell suspension, which were intervened by experimental group and incubated in incubator with CO2 for 48 hours. TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptosis. The number of apoptotic cells in five high power fields (×200) was counted. The expression of Fas protein in three groups of cells was detected by Western blot. Results: The growth curves of rat coronary artery smooth muscle cells showed that the OD value of the cells reached the plateau 7 days after inoculation, indicating that the cells grew well. TUNEL staining showed the apoptosis in all three groups. The apoptotic index in copper-containing group was significantly higher than that in common stainless-steel group (P

Fully dense β-SiAlON ceramics with excellent mechanical properties and good thermal conductivity were fabricated by two-stage spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes without and with applying pressure respectively, using α-Si3N4 powder and 6 Al2O3-3 AlN-6 Y2O3 (in wt.%, label with 636), 424 and 422 additives. In the first stage SPS process without pressure, the relative dense β-SiAlON ceramics with interlock microstructures of elongated grains and density of 3.14˜3.18 g cm−3, hardness of 14.00˜14.82 GPa and fracture toughness of 6.00˜6.63 MPa m1/2 were obtained by sintering at about 1600 °C for 20 min. In the second stage SPS process at about 1425 °C for 5 min under pressure of 24 MPa, the fully dese β-SiAlON ceramics with density of 3.22˜3.24 g cm−3, high hardness of 15.68˜15.95 GPa, high fracture toughness of 6.38˜7.03 MPa m1/2 and thermal conductivity of 13.5˜19.6 Wm-1K-1 were obtained. The reaction between the samples and the graphite mold can be avoided in this fabrication method.

The interstitial carburization technique is applied to fabricate a TaC coating on tantalum (Ta). High-carbon steel is chosen as the carbon source because of its high content of interstitial carbon atoms. When tantalum is hot-pressed with high-carbon steel, the interstitial carbon atoms diffuse into the tantalum, and then carbides precipitate in the surface, forming a carbide coating. The coating is completely dense, and it grows inward, reaching a thickness of 30 μm after 10 h carburization. The coating is composed of TaC, a small amount of Ta2C and very small remnant Ta. The volume fraction of the carbide phases reaches 99%. The TaC grain size increases from 280 nm to 330 nm with increasing depth, and its grain morphology changes from equiaxed to columnar, displaying a gradient microstructure. These features of the microstructure endow the coating with excellent mechanical properties. The hardness of the coated tantalum is 1900 HV, which is much higher than the hardness of the uncoated tantalum (137 HV). When the coating surface is scratched with a load increasing from 0 N to 100 N, cracks appear at 10 N, and the substrate is locally exposed when the load exceeds 80 N.

In this contribution, we report a significant enhancement of thermoelectric properties of Sn0.5Ge0.4875Te alloy through three synergistic effects with Pb alloying: the significant reduction of the lattice thermal conductivity of the high entropy alloy (HEA) main phase (Sn, Ge, Pb)Te and lamellae microstructures produced from the spinodal decomposition in the alloy; the significant reduction of the carrier thermal conductivity and the significant increases of the Seebeck coefficient by decreasing the carrier concentration with Pb alloying. The high entropy random solid solution (Sn, Ge, Pb)Te single phase with NaCl-type structure forms in the alloys (Sn0.5Ge0.4875)1-xPbxTe with x = 0.2 and 0.8, while the minor cubic GeTe-based phase arises in the (Sn, Ge, Pb)Te matrix in the alloys with x = 0.33, 0.5 and 0.6, forming the lamellae microstructures. All alloys keep p-type conduction. The hole concentration decreases, but carrier mobility increases and carrier thermal conductivity decreases with Pb content x increasing. The thermoelectric properties of the alloys can be enhanced significantly with synergistic effects with proper Pb alloying. We eventually obtained the maximum figure of merit ZT of 1.61 at 773 K in the alloy (Sn0.5Ge0.4875)1-xPbx with x = 0.5.

AimsThe biogeochemical cycles of elements from soils to plants are mainly governed by their rhizosphere processes. Understanding these processes is challenging and remains largely unresolved due to the complex interrelationships among different elements and due to a lack of appropriate techniques for simultaneous spatiotemporal monitoring.MethodsThis study employed an In-situ Porewater Iterative (IPI) sampler array (0-22 mm measurement distance every 1.7 mm, with a time interval of 3 to 10 days) to capture the in situ spatiotemporal dynamics of ten elements (Fe, Mn, As, P, S, Cr, Co, Zn, Sb and Cd) in the paddy rhizosphere to examine their covarying changes in time and space dimensions.ResultsThe findings revealed that the solute-phase concentration of most elements, other than Sb and Cd, increased to a peak after 30 days of paddy soil flooding and then decreased. Additionally, Sb and Cd continuously decreased during flooding. Fe (-52%), Mn (-17%), P (-43%), Co (-11%), and As species (-74%) were substantially immobilized within a 10 mm zone around the roots, while Zn (28%) and Cd (41%) increased. The greater immobilization of As and re-mobilization of Cd, in the rhizosphere, are stimulated by biotic oxidation of arsenite to arsenate with root oxygen loss and the pH decrease, respectively.ConclusionsOur study showed most sampled elements covaried with Fe both in time and space in the rhizosphere, but the elements are temporally and spatially determined by multiple biogeochemical processes in soils as well as exudates from plant roots.

The Przewalski’s Gazelles (P. przewalskii) are affected by disorders that are characterized by deprived appetites, pica, emaciation and dyskinesia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of high molybdenum (Mo) in forage leading to copper (Cu) deprivation. The mineral contents in forage, soil, and samples of hair and blood from affected ranges were compared to healthy pasture. Blood parameters were also determined. Our results showed that the mean content of Mo in forage and soil in studied pasture was 5.17 and 4.17 μg/g, respectively. The Cu to Mo ratio in forage from affected and healthy areas was 1.26 and 5.89 μg/g, respectively. The Cu concentrations in hair and blood from gazelles in affected pasture were extremely lower (p &lt, 0.01) than those in unaffected animals. The Mo contents in hair were higher (p &lt, 0.01) than those in unaffected gazelles. The levels of Hb, RBC, PCV, MCV, and MCH in unaffected gazelles were significantly lower (p &lt, 0.01) than those in unaffected gazelles. The levels of TP, ALB and GLB in blood were significantly lower (p &lt, 0.01) than those in unaffected gazelles, while the levels of AST, LDH, CPK and ALP in serum were significantly higher (p &lt, 0.01) than those in unaffected gazelles. The activities in serum T-AOC, SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT in affected gazelles were extremely lower (p &lt, 0.01) than those in unaffected gazelles, while MDA was significantly higher (p &lt, 0.01) than that in unaffected gazelles. Supplementation in copper sulphate (CuSO4) has prevented and cured this disorder. In summary, high molybdenum in feed and soil may lead to secondary Cu deficiency in gazelles, which can be alleviated by supplement of copper sulfate.

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element, but excessive Cu intake can induce poor performance and Cu poisoning and result in various health problems. Cu and molybdenum (Mo) antagonize each other in vivo. Therefore, Mo can reduce the absorption and utilization of Cu. The aims of this study were to investigate the impacts of Mo fertilization on antioxidant capacity of grazing Nanjiang brown goat on Cu-polluted meadow and explore the control methods of Cu pollution in natural pasture. Fertilization and grazing experiments were carried out in Liangshan Yi Nationality Prefecture of the Western Sichuan Plateau, Sichuan Province, Southwest China. Cu-polluted meadows of 12 hm

Bioelectrochemical approaches offer a simple, effective, and environmentally friendly solution to pollutant remediation. As a versatile technology, although many studies have shown its potential in soil heavy metal(loid) remediation, the mechanism behind this process is not simple or well-reviewed. Thus, in this review we summarized the impacts of the microbial fuel cells (MFCs) on metal (loids) movement and transformation in the soil environment in terms of changes in soil pH, electromigration, and substrate competition between anode-respiring bacteria and the soil microbial community. Furthermore, the progress of MFCs in the fixation/removal of different elements from the soil environment is described. Hence, this review provides critical insight into the use of the MFC for soil metal(loid) bioremediation.

The selection of machine tool and process parameters plays a crucial role in the energy consumption in manufacturing processes such as incremental sheet forming (ISF) process. The analysis of how the process parameters influence the energy required during ISF processes will not only provide opportunity to reduce the environmental consequences, but also reduce economic cost. To this end, an empirical power model is presented with the aim of understanding energy consumption composition during ISF performed on a milling machine. The effects of process variables (e.g., material strength, step down, sheet thickness, tool diameter, and feed rate) on the power, forming time, and energy required for ISF processes are experimentally investigated. In particular, experimental results are in-depth analyzed to understand energy required breakdown by a machine tool during the ISF. Further, the mechanism on how the process parameters affect the energy required for the sheet plastic deformation is revealed. Based on the analysis above, useful energy-saving suggestions on selecting process parameters are provided.

The isothermal section of the Ni-Mn-Sb ternary system at 773 K was measured by means of 117 alloys which were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) techniques. The existence of 7 binary compounds, namely NiMn, Mn2Sb, MnSb, NiSb2, NiSb, Ni5Sb2, Ni3Sb and 2 ternary compounds, namely Ni2MnSb and NiMnSb were confirmed for this isothermal section. The four binary compounds Ni3Sb (Cu3Ti structure, Pmmn space group), Ni5Sb2 (Ni5Sb2-type structure, C2 space group), NiSb2 (FeS2-type structure, Pnnm space group) and Mn2Sb (Cu2Sb-type structure, P4/nmm space group) in the binary systems Ni-Sb and Mn-Sb were stoichiometric compounds, the homogeneity ranges of which were negligible. However the five single phases in the Ni-Mn system and the two binary compounds MnSb and NiSb showed more or less homogeneity ranges formed by substitution of Mn and Sb for Ni atom. The Heusler compound ? (Ni2MnSb) has L21-type ordered structure with space group Fm-3m, a = 0.6017 nm. And the crystal structure for the Half-Heusler compound ? (NiMnSb) is C1b-type (F-43m) with a = 0.5961 nm. The approximate homogeneity ranges of the two ternary compounds ? and ? at 773 K were investigated.