Studies in the Treatment of Malaria: XXIII. Oral Administration of Quinine Sulphate Grains 30 on Each of Two Consecutive Days Weekly, Over a Period of Five Weeks, in Malignant Tertian Malaria

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Studies in the Treatment of Malaria: XIII.—Oral Administration of Quinine Sulphate Grains 90 on Two Consecutive Days Only, in Simple Tertian Malaria[Second Series]

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Superconductivity at 1 K in Cd2Re2O7

We report the first pyrochlore oxide superconductor Cd2Re2O7. Resistivity,magnetic susceptibility,and specific heat measurements on single crystals evidence a bulk superconductivity at 1 K. Another phase transition found at 200 K suggests that a peculiar electronic structure lies behind the superconductivity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, PRL, in pres

Cluster randomised control trial protocol for estimating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention to increase care home staff influenza vaccination rates compared to usual practice (FLUCARE)

The care home staff influenza vaccination rate in England is significantly lower than the 75% World Health Organisation recommendation. This represents a substantial potential for resident harm. Barriers to staff vaccination stem from individual and organisational levels. Existing interventions address some but not all barriers and are not underpinned by behavioural science theory. This study aims to estimate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a theory-informed intervention to improve care home staff vaccination rates compared to routine practice. Set in care homes with both nursing and residential focus, and a range of ownership status, only homes providing long stay care to older people with a staff vaccination rate below 40% are eligible to participate. Participation expressions of interest will be sought using a variety of approaches prior to seeking consent. The primary outcome measure is the proportion of staff vaccinated at 6 months, with secondary outcome measures being proportion vaccinated at 3 months, numbers of staff sick days, general practitioner and nurse visits to care home, care home resident hospitalisations and mortality. Based on the assumptions that the mean cluster (care home) size is 54 staff, a coefficient of variation of 0.48, control vaccination rate is 55%, intervention 75%, intra-cluster correlation coefficient of 0.2 and with 90% power, and 20% attrition, we require 39 care homes per arm. Blocked randomisation will be at the level of care home, stratified by the proportion of non-white care home staff, and implemented by Norwich Clinical Trials Unit. The intervention comprises co-designed information videos and posters, provision of in-house staff vaccination clinics, and incentive scheme and monthly data collection on trial outcomes. Beyond usual practice, the control arm will additionally contribute monthly data. Data will be collected at the start, monthly and at 6 months, and analysis will be blind to allocation. Statistical analysis will use the intention-to-treat principle with the difference in vaccination rates between groups compared using a random effect logistic regression model at the staff-level. This will be the first study to use a theory-informed intervention designed to comprehensively address identified barriers to care home staff influenza vaccination

Coexistence of metallic and nonmetallic properties in the pyrochlore Lu2Rh2O7

Transition metal oxides of the $4d$ and $5d$ block have recently become the targets of materials discovery, largely due to their strong spin-orbit coupling that can generate exotic magnetic and electronic states. Here we report the high pressure synthesis of Lu$_2$Rh$_2$O$_7$, a new cubic pyrochlore oxide based on $4d^5$ Rh$^{4+}$ and characterizations via thermodynamic, electrical transport, and muon spin relaxation measurements. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal a large temperature-independent Pauli paramagnetic contribution, while heat capacity shows an enhanced Sommerfeld coefficient, $\gamma$ = 21.8(1) mJ/mol-Rh K$^2$. Muon spin relaxation measurements confirm that Lu$_2$Rh$_2$O$_7$ remains paramagnetic down to 2 K. Taken in combination, these three measurements suggest that Lu$_2$Rh$_2$O$_7$ is a correlated paramagnetic metal with a Wilson ratio of $R_W = 2.5$. However, electric transport measurements present a striking contradiction as the resistivity of Lu$_2$Rh$_2$O$_7$ is observed to monotonically increase with decreasing temperature, indicative of a nonmetallic state. Furthermore, although the magnitude of the resistivity is that of a semiconductor, the temperature dependence does not obey any conventional form. Thus, we propose that Lu$_2$Rh$_2$O$_7$ may belong to the same novel class of non-Fermi liquids as the nonmetallic metal FeCrAs.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Identifying the most productive breeding sites for malaria mosquitoes in The Gambia

BACKGROUND: Ideally larval control activities should be targeted at sites that generate the most adult vectors, thereby reducing operational costs. Despite the plethora of potential mosquito breeding sites found in the floodplains of the Gambia River, about 150 km from its mouth, during the rainy season, only a small proportion are colonized by anophelines on any day. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of larval habitats most frequently and most densely populated by anopheline larvae and to estimate the numbers of adults produced in different habitats. METHODS: A case-control design was used to identify characteristics of sites with or without mosquitoes. Sites were surveyed for their physical water properties and invertebrate fauna. The characteristics of 83 sites with anopheline larvae (cases) and 75 sites without (controls) were collected between June and November 2005. Weekly adult productivity was estimated with emergence traps in water-bodies commonly containing larvae. RESULTS: The presence of anopheline larvae was associated with high invertebrate diversity (Odds Ratio, OR 11.69, 95% CI 5.61-24.34, p < 0.001), the presence of emergent vegetation (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.35-5.95, p = 0.006), and algae (at borderline significance; OR 1.87, 95% CI 0.96-3.618, p = 0.065). The density of larvae was reduced in sites that were larger than 100 m in perimeter (OR 0.151; 95% CI 0.060-0.381, p < 0.001), where water was tidal (OR 0.232; 95% CI 0.101-0.533, p = 0.001), vegetation shaded over 25% of the habitat (OR 0.352; 95% CI 0.136-0.911, p = 0.031) and water conductivity was above 2,000 muS/cm (OR 0.458; 95% CI 0.220-0.990, p = 0.048). Pools produced the highest numbers of Anopheles gambiae adults compared with rice fields, floodwater areas close to the edge of the floodplain or close to the river, and stream fringes. Pools were characterized by high water temperature and turbidity, low conductivity, increased presence of algae, and absence of tidal water. CONCLUSION: There are few breeding sites that produce a high number of adult vectors in the middle reaches of the river in The Gambia, whereas those with low productivity are larger in area and can be found throughout the rainy season. Even though risk factors could be identified for the presence and density of larvae and productivity of habitats, the results indicate that anti-larval interventions in this area of The Gambia cannot be targeted in space or time during the rainy season