Exploring how biobanks communicate the possibility of commercial access and its associated benefits and risks in participant documents

Background Biobanks and biomedical research data repositories collect their samples and associated data from volunteer participants. Their aims are to facilitate biomedical research and improve health, and they are framed in terms of contributing to the public good. Biobank resources may be accessible to researchers with commercial motivations, for example, researchers in pharmaceutical companies who may utilise the data to develop new clinical therapeutics and pharmaceutical drugs. Studies exploring citizen perceptions of public/private interactions associated with large health data repositories/biobanks indicate that there are sensitivities around public/private and/or non-profit/profit relationships and international sample and data sharing. Less work has explored how biobanks communicate their public/private partnerships to the public or to their potential research participants. Methods We explored how a biobank’s aims, benefits and risks, and private/public relationships have been framed in public facing recruitment documents (consent forms and participant information sheets). Results Biobank documents often communicate their commercial access arrangements but not the detail about what these interactions would entail, and how risks and benefits would be distributed to the public. Conclusion We argue that this leads to a polarised discourse between public and private entities and/or activities, and fails to attend to the blurred lines between them. This results in a lack of attention to more important issues such as how risks and benefits in general are distributed to the public. We call for a nuanced approach that can contribute to the much-needed dialogue in this space

Optimizing propagating spin wave spectroscopy

The frequency difference between two oppositely propagating spin waves can be used to probe several interesting magnetic properties, such as the Dzyaloshinkii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Propagating spin wave spectroscopy is a technique that is very sensitive to this frequency difference. Here we show several elements that are important to optimize devices for such a measurement. We demonstrate that for wide magnetic strips there is a need for de-embedding. Additionally, for these wide strips there is a large parasitic antenna-antenna coupling that obfuscates any spin wave transmission signal, which is remedied by moving to smaller strips. The conventional antenna design excites spin waves with two different wave vectors. As the magnetic layers become thinner, the resulting resonances move closer together and become very difficult to disentangle. In the last part we therefore propose and verify a new antenna design that excites spin waves with only one wave vector. We suggest to use this antenna design to measure the DMI in thin magnetic layers.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Exploring how biobanks communicate the possibility of commercial access and its associated benefits and risks in participant documents

BACKGROUND: Biobanks and biomedical research data repositories collect their samples and associated data from volunteer participants. Their aims are to facilitate biomedical research and improve health, and they are framed in terms of contributing to the public good. Biobank resources may be accessible to researchers with commercial motivations, for example, researchers in pharmaceutical companies who may utilise the data to develop new clinical therapeutics and pharmaceutical drugs. Studies exploring citizen perceptions of public/private interactions associated with large health data repositories/biobanks indicate that there are sensitivities around public/private and/or non-profit/profit relationships and international sample and data sharing. Less work has explored how biobanks communicate their public/private partnerships to the public or to their potential research participants. METHODS: We explored how a biobank's aims, benefits and risks, and private/public relationships have been framed in public facing recruitment documents (consent forms and participant information sheets). RESULTS: Biobank documents often communicate their commercial access arrangements but not the detail about what these interactions would entail, and how risks and benefits would be distributed to the public. CONCLUSION: We argue that this leads to a polarised discourse between public and private entities and/or activities, and fails to attend to the blurred lines between them. This results in a lack of attention to more important issues such as how risks and benefits in general are distributed to the public. We call for a nuanced approach that can contribute to the much-needed dialogue in this space

Spin motive forces due to magnetic vortices and domain walls

We study spin motive forces, i.e, spin-dependent forces, and voltages induced by time-dependent magnetization textures, for moving magnetic vortices and domain walls. First, we consider the voltage generated by a one-dimensional field-driven domain wall. Next, we perform detailed calculations on field-driven vortex domain walls. We find that the results for the voltage as a function of magnetic field differ between the one-dimensional and vortex domain wall. For the experimentally relevant case of a vortex domain wall, the dependence of voltage on field around Walker breakdown depends qualitatively on the ratio of the so-called $\beta$-parameter to the Gilbert damping constant, and thus provides a way to determine this ratio experimentally. We also consider vortices on a magnetic disk in the presence of an AC magnetic field. In this case, the phase difference between field and voltage on the edge is determined by the $\beta$ parameter, providing another experimental method to determine this quantity.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, submitted to PR

Geoquímica y sistemática isotópica de rocas metamórficas del Paleozoico inferior. Noroeste de Argentina y Norte de Chile (21°-27° S)

Más del 95% de los afloramientos del basamento metamórfico del Paleozoico inferior en el Noroeste de A rgentina y Norte de Chile están compuestos por rocas félsicas. Los contenidos de elementos mayores, trazas y las composiciones isotópicas de Pb, Rb-Sr y Sm-Nd son típicos de las rocas que conforman la corteza superior. Las edades modelos Sm-Nd de las rocas estudiadas son de ca 1.8 Ga. Estas rocas han sido afectadas por un evento principal de metamorfismo del Paleozoico temprano (ca. 500 Ma). Se considera que el reciclado de la corteza, con un importante evento de metamorfismo durante el Paleozoico temprano, es el proceso dominante en la generación de muchos de los magmas con composiciones graníticas originados desde el Paleozoico temprano hasta el Reciente. Las espesas secuencias sedimentarias ordovícicas son derivadas también de esa misma corteza en común. Los xenolitos félsicos de la corteza inferior extraídos por el magmatismo perteneciente al sistema del Rift Salta, son muy similares composicionalmente al basamento del Paleozoico inferior. Se estima que la composición de la corteza desde la parte superior hasta la inferior sería principalmente félsica. Las rocas máficas tienen muy poco volumen y forman principalmente diques. Sus edades modelos Sm-Nd revelan dos grupos, uno con edades de ca 1.8 Ga y otro con edades de ca £ 1.0 Ga No ha sido posible realizar una interpretación ajustada del ambiente geodinámico en donde se ha desarrollado este magmatismo básico.Felsic rocks comprise more than 95% of the outcropping Early Paleozoic metamorphic basement. Their major and trace element contents and Pb, Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotope compositions are typical for upper crustal rocks. Sm-Nd model ages are ca 1.8 Ga. The principal ages of high-grade metamorphism is Early Paleozoic (ca 500 Ma). Recycling of this crust is the dominating process in the formation of granitoid magmatic rocks from Early Paleozoic to Recent. Ordovician sediments are also derivates of this crust. Felsic lower crustal xenoliths from the Salta Rift system are compositionally very similar compared to the early Paleozoic basement. The crustal composition from top to the bottom seems mainly felsic. Early Paleozoic mafic rocks are of minor volume and form mainly dikes. Their Sm-Nd model ages reveal two groups; one with ages of ca 1.8 Ga another with ages of £ 1.0 Ga. A meaningful interpretation of their geodynamic setting is not possible

From secrecy to discretion: The views of psychological therapists' on supporting Chinese sexual and gender minority young people

Objective Little is known about how to best meet the mental health needs of sexual and/or gender (SG) minority young people who are also an ethnic minority (i.e., double minority youth). We aimed to explore the views of mental health providers (hereafter ‘therapists’ for brevity) on the needs of Chinese SG minority youth in a Western nation (New Zealand) and the therapeutic approaches to best address these needs. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight therapists (including medical practitioners, counsellors, a psychotherapist, and a social worker). All were providers of talking therapies or counselling, experienced in working with Chinese and/or SG minority youth. A general inductive approach to qualitative data analysis was used to identify themes. Results Four categories of mental health needs emerged. These were needs for love and acceptance; migration and Chinese cultural needs; managing cis-heteronormativity and coming-out needs; and intersectional needs of ‘double rejection’. A ‘double-minority-specific’ therapeutic process was identified. This process suggests therapists successfully engage young people through three phases of therapeutic engagement: from exploration of a SG minority orientation; via segmentation of identity and cautious coming out practice; to a sense of accepted and managed, but often discrete identities. Dimensions of therapy to support Chinese SG minority youth prioritized relational, individually-tailored, holistic approaches that attend to potential barriers. Conclusion The results suggest that therapists perceive intersectional challenges for Chinese SG minority youth in a Western context. Tailored therapeutic approaches are advocated to support double minority young people

The effectiveness of SPARX, a computerised self help intervention for adolescents seeking help for depression: randomised controlled non-inferiority trial

Objective To evaluate whether a new computerised cognitive behavioural therapy intervention (SPARX, Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts) could reduce depressive symptoms in help seeking adolescents as much or more than treatment as usual

Youth’12 The Health and Wellbeing of Secondary School Students in New Zealand: Results for Young People Attracted to the Same Sex or Both Sexes

Almost four percent (3.8%) of young people reported being attracted to others of the same sex or both sexes in Youth’12. This proportion is comparable to that found in the previous surveys conducted in 2001 and 2007, suggesting that over the past 11 years there has been no change in relation to the number of New Zealand secondary school students who are same/both-sex attracted. Furthermore these young people are ethnically, geographically, and socially diverse, and attend schools from around the country. In 2012, the majority (53.1%) of same/both-sex attracted young people had ‘come out’ (i.e. told people close to them about their sexuality) whilst 31.3% of same/both-sex attracted students had come out in 2001. However, in Youth’12 only 14.4% of these young people said that they could easily talk to their family about their sexuality. Most same/both-sex attracted students reported feeling positive towards school and described caring relationships with their parents and friends. Same/both-sex attracted students were also generous with their time in that they were more likely (than their opposite-sex attracted counterparts) to work as volunteers in their communities. Although most same/both-sex attracted students are doing well, there are significant and harmful disparities when these students are compared to their opposite-sex attracted peers. Same/both-sex attracted young people are often exposed to environments that are challenging and discriminatory, and this in turn affects their wellbeing. For example, same/both-sex attracted youth are more likely to be bullied, be physically harmed, and to be afraid that someone would hurt or bother them at school. Furthermore, 59.4% of same/both-sex attracted students had deliberately self-harmed, 41.3% had significant depressive symptoms, 18.3% had attempted suicide in the last 12 months, and 35.7% had difficulty getting help for their emotional concerns. These mental health issues have not improved since 2001, and worryingly the proportion of same/both-sex attracted students experiencing significant depressive symptoms has increased from 27.0% in 2001 to 41.3% in 2012, while the proportion of opposite-sex attracted students with these symptoms has remained fairly constant (9.5% in 2007 and 11.4% in 2001 and 2012). This suggests that poor progress is being made in terms of addressing mental health concerns. Overall this report highlights that while many same/both-sex attracted students are doing well, in comparison to opposite-sex attracted students, same/both-sex attracted young people continue to experience compromised health and wellbeing. Evidence from international studies suggest that reducing these disparities must focus on creating safe and nurturing environments which build upon the young person’s strengths and assets, and refrains from problematising (or pathologising) same/both-sex attracted young people