Three-dimensional Inkjet Printed Solid Oxide Electrochemical Reactors. I. Yttria-stabilized zirconia Electrolyte

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and electrolyser (SOE) performances can be enhanced significantly by increasing the densities of (electrode | electrolyte | pore) triple phase boundaries and improving geometric reproducibility and control over composite electrode | electrolyte microstructures, thereby also aiding predictive performance modelling. We developed stable aqueous colloidal dispersions of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), a common SOFC electrolyte material, and used them to fabricate 2D planar and highly-customisable 3D microstructures by inkjet printing. The effects of solids fraction, particle size, and binder concentration on structures were investigated, and crack-free, non-porous electrolyte planes were obtained by tailoring particle size and minimising binder concentration. Micro-pillar arrays and square lattices were printed with the optimised ink composition, and a minimum feature size of 35 μm was achieved in sintered structures, the smallest published to-date. YSZ particles were printed and sintered to a 23 μm thick planar electrolyte in a Ni-YSZ|YSZ|YSZ-LSM|LSM electrolyser for CO2 splitting; a feed of 9:1 CO2:CO mixture at 1.5 V and 809 °C produced a current density of −0.78 A cm−2 even without more complex 3D electrode | electrolyte geometries

Observation of Free-Space Single-Atom Matterwave Interference

We observe matterwave interference of a single cesium atom in free fall. The interferometer is an absolute sensor of acceleration and we show that this technique is sensitive to forces at the level of $3.2\times10^{-27}$ N with a spatial resolution at the micron scale. We observe the build up of the interference pattern one atom at a time in an interferometer where the mean path separation extends far beyond the coherence length of the atom. Using the coherence length of the atom wavepacket as a metric, we directly probe the velocity distribution and measure the temperature of a single atom in free fall.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Local anaesthetic bupivacaine induced ovarian and prostate cancer apoptotic cell death and underlying mechanisms in vitro

Retrospective studies indicate that the use of regional anesthesia can reduce cancer recurrence after surgery which could be due to ranging from immune function preservation to direct molecular mechanisms. This study was to investigate the effects of bupivacaine on ovarian and prostate cancer cell biology and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cell viability, proliferation and migration of ovarian carcinoma (SKOV-3) and prostate carcinoma (PC-3) were examined following treatment with bupivacaine. Cleaved caspase 3, 8 and 9, and GSK-3β, pGSK-3β(tyr216) and pGSK-3β(ser9) expression were assessed by immunofluorescence. FAS ligand neutralization, caspase and GSK-3 inhibitors and GSK-3β siRNA were applied to further explore underlying mechanisms. Clinically relevant concentrations of bupivacaine reduced cell viability and inhibited cellular proliferation and migration in both cell lines. Caspase 8 and 9 inhibition generated partial cell death reversal in SKOV-3, whilst only caspase 9 was effective in PC-3. Bupivacaine increased the phosphorylation of GSK-3β(Tyr216) in SKOV-3 but without measurable effect in PC3. GSK-3β inhibition and siRNA gene knockdown decreased bupivacaine induced cell death in SKOV-3 but not in PC3. Our data suggests that bupivacaine has direct ‘anti-cancer’ properties through the activation of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways in ovarian cancer but only the intrinsic pathway in prostate cancer

A Cost Comparison of Treatments of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis

This study of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of moderate to severe psoriasis treatments compared phototherapy, oral systemic agents, and biologics from a managed health care systems perspective. A literature review was conducted to identify published studies reporting Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) percentage improvement from baseline (PASI%) for selected treatments. The researchers then calculated total annualized costs. For each treatment, annualized cost-effectiveness was calculated by dividing total annualized costs of treatment by PASI%. The costs necessary to achieve clinically meaningful outcomes (PASI50 and PASI75) were then calculated. Of 3886 articles examined, 16 studies met inclusion criteria. Oral systemic medications, UV therapy, and UV therapy combined with acitretin appear to be the most cost-effective therapies for moderate to severe psoriasis

Advancing understanding of executive function impairments and psychopathology: bridging the gap between clinical and cognitive approaches

Executive function (EF) is essential for successfully navigating nearly all of our daily activities. Of critical importance for clinical psychological science, EF impairments are associated with most forms of psychopathology. However, despite the proliferation of research on EF in clinical populations, with notable exceptions clinical and cognitive approaches to EF have remained largely independent, leading to failures to apply theoretical and methodological advances in one field to the other field and hindering progress. First, we review the current state of knowledge of EF impairments associated with psychopathology and limitations to the previous research in light of recent advances in understanding and measuring EF. Next, we offer concrete suggestions for improving EF assessment. Last, we suggest future directions, including integrating modern models of EF with state of the art, hierarchical models of dimensional psychopathology as well as translational implications of EF-informed research on clinical science

Correlation Between Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Risk of Substance Abuse and Depression among African-American Women in an Urban Emergency Department

Objective: To assess rates of substance abuse (including tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse) as well as rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) among African-American women seen in an urban emergency department (ED). Methods: Eligible participants included all African-American women between the ages of 21-55 years old who were seen in an urban ED for any complaint and triaged to the waiting room. Eligible women who consented to participate completed a computer-based survey that focused on demographic information and general health questions, as well as standardized instruments to screen for alcohol abuse, tobacco abuse, and illicit drug use. This analysis uses results from a larger study evaluating the effects of providing patients with targeted educational literature based on the results of their screening. Results: Six-hundred ten women were surveyed; 430 women reported being in a relationship in the past year and among these, 85 women (20%) screened positive for IPV. Women who screened positive for IPV were significantly more likely to also screen positive for tobacco abuse (56 % vs. 37.5%, p< 0.001), alcohol abuse (47.1 % vs. 23.2%, p < 0.001), and drug abuse (44.7 % vs. 9.5%, p<0.001). Women who screened positive for IPV were also more likely to screen positive for depression and report social isolation. Conclusions: African-American women seen in the ED, who screen positive for IPV, are at significantly higher risk of drug, alcohol, tobacco abuse, depression and social isolation than women who do not screen positive for IPV. These findings have important implications for ED-based and community-based social services for women who are victims of intimate partner violence. [West J Emerg Med. 2010; 11(3): 252-256.