Doping-induced spin Hall ratio enhancement in A15-phase, Ta-doped β-W thin films

As spintronic devices become more and more prevalent, the desire to find Pt-free materials with large spin Hall effects is increasing. Previously it was shown that β-W, the metastable A15 structured variant of pure W, has charge-spin conversion efficiencies on par with Pt, and it was predicted that β-W/Ta alloys should be even more efficient. Here we demonstrate the enhancement of the spin Hall ratio (SHR) in A15-phase β-W films doped with Ta (W4-xTax where x = 0.34 ± 0.06) deposited at room temperature using DC magnetron co-sputtering. In close agreement with theoretical predictions, we find that the SHR of the doped films was ~9% larger than pure β-W films. We also found that the SHR's in devices with Co2Fe6B2 were nearly twice as large as the SHR's in devices with Co4Fe4B2. This work shows that by optimizing deposition parameters and substrates, the fabrication of the optimum W3Ta alloy should be feasible, opening the door to commercially viable, Pt-free, spintronic devices

Moisture Stress Assessment through NDVI and Climate Tools for Crop Management at Anantpur District, AP

Anantapur is the driest district of Andhra Pradesh and hence, agriculture conditions are very often precarious. Groundnut grows where other crops fail and thus it is the predominant crop of Anantapur district. Groundnut is grown in about 7.5 lakh ha in Anantapur district; however the average yields are low af 500 kg ha-1. Among various available vegetation indices, normalised difference vegetation index (ND VI) is widely used for all reasons, which is a single numerical indicator of presence and condition of green vegetation. ND VI mapping at a regional scale helps to assess the spatial changes in the vigour of green vegetation and thus occurrence of any moisture stress. Climate tOQls have a great role in understanding the crop performance and estimating the yields. This study was taken up by using freely available MODIS data to understand ND VI in terms of abiotic stresses over Anantapur district and linking with the actual rainfall conditions, groundnut crop acreage and production. Results indicate that low groundnut yields in general,could be related to ND VI-based stress measurements and rainfall quantum and distribution in the area however, with a few exceptions. It is hoped that by combining improved practices through IWM with climate-adapted crop varieties, rainfed farmers of Anantapur district can sustain their crop production under present climate variability and become resilient to future climate chang

G-Quadruplex DNA Bound by a Synthetic Ligand is Highly Dynamic

G-Quadruplexes are noncanonical structures formed by certain guanine-rich sequences of DNA.1 The G-quadruplex formed by the human telomeric DNA sequence has been of particular interest, owing to the importance of telomere maintenance for cellular proliferation.2 Small molecules that bind and stabilize the G-quadruplex can inhibit cell growth via mechanisms that may involve disruption of the telomere and/or the prevention of telomere extension.3 Consequently, the G-quadruplex formed by telomeric DNA is under investigation as a potential molecular target for anticancer drugs.4 Human telomeric DNA is intrinsically dynamic,5 and the effect of quadruplex-binding ligands on these dynamics is not known. We studied the effect of quinolinecarboxamide macrocycle 1 (Scheme 1a),6 a potent quadruplex stabilizing ligand with potential anticancer properties, on the structural dynamics of human telomeri

Fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among Pakistani doctors: a survey study

Background: The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has seriously affected the lives of millions of people across the world. It has also heavily burdened healthcare professionals and the virus poses serious risks for their personal and professional lives. Therefore, the present study examined the associations between fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among doctors in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey was conducted among 421 doctors in Pakistan between April 10 and May 25, 2020. The Workplace Phobia Scale (WPS) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) were the main psychometric instruments used in this study. Results: There was a significant positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and workplace panic anxiety and workplace avoidance behavior. Significantly higher fear of COVID-19 was found among (i) females compared to males, (ii) doctors with 5 years or less of work experience compared to those with more than 5 years, and (iii) postgraduate trainees compared with other ranks. Two groups (doctors who were above 30 years old and postgraduate trainees) were found to have higher levels of workplace phobia compared to their counterparts. Doctors with severe levels of fear of COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of workplace panic anxiety and workplace avoidance behavior. Conclusions: Fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with workplace phobia which may negatively affect doctors’ performance. Therefore, important steps are needed to protect doctors’ health by providing sufficient resources to allay their fears and anxieties which consequently help them in carrying out their frontline duties in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Youth Culturally adapted Manual Assisted Problem Solving Training (YCMAP) in Pakistani adolescent with a history of self-harm: protocol for multicentre clinical and cost-effectiveness randomised controlled trial

Introduction: Suicide is a global health concern. Sociocultural factors have an impact on self-harm and suicide rates. In Pakistan, both self-harm and suicide are considered as criminal offence’s and are condemned on both religious and social grounds. The proposed intervention ‘Youth Culturally Adapted Manual Assisted Problem Solving Training (YCMAP)’ is based on principles of problem-solving and cognitive–behavioural therapy. YCMAP is a brief, culturally relevant, scalable intervention that can be implemented in routine clinical practice if found to be effective. Method and analysis: A multicentre rater blind randomised controlled trial to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of YCMAP including a sample of 652 participants, aged 12–18 years, presenting to general physicians/clinicians, emergency room after self harm or self referrals. We will test the effectiveness of 8–10 individual sessions of YCMAP delivered over 3 months compared with treatment as usual. Primary outcome measure is repetition of self-harm at 12 months. The seconday outcomes include reduction in suicidal ideation, hopelessness and distress and improvement in health related quality of life. Assessments will be completed at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postrandomisation. The nested qualitative component will explore perceptions about management of self-harm and suicide prevention among adolescents and investigate participants’ experiences with YCMAP. The study will be guided by the theory of change approach to ensure that the whole trial is centred around needs of the end beneficiaries as key stakeholders in the process. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of University of Manchester, the National Bioethics Committee in Pakistan. The findings of this study will be disseminated through community workshops, social media, conference presentations and peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number: NCT04131179

Surgical and minimally invasive treatment of ischaemic and non-ischaemic priapism : A systematic review by the EAU Sexual and Reproductive Health Guidelines panel

Peer reviewedPostprin

What is the effectiveness of surgical and non-surgical therapies in the treatment of ischemic priapism in patients with sickle cell disease? A systematic review by the EAU Sexual and Reproductive Health Panel

The authors acknowledge the participants for their cooperation Conflict of Interest: None of the authors declare any interest. Formatting of funding sources: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Peer reviewedPostprin

Spectroscopic analysis of LiTm F

The absorption spectra of Tm3+ in LiTmF4 have been measured at 2, 10, 30, and 50 K in the spectral interval 4000-25 000 cm-1. The energy levels of the ground-state configuration were calculated by diagonalizing the Hamiltonian of the electron-electron interaction, the spin-orbit coupling, and the crystal field in a basis of the whole configuration. The electrostatic parameter F2, the spin-orbit parameter ζ, and the crystal-field parameters Bkq were varied to obtain the best agreement with the experimentally observed levels. As the model does not account for configuration mixing and minor magnetic effects, it was necessary after optimizing F2 and ζ to match the centers of gravity for the multiplets before the final adjustment of the B parameters. When this was done, the standard deviation was lowered from 170 to 12 cm-1. The B parameters obtained for Tm3+ have been compared to those of Tb3+, Ho3+, and Er3+ in LiLnF4, and they follow a common trend. The intensities of the transitions from the ground state were calculated in the Judd-Ofelt scheme, fitting six complex intensity parameters A(kqλ) for best agreement with the experimentally observed intensities. The model was only able to give a rough estimate of the transition probabilities. The obtained relative standard deviation was 1.1. Contrary to what was found in the case of the energy calculations, it was important for the intensity calculations that the B parameters were allowed to take complex values. The imaginary part of the A parameters was not important to the intensities

Public engagement on global health challenges

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Experience with public engagement activities regarding the risks and benefits of science and technology (S&T) is growing, especially in the industrialized world. However, public engagement in the developing world regarding S&T risks and benefits to explore health issues has not been widely explored.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This paper gives an overview about public engagement and related concepts, with a particular focus on challenges and benefits in the developing world. We then describe an Internet-based platform, which seeks to both inform and engage youth and the broader public on global water issues and their health impacts. Finally, we outline a possible course for future action to scale up this and similar online public engagement platforms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The benefits of public engagement include creating an informed citizenry, generating new ideas from the public, increasing the chances of research being adopted, increasing public trust, and answering ethical research questions. Public engagement also fosters global communication, enables shared experiences and methodology, standardizes strategy, and generates global viewpoints. This is especially pertinent to the developing world, as it encourages previously marginalized populations to participate on a global stage. One of the core issues at stake in public engagement is global governance of science and technology. Also, beyond benefiting society at large, public engagement in science offers benefits to the scientific enterprise itself.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Successful public engagement with developing world stakeholders will be a critical part of implementing new services and technologies. Interactive engagement platforms, such as the Internet, have the potential to unite people globally around relevant health issues.</p