Anode modification of polyfluorene-based polymer light-emitting devices

A glycerol-modified poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) layer was used as an anode buffer layer in polymer light-emitting devices using poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (F8) as the emitter. Devices with a configuration of indium tin oxide/PEDOT:PSS (with or without glycerol)/F8/CsF/Al were fabricated. It was found that the glycerol-modified device showed a much larger current density than the unmodified device. At an operating voltage of 6 V, the glycerol-modified device showed a luminance of 1300Cd/m 2 and a current efficiency of 1.7 Cd/A compared to the corresponding values of 500Cd/m 2 and 1.3 Cd/A in the unmodified device. Analysis by ultraviolet spectroscopy suggests that the two devices have the same energy level structure and the performance improvement should not be due to change in the PEDOT/polymer interface. It was further found that incorporating a suitable amount of glycerol into the PEDOT:PSS layer can increase its conductivity by six times. This leads to a better balance in the hole and electron currents and thus improved device efficiency. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Heartbreak Hotei: Spirituality and Metabolic Syndrome

James, Christine (2013). Heartbreak Hotei: Spirituality and Metabolic Syndrome. Chronic Illness, Spirituality, and Healing. 1 electronic record (PDF).Colloquially, the medical diagnosis of “metabolic syndrome” and the physical condition of obesity might not be understood as chronic illness or chronic disease. To the lay person, chronic illness often refers to something “out of the patient’s control.” In contrast, chronic illness such as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease are not usually thought to be the result of repeated, habitual, poor dietary choices on the part of the patient; this is even less so with chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis or cystic fibrosis. Metabolic syndrome is not necessarily considered a chronic condition, because it can be remediated through lifestyle changes, healthier choices in food intake, and physical activity. Nevertheless, metabolic syndrome is directly related to chronic illness in terms of a specific set of clinical outcomes that are recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as chronic diseases, among them “heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis” (CDC, 2012). These chronic diseases are often listed in the medical diagnostic literature as clinical outcomes of metabolic syndrome, “a condition characterized by multiple risk factors” (AHA, 2004). The Mayo Clinic defines metabolic syndrome as a cluster of conditions—increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels—that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having just one of these conditions doesn’t mean you have metabolic syndrome. However, any of these conditions increase your risk of serious disease. (Mayo Clinic, 2011