Nanowire and core-shell-structures on flexible Mo Foil for CdTe solar cell applications

CdTe films, nanowires, film-nanowire combinations and CdS-CdTe core-shell structures have been fabricated in a preliminary survey of growth methods that will generate structures for PV applications. Selectivity between film, nanowire and film plus nanowire growth was achieved by varying the pressure of N2 gas present during Au-catalysed VLS growth of CdTe, on either Mo or Si substrates. Metamorphic growth of CdTe nanowires on sputtered CdTe films, deposited on glass substrates, was demonstrated. Coating of CdTe nanowires with CBD CdS gave conformal coverage whereas coating with MOCVD (Cd,Zn)S yielded highly crystallographic dendritic growth on the wires

A Linux Implementation of Temporal Access Controls

Abstract — Control of access to information based upon temporal attributes can add another dimension to access control. To demonstrate the feasibility of operating system-level support for temporal access controls, the Time Interval File Protection System (TIFPS), a prototype of the Time In-terval Access Control (TIAC) model, has been implemented by modifying Linux extended attributes to include temporal metadata associated both with files and users. The Linux Security Module was used to provide hooks for temporal ac-cess control logic. In addition, a set of utilities was modified to be TIFPS-aware. These tools permit users to view and manage the temporal attributes associated with their files and directories. Functional, performance, and concurrency testing were conducted. The ability of TIFPS to grant or revoke access in the future, as well to limit access to specific time intervals enhances traditional information control and sharing. I

Randomised controlled trial of a theory-based behavioural intervention to reduce formula milk intake

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a theory-based behavioural intervention to prevent rapidweight gain in formula-milk fed infants.  Design: In this single (assessor) blind, randomised controlled trial, 669 healthy full-terminfants receiving formula-milk within 14 weeks of birth were individually-randomised tointervention (n=340) or attention-matched control (n=329) groups. The intervention aimed toreduce formula-milk intakes, and promote responsive feeding and growth monitoring toprevent rapid weight gain (>+ 0.67 standard deviation scores [SDS]). It was delivered tomothers by trained facilitators up to infant age 6 months through 3 face-to-face contacts, 2telephone contacts, and written materials.  Results: Retention was 93% (622) at 6 months, 88% (586) at 12 months, and 94% attended >4/5 sessions. The intervention strengthened maternal attitudes to following infant feedingrecommendations, reduced reported milk intakes at ages 3 (-14%; intervention vs controlinfants), 4 (-12%), 5 (-9%), and 6 (-7%) months, slowed initial infant weight gain frombaseline to 6 months (mean change 0.32 vs 0.42 SDS, baseline-adjusted difference(intervention vs control) -0.08 [95% CI; -0.17, -0.004] SDS), but had no effect on the primaryoutcome of weight gain to 12 months (baseline-adjusted difference -0.04 [-0.17, 0.10] SDS).By 12 months, 40.3% of infants in the intervention group and 45.9% in the control groupshowed rapid weight gain (OR: 0.84 [95% CI; 0.59, 1.17]).  Conclusions: Despite reducing milk intakes and initial weight gain, the intervention did notalter the high prevalence of rapid weight gain to age 12 months suggesting the need forsustained intervention

Selective Loss of Wild-Type p16INK4a Expression in Human Nevi

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The EC Water Framework Directive and monitoring lakes in the Republic of Ireland

The authors of the article explore and discuss the effects of implementing the EC Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the Republic of Ireland. They also summarise some of the findings from a survey of 31 lakes sampled regularly between March 1996 and December 1997. The lakes were sampled regularly for a range of physico-chemical and biotic variables that probably would be important for monitoring programmes implemented under the WFD. The authors discuss problems of monitoring lake types with varying seasonal patterns

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Basic science232. Certolizumab pegol prevents pro-inflammatory alterations in endothelial cell function

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major comorbidity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a leading cause of death. Chronic systemic inflammation involving tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) could contribute to endothelial activation and atherogenesis. A number of anti-TNF therapies are in current use for the treatment of RA, including certolizumab pegol (CZP), (Cimzia ®; UCB, Belgium). Anti-TNF therapy has been associated with reduced clinical cardiovascular disease risk and ameliorated vascular function in RA patients. However, the specific effects of TNF inhibitors on endothelial cell function are largely unknown. Our aim was to investigate the mechanisms underpinning CZP effects on TNF-activated human endothelial cells. Methods: Human aortic endothelial cells (HAoECs) were cultured in vitro and exposed to a) TNF alone, b) TNF plus CZP, or c) neither agent. Microarray analysis was used to examine the transcriptional profile of cells treated for 6 hrs and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysed gene expression at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hrs. NF-κB localization and IκB degradation were investigated using immunocytochemistry, high content analysis and western blotting. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect microparticle release from HAoECs. Results: Transcriptional profiling revealed that while TNF alone had strong effects on endothelial gene expression, TNF and CZP in combination produced a global gene expression pattern similar to untreated control. The two most highly up-regulated genes in response to TNF treatment were adhesion molecules E-selectin and VCAM-1 (q 0.2 compared to control; p > 0.05 compared to TNF alone). The NF-κB pathway was confirmed as a downstream target of TNF-induced HAoEC activation, via nuclear translocation of NF-κB and degradation of IκB, effects which were abolished by treatment with CZP. In addition, flow cytometry detected an increased production of endothelial microparticles in TNF-activated HAoECs, which was prevented by treatment with CZP. Conclusions: We have found at a cellular level that a clinically available TNF inhibitor, CZP reduces the expression of adhesion molecule expression, and prevents TNF-induced activation of the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, CZP prevents the production of microparticles by activated endothelial cells. This could be central to the prevention of inflammatory environments underlying these conditions and measurement of microparticles has potential as a novel prognostic marker for future cardiovascular events in this patient group. Disclosure statement: Y.A. received a research grant from UCB. I.B. received a research grant from UCB. S.H. received a research grant from UCB. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens