Conductivity Measurements of a Thermoelectric Nanomaterial through THz Spectroscopy

In today’s society there is a great demand on energy output—in the United States alone we rely heavily on non-renewable energy sources. Thermoelectric materials may be able to be used to create more efficient energy systems or recover wasted heat from inefficient technologies. This paper focuses on the conductivity of a new thermoelectric material that incorporates copper into a tellurium nanowire PEDOT:PSS material. The addition of copper seems to increase the conductivity of the material, although the exact relationship between the percentage of copper to tellurium and its affect on the conductivity is uncertain from the results

Transient Photoconductivity of a Thermoelectric Nanomaterial PEDOT:PSS with TeCu nanowires

Thermoelectric materials are able to transfer heat energy into electrical energy. They have many important applications, and an increased understanding of them would allow the scientific community to develop more efficient thermoelectrics. We provide here transient photoconductivity measurements of a thermoelectric nanomaterial - PEDOT:PSS with TeCu nanowires on quartz substrate. Increased copper concentration in nanowires decreases photoconductivity in both transmission and reflectance measurements. Fermi blocking provides a reasonable explanation for this decrease in photoconductivity, which occurs when total nanowire mass approaches ~15% copper concentration

Active children through individual vouchers – evaluation (ACTIVE): A mixed method randomised control trial to improve the cardiovascular fitness and health of teenagers

To experience the health benefits of physical activity, it is recommended thatchildren and young people take part in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorousactivity on average per day across the week. In Wales, only 11% of girls and 20% ofboys are reported to meet these government recommendations with accessibility(e.g., cost and lack of local facilities) cited as the main barrier to participation. Todate, interventions have experienced short-term success. These interventions oftenplace emphasis on policymakers as the leaders, or experts on the matter in question.However, this can result in a disconnect between what is provided and what thegroup receiving the intervention value and need. The Active Children throughIndividual Vouchers – Evaluation Project (ACTIVE), funded by the British HeartFoundation (BHF), aimed to empower teenagers and tackle accessibility barriers toimprove the physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, motivation and heart health ofthose aged 13 – 14 in south Wales. This study was co-produced by teenagers from itsinception to delivery of the ACTIVE intervention and included a multi-componentintervention encompassing a voucher scheme, peer mentoring and support workerengagement. The ACTIVE RCT had a positive impact on cardiovascular fitness andblood pressure as well as perceptions of activity. The findings from observationaldata provide some key predictors of teenage health which can be used to be proactivein promoting healthy behaviours in young people and identifies some protectivefactors which can be promoted to families and first-time parents. The key messagefrom ACTIVE is that young people want to have their say in activity provision sothat they can increase their opportunities to participate in unstructured, fun and socialactivity in their local communities. To improve physical activity, more should bedone to listen to teenagers as to what they want and need

Human Pheromones: Integrating Neuroendocrinology and Ethology

The effect of sensory input on hormones is essential to any explanation of mammalian behavior, including aspects of physical attraction. The chemical signals we send have direct and developmental effects on hormone levels in other people. Since we don't know either if, or how, visual cues might have direct and developmental effects on hormone levels in other people, the biological basis for the development of visually perceived human physical attraction is currently somewhat questionable. In contrast, the biological basis for the development of physical attraction based on chemical signals is well detailed

Palaeotsunamis in the Sino-Pacific region

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. Palaeotsunami research in the Sino-Pacific region has increased markedly following the 2011 Tōhoku-oki tsunami. Recent studies encompass a variety of potential sources and cover a full range of research activities from detailed studies at individual sites through to region-wide data collation for the purposes of database development. We synthesise palaeotsunami data from around the region drawing on key examples to highlight the progress made since 2011. We focus on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, from region-wide to local events, from multi-millennial site records to estimates of magnitude and frequency along national coastlines. The review is based on sub-regions but in reviewing the combined records highlights common events and anomalies. In doing so we identify future research opportunities and notable findings arising from our review

Impact of school closures on the health and well-being of primary school children in Wales UK: a routine data linkage study using the HAPPEN Survey (2018–2020)

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between initial school closures and children’s health by comparing health and well-being outcomes collected during school closures (April–June 2020) via HAPPEN (the Health and Attainment of Pupils in a Primary Education Network) with data from the same period in 2019 and 2018 via the HAPPEN Survey. Setting: The study was conducted online with 161 primary schools across Wales involved in the ‘HAPPEN At Home’ Survey. Participants: Data were collected via the ‘HAPPEN At Home’ Survey capturing the typical health behaviours of children aged 8–11 years from 1333 participants across Wales. These data were compared with data in 2018 and 2019 also collected between April and June, from HAPPEN (2019 (n=1150) and 2018 (n=475)). Primary and secondary outcome measures: Primary outcomes included validated measures of physical activity, screen time, diet and dental health, as well as well-being, competency and autonomy. Free school meal (FSM) status was used as a proxy for socioeconomic deprivation. Analyses were repeated stratifying by FSM. Results: Comparing responses between April–June in 2020 (n=1068), 2019 (n=1150) and 2018 (n=475), there were improvements in physical activity levels, sleep time, happiness and general well-being for children during school closures compared with previous years. However, children on FSM ate fewer fruits and vegetables (21% less at five or more portions of fruits and vegetables (95% CI: 5.7% to 37%)) and had lower self-assessed school competence compared with 2019. Compared with those not on FSM, they also spent less time doing physical activity (13.03%, 95% CI: 3.3% to 21.7%) and consumed more takeaways (16.3%, 95% CI: 2% to 30%) during school closures. Conclusions: This study suggests that schools are important in reducing inequalities in physical health. The physical health (eg, physical activity and diet) of children eligible for FSM may be affected by prolonged school closures

The Health and Attainment of Pupils in Primary Education

Objectives HAPPEN (The Health and Attainment of Pupils in Primary EducatioN) aims to empower schools to make meaningful changes by gaining a better understanding of pupil’s physical, psychological, emotional and social health. HAPPEN has had 30,000+ children across Wales take part to develop an e-cohort that is supported by public engagement and involvement. Methods Pupils (aged 7-11 or years 4/5/6) complete a self-report survey within school about aspects of their health and wellbeing. HAPPEN is directly aligned to the new Curriculum for Wales and has a strong utilisation of consultation, engagement and collaboration with school staff and local authorities. Schools receive an individual report presenting group-level data on pupils’ health and wellbeing while creating a dataset of health and wellbeing across Wales. This data has been linked to routine data and has the potential to make signficant impact in Wales. Results HAPPEN data has most recently been used to explore children’s health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic. This included a retrospective cohort study using an online cohort survey (January 2018 to February 2020) linked to routine PCR SARS-CoV-2 test results to explore health-related behaviours in children (2018-2020) and association with being tested and testing positive (2020-2021). This found associations relating to parental health literacy and monitoring behaviours. As well as this, free school meal status was used as a proxy for deprivation in an exploratory study on the impact of school closures on the health and well-being. The physical health (eg, physical activity and diet) of children eligible for FSM may be affected by prolonged school closures. HAPPEN research is driven by the wants and needs of its user-group. Conclusion HAPPEN exists to empower schools and practitioners to improve the health and wellbeing of children across Wales by feeding into policy and practice. This infrastructure has facilitated the creation of a dataset that can be linked to answer past and future questions including an evaluation of current free school meal roll-out

Factors influencing wellbeing in young people during COVID-19: A survey with 6291 young people in Wales

COVID-19 infection and the resultant restrictions has impacted all aspects of life across the world. This study explores factors that promote or support wellbeing for young people during the pandemic, how they differ by age, using a self-reported online survey with those aged 8–25 in Wales between September 2020 and February 2021. Open-ended responses were analysed via thematic analysis to provide further context. A total of 6,291 responses were obtained from 81 education settings across Wales (including primary and secondary schools as well as sixth form, colleges and universities). Wellbeing was highest in primary school children and boys and lowest in those who were at secondary school children, who were girls and, those who preferred not to give a gender. Among primary school children, higher wellbeing was seen for those who played with lots of others (rather than alone), were of Asian ethnicity (OR 2.17, 95% CI: 1.26 to 4.3), had a safe play area (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.67 to 2.56) and had more sleep. To support their wellbeing young people reported they would like to be able to play with their friends more. Among secondary school children those who were of mixed ethnicity reported lower wellbeing (OR: 5.14, 95% CI: 1.68 to 15.79). To support their wellbeing they reported they would like more support with mental health (due to anxiety and pressure to achieve when learning online). This study found self-reported wellbeing differed by gender, ethnicity and deprivation and found younger children report the need for play and to see friends to support wellbeing but older children/young people wanted more support with anxiety and educational pressures

Repeated stressors in adulthood increase the rate of biological ageing

Background Individuals of the same age can differ substantially in the degree to which they have accumulated tissue damage, akin to bodily wear and tear, from past experiences. This accumulated tissue damage reflects the individual’s biological age and may better predict physiological and behavioural performance than the individual‘s chronological age. However, at present it remains unclear how to reliably assess biological age in individual wild vertebrates. Methods We exposed hand-raised adult Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) to a combination of repeated immune and disturbance stressors for over one year to determine the effects of chronic stress on potential biomarkers of biological ageing including telomere shortening, oxidative stress load, and glucocorticoid hormones. We also assessed general measures of individual condition including body mass and locomotor activity. Results By the end of the experiment, stress-exposed birds showed greater decreases in telomere lengths. Stress-exposed birds also maintained higher circulating levels of oxidative damage compared with control birds. Other potential biomarkers such as concentrations of antioxidants and glucocorticoid hormone traits showed greater resilience and did not differ significantly between treatment groups. Conclusions The current data demonstrate that repeated exposure to experimental stressors affects the rate of biological ageing in adult Eurasian blackbirds. Both telomeres and oxidative damage were affected by repeated stress exposure and thus can serve as blood-derived biomarkers of biological ageing.</p

Experimental Investigations of Micro Rotor-Tip Vortices

The focus of this project is to run a micro-rotor at varying RPMs, analyzing the flow underneath the blades and above the ground based on flow visualization. This study is related to the understanding of the factors affecting the stability and performance of a rotorcraft. A variety of factors are manipulated, which includes the RPM, blade angle of attack, and ground effect presence. The investigation involves using Planar Laser Imaging where a laser is directed into a test chamber (in our case, the test chamber is filled with smoke) and is matched with a high-speed camera to capture flow visualizations in a non-intrusive, relatively simple manner. Our data primarily consists of flow field velocity measurements, force measurements, and flow field visualization. The flow visualization and velocity data were obtained via the high-speed camera and an accompanying laser system that passed through a diverging lens to illuminate the smoke. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) has been performed on the rotor wake, and the preliminary flow field analysis is also presented. Current activities include torque measurements and PIV at varying angles