Solid-state metathesis reactions under pressure: A rapid route to crystalline gallium nitride

High pressure chemistry has traditionally involved applying pressure and increasing temperature until conditions become thermodynamically favorable for phase transitions or reactions to occur. Here, high pressure alone is used as a starting point for carrying out rapid, self-propagating metathesis reactions. By initiating chemical reactions under pressure, crystalline phases, such as gallium nitride, can be synthesized which are inaccessible when initiated from ambient conditions. The single-phase gallium nitride made by metathesis reactions under pressure displays significant photoluminescence intensity in the blue/ultraviolet region. The absence of size or surface-state effects in the photoluminescence spectra show that the crystallites are of micron dimensions. The narrow lines of the x-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscopy confirm this conclusion. Brightly luminescent thin films can be readily grown using pulsed laser deposition

Predictors of and reasons for attempts to reduce alcohol intake: A population survey of adults in England

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the predictors among high-risk drinkers in England of attempts to reduce alcohol consumption, the reasons given for these attempts and the association between the various reasons and alcohol consumption. METHODS: Data came from 2,800 high-risk drinkers taking part in the Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS) between March 2014 and November 2016 who were attempting to reduce their alcohol consumption. Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and were asked questions regarding their socio-demographic characteristics, attempts to cut down and reasons for doing so. RESULTS: Those cutting down were significantly older (OR 1.01, p<0.001), were more likely to be female (OR 1.32, p<0.05), had higher AUDIT-C scores (OR 1.12, p<0. 001), were less likely to be of white ethnicity (OR 0.64, p<0. 001), and were more likely to reside in the South of England (OR 1.34, p<0. 001). They were also more likely to be of higher occupationally-based social-grades (p<0. 001). The main reported reasons for reducing consumption were: fitness (22.5%), weight loss (20.4%), future health (20.4%), advice from a health-care professional (7.9%) and cost (7.6%). Those reporting the followings reasons for cutting down had higher AUDIT-C scores than those who did not report these reasons: a concern about further health problems (β 0.20, p<0.05), advice from a doctor/health worker (β 0.38, p<0.05), that drinking was too expensive (β 0.42, p<0.01) and detoxification (β 0.42, p<0.01). Lower AUDIT-C scores were noted among those who reported that they knew someone who was cutting down (β -0.67, p<0.05), that there was no reason (β -0.36, p<0.05), or they didn’t know why they were cutting down (β -0.25, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Around a fifth of high-risk drinkers in England report trying to reduce their drinking, particularly older, high-socioeconomic female drinkers from the south of England. Attempts to cut down appear to be driven by a desire to improve health, advice from others and cutting down on the cost of drinking

A layered surface acoustic wave gas sensor based on a polyaniline/In2O3 nanofibre composite

A polyaniline/In2O3 nanofibre composite based layered surface acoustic wave ( SAW) sensor has been developed and investigated for different gases. Chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of finely divided In2O3 was employed to synthesize a polyaniline nanofibre/In2O3 nanoparticle composite. The nanocomposite was deposited onto a layered ZnO/64 degrees YX LiNbO3 SAW transducer. The novel sensor was exposed to H-2, NO2 and CO gases. Fast response and recovery times with good repeatability were observed at room temperature

PSSA doped polyaniline nanofiber based ZnO/64° YX LiNbO3 SAW H2 gas sensor

A polyaniline (PANI) nanofiber based surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensor, has been developed and investigated towards hydrogen (H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) gas. A template-free, rapidly-mixed reaction approach was employed to synthesize polyaniline nanofibers, which utilized chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) was used as the dopant acid in the synthesis of the polyaniline nanofibers. Polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) was used to re-dope PANI nanofibers after dialyzing with ammonium hydroxide. Then PSSA doped nanofibers were deposited onto a ZnO/64 YX LiNbO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; SAW transducer. The sensor was exposed to various concentrations of H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; gas in an ambient of synthetic air, and operated at room temperature

Doped and dedoped polyaniline nanofiber based conductometric hydrogen gas sensors

Template-free, rapid polymerisation was employed to synthesize polyaniline nanofibers using chemical oxidative polymerisation of aniline, with HCl as a dopant. The doped and dedoped nanofibers were deposited onto conductometric sapphire transducers for gas sensing applications. The sensors were exposed to various concentrations of hydrogen (H2) gas at room temperature. The sensitivity was measured to be 1.11 for doped and 1.07 for dedoped polyaniline nanofiber sensors upon exposure to 1% H2. Fast response times of 28 seconds and 32 seconds were observed for dedoped and doped sensors respectively. The dedoped nanofiber sensor outperforms the doped sensor in terms of baseline stability and repeatability. Due to its room temperature operation, the gas sensor is promising for environmental applications

Nanomaterial based room temperature Hydrogen gas sensors

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofiber and PANI/semi-conducting metal oxide nanofiber composites based layered surface acoustic wave (SAW) and conductometric sensors have been developed and investigated towards hydrogen (H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) gas. Chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline was employed to synthesize pure PANI nanofibers as well as PANI/semi-conducting metal oxide composites. The nano-materials were deposited onto layered ZnO/64deg YX LiNbO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; SAW and conductometric transducers. The novel sensors were exposed to H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; gas. Fast response and recovery with good repeatability were observed at room temperature

Protocol for a national monthly survey of alcohol use in England with 6-month follow-up: 'The Alcohol Toolkit Study'.

Timely tracking of national patterns of alcohol consumption is needed to inform and evaluate strategies and policies aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm. Between 2014 until at least 2017, the Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS) will provide such tracking data and link these with policy changes and campaigns. By virtue of its connection with the 'Smoking Toolkit Study' (STS), links will also be examined between alcohol and smoking-related behaviour

Use of aids for smoking cessation and alcohol reduction: A population survey of adults in England.

BACKGROUND: It is important for policy planning to chart the methods smokers and high-risk drinkers use to help them change their behaviour. This study assessed prevalence of use, and characteristics of users, of support for smoking cessation and alcohol reduction in England. METHODS: Data were used from the Smoking and Alcohol Toolkit Studies, which involve monthly face-to-face computer-assisted interviews of adults aged 16+ in England. We included data collected between June 2014 and July 2015 on 1600 smokers who had made at least one quit attempt and 911 high-risk drinkers (defined as scores >8+ on the full AUDIT or 5+ on questions 1-3 of the AUDIT-C) who had made an attempt to cut down in the past 12 months. Participants provided information on their socio-demographic characteristics and use of aids during their most recent quit attempt including pharmacotherapy, face-to-face counselling, telephone support, self-help materials (digital and printed), and complementary medicine. RESULTS: A total of 60.3% of smokers used aids in the past year, compared with just 14.9% of high-risk drinkers. Use of pharmacotherapy was high among smokers and very low among drinkers (56.0%versus1.2%). Use of other aids was low for both behaviours: face-to-face counselling (2.6%versus4.8%), self-help materials (1.4%versus4.1%) and complementary medicine (1.0%versus0.5%). Use of aids was more common among smokers aged 25-54 compared with 16-24 year olds (25-34,ORadj1.49,p = 0.012; 35-44,ORadj1.93,p 10 relative to 20,ORadj4.23,p = 0.001), and less common among ethnic minorities (ORadj0.69,p = 0.026). For alcohol reduction, use of aids was higher among ethnic minority groups (ORadj2.41;p = 0.015), and those of social-grade D/E relative to AB (ORadj2.29,p = 0.012&ORadj3.13,p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In England, the use of pharmacotherapy is prevalent for smoking cessation but not alcohol reduction. Other aids are used at a low rate, with face-to-face counselling being more common for alcohol reduction than smoking cessation