Effect of high oxygen pressure annealing on superconducting Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4 thin films by pulsed laser deposition from Cu-enriched targets

We show that the quality of Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4 films grown by pulsed laser deposition can be enhanced by using a non-stoichiometric target with extra copper added to suppress the formation of a parasitic (Nd, Ce)2O3 phase. The properties of these films are less dependent on the exact annealing procedure after deposition as compared to films grown from a stoichiometric target. Film growth can be followed by a 1 bar oxygen annealing, after an initial vacuum annealing, while retaining the superconducting properties and quality. This enables the integration of electron-doped cuprates with their hole-doped counterparts on a single chip, to create, for example, superconducting pn-junctions.Comment: This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in Superconductor Science and Technology. The publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0953-2048/27/4/04401

Carrier freeze-out induced metal-insulator transition in oxygen deficient SrTiO3 films

We report the optical, electrical transport, and magnetotransport properties of high quality oxygen deficient SrTiO3 (STO) single crystal film fabricated by pulsed laser deposition and reduced in the vacuum chamber. The oxygen vacancy distribution in the thin film is expected to be uniform. By comparing the electrical properties with oxygen deficient bulk STO, it was found that the oxygen vacancies in bulk STO is far from uniform over the whole material. The metal-insulator transition (MIT) observed in the oxygen deficient STO film was found to be induced by the carrier freeze-out effect. The low temperature frozen state can be re-excited by an electric field, Joule heating, and surprisingly also a large magnetic field.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

The effect of bone marrow aspiration strategy on the yield and quality of human mesenchymal stem cells

Introduction Large inter-donor differences exist in human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) yield and the response of these cells to osteogenic stimuli. The source of these differences may be clinical differences in stem cell characteristics between individuals or the aspiration procedure itself

A membership categorization analysis of roles, activities and relationships in inclusive research conducted by co-researchers with intellectual disabilities

Contains fulltext : 204050.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

High throughput surface plasmon resonance imaging method for clinical detection of presence and strength of binding of IgM, IgG and IgA antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 during CoViD-19 infection

Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) was used to determine the presence and strength of binding of IgG, IgM and IgA against the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 in sera of 102 CoViD-19 and non-CoViD-19 patients. The SPRi assay simultaneously measures the antibody isotype levels and the strength of binding to the RBD of ultimate 384 patient samples in one run. It turns out that during the course of the disease, the IgG levels and strength of binding increased while generally the IgM and IgA levels go down. Recovered patients all show high strength of binding of the IgG type to the RBD protein. The anti-RBD immunoglobulins SPRi assay provides additional insights in the immune status of patients recovering from CoViD-19. This new high throughput method can be applied for the assessment of the quality of the immune reaction of healthy individuals to SARS-CoV-2 and its mutants in vaccination programs.•Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging is an unprecedented technology for high throughput screening of antibody profiling of CoViD19 patients.•Fingerprinting of isotypes IgM, IgG and IgA can be performed for 384 patients in one run.•An affinity maturation effect was shown for patients recovering from CoViD19

Nonlinear Insulator in Complex Oxides

The insulating state is one of the most basic electronic phases in condensed matter. This state is characterised by an energy gap for electronic excitations that makes an insulator electrically inert at low energy. However, for complex oxides, the very concept of an insulator must be re-examined. Complex oxides behave differently from conventional insulators such as SiO2, on which the entire semiconductor industry is based, because of the presence of multiple defect levels within their band gap. As the semiconductor industry is moving to such oxides for high-dielectric (high-k) materials, we need to truly understand the insulating properties of these oxides under various electric field excitations. Here we report a new class of material called nonlinear insulators that exhibits a reversible electric-field-induced metal-insulator transition. We demonstrate this behaviour for an insulating LaAlO3 thin film in a metal/LaAlO3/Nb-SrTiO3 heterostructure. Reproducible transitions were observed between a low-resistance metallic state and a high-resistance non-metallic state when applying suitable voltages. Our experimental results exclude the possibility that diffusion of the metal electrodes or oxygen vacancies into the LaAlO3 layer is occurring. Instead, the phenomenon is attributed to the formation of a quasi-conduction band (QCB) in the defect states of LaAlO3 that forms a continuum state with the conduction band of the Nb-SrTiO3. Once this continuum (metallic) state is formed, the state remains stable even when the voltage bias is turned off. An opposing voltage is required to deplete the charges from the defect states. Our ability to manipulate and control these defect states and, thus, the nonlinear insulating properties of complex oxides will open up a new path to develop novel devices.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figure

Improving Environmental Capacities for Health Promotion in Support Settings for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Inclusive Design of the DIHASID Tool

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have unhealthier lifestyles than the general population. To sustainably improve their lifestyle and health status, a whole-system approach to creating healthy environments is crucial. To gain insight into how support for physical activity and healthy nutrition can be embedded in a setting, asset mapping can be helpful. Asset mapping involves creating a bottom–up overview of promoting and protective factors for health. However, there is no asset mapping tool available for ID support settings. This study aims to develop an asset mapping tool in collaboration with people with ID to gain insight into assets for healthy nutrition and physical activity in such settings. The tool is based on previous research and development continued in an iterative and inclusive process in order to create a clear, comprehensive, and usable tool. Expert interviews (n = 7), interviews with end-users (n = 7), and pilot testing (n = 16) were conducted to refine the tool. Pilot participants perceived the tool as helpful in pinpointing perceived assets and in prompting ideas on how to create inclusive environments with support for physical activity and healthy nutrition. This overview of assets can be helpful for mobilizing assets and building the health-promoting capacities of ID support settings

The Combination Therapy of Dietary Galacto-Oligosaccharides With Budesonide Reduces Pulmonary Th2 Driving Mediators and Mast Cell Degranulation in a Murine Model of House Dust Mite Induced Asthma

Background: Dietary non-digestible galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) suppress allergic responses in mice sensitized and challenged with house dust mite (HDM). Budesonide is the standard therapy for allergic asthma in humans but is not always completely effective.Aim: To compare the efficacy of budesonide or different doses of GOS alone or with a combination therapy of budesonide and GOS on HDM-allergic responses in mice.Methods:BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with HDM, while fed a control diet or a diet supplemented with 1 or 2.5 w/w% GOS, and either or not oropharyngeally instilled with budesonide. Systemic and local inflammatory markers, such as mucosal mast cell protease-1 (mMCP-1) in serum, pulmonary CCL17, CCL22, and IL-33 concentrations and inflammatory cell influx in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined.Results: Budesonide or GOS alone suppressed the number of eosinophils in the BALF of HDM allergic mice whereas budesonide either or not combined with GOS lowered both eosinophil and lymphocyte numbers in the BALF of HDM-allergic mice. Both 1 w/w% and 2.5 w/w% GOS and/or budesonide suppressed serum mMCP-1 concentrations. However, budesonide nor GOS alone was capable of reducing Th2 driving chemokines CCL17, CCL22 and IL-33 protein levels in supernatants of lung homogenates of HDM allergic mice, whereas the combination therapy did. Moreover, IL-13 concentrations were only significantly suppressed in mice treated with budesonide while fed GOS. A similar tendency was observed for the frequency of GATA3+CD4+ Th2 and CD4+RORγt+ Th17 cells in the lungs of the allergic mice.Conclusion: Dietary intervention using GOS may be a novel way to further improve the efficacy of anti-inflammatory drug therapy in allergic asthma by lowering Th2 driving mediators and mast cell degranulation