Synthesis and characterization of crystalline iron nanoparticles from zerovalent iron sandwich complexes

In this project we present a systematic study on the synthesis of crystalline iron nanocubes by thermal decomposition of an iron sandwich complex, ( π-C5H5)Fe0(π-C 6H7), in the presence of oleylamine and oleylamine.HCl as surfactants and n-decane as a solvent. The presence of oleylamine.HCl is essential for the reproducible formation of crystalline iron cores.^ Reaction parameters such as temperature, surfactant concentration, effect of counterion, and organoiron reagent structure were investigated in order to obtain iron nanoparticles with uniform size and shape. The nanoparticles, which were characterized by TEM, HRTEM, SAED, and XRD, were determined to have core/shell structures, with the former composed of bcc-Fe and the latter composed of iron oxide (Fe3O4 or Fe2O 3)

Ensemble and Single Particle Studies of Cation Exchange in CuInS2/ZnS QDs and Their Application in Super-Resolution Imaging

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have great potential in many applications such as bioimaging, light emitting diodes, solar cells and lasers. However, a great number of studies have been focused on Cd based (II-VI) and Pb (IV-VI) based materials which are not suitable for mass production. Therefore, alternative types of QD containing less toxic materials have been introduced, including CuInS2 QDs. This I-III-VI semiconductor nanocrystals also attract lots of attention due to their large Stock shift, long fluorescence lifetime and high defect tolerance, making them attractive emitters for applications in bioimaging, photovoltaics and light emitting diodes. In the first project, we synthesized CIS/ZnS QDs using different concentration of Zn precursors. the relationships of structure, elemental composition and photophysics of the QDs were thoroughly investigated. As the concentration of Zn precursor increases up to 4 mmol the emitting centers CIS get smaller and act as dopants in zinc blende ZnS lattices. Concurrent with this transition, subpopulation blinking analysis shows a wide heterogeneity from QD to QD increased. Also, it shows that the on time blinking statistics shift from inverse power law (or multiexponential) to monoexponential behavior. We proposed a model where the different positions of CIS in ZnS is the explanation for the wide heterogeneity in blinking behavior of the QDs. We anticipate these results can be contributed to the design for a large-scale production of the QDs. In the second project, we applied fast blinking CIS/ZnS QDs as fluorescence probes in single particle localization super resolution imaging and compared the resolution of reconstructed images with those using commercial CdSe/ZnS QDs. The results show that even CIS/ZnS QDs obtained less precision in single molecule localization, the resolution in reconstructed images of f-actins was comparable with those using commercial CdSe/ZnS QDs. This project provides some useful insights to demonstrate that Cd-free and fast blinking CIS/ZnS QDs can be used as fluorescence probes for super resolution imaging

Economic Benefits of Public Services

The article reviews the extensive global empirical evidence on the relative efficiency of the private versus public sectors. The evidence does not support the view that there is any systematic difference in efficiency between public and private sector companies, either in services which are subject to outsourcing, such as waste management, or in sectors privatised by sale, such as telecoms. If the private sector does not have this efficiency advantage, then there is nothing to offset the higher private cost of capital, and it is always likely to be better value to use the public sector. At the macro level, far from being a burden on the economy, growth in public spending as a proportion of the economy has had a persistent positive link with GDP growth for more than a century, in developing countries as well as high income countries. The mechanisms linking public spending and economic growth include investment in, and maintenance of, infrastructure, supporting an educated and healthy workforce, redistributing income to increase the spending power of poorer consumers, providing insurance against risks, direct support for industry - including through technological innovation - and increasing efficiency by taking on these functions. This public sector activity, directly and indirectly, supports half the formal jobs in the world, and has a comparative advantage in delivering public goods such as universal access to healthcare, affordable housing, and protecting the planet from climate change. The need for public services and public spending is expected to grow globally due to continuing economic development, climate change and ageing populations, but, as in the past, this depends on the outcome of political processes

Overview and Assessment of the current SME Development Policy and Supporting Industry Promotion Policy in Vietnam

The paper discusses the general background of rise of the Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the contemporary significance of the Vietnamese supporting industry promotion policy through reviewing existing research papers and published statistics.　Firstly, in the chapter 1, the rise of the private sector with advanced deployment since the Doi Moi1) (Nguyen Thi Tue Anh, 2014) is overviewed in a brief. The following chapter 2 discusses a trend of the Vietnamese SMEs enhancement policy, which includes supporting industry development policy for SMEs. The third chapter summarizes actual situation and some challenges regarding the Vietnamese SMEs supporting policy as well as some policy implication for improvement of the current Vietnamese SME policy implementation

Radical narratives in the American Jobs Plan (AJP) and the global potential of ‘Biden plans’

At the end of March 2021 President Biden published the “American Jobs Plan” (AJP). It runs to 11,000 words and presents an investment programme of more than $3 trillion in infrastructure, public services and labour conditions. This is very different from the neoliberal narratives of the last 30 years, under which the function of the state is to manage an economy driven by corporate interests. The AJP is the biggest departure from these principles in a generation. The AJP model represents an opportunity for progressive parties and social movements around the world to adopt the narratives and approach of the AJP, and argue for the adoption of ‘Biden plans’ in other countries, including low and middle-income countries (LMIC): social and economic strategies based on democratic planning for public infrastructure and services to deliver full employment, equality, environmental respect, and universal public services

Mechanism of Inverse Magnetoresistance in High-TaT_{a} Annealed MnNi/Co/Ag(Cu)/Py Spin Valves

The magnetic transport properties -- magnetoresistive (MR) effects of MnNi/Co/Ag(Cu)/\break Py pinned spin valve structures (SVs) prepared by rf sputtering method and annealed at $T_{a} = 100$°C - 500°C for 30 minutes in high vacuum ($\sim 10^{ - 5}$ torr) are investigated. The received results show a change in the observed MR behaviors from a normal giant magnetoresistance effect to an inverse magnetoresistance effect after annealing at high temperatures, 300°C and 400°C, for these SVs. The origin and mechanism of the IMR behavior are analyzed and discussed. These results will suggest an ability to manufacture SV devices used the IMR effect for enhancing the application capacities for SV-sensor systems

The evolution of Vietnamese industry

The transfer from an import-substitution to an export-orientation strategy has been in effect in Vietnam since the reform process, Doi Moi, necessitating the reformulation of macroeconomic, trading and sectoral policies. As a result, the industry sector has experienced gradual growth as the country's economy is becoming more open and gaining deeper integration with regional and the world economies, as exemplified by membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (1995) and World Trade Organization (2006). To support this integration process, the structure of the industrial sector has been changed to more appropriate since the Doi Moi. Many export processing zones, industrial zones and economic zones have been set up to attract the interest of multi-sectors, including foreign and non-state investors. Consequently, the capacity, output and productivity of the industrial sector have improved considerably. But certain policy issues also arose during the industrial development process. These can be summarized into three main problems: minimal contribution from current policies to improving competitiveness, policy failure to encourage firm restructuring, and lack of a well-coordinated framework for industrial policy

Report on 2022 Conference. Shifting narratives: the political economy of Public Spending, Services and Production (PSSP)

The conference Shifting Narratives: The Political Economy Of Public Spending, Services And Production (PSSP)" was organised from 27-30 June 2022 by a global diverse partnership of universities, trade union confederations and social movements. Across all 4 days there were about 100 speakers - 66% from the global south, and 58% women, and over 600 registrants across the world. It was not only an academic conference for leading research on PSSP, but also a forum for sharing information and bringing together the experience, insights and tools of academics and young scholars with the social movement activists, trade unions, media and NGOs involved in creating narrative shifts on PSSP. It aimed to encourage collaboration between academics, trade unions and social movements, to challenge mainstream narratives hostile to the public sector, build new narratives and the power to change and define the positive economic, social and political role of public spending, services and production. The conference partners were: • Education and Research Institutions: Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London (UCL-IIPP); Public Services International Research Unit at the University of Greenwich (UoG-PSIRU); Centre for Social Policy Studies University of Ghana (CSPS-UoGhana); Azim Premji University (Bangalore, India) ; Conicet (National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Argentina- via the WATERLAT network; Young Scholars Initiative (YSI). • Global union federations and international social movements: Public Services International (PSI); International Transport Workers Federation(ITF); Transnational Institute (TNI); Oxfam. The conference was hosted by the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL (UCL-IIPP), and followed a report on “Narrative Change and PSSP” by the Public Services International Research Unit at the University of Greenwich (PSIRU-UoG). It was financially supported by the Open Society Foundation (OSF), with interpretation financed by PSI. Following the conference, the partners agreed to create a continuing 'Shifting narratives (SN) network'. The full list of the recordings can be found at “Shifting Narratives Conference

COVID-19: Country case studies. Mapping COVID: PSIRU working papers for PSI

This is a case study compendium of a paper entitled 'Lessons from COVID-19' that investigates what factors and policies have helped or hindered protection against Covid-19 as well as support for economic well-being and the environment. It analyses the unequal impact of the pandemic, the policies, and the role of business interests during the pandemic