Unchanged thermopower enhancement at the semiconductor-metal transition in correlated FeSb2−x_{2-x}Tex_x

Substitution of Sb in FeSb$_2$ by less than 0.5% of Te induces a transition from a correlated semiconductor to an unconventional metal with large effective charge carrier mass $m^*$. Spanning the entire range of the semiconductor-metal crossover, we observed an almost constant enhancement of the measured thermopower compared to that estimated by the classical theory of electron diffusion. Using the latter for a quantitative description one has to employ an enhancement factor of 10-30. Our observations point to the importance of electron-electron correlations in the thermal transport of FeSb$_2$, and suggest a route to design thermoelectric materials for cryogenic applications.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Appl. Phys. Lett. (2011

Management of patients presenting with diarrhoea to a regional emergency department in KwaZulu-Natal: Call for clearer, more relevant guidance

Background. HIV is prevalent throughout South Africa, and diarrhoea is a common presentation to the emergency department (ED) among both HIV-infected and -uninfected individuals. Method. We audited the management of diarrhoea against standard guidelines in the ED of a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. Patients presenting with diarrhoea as their chief complaint were eligible and data were collected prospectively. Results. A total of 72 patients were included: 58 (81%) of patients were HIV-positive with an average CD4+ count of 180 cells/ μl. A total of 34 stool samples were sent for standard microscopy and culture (M&C), among which 26 were positive (76%). Forty-three patients (60%) received antibiotics, 15 of whom had positive stool M&C. In all cases, the final diagnosis was listed as acute gastroenteritis without further specification, and antibiotic use according to guidelines appeared inconsistent. Conclusion. Based on this audit, we suggest that current guidelines are not clear concerning management of acute diarrhoea in HIVinfected individuals, and that the lack of clear management strategies is likely to affect patient safety and increase antibiotic resistance

Effects of Noise Reduction and Care Clustering on Quality of Sleep in Critical Care Patients

Introduction: Sleep deprivation has detrimental effects on critical patients’ health. A lack of sleep can affect multiple body systems. There are nursing interventions that can reduce sleep deprivation. However, there is inconclusive evidence on how to properly assess sleep deprivation and implement sleep promoting nursing interventions in clinical practice. Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to examine the effects of noise reduction and nursing care clustering on improving the quality of patient sleep in the critical care setting. Methods: This literature review was conducted using 10 sources published within the last 5 years. Inclusion criteria consisted of articles about the effects of noise, quality of sleep, and implementation of nurse care clustering on various critical care populations. The 6 databases used for this research were UpToDate, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, Proquest, and CCForum. This research concentrated on examining articles containing nursing interventions for noise reduction and care clustering related to quality of sleep. Results: Noise has a negative effect on sleep by causing more arousals/awakenings, which greatly impacts the restorative function of the process. Noise is not the only sleep disturbing factor, but it has been shown to be significant. Some noise sources cannot be eliminated due to safety reasons, but interventions exist to help counteract the effects of noise. Nursing care interventions are as disruptive to sleep as noise. 13.9% of nursing interruptions could be safely omitted, and nurses should cluster care to promote sleep. Interventions to prevent sleep disruption can be practical in routine nursing, but nurses are less likely to implement them at night because prioritizing care clustering can require more time and effort. Discussion: Sleep deprivation causes major health concerns in critical care patients. Noise and nursing care interventions have been found to cause equal disruptions in sleep. Noise reduction and care clustering have been observed to reduce sleep deprivation. Further evidence is needed on how to effectively and practically implement these nursing interventions into daily nursing practice

Microfungal contamination of damp buildings--examples of risk constructions and risk materials.

To elucidate problems with microfungal infestation in indoor environments, a multidisciplinary collaborative pilot study, supported by a grant from the Danish Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was performed on 72 mold-infected building materials from 23 buildings. Water leakage through roofs, rising damp, and defective plumbing installations were the main reasons for water damage with subsequent infestation of molds. From a score system assessing the bioavailability of the building materials, products most vulnerable to mold attacks were water damaged, aged organic materials containing cellulose, such as wooden materials, jute, wallpaper, and cardboard. The microfungal genera most frequently encountered were Penicillium (68%), Aspergillus (56%), Chaetomium (22%), Ulocladium, (21%), Stachybotrys (19%) and Cladosporium (15%). Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus versicolor, and Stachybotrys chartarum were the most frequently occurring species. Under field conditions, several trichothecenes were detected in each of three commonly used building materials, heavily contaminated with S. chartarum. Under experimental conditions, four out of five isolates of S. chartarum produced satratoxin H and G when growing on new and old, very humid gypsum boards. A. versicolor produced the carcinogenic mycotoxin sterigmatocystin and 5-methoxysterigmatocystin under the same conditions

Probing the isovector transition strength of the low-lying nuclear excitations induced by inverse kinematics proton scattering

A compact approach based on the folding model is suggested for the determination of the isoscalar and isovector transition strengths of the low-lying ($\Delta S=\Delta T=0$) excitations induced by inelastic proton scattering measured with exotic beams. Our analysis of the recently measured inelastic $^{18,20}$O+p scattering data at $E_{\rm lab}=30$ and 43 MeV/nucleon has given for the first time an accurate estimate of the isoscalar $\beta_0$ and isovector $\beta_1$ deformation parameters (which cannot be determined from the (p,p') data alone by standard methods) for 2$^+_1$ and $3^-_1$ excited states in $^{18,20}$O. Quite strong isovector mixing was found in the 2$^+_1$ inelastic $^{20}$O+p scattering channel, where the strength of the isovector form factor $F_1$ (prototype of the Lane potential) corresponds to a $\beta_1$ value almost 3 times larger than $\beta_0$ and a ratio of nuclear transition matrix elements $M_n/M_p\simeq 4.2$.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Exploring positive pathways to care for members of the UK Armed Forces receiving treatment for PTSD: a qualitative study

Objective: To examine the factors which facilitate UK military personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to engage in help-seeking behaviours. Methods: The study recruited active service personnel who were attending mental health services, employed a qualitative design, used semi-structured interview schedules to collect data, and explored these data using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: Five themes emerged about how participants were able to access help; having to reach a crisis point before accepting the need for help, overcoming feelings of shame, the importance of having an internal locus of control, finding a psychological explanation for their symptoms and having strong social support. Conclusions: This study reported that for military personnel who accessed mental health services, there were a number of factors that supported them to do so. In particular, factors that combated internal stigma, such as being supported to develop an internal locus of control, appeared to be critical in supporting military personnel to engage in help-seeking behaviour