Elm Farm Organic Research Centre Bulletin 83 April 2006

Regular bulleting with technical updates from Organic Advisory Service Issue contains: Testing for Tolerance - a pragmatic view GM Debate Vaccination nation - to jab or not to jab Future shape of OCIS Evolutionary wheat makes the grade? NIAB tracks health of organic cereal seed Stopping erosion of soil quality - the organic way Care needed to halt butterfly collapse Aspects of poultry behaviour: How free range is free range? On choosing an organic wheat A local education challenge New Wakelyns Science Building Organic vegetable market growt

Increasing incidence of spondylodiscitis in England: an analysis of the national health service (NHS) hospital episode statistics from 2012 to 2021

Background Spondylodiscitis is a potentially life-threatening infection of the intervertebral disk and adjacent vertebral bodies, with a mortality rate of 2–20%. Given the aging population, the increase in immunosuppression, and intravenous drug use in England, the incidence of spondylodiscitis is postulated to be increasing; however, the exact epidemiological trend in England remains unknown. Objective The Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database contains details of all secondary care admissions across NHS hospitals in England. This study aimed to use HES data to characterise the annual activity and longitudinal change of spondylodiscitis in England. Methods The HES database was interrogated for all cases of spondylodiscitis between 2012 and 2019. Data for the length of stay, waiting time, age-stratified admissions, and ‘Finished Consultant Episodes’ (FCEs), which correspond to a patient's hospital care under a lead clinician, were analysed. Results In total, 43135 FCEs for spondylodiscitis were identified between 2012 and 2022, of which 97.1% were adults. Overall admissions for spondylodiscitis have risen from 3 per 100,000 population in 2012/13 to 4.4 per 100,000 population in 2020/21. Similarly, FCEs have increased from 5.8 to 10.3 per 100,000 population, in 2012–2013 and 2020/21 respectively. The highest increase in admissions from 2012 to 2021 was recorded for those aged 70–74 (117% increase) and aged 75-59 (133% increase), among those of working age for those aged 60–64 years (91% increase). Conclusion Population-adjusted admissions for spondylodiscitis in England have risen by 44% between 2012 and 2021. Healthcare policymakers and providers must acknowledge the increasing burden of spondylodiscitis and make spondylodiscitis a research priority

CPVMatch - Concentrating photovoltaic modules using advanced technologies and cells for highest efficiencies

This paper presents the project Concentrating Photovoltaic modules using advanced technologies and cells for highest efficiencies (CPVMatch), which is funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. V multi-junction solar cells and CPV modules. Concerning cells, novel wafer bonded four-junction solar cells made of GaInP/GaAs//GaInAs/Ge are optimized with the target of reaching 48% efficiency under concentration at the end of the project. Moreover, multi-junction solar cell technologies with advanced materials - like ternary IV element mixtures (i.e. SiGeSn) and nanostructured anti-reflective coatings - are investigated. Concerning CPV modules the project focuses on both Fresnel-based and mirror-based technologies with a target efficiency of 40% under high concentrations beyond 800x. Achromatic Fresnel lenses for improved light management without secondary optics are investigated. In addition, smart, mirror-based HCPV modules are developed, which include a new mirror-based design, the integration of high efficiency, low cost DC/DC converters and an intelligent tracking sensor (PSD sensor) at module level. A profound life-cycle and environmental assessment and the development of adapted characterization methods of new multi-junction cells and HCPV modules complete the work plan of CPVMatch

Role of Linker Functionality in Polymers Exhibiting Main-Chain Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence

Excellent performance has been reported for organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on small molecule emitters that exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence. However, the necessary vacuum processing makes the fabrication of large‐area devices based on these emitters cumbersome and expensive. Here, the authors present high performance OLEDs, based on novel, TADF polymers that can be readily processed from a solution. These polymers are based on the acridine‐benzophenone donor–acceptor motif as main‐chain TADF chromophores, linked by various conjugated and non‐conjugated spacer moieties. The authors’ extensive spectroscopic and electronic analysis shows that in particular in case of alkyl spacers, the properties and performance of the monomeric TADF chromophores are virtually left unaffected by the polymerization. They present efficient solution‐processed OLEDs based on these TADF polymers, diluted in oligostyrene as a host. The devices based on the alkyl spacer‐based TADF polymers exhibit external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) ≈12%, without any outcoupling‐enhancing measures. What's more, the EQE of these devices does not drop substantially upon diluting the polymer down to only ten weight percent of active material. In contrast, the EQE of devices based on the monomeric chromophore show significant losses upon dilution due to loss of charge percolation