Electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry of polymers based on D-A-D and D-D-D bis( N -carbazolyl) monomers, effect of the donor/acceptor core on their properties

In this work we present electropolymerization of monomers of an unusual type using N-linked carbazole units to limit their conjugation. The polymers thus obtained have limited conjugation through the backbone. Using donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) and donor-donor-donor (D-D-D) monomers we evaluate the effects of the presence (or absence) of charge transfer states on synthesized electropolymers. The use of a D-A-D monomer resulted in obtaining an ambipolar polymer with quasi-reversible reduction

Position estimating in peer-to-peer networks

We present two algorithms for indoor positioning estimation in peer-to-peer networks. The setup is a network of two types of devices: reference devices with a known location and blindfolded devices that can determine distances to reference devices and each other. From this information the blindfolded devices try to estimate their positions. A typical scenario is navigation inside a shopping mall where devices in the parking lot can make contact with GPS satellites, whereas devices inside the building make contact with each other, devices on the parking lot, and devices fixed to the building. The devices can measure their in-between distances, with some measurement error, and exchange positioning information. However, other devices might only know their position with some error. We present two algorithms for positioning estimation in such a peer-to-peer network. The first one is purely geometric and is based on Euclidean geometry and intersecting spheres. We rewrite the information to a linear system, which is typically overdetermined. We use least squares to ??nd the best estimate for a device its position. The second approach can be considered as a probabilistic version of the geometric approach. We estimate the probability density function that a device is located at a position given a probability density function for the positions of the other devices in the network, and a probability density function of the measured distances. First we study the case with a distance measurement to a single other user, then we focus on multiple other users. We give an approximation algorithm that is the probabilistic analogue of the intersecting spheres method. We show some simulated results where ambiguous data lead to well defined probability distributions for the position of a device. We conclude with some open questions

Dimethyl fumarate in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits inflammasome-mediated inflammation and has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (NCT04381936, ISRCTN50189673). In this assessment of DMF performed at 27 UK hospitals, adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enroled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients received corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.86-1.47; p = 0.40). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome

Dimethyl fumarate in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits inflammasome-mediated inflammation and has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (NCT04381936, ISRCTN50189673). In this assessment of DMF performed at 27 UK hospitals, adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enroled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients received corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.86-1.47; p = 0.40). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome

[In Press] Socio-technically just pedagogies : a framework for curriculum-making in higher education

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked an unprecedented expansion of educational technologies and digitisation of the university sector, and also amplified existing inequalities and crises. In this paper, we introduce the ‘socio-technically just pedagogies framework’ to systemically explore curriculum-making, student-staff partnerships, knowledge production, and networked capabilities in higher education. This conceptual innovation seeks to (re)articulate pedagogy across four aspects: (i) a commitment to curriculum-making as a form of everyday activism; (ii) a nurturing of student-staff coalitions to expand student-staff partnerships; (iii) development of generative spaces for transdisciplinary co-creation; and (iv) the deliberation of networked capabilities. This framework emerged from a partnership with students at an Australian university that sought to experiment with pedagogical practices and possibilities. Our coalition then responded to the framework to illicit collective insights about the curriculum-making phenomenon. The framework seeks to articulate curriculum-making initiatives that collectively enact socio-technically just pedagogies

Evidence for Solid State Electrochemical Degradation Within a Small Molecule OLED

Acridone derivative have been synthesised and used as OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) emitters which were found to be electroactive. Electrochemical investigations showed a side reaction takes place inside an active layer which diminished the overall device efficiency. By using a dopant and host active layer architecture, the formation of the by product was removed. The by-product was identified as a sigma-dimer formed inside an oligomer. The active layers were investigated by electrochemical techniques (cyclic voltammetry, UV-Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroelectrochemistry and Dynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (DEIS)) to characterize the layers, charge carriers, and electronic energy levels. It is clear from these observations that electrochemical reactions of emitter molecules in a working devices is a route to device degradation. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved