Large magnetoresistance at room-temperature in small molecular weight organic semiconductor sandwich devices

We present an extensive study of a large, room temperature negative magnetoresistance (MR) effect in tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum sandwich devices in weak magnetic fields. The effect is similar to that previously discovered in polymer devices. We characterize this effect and discuss its dependence on field direction, voltage, temperature, film thickness, and electrode materials. The MR effect reaches almost 10% at fields of approximately 10 mT at room temperature. The effect shows only a weak temperature dependence and is independent of the sign and direction of the magnetic field. Measuring the devices' current-voltage characteristics, we find that the current depends on the voltage through a power-law. We find that the magnetic field changes the prefactor of the power-law, whereas the exponent remains unaffected. We also studied the effect of the magnetic field on the electroluminescence (MEL) of the devices and analyze the relationship between MR and MEL. We find that the largest part of MEL is simply a consequence of a change in device current caused by the MR effect.Comment: 8 figure

Bulk mineralogical characterisation of oilfield reservoir rocks and sandstones using DRIFTS and partial least squares analysis

The feasibility of applying Partial Least Squares (PLS) to the Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) spectra of mineral mixtures, quarry sandstones and oilfield reservoir rocks has been investigated and shown considerable potential for accurate and precise mineralogical analysis. Rapid spectrum acquisition and data processing together with small sample size requirements are key advantages of the PLS–DRIFTS method. A PLS model was created from the DRIFTS spectra of mixtures of seven mineral standards chosen to represent the most frequently encountered minerals in sandstone-type rocks; quartz, dolomite, montmorillonite, illite, kaolinite, chlorite and albite. The PLS–DRIFTS model was able to quantify the mineral components of independent mixtures with an absolute error of 1 wt.% for all the minerals (concentration range 0–30 wt.%) with the exception of quartz which exhibited an absolute error of 3 wt.% (concentration range 50–90 wt.%). The results provided by applying this PLS–DRIFTS model to several sandstone-type quarry rocks and a suite of oilfield reservoir rocks were considerably better than anticipated even though the model did not describe all the mineral components present in the samples nor the entire variance of constituent mineral components (e.g. crystallinity). The model was not able to differentiate between montmorillonite and illite probably due to the similarity of the DRIFTS spectra of these minerals, but it was able to quantify the combined (montmorillonite + illite) concentrations to within 1 wt.%. The model over-predicted the concentration of albite in the quarry rocks due to the presence of K-feldspar, which has a similar DRIFTS spectrum and was not included in the model. However, the model accurately predicted the total (albite and K-feldspar) concentration to within 4 wt.%. A separate PLS–DRIFTS model constructed using the DRIFTS spectra of the oilfield reservoir rocks showed that the carbonate components, calcite and dolomite could be differentiated and quantified to within 5.0 and 3.6 wt.%, respectively. This feasibility study confirmed the strong potential of combining DRIFTS with a multivariate statistical approach such as PLS and it is clear that more sophisticated models, that incorporates and describes a higher percentage of the variance in unknowns, would further improve the predictions

The Metaethics of Nursing Codes of Ethics and Conduct

Nursing codes of ethics and conduct are features of professional practice across the world, and in the UK, the regulator has recently consulted on and published a new code. Initially part of a professionalising agenda, nursing codes have recently come to represent a managerialist and disciplinary agenda and nursing can no longer be regarded as a self-regulating profession.This paper argues that codes of ethics and codes of conduct are significantly different in form and function similar to the difference between ethics and law in everyday life. Some codes successfully integrate these two functions within the same document, while others, principally the UK Code, conflate them resulting in an ambiguous document unable to fulfil its functions effectively. The paper analyses the differences between ethical- codes and conduct-codes by discussing titles, authorship, level, scope for disagreement, consequences of transgression, language and finally and possibly most importantly agent-centeredness. It is argued that conduct codes cannot require nurses to be compassionate because compassion involves an emotional response. The concept of kindness provides a plausible alternative for conduct-codes as it is possible to understand it solely in terms of acts. But if kindness is required in conduct-codes, investigation and possible censure follows from its absence. Using examples it is argued that there are at last five possible accounts of the absence of kindness. As well as being potentially problematic for disciplinary panels, difficulty in understanding the features of blameworthy absence of kindness may challenge UK nurses who, following a recently introduced revalidation procedure, are required to reflect on their practice in relation to The Code. It is concluded that closer attention to metaethical concerns by code writers will better support the functions of their issuing organisations

Translation of clinical problems in osteoarthritis into pathophysiological research goals

Osteoarthritis (OA) accounts for more disability among the elderly than any other disease and is associated with an increased mortality rate. The prevalence in Europe will rise in the future since this continent has a strongly ageing population and an obesity epidemic; obesity and age both being major risk factors for OA. No adequate therapeutic options, besides joint replacement, are available, although they are greatly needed and should be acquired by adequate research investments. However, the perspective on OA from a researcher's point of view is not always aligned with the perspective of a patient with OA. Researchers base their views on OA mainly on abnormalities in structure and function while patients consider OA as a collection of symptoms. In this viewpoint paper, we discuss the possibility of translating the most important clinical problems into pathophysiological research goals to facilitate the translation from bench to bedside and vice versa. This viewpoint is the outcome of a dialogue within the 'European League Against Rheumatism study group on OA' and People with Arthritis/Rheumatism across Europe (PARE) representatives

A Human Minor Histocompatibility Antigen Specific for B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Human minor histocompatibility antigens (mHags) play an important role in the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) reactivity against leukemia after human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). As most mHags are not leukemia specific but are also expressed by normal tissues, antileukemia reactivity is often associated with life-threatening graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Here, we describe a novel mHag, HB-1, that elicits donor-derived CTL reactivity in a B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patient treated by HLA-matched BMT. We identified the gene encoding the antigenic peptide recognized by HB-1–specific CTLs. Interestingly, expression of the HB-1 gene was only observed in B-ALL cells and Epstein-Barr virus–transformed B cells. The HB-1 gene–encoded peptide EEKRGSLHVW is recognized by the CTL in association with HLA-B44. Further analysis reveals that a polymorphism in the HB-1 gene generates a single amino acid exchange from His to Tyr at position 8 within this peptide. This amino acid substitution is critical for recognition by HB-1–specific CTLs. The restricted expression of the polymorphic HB-1 Ag by B-ALL cells and the ability to generate HB-1–specific CTLs in vitro using peptide-loaded dendritic cells offer novel opportunities to specifically target the immune system against B-ALL without the risk of evoking GVHD

Pion contamination in the MICE muon beam

The international Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) will perform a systematic investigation of ionization cooling with muon beams of momentum between 140 and 240\,MeV/c at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory ISIS facility. The measurement of ionization cooling in MICE relies on the selection of a pure sample of muons that traverse the experiment. To make this selection, the MICE Muon Beam is designed to deliver a beam of muons with less than $\sim$1\% contamination. To make the final muon selection, MICE employs a particle-identification (PID) system upstream and downstream of the cooling cell. The PID system includes time-of-flight hodoscopes, threshold-Cherenkov counters and calorimetry. The upper limit for the pion contamination measured in this paper is $f_\pi < 1.4\%$ at 90\% C.L., including systematic uncertainties. Therefore, the MICE Muon Beam is able to meet the stringent pion-contamination requirements of the study of ionization cooling.Department of Energy and National Science Foundation (U.S.A.), the Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (Italy), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (U.K.), the European Community under the European Commission Framework Programme 7 (AIDA project, grant agreement no. 262025, TIARA project, grant agreement no. 261905, and EuCARD), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Swiss National Science Foundation, in the framework of the SCOPES programme

Clustering of ingredients with amino acid composition similar to the nutritional requirement of Nile tilapia

The search for balanced diets, which may elicit improved growth of fish, requires appropriate selection of available protein sources. This study aims at clustering feedstuffs according to amino acid profile, determining which ones show essential amino acids (EAA) profiles closer to the ideal dietary amino acids requirements of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and studying the relationship among amino acids feedstuffs groups. Tabled data on EAA more cystine and tyrosine, in relation to lysine contents, of 40 feedstuffs ordinarily used to formulate fish diets were studied. Feedstuffs were grouped according to amino acids profile by cluster analysis of Euclidean distances. The principal components analysis was used to determine the relationship among amino acids in each feedstuff group. Three groups of ingredients were parted and two ingredients, low tannin sorghum and corn gluten meal 60%, did not go with any group. Dietary amino acids requirements of Nile tilapia were similar to the amino acid profile of 22 feedstuffs. The principal component analysis explained with three principal components more than 75% of total variance of amino acids in three feedstuff groups. Therefore, until additional, detailed information on amino acids availability of different ingredients is consolidated, total amino acids profiles will continue to be important information to select and use conventional or surrogate ingredients for formulating and processing feeds for tilapia.A busca de uma ração balanceada, que proporcione maior crescimento aos peixes, passa pela escolha adequada das fontes protéicas disponíveis. Este estudo teve por objetivo agrupar alimentos de acordo com o perfil de aminoácidos essenciais, determinando quais mostram perfis mais próximos do requerimento da tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus), e estudar a relação entre os aminoácidos dentro dos agrupamentos obtidos. Foram utilizadas composições de aminoácidos em relação ao conteúdo de lisina, de 40 alimentos comumente utilizados como ingredientes na formulação de dietas para peixes. Os ingredientes foram agrupados de acordo com o perfil de aminoácidos utilizando a análise de agrupamento por meio da distância Euclidiana, enquanto a análise de componentes principais foi utilizada para determinar a relação entre os aminoácidos em cada grupo obtido. Três grupos de ingredientes foram formados e apenas dois ingredientes, sorgo baixo tanino e farelo de glúten de milho 60%, não entraram em nenhum dos três grupos. A exigência de aminoácidos da tilápia do Nilo foi semelhante ao perfil de aminoácidos encontrado em 22 alimentos. A análise de componentes principais conseguiu resumir e explicar 75% da variância total com apenas três componentes principais. Até que maiores informações sobre a disponibilidade de aminoácidos de diferentes ingredientes sejam obtidas, o perfil total de aminoácidos continuará a ser uma informação valiosa na escolha dos ingredientes a serem utilizados na formulação e processamento de alimentos para tilápia do Nilo

Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000–17 : analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), one in ten deaths in children younger than 5 years is attributable to diarrhoea. The substantial between-country variation in both diarrhoea incidence and mortality is attributable to interventions that protect children, prevent infection, and treat disease. Identifying subnational regions with the highest burden and mapping associated risk factors can aid in reducing preventable childhood diarrhoea. Methods We used Bayesian model-based geostatistics and a geolocated dataset comprising 15 072 746 children younger than 5 years from 466 surveys in 94 LMICs, in combination with findings of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, to estimate posterior distributions of diarrhoea prevalence, incidence, and mortality from 2000 to 2017. From these data, we estimated the burden of diarrhoea at varying subnational levels (termed units) by spatially aggregating draws, and we investigated the drivers of subnational patterns by creating aggregated risk factor estimates. Findings The greatest declines in diarrhoeal mortality were seen in south and southeast Asia and South America, where 54·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 38·1–65·8), 17·4% (7·7–28·4), and 59·5% (34·2–86·9) of units, respectively, recorded decreases in deaths from diarrhoea greater than 10%. Although children in much of Africa remain at high risk of death due to diarrhoea, regions with the most deaths were outside Africa, with the highest mortality units located in Pakistan. Indonesia showed the greatest within-country geographical inequality; some regions had mortality rates nearly four times the average country rate. Reductions in mortality were correlated to improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) or reductions in child growth failure (CGF). Similarly, most high-risk areas had poor WASH, high CGF, or low oral rehydration therapy coverage. Interpretation By co-analysing geospatial trends in diarrhoeal burden and its key risk factors, we could assess candidate drivers of subnational death reduction. Further, by doing a counterfactual analysis of the remaining disease burden using key risk factors, we identified potential intervention strategies for vulnerable populations. In view of the demands for limited resources in LMICs, accurately quantifying the burden of diarrhoea and its drivers is important for precision public health