Interface induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Co/CoO/Co thin film structure: An in-situ MOKE investigation

Co /CoO/Co polycrystalline film was grown on Si (001) substrate and magnetic properties have been investigated using in-situ magneto-optic Kerr effect during growth of the sample. Magnetic anisotropy with easy axis perpendicular to the film surface has been observed in top Co layer, whereas bottom layer was found to be soft with in-plane magnetization without any influence of top layer. Ex-situ in-plane and out-of-plane diffraction measurements revealed that the growth of Co on oxidized interface takes place with preferential orientation of c-axis perpendicular to the film plane, which results in the observed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Texturing of the c-axis is expected to be a result of minimization of the interface energy due to hybridization between Co and oxygen at the interface.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, under review in IOP journa

Drug design of novel molecules using a bioisosteric and de novo techniques - a comparison

Rational drug design is an area of science that evolves continuously in order to answer contemporary demands for a decrease in novel drug discovery turnover time. Multiple drug design modalities exist which may be exploited in response to the parameters of specific drug design projects. Bioisosteric modification of existing molecules and de novo design are two such approaches, both of which were employed in parallel in this study which aimed to compare their scope and efficiency using Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibiting (SSRIs) molecules as case studies. Results indicated that bioisosterically modified structures did not have a higher affinity for their cognate receptor when compared to the template structure while the de novo design yielded molecules that were markedly different to the template from a structural perspective, and which also bound to the cognate receptor with an affinity superior to that of the template. This study showed therefore that bioisosteric modification is of utility when minor structural variations are considered sufficiently relative to a template molecule, and could consequently be of utility in the acquisition of new patents, in the reduction of toxicity, or in the attainment of improved biological profiles. It indicated furthermore, the role of the de novo approach in the successful exploration of novel pharmacophoric space and in the generation of molecular structures with an affinity significantly greater than that of lead molecules for a target receptor.peer-reviewe

A hydrologically-driven approach to climate change adaptation for multipurpose multireservoir system

[EN] Climate change can significantly affect water systems with negative impacts on many facets of society and ecosystems. Therefore, significant attention must be devoted to the development of efficient adaptation strategies. More specifically, the reoperation of water resources systems to keep the overall performance within acceptable limits should be prioritized to avoid, or at least delay as much as possible, costly infrastructural investments. This manuscript presents a hydrologically-driven approach to support the reoperation of multipurpose multireservoir systems. The approach is organized around 1) the use of a large ensemble of GCM hydro-climate projections to drive a climate stress test; 2) the bottom-up clustering of those hydrologic projections based on hydrologic attributes that are both relevant to the region of interest and interpretable by the operators; and finally, 3) the identification of adaptation measures for each cluster after developing a one-way coupling of an optimization model with a simulation model. The climate impact assessment is illustrated with the multipurpose multireservoir system of the Lievre River basin in Quebec (Canada). Results show that cluster-specific, adapted, operating rules can improve the performance of the system and reveal its operational flexibility with respect to the different operating objectives.The work was partly supported by a project funded by MELCC (Quebecs Ministere de lEnvironnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques) through two programs: PACC 2013-2020 and Fonds vert. This study does not represent the views of MELCC. Also, this work was partly supported by the NSERC Discovery Grant (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) of the second author, and the intersectorial flood network of Quebec (RIISQ). This research was enabled in part by support provided by Compute Canada (www.computecanada.ca).Sant Anna, C.; Tilmant, A.; Pulido-Velazquez, M. (2022). A hydrologically-driven approach to climate change adaptation for multipurpose multireservoir system. Climate Risk Management. 36:1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2022.1004271163

Neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of neoadjuvant therapy (NT) in women with stage I–III breast cancer in Italy and whether it is influenced by biological characteristics, screening history, and geographic area. Methods: Data from the High Resolution Study conducted in 7 Italian cancer registries were used; they are a representative sample of incident cancers in the study period (2009–2013). Included were 3546 women aged <85 years (groups <50, 50–69, 70–64, and 75+) with stage I–III breast cancer at diagnosis who underwent surgery. Women were classified as receiving NT if they received chemotherapy, target therapy, and/or hormone therapy before the first surgical treatment. Logistic models were built to test the association with biological and contextual variables. Results: Only 8.2% of women (290 cases) underwent NT; the treatment decreases with increasing age (14.5% in age <50 and 2.2% in age 75+), is more frequent in women with negative receptors (14.8%), HER2-positive (15.7%), and triple-negative (15.6%). The multivariable analysis showed the probability of receiving NT is higher in stage III (odds ratio [OR] 3.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.83–5.18), luminal B (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.27–2.76), triple-negatives (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.15–3.08), and in symptomatic cancers (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.13–3.48). Use of NT varied among geographic areas: Reggio Emilia had the highest rates (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.37–3.82) while Palermo had the lowest (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.24–0.68). Conclusions: The use of NT in Italy is limited and variable. There are no signs of greater use in hospitals with more advanced care

Medical ovariectomy in menopausal breast cancer patients with high testosterone levels : a further step toward tailored therapy

Five years of adjuvant therapy with anti-estrogens reduce the incidence of disease progression by about 50% in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients, but late relapse can still occur after anti-estrogens have been discontinued. In these patients, excessive androgen production may account for renewed excessive estrogen formation and increased risks of late relapse. In the 50% of patients who do not benefit with anti-estrogens, the effect of therapy is limited by de novo or acquired resistance to treatment. Androgen receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression are recognized mechanisms of endocrine resistance suggesting the involvement of androgens as activators of the androgen receptor pathway and as stimulators of epidermal growth factor synthesis and function. Data from a series of prospective studies on operable breast cancer patients, showing high serum testosterone levels are associated to increased risk of recurrence, provide further support to a role for androgens in breast cancer progression. According to the above reported evidence, we proposed to counteract excessive androgen production in the adjuvant setting of estrogen receptor-positive patients and suggested selecting postmenopausal patients with elevated levels of serum testosterone, marker of ovarian hyperandrogenemia, for adjuvant treatment with a gonadotropins-releasing hormone analogue (medical oophorectomy) in addition to standard therapy with anti-estrogens. The proposed approach provides an attempt of personalized medicine that needs to be further investigated in clinical trials

United Kingdom: Citizenship education in the United Kingdom: comparing England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Purpose: In this country case study the authors undertake a comparative analysis of citizenship education across the four nations of the UK. The curriculum and contexts in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are first described. Then the article considers how each national example engages with fundamental expectations of citizenship education, specifically in relation to questions of citizenship status and the relationship between citizens and the state; political identity; and active citizenship processes. Approach: Drawing on the authors’ collective experience and insights into policy and practice in each nation, we started with a ‘generative conversation’ to identify key issues for inclusion in this case study. Findings: The article unearths a variety of constraints and problems, and situates these in a broader policyscape in which policy accretion and policy approximation generate a permissive culture, which has undermined the promise of citizenship education as an entitlement for all young people

Reducing anaemia in low income countries: control of infection is essential.

In settings with high infection burdens, iron interventions for anaemia may be neither safe nor effective. Strategies to tackle the global burden of anaemia must take this into account, argue Sant-Rayn Pasricha and colleagues