Magnetic properties of metallic fine particle systems

A study of the magnetic properties of metallic fine particle systems in the form of magnetic fluids has been made. The fluids were prepared utilising the organometallic decomposition route (detailed separately by N. Mason, Ph.D. thesis, Durham University 1986) and single metal systems containing Fe, Co and Ni were prepared from new precursors. The properties of the first hydrocarbon based mixed metal particle systems are also reported. For systems prepared with Fe precursors it is thought that the fine particles are not in the α-Fe phase but may be amorphous and/or consist of iron carbides. Co and Ni systems result in particles with bulk-metal like structures although Co usually forms in the f.c.c. phase. The h.c.p. is also observed. The mixed metal systems were of FeCo and Ni(_3)Fe and a tendency to form the superlattice or ordered structures was observed. In both cases Fe has been lost to the particles and this is thought to be due to the formation of volatile iron compounds during preparation and/or surfactant complexes. Narrow size distributions have been obtained in all cases with mean particle diameters in the range 4-10 nm and standard deviations of between 0.8 and 1.9. The form of the size distribution has been found to be Gaussian. A study of the anisotropy of the particles using torque and magnetisation measurements has found uniaxial anisotropy with the first anisotropy constant of the order lO(^5)Jmֿ(^3).The values observed are too large to be ascribed solely to shape anisotropy. Low temperature magnetisation measurements have revealed the existence of a paramagnetic component in the fluids. Loss of magnetisation has occurred in all systems and is thought to be due to oxidation of the metal

FCS: Whipping up a Dish of Technology

The problem that has been chosen is technology in the family and consumer sciences (FCS) classroom. Being such a hands-on class, there is a lack of technology. This is a problem in today’s technology-driven society. Technology is all around us every day and can be a useful tool if used consciously and correctly. Technology is being integrated into other subjects, but it seems as if FCS classes are falling behind. With hands-on lessons such as cooking and sewing, there is a need for more technology to be used. Technology skills are useful for all students and finding meaningful ways to incorporate it into FCS classes will grow the students’ knowledge. An FCS teacher’s job is to teach students to be productive members of society and to make meaningful decisions to improve their quality of life. As technology keeps growing, these are life skills that are important for students to have. This project is a creation of 6 lesson plans for a cooking unit that incorporates technology into the classroom setting

Trembling on the Brink of a Mesquite Tree

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Waterwise Landscaping in the Intermountain West

Utah is the second driest state in the United States of America. Yet, the average Utahn uses more water to keep their lawn green than they do on anything else, including indoor use such as bathing, cleaning dishes, and washing laundry. To use our water wisely and most effectively, Utah residents need to rethink their yards. This means cutting out as much grass as possible and replacing it with a more water efficient landscape. However, a yard without grass can still be appealing. The Utah landscape is full of beautiful and diverse drought tolerant plants. This project focuses on how to build a yard that uses less water but is still enticing and includes a guide of plants that could be implemented in making a yard more water-wise

Association Between Co-Sleeping and Breastfeeding: Does Prenatal Care Make a Difference?

Prenatal care is important to ensure a healthy pregnancy for both a woman and her baby. According to the Mayo Clinic, prenatal care should start as soon as there is a positive pregnancy test and should continue throughout the pregnancy.1 The more prenatal care visits a woman attends, the more opportunities to detect potential problems and offer health education materials to help ensure a healthy pregnancy. Prenatal care visits are also used to discuss what may happen after the woman delivers particularly early infant care and breastfeeding. Mothers who do not receive adequate prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight baby than mothers who receive adequate prenatal care.2 However, women do not always enter care as early as they should. Women sometimes are unaware they are pregnant and delay the start of prenatal care. According to Pagnini et el., a few reasons women delay starting prenatal care may be due to “day- to-day survival concerns” such as an inconvenience in scheduling of the visit as well as making an effort to attend prenatal visits if they do not understand the importance of receiving care.3 Delays in prenatal care could be due to psychosocial factors and demographic risk factors. Barriers include structural issues such as women traveling a far distance to see a provider, transportation access, as well as “provider care issues.” Provider care issues include a discontinuity of providers demonstrating a lack of communication or lack of trust with a health care provider, and inconveniences such as long waiting periods for appointments and scheduling conflicts.3 Women who receive prenatal care were eight times more likely to initiate and continue to breastfeed.4 Breastfeeding provides protective factors for both mother and baby. Babies who are breastfed are more likely to be healthier than babies who are formula fed, have a lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), are less likely to suffer from juvenile diabetes, and can have higher IQ scores.5 Benefits for breastfeeding mothers include a reduced risk of 2 osteoporosis, a faster recovery from the pregnancy, a reduced risk of ovarian cancer, and an increased attachment of mother and baby.6 According to the American Cancer Society, breastfeeding has shown some protective factors against breast cancer but the research has varied.7 Because of the frequent feeding schedule for breastfeeding infants, researchers speculate parents may choose to co-sleep with their infants for convenience of feeding, fatigue, and to feel close to their infant.8 Co-sleeping, defined as an individual sharing the same sleep surface with an infant, is a growing concern in the United States. Between 1984 and 2004, the rate of infant mortality attributed to accidental suffocation and strangulation quadrupled from 2.8 to 12.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, often due to co-sleeping. Although the reason for the increase in deaths is unknown, these deaths are completely preventable.9 Parents or caregivers who choose to co-sleep with infants increase the infant’s risk of death by being rolled over on, of suffocation from being smothered by a pillow or blanket, and of SIDS.10 In addition, there is an increased risk of the infant being hurt by becoming trapped between the headboard or footboard and the bedframe.10 Ideally, parents receiving early and regular prenatal care would receive information on the dangers of co-sleeping, and would be less likely to co-sleep with their infants. However, there is little research on whether this issue is addressed systematically during prenatal care, and whether women who receive early or adequate prenatal care are less likely to co-sleep. Given the previous research, this study will explore whether breastfeeding is associated with increased co-sleeping and whether early prenatal care affects the relationship between breastfeeding and co-sleeping. Given that women who receive early prenatal care are more likely to breastfeed, one question is whether this contributes to an increase in co-sleeping with their infants. While prenatal care visits may include information on the dangers of co-sleeping, gaps 3 exist in understanding how new mothers manage both breastfeeding and co-sleeping. The results of this study will inform how health care providers such as pediatric nurse practitioners, obstetricians, midwives, and nurses need to educate mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding, as well as the dangers of co-sleeping with a clear explanation of what co-sleeping is.1

Teen Hleath: Live: Using Radio To Promote Teen Voices in Media

IMPACT. 1: Engaged 30 teen participants in weekly sessions over course of the year -- 2. Established relationships between community partners -- 3. Laid the groundwork for a continued partnership between Youth Beat Radio and Barack Community Recreation Center.COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Barack Community Recreation Center; Youth Beat RadioPRIMARY CONTACT: Brynne PresserEmpower and increase awareness of relevant health issues in the South Side Community

Engineering enzymes, pathways, and microbes through the use of an automated organism engineering foundry

Ginkgo Bioworks is an organism engineering company that applies high-throughput approaches to engineer enzymes and pathways in a variety of hosts. The process of engineering microbes is conducted within our custom-built foundries, which leverage proprietary enzyme sourcing and DNA design software, high volume DNA synthesis, next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, High Resolution Accurate Mass LC-MS, proteomics, and automated bioprocess development to rapidly develop and screen prototype enzymes and strains. Foundry processes are heavily automated and are tracked within Ginkgo’s custom software, to permit simultaneous handling of thousands of samples and strains across a single experiment. In most cases, the resulting engineered strains are then cultured to produce chemicals and ingredients of interest via fermentation. In this talk, we will describe how the foundry model can be applied to optimize the production of multiple high value and distinct chemicals. Specifically, we will provide examples of how the foundry can be utilized to engineer not only single enzymes, but pathways as well within the context of distinct hosts. These examples will illustrate how foundry-scale approaches can be harnessed to overcome challenges inherent to biological engineering across a variety of enzyme classes