Magnetically soft, high moment grain-refined Fe films: application to magnetic tunnel junctions

The effect of N-doping on the microstructure and magnetic properties of thin Fe layers has been employed to construct all Fe-electrode magnetic tunnel junctions that displayed the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effect. Using low nitrogen doses, a reduction in coercivity was achieved due to grain refinement, without a concurrent decrease in the saturation magnetization of the Fe films caused by the formation of crystalline iron nitride phases. It was demonstrated that this N-induced grain refinement can be applied beneficially to control the switching field of the "free" layer in magnetic trilayer structures. In general the ability to control magnetic softness without reducing saturation magnetization will prove important for incorporating high spin-polarized materials into spin valves and TMR devices

A Fast and Scalable Graph Coloring Algorithm for Multi-core and Many-core Architectures

Irregular computations on unstructured data are an important class of problems for parallel programming. Graph coloring is often an important preprocessing step, e.g. as a way to perform dependency analysis for safe parallel execution. The total run time of a coloring algorithm adds to the overall parallel overhead of the application whereas the number of colors used determines the amount of exposed parallelism. A fast and scalable coloring algorithm using as few colors as possible is vital for the overall parallel performance and scalability of many irregular applications that depend upon runtime dependency analysis. Catalyurek et al. have proposed a graph coloring algorithm which relies on speculative, local assignment of colors. In this paper we present an improved version which runs even more optimistically with less thread synchronization and reduced number of conflicts compared to Catalyurek et al.'s algorithm. We show that the new technique scales better on multi-core and many-core systems and performs up to 1.5x faster than its predecessor on graphs with high-degree vertices, while keeping the number of colors at the same near-optimal levels.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of Euro Par 201

Target product profiles for protecting against outdoor malaria transmission.

BACKGROUND\ud \ud Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual sprays (IRS) have decimated malaria transmission by killing indoor-feeding mosquitoes. However, complete elimination of malaria transmission with these proven methods is confounded by vectors that evade pesticide contact by feeding outdoors.\ud \ud METHODS\ud \ud For any assumed level of indoor coverage and personal protective efficacy with insecticidal products, process-explicit malaria transmission models suggest that insecticides that repel mosquitoes will achieve less impact upon transmission than those that kill them outright. Here such models are extended to explore how outdoor use of products containing either contact toxins or spatial repellents might augment or attenuate impact of high indoor coverage of LLINs relying primarily upon contact toxicity.\ud \ud RESULTS\ud \ud LLIN impact could be dramatically enhanced by high coverage with spatial repellents conferring near-complete personal protection, but only if combined indoor use of both measures can be avoided where vectors persist that prefer feeding indoors upon humans. While very high levels of coverage and efficacy will be required for spatial repellents to substantially augment the impact of LLINs or IRS, these ambitious targets may well be at least as practically achievable as the lower requirements for equivalent impact using contact insecticides.\ud \ud CONCLUSIONS\ud \ud Vapour-phase repellents may be more acceptable, practical and effective than contact insecticides for preventing outdoor malaria transmission because they need not be applied to skin or clothing and may protect multiple occupants of spaces outside of treatable structures such as nets or houses

Reductions in movement-associated fear are dependent upon graded exposure in chronic low back pain: An exploratory analysis of a modified 3-item fear hierarchy

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of a modified fear hierarchy on measuring improvements in movement-associated fear in chronic low back pain. Methods: A modified 3-item fear hierarchy was created and implemented based on principles of graded exposure. This study was an exploratory analysis of the modified 3-item fear hierarchy from a larger clinical trial data set. Both groups received pain education and exercise, either bodyweight or strength training. Both groups performed item one on the hierarchy, the squat. Only the strength training group performed item 2, the deadlift. Neither group performed item 3, the overhead press. Analysis of Covariance and stepwise linear regression were used to explore results. Results: Improvement in movement-associated fear was conditional upon graded exposure. Both groups improved in the squat movement (p ≤ 0.05), which both performed. Only the strength training group improved in the deadlift (p ≤ 0.01), and neither improved in the overhead press (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: Reductions in movement-associated fear are conditional upon graded exposure, based on the use of a novel modified 3-item fear hierarchy. Further research is needed to understand the utility of this tool in a patient-led approach to co-designing a graded exposure-based intervention

How do people with chronic low back pain perceive specific and general exercise? A mixed methods survey

Purpose: Exercise prescriptions for chronic low back pain (CLBP) often utilize reductionistic, trunk-focused exercise aimed at addressing proposed pain mechanisms. It is unknown if the use of these trunk-focused exercises imply beliefs to people with CLBP about the rationale for their use (e.g., etiology), even without concurrent biomedical narratives. This study aimed to explore people's perceptions of specific and general exercise without an accompanying narrative when experiencing CLBP. Methods: An anonymous online survey was distributed. Mixed methods were utilized for analysis. Six-point Likert scales categorized people's beliefs about individual exercises. Open-ended questions were used to gather further beliefs which were then coded into themes. Results: People with CLBP perceived specific exercise as more beneficial than general exercise. Eight themes and five subthemes were defined. A high volume of positive beliefs were centered around strengthening the low back and abdominal musculature, emphasizing the importance of correct technique. Negative beliefs were held against spinal flexion and external load. Both positive and negative beliefs were underpinned by spinal/pelvic stability being important as well as certain exercises being achievable or not. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that people with CLBP consider specific exercises to be more beneficial than general exercises for CLBP. Specific exercises irrespective of an accompanying narrative can imply meaning about the intent of an exercise. Understanding this requires practitioners to be mindful when prescribing and communicating exercise

Low radiation dose to treat pneumonia and other inflammations

Infection, the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms and viruses, causes reactive inflammation mediated by endogenous signals, with influx of leucocytes with distinct properties and capable of mounting a cellular or antibody response. Different forms of inflammation may also occur in response to tumours, in allergy and autoimmune disorders. Pneumonia, respiratory tract infection and septic shock for instance can arise as serious complications of the Covid-19 virus. While radiotherapy has been most widely used to control malignant tumours, it has also been used for treatment of non-malignant diseases, including acute and chronic inflammation in situations where anti-inflammatory drugs may be ineffective or contraindicated. The present review examines the history and prospects for low-dose anti-inflammatory radiation treatments, the present interest largely being motivated by the increased incidence of pulmonary disease associated Covid-19 infections. Evidence in support of the suggested efficacy are covered, together with an appraisal of one of the number of potential convenient sources that could complement external beam arrangements

Notes on Operator Equations of Supercurrent Multiplets and the Anomaly Puzzle in Supersymmetric Field Theories

Recently, Komargodski and Seiberg have proposed a new type of supercurrent multiplet which contains the energy-momentum tensor and the supersymmetry current consistently. In this paper we study quantum properties of the supercurrent in renormalizable field theories. We point out that the new supercurrent gives a quite simple resolution to the classic problem, called the anomaly puzzle, that the Adler-Bardeen theorem applied to an R-symmetry current is inconsistent with all order corrections to $\beta$ functions. We propose an operator equation for the supercurrent in all orders of perturbation theory, and then perform several consistency checks of the equation. The operator equation we propose is consisitent with the one proposed by Shifman and Vainshtein, if we take some care in interpreting the meaning of non-conserved currents.Comment: 28 pages; v2:clarifications and references added, some minor change

Low dose ionising radiation-induced hormesis: Therapeutic implications to human health

The concept of radiation-induced hormesis, whereby a low dose is beneficial and a high dose is detrimental, has been gaining attention in the fields of molecular biology, environmental toxicology and radiation biology. There is a growing body of literature that recognises the importance of hormetic dose response not only in the radiation field, but also with molecular agents. However, there is continuing debate on the magnitude and mechanism of radiation hormetic dose response, which could make further contributions, as a research tool, to science and perhaps eventually to public health due to potential therapeutic benefits for society. The biological phenomena of low dose ionising radiation (LDIR) includes bystander effects, adaptive response, hypersensitivity, radioresistance and genomic instability. In this review, the beneficial and the detrimental effects of LDIR-induced hormesis are explored, together with an overview of its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that may potentially provide an insight to the therapeutic implications to human health in the future

Poor family functioning mediates the link between childhood adversity and adolescent non-suicidal self-injury

Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common harmful behavior during adolescence. Exposure to childhood family adversity (CFA) is associated with subsequent emergence of NSSI during adolescence. However, the pathways through which this early environmental risk may operate are not clear. Aims: We tested four alternative hypotheses to explain the association between CFA and adolescent-onset NSSI. Methods: A community sample of n = 933 fourteen year olds with no history of NSSI were followed for three years. Results: Poor family functioning at age 14 mediated the association between CFA before age 5 and subsequent onset of NSSI between 14-17 years. Conclusion: The findings support the cumulative suboptimal environmental hazards (proximal family relationships as a mediator) hypothesis. Improving the family environment at age 14 may mitigate the effects of CFA on adolescent onset of NSSI.MC was funded by a doctoral scholarship from the Gates Cambridge Trust. ALvH is funded by a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (No DH150176). PBJ by the NIHR CLAHRC East of England. The study was funded by the Wellcome Trust (Grant no. 074296)