In this study, the effect of atmospheric hydrogen plasma treatment on the in-plane conductivity of solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) in various environments is reported. The hydrogen-plasma-treated ...and untreated ZnO films exhibited ohmic behavior with room-temperature in-plane conductivity in a vacuum. When the untreated ZnO film was exposed to a dry oxygen environment, the conductivity rapidly decreased, and an oscillating current was observed. In certain cases, the thin film reversibly ‘switched’ between the high- and low-conductivity states. In contrast, the conductivity of the hydrogen-plasma-treated ZnO film remained nearly constant under different ambient conditions. We infer that hydrogen acts as a shallow donor, increasing the carrier concentration and generating oxygen vacancies by eliminating the surface contamination layer. Hence, atmospheric hydrogen plasma treatment could play a crucial role in stabilizing the conductivity of ZnO films.
Background Children with food allergies spend a large proportion of time in school but characteristics of allergic reactions in schools are not well studied. Some schools self-designate as ...peanut-free or have peanut-free areas, but the impact of policies on clinical outcomes has not been evaluated. Objective We sought to determine the effect of peanut-free policies on rates of epinephrine administration for allergic reactions in Massachusetts public schools. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed (1) rates of epinephrine administration in all Massachusetts public schools and (2) Massachusetts public school nurse survey reports of school peanut-free policies from 2006 to 2011 and whether schools self-designated as “peanut-free” based on policies. Rates of epinephrine administration were compared for schools with or without peanut-restrictive policies. Results The percentage of schools with peanut-restrictive policies did not change significantly in the study time frame. There was variability in policies used by schools self-designated as peanut-free. No policy was associated with complete absence of allergic reactions. Both self-designated peanut-free schools and schools banning peanuts from being served in school or brought from home reported allergic reactions to nuts. Policies restricting peanuts from home, served in schools, or having peanut-free classrooms did not affect epinephrine administration rates. Schools with peanut-free tables, compared to without, had lower rates of epinephrine administration (incidence rate per 10,000 students 0.2 and 0.6, respectively, P = .009). Conclusions These data provide a basis for evidence-based school policies for children with food allergies. Further studies are required before decisions can be made regarding peanut-free policies in schools.
Rationale:
The robust advances in pain management for companion animals underlie the decision of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and American Association of Feline Practitioners ...(AAFP) to expand on the information provided in the 2007 AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines. The 2015 Guidelines summarize and offer a discriminating review of much of this new knowledge.
Relevance:
Pain management is central to veterinary practice, alleviating pain, improving patient outcomes, and enhancing both quality of life and the veterinarian–client–patient relationship. These Guidelines support veterinarians in incorporating pain management into practice, improving patient care.
Approaches:
The management of pain requires a continuum of care that includes anticipation, early intervention, and evaluation of response on an individual patient basis. A team-oriented approach, including the owner, is essential for maximizing the recognition, prevention and treatment of pain in animals.
Evidence base:
The Guidelines include both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities to manage pain; they are evidence-based insofar as possible and otherwise represent a consensus of expert opinion. Behavioral changes are currently the principal indicator of pain and its course of improvement or progression, and the basis for recently validated pain scores. Post-surgical pain is eminently predictable but a strong body of evidence exists supporting strategies to mitigate adaptive as well as maladaptive forms. Chronic pain is dominated by degenerative joint disease (DJD), which is one of the most significant and under-diagnosed diseases of cats and dogs. DJD is ubiquitous, found in pets of all ages, and inevitably progresses over time; evidence-based strategies for management are established in dogs, and emerging in cats.
We report on the lifetime of unencapsulated organic photovoltaic diodes (OPVs) based on a ternary blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and a soft ...insulating polymer, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as compared to reference binary P3HT:PCBM OPVs. The performance of ternary devices was shown to decay more slowly than that of their binary counterparts to an extent that depends on the relative humidity (RH). The power conversion efficiency of ternary OPVs when stored in a low humidity environment (1% RH) decayed to 80% of their initial value after 200h, almost double that of the reference binary OPVs. AFM measurements suggest that the PMMA forms pillars within the P3HT:PCBM matrix. It is proposed that the PMMA absorbs water in the active layer, and in doing so, slows the rate of deep trap formation that would otherwise lead to enhanced Shockley-Read-Hall recombination.
•The addition of PMMA enhances the stability of P3HT:PCBM photovoltaic devices.•PMMA changes the film morphology and forms pillars.•PMMA absorbs water in the active layer.•It proposed that the PMMA slows the rate of deep trap formation.
Abstract
We report on the electrical behaviour of thin films of bovine brain microtubules (MTs). For samples in both their dried and hydrated states, the measured currents reveal a power law ...dependence on the applied DC voltage. We attribute this to the injection of space-charge from the metallic electrode(s). The MTs are thought to form a complex electrical network, which can be manipulated with an applied voltage. This feature has been exploited to undertake some experiments on the use of the MT mesh as a medium for computation. We show that it is possible to evolve MT films into binary classifiers following an
evolution in materio
approach. The accuracy of the system is, on average, similar to that of early carbon nanotube classifiers developed using the same methodology.
ObjectiveFew follow-up studies have been conducted of girls with ADHD, and none have followed girls into adulthood. The authors sought to estimate the prevalence of psychopathology in girls with and ...without ADHD followed into young adulthood.
MethodThe authors conducted a longitudinal case-control study of 6- to 18-year-old girls with (N=140) and without (N=122) ADHD ascertained from psychiatric and pediatric sources. At the 11-year follow-up, 96 (69%) of the girls with ADHD and 91 (75%) of the comparison girls were reassessed (mean age=22 years). Participants were blindly assessed by structured diagnostic interviews.
ResultsLifetime and 1-year risks for all composite categories of psychopathology were significantly greater in girls with ADHD grown up relative to comparison girls; lifetime hazard ratios were 7.2 (95% CI=4.0-12.7) for antisocial disorders, 6.8 (95% CI=3.7-12.6) for mood disorders, 2.1 (95% CI=1.6-2.9) for anxiety disorders, 3.2 (95% CI=2.0-5.3) for developmental disorders, 2.7 (95% CI=1.6-4.3) for addictive disorders, and 3.5 (95% CI=1.6-7.3) for eating disorders. For lifetime psychopathology, all six composite categories remained statistically significant after controlling for other baseline psychopathology. Except for addictive disorders, significant 1-year findings remained significant after controlling for baseline psychopathology. The 1-year prevalences of composite disorders were not associated with lifetime or 1-year use of ADHD medication.
ConclusionBy young adulthood, girls with ADHD were at high risk for antisocial, addictive, mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. These prospective findings, previously documented in boys with ADHD, provide further evidence for the high morbidity associated with ADHD across the life cycle.
In order to realise the potential of organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) to provide cheap, scalable access to renewable energy, it is necessary to improve their lifetime and cost of encapsulation. ...The aim of this work is to achieve these aims by blending the donor and acceptor with the commodity polymer, PMMA, to form a ternary blend device with enhanced lifetime. We find that ternary OPV devices prepared in this manner can have up to double the lifetime of the binary control devices to an extent that depends upon the PMMA morphology and the processing additives used. Further, we find that the initial performance of ternary OPVs may decrease (in the case of PTB7-based blends) or slightly increase (in the case of P3HT-based blends) when compared to their binary counterparts, which is hypothesised to be due to donor compatibility with the PMMA. These findings suggest that this approach can be employed in other OPV blend systems and give design rules to maximise the positive impact on device lifetime.
•Blending PMMA into PTB7:PC71BM and P3HT:PCB61BM OPVs extends lifetime by mitigating the impact of atmospheric water.•The role of PMMA morphology on the extension of lifetime is demonstrated.•DIO is shown to reduce lifetime significantly when used in combination with PMMA.•Taken together, these data provide clear guidance and bounds over which morphology of ternary OPVs can be optimised.
The use of veterinary acupuncture for pain relief is expanding among small animal practitioners. Although acupuncture was developed as part of the medical system in Ancient China, research into the ...scientific basis of its effects is expanding rapidly. Acupuncture is very effective for analgesia on a local, segmental, and suprasegmental level. Many forms of acupuncture can be used independently or as part of a balanced multi-modal approach for the control of acute and chronic pain. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, acupuncture can be a safe and effective modality for treating pain in companion animals. This article outlines the mechanisms of action of acupuncture, its related neurophysiology and provides examples from the literature demonstrating its effectiveness.
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