Encouraging lifestyle behaviour change in mild cognitive impairment patients:development of appropriate educational material

Objectives: A healthy lifestyle may help maintain cognitive function and reduce the risk of developing dementia. This study employed a focus group approach in order to gain insight into opinions of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, caregivers (CG) and health professionals (HP) regarding lifestyle and its relationship with cognition. The qualitative data were used to design, develop and pilot test educational material (EM) to help encourage lifestyle behaviour change. Method: Data gathering phase: structured interviews were conducted with HP (n = 10), and focus groups with MCI patients (n = 24) and CG (n = 12). EM was developed and pilot tested with a new group of MCI patients (n = 21) and CG (n = 6). Results: HP alluded to the lack of clinical trial evidence for a lifestyle and MCI risk link. Although they felt that lifestyle modifications should be recommended to MCI patients, they appeared hesitant in communicating this information and discussions were often patient-driven. MCI patients lacked awareness of the lifestyle cognition link. Participants preferred EM to be concise, eye-catching and in written format, with personal delivery of information favoured. Most pilot testers approved of the EM but were heterogeneous in terms of lifestyle, willingness to change and support needed to change. Conclusion: MCI patients need to be made more aware of the importance of lifestyle for cognition. EM such as those developed here, which are specifically tailored for this population would be valuable for HP who, currently, appear reticent in initiating lifestyle-related discussions. Following further evaluation, the EM could be used in health promotion activities targeting MCI patients.

Inorganic species of arsenic in soil solution determined by microcartridges and ferrihydrite-based diffusive gradient in thin films

The bioavailability of soil arsenic (As) is determined by its speciation in soil solution, i.e., arsenite [As(III)] or arsenate [As(V)]. Soil bioavailability studies require suitable methods to cope with small volumes of soil solution that can be speciated directly after sampling, and thereby minimise any As speciation change during sample collection. In this study, we tested a self-made microcartridge to separate both As species and compared it to a commercially available cartridge. In addition, the diffusive gradient in thin films technique (DGT), in combination with the microcartridges, was applied to synthetic solutions and to a soil spiked with As. This combination was used to improve the assessment of available inorganic As species with ferrihydrite(FH)-DGT, in order to validate the technique for environmental analysis, mainly in soils. The self-made microcartridge was effective in separating As(III) from As(V) in solution with detection by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in volumes of only 3 ml. The DGT study also showed that the FH-based binding gels are effective for As(III) and As(V) assessment, in solutions with As and P concentrations and ionic strength commonly found in soils. The FH-DGT was tested on flooded and unflooded As spiked soils and recoveries of As(III) and As(V) were 85–104% of the total dissolved As. This study shows that the DGT with FH-based binding gel is robust for assessing inorganic species of As in soils.

Strain dependent microstructural modifications of BiCrO3 epitaxial thin films

Strain-dependent microstructural modifications were observed in epitaxial BiCrO3 (BCO) thin films fabricated on single crystalline substrates, utilizing pulsed laser deposition. The following conditions were employed to modify the epitaxial-strain: (i) in-plane tensile strain, BCOSTO [BCO grown on buffered SrTiO3 (001)] and in-plane compressive strain, BCONGO [BCO grown on buffered NdGaO3 (110)] and (ii) varying BCO film thickness. A combination of techniques like X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to analyse the epitaxial growth quality and the microstructure of BCO. Our studies revealed that in the case of BCOSTO, a coherent interface with homogeneous orthorhombic phase is obtained only for BCO film with thicknesses, d < 50 nm. All the BCOSTO films with d = 50 nm were found to be strain-relaxed with an orthorhombic phase showing 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101> satellite reflections, the latter oriented at 45° from orthorhombic diffraction spots. High angle annular dark field scanning TEM of these films strongly suggested that the satellite reflections, 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101>, originate from the atomic stacking sequence changes (or “modulated structure”) as reported for polytypes, without altering the chemical composition. The unaltered stoichiometry was confirmed by estimating both valency of Bi and Cr cations by surface and in-depth XPS analysis as well as the stoichiometric ratio (1 Bi:1 Cr) using scanning TEM–energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In contrast, compressively strained BCONGO films exhibited monoclinic symmetry without any structural modulations or interfacial defects, up to d ~ 200 nm. Our results indicate that both the substrate-induced in-plane epitaxial strain and the BCO film thickness are the crucial parameters to stabilise a homogeneous BCO phase in an epitaxially grown film.

High energy resolution fluorescence detection XANES - an in situ method to study the interaction of adsorbed molecules with metal catalysts in the liquid phase

The change in the Pt electronic structure following the adsorption of an a,ß-unsaturated aldehyde and ketone was followed by in situ HERFD-XANES in the liquid phase. The resulting shift in the Pt Fermi energy is in good agreement with the molecule adsorption energy trends calculated by DFT and provides insight into the reaction selectivity.

Molecular rearrangement reactions in the gas phase triggered by electron attachment

Bond formation and rearrangement reactions in gas phase electron attachment were studied through dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to pentafluorotoluene (PFT), pentafluoroaniline (PFA) and pentafluorophenol (PFP) in the energy range 0-14 eV. In the case of PFA and PFP, the dominant processes involve formation of [M - HF](-) through the loss of neutral HF. This fragmentation channel is most efficient at low incident electron energy and for PFP it is accompanied by a substantial conformational change of the anionic fragment. At higher energy, HF loss is also observed as well as a number of other fragmentation processes. Thermochemical threshold energies have been computed for all the observed fragments and classical trajectories of the electron attachment process were calculated to elucidate the fragmentation mechanisms. For the dominant reaction channel leading to the loss of HF from PFP, the minimum energy path was calculated using the nudged elastic band method.

Using mixed-methods to examine teachers’ attitudes to educational change:The case of the Skills for Life strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills in England.

This paper reports on a longitudinal study that examines how a national reform introduced in England in the field of adult literacy, language, and numeracy is affecting teachers. The paper focuses on the use of a mixed methodology to explore teachers' attitudes to the reform and how these change over time. The quantitative strand includes the construction and use of a Likert-type instrument for measuring the attitudes of a panel of 1,500 teachers. The qualitative strand builds on the quantitative results and includes focus groups and in-depth interviews with a subsample of teachers in the panel. As the study is still in its initial phase, the purpose is not to present findings, but to discuss how quantitative and qualitative evidence can be combined in evaluation research.

Can a carbon nano-coating resist metallic phase transformation in silicon substrate during nanoimpact?

Nanomechanical response of a silicon specimen coated with a sp3 crystalline carbon coating (1.8 nm thickness) was investigated using MD simulation. A sharp conical rigid tip was impacted at the speed of 50 m/sec up to a depth of ~80% of the coating thickness. Unlike pure silicon specimen, no metallic phase transformation was observed i.e. a thin coating was able to resist Si-I to Si-II metallic phase transformation signifying that the coating could alter the stress distribution and thereby the contact tribology of the substrate. The stress state of the system, radial distribution function and the load-displacement curve were all aligned with above observations

Stability of 71 degrees stripe domains in epitaxial BiFeO3 films upon repeated electrical switching

The 71 degrees stripe domain patterns of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films are frequently being explored to achieve new functional properties, dissimilar from the BiFeO3 bulk properties. We show that in-plane switching and out-of-plane switching of these domains behave very differently. In the in-plane configuration the domains are very stable, whereas in the out-of-plane configuration the domains change their size and patterns, depending on the applied switching voltage frequency.

A low temperature, isothermal gas-phase system for conversion of methane to methanol over Cu-ZSM-5

A low temperature, isothermal, gas-phase, recyclable process is described for the partial oxidation of methane to methanol over Cu–ZSM-5. Activation in NO at 150 °C followed by methane reaction and steam extraction (both at 150 °C) allowed direct observation of methanol at the reactor outlet.

Ferromagnetism in DyRh and DyRhX (X = Fe, Ni, Co, Gd) thin films

In an effort to achieve large high-field magnetization and increased Curie temperature, polycrystalline DyRh, (DyRh)95X5 and (DyRh)85X15 (X = Fe, Co, Ni, Gd) thin films have been prepared via ultra-high vacuum DC co-sputtering on SiO2 and Si wafers, using Ta as seed and cap material. A body-centred cubic CsCl-like crystal formation (B2 phase) was achieved for DyRh around the equiatomic equilibrium, known from single crystals. The maximum in-plane spontaneous magnetization at T = 4K in fields of μ0H = 5T of was found to be μ0MS,4K = (1.50 ± 0.09)T with a ferromagnetic transition at TC = (5 ± 1)K and a coercivity of μ0HC,4K[D] = (0.010 ± 0.001)T (at T = 4K) for layers deposited on substrates heated to 350°C. Samples prepared at room temperature exhibited poorer texture, smaller grains and less B2-phase content; this did impact on the Curie temperature which was higher compared to those layers with best crystallisation; however the maximal magnetization stayed unaffected. Ferromagnetic coupling was observed in ternary alloys of DyRhGd and DyRhNi with an increased Curie temperature, larger initial permeability, and
high-field magnetization which was best for (DyRh)85Gd15 with μ0MS,4K[Gd15] = (2.10 ± 0.13)T. DyRhFe and DyRhCo showed antiparallel coupling of the spontaneous magnetic moments.

Sub-nA spatially resolved conductivity profiling of surface and interface defects in ceria films

Spatial variability of conductivity in ceria is explored using scanning probe microscopy (SPM) with galvanostatic control. Ionically blocking electrodes are used to probe the conductivity under opposite polarities to reveal possible differences in the defect structure across a thin film of CeO2. Data suggests the existence of a large spatial inhomogeneity that could give rise to constant phase elements during standard electrochemical characterization, potentially affecting the overall conductivity of films on the macroscale. The approach discussed here can also be utilized for other mixed ionic electronic conductor (MIEC) systems including memristors and electroresistors, as well as physical systems such as ferroelectric tunneling barriers.