Walter Campbell:A distinguished life

An efficient and simple synthesis approach to form stable (68) Ga-labeled nanogels is reported and their fundamental properties investigated. Nanogels are obtained by self-assembly of amphiphilic statistical prepolymers derivatised with chelating groups for radiometals. The resulting nanogels exhibit a well-defined spherical shape with a diameter of 290 +/- 50 nm. The radionuclide (68) Ga is chelated in high radiochemical yields in an aqueous medium at room temperature. The phagocytosis assay demonstrates a highly increased internalization of nanogels by activated macrophages. Access to these (68) Ga-nanogels will allow the investigation of general behavior and clearance pathways of nanogels in vivo by nuclear molecular imaging

Microscopic nanomechanical dissipation in gallium arsenide resonators

We report on a systematic study of nanomechanical dissipation in high-frequency (approximatively 300 MHz) gallium arsenide optomechanical disk resonators, in conditions where clamping and fluidic losses are negligible. Phonon-phonon interactions are shown to contribute with a loss background fading away at cryogenic temperatures (3 K). Atomic layer deposition of alumina at the surface modifies the quality factor of resonators, pointing towards the importance of surface dissipation. The temperature evolution is accurately fitted by two-level systems models, showing that nanomechanical dissipation in gallium arsenide resonators directly connects to their microscopic properties. Two-level systems, notably at surfaces, appear to rule the damping and fluctuations of such high-quality crystalline nanomechanical devices, at all temperatures from 3 to 300K

Ferroelectric soft mode of polar ZnTiO3 investigated by Raman spectroscopy at high pressure

We explore the vibrational behavior and stability of ferroelectric ZnTiO3 under high pressure by Raman spectroscopy and second-harmonic-generation (SHG) measurements. Ab initio lattice-dynamics calculations have been employed to solve a controversy concerning the phonon-dispersion relations of ZnTiO3 and to carry out an assignment of the Raman modes. A ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition has been observed both by Raman spectroscopy and SHG at 20.8 GPa. Contrary to LiNbO3, the ferroelectric soft mode of ZnTiO3 has been found to be the A1(2) and not the A1(1) mode. The calculated eigenvectors show that the A1(2) mode of ferroelectric ZnTiO3 is an antiphase vibration of the Ti atom against the oxygen framework, similar to the soft modes observed in ferroelectric perovskites. The SHG signal of ZnTiO3 has been found to be independent of the grain size below the phase transition, indicating that ZnTiO3 is a phase-matchable compound

What is a True Gamer? The Male Gamer Stereotype and the Marginalization of Women in Video Game Culture

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.Women and men play video games in approximately equal numbers. Despite this similarity, video gaming is still strongly associated with men. A common justification for this stereotype is that, although women might play games, they should not be considered “true” or “hard-core” gamers because they play more casually and less skillfully compared to their male counterparts. In this contribution, we review the existing literature on gender and gaming to investigate the male gamer stereotype in terms of its accuracy, persistence, effects, and future perspective. We conclude that the stereotype varies in accuracy depending on the definition of “gamer.” We further argue that the persistence of this stereotype can be explained by the fact that almost all professional and highly visible figures in gaming culture are male. On the other hand, female players who achieve a moderate level of competence are rendered invisible or are actively marginalized. We argue that the effects of the male gamer stereotype can be harmful to women, precluding them from the positive outcomes of video game play such as enhanced access to fields of science, technology, and engineering

The nuanced nature of work quality : evidence from rural Newfoundland and Ireland

This article explores the relationship between job and work quality and argues that while it is important to examine job quality, to understand workers’ experiences fully, the focus should be on the broader concept of work quality, which places the job against its wider socio-economic context. Based on the experiences of 88 rural workers gathered via interviews in Newfoundland and Ireland, it appears that the same or similar jobs can be regarded very differently depending upon the context in which they are embedded, as people at different locations and/or stages of life have an individual set of aspirations, expectations and life experiences. The study found that the factors that affect work quality are moulded by broader aspects of life – family, friends, community, lifestyle and past experiences – that shape an individual

What proportion of the forest of small-scale owners is likely to be harvested: a Whanganui case study

National and regional wood supply forecasts indicate that small-scale forests will provide an increasing proportion of New Zealand's harvest volumes over the next decade. However these forecasts are based on physical factors only and do not consider harvest costs. Because of size, location and terrain, some small-scale forests may not he economic to harvest. In a case study, carried out in Whanganui District, the delivered wood cost including harvesting, roading and transportation, was estimated for a sample of 58 small-scale forest blocks. Taken into account were the size, slope, location and roading requirements of each block. Initial analysis, assuming harvesting at age 30 years, found a distribution of costs, with the majority of blocks in the range $53 a tonne to$87 a tonne, with an average of $70 a tonne. However there were five blocks with delivered wood cost exceeding$100 a tonne. The optimum rotation age for these five blocks was found to be at least 49 years at which age costs are $89 a tonne to$107 a tonne. Given that average market prices for logs over the last five years in the region have been $84 a tonne, it is probable that these blocks will only be harvested at old ages and at times of exceptionally high average log prices. This study is based on generic assumptions about silviculture, yields and market destinations. However it indicates that five to 10 per cent of the area of small-scale blocks in the Whanganui District may never be harvested

Transcriptomic responses to predator kairomones in embryos of the aquatic snail Radix balthica

The ability of organisms to respond to predation threat by exhibiting induced defenses is well documented, but studies on the potential mechanistic basis for such responses are scarce. Here, we examine the transcriptomic response to predator kairomones of two functionally distinct developmental stages in embryos of the aquatic snail Radix balthica: E8—the stage at which a range‐finding trial indicated that kairomone‐induced accelerated growth and development first occurred; and E9—the stage at which embryos switched from ciliary‐ to crawling‐driven locomotion. We tested whether expression profiles were influenced by kairomones and whether this influence varied between stages. We also identified potential candidate genes for investigating mechanisms underpinning induced responses. There were 6,741 differentially expressed transcripts between developmental stages, compared to just five in response to predator kairomones. However, on examination of functional enrichment in the transcripts responding to predator kairomones and adopting a less stringent significance threshold, 206 transcripts were identified relating to muscle function, growth, and development, with this response being greater at the later E9 stage. Furthermore, these transcripts included putative annotations for genes identified as responding to predator kairomones in other taxa, including C1q, lectin, and actin domains. Globally, transcript expression appeared reduced in response to predator kairomones and we hypothesize that this might be a result of metabolic suppression, as has been reported in other taxa in response to predation threat

A multinational study on motor function in early-onset FSHD.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate motor function associations with age, sex, and D4Z4 repeats among participants with early-onset facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) type 1 as defined by weakness onset before 10 years of age. METHODS: We collected standardized motor assessments, including manual muscle testing (MMT), quantitative muscle testing, functional motor evaluations, and clinical severity scores (CSSs), at 12 Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group centers. To measure associations, we used linear regression models adjusted for sex, evaluation age, age at onset of weakness, and D4Z4 repeats. RESULTS: Among 52 participants (60% female, mean age 22.9 ± 14.7 years), weakness was most pronounced in the shoulder and abdominal musculature. Older enrollment age was associated with greater CSSs (p = 0.003). When adjusted for enrollment age, sex, and D4Z4 repeats, younger age at onset of facial weakness was associated with greater CSSs, slower velocities in timed function tests, and lower MMT scores (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Significant clinical variability was observed in early-onset FSHD. Earlier age at onset of facial weakness was associated with greater disease severity. Longitudinal assessments are needed to determine the rate of disease progression in this population