Noise and charge transport in polymer thin-film structures

The low frequency noise (LFN) properties of. the field-effect transistors (FETs) using polymers as the semiconducting material in thin-film transistor (TFT) structures are investigated and discussed in terms of the charge carrier transport. Results obtained from several research groups are summarized. Injection-drift limited model (IDLM) for charge transport in amorphous PFETs is discussed. IDLM has some advantages in comparison to the commonly used metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor models. A general trend of proportionality between noise power density and the DC power applied to the polymer FET's (PFET's), channel is observed in the data from several research groups. This trend implies mobility fluctuation in PFET as the dominant noise source

Leaping and Landing in Brave Spaces

Vapor-fed electrolysis of water has been performed using membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) incorporating earth-abundant catalysts and bipolar membranes (BPMs). Catalyst films containing CoP nanoparticles, carbon black, and Nafion were synthesized, characterized, and integrated into cathodes of MEAs. The CoP-containing MEAs exhibited stable (>16 h) vapor-fed electrolysis of water at room temperature at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² with 350 mV of additional overvoltage relative to MEA's formed from Pt/C cathodic electrocatalysts due to slower hydrogen-evolution reaction kinetics under vapor-fed conditions and fewer available triple-phase boundaries in the catalyst film. Additionally, catalyst films containing a [NiFe]-layered double hydroxide ([NiFe]-LDH) as well as a hydroxide ion conductor, hexamethyl-p-terphenyl poly(benzimidazolium) (HMT-PMBI), were synthesized, characterized, and integrated into the anodes of the MEAs. The [NiFe]-LDH-containing MEAs exhibited overvoltages at 10 mA cm⁻² that were similar to those of IrO_x-containing MEAs for vapor-fed electrolysis of water at room temperature. A BPM was formed by pairing Nafion with HMT-PMBI, resulting in a locally alkaline environment of HMT-PMBI to stabilize the [NiFe]-LDH and a locally acidic environment to stabilize the CoP. BPM-based MEAs were stable (>16 h) for vapor-fed electrolysis of water at room temperature at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², with a change in the pH gradient of 1 unit over 16 h of electrolysis for IrOx-containing MEAs. The stability of [NiFe]-LDH-based MEAs under vapor-fed conditions was dependent on the catalyst film morphology and resulting BPM interface, with stable operation at 10 mA cm⁻² achieved for 16 h. All MEAs exhibited a drift in the operating voltage over time associated with dehydration. These results demonstrate that earth-abundant catalysts and BPMs can be incorporated into stable, room-temperature, vapor-fed water-splitting cells operated at 10 mA cm⁻²

Transnational regulation of temporary agency work compromised partnership between Private Employment Agencies and Global Union Federations

This article critically assesses the potential for the international regulation of temporary agency work (TAW) through building partnership between the Global Union Federations (GUFs) and major Private Employment Agencies (PrEAs). Given the limits of existing national and international regulation of TAW, particularly in developing countries, and the current deadlock in dialogue through the International Labour Organization, the argument of this article is that Transnational Private Labour Regulation (TPLR) offers a unique opportunity to establish a basis for minimum standards for temporary agency workers. This article goes on to propose three potential TPLR frameworks that, although compromised, are transparent, fair and sufficiently elastic to accommodate the distributive and political risks associated with partnership. They also offer important gains, namely increasing the competitive advantage of the PrEAs involved, minimum standards for agency workers and ‘field enlarging’ strategies for the GUFs and their affiliates

Preparation and Characterization of Semi-fluorinated Composite PEM with Phosphotungstic Acid Immobilized on Clays Using Melt Processing Technologies

Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

"Man up": Medical students’ perceptions of gender and learning in clinical practice: A qualitative study

Context Gender‐related inequality and disparity hinders efforts to develop a medical workforce that facilitates universal access to safe, just and equitable health care. Little is known about how medical students perceive the impact of their gender on their learning in clinical practice. Our aim in this study was to address this gap, establishing students’ perceptions of the impact of their gender on learning in the clinical context as part of the wider medical education community of practice. Methods We undertook a qualitative study that simultaneously gathered data through narrative individual interviews and online case reports from male and female students (n = 31) from different academic cohorts with prior experience of clinical practice in a Russell Group University medical school in the UK. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically alongside case report data. Results and discussion The participants revealed that there was a culture in clinical practice where their gender influenced how they were taught and supported by senior medical and surgical colleagues. Gender was also said to determine the clinical learning opportunities afforded to students, especially with regards to the care of patients of a different gender. The mentorship and support for learning provided to students in clinical practice was also said to be influenced by the medical student's gender. Conclusion Our findings suggest that students undergo a gendered clinical apprenticeship within what are in effect gendered communities of practice with some distinct features. These findings underscore the imperative for further work to establish how medical students of all genders can be supported to fulfil their potential in clinical practice

Effects of estrogens and bladder inflammation on mitogen-activated protein kinases in lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia from adult female rats

BACKGROUND: Interstitial cystitis is a chronic condition associated with bladder inflammation and, like a number of other chronic pain states, symptoms associated with interstitial cystitis are more common in females and fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to determine if estrogens could directly modulate signalling pathways within bladder sensory neurons, such as extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. These signalling pathways have been implicated in neuronal plasticity underlying development of inflammatory somatic pain but have not been as extensively investigated in visceral nociceptors. We have focused on lumbosacral dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons projecting to pelvic viscera (L1, L2, L6, S1) of adult female Sprague-Dawley rats and performed both in vitro and in vivo manipulations to compare the effects of short- and long-term changes in estrogen levels on MAPK expression and activation. We have also investigated if prolonged estrogen deprivation influences the effects of lower urinary tract inflammation on MAPK signalling. RESULTS: In studies of isolated DRG neurons in short-term (overnight) culture, we found that estradiol and estrogen receptor (ER) agonists rapidly stimulated ER-dependent p38 phosphorylation relative to total p38. Examination of DRGs following chronic estrogen deprivation in vivo (ovariectomy) showed a parallel increase in total and phosphorylated p38 (relative to beta-tubulin). We also observed an increase in ERK1 phosphorylation (relative to total ERK1), but no change in ERK1 expression (relative to beta-tubulin). We observed no change in ERK2 expression or phosphorylation. Although ovariectomy increased the level of phosphorylated ERK1 (vs. total ERK1), cyclophosphamide-induced lower urinary tract inflammation did not cause a net increase of either ERK1 or ERK2, or their phosphorylation. Inflammation did, however, cause an increase in p38 protein levels, relative to beta-tubulin. Prior ovariectomy did not alter the response to inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insights into the complex effects of estrogens on bladder nociceptor signalling. The diversity of estrogen actions in these ganglia raises the possibility of developing new ways to modulate their function in pelvic hyperactivity or pain states

Combined Point-of-Care Nucleic Acid and Antibody Testing for SARS-CoV-2 following Emergence of D614G Spike Variant

Rapid COVID-19 diagnosis in the hospital is essential, although this is complicated by 30%–50% of nose/throat swabs being negative by SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT). Furthermore, the D614G spike mutant dominates the pandemic and it is unclear how serological tests designed to detect anti-spike antibodies perform against this variant. We assess the diagnostic accuracy of combined rapid antibody point of care (POC) and nucleic acid assays for suspected COVID-19 disease due to either wild-type or the D614G spike mutant SARS-CoV-2. The overall detection rate for COVID-19 is 79.2% (95% CI 57.8–92.9) by rapid NAAT alone. The combined point of care antibody test and rapid NAAT is not affected by D614G and results in very high sensitivity for COVID-19 diagnosis with very high specificity