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Functional magnetic materials are used in a wide range of "green" applications, from wind turbines to magnetic refrigeration. Often the magnetic materials used contain expensive and/or scarce elements, making them unsuitable for long term solutions. Further, traditional material discovery is a slow and costly process, which can take over 10 years. Material informatics is a growing field, which combines informatics, machine learning (ML) and high-throughput experiments to rapidly discover new materials. To prove this concept, we have devised a material informatics workflow and demonstrated the core components of natural language processing (NLP) to extract data from research papers to create a functional magnetic material database, machine learning with semi-heuristic models to predict compositions of soft magnetic materials, and high-throughput experimental evaluation using combinatorial sputtering and high-throughput magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) magnetometry. This material informatics workflow provides a quicker, cheaper route to functional magnetic materials discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brigid M Gillespie,1 Evelyn Kang,1 Shelley Roberts,1 Frances Lin,1,2 Nicola Morley,3 Tracey Finigan,3 Allison Homer,3 Wendy Chaboyer1 1National Health and Medical Research Council Research Centre for Clinical Excellence in Nursing Interventions (NCREN) and Centre for Healthcare Practice Innovation (HPI), Menzies Health Institute, 2School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, 3Surgical and Procedural Services, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Purpose: To identify and describe the strategies and processes used by multidisciplinary teams of health care professionals to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs).Materials and methods: An integrative review of the research literature was undertaken. Searches were conducted in April 2015. Following review of the included studies, data were abstracted using summary tables and the methodological quality of each study assessed using the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence guidelines by two reviewers. Discrepancies were dealt with through consensus. Inductive content analysis was used to identify and describe the strategies/processes used by multidisciplinary health care teams to prevent SSI.Results and discussion: In total, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 12 studies used quantitative methods, while a single study used qualitative interviews. The majority of the studies were conducted in North America. All quantitative studies evaluated multifaceted quality-improvement interventions aimed at preventing SSI in patients undergoing surgery. Across the 13 studies reviewed, the following multidisciplinary team-based approaches were enacted: using a bundled approach, sharing responsibility, and, adhering to best practice. The majority of studies described team collaborations that were circumscribed by role. None of the reviewed studies used strategies that included the input of allied health professionals or patient participation in SSI prevention.Conclusion: Patient-centered interventions aimed at increasing patient participation in SSI prevention and evaluating the contributions of allied health professionals in team-based SSI prevention requires future research. Keywords: health care team, interprofessional, multidisciplinary, surgical wound, wound infection

Cost-effective and controllable synthesis of M0.25Ni0.15Cu0.25Co0.35Fe2O4 (M2+ = Mg2+, Mn2+, and Cd2+) ferrites via the sol–gel auto-combustion technique. The impact of divalent cations on the structural, dielectric, and optoelectrical properties of ferrites was examined by XRD, FTIR, Raman, LCR, UV–Vis, and two probe I-V measurement techniques. The crystallite size was 52.66 nm, and the minimum specific surface area was observed 5.1507 m2/g for Mg2+ doped NCCF ferrite. The FTIR and Raman analysis also confirmed the substitution of divalent cations (M2+ = Mg2+, Mn2+, and Cd2+) at their respective lattice sites. The maximum energy bandgap was 1.67 eV Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite as compared to other divalent ion-doped ferrites. The dielectric loss decreased while the ac conductivity increased with increasing frequency, and the minimum values were observed for Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite. The activation energy was observed maximum for Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite (0.2234 eV). Due to incredible properties including small specific surface area, large energy band gap, high resistivity, and loss dielectric loss of Mg2+-doped NCCF ferrite have potential applications in different fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium ferrites belong to normal spinel ferrites, and they exhibit interesting electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. The pure and cerium-doped cadmium ferrites CdFe2−xCexO4 (x = 0.0, 0.125, 0.250, 0.375, 0.5) were synthesized by a chemical co-precipitating technique using sodium hydroxide as a co-precipitating agent. The structures and phase purity of fabricated nanomaterials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallite size for all the prepared nanomaterials was in the range of 28–46 nm. The lattice constant and unit cell volume were found to decrease with the increasing concentration of Cerium, which was confirmed by the peak shift in the XRD pattern. The X-ray density for all nano ferrites increased with the enhancement of cerium composition. The resistivity of the nanomaterials has random behavior with the enhancement of cerium composition for a temperature, but the value of resistivity at x = 0.125 has the lowest value and at x = 0.375 has the highest value for almost all temperatures. For specific concentrations, a decreasing trend of resistivity of fabricated materials was found with an increment of temperature. The activation energies were also calculated, and it increased for x = 0.125 and then decreased for all the nanomaterials. For the confirmation of the M–O bonds, FTIR analysis of all the nano ferrites was also performed. The analysis shows a higher frequency absorption band in the range of 531.24–534.84 cm−1. This absorption band confirms that metal oxides are formed in all the synthesized nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high interest in FeGa films is due to the high magnetostriction present in single crystal thin films. There is, however, significant reduction in the magnetostriction when grown using sputtering. The reduction is explained here using finite element analysis by considering the local magnetocrystalline and magnetoelastic behavior of the grains within the sample. It is shown that, if the saturation magnetostrictive constant for each grain in a polycrystalline structure is of the order of 400 ppm, this is reduced to less than 90 ppm when the crystallites are randomly orientated. Furthermore, the inherent stress due to the sample fabrication leads to an increase in the anisotropy field. This work suggests that, with low stress fabrication and aligning the in-plane orientation of the crystallites, the potential in unlocking FeGa as a thin film for sensory applications can be realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-plane anisotropies and magnetorestriction constants of Fe films grown on GaAs(200) and [Ga.sub.(0.8)][In.sub.(0.2)]As (100) substrates were compared to determine whether the lattice mismatch is an important factor. Results revealed that the lattice mismatch does not contribute to in-plane anisotropies of the Fe films.

In Britain, a tradition of scientists actively communicating new developments in their fields with the general public has existed since the Victorian era. During the early twentieth century there were major developments in the nature of scientific communication with the rise of the mass media represented by popular magazines, newspapers and books, alongside the creation of a national radio broadcasting network. Many professional scientists took advantage of these changes to develop non-specialist careers through writing articles, books or radio talks for the enlightenment of the general public or the education of school children. However, most of this bibliographical material is ephemeral and may be ignored when considering the careers of the most distinguished scientists. One such scientist whose non-specialist activities have been generally undervalued is Munro Fox FRS (1889–1967). He was an eminent zoologist who, alongside a successful research career, had a well-developed non-specialist output promoting biological subjects that included many magazine articles and books as well as a substantial number of radio talks, particularly within the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) Broadcasts to Schools programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on the effect of film thickness on the microstructural and magnetic properties of polycrystalline Fe80Ga20 films of different thickness (20 nm⩽t⩽200 nm) fabricated on Si(100) substrates. From x-ray diffraction, a <110> texture was normal to the film plane in all films. For all film thicknesses, the lattice constant perpendicular to the film plane was less than the bulk, and first decreased and then increased toward the bulk value with increasing t. From atomic force microscopy data, both surface roughness and grain size were found to increase with film thickness. Using the Villari effect, the effective magnetostriction constant λeff was measured. Using the Szymczak model, it was found that λbulk=91±5 ppm, close to the bulk isotropic polycrystalline value (λiso=98 ppm). The surface magnetostriction λs contribution to λeff was found to be -1065±271 ppm nm. It was found that the 20 nm thick film had weak uniaxial anisotropy, while all the other films were magnetically isotropic. An extension of Néel's model to saturation field showed that the experimental data obeyed this model and the surface term affected the effective saturation field (Hs eff) significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, magnetic, and magnetostrictive properties of 75 nm Fe100-xGax films (0≤x≤30) have been studied to determine how a forming field during growth affects these properties. Two film sets were grown using a cosputtering-evaporation technique with and without a forming field of 65 kA m-1. Using x-ray diffraction, the texture, lattice parameter, and the grain size were determined. An out-of-plane <110> texture was found for all films. The magnetization loops were measured on a magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometer, from which the anisotropy symmetry was inferred from the remanent magnetization. It was found that the forming field produced a pronounced uniaxial anisotropy. The effective magnetostriction constant was measured using the Villari effect. The effective magnetostriction constant was compared with that calculated for a polycrystalline film with <110> out-of-plane texture using bulk constants, and the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from studies of spin dependent transport in the hole transporting organic semiconductor regioregular poly 3-hexylthiophene (RR-P3HT) are reported. The organic spin valves were grown on glass, with the structure Fe50Co50/RR-P3HT/Ni81Fe19. RR-P3HT was cast from five different solvents with different boiling points; 1,2,4 trichlorobenzene, toluene, xylene, chloroform, and chlorobenzene. Magnetoresistance measurements were carried out at room temperature. Spin dependent transport was only observed when toluene, xylene, and annealed 1,2,4 trichlorobenzene were used as solvents. Results are interpreted on the basis of differences in the RR-P3HT morphology induced by different solvents under fixed processing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetoresistance (MR) of organic spin valves containing the spacer layer regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (RR-P3HT), which is a conjugated polymer, has been studied at room temperature. Investigations have been made of the influence of the thickness of organic spacer layer on the magnetoresistance of Fe50Co50/RR-P3HT/Ni81Fe19 spin valves. It was determined that the MR decreased as the layer thickness increased, consistent with the spin coherence length in this material. It has been observed at room temperature that there is the co-occurrence of two magnetoresistance effects, the spin-valve magnetoresistance, and anisotropic magnetoresistance in the magnetic electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin epitaxial Fe films grown on GaAs(100) and Ga0.8In0.2As(100) substrates were investigated to determine how tuning the lattice constant mismatch between the Fe and the substrate may change the in-plane anisotropies and the magnetostriction. Two sets of Fe films were grown using molecular-beam epitaxy, each capped with a Cr overlayer. For each film, the in-plane anisotropy constants were determined from the normalized magnetization loops measured using a magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometer. The lattice mismatch was found to give no contribution to the in-plane anisotropies. For all the films the magnetostriction constants, determined by the Villari method, were negative and became more negative as the Fe thickness decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present data which show that Cr overlayers on epitaxial Fe films on GaAs substrates change the magnetic properties of the films in comparison to Au overlayers. For films thinner than 50 ML, the presence of the Cr overlayer reduced the magnitude of the uniaxial anisotropy in the Fe film, while for a 150 ML film, there was still a strong uniaxial anisotropy present. The anisotropy constants were determined using a modified energy density model, and were found to be smaller than those for Au overlayer films. The absolute magnetizations were measured on a vibrating sample magnetometer. It was determined that for the same thickness of Fe the magnetization with a Cr overlayer was 75% of that for a Au overlayer. This was either due to the Cr alloying with the Fe at the interface, or the Cr forming CrO2 on the surface of the film. The magnetostriction constant was determined using the Villari effect. For all the films the saturation magnetostriction constant was more negative than the bulk Fe value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an experimental and theoretical study of the influence of uniaxial strain on the magnetic properties of Fe/GaAs(100) ultrathin film systems. In-plane tensile strains have been applied along different directions relative to the intrinsic uniaxial magnetic anisotropy axes of the Fe/GaAs(100) films, and the M-H loops were measured. In an attempt to interpret the observed behavior, a phenomenological energy model is considered, which incorporates both intrinsic and strain-induced uniaxial anisotropy terms. Theoretical magnetization reversal loops were obtained from the model, assuming that the magnetoelastic coefficients of the thin films are same as the bulk bcc Fe. The model qualitatively predicted the magnetization loops for all the experimental data, assuming a positive uniaxial anisotropy constant. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richard Owen (1804-1892) is one of the most important British biologists of the nineteenth century, making significant contributions in the field of comparative anatomy. However, one aspect of his scientific output continues to be overlooked, namely his contributions to parasitology and the influence parasites had on formulating his ideas on comparative anatomy and sexual reproduction. An overview of Owen's writings on parasites is presented delineated into three phases, a primary research phase during the 1830s including descriptions of the important human parasite Trichinella spiralis, a secondary phase of using parasites as models for his biological theories during the 1840s and 1850s, and a latter phase dominated by the controversy surrounding priority for the discovery of T. spiralis. Owen is considered as a pioneer of parasitology research whose popularization of the field provided a receptive environment in the UK that facilitates the ground breaking research in tropical parasitology undertaken by other researchers during the late nineteenth century. A bibliography of Owen's publications on parasites is included as an appendix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We overview current experiments and accompanying theoretical studies in the area of MHD thermofluids in the US, which are aimed at characterization of MHD flows coupled with heat and mass transfer in fusion breeding blankets. We also outline recent upgrades of the experimental MHD facility at UCLA called MaPLE (Magnetohydrodynamic PbLi Experiment) and introduce near-future experimental plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface between the organic semiconductor tris(8-hydrixyquinolate) aluminium (Alq3) and two different magnetic electrodes has been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Kelvin Probe, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) magnetometry. The transition metal magnetic electrode/Alq3 films were first measured using a XPS, and then washed and remeasured. It was found that Alq3 still existed on the magnetic electrode after washing. This suggests that the Alq3 chemisorbs onto the transition metal electrode surfaces. Using MOKE magnetometry, the surface magnetisation of the transition metal electrodes was studied. It was found that the surface magnetisation of the NiFe electrode changed with the Alq3 layer on top, which was taken to be due to the Alq3 chemisorption onto the NiFe electrode, so changing the electronic states at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing and inverse modelling studies indicate that the tropics emit more CH4 and N2O than predicted by bottom-up emissions inventories, suggesting that terrestrial sources are stronger or more numerous than previously thought. Tropical uplands are a potentially large and important source of CH4 and N2O often overlooked by past empirical and modelling studies. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated spatial, temporal and environmental trends in CH4 and N2O fluxes across a long elevation gradient (600-3700ma.s.l.) in the Kosñipata Valley, in the southern Peruvian Andes that experiences seasonal fluctuations in rainfall. The aim of this work was to produce preliminary estimates of CH4 and N2O fluxes from representative habitats within this region, and to identify the proximate controls on soil CH4 and N2O dynamics. Ecosystems across this altitudinal gradient were both atmospheric sources and sinks of CH4 on an annual basis. Montane grasslands (or, puna; 3200-3700ma.s.l.) were strong atmospheric sources, emitting 56.94±7.81 kgCH4 -Cha-1 yr-1. Upper montane forest (2200-3200ma.s.l.) and lower montane forest (1200-2200ma.s.l.) were net atmospheric sinks (-2.99±0.29 kgCH4-Cha-1 yr-1 and -2.34±0.29 kgCH4-Cha-1 yr-1, respectively); while premontane forests (600-1200ma.s.l.) fluctuated between source or sink depending on the season (wet season: 1.86±1.50 kgCH4-Cha-1 yr-1; dry season: -1.17±0.40 kgCH4-Cha-1 yr-1). Analysis of spatial, temporal and environmental trends in CH4 flux across the study site suggest that soil redox was a dominant control on net CH4 flux. CH4 emissions were greatest from elevations, landforms and during times of year when soils were sub-oxic, and CH4 efflux was inversely correlated with soil O2 concentration (r² = 0.82, F1,125 = 588.41, P < 0.0001). Ecosystems across the region were net atmospheric N2O sources. N2O fluxes declined with increasing elevation; N2O emissions from premontane forest, lower montane forest, upper montane forest and montane grasslands averaged 2.23±1.31 kgN2O-Nha-1 yr-1, 1.68±0.44 kgN2O- Nha-1 yr-1, 0.44±0.47 kgN2O-Nha-1 yr-1 and 0.15±1.10 kgN2O-Nha-1 yr-1, respectively. N2O fluxes from premontane and lower montane forests exceeded prior model predictions for the region. Comprehensive investigation of field and laboratory data collected in this study suggest that N2O fluxes from this region were primarily driven by denitrification; that nitrate (NO3-) availability was the principal constraint on N2O fluxes; and that soil moisture and water-filled porosity played a secondary role in modulating N2O emissions. Any current and future changes in N management or anthropogenic N deposition may cause shifts in net N2O fluxes from these tropical montane ecosystems, further enhancing this emission source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zooplanktonic animals live in the open water of freshwater habitats, whilst trematodes are ubiquitous parasitic worms of aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates. A defining characteristic of trematode life cycles is the cercariae, a mainly planktonic free-living larval stage that emerges into the aquatic environment from infected molluscan hosts. Cercariae are lecithotrophic (non-feeding) larvae analogous of meroplankton. Although millions of planktonic cercariae enter freshwater habitats on a daily basis and are capable of forming into dense clouds, they are a largely neglected component of the zooplankton community, rarely mentioned in faunal studies. Nevertheless, there is increasing evidence to suggest that cercariae have important secondary roles in aquatic food webs and energy transfer. This article reacquaints freshwater biologists with cercariae, highlighting the key characteristics of their biology and population dynamics, their role in food webs, public health and veterinary importance, and the risk of increased population densities under the influence of climate change. The reasons for their neglect in freshwater biology is evaluated and considered to be associated with zooplankton sampling methodologies being unsuitable for collecting cercariae and the paucity of identification keys in the limnological literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spintronics has shown a remarkable and rapid development, for example from the initial discovery of giant magnetoresistance in spin valves to their ubiquity in hard-disk read heads in a relatively short time. However, the ability to fully harness electron spin as another degree of freedom in semiconductor devices has been slower to take off. One future avenue that may expand the spintronic technology base is to take advantage of the flexibility intrinsic to organic semiconductors (OSCs), where it is possible to engineer and control their electronic properties and tailor them to obtain new device concepts. Here we show that we can control the spin polarization of extracted charge carriers from an OSC by the inclusion of a thin interfacial layer of polar material. The electric dipole moment brought about by this layer shifts the OSC highest occupied molecular orbital with respect to the Fermi energy of the ferromagnetic contact. This approach allows us full control of the spin band appropriate for charge-carrier extraction, opening up new spintronic device concepts for future exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]