Small-angle neutron scattering of long-wavelength magnetic modulations in reduced sample dimensions.

Magnetic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is ideally suited to providing direct reciprocal-space information on long-wavelength magnetic modulations, such as helicoids, solitons, merons or skyrmions. SANS of such structures in thin films or micro-structured bulk materials is strongly limited by the tiny scattering volume the prohibitively high background scattering by the substrate and support structures. Considering near-surface scattering just above the critical angle of reflection, where unwanted signal contributions due to substrate or support structures become very small, it is established that the scattering patterns of the helical, conical, skyrmion lattice and fluctuation-disordered phases in a polished bulk sample of MnSi are equivalent for conventional transmission and near-surface SANS geometries.

Small-angle neutron scattering applied to low-dose neutron-irradiated Fe-Cr alloys and ferritic martensitic steel Eurofer97.

Ferritic/martensitic (F/M) Fe-Cr-based steels are candidates for applications in nuclear fission and fusion. Previous experimental results for neutron-irradiated binary Fe-Cr alloys and high-dose neutron-irradiated F/M steels contributed greatly to the understanding of the irradiation behaviour of these groups of materials. However, some details still need to be addressed.

[The New Federal Fiscal Equalisation System 2020: First Results and Evaluation].

The new Federal Fiscal Equalization System became effective on 1 January, 2020. While all public budgets in the federal system of Germany were faced with high decreases in revenues caused by the measures to fight the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a first evaluation shows that the differences to the old system are rather marginal. The focus now lies on the vertical distribution of the value-added tax, whereas for the fiscal capacity equalisation only revenue of the Laender are used as before.

Multiphase magnetism in YbTiO.

We use neutron scattering to show that ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism coexist in the low T state of the pyrochlore quantum magnet [Formula: see text] While magnetic Bragg peaks evidence long-range static ferromagnetic order, inelastic scattering shows that short-range correlated antiferromagnetism is also present. Small-angle neutron scattering provides direct evidence for mesoscale magnetic structure that we associate with metastable antiferromagnetism. Classical Monte Carlo simulations based on exchange interactions inferred from [Formula: see text]-oriented high-field spin wave measurements confirm that antiferromagnetism is metastable within the otherwise ferromagnetic ground state.

Liquid release as a source of potential drug exposure during the handling of intravenous infusions in nursing.

Purpose: This study aims at experimentally determining the incidence and extent of liquid releases onto the operator's hands and into the work environment during common nursing operations involving infusions.

Methods: A sequence of operations related to the preparation and administration of infusions was conducted by three subjects for 15 times each using fluorescein marked infusion solutions and two different infusion sets (standard set vs. safety-optimized set).

Magnetic field-dependent spin structures of nanocrystalline holmium.

The results are reported of magnetic field-dependent neutron diffraction experiments on polycrystalline inert-gas condensed holmium with a nanometre crystallite size ( = 33 nm). At = 50 K, no evidence is found for the existence of helifan(3/2) or helifan(2) structures for the nanocrystalline sample, in contrast with results reported in the literature for the single crystal. Instead, when the applied field is increased, the helix pattern transforms progressively, most likely into a fan structure.

Application and assessment of a regular environmental monitoring of the antineoplastic drug contamination level in pharmacies - the MEWIP project.

A large-scale study was carried out in order to determine the contamination level of antineoplastic drugs in pharmacies and to investigate the suitability and effects of wipe sample monitoring at regular intervals. A specific study design was developed. The 130 participating pharmacies were divided into a study and a control group, carrying out five and two wipe sampling cycles, respectively.

Encapsulation of protein in silica matrices: structural evolution on the molecular and nanoscales.

The immobilization of biological species such as proteins and enzymes in sol-gel hosts is currently an area of intense research activity. However, the majority of these studies have been directed toward investigating the biological activity or physicochemical properties of the encapsulated species, with much less attention having been directed toward the effect of proteins on the structural evolution of the sol-gel matrix. This study investigates the structural evolution of sol-gel matrices in the presence of a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA).

Structure of organic-inorganic nanohybrids incorporating titanium(IV) oxoalkoxyacylate nanoclusters: a SANS study.

The small angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique was used to investigate the structure of nanohybrids consisting of a poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and one of two types of titanium(IV) nanoclusters. Cluster 1, [Ti6O4](OC2H5)8(CH2=CCH3COO)8, with polymerizable MMA ligands, formed covalent bonds with the polymer chains during the copolymerization, whereas cluster 2, [Ti6O4](OC2H5)8(CH3COO)8, had no polymerizable linkers and was blended into the polymeric matrix purely as a filler. In this study, SANS with contrast variation was used to investigate the size, shape and aggregation of the clusters in the hybrid materials, and their effect on the structure of the matrix.