Assessing the impact of glazing and window shade systems on view clarity.

Windows provide access to daylight and outdoor views, influencing building design. Various glazing and window shade materials are used to mitigate glare, overheating and privacy issues, and they affect view clarity. Among them, we evaluated the effect of window films, electrochromic (EC) glass, and fabric shades on view clarity.

Nano-Plasticity of an Electrified Ionic Liquid/Electrode Interface: Uncovering Hard-Soft Structuring via Controlled Metal Fill Factor.

Ionic liquids (ILs) nanostructuring at electrified interfaces is of both fundamental and practical interest as these materials are increasingly gaining prominence in energy storage and conversion processes. However, much remains unresolved about IL potential-controlled (re)organization under highly polarized interfaces, mostly due to the difficulty of selectively probing both the distal and proximal surface layers of adsorbed ions. In this work, the structural dynamics of the innermost layer (<10 nm from the surface) were independently interrogated from that of the ionic layers in the sub-surface region (>100 nm from the surface), using an infrared (IR) spectroscopy approach.

Men's experiences of a personalised, appearance-based, facial-morphing, safer drinking intervention.

Risky alcohol consumption behaviours remain commonplace, representing a major threat to health and safety, and are especially evidenced by young university students. Consequently, new interventions targeting this high-risk group are required. The current study investigated young male university students' experiences of a personalised, appearance-based, facial morphing, safer drinking intervention.

Oxygen Vacancies Alter Methanol Oxidation Pathways on NiOOH.

A thorough comprehension of the mechanism underlying the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) on Ni-based catalysts is critical for future electrocatalytic design and development. However, the mechanism of MOR on these materials remains a matter of controversy. Herein, we combine in situ surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to identify the active sites and determine the mechanism of MOR on monometallic Ni-based catalysts in alkaline media.

spatiotemporal characterization and analysis of chemical reactions using an ATR-integrated microfluidic reactor.

Determining kinetic reaction parameters with great detail has been of utmost importance in the field of chemical reaction engineering. However, commonly used experimental and computational methods however are unable to provide sufficiently resolved spatiotemporal information that can aid in the process of understanding these chemical reactions. With our work, we demonstrate the use of a custom designed single-bounce ATR-integrated microfluidic reactor to obtain spatiotemporal resolution for monitoring of chemical reactions.

Head lice: impact of COVID-19 and slow recovery of prevalence in Cambridgeshire, UK.

Following school closures and changes in contact behavior of children and adults a reduced head louse prevalence has been reported from across the globe. In parallel, sales of treatments were observed to fall, partly because of supply problems of some products following the pandemic, but this did not appear to result in more cases of infestation. Surveys of schools in and around Cambridge, UK, found that infestation rates were significantly reduced particularly in city schools compared with similar surveys conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Microfabrication Process Development for a Polymer-Based Lab-on-Chip Concept Applied in Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroelectrochemistry.

Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) combining sensing and microfluidics functionalities, as are common in Lab-on-Chip (LoC) devices, are increasingly based on polymers. Benefits of polymers include tunable material properties, the possibility of surface functionalization, compatibility with many micro and nano patterning techniques, and optical transparency. Often, additional materials, such as metals, ceramics, or silicon, are needed for functional or auxiliary purposes, e.

Diamonds in the Rough: Direct Surface Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopic Evidence of Nitrogen Reduction on Boron-Doped Diamond Supported Metal Catalysts.

In situ investigations of electrocatalytic processes of increasing societal interest such as the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) require aggressive experimental conditions that are not readily compatible with surface sensitive techniques such as attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS). A method for performing ATR-SEIRAS studies at very negative potentials where conventional IR-active films delaminate and fail is reported. The method relies on a thin film of very robust boron-doped diamond deposited on a micromachined Si wafer, which provides extended mid-IR transparency at long wavelengths.

Chemical Imaging of Mass Transport Near the No-Slip Interface of a Microfluidic Device using Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

Mass transport in geometrically confined environments is fundamental to microfluidic applications. Measuring the distribution of chemical species on flow requires the use of spatially resolved analytical tools compatible with microfluidic materials and designs. Here, the implementation of an attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) imaging (macro-ATR) approach for chemical mapping of species in microfluidic devices is described.

Do some families act as a reservoir of head lice in the community? Surveys for prevalence and insecticide resistance suggest this is the case.

In response to increasing complaints of head louse infestation in the area of Cambridge, UK, in the mid-1990s, a series of prevalence surveys in selected schools coupled with collection of lice were commissioned by the local health authority. Carers of infested children were provided with advice on treatment by school nurses. Lice collected during these surveys were tested in the laboratory for evidence of resistance to insecticides.

Head lice: an inexpensive bioassay for use as guidance for healthcare workers monitoring treatment failures for insecticide resistance (1994-1999).

Head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer (Psocodea: Pediculidae) that failed to respond to pyrethroid insecticide-based treatment products were first identified in London and Cambridge, UK, in 1993 after which reports of treatment failure arose throughout the UK. There was a need amongst healthcare workers for a rapid detection method for resistance that could be used at the community level. A laboratory service was set up so that health professionals could send lice by overnight post for bioassay testing for resistance.

Physically Acting Treatments for Head Lice-Can We Still Claim They Are 'Resistance Proof'?

Head lice worldwide have developed resistance to insecticides, prompting the introduction of a range of alternative treatments including plant extracts and natural and synthetic oils. Clinical studies of physically acting treatments showed them to be highly effective when first introduced, and a widely held, but unsubstantiated, belief is that lice are unlikely to develop resistance to them. However, this ignores possibilities for natural selection of traits enabling lice to survive exposure.

Sucking lice and spiracular transpiration: turning a liability into a benefit and a necessity.

Sucking lice feed on blood and therefore ingest more water than they require for maintaining hydration. This water must be excreted; however, unlike other blood-feeding insects, they do not produce urine but do become dehydrated within hours if unable to feed. Using human clothing lice and head lice, Pediculus humanus ssp.

Surface sensitive infrared spectroelectrochemistry using palladium electrodeposited on ITO-modified internal reflection elements.

Palladium nanoparticles have been electrodeposited on the surfaces of conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) modified silicon internal reflection elements. The resulting films are shown to be excellent platforms for attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) studies of palladium surfaces. Monitoring the mid-infrared reflectivity of the interface during the constant potential electrodepostion of a Pd precursor reveals a distinct and reproducible minimum that corresponds to the onset of the electronic percolation threshold of the deposited metal islands as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy.

Opportunistic myiasis of nestling common blackbirds by Lucilia silvarum.

Previously, the Marsh greenbottle blowfly, Lucilia silvarum Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae), has been implicated in myiasis of anurans but not of mammals or birds. This report describes an incident of opportunistic myiasis of nestling common blackbirds, Turdus merula (Passeriformes: Turdidae), by L. silvarum larvae in association with an infestation by the hematophagous maggot Neottiophilum praeustum (Diptera: Piophilidae).

Probing Heterogeneity in Attenuated Total Reflection Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) Response with Synchrotron Infrared Microspectroscopy.

The heterogeneity of metal island films electrodeposited on conductive metal oxide modified internal reflection elements is shown to provide a variable attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) response. A self-assembled monolayer of a ferrocene-terminated thiol monolayer (FcCSH) was formed on the gold islands covering a single substrate, which was measured using both a conventional spectrometer and a custom-built horizontal microscope. Cyclic voltammetry and ATR-SEIRAS results reveal that the FcCSH-modified substrate undergoes a reversible electron transfer and an associated re-orientation of both the ferrocene/ferrocenium headgroup and the hydrocarbon backbone.

ABO blood group and SARS-CoV-2 antibody response in a convalescent donor population.

Background And Objectives: ABO blood group may affect risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or severity of COVID-19. We sought to determine whether IgG, IgA and neutralizing antibody (nAb) to SARS-CoV-2 vary by ABO blood group.

Materials And Methods: Among eligible convalescent plasma donors, ABO blood group was determined via agglutination of reagent A1 and B cells, IgA and IgG were quantified using the Euroimmun anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA, and nAb titres were quantified using a microneutralization assay.

''Anti-lice Protector Shampoo'': Clinical Study Shows Lack of Efficacy of Coconut Oil Derivatives in the Elimination of Head Louse Infestation.

Objective: Coconut oil and its derivatives are widely thought to kill head lice by occlusion and asphyxiation. There is no evidence in support of coconut derivative-based products sold to treat pediculosis. This study was designed to test one such product.

SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Avidity Responses in COVID-19 Patients and Convalescent Plasma Donors.

Background: Convalescent plasma therapy is a leading treatment for conferring temporary immunity to COVID-19-susceptible individuals or for use as post-exposure prophylaxis. However, not all recovered patients develop adequate antibody titers for donation and the relationship between avidity and neutralizing titers is currently not well understood.

Methods: SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid IgG titers and avidity were measured in a longitudinal cohort of COVID-19 hospitalized patients (n = 16 individuals) and a cross-sectional sample of convalescent plasma donors (n = 130).

Sex, age, and hospitalization drive antibody responses in a COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor population.

Convalescent plasma is a leading treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but there is a paucity of data identifying its therapeutic efficacy. Among 126 potential convalescent plasma donors, the humoral immune response was evaluated using a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus neutralization assay with Vero-E6-TMPRSS2 cells; a commercial IgG and IgA ELISA to detect the spike (S) protein S1 domain (EUROIMMUN); IgA, IgG, and IgM indirect ELISAs to detect the full-length S protein or S receptor-binding domain (S-RBD); and an IgG avidity assay. We used multiple linear regression and predictive models to assess the correlations between antibody responses and demographic and clinical characteristics.

Microsecond Resolved Infrared Spectroelectrochemistry Using Dual Frequency Comb IR Lasers.

A dual infrared frequency comb spectrometer with heterodyne detection has been used to perform time-resolved electrochemical attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS). The measurement of the potential dependent desorption of a monolayer of a pyridine derivative (4-dimethylaminopyridine, DMAP) with time resolution as high as 4 μs was achieved without the use of step-scan interferometry. An analysis of the detection limit of the method as a function of both time resolution and measurement coadditions is provided and compared to step-scan experiments of an equivalent system.