A 12-week exercise programme has a positive effect on everyday executive function in young people with Down syndrome: a pilot non-randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Exercise has the potential to reduce cognitive decline in people with Down syndrome by maximising their cognitive function. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of regular exercise on cognitive functioning in young people with Down syndrome. METHOD: People with Down syndrome were eligible if aged between 13 and 35 years and enrolled to participate in an exercise programme (called FitSkills). The intervention was a 12-week community-based exercise programme completed with a student mentor. Outcomes were assessed before (week 0) and immediately after (week 13) the intervention. Executive functioning (planning, response inhibition, attention shifting) was assessed using Tower of London, Sustained Attention to Response Task, CANTAB Intra-extra Dimensional Set Shift Test, Cognitive Scale for Down Syndrome, and Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Working memory was assessed using the CANTAB Paired Associates Learning task, and information processing speed was assessed using the Motor Screening Task. Outcomes were analysed using ANCOVA with the baseline measure as the covariate. RESULTS: Twenty participants (9 women; mean age 23.6 ± 6.6 years) enrolled. Between-group differences, in favour of the experimental group, were found for the global executive composite score of the BRIEF (mean difference -4.77 units, 95% CI -9.30 to -0.25). There were no between group differences for any other outcome measured. CONCLUSION: Participation in a 12-week exercise programme was effective in improving everyday executive functions in young people with Down syndrome. These preliminary findings need to be confirmed in future randomised controlled trials of community-based exercise with larger sample sizes.

Antiferromagnetic Correlations in Strongly Valence Fluctuating CeIrSn.

CeIrSn with a quasikagome Ce lattice in the hexagonal basal plane is a strongly valence fluctuating compound, as we confirm by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and inelastic neutron scattering, with a high Kondo temperature of T_{K}∼480 K. We report a negative in-plane thermal expansion α/T below 2 K, which passes through a broad minimum near 0.75 K. Volume and a-axis magnetostriction for B∥a are markedly negative at low fields and change sign before a sharp metamagnetic anomaly at 6 T. These behaviors are unexpected for Ce-based intermediate valence systems, which should feature positive expansivity. Rather they point towards antiferromagnetic correlations at very low temperatures. This is supported by muon spin relaxation measurements down to 0.1 K, which provide microscopic evidence for a broad distribution of internal magnetic fields. Comparison with isostructural CeRhSn suggests that these antiferromagnetic correlations emerging at T≪T_{K} result from geometrical frustration.

Effects of Y- and La-doping on the magnetic ordering, Kondo effect, and spin dynamics in Ce1-xMxRu2Al10.

The influence of Y- and La-substitution for Ce on the competing Kondo effect and magnetic ordering, as well as on spin dynamics in the Kondo semiconductor CeRu2Al10have been investigated by means of thermal, electronic, and magnetic properties. The parent compound CeRu2Al10is known to be a controversial antiferromagnet with high magnetic ordering temperatureT0= 27 K. A small negative chemical pressure caused by La-doping results rapid suppression ofT0and spin gap energy Δm, compared to a small positive pressure caused by Y-doping. Upon Y- and La-doping, the electrical resistivityρ(T) illustrates the evolution from dense Kondo semiconductor to incoherent single-ion Kondo behaviour, and hence weakens thec-fhybridization and thus lowers the Kondo temperature. The 5% Y- and La-doped compounds show enormous enhancement in the thermoelectric power and complex behaviour in the Hall resistivity belowT0due to an abrupt change in charge carrier mobility with temperature. The magnetic contribution to electrical resistivityρmag(T) (≳50% La) and specific heatCP(T)/T(≳70% La) evidence non-Fermi-liquid behaviour at low temperature in the La-doped system, due to interplay of atomic disorder with spin-fluctuation. Application of magnetic field suppresses the spin-fluctuation inCP(T)/Tand eventually emerges to Fermi-liquid state in the 95% La-doped compound in 9 T. The magnetic phase diagram illustrates that the strength of the Kondo interaction in the doped systems are primarily controlled by the effect of volume change as described by the compressible Kondo lattice model. We ascribe the fascinating observation ofTK≃ 4T0to anisotropy in the single-ion crystal electric field in the presence of strong anisotropicc-fhybridization.

[A German version of the Cambridge examination for mental disorders of older people with Down's syndrome and others with intellectual disabilities : A diagnostic procedure for detecting dementia in people with Down's syndrome]. / Eine deutsche Fassung der Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of Older People with Down's Syndrome and Others with Intellectual Disabilities : Ein Diagnoseverfahren zur Erfassung von Demenz bei Menschen mit einem Down-Syndrom.

BACKGROUND: Although people with Down's syndrome (DS) are at a high risk of developing an Alzheimer type dementia (AD) due to a triplication of the amyloid precursor gene, there are practically no internationally available test procedures to detect cognitive deficits in this at risk population in the German language. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to provide a German translation and intercultural adaptation of the Cambridge examination for mental disorders of older people with Down's syndrome and others with intellectual disabilities (CAMDEX-DS), which is available in English and Spanish. This instrument for diagnostics and monitoring consists of a psychological test examination (CAMCOG-DS) and a caregiver interview. METHODS: The translation and adaptation of the CAMDEX-DS were achieved through a multistep translation process, whereby two independent forward and back translations were provided by professional translators and a consensus version was finalized and tested. The final version of the caregiver interview was applied to 11 subjects and the CAMCOG-DS was conducted with 28 patients. RESULTS: The German version of the CAMDEX-DS proved to be easily administered. The CAMCOG-DS could be fully administered to 21 out of 28 patients (75%). The CAMCOG-DS values were much lower for older patients aged ≥45 years than for younger patients (46/109 vs. 73.5/109; p = 0.033). DISCUSSION: The German version of the CAMDEX-DS provides an internationally recognized tool for the diagnostics and monitoring of cognitive decline in Down's syndrome. Furthermore, the German version can standardize medical care of these patients. In particular it provides a means of participation in international research trials for this at risk population.

Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Intellectual Disability: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder V versus clinical impression.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in people with intellectual disability (ID) remains challenging. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder V (DSM V) classification system is often used to diagnose ADHD in the general population; however, the presence of ID and other associated conditions such as autism and communication difficulties can make it difficult to apply the DSM V criteria in people with ID. Therefore, diagnosing ADHD in people with ID is often made using clinical judgement and/or the application of diagnostic criteria. There are no studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of clinical judgement and the use of DSM V criteria in people with ID and ADHD. METHOD: The aims of the study were to compare the accuracy of the diagnosis of ADHD in people with ID according to the DSM V criteria versus clinical judgement and to determine which criteria are more reliable. A questionnaire was developed using five fictional case scenarios of people with ID. Questionnaires were presented to practising psychiatrists chosen as a convenience sample in the United Kingdom over a period of 12 months. Case scenarios were developed and agreed to be positive or negative for ADHD by the study authors prior to rating by clinicians. The clinicians were asked to read the scenarios and to make a judgement on the cases regarding the symptoms of ADHD. They were then presented with the 18 DSM V criteria of ADHD and asked to select the criteria they considered were present in each scenario. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios and predictive values for both the DSM V criteria and clinical opinions were calculated for correctly identifying the exemplar cases. RESULTS: The data showed strong sensitivity [0.82 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-0.89] and high specificity (1.00 95% CI 0.95-1.00) for the raters' clinical opinion. In contrast, the DSM V criteria alone, as assessed by the raters, did not reliably provide ADHD diagnoses, with a sensitivity of only 0.23 (95% CI 0.15-0.31). This difference in sensitivity between the two was statistically significant at P < 0.001. CONCLUSION: The study results suggest that clinical opinion is the 'gold standard' at present in diagnosing ADHD in adults with ID in the absence of a validated diagnostic tool in this group. Further studies are needed to understand how symptoms of ADHD can be presented differently in people with ID. DSM V criteria for ADHD may need to be adapted according to the severity of ID and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Resource use and cost of annual health checks in primary care for people with intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND: The annual health check (AHC) programme, as part of a Directed Enhanced Service, offers an incentive to general practitioners in England to conduct health checks for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs). The aim of this analysis was to estimate the impact on health care costs of AHCs in primary care to the National Health Service in England by comparing adults with ID who did or did not have AHCs using data obtained from The Health Improvement Network. METHODS: Two hundred eight records of people with ID from The Health Improvement Network database were analysed. Baseline health care resource use was captured at the time the first AHC was recorded (i.e. index date), or the earliest date after 1 April 2008 for those without an AHC. We examined the volume of resource use and associated costs that occurred at the time AHCs were performed, as well as before and after the index date. We then estimated the impact of AHCs on health care costs. RESULTS: The average cost of AHC was estimated at £142.57 (95%CI £135.41 to £149.74). Primary, community and secondary health care costs increased significantly after the index date in the no AHC group owing to higher increase in resource utilisation. Regression analysis showed that the expected health care cost for those who have an AHC is 56% higher than for those who did not have an AHC. Age and gender were also associated with increase in expected health care cost. CONCLUSION: The level of resource utilisation increased in both (AHC and no AHC) groups after the index date. Although the level of resource use before index date was lower in the no AHC group, it increased after the index date up to almost reaching the level of resource utilisation in the AHC group. Further research is needed to explore if the AHCs are effective in reducing health inequalities.

Crystal structure and physical properties of the two stannides EuPdSn2 and YbPdSn2.

We report on synthesis, crystal structure and physical properties of the isotypic compounds YbPdSn2 and EuPdSn2 crystallizing in the MgCuAl2-type structure. In both stannides a divalent state of respective rare earth element was found from analysis of the magnetic susceptibilities. Whereas in YbPdSn2 only weak paramagnetic behaviour is observed, in EuPdSn2 a long-range magnetic phase transition occurs at 12.5 K with complex magnetic behaviour evidenced by magnetic susceptibity and specific heat measurements. Under the influence of magnetic field, the magnetic behaviour was found to evolve from an antiferromagnetic to a ferromagnetic state as a consequence of a re-arrangement of magnetic moments.

Magnetic structure and field-dependent magnetic phase diagram of Ni2In-type PrCuSi.

The magnetic structure of the ternary equiatomic intermetallic compound PrCuSi is investigated using neutron powder diffraction experiments in 0 T as well as in external magnetic fields up to 2 T. The PrCuSi compound crystallizes in the hexagonal Ni2In-type structure, in the space group P63/mmc. In this structure, cationic ordering of Cu and Si takes place. The antiferromagnetic phase transition in the Pr sublattice takes place at [Formula: see text] K in 0 T. Under an external magnetic field of 2 T, a field-induced ferromagnetic phase is observed. Magnetoelastic coupling is evidenced by an increase in the unit cell volume. Clear signatures of a mixed antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phase in weak, intermediate fields, 0.4-0.8 T, are obtained from the present study. Using the present set of experimental data, we construct the H - T phase diagram of PrCuSi.

Kondo effect and enhanced magnetic properties in gadolinium functionalized carbon nanotube supramolecular complex.

We report on the enhancement of magnetic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) functionalized with a gadolinium based supramolecular complex. By employing a newly developed synthesis technique we find that the functionalization method of the nanocomposite enhances the strength of magnetic interaction leading to a large effective moment of 15.79 µB and non-superparamagnetic behaviour unlike what has been previously reported. Saturating resistance at low temperatures is fitted with the numerical renormalization group formula verifying the Kondo effect for magnetic impurities on a metallic electron system. Magnetoresistance shows devices fabricated from aligned gadolinium functionalized MWNTs (Gd-Fctn-MWNTs) exhibit spin-valve switching behaviour of up to 8%. This study highlights the possibility of enhancing magnetic interactions in carbon systems through chemical modification, moreover we demonstrate the rich physics that might be useful for developing spin based quantum computing elements based on one-dimensional (1D) channels.

Absence of a long-range ordered magnetic ground state in Pr3Rh4Sn13 studied through specific heat and inelastic neutron scattering.

Signatures of absence of a long-range ordered magnetic ground state down to 0.36 K are observed in magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, thermal/electrical transport and inelastic neutron scattering data of the quasi-skutterudite compound Pr3Rh4Sn13 which crystallizes in the Yb3Rh4Sn13-type structure with a cage-like network of Sn atoms. In this structure, Pr3+ occupies a lattice site with D 2d point symmetry having a ninefold degeneracy corresponding to J = 4. The magnetic susceptibility of Pr3Rh4Sn13 shows only a weak temperature dependence below 10 K; otherwise remaining paramagnetic-like in the range, 10 K-300 K. From the inelastic neutron scattering intensity of Pr3Rh4Sn13 recorded at different temperatures, we identify excitations at 4.5(7) K, 5.42(6) K, 10.77(5) K, 27.27(5) K, 192.28(4) K and 308.33(3) K through a careful peak analysis. However, no signatures of long-range magnetic order are observed in the neutron data down to 1.5 K, which is also confirmed by the specific heat data down to 0.36 K. A broad Schottky-like peak is recovered for the magnetic part of the specific heat, C 4f, which suggests the role of crystal electric fields of Pr3+ . A crystalline electric field model consisting of 7 levels was applied to C 4f which leads to the estimation of energy levels at 4.48(2) K, 6.94(4) K, 11.23(8) K, 27.01(5) K, 193.12(6) K and 367.30(2) K. The CEF energy levels estimated from the heat capacity analysis are in close agreement with the excitation energies seen in the neutron data. The Sommerfeld coefficient estimated from the analysis of magnetic specific heat is [Formula: see text] mJ K-2 mol-Pr which suggests the formation of heavy itinerant quasi-particles in Pr3Rh4Sn13. Combining inelastic neutron scattering results, analysis of the specific heat data down to 0.36 K, magnetic susceptibility and, electrical and thermal transport, we establish the absence of long-range ordered magnetic ground state in Pr3Rh4Sn13.

A new ternary magnetically ordered heavy fermion compound Pr2Rh3Ge: magnetic, electronic and thermodynamic properties.

The results of the magnetic, electron transport, heat capacity and heat conduction measurements on the new rhombohedral ternary compound Pr2Rh3Ge have been investigated. The synthesized polycrystalline compound was found to crystallize in the ternary ordered variant of the cubic Laves phase [Formula: see text]-type of structure with the space group R[Formula: see text]m, as previously reported. Pr2Rh3Ge exhibits a ferromagnetic behaviour below [Formula: see text] K, which was found to be unstable in low applied magnetic fields, revealing characteristics usually attributed to the long-range order. In the entire paramagnetic region electrical resistivity shows monotonous metallic conductivity character. We estimated that the Sommerfeld coefficient γ = 315 mJ/Pr-mol · [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]Ge is very large with comparison to ordinary metals which indicate the existence of heavy fermion behaviour of itinerant charge carriers at low temperatures or enhanced density of the quasi-particle state at the Fermi level. The crucial role of the crystalline electric field effects on the ground state properties of [Formula: see text] (J = 4) has been also observed. We think that the heavy fermion behaviour in [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]Ge results from the dynamic low-lying crystal-field fluctuations, since there is no sign of Kondo effect in electrical resistivity and no enhancement of the slope S(T)/T in thermoelectric power data at low temperatures. It suggests that the conduction electrons at the Fermi level does not correlate with the 4f 2 states of [Formula: see text] atoms and hence there is no place for a typical spin Kondo effect, as it is commonly observed in Ce- and Yb-based heavy fermion systems.

Pr-magnetism in the quasi-skutterudite compound PrFe2Al8.

The intermetallic compound PrFe2Al8 that possesses a three-dimensional network structure of Al polyhedra centered at the transition metal element Fe and the rare earth Pr is investigated through neutron powder diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering in order to elucidate the magnetic ground state of Pr and Fe and the crystal field effects of Pr. Our neutron diffraction study confirms long-range magnetic order of Pr below [Formula: see text] K in this compound. Subsequent magnetic structure estimation reveals a magnetic propagation vector [Formula: see text] with a magnetic moment value of [Formula: see text]/Pr along the orthorhombic c-axis and evidence the lack of ordering in the Fe sublattice. The inelastic neutron scattering study reveals one crystalline electric field excitation near 19 meV at 5 K in PrFe2Al8. The energy-integrated intensity of the 19 meV excitation as a function of [Formula: see text] follows the square of the magnetic form factor of [Formula: see text] thereby confirming that the inelastic excitation belongs to the Pr sublattice. The second sum rule applied to the dynamic structure factor indicates only 1.6(2) [Formula: see text] evolving at the 19 meV peak compared to the 3.58 [Formula: see text] for free [Formula: see text], indicating that the crystal field ground state is magnetic and the missing moment is associated with the resolution limited quasi-elastic line. The magnetic order occurring in Pr in PrFe2Al8 is counter-intuitive to the symmetry-allowed crystal field level scheme, hence, is suggestive of exchange-mediated mechanisms of ordering stemming from the magnetic ground state of the crystal field levels.

Superconducting gap structure in the electron doped BiS2-based superconductor.

The influence of electron doping on semimetallic SrFBiS2 has been investigated by means of resistivity, zero and transverse - field (ZF/TF) muon spin relaxation/rotation (µSR) experiments. SrFBiS2 is semimetallic in its normal state and small amounts of La doping results in bulk superconductivity at 2.8 K, at ambient pressure. The temperature dependence of the superfluid density as determined by TF-µSR can be best modelled by an isotropic s - wave type superconducting gap. We have estimated the magnetic penetration depth [Formula: see text] nm, superconducting carrier density [Formula: see text] carriers m-3 and effective-mass enhancement m * = 1.558 m e. Additionally, there is no clear sign of the occurrence of spontaneous internal magnetic fields below [Formula: see text], which implies that the superconducting state in this material can not be categorized by the broken time-reversal symmetry which is in agreement with the previous theoretical prediction.

The benefit of pharmacological venous thromboprophylaxis in foot and ankle surgery.

BACKGROUND: Ten percent of patients with a deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) will develop a fatal pulmonary embolism (PE), often initially asymptomatic. The risks and benefits of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis are well documented in respect of total joint arthroplasty and hip fractures, but little is understood about the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) or the potential risks and benefits of chemoprophylaxis in foot and ankle surgery. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prophylactic chemoprophylaxis had any impact on the prevention of VTE in a cohort of foot and ankle surgical patients requiring the combination of below-knee cast immobilisation and non-weightbearing for ≥4 weeks. METHODS: Between March 2014 and April 2015, a prospective cohort study of 142 patients was performed. All completed a thrombosis risk assessment form prior to surgery and were commenced on rivaroxaban (Xarelto) 10 mg/d postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was clinical VTE confirmed by compression ultrasonography (DVT) or a ventilation/perfusion scan (PE). RESULTS: Three patients (2.1%) developed a clinical DVT. Two did so well beyond the immobilisation and anticoagulation period, and one was non-compliant with therapy. The average risk factor score in this subgroup was 7. No patient had a DVT while on the prescribed regimen of anticoagulant therapy. Five patients (3.5%) developed wound breakdown, two requiring surgical debridement with local skin flap closure. One case of menorrhagia that may have been linked to the anticoagulant therapy was reported. When compared with a previous study, pharmacological thromboprophylaxis significantly reduced VTE risk (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Oral pharmacological thromboprophylaxis significantly reduces the risk of VTE in patients requiring cast immobilisation and non-weightbearing following foot and ankle surgery. The risk/benefit ratio favours this treatment as opposed to the treatment of major morbidity following non-fatal VTE.

The relationship between sound-shape matching and cognitive ability in adults with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, is characterised by a pattern of cognitive deficits hypothesised as relating to later developing neural systems. Multisensory integration (MSI) has been shown to benefit cognitive performance on numerous tasks in the typically developing population and is implicated in the early development of various cognitive processes. Given these developmental links of both MSI and DS it is important to determine the relationship between MSI and DS. This study aimed to characterise sound-shape matching performance in young adults with DS as an indicator of MSI (correct response rate around 90% in typically developing individuals). We further investigated the relationship between task performance and estimated cognitive ability (verbal and non-verbal) in addition to everyday adaptive behavior skills. Those answering correctly (72.5%) scored significantly higher across cognitive and adaptive behavior measures compared to those answering incorrectly. Furthermore, 57.1% of individuals with estimated cognitive ability scores below the median value answered correctly compared to 89.5% of individuals scoring above the median, with similar values found for adaptive behavior skills (57.9% vs 94.4%). This preliminary finding suggests sound-shape matching deficits are relatively common in DS but may be restricted to individuals of lower ability as opposed to being a general characteristic of DS. Further studies investigating aspects of MSI across a range of modalities are necessary to fully characterise the nature of MSI in DS and to explore underlying neural correlates and mechanisms.

Cooperative magnetic behaviour in the new valence fluctuating compound Ce2Rh3Ge.

In this study we report the physical properties of the new ternary compound Ce2Rh3Ge that crystallizes in the rhombohedral, triple hexagonal MgCu2-type of structure. The electronic ground state properties of Ce2Rh3Ge were characterized by magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, electrical resistivity and thermal transport measurements. The results indicate the presence of short range magnetic interaction, probably of ferromagnetic origin below T(C) = 4 K. The shape of χ(-1)(T) deviates from the Curie-Weiss behavior with a broad minimum at about T(min)(χ(-1)) = 450 K reminiscent of valence fluctuating cerium systems. At T = 10 K, the magnetic part of the resistivity ρ(4 f) (T) exhibits a shallow minimum followed by increase of resistivity ρ(T) ∝ -lnT, which hints at a substantial Kondo screening effect. Ce2Rh3Ge belongs to a small group of strongly correlated cerium compounds in which the two competing effects of Kondo and RKKY interactions produce long-range magnetic order from strongly hybridized and intermediate-valent 4 f spins. At sufficiently low temperatures Ce2Rh3Ge scales well with the Kadowaki-Woods ratio A/γ(2) and the value of the Wilson ratio χ(T → 0)/γ found for this compound classifies it as a mixed-valence compound. The presence of valence fluctuation and magnetic order it is rare for these attributes to be found simultaneously in same compound, in same temperature range. In our opinion a novelty of presented results of Ce2Rh3Ge is that this compound adds a new member to a small but growing class of systems bearing a strongly mixed- or intermediate-valent 4 f magnetic moment, but in which the lattice of spins nevertheless end up finding it possible to order magnetically.

Large Seebeck effect by charge-mobility engineering.

The Seebeck effect describes the generation of an electric potential in a conducting solid exposed to a temperature gradient. In most cases, it is dominated by an energy-dependent electronic density of states at the Fermi level, in line with the prevalent efforts towards superior thermoelectrics through the engineering of electronic structure. Here we demonstrate an alternative source for the Seebeck effect based on charge-carrier relaxation: a charge mobility that changes rapidly with temperature can result in a sizeable addition to the Seebeck coefficient. This new Seebeck source is demonstrated explicitly for Ni-doped CoSb3, where a marked mobility change occurs due to the crossover between two different charge-relaxation regimes. Our findings unveil the origin of pronounced features in the Seebeck coefficient of many other elusive materials characterized by a significant mobility mismatch. When utilized appropriately, this effect can also provide a novel route to the design of improved thermoelectric materials.

Electronic, magnetic, and transport properties of the isotypic aluminides SmT2Al10 (T = Fe, Ru).

We report the results of a comprehensive physical and magnetic property study of the new isotypic aluminides SmT2Al10 (T = Fe, Ru). These two compounds are members of a rare-earth based system which has become an exemplary case study of the interplay of magnetism and correlated electron phenomena. SmFe2Al10 and SmRu2Al10 are found to order in a putative antiferromagnetic spin arrangement at T(N) = 14.5 K and 12.5 K, respectively. Moreover, SmRu2Al10 shows a further phase transition at T(SR) = 5 K which is likely due to spin reorientation. The susceptibility of SmFe2Al10 points to a valence instability of the Sm ionic state at intermediate temperatures well above T(N). Electronic and thermal transport confirm that SmFe2Al10 undergoes an antiferromagnetic superzone gap formation below T(N), whereas SmRu2Al10 suffers a lattice anomaly driven magnetoelastic coupling at T(N). Below T(N), the physical properties of SmT2Al10 (T = Fe, Ru) are governed by magnons with an antiferromagnetic spin-wave spectrum that reveals spin-gap opening. Our findings in this work have exposed a new anomalous correlated compound in the RT2Al10 series. SmFe2Al10 has a magnetic ordered ground state in spite of an unstable valence at higher temperature. This is comparable with CeRu2Al10, which is a unique and controversial Kondo insulator that orders antiferromagnetic at T(N) = 27 K. Among the series of rare-earth RT2Al10 compounds, the presented Sm compounds are two new members with anomalously high magnetic ordering temperatures, and it is envisaged that together with the two very well studied compounds CeRu2Al10 and CeOs2Al10 our presented studies will enable a broader approach towards understanding the fascinating properties of this materials class.

Ethnicity and self-reported experiences of stigma in adults with intellectual disability in Cape Town, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are aware of stigma and are able to describe experiences of being treated negatively. However, there have been no cross-cultural studies examining whether self-reported experiences of stigma vary between ethnic groups. METHOD: Participants with mild and moderate ID were recruited from a number of different settings in Cape Town, South Africa. Self-reported experiences of stigma in three ethnic groups were measured using the South African version of the Perceived Stigma of Intellectual Disability tool, developed by the authors. One-way anova was used to test whether there were differences in the total stigma score between the ethnic groups. Regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with stigma. RESULTS: A total of 191 participants agreed to take part; 53 were Black, 70 were of mixed ethnicity and 68 were Caucasian. There were no differences in the levels of stigma reported by the three groups but the Black African ethnic group were more likely to report being physically attacked and being stared at, but were also more likely to report that they thought they were 'the same as other people'. There was an interaction effect between ethnicity and level of ID, with participants with mild ID from the Black African group reporting higher levels of stigma compared with those with moderate ID. Younger age was the only factor that was associated with stigma but there was a trend towards ethnicity, additional disability and socio-economic status being related to stigma. CONCLUSION: Interventions should target the Black African community in South Africa and should include the reduction of both public stigma and self-reported stigma.

Contiguous 3d and 4f magnetism: strongly correlated 3d electrons in YbFe2Al10.

We present magnetization, specific heat, and (27)Al NMR investigations on YbFe2Al10 over a wide range in temperature and magnetic field. The magnetic susceptibility at low temperatures is strongly enhanced at weak magnetic fields, accompanied by a ln(T0/T) divergence of the low-T specific heat coefficient in zero field, which indicates a ground state of correlated electrons. From our hard-x-ray photoemission spectroscopy study, the Yb valence at 50 K is evaluated to be 2.38. The system displays valence fluctuating behavior in the low to intermediate temperature range, whereas above 400 K, Yb(3+) carries a full and stable moment, and Fe carries a moment of about 3.1 µB. The enhanced value of the Sommerfeld-Wilson ratio and the dynamic scaling of the spin-lattice relaxation rate divided by T[(27)(1/T1T)] with static susceptibility suggests admixed ferromagnetic correlations. (27)(1/T1T) simultaneously tracks the valence fluctuations from the 4f Yb ions in the high temperature range and field dependent antiferromagnetic correlations among partially Kondo screened Fe 3d moments at low temperature; the latter evolve out of an Yb 4f admixed conduction band.