Nitrogen reactive ion etch processes for the selective removal of poly-(4-vinylpyridine) in block copolymer films.

Self-assembling block copolymer (BCP) patterns are one of the main contenders for the fabrication of nanopattern templates in next generation lithography technology. Transforming these templates to hard mark materials is key for pattern transfer and in some cases, involves selectively removing one block from the nanopattern. For poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), a high χ BCP system which could be potentially incorporated into semiconductor nanofabrication, this selective removal is predominantly done by a wet etch/activation process. Conversely, this process has numerous disadvantages including lack of control and high generation of waste leading to high cost. For these reasons, our motivation was to move away from the wet etch process and optimise a dry etch which would overcome the limitations associated with the activation process. The work presented herein shows the development of a selective plasma etch process for the removal of P4VP cores from PS-b-P4VP nanopatterned film. Results have shown that a nitrogen reactive ion etch plasma has a selectivity for P4VP of 2.2:1 and suggest that the position of the nitrogen in the aromatic ring of P4VP plays a key role in this selectivity. In situ plasma etching and x-ray photoelectron spectrometry measurements were made without breaking vacuum, confirming that the nitrogen plasma has selectivity for removal of P4VP over PS.

Best interests decisions: professional practices in health and social care.

This paper reports on data collected in 2011 from a national study about the operation of the best interests principle, a key feature of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 for England and Wales. The objective was to provide a picture of current professional practices in best interests decision-making. Four contrasting sample sites were selected, in which National Health Service trusts, social care and other organisations were recruited to participate. A multimethod design was followed, including an online survey with 385 participants, followed by qualitative research through a telephone survey of 68 participants, and face-to-face semi-structured interviews following up 25 best interests cases, with different perspectives on the process in 12 of those cases. The current paper reports only on the qualitative findings. The findings indicate that the MCA was successful in providing a structure for these practitioners, and that the five principles of the MCA were in general adhered to. A variety of perceived risks led to best interests processes being undertaken, and a typical scenario was for a period of hospitalisation or ill health to trigger a best interests decision process about a social care and or a life decision. The study supported previous research in finding the notion of capacity the most difficult aspect of the MCA, and it provides evidence of some specific capacity assessment practices, including problematic ones relating to 'insight'. Best interests decisions were often made by consensus, with practitioners taking on different roles within the process. Meetings played a key part, but other ways of involving people lacking capacity and significant others were also important. It was recommended that the issues highlighted in this research could be clarified further in the Code of Practice, or within risk guidance.

Nitrogen fixation and nitrogenase (nifH) expression in tropical waters of the eastern North Atlantic.

Expression of nifH in 28 surface water samples collected during fall 2007 from six stations in the vicinity of the Cape Verde Islands (north-east Atlantic) was examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based clone libraries and quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis of seven diazotrophic phylotypes. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) rates and nutrient concentrations were determined for these stations, which were selected based on a range in surface chlorophyll concentrations to target a gradient of primary productivity. BNF rates greater than 6 nmolN l(-1) h(-1) were measured at two of the near-shore stations where high concentrations of Fe and PO(4)(3-) were also measured. Six hundred and five nifH transcripts were amplified by RT-PCR, of which 76% are described by six operational taxonomic units, including Trichodesmium and the uncultivated UCYN-A, and four non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs that clustered with uncultivated Proteobacteria. Although all five cyanobacterial phylotypes quantified in RT-qPCR assays were detected at different stations in this study, UCYN-A contributed most significantly to the pool of nifH transcripts in both coastal and oligotrophic waters. A comparison of results from RT-PCR clone libraries and RT-qPCR indicated that a γ-proteobacterial phylotype was preferentially amplified in clone libraries, which underscores the need to use caution interpreting clone-library-based nifH studies, especially when considering the importance of uncultivated proteobacterial diazotrophs.

The taxonomic and functional diversity of microbes at a temperate coastal site: a 'multi-omic' study of seasonal and diel temporal variation.

How microbial communities change over time in response to the environment is poorly understood. Previously a six-year time series of 16S rRNA V6 data from the Western English Channel demonstrated robust seasonal structure within the bacterial community, with diversity negatively correlated with day-length. Here we determine whether metagenomes and metatranscriptomes follow similar patterns. We generated 16S rRNA datasets, metagenomes (1.2 GB) and metatranscriptomes (157 MB) for eight additional time points sampled in 2008, representing three seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer) and including day and night samples. This is the first microbial 'multi-omic' study to combine 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing with metagenomic and metatranscriptomic profiling. Five main conclusions can be drawn from analysis of these data: 1) Archaea follow the same seasonal patterns as Bacteria, but show lower relative diversity; 2) Higher 16S rRNA diversity also reflects a higher diversity of transcripts; 3) Diversity is highest in winter and at night; 4) Community-level changes in 16S-based diversity and metagenomic profiles are better explained by seasonal patterns (with samples closest in time being most similar), while metatranscriptomic profiles are better explained by diel patterns and shifts in particular categories (i.e., functional groups) of genes; 5) Changes in key genes occur among seasons and between day and night (i.e., photosynthesis); but these samples contain large numbers of orphan genes without known homologues and it is these unknown gene sets that appear to contribute most towards defining the differences observed between times. Despite the huge diversity of these microbial communities, there are clear signs of predictable patterns and detectable stability over time. Renewed and intensified efforts are required to reveal fundamental deterministic patterns in the most complex microbial communities. Further, the presence of a substantial proportion of orphan sequences underscores the need to determine the gene products of sequences with currently unknown function.

The seasonal structure of microbial communities in the Western English Channel.

Very few marine microbial communities are well characterized even with the weight of research effort presently devoted to it. Only a small proportion of this effort has been aimed at investigating temporal community structure. Here we present the first report of the application of high-throughput pyrosequencing to investigate intra-annual bacterial community structure. Microbial diversity was determined for 12 time points at the surface of the L4 sampling site in the Western English Channel. This was performed over 11 months during 2007. A total of 182 560 sequences from the V6 hyper-variable region of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA) were obtained; there were between 11 327 and 17 339 reads per sample. Approximately 7000 genera were identified, with one in every 25 reads being attributed to a new genus; yet this level of sampling far from exhausted the total diversity present at any one time point. The total data set contained 17 673 unique sequences. Only 93 (0.5%) were found at all time points, yet these few lineages comprised 50% of the total reads sequenced. The most abundant phylum was Proteobacteria (50% of all sequenced reads), while the SAR11 clade comprised 21% of the ubiquitous reads and approximately 12% of the total sequenced reads. In contrast, 78% of all operational taxonomic units were only found at one time point and 67% were only found once, evidence of a large and transient rare assemblage. This time series shows evidence of seasonally structured community diversity. There is also evidence for seasonal succession, primarily reflecting changes among dominant taxa. These changes in structure were significantly correlated to a combination of temperature, phosphate and silicate concentrations.

Reported goal setting and benefits of person centred planning for people with intellectual disabilities.

Recent research suggests that person centred planning (PCP) can have a positive impact on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. This article presents data from open-ended comments collected during research on the impact of PCP on the life experiences of 65 people with intellectual disabilities living in England. These comments addressed the goals set prior to and during PCP, and the main benefits of PCP for participants. The results suggest that PCP led to increased goal setting in a range of goal categories. This was reflected in the most common main benefit of PCP of ;increased activities and opportunities' reported for 57 percent of participants. For 48 percent of participants, a main benefit of PCP was that they felt better in themselves, in terms of happiness or self-esteem. This must surely be the ultimate aim of those seeking to improve the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities.

Longitudinal analysis of the impact and cost of person-centered planning for people with intellectual disabilities in England.

Person-centered planning is central to United Kingdom policies regarding the support of people with intellectual disabilities. However, little evidence exists on the impact or cost of introducing person-centered planning. We examined the efficacy, effectiveness, and costs of introducing person-centered planning for 93 people with intellectual disabilities over 2 years across four localities in England. A person-centered plan was successfully developed for 65 people. Little change was apparent prior to introducing person-centered planning. After its introduction, modest positive changes were found in the areas of social networks; contact with family; contact with friends; community-based activities; scheduled day activities; and choice. The direct training and support cost of introducing person-centered planning was $1,202 per participant; indirect costs were negligible.

Color considerations in fluorescent solar concentrator stacks.

We present modeled results of the luminous and color outputs of a three-layer stack of fluorescent planar concentrators (FPCs). FPCs have the potential to provide sufficient luminous output to illuminate moderate-sized rooms for reasonably-sized collecting areas. It is of course necessary not only that the lumens be sufficient, but also that the light be sufficiently white as to be comfortable. Modeling shows that by use of a stack of three FPCs, one each of violet, green, and red, it is possible to achieve good color rendering and sufficient lighting levels for room illumination.