Some oxygen defective metal oxides, such as cerium and bismuth oxides, have recently shown exceptional electrostrictive properties that are even superior to the best performing lead-based electrostrictors, e.g. lead-magnesium-niobates (PMN). Compared to piezoelectric ceramics, electromechanical mechanisms of such materials do not depend on crystalline symmetry, but on the concentration of oxygen vacancy (V O •• ) in the lattice. In this work, we investigate for the first time the role of oxygen defect configuration on the electro-chemomechanical properties. This is achieved by tuning the oxygen defects blocking barrier density in polycrystalline gadolinium doped ceria with known oxygen vacancy concentration, Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ, δ = 0.05. Nanometric starting powders of ca. 12 nm are sintered in different conditions, including field assisted spark plasma sintering (SPS), fast firing and conventional method at high temperatures. These approaches allow controlling grain size and Gd-dopant diffusion, i.e. via thermally driven solute drag mechanism. By correlating the electro-chemomechanical properties, we show that oxygen vacancy distribution in the materials play a key role in ceria electrostriction, overcoming the expected contributions from grain size and dopant concentration.

Sun exposure is the main cause of squamous (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) although pattern and amount differ by cancer type, and sun sensitivity is the major host risk factor. Our study investigated risk factors and residential ambient UV in a population-based sample of Australian 45 and Up Study participants: 916 BCC cases, 433 SCC cases, 1224 controls. Unconditional logistic regression models adjusting for key covariates demonstrated 60% increased BCC risk and two-fold increased SCC risk with sun sensitivity, and three- and four-fold increased risk, respectively, with solar keratoses. BCC but not SCC risk increased with higher early-life residential UV in all participants (odds ratio (OR) = 1.54; 95% CI 1.22-1.96 for intermediate; OR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.03-1.68 for high UV at birthplace) and similarly in Australian-born participants (P-values < 0.05). Risk of SCC but not BCC increased with long-term cumulative sun exposure assessed by self-reported outdoor work (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.21-2.49). In conclusion, sun sensitivity is important for both cancers, early-life UV but not cumulative UV appears to increase BCC risk, the former an apparently novel finding, and SCC risk appears only to be related to long-term cumulative sun exposure.

Summaryobjective To determine the effectiveness of green banana in the home management of acute (<7 days) or prolonged ( ‡7 days) diarrhoea at the community level.methods A cluster randomized field trial was conducted among 2968 Bangladeshi rural children 6-36 months old. Wards (villages) were randomly assigned to either a standard care group or a standard care plus green banana group where mothers were instructed to add cooked green banana to the diets of diarrhoeal children. Through a village-based surveillance system, diarrhoeal morbidity data (severity, duration, compliance) were collected for 14 days. Treatment effects were determined by analysing cumulative probability of cure by testing Cox proportional hazards models and relative risk (RR).results The cumulative probability of cure was significantly (P < 0.001) different in children receiving GB for both acute [hazard ratio ( conclusion A green banana-supplemented diet hastened recovery of acute and prolonged childhood diarrhoea managed at home in rural Bangladesh.

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This study aims to identify the location and cluster pattern of manufacturing SMEs in Khulna City and the reasons behind such pattern since localisation of SMEs has significant impact on the economic development of cities and regions. A walking survey was conducted to identify the SME location pattern and a semi-structured personal interview was conducted to collect data from manufacturing SME entrepreneurs to find why such patterns exist. A cross section qualitative multiple case study design and pattern matching technique was applied to answer the research questions. The finding of the study shows SME location choice was influenced by a combination of location specific, personal, and community factors whereby personal factors are prioritised over other factors in location selection. While the cluster formation or localisation of SMEs depends on only location-specific factors. The study findings are expected to contribute in urban planning and regional development through providing useful insights relating allocation of spaces for industry development.

In light of the recent discovery of giant electrostriction in defective fluorites, here we investigate the interplay between mechanical, electrochemical and electromechanical properties of oxygen defective ceria compositions (Ce1−xGdxO2−δ) as the effect of Gd-doping (x = 0.05−0.3) at low temperatures. Highly dense polycrystalline ceramics are prepared as micron-size grains with a minimized grain boundary extent. Electrochemical ionic migration reveals that doping controls the configuration of oxygen vacancies in the samples. Unexpectedly, we observe that electromechanical activity is depends on oxygen vacancy configuration rather than on its nominal concentration. The primary creep at room temperature indicates a declining viscoelastic trend with increasing oxygen defects.

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