Mantis Deposition (United Kingdom)

The inert gas condensation method (IGC) produces multimetallic nanoparticles in a metastable state that may exhibit heterogeneities of size, structure, and composition. The deposition of IGC-fabricated nanoparticles on substrates allows for a detailed characterization by combination of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom probe tomography (APT). Multiple particle monitoring and high-resolution scanning TEM give access to the size distribution of Au–Cu nanoparticles (<10 nm in diameter, bimodal distribution). TEM and APT show that the alloying between Cu and Au may stabilize the Ih structure for smaller particles (<4 nm). Combining high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray and three-dimensional composition analysis by APT reveals that an excess of Cu may be present in a shell around the larger particles (>7 nm), while Cu is more randomly distributed in smaller particles.

with no indication of local segregation. For the APT, Fig. The combined analyses indicate tightly controlled binary nanoparticles can be prepared using IGC, and that there are further possible gains in refining their nanoscale structure to optimize catalytic performance. A full discussion of the synthesis and characterization of these and other model nanoparticles will be presented, highlighting the potential to nanoengineer catalytic nanoparticles for a wide range of applications.

To determine the relationship between peripheral hearing loss (HL) in baby boomers (better-ear measure) and cognitive function, taking into account the impact of depression or cognitive reserve on this relationship and exploring binaural hearing. A prospective, epidemiology study. Data from 1,969 participants aged 45 to 66 years were collected in the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study. Participants were assessed using pure-tone air-conduction thresholds at octave frequencies (250; 500; 1,000; 2,000; 4,000; and 8,000 Hz). Hearing loss was grouped using 1) pure-tone averages across 4 frequencies (500 to 4000Hz) in the better ear (BE4FA) or 2) latent profile analysis (LPA) using all thresholds from both ears. Cognition was tested with the Cognitive Drug Research System, verbal fluency, and National Adult Reading Test (premorbid-IQ). Regression was used to determine the impact of HL relative to no HL on age and education-adjusted cognition, controlling for mood, sex, and premorbid-IQ. According to BE4FA, 4.7% had mild (26-40 dB) HL; 0.8% had moderate (41-60 dB) HL; and 0.3% had severe (61-80 dB) HL. Based on the LPA, 20.5% had high-frequency HL; 7.8% had mid- to high-frequency HL; and 1.9% had significant HL across all frequencies. The HL group was not a predictor of cognitive performance in any domain using BE4FA and explained just 0.5% and 0.4% of variance in continuity-of-attention and speed-of-memory retrieval using LPA. Critically, those with the worst hearing did not differ cognitively from those with the best. Hearing loss is not an important determinant of contemporaneous attention, memory, or executive function in middle-aged adults once age, education, depression, cognitive reserve, and sex are controlled. 4. Laryngoscope, 126:2367-2375, 2016.