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A novel one-week intersession lecture-lab hybrid course on nanomaterials is presented. The course provided a combination of background theory and hands-on laboratory experiments to educate students about nanomaterials and nanotechnology. The design of the course, subject matter, and laboratory experiments are discussed. Topics and level were chosen to balance theory, characterization methods, and applications of nanomaterials with a particular emphasis on the societal impacts of nanomaterials. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)

Microfabricated devices formed from alternating layers of magnetic and nonmagnetic materials at combined thicknesses of a few hundred nanometers exhibit a phenomenon known as the giant magnetoresistance effect. Devices based on this effect are known as giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors. The resistance of a GMR is dependent on the strength of an external magnetic field, which has resulted in the widespread usage of such platforms in high-speed, high-data density storage drives. The same attributes (i.e., sensitivity, small size, and speed) are also important embodiments of many types of bioanalytical sensors, pointing to an intriguing opportunity via an integration of GMR technology, magnetic labeling strategies, and biorecognition elements (e.g., antibodies). This paper describes the utilization of GMRs for the detection of streptavidin-coated magnetic particles that are selectively captured by biotinylated gold addresses on a 2 x 0.3 cm sample stick. A GMR sensor network reads the addresses on a sample stick in a manner that begins to emulate that of a 'card-swipe' system. This study also takes advantage of on-sample magnetic addresses that function as references for internal calibration of the GMR response and as a facile means to account for small variations in the gap between the sample stick and sensor. The magnetic particle surface coverage at the limit of detection was determined to be ~2%, which corresponds to ~800 binding events over the 200 x 200 pm capture address. These findings, along with the potential use of streptavidin-coated magnetic particles as a universal label for antigen detection in, for example, heterogeneous assays, are discussed.

This paper describes efforts aimed at setting the stage for the application of giant magnetoresistance sensor (GMRs) networks as readers for quantification of biolytes selectively captured and then labeled with superparamagnetic particles on a scanned chip-scale array. The novelty and long-range goal of this research draws from the potential development of a card-swipe instrument through which an array of micrometer-sized, magnetically tagged addresses (i.e., a sample stick) can be interrogated in a manner analogous to a credit card reader. This work describes the construction and testing of a first-generation instrument that uses a GMR sensor network to read the response of a 'simulated' sample stick. The glass sample stick is composed of 20-nm-thick films of permalloy that have square or rectangular lateral footprints of up to a few hundred micrometers. Experiments were carded out to gain a fundamental understanding of the dependence of the GMR response on the separation between, and planarity of, the scanned sample stick and sensor. Results showed that the complex interplay between these experimentally controllable variables strongly affect the shape and magnitude of the observed signal and, ultimately, the limit of detection. This study also assessed the merits of using on-sample standards as internal references as a facile means to account for small variations in the gap between the sample stick and sensor. These findings were then analyzed to determine various analytical figures of merit (e.g., limit of detection in terms of the amount of magnetizable material on each address) for this readout strategy. An in-depth description of the first-generation test equipment is presented, along with a brief discussion of the potential widespread applicability of the concept.

The use of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to detect microbial metabolic products on carbonate mineral surfaces is demonstrated. The method allowed to distinguish metabolic acids on calcite surfaces following Escherichia coli growth and also identify microbial metabolic products on carbonate surfaces in nutrient-limited cave environments.

The core level and valence band X-ray photoelectron spectra (XP spectra) of two arsenic sulfides, As4S4 (α-realgar) and As4S4 (pararealgar), are reported. Pararealgar is a polymorph of realgar created by irradiation of realgar with visible light. The core level spectra of the materials can be distinguished by small differences in core level binding energies (BEs). For example, the As 3d5/2 and S 2p3/2 peaks are at 43.1 and 162.8 eV BE, respectively, in realgar and 43.2 and 162.7 eV BE, respectively, in pararealgar.Density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/cc-pVDZ level were performed on single As4S4 clusters to determine the ground state orbital energies for realgar and pararealgar and electrostatic potential-derived atomic charges. The shifts in the core level BEs are qualitatively reproduced in the orbital energies and can be rationalized based on an increased average charge in pararealgar (S=−0.21, As=+0.21) versus realgar (S=−0.19, As=+0.19). A large variation in calculated charge between inequivalent As sites in pararealgar (from +0.09 to +0.31) broadens the observed arsenic XP spectra features. In addition, the four main features in the valence bands of these materials have been identified based on the DFT calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: People with dementia and carers can face many barriers, or inequalities, in accessing a diagnosis or care. These barriers are unjust and can be addressed by the right interventions, to ensure that everyone receives equitable access to diagnosis and care. A lack of knowledge about dementia in the health and social care workforce is a recognised barrier. The Dementia Inequalities Game was co-produced with people with personal, professional, and voluntary sector experiences of dementia, and offers an educational tool to educate people about dementia and associated inequalities and overcome this knowledge gap in the current and future (in training) workforce. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of playing the co-produced Dementia Inequalities Game on knowledge about dementia and associated inequalities in health care, allied health professional, nursing and psychology students. Methods: We conducted 11 game play workshops as part of regular teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, orthoptics, and radiography at one University in the North of England. Students did not have to partake in the workshops. Participating students completed a brief before and after knowledge questionnaire about dementia and inequalities. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare ratings of knowledge of dementia and associated inequalities before and after game play. Findings: Three-hundred-and-eighteen students took part in the workshops, with 312 fully completed questionnaires. The largest cohort of students (49%) were studying for a degree in nursing. Playing the game significantly increased knowledge about dementia ( p < .001) and dementia inequalities ( p < .001). Implications: Playing the Dementia Inequalities Game is an effective tool to improve knowledge about dementia and associated inequalities in health care and psychology students. Using the game as an educational and sociable intervention in health and social care professionals is a next avenue to test., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.