Nottingham Trent University

About: Nottingham Trent University is a education organization based out in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Addiction. The organization has 4702 authors who have published 12862 publications receiving 307430 citations. The organization is also known as: NTU & Trent Polytechnic.

Effect of β-alanine plus sodium bicarbonate on high-intensity cycling capacity

Abstract: Purpose: We examined the effect of s-alanine supplementation plus sodium bicarbonate on high-intensity cycling capacity. Methods: Twenty males (age = 25 ± 5 yr, height = 1.79 ± 0.06 m, body mass = 80.0 ± 10.3 kg) were assigned to either a placebo (P) or a s-alanine (BA; 6.4 g·d-1 for 4 wk) group based on power max, completing four cycling capacity tests at 110% of power max (CCT110%) to determine time to exhaustion (TTE) and total work done. A CCT110% was performed twice (habituation and baseline) before supplementation (with maltodextrin [MD]) and twice after supplementation (with MD and with sodium bicarbonate [SB]), using a crossover design with 2 d of rest between trials, creating four study conditions (PMD, PSB, BAMD, and BASB). Blood pH, Lactate, bicarbonate and base excess were determined at baseline, before exercise, immediately after exercise, and 5 min after exercise. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: TTE was increased in all conditions after supplementation (+1.6% PMD, +6.5% PSB, +12.1% BAMD, and +16.2% BASB). Both BAMD and BASB resulted in significantly improved TTE compared with that before supplementation (P = 0.01). Although further increases in TTE (4.1%) were shown in BASB compared with BAMD, these differences were not significant (P = 0.74). Differences in total work done were similar to those of TTE. Blood bicarbonate concentrations were significantly (P = 0.001) elevated before exercise in PSB and BASB but not in PMD or BAMD. Blood lactate concentrations were significantly elevated after exercise, remaining elevated after 5 min of recovery (P = 0.001) and were highest in PSB and BASB. Conclusions: Results show that BA improved high-intensity cycling capacity. However, despite a 6-s (~4%) increase in TTE with the addition of SB, this did not reach statistical significance, but magnitude-based inferences suggested a ~70% probability of a meaningful positive difference.

An Exploratory Study of Trolling in Online Video Gaming

Abstract: Despite the increased incidence of trolling within online gaming environments, very little psychological research has been conducted beyond the fact that it exists. The main aims of the study were to examine the: i frequency of trolling, ii type and reasons for trolling, and iii the effects trolling may have on self-esteem. Using an online survey, a self-selected sample of 125 gamers participated in the study. Results showed that trolls tended to play longer gaming sessions. Frequent trolls were significantly younger and male. Types of trolling included griefing, sexism/racism, and faking/intentional fallacy. Reasons for trolling included amusement, boredom, and revenge. Witnessing trolling was positively associated with self-esteem, whereas experiencing trolling was negatively associated. Experience of trolling was positively correlated with frequency of trolling. Although the study used a self-selecting sample, the results appear to provide a tentative benchmark into video game trolling and its potential effects on self-esteem.

NO2 detection at room temperature with copper phthalocyanine thin film devices

Abstract: In this work, we report the effect of post-deposition film treatment on the NO2 sensing properties of CuPc thin films for room temperature operation. The gas-sensitive response of the electrical conductivity to doping with NO2, doping with oxygen (in air) and cooling to 77 K in liquid nitrogen are reported. The pretreatment with NO2 is shown to improve the gas sensing properties by providing both an increase in the magnitude of the conductivity change for a given NO2 concentration and a significant improvement in the recovery time. Data is analysed using an Elovich model, which suggests that the cooled devices have the best fit to this model; the data for the NO2 doped devices suggest a Langmuir behaviour. For all devices, a simple time derivative of the change in current provides a measure of concentration for real time gas sensing applications.

The dynamic chemistry of molecular borromean rings and Solomon knots.

Abstract: The dynamic solution equilibria between molecular Borromean rings (BRs) and Solomon knots (SKs), assembled from transition metal-templated macrocycles, consisting of exo-bidentate bipyridyl and endo-tridentate diiminopyridyl ligands, have been examined with respect to the choice of the metal template and reaction conditions employed in the synthesis of the metalated BRs, otherwise known as Borromeates. Three new Borromeates, their syntheses templated by CuII, CoII, and MnII, have been characterized extensively (two by X-ray crystallography) to the extent that the metal centers in the assemblies have been shown to be distanced sufficiently from each other not to communicate. The solid-state structure of the CoII–Borromeate reveals that six MeOH molecules, arranged in a [OH⋅⋅⋅O] hydrogen bonded, chair-like conformation, are located within its oxophilic central cavity. When a mixture of CuII and ZnII is used as the source of templation, there exists a dynamic equilibrium, in MeOH at room temperature, between a mixed-metal BR and a SK, from which the latter has been fractionally crystallized. By employing appropriate synthetic protocols with ZnII or CdII as the template, significant amounts of SKs are formed alongside BRs. Modified crystallization conditions resulted in the isolation of both an all-zinc BR and an all-zinc SK, crystals of which can be separated manually, leading to the full characterization of the all-zinc SK by 1H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. This doubly interlocked [2]catenate has been identified retrospectively in recorded spectra, where it was attributed previously to a Borromeate with a ZnII cation coordinated to the oxophilic interior walls of the ensemble. Interestingly, these ZnII-templated assemblies do not interconvert in MeOH at room temperature, indicating the significant influence of both the metal template and solvent on the solution equilibria. It would also appear that d10 metal ions favor SK formation—no evidence of CuII-, CoII-, or MnII-templated SKs has been found, yet a 1:0.9 ratio of BR:SK has been identified by 1H NMR spectroscopy when CdII is used as the template.