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Present Article (present + article)
Selected AbstractsThe role of a novel p -phenylen-bis-maleamic acid grafted atactic polypropylene interfacial modifier in polypropylene/mica composites as evidenced by tensile propertiesJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009J. M. García-Martínez Abstract Present work is devoted to the study of the tensile behavior of polypropylene (PP)/mica composites with improved interfacial interactions from the matrix side caused by the presence of a p -phenylen-bis-maleamic acid grafted atactic polypropylene (aPP- pPBM) as an interfacial agent. Hence, aPP- pPBM was previously obtained, in our laboratories, by reactive processing in the melt of a by-product (atactic PP) from industrial polymerization reactors. Present article is two-fold, on one hand it has been planned to evidence the so called interfacial effects caused by this novel interfacial agent (aPP- pPBM) yielding better final properties of the heterogeneous system as a whole as revealed by tensile mechanical properties, and on the other to obtain models to forecast the overall behavior of the system. For such purpose, a Box-Wilson experimental design considering the amount of mica particles and of interfacial agent as independent variables was used to obtain polynomials to forecast the behavior of the PP/Mica system in the experimental space scanned. The existence of a critical amount of aPP- pPBM to optimize mechanical properties appears to emerge. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009 [source] Synthesis and characterization of novel saponified guar-graft-poly(acrylonitrile)/silica nanocomposite materialsJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 1 2007Vandana Singh Abstract The combination of carbohydrates with silicon-based ceramic materials offers attractive means of production for high performance materials. Present article describes the synthesis of novel nanocomposites out of SiO2 and saponified guar-graft-poly(acrylonitrile) (SG). Tetraethoxysilane was used as the precursor for silica and growth of SiO2 phase was allowed concurrently in the presence of SG. The material so obtained was thermally treated at 80°C, 160°C, 500°C, and 900°C to study the effect of thermal curing on its properties. During the curing process, silanol surface groups of silica globules reacted to create the reinforced SiO2 -SG substance. It was observed that at 900°C, the SiO2 phase crystallized out in tetragonal shape (similar to Cristobalite form of silica) in presence of SG. The chemical, structural and textural characteristics of the composites were determined by FTIR, XRD, TGA-DTA, SEM and BET studies. The materials were also evaluated as efficient Zn2+ metal binder. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 536,544, 2007 [source] Understanding sexual offending in schizophreniaCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2004Christopher R. Drake M Clin Psych MAPS Background Studies have found an elevated incidence of violent sexual offences in males with schizophrenia. The relationship between sexual offending and psychiatric illness is, however, complex and poorly defined. Aims The aim of the present article is to delineate possible mechanisms that underlie offensive sexual behaviour in schizophrenia that can be used as a framework for assessing and treating these behaviours. A review of research pertaining to the aetiology of sexual deviance in schizophrenia was conducted, focusing in particular on the role of early childhood experiences, deviant sexual preferences, antisocial personality traits, psychiatric symptomatology and associated treatment effects, the impact of mental illness on sexual and social functioning, and other potential contributory factors. Towards a typology It is proposed that schizophrenic patients who engage in sexually offensive activities fall into four broad groups: (1) those with a pre-existing paraphilia; (2) those whose deviant sexuality arises in the context of illness and/or its treatment; (3) those whose deviant sexuality is one manifestation of more generalized antisocial behaviour, and (4) factors other than the above. This classification provides a useful framework for evaluating and treating sexually offensive behaviours in schizophrenic patients. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] The Selection of Contents in School Projects in SpainCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 3 2000Maria Clemente Studies on curricular contents have predominantly been focused along lines that are sociopolitical (what type of culture is selected by general policies) and epistemological (history of disciplines and their role in the configuration of what school knowledge is). These studies have also moved within a sphere that is prior to the decisions taken in a school or classroom, even though they have served to sustain a large part of the actions that teachers have carried out in this respect. In the present article our aim was to learn how teachers decide on educational contents, since new Spanish educational policy demands that teachers participate in the selection of the contents to be taught at their schools. In order to learn how this is done, our research began with the definition of six criteria (epistemological, factual, pedagogical, pragmatic, psychological and socioideological) that teachers could employ in the selection of contents, in order to subsequently verify the importance of each by means of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was answered by approximately 900 teachers from Infant and Primary Compulsory Education. The results obtained have allowed us to include in our conclusion different ideas and initiatives that could be taken in relation to content selection. These have to do, above all, with the training of teachers in schools. [source] Treatment of schizoaffective disorder , a challenge for evidence-based psychiatryACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2010M. Jäger Objective:, Schizoaffective disorder is a common diagnosis in mental health services. The aim of the present article was to review treatment studies for schizoaffective disorder and draw conclusions for clinical decision making. Method:, We searched MEDLINE and Cochrane Library for relevant clinical trials and review articles up to the year 2008. Results:, Thirty-three studies using standardized diagnostic criteria, 14 of which were randomized controlled trials, could be identified. The comparability of studies is limited by the use of different diagnostic criteria. The studies reviewed do not permit consistent recommendations as to whether schizoaffective disorder should be treated primarily with antipsychotics, mood stabilizers or combinations of these drugs. The relevance of diverse subtypes of schizoaffective disorder for treatment recommendations is unclear. Conclusion:, The pertinent empirical database is small and heterogeneous. The lack of conclusive recommendations is related to issues of nosological status, plurality of diagnostic criteria and validity of the concept of schizoaffective disorder. [source] Medical and surgical therapies for alopecias in black womenDERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 2 2004Valerie D. Callender ABSTRACT:, Hair loss is a common problem that challenges the patient and clinician with a host of cosmetic, psychological and medical issues. Alopecia occurs in both men and women, and in all racial and ethnic populations, but the etiology varies considerably from group to group. In black women, many forms of alopecia are associated with hair-care practices (e.g., traction alopecia, trichorrhexis nodosa, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia). The use of thermal or chemical hair straightening, and hair braiding or weaving are examples of styling techniques that place African American women at high risk for various "traumatic" alopecias. Although the exact cause of these alopecias is unknown, a multifactorial etiology including both genetic and environmental factors is suspected. A careful history and physical examination, together with an acute sensitivity to the patient's perceptions (e.g., self-esteem and social problems), are critical in determining the best therapy course. Therapeutic options for these patients range from alteration of current hair grooming practices or products, to use of specific medical treatments, to hair replacement surgery. Since early intervention is often a key to preventing irreversible alopecia, the purpose of the present article is to educate the dermatologist on all aspects of therapy for hair loss in black women,including not only a discussion of the main medical and surgical therapies but also an overview of ethnic hair cosmetics, specific suggestions for alterations of hair-care practices, and recommendations for patient education and compliance. [source] Towards a Field OntologyDIALECTICA, Issue 1 2006Christina Schneider The aim of the present article is to make the notion of an ontology of fields mathematically rigorous. The conclusion will be that couching an ontology in terms of mathematical bundles and cross-sections (i.e. fields) both (1) captures many important intuitions of conventional ontologies, including the universal-particular paradigm, the connection of universals and their ,instantiations', and the notion of ,possibility', and (2) makes possible the framing of ontologies without ,substrata', bare particulars, and primitive particularizers (a goal that trope ontologies, for example, have sought to attain). [source] Dentinogenic potential of the dental pulp: facts and hypothesesENDODONTIC TOPICS, Issue 1 2007DIMITRIOS TZIAFAS The aim of the present article is to discuss observations and hypotheses from different experimental approaches on the biological mechanisms underlying initiation of tertiary dentin formation and therapeutic control of pulp,dentinal regeneration. The specific dentinogenic potential of dental pulp cells in up-regulating the biosynthetic activity of primary odontoblasts (reactionary dentinogenesis) and differentiation into odontoblast-like cells (reparative dentinogenesis) is described. The role of biologically active matrices and molecules as signaling factors in the expression of the dentinogenic potential of dental pulp cells, in numerous ex vivo and in vivo models, is reviewed. Data are focused on the mechanisms by which the signaling molecules, in the presence of the appropriate pulp microenvironment and specific mechanical support, can induce competent pulpal cells in the acquisition of odontoblast-like cell phenotype and reparative dentin formation. The ability of tissue engineering to stimulate reconstruction of the amputated pulp,dentin complex offers exciting opportunities for the future. Advances in molecular biology and bioengineering research might thus be integrated into the clinical problems of endodontology. Received 13 February 2009; accepted 2 September 2009. [source] Significance of bacterial identification by molecular biology methodsENDODONTIC TOPICS, Issue 1 2004David A. Spratt Rapid advances in molecular biology over the last 20 years have provided a bewildering array of techniques aimed at helping us to tease apart all aspects of biology. The discipline of microbiology has gained greatly from these advances especially with respect to detection and identification of micro-organisms. Indeed these molecular biology techniques have changed the way we classy all life on Earth. An important part of endodontic microbiology is detection and identification of the micro-organisms associated with initiation and progression of this polymicrobial infection. A range of appropriate molecular techniques are reviewed in the present article and include aspects of comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing, polymerase chain reaction detection, strategies for identification of unculturable bacteria, and whole community analysis. Some of these techniques are widely used in endodontic microbiology while others are used by only a few workers. The advantages and disadvantages of all the techniques are discussed and put into perspective. [source] Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria and their potential for stimulating plant growthENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Veronica Artursson Summary Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and bacteria can interact synergistically to stimulate plant growth through a range of mechanisms that include improved nutrient acquisition and inhibition of fungal plant pathogens. These interactions may be of crucial importance within sustainable, low-input agricultural cropping systems that rely on biological processes rather than agrochemicals to maintain soil fertility and plant health. Although there are many studies concerning interactions between AM fungi and bacteria, the underlying mechanisms behind these associations are in general not very well understood, and their functional properties still require further experimental confirmation. Future mycorrhizal research should therefore strive towards an improved understanding of the functional mechanisms behind such microbial interactions, so that optimized combinations of microorganisms can be applied as effective inoculants within sustainable crop production systems. In this context, the present article seeks to review and discuss the current knowledge concerning interactions between AM fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, the physical interactions between AM fungi and bacteria, enhancement of phosphorus and nitrogen bioavailability through such interactions, and finally the associations between AM fungi and their bacterial endosymbionts. Overall, this review summarizes what is known to date within the present field, and attempts to identify promising lines of future research. [source] Extreme value predictions based on nonstationary time series of wave dataENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 1 2006Christos N. Stefanakos Abstract A new method for calculating return periods of various level values from nonstationary time series data is presented. The key idea of the method is a new definition of the return period, based on the MEan Number of Upcrossings of the level x* (MENU method). In the present article, the case of Gaussian periodically correlated time series is studied in detail. The whole procedure is numerically implemented and applied to synthetic wave data in order to test the stability of the method. Results obtained by using several variants of traditional methods (Gumbel's approach and the POT method) are also presented for comparison purposes. The results of the MENU method showed an extraordinary stability, in contrast to the wide variability of the traditional methods. The predictions obtained by means of the MENU method are lower than the traditional predictions. This is in accordance with the results of other methods that also take into account the dependence structure of the examined time series. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A general model for predicting brown tree snake capture ratesENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 3 2003Richard M. Engeman Abstract The inadvertent introduction of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) to Guam has resulted in the extirpation of most of the island's native terrestrial vertebrates, has presented a health hazard to small children, and also has produced economic problems. Trapping around ports and other cargo staging areas is central to a program designed to deter dispersal of the species. Sequential trapping of smaller plots is also being used to clear larger areas of snakes in preparation for endangered species reintroductions. Traps and trapping personnel are limited resources, which places a premium on the ability to plan the deployment of trapping efforts. In a series of previous trapping studies, data on brown tree snake removal from forested plots was found to be well modeled by exponential decay functions. For the present article, we considered a variety of model forms and estimation procedures, and used capture data from individual plots as random subjects to produce a general random coefficients model for making predictions of brown tree snake capture rates. The best model was an exponential decay with positive asymptote produced using nonlinear mixed model estimation where variability among plots was introduced through the scale and asymptote parameters. Practical predictive abilities were used in model evaluation so that a manager could project capture rates in a plot after a period of time, or project the amount of time required for trapping to reduce capture rates to a desired level. The model should provide managers with a tool for optimizing the allocation of limited trapping resources. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Bootstrap calibration to improve the reliability of tests to compare sample means and variancesENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 8 2001R. I. C. Chris Francis Abstract The comparison of several sample means to see whether they differ significantly is a common analysis, which is not straightforward when the samples may be from non-normal distributions with different variances. A recent study found that a randomization test that attempts to approximate the distribution of F -statistics from one- and two-factor analysis of variance in the presence of unequal population variances was the best of 12 alternative tests considered. However, it sometimes suffered from excess size with data from extremely non-normal distributions. In the present article a method for improving the robustness of the test by bootstrap calibration is described for one-factor analysis of variance, and shown to be effective by a simulation study. The method is also applied with Levene's test for unequal variance by randomization. In this case the test is very robust without calibration, and calibration does not improve it. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Prediction of success and failure of behavior modification as treatment for dental anxietyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 4 2004I. Eli Behavior modification techniques are effective in the treatment of extreme dental anxiety, but their success is by no means absolute. In the present article, the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), the self-report symptom inventory SCL-90R and a questionnaire accessing subjects' daydreaming styles (the Short Imaginal Process Inventory) were used to develop possible predictive measures for success and failure of behavior modification as a treatment for dental fear. The patients' level of distractibility and mind wandering, initial dental anxiety and somatization significantly predicted the success of therapy. The odds ratio indicated that the risk of therapy failure increased about 11 times with an increase of one scale of the Poor Attention Control Scale, about three times with an increase of one level of the mean DAS score, and 0.17 times with an increase of one level of somatization. The predictive value of the chosen scales was 80%. Thus, the use of these scales as part of an initial admittance process for patients who suffer from dental anxiety can enhance our ability to better recognize patients who are prone to fail behavior therapy as treatment for their problem, and enable their referral for other possible modes of treatment. [source] Perceiving ingroup members who use stereotypes: implicit conformity and similarityEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Luigi Castelli Previous studies have shown that people subtly conform more to ingroup members who use stereotype-consistent rather than stereotype-inconsistent information when describing an outgroup member (Castelli, Vanzetto, Sherman, & Arcuri, 2001). In the present article, we will address two important issues. First, we will examine whether this subtle conformity toward stereotypers is related to individuals' prejudice level (Study 1). Second, we will examine one of the processes that underlie the perception of ingroup members who use stereotype-consistent information, hypothesizing that individuals implicitly feel more similar to such sources than to ingroup members who use stereotype-inconsistent information (Study 2). Both hypotheses were confirmed and results are discussed in terms of the distinction between implicit and explicit attitudes and their implications in the maintenance of social stereotypes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Why the Open Method of Coordination Is Bad For You: A Letter to the EUEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007Vassilis Hatzopoulos Most writers explore the tentative outcomes of the method, since they lack a solid experimental background, against which to assess its actual effectiveness. Lately, however, some empirical studies have come to light. Among them, some fully discredit the OMC as a means of pursuing common policies at the EU level; while others recognise indirect effects, essentially at the national level of policy setting. On the basis of this assumption, i.e. that the OMC has only restricted direct effects in the short term and indirect effects in the medium to long term, the present article first puts forward a series of arguments against the current ,spread' of the OMC, and then offers some proposals on how to neutralise some of the identified shortfalls of the OMC. Despite the title of the article, the final conclusion is not for the demise of the OMC, but rather for its ,communautarisation'. It is put forward that both the application and the effects of the OMC should be more clearly defined and better integrated with the other pre-existing forms of cooperation, in accordance with basic requirements stemming from the Community legal order. [source] Genetic immunity and influenza pandemicsFEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Sergey N. Rumyantsev Abstract In addition to the great number of publications focused on the leading role of virus mutations and reassortment in the origin of pandemic influenza, general opinion emphasizes the victim side of the epidemic process. Based on the analysis and integration of relevant ecological, epidemiological, clinical, genetic and experimental data, the present article is focused on the evolution of ,virus , victim' ecological systems resulting in the formation of innate (i.e. genetic, constitutional) immunity in the involved species and populations. This kind of immunity functions today as the greatest natural barrier to the pandemic spread of influenza among humans and ecologically related kinds of animals. Global influenza pandemics can arise when the worldwide population contains at least a minimum number of people susceptible to a known or mutant influenza virus. Special attention is paid in this article to individual tests for the presence of this barrier, including the implications of specific findings for public health policy. Such tests could be based on in vitro observation of the action of relevant virus strains on primary cell cultures or on their cellular or molecular components extracted from individuals. The resources of the Human Genome Project should also be utilized. [source] Surface-Grafted Gel-Brush/Metal Nanoparticle HybridsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 6 2010Edmondo M. Benetti Abstract Polymer brushes are classically defined and are to date employed as assemblies of macromolecules tethered at one end to a surface. The concept of preparing surface-grafted gels by crosslinking such brushes is attractive since it gives rise to new opportunities related to the constraints present in this type of structure. Aiming at the development of nanostructured films possessing precisely adjustable chemical, mechanical, and optical properties, the present article describes the preparation of novel grafted layers based on gel-brush/metal nanoparticle hybrids. These films were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate with a small percentage of a crosslinker. The swelling, morphological, and mechanical properties of the gel-brushes are shown to be highly dependent on the relative amount of crosslinker used. The gel-brushes are subsequently used as matrixes for the controlled synthesis of silver nanoparticles with overall characteristics that are specifically tunable as a function of the macromolecular structure of the brush template. [source] Bombed and Silenced: Foreign Witnesses of the Air War in GermanyGERMAN LIFE AND LETTERS, Issue 4 2009Oliver Lubrich ABSTRACT Non-German accounts of the air war from inside Germany, 1939,1945, offer perspectives and evidence that are very distinct from what most German authors have been able to contribute. Yet they have not been registered in the recent debates about representations of German suffering in testimonies and literature (initiated by W. G. Sebald ten years ago). By looking at five issues specific to non-German writing, the present article proposes to open up the debate to these new voices: (1) Foreign experiences are distinctively sudden, open, ambivalent, dynamic and, by contrast, sharper in perception. (2) International reports are historical documents that have a particular value for understanding contemporary expectations, relative information and shifting judgments on the Allied bombing campaign. (3) Writers like Curzio Malaparte, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Kurt Vonnegut or Marie Vassiltchikov developed rhetorical and poetical means for representing the destruction without succumbing to the faults that Sebald diagnosed in most German writers, who repressed, stylised or banalised it. (4) Unlike many of their contemporary German counterparts, most international authors dealt with the uncanny aesthetics of an air raid without aestheticising it. (5) Finally, the article attempts an explanation for why international witnesses have not been heard n the politicised German debates. Their tendency to overemphasise introspection and moralism over comparative philology and historiography may have made many Germans deaf to the voices of foreigners. [source] New Historicism: Postmodern Historiography Between Narrativism and HeterologyHISTORY AND THEORY, Issue 1 2000Jürgen Pieters In recent discussionsof the work of new historicist critics like Stephen Greenblatt and Louis Montrose, it has oftenbeen remarked that the theory of history underlying their reading practice closely resembles thatof postmodern historiographers like Hayden White and Frank Ankersmit. Taking off from onesuch remark, the aim of the present article is twofold. First, I intend to provide a theoretical basisfrom which to substantiate the idea that new historicism can indeed be taken to be the literary-critical variant of what Frank Ankersmit has termed the "new historiography." Inthe second half of the article, this theoretical foundation will serve as the starting point of afurther analysis of both the theory and practice of new historicism in terms of its distinctlypostmodern historiographical project. I will argue that in order to fully characterize the newhistoricist reading method, we do well to distinguish between two variants of postmodernhistoricism: a narrativist one (best represented in the work of Michel Foucault) and aheterological one (of which Michel de Certeau's writings serve as a supreme example). Abrief survey of the two methodological options associated with these variants (discursive versuspsychoanalytical) is followed by an analysis of the work of the central representative of newhistoricism, Stephen Greenblatt. While the significant use of historical anecdotes in his workleaves unresolved the question to which of either approaches Greenblatt belongs, the distinctiondoes serve a clear heuristic purpose. In both cases, it points to the dangerous spot where the newhistoricism threatens to fall prey to the evils of the traditional historicism against which it defineditself. [source] Down-regulation of pathogenic autoantibody response in a slowly progressive Heymann nephritis kidney disease modelINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2004Arpad Z. Barabas Summary In the present article, we describe an antigen-specific down-regulation of a pathogenic autoantibody (aab)-mediated disease process in an experimental autoimmune kidney disease in rats called slowly progressive Heymann nephritis (SPHN). This autoimmune disease is initiated and maintained by pathogenic immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies (aabs), which cause an immune-complex (IC) glomerulonephritis associated with proteinuria. We achieved down-regulated pathogenic aab response in SPHN rats by injections of an IC containing the native nephritogenic antigen and specific high-titred nonpathogenic IgM aabs, in antigen excess. The injected IC increased the level of circulating nonpathogenic IgM aabs; the increased levels of specific IgM aabs in turn facilitated the removal of the injected altered nephritogenic and liberated autoantigens from the renal tubules and greatly diminished the production of pathogenic aabs and the build up of immune deposits in the glomeruli. While animals treated early had advantages over rats whose kidney disease was well established before treatment; animals treated late into the disease still manifested noticeable improvements in similar areas, i.e. with lessened proteinuria, kidney lesion reduction and a decreased pathogenic aab response. At the end of the experiment at 29 weeks, 80% of all the treated rats had insignificantly low levels of circulating IgG aabs, indicating cessation of pathogenic aab production and corresponding termination of the disease process. In contrast, most untreated rats with the kidney disease still had high levels of circulating pathogenic aabs at the end of the experiment, which maintained disease progression. [source] Coining and Defining Novel Nursing Terminology.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 4 2008Part 2: Critical Incident Nursing Intervention PURPOSE.,In the second of a three-part series, a novel nursing terminology is introduced and proposed for inclusion in the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC): Critical incident nursing intervention (CINI), defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse,initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND). A CIND is defined as recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication. DATA SOURCES.,The literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. DATA SYNTHESIS.,The current nursing interventions in the NIC are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations. CONCLUSION.,Coining and defining novel nursing terminology, CINI, for patient care during life-threatening situations is important and fills the gap in the current standardized nursing terminology. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE.,Refining the NIC will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on nursing interventions in conjunction with the proposed novel nursing terminology, CINI. The first article in this series (Part 1) introduced the novel nursing terminology: CIND; the present article (Part 2) introduces the novel nursing terminology: CINI; and the third article in this series (Part 3) will introduce the novel nursing terminology: critical incident control. [source] Are the Hirshfeld and Mulliken population analysis schemes consistent with chemical intuition?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2009Soumen Saha Abstract In the present article, we report a comparative study between the Hirshfeld and Mulliken population analysis schemes (abbreviated as HPA and MPA, respectively). Trends of atomic charges derived from these two population analysis schemes are compared with those expected from other commonly used chemical concepts like electronegativity, inductive effects, and resonance effects. Although previous studies on intramolecular reactivity sequences demonstrated that HPA generates reliable and non-negative (and thus physically more realistic) condensed Fukui function (FF) values, the present study reveals problems with the HPA charge partitioning technique. Specifically, HPA fails to reproduce reliable intermolecular and intramolecular charge trends in several systems. Reasons for the success and failure of HPA are discussed and a method for improving the Hirshfeld charge partitioning is proposed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009 [source] Quantization of the ab initio nonadiabatic coupling matrix: The C2H molecule as a case studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 4-5 2001Michael Baer Abstract The observation that, for a given sub-Hilbert space, diabatic potentials, just like adiabatic potentials, have to be single-valued in configuration space led to the unavoidable conclusion that the relevant nonadiabatic coupling matrix (i.e., the matrix that contains the vectorial electronic nonadiabatic coupling terms) has to be quantized along any contour in configuration space. In the present article this statement is tested with respect to the three (excited) states of the C2H molecule, i.e., the 22A,, 32A,, and 42A, states. For this purpose ab initio electronic nonadiabatic coupling matrices were calculated along various contours surrounding the relevant conical intersections (one conical intersection between the 22A, and 32A, states and two conical intersections between the 32A, and 42A, states). Employing the line-integral technique it was shown that as long as the contour that surrounds the (2,3) conical intersection is close enough to the CI and avoids the two (3,4) conical intersections, the 2×2 nonadiabatic coupling matrices are quantized. However they fail to be quantized for contours that also surround one or two of the other conical intersections. In this case one is obliged to employ the three-state nonadiabatic coupling matrix. Doing that, it was shown that it is the 3×3 matrices that satisfy the quantization condition. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001 [source] A phase-space method for arbitrary bimolecular gas-phase reactions: Theoretical descriptionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2001A. Gross Abstract A theoretical model for the calculation of rate constants for arbitrary bimolecular gas-phase reactions was developed. The method is based on the phase-space statistical method developed by Light and co-workers 1,6. In the present article this method is extended to arbitrary molecular systems. The new method requires knowledge of the molecular properties in the reaction and products channels of the chemical system. The properties are the vibrational frequencies, moments of inertia, and potential energy for the interacting species in their ground state equilibrium configuration. Furthermore, we have to calculate either the energy barrier or the long-range potential for the chemical system (if the reaction channel does not have an energy barrier). The usefulness of the method is that it can be applied to all bimolecular reactions, trimolecular reactions, and even reactions of higher orders. Therefore, it can be applied to cases where rate constants of complex chemical reactions are required, but reliable laboratory measurements or other means to estimate rate parameters are not yet possible. Even if spectroscopic data are not available for the reactants and products, it is possible to use electronic structure theory to calculate the required data. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001 [source] Urodynamic effects and safety of modified intravesical oxybutynin chloride in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity: 3 years experienceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 8 2004MOTOAKI SAITO Abstract Background:, Intravesical oxybutynin chloride with hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) (modified intravesical oxybutynin) has been reported to be effective for treatment of overactive bladder. We reported the short-term effects of modified intravesical oxybutynin previously. In the present article, we detail the results of a 3-year follow-up study of patients from our previous analysis and report the efficacy and side-effects of modified intravesical oxybutynin. Methods:, Modified intravesical oxybutynin (5 mg/10 mL, twice a day) was applied for more than 3 years to six neurogenic overactive detrusor patients (three men and three women, average age 53.3 years) who were not satisfied with oral anticholinergic agents or the other therapy. A cystometogram (CMG) was performed before, 1 week after and 3 years after the start of modified intravesical oxybutynin treatment. We evaluated the patient's satisfaction of this treatment after 4 weeks and again after 3 years. We compared the patients' answers before and after the therapy (excellent, good, fair, unchanged and worse). We also monitored systemic and topical side-effects in these patients during this period. Results:, CMG studies showed that two of six patients no longer exhibited uninhibited contraction 1 week after the treatment and that the cystocapacity of patients before, 1 week after and 3 years after the initial modified intravesical oxybutynin was 129.7 ± 19.4, 283.5 ± 40.4 and 286.8 ± 38.1 mL, respectively. For the evaluation of patients' satisfaction with this treatment, four patients considered the therapy excellent and one patient described it as good after both 4 weeks and after 3 years. Two patients dropped out of the study; one developed left ureteral cancer (2.25 years) and the other developed ileus (1.5 years). Dry mouth and acute cystitis were observed in both patients. Conclusion:, Modified intravesical oxybutynin is an effective and relatively safe option of therapy for overactive bladder patients. However, this therapy requires careful observation for emergent side-effects. [source] Issues and Challenges of Emigration Dynamics in Developing CountriesINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 4 2001A.A. Afolayan This article is a theory-based attempt to present the issues and challenges of emigration dynamics in developing countries. The topic is discussed within several basic assumptions: first, that emigration dynamics in developing countries have certain features that are different from those in developed countries; second, that countries in the regions covered by the study (sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, and South Asia) are representative of developing countries. The article has been considerably facilitated by two recently concluded and reported projects: the IOM/UNFPA project, "Emigration dynamics in developing countries: sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, and South Asia"(Appleyard, 1998, 1999), and the UAP/CEIFO project on "International migration in and from Africa: dimensions, challenges and prospects"(Adepoju and Hammar, 1996). Any serious academic study of emigration dynamics in developing countries must acknowledge these landmark scholarly studies if they hope to advance understanding of the essential features of emigration dynamics in developing countries. A prime objective of the present article is to focus attention on aspects of the emigration process that will enable policy makers to utilize emigration for development, especially through national and international cooperation at regional and global levels. The article is predicated upon the need for a theory or model of emigration dynamics in developing countries that meets both internal and external dimensions. The adequacy of such a theory can be measured at three different levels: observation, description and explanation (Chomsky, 1965). [source] Enhancement of crystalline perfection by organic dopants in ZTS, ADP and KHP crystals as investigated by high-resolution XRD and SEMJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2006S. Parthiban To reveal the influence of complexing agents on crystalline perfection, tristhiourea zinc(II) sulfate (ZTS), ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) and potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) crystals grown by slow-evaporation solution growth technique using low concentrations (5 × 10,3M) of dopants like ethylenediamminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) were characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). High-resolution diffraction curves (DCs) recorded for ZTS and ADP crystals doped with EDTA show that the specimen contains an epilayer, as observed by the additional peak in the DC, whereas undoped specimens do not have such additional peaks. On etching the surface layer, the additional peak due to the epilayer disappears and a very sharp DC is obtained, with full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of less than 10,arcsec, as expected from the plane wave dynamical theory of X-ray diffraction for an ideally perfect crystal. SEM micrographs also confirm the existence of an epilayer in doped specimens. The ZTS specimen has a layer with a rough surface morphology, having randomly oriented needles, whereas the ADP specimen contains a layer with dendric structure. In contrast to ADP and ZTS crystals, the DC of phen-doped KHP shows no additional peak, but it is quite broad (FWHM = 28,arcsec) with a high value of integrated intensity, , (area under the DC). The broadness of the DC and the high value of , indicate the formation of a mosaic layer on the surface of the crystal. However, similar to ADP and ZTS, the DC recorded after etching the surface layer of the KHP specimen shows a very sharp peak with an FWHM of 8 arcsec. An SEM photograph of phen-doped KHP shows deep cracks on the surface, confirming the mosaicity. After removing the surface layer, the SEM pictures reveal a smooth surface. A similar trend is observed with other complexing agents, like oxalic acid, bipy and picolinic acid. However, only typical examples are described in the present article where the effects were observed prominently. The investigations on ZTS, ADP and KHP crystals, employing high-resolution XRD and SEM studies, revealed that some organic dopants added to the solution during the growth lead to the formation of a surface layer, due to complexation of these dopants with the trace metal ion impurities present in the solution, which prevents the entry of impurities, including the solvent, into the crystal, thereby assisting crystal growth with high crystalline perfection. The influence of organic dopants on the second harmonic generation efficiency is also investigated. [source] Modification of guar gum through grafting of 4-vinyl pyridine using potassium peroxymonosulphate/ascorbic acid redox pairJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007Abhishek Srivastava Abstract In the present article, the graft copolymerization of 4-vinyl pyridine onto guar gum initiated by potassium peroxymonosulphate/ascorbic acid redox pair in an aqueous medium was studied gravimetrically under a nitrogen atmosphere. Grafting ratio, grafting efficiency, and add on increased on increasing the concentration of potassium peroxymonosulphate from 5.0 × 10,4 to 10 × 10,4 mol/L and ascorbic acid concentration from 0.4 × 10,3 to 2.0 × 10,3 mol/L. On increasing the hydrogen ion concentration from 2.5 × 10,3 to 10.0 × 10,3 mol/L, grafting ratio, efficiency, add on and conversion were increased. Maximum grafting was obtained when guar gum and monomer concentration were 1.0 g/L and 20.0 × 10,2 mol/L, respectively. An increase in temperature from 30 to 35°C increased the grafting ratio, but conversion and homopolymer decreased. The graft copolymers were characterized by IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007 [source] Blending of NR/BR/EPDM by reactive processing for tire sidewall applications.JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 4 2007Abstract Cure incompatibility in NR/BR/EPDM blends is a crucial problem, affecting blend properties. In a previous study, it was demonstrated that the mechanical properties of such blends can be significantly improved by utilizing a reactive processing technique, in which a pretreated EPDM is first prepared by incorporating all compounding ingredients in the EPDM and subsequent preheating, prior to crossblending with premasticated NR/BR. In the present article, the pretreated EPDM-moieties are prepared using two different accelerators, N -cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide (CBS) and 6-nitro MBTS. The latter was synthesized and applied for the purpose of IR characterization. The infrared (IR) spectra of the pretreated, extracted EPDM demonstrate absorption peaks associated with the IR absorption of the functional groups in the accelerator fragments, attached to the EPDM. NR/BR/EPDM (35/35/30) ternary blends are prepared by reactive mixing of the pretreated EPDM with CBS fragments attached with premasticated NR/BR on a two-roll mill. Their blend morphological features are studied using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) microscopic techniques, in comparison with those of blends prepared by a conventional straight mixing method. Both the tapping mode AFM phase images and TEM micrographs clearly show that reactive mixing leads to more homogeneous blends. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103:2547,2554, 2007 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||