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Fundamental Aspects (fundamental + aspect)
Selected AbstractsPolymer/NiTi-composites: Fundamental Aspects, Processing and Properties,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 11 2005K. Neuking NiTi shape memory alloys can be used as actor materials and perform mechanical work; they can also be used for damping applications. In combination with polymers their functionality can be increased. Shape memory effects of NiTi alloys are associated with large strains and in a NiTi/polymer-composite, the polymer can accommodate these large strains without breaking. In a NiTi/polymer-composite the polymer can for example be used to store elastic energy, to provide corrosion resistance or to assist in a damping application. For all applications, a good bonding between the shape memory alloy and the polymer is required. The present paper considers fields of applications, processing and properties of NiTi/polymer-composites. [source] Care and Outcome of Out-of-hospital DeliveriesACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2000Harry C Moscovitz MD Abstract. Objectives: To identify interventions by paramedics in out-of-hospital deliveries and predictors of neonatal outcome. Methods: A prospective case series of consecutive out-of-hospital deliveries at Yale-New Haven Hospital from January 1991 to January 1994. Data describing out-of-hospital interventions, demographics, maternal risk factors, and neonatal outcomes were collected from out-of-hospital, emergency department (ED), and hospital records. Subgroups defined by source of prenatal care were compared using a multiple logistic regression model to determine predictors of poor neonatal outcome. Results: Ninety-one patients presented to the hospital after delivery. Paramedics attended 78 (86%) of the cases. Paramedics performed endotracheal intubation in one neonate and supported ventilation in four others. Suctioning and warming of the neonate were documented in 58% and 76%, respectively, and hypothermia was common (47%) in the paramedicattended deliveries. There were 9 neonatal deaths. Eight (89%) of the neonatal deaths were in the group with no prenatal care (p < 0.0001). Lack of prenatal care (RR 304, 95% CI = 5.0 to 18,472) and history of poor prenatal care (RR 22.5, 95% CI = 1.19 to 427) were significant predictors of poor neonatal outcome. Sixteen percent of all study patients and 43% of those with no prenatal care were treated in the ED during their pregnancies. Eighteen percent of the patients had had no prenatal care during previous pregnancies. Conclusions: Paramedics manage labor and delivery of a high-risk population. Fundamental aspects of care were not universally documented. Lack of prenatal care was associated with high neonatal morbidity and mortality. Nearly half of the mothers who went on to deliver without prenatal obstetric care saw emergency physicians during their pregnancies. [source] Reactive Processing in Ceramic-Based SystemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2006William G. Fahrenholtz Reactive hot pressing is discussed as a processing method to form ceramic-based materials. Fundamental aspects of thermodynamics such as favorable Gibbs'-free energy changes, phase equilibria, and adiabatic temperature are presented as criteria for determining whether the desired reactions can be used to form dense materials. Two case studies are presented as examples to describe control of microstructure and properties. The fabrication of Al2O3,Nb and ZrB2 are discussed with respect to the three thermodynamic criteria as well as the microstructure and properties of the materials that are produced. [source] The Solid State Postcondensation of PET, 1MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2004Barbara Gantillon Abstract Summary: A review of the processes underlying the solid state postcondensation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is presented. Fundamental aspects of the reactions are treated, and it is shown that the rate of polycondensation in the solid state depends on the relative rates of two types of diffusion. On the one hand, the diffusion of reaction by-products (physical diffusion) controls the rate of the forward reactions. And on the other hand the diffusion of end-groups (chemical diffusion) allows the reaction to proceed. The transesterification of BHET to form PET. [source] FS05.1 Treatment of hand eczemaCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 3 2004Niels K Veien Hand eczema is a common skin disease that often becomes chronic, and treatment of the disease is often challenging. Skin protection is of great importance for the prevention of hand eczema and is a fundamental aspect of the treatment of hand eczema. Emollients have been shown to be successful in the primary prevention of hand eczema as well as in reducing eczema activity. Topical corticosteroids are still the mainstay of treatment, but randomised controlled trials of their efficacy are needed. A combination of tacrolimus and topical corticosteroids may reduce the risk of steroid-associated side-effects. UV-therapy and Grenz rays can also suppress hand eczema. Systemic treatment with immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine and methotrexate show promising results, and acitretin may suppress keratotic hand eczema. Treatment possibilities for hand eczema, indications and side effects will be discussed. [source] Subjective mental time: the functional architecture of projecting the self to past and futureEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 10 2009Shahar Arzy Abstract Human experience takes place in the line of mental time (MT) created through ,self-projection' of oneself to different time-points in the past or future. Here we manipulated self-projection in MT not only with respect to one's life events but also with respect to one's faces from different past and future time-points. Behavioural and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging activity showed three independent effects characterized by (i) similarity between past recollection and future imagination, (ii) facilitation of judgements related to the future as compared with the past, and (iii) facilitation of judgements related to time-points distant from the present. These effects were found with respect to faces and events, and also suggest that brain mechanisms of MT are independent of whether actual life episodes have to be re-experienced or pre-experienced, recruiting a common cerebral network including the anteromedial temporal, posterior parietal, inferior frontal, temporo-parietal and insular cortices. These behavioural and neural data suggest that self-projection in time is a fundamental aspect of MT, relying on neural structures encoding memory, mental imagery and self. [source] A tale of two matrices: multivariate approaches in evolutionary biologyJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2007M. W. BLOWS Abstract Two symmetric matrices underlie our understanding of microevolutionary change. The first is the matrix of nonlinear selection gradients (,) which describes the individual fitness surface. The second is the genetic variance,covariance matrix (G) that influences the multivariate response to selection. A common approach to the empirical analysis of these matrices is the element-by-element testing of significance, and subsequent biological interpretation of pattern based on these univariate and bivariate parameters. Here, I show why this approach is likely to misrepresent the genetic basis of quantitative traits, and the selection acting on them in many cases. Diagonalization of square matrices is a fundamental aspect of many of the multivariate statistical techniques used by biologists. Applying this, and other related approaches, to the analysis of the structure of , and G matrices, gives greater insight into the form and strength of nonlinear selection, and the availability of genetic variance for multiple traits. [source] Integrating Experimental and Observational Personality Research,The Contributions of Hans EysenckJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 6 2008William Revelle ABSTRACT A fundamental aspect of Hans Eysenck's research was his emphasis upon using all the tools available to the researcher to study personality. This included correlational, experimental, physiological, and genetic approaches. Fifty years after Cronbach's call for the reunification of the two disciplines of psychology (Cronbach, 1957) and 40 years after Eysenck's plea for experimental approaches to personality research (H. J. Eysenck, 1966), what is the status of the unification? Should personality researchers use experimental techniques? Do experimental techniques allow us to tease out causality, and are we communicating the advantages of combining experimental with multivariate correlational techniques? We review the progress made since Cronbach's and Eysenck's original papers and suggest that although it is still uncommon to find experimental studies of personality, psychology would benefit from the joint use of correlational and experimental approaches. [source] Expressing Conflict, Neutralizing Blame, and Making Concessions in Small-Claims MediationLAW & POLICY, Issue 2 2000Marian Borg This research examines the link between the way small-claims mediation participants express their conflicts and their willingness to engage in concession-making. Observations of seventy-seven mediation participants suggest that a significant factor in this relationship is the way participants manage the issue of blame. The research identifies three categories of mediants: individuals named in a civil suit who represent themselves; agents, usually lawyers, who represent the interests of other parties in a civil suit; and business owners or managers who represent the interests of their establishments. The study depicts some of the differences in the way these participants describe their conflicts. In particular, the research suggests that the manner in which mediation participants handle the issue of blame , by either justifying, excusing, or denying it , constrains their willingness to engage in concession-making, a fundamental aspect of the mediation process. I discuss implications for future research and for developing strategies that might improve the effectiveness of mediation for some participants. [source] From American City to Japanese Village: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Implicit Race AttitudesCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2006Yarrow Dunham This study examined the development of implicit race attitudes in American and Japanese children and adults. Implicit ingroup bias was present early in both populations, and remained stable at each age tested (age 6, 10, and adult). Similarity in magnitude and developmental course across these 2 populations suggests that implicit intergroup bias is an early-emerging and fundamental aspect of human social cognition. However, implicit race attitudes toward favored outgroups are more positive in older than in younger participants, indicating that "cultural prestige" enjoyed by a group moderates implicit bias as greater knowledge of group status is acquired. These results demonstrate (a) the ready presence, (b) early cultural invariance, and (c) subsequent cultural moderation of implicit attitudes toward own and other groups. [source] The regulation of muscle glycogen: the granule and its proteinsACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 4 2010T. E. Graham Abstract Despite decades of studying muscle glycogen in many metabolic situations, surprisingly little is known regarding its regulation. Glycogen is a dynamic and vital metabolic fuel that has very limited energetic capacity. Thus its regulation is highly complex and multifaceted. The stores in muscle are not homogeneous and there appear to be various metabolic pools. Each granule is capable of independent regulation and fundamental aspects of the regulation appear to be associated with a complex set of proteins (some are enzymes and others serve scaffolding roles) that associate both with the granule and with each other in a dynamic fashion. The regulation includes altered phosphorylation status and often translocation as well. The understanding of the roles and the regulation of glycogenin, protein phosphatase 1, glycogen targeting proteins, laforin and malin are in their infancy. These various processes appear to be the mechanisms that give the glycogen granule precise, yet dynamic regulation. [source] Microwave-Assisted Electroanalysis: A ReviewELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 2 2009Abstract Microwave-assisted electrochemistry is critically discussed with a focus on the fundamental aspects of the processes involved and its applications in electroanalysis. The concept of direct and nondirect heated electrodes is discussed, and simulation work is evaluated. Microwave-assisted electrochemistry predominantly results in higher current responses (up to 2 magnitudes higher) due to increased temperature and mass transport to the active electrodes. Temperature gradients at microwave-affected electrodes may exceed 105 K/cm, with temperature hotspots found in the thin diffusion layers set up at ultramicroelectrodes. Research into microwave-assisted electroanalysis can lead to enhanced capillary electrophoresis detection, improved stripping voltammetry and development of new high temperature methods. [source] Organic solvents in CEELECTROPHORESIS, Issue S1 2009Ernst Kenndler Abstract In this contribution some fundamental aspects are discussed serving for a critical reflection and elucidation of the role of organic solvents in CE. The implications of the solvent on the parameters governing peak resolution are discussed based on the concepts describing migration and zone broadening in capillary zone electrophoresis. This discussion includes the solvent-dependent influence of the ionic strength on the mobility. The role of the solvent on the plate number in case of the inevitable diffusional peak dispersion is outlined, and its effect on other peak broadening contributions is briefly examined. This paper also deals with the problems of conductance, applicable voltage and analysis time upon application of organic solvents, and tries to clarify some misunderstandings common in the literature. [source] Charge Transport in Disordered Organic Materials and Its Relevance to Thin-Film Devices: A Tutorial ReviewADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 27 2009Nir Tessler Abstract Semiconducting polymers and small molecules form an extremely flexible class of amorphous materials that can be used in a wide range of applications, some of which are display, radio-frequency tags, and solar cells. The rapid progress towards functional devices is occurring despite the lack of sufficient understanding of the physical processes and very little experience in device engineering. This tutorial review aims to provide sufficient intuitive background to draw more researchers to look into the fundamental aspects of device physics and engineering. [source] Nucleophilic heteroaromatic substitution: Kinetics of the reactions of nitropyridines with aliphatic amines in dipolar aprotic solventsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 3 2008Chukwuemeka Isanbor Rate data are reported for the reactions of 2-chloro-5-nitropyridine 2a, 2-chloro-3-nitropyridine 2b, and the corresponding 2-phenoxy derivatives 2c with n -butylamine, pyrrolidine and piperidine and 2d with n -butylamine and pyrrolidine in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as solvent. The same reactions in acetonitrile had been reported earlier (Crampton et al., Eur J Org Chem 2007, 1378,1383). Values in these solvents are compared with those of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene 3a, 2,6-dinitrochlorobenzene 3b, and the corresponding nitroactivated diphenyl ethers 3c and 3d. Reactions with n -butylamine in both solvents gave values of kobs, which increase linearly with amine concentration indicating that nucleophilic attack is rate limiting. The only exception is the reactions in acetonitrile with 2c where base catalysis was observed. Values of k1, the rate constant for the nucleophilic attack, decrease in the order pyrrolidine > piperidine > n -butylamine. In acetonitrile, kinetic data show that k/k ratios are more than unity while the inverse is the case in DMSO. With the phenoxy derivatives, substitution was the only process observed. Base catalysis detected in the reactions of the 1-phenoxy derivatives is attributed to rate-limiting deprotonation of the initially formed zwitterionic intermediate. Our results shed more light on fundamental aspects of activation, hydrogen bonding, and steric effects associated with an aza or a nitro group in the molecules investigated as it affects the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction pathways. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 125,135, 2008 [source] A review on coal-to-liquid fuels and its coal consumptionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 10 2010Mikael Höök Abstract Continued reliance on oil is unsustainable and this has resulted in interest in alternative fuels. Coal-to-liquids (CTL) can supply liquid fuels and have been successfully used in several cases, particularly in South Africa. This article reviews CTL theory and technology. Understanding the fundamental aspects of coal liquefaction technologies is vital for planning and policy-making, as future CTL systems will be integrated in a much larger global energy and fuel utilization system. Conversion ratios for CTL are generally estimated to be between 1 and 2 barrels/ton coal. This puts a strict limitation on future CTL capacity imposed by future coal production volumes, regardless of other factors such as economics, emissions or environmental concerns. Assuming that 10% of world coal production can be diverted to CTL, the contribution to liquid fuel supply will be limited to only a few mega barrels per day. This prevents CTL from becoming a viable mitigation plan for liquid fuel shortage on a global scale. However, it is still possible for individual nations to derive significant shares of their fuel supply from CTL, but those nations must also have access to equally significant coal production capacities. It is unrealistic to claim that CTL provides a feasible solution to liquid fuels shortages created by peak oil. For the most part, it can only be a minor contributor and must be combined with other strategies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The role of melatonin in immuno-enhancement: potential application in cancerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Sandra C. Miller Summary Melatonin, a neurohormone produced mainly by the pineal gland, is a modulator of haemopoiesis and of immune cell production and function, both in vivo and in vitro. Physiologically, melatonin is associated with T-helper 1 (Th1) cytokines, and its administration favours Th1 priming. In both normal and leukaemic mice, melatonin administration results in quantitative and functional enhancement of natural killer (NK) cells, whose role is to mediate defenses against virus-infected and cancer cells. Melatonin appears to regulate cell dynamics, including the proliferative and maturational stages of virtually all haemopoietic and immune cells lineages involved in host defense , not only NK cells but also T and B lymphocytes, granulocytes and monocytes , in both bone marrow and tissues. In particular, melatonin is a powerful antiapoptotic signal promoting the survival of normal granulocytes and B lymphocytes. In mice bearing mid-stage leukaemia, daily administration of melatonin results in a survival index of 30,40% vs. 0% in untreated mice. Thus, melatonin seems to have a fundamental role as a system regulator in haemopoiesis and immuno-enhancement, appears to be closely involved in several fundamental aspects of host defense and has the potential to be useful as an adjuvant tumour immunotherapeutic agent. [source] Identifying Nursing Concepts: Are We Similar?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 3 2010Sharie L. Falan PhD PURPOSE., The purpose of this article was to define and describe the fundamental aspects of similarity with application to the use of nursing terminologies. DATA SOURCES., Data were obtained from Google, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsychINFO, and PubMed using the keywords "similarity views,""similarity,""concepts and categorization," and other published sources. DATA SYNTHESIS., Three prominent similarity views were compared, contrasted, and applied to the use of nursing diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS., Each view has intentions (requirements) that guide the categorization of information to concepts and influence naming of nursing concepts. IMPLICATIONS., By understanding similarity, nurse educators and technology designers can influence how nursing concepts are represented. [source] The establishment of an urban bird populationJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Christian Rutz Summary 1Despite the accelerating global spread of urbanized habitats and its associated implications for wildlife and humans, surprisingly little is known about the biology of urban ecosystems. 2Using data from a 60-year study period, this paper provides a detailed description of how the northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis L. , generally considered a shy forest species , colonized the city of Hamburg, Germany. Six non-mutually exclusive hypotheses are investigated regarding the environmental factors that may have triggered this invasion. 3The spatio-temporal analysis of 2556 goshawk chance observations (extracted from a total data set of 1 174 493 bird observations; 1946,2003) showed that hawks regularly visited the city centre decades before the first successful breeding attempts were recorded. Many observations were made in parts of the city where territories were established in later years, demonstrating that these early visitors had encountered, but not used, potential nest sites. 4Pioneer settlement coincided with: (i) an increase in (legal) hunting pressure on goshawks in nearby rural areas; (ii) an increase in avian prey abundance in the city; and (iii) a succession of severe winters in the Greater Hamburg area. On the other hand, there was no evidence to suggest that the early stages of the invasion were due to: (i) decreasing food availability in rural areas; (ii) major habitat changes in the city; or (iii) rural intraguild dynamics forcing hawks into urban refugia. While breeding numbers of a potential rural source population were at a long-term low when the city was colonized, prior to first settlement there was a sharp increase of goshawk chance observations in the city and its rural periphery. 5The urban population expanded rapidly, and pair numbers began to stabilize after about 10 years. Ringing data (219 ringed nestlings from 70 urban broods; 1996,2000) demonstrated that most urban recruits had fledged in the city, but also confirmed considerable gene flow between urban and rural habitats. Analysis of chance observations (as raw data or as detrended time series) suggested a tight coupling of population dynamics inside and outside the city. 6City-colonizations such as the one described here provide a valuable opportunity to study some fundamental aspects of population ecology on a scale at which detailed monitoring is logistically feasible. Furthermore, a good understanding of urban ecology has become essential for efficient wildlife conservation in modern, human-altered environments. [source] Characterization of liquefied wood residues from different liquefaction conditionsJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2007Hui Pan Abstract The amount of wood residue is used as a measurement of the extent of wood liquefaction. Characterization of the residue from wood liquefaction provides a new approach to understand some fundamental aspects of the liquefaction reaction. Residues were characterized by wet chemical analyses, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Klason lignin content of the residues decreased, while the holocellulose and ,-cellulose contents increased as the phenol to wood ratio (P/W) increased. A peak at 1735 cm,1, which was attributed to the ester carbonyl group in xylan, disappeared in the FTIR spectra of the residues from liquefied wood under a sealed reaction system, indicating significantly different effects of atmospheric versus sealed liquefaction. The crystallinity index of the residues was higher than that of the untreated wood particles and slightly increased with an increase in the P/W ratio. The SEM images of the residues showed that the fiber bundles were reduced to small-sized bundles or even single fibers as the P/W ratio increased from 1/1 to 3/1, which indicated that the lignin in the middle lamella had been dissolved prior to the cellulose during liquefaction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007 [source] Contributions of electrochemical oxidation to waste-water treatment: fundamentals and review of applicationsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2009Ángela Anglada Abstract OVERVIEW: This paper provides an overview of some fundamental aspects of electrochemical oxidation and gives updated information on the application of this technology to waste-water treatment. In recent years, electrochemical oxidation has gained increasing interest due to its outstanding technical characteristics for eliminating a wide variety of pollutants normally present in waste-waters such as refractory organic matter, nitrogen species and microorganisms. IMPACT: The strict disposal limits and health quality standards set by legislation may be met by applying electrochemical oxidation. However, treatment costs have to be cut down before full-scale application of this technology. Deployment of electrochemical oxidation in combination with other technologies and the use of renewable sources to power this process are two steps in this direction. APPLICATIONS: Effluents from landfill and a wide diversity of industrial effluents including the agro-industry, chemical, textile, tannery and food industry, have been effectively treated by this technology. Its high efficiency together with its disinfection capabilities makes electro-oxidation a suitable technology for water reuse programs. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Laser desorption postionization for imaging MS of biological materialJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 2 2010Artem Akhmetov Abstract Vacuum ultraviolet single photon ionization (VUV SPI) is a soft ionization technique that has the potential to address many of the limitations of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) for imaging MS. Laser desorption postionization (LDPI) uses VUV SPI for postionization and is experimentally analogous to a MALDI instrument with the addition of a pulsed VUV light source. This review discusses progress in LDPI-MS over the last decade, with an emphasis on imaging MS of bacterial biofilms, analytes whose high salt environment make them particularly resistant to imaging by MALDI-MS. This review first considers fundamental aspects of VUV SPI including ionization mechanisms, cross sections, quantum yields of ionization, dissociation and potential mass limits. The most common sources of pulsed VUV radiation are then described along with a newly constructed LDPI-MS instrument with imaging capabilities. Next, the detection and imaging of small molecules within intact biofilms is demonstrated by LDPI-MS using 7.87 eV (157.6 nm) VUV photons from a molecular fluorine excimer laser, followed by the use of aromatic tags for detection of selected species within the biofilm. The final section considers the future prospects for imaging intact biological samples by LDPI-MS. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Molecular imprinting science and technology: a survey of the literature for the years up to and including 2003JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 2 2006Cameron Alexander Abstract Over 1450 references to original papers, reviews and monographs have herein been collected to document the development of molecular imprinting science and technology from the serendipitous discovery of Polyakov in 1931 to recent attempts to implement and understand the principles underlying the technique and its use in a range of application areas. In the presentation of the assembled references, a section presenting reviews and monographs covering the area is followed by papers dealing with fundamental aspects of molecular imprinting and the development of novel polymer formats. Thereafter, literature describing attempts to apply these polymeric materials to a range of application areas is presented. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Rival research programmes and their influence on nursing practiceJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2004David Newbold BSc In most forms of industry, there is an explicit link between research and development and subsequent technological processes. New discoveries can alter the direction or trajectory of technological progress. In this respect, health care is no different to any other form of industry. There are several theories of science which attempt to explain this link and predict its behaviour. According to Lakatos (1978), rival research programmes may co-exist, whilst Brouwer (1990) suggests they may vie with each other to alter the direction of technological progress. Presently, there are at least two research programmes which are competing to capture the activities of nurses. These are: the Health Care as Industrial Process programme, generating guideline driven nursing, and use of care pathways to maximize throughput plus labour substitution to minimize costs; and the Health Care as Therapeutic Interaction programme, focused on the management and delivery of the fundamental aspects of nursing care, and the use of emotional labour and psychological care to enable patients to cope and make sense of their situation. Ideally, the direction of practice should reflect both of these valid research programmes, with nurses as the staff best placed to integrate medical technology with humanity. Arguably, it is the Industrial Process programme which is currently dominant, at the price of decreased quality of care, and loss of the health benefits of therapeutic interaction. Greater effort is needed, in terms of research to reduce the apparent ,invisibility' of emotional labour, and education of nurses to boost therapeutic interaction skills. In order to re-direct the trajectory, managers should acknowledge and accommodate aspects of therapeutic interaction in service re-engineering, and use quality assurance tools which may accurately detect and monitor therapeutic interaction by nurses. [source] Reasonably Traditional: Self,Contradiction and Self,Reference in Alasdair MacIntyre's Account of Tradition,Based RationalityJOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS, Issue 3 2002Micah Lott Alasdair MacIntyre's account of tradition,based rationality has been the subject of much discussion, as well as the object of some recent charges of inconsistency. The author considers arguments by Jennifer Herdt, Peter Mehl, and John Haldane which attempt to show that MacIntyre's account of rationality is, in some way, inconsistent. It is argued that the various charges of inconsistency brought against MacIntyre by these critics can be understood as variations on two general types of criticism: (1) that MacIntyre's account of tradition,based rationality presents a picture of rationality with inconsistent internal elements, and (2) that MacIntyre, in the act of presenting his picture of rationality, makes the sort of claims to which his own account of rationality denies legitimacy, and thus MacIntyre's account is self,referentially incoherent. In response to criticisms of the first sort, it is argued that MacIntyre can further clarify or develop his position to take the current criticisms into account without altering the fundamental aspects of his picture of rationality. In response to the charge of self,referential incoherence, it is argued that the charge rests on a mistaken understanding of MacIntyre's position and of the nature of justification. In dealing with these arguments, the author hopes to not only vindicate MacIntyre's account of rationality against the charges of some of its recent critics, but also to shed some light on the nature of arguments both for and against relativism and historicism. [source] Folk theories of "inquiry:" How preservice teachers reproduce the discourse and practices of an atheoretical scientific methodJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 5 2004Mark Windschitl Despite the ubiquity of the term "inquiry" in science education literature, little is known about how teachers conceptualize inquiry, how these conceptions are formed and reinforced, how they relate to work done by scientists, and if these ideas about inquiry are translated into classroom practice. This is a multicase study in which 14 preservice secondary science teachers developed their own empirical investigations,from formulating questions to defending results in front of peers. Findings indicate that participants shared a tacit framework of what it means to "do science" which shaped their investigations and influenced reflections on their inquiries. Some facets of the participants' shared model were congruent with authentic inquiry; however, the most consistent assumptions were misrepresentations of fundamental aspects of science: for example, that a hypothesis functions as a guess about an outcome, but is not necessarily part of a larger explanatory system; that background knowledge may be used to provide ideas about what to study, but this knowledge is not in the form of a theory or other model; and that theory is an optional tool one might use at the end of a study to help explain results. These ideas appear consistent with a "folk theory" of doing science that is promoted subtly, but pervasively, in textbooks, through the media, and by members of the science education community themselves. Finally, although all participants held degrees in science, the participants who eventually used inquiry in their own classrooms were those who had significant research experiences in careers or postsecondary study and greater science-content background. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 481,512, 2004 [source] Towards framework for knowledge management implementationKNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 4 2005Ravi Shankar The implementation of knowledge management (KM) in an organization involves the integration of knowledge from the domains of strategy, structure, processes, and technology. These domains are generally underpinned,when assimilating roadmaps for holistic KM implementation,with standard KM models in the literature. The pioneering models manifesting the holistic ,growth' of knowledge in an organization are generally used to underpin the knowledge-based segregation of organizational structure. However, some authors take a critical view of such theoretical models, and instead suggest the knowledge process-based models manifesting the ,circulation' of knowledge as being a more practical approach to KM implementation. This paper takes the implementation-oriented approach further, and modifies and integrates the fundamental aspects of KM advocated in these models resulting in the creation of an integrated KM model that renders a practical framework for the broad knowledge processes across the organization. The essence of the proposed integrated model are the knowledge activities permeating an organization, which are categorized in terms of the cyclic knowledge processes of creation, organization, dissemination, and use of knowledge. These processes traverse the segregated structure of an enterprise. It is suggested that a modified knowledge-based segregation of enterprise into individual and group, organization, customer interface, and global enterprise be developed based on the cyclic knowledge processes. Further, based on the proposed integrated model, an implementation framework is outlined manifesting the cyclic circulation of knowledge across the organization. Such a framework can provide a link in the KM roadmaps between the abstract categorizations in KM models and the actual implementations using technologies, organizations, and people. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Midas Touch: Surface Processing With the UV Excimer LaserLASER TECHNIK JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Drive Disruptive Innovations, Open Up Growth Markets Very much like the ancient king Midas who as the legend tells was able to transform ordinary material into gold by the touch of his hand, today's excimer lasers are capable of transforming an unspecificmaterial layer into a high value, functional surface by their unique beam properties. Representing today's most cost-effective and dependable pulsed, ultraviolet (UV) laser technology, excimer lasers enable disruptive innovation in various growth industries as diverse as the markets for flat panel displays, automobiles, biomedical devices and alternative energies. It is the combination of two fundamental aspects, namely wavelength and output power, which determines the excimer laser's unique value adding potential in high tech industries which more than ever have to balance product size-efficiency and performance demands with process speed and production costs. This article will try to provide an insight into some key applications of the excimer laser. [source] Gesture Gives a Hand to Language and Learning: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology and EducationLINGUISTICS & LANGUAGE COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2008Spencer D. Kelly People of all ages, cultures and backgrounds gesture when they speak. These hand movements are so natural and pervasive that researchers across many fields , from linguistics to psychology to neuroscience , have claimed that the two modalities form an integrated system of meaning during language production and comprehension. This special relationship has implications for a variety of research and applied domains. Gestures may provide unique insights into language and cognitive development, and also help clinicians identify, understand and even treat developmental disorders in childhood. In addition, research in education suggests that teachers can use gesture to become even more effective in several fundamental aspects of their profession, including communication, assessment of student knowledge, and the ability to instill a profound understanding of abstract concepts in traditionally difficult domains such as language and mathematics. This work converging from multiple perspectives will push researchers and practitioners alike to view hand gestures in a new and constructive way. [source] Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update covering the period 2001,2002MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS, Issue 2 2008David J. Harvey Abstract This review is the second update of the original review on the application of MALDI mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates that was published in 1999. It covers fundamental aspects of the technique as applied to carbohydrates, fragmentation of carbohydrates, studies of specific carbohydrate types such as those from plant cell walls and those attached to proteins and lipids, studies of glycosyl-transferases and glycosidases, and studies where MALDI has been used to monitor products of chemical synthesis. Use of the technique shows a steady annual increase at the expense of older techniques such as FAB. There is an increasing emphasis on its use for examination of biological systems rather than on studies of fundamental aspects and method development and this is reflected by much of the work on applications appearing in tabular form. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 27:125,201, 2008 [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||