Greater Disparity (greater + disparity)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Crystal structure of a ternary mononuclear copper (II) complex: 4-chloro-3-methyl-6[(N-2-picolyl)-1,-iminomethyl]phenolato copper(II)perchlorate

CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
S. M. Malathy Sony
Abstract The complex crystallizes in monoclinic space group P21/n with unit cell parameters a = 7.295(4), b = 19.627(5), c = 12.770(4) Å, , = 101.25(4)º, V = 1793.2(12) Å3, Z = 4, , = 1.684 Mg/m3 at T = 293(2)K. The structure was solved by Patterson method and refined by full-matrix least-squares procedures to final R = 0.0387 using 2906 observed reflections. The asymmetric unit of the complex contains a mononuclear tridentate ligand, a perchlorate group and a methanol molecule. The compound crystallizes as parallel layers of polymeric complex bridged through perchloarate groups. The molecular CuN2OO,O,,2 chromophore involves an elongated rhombic octahedral structure and the Cu-ligand bond shows greater disparity. The five-membered chelate ring and the pyridine ring lie in the same plane while the six membered chelate ring assumes sofa conformation. A strong O-H,O inter molecular interaction plays a key role in the formation of dimer along b-axis. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


Ecohydrological impacts of woody-plant encroachment: seasonal patterns of water and carbon dioxide exchange within a semiarid riparian environment

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
RUSSELL L. SCOTT
Abstract Across many dryland regions, historically grass-dominated ecosystems have been encroached upon by woody-plant species. In this paper, we compare ecosystem water and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes over a grassland, a grassland,shrubland mosaic, and a fully developed woodland to evaluate potential consequences of woody-plant encroachment on important ecosystem processes. All three sites were located in the riparian corridor of a river in the southwest US. As such, plants in these ecosystems may have access to moisture at the capillary fringe of the near-surface water table. Using fluxes measured by eddy covariance in 2003 we found that ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) and net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide (NEE) increased with increasing woody-plant dominance. Growing season ET totals were 407, 450, and 639 mm in the grassland, shrubland, and woodland, respectively, and in excess of precipitation by 227, 265, and 473 mm. This excess was derived from groundwater, especially during the extremely dry premonsoon period when this was the only source of moisture available to plants. Access to groundwater by the deep-rooted woody plants apparently decouples ecosystem ET from gross ecosystem production (GEP) with respect to precipitation. Compared with grasses, the woody plants were better able to use the stable groundwater source and had an increased net CO2 gain during the dry periods. This enhanced plant activity resulted in substantial accumulation of leaf litter on the soil surface that, during rainy periods, may lead to high microbial respiration rates that offset these photosynthetic fluxes. March,December (primary growing season) totals of NEE were ,63, ,212, and ,233 g C m,2 in the grassland, shrubland, and woodland, respectively. Thus, there was a greater disparity between ecosystem water use and the strength of the CO2 sink as woody plants increased across the encroachment gradient. Despite a higher density of woody plants and a greater plant productivity in the woodland than in the shrubland, the woodland produced a larger respiration response to rainfall that largely offset its higher photosynthetic potential. These data suggest that the capacity for woody plants to exploit water resources in riparian areas results in enhanced carbon sequestration at the expense of increased groundwater use under current climate conditions, but the potential does not scale specifically as a function of woody-plant abundance. These results highlight the important roles of water sources and ecosystem structure on the control of water and carbon balances in dryland areas. [source]


The Medical Interview: Differences Between Adult and Geriatric Outpatients

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2001
Sandeep Mann MD
BACKGROUND: There is a perception that primary care physicians spend less time with older patients and little is known about physician and older patient satisfaction during clinical encounters. OBJECTIVE: To determine how primary care interviews of geriatric patients differ from those of other adults. DESIGN: Descriptive, analytic study. SETTING: Ten primary care sites in the United States and one in Canada, including public, voluntary, and private clinics and practices. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 544 patients, 45.6% were 65 and older and 17.8% were 75 or older. There were 127 participating physicians. MEASUREMENTS: Encounters were audiotaped and analyzed. Patients and physicians also completed exit questionnaires. RESULTS: Interview length increased significantly with age for men but not for women. Physician satisfaction did not change as patient age increased. Patient satisfaction, on the other hand decreased with age among women but not for men. Although physicians' and younger patients' perceptions of health were moderately associated, there was no association for men ages 75 and over. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence that physicians spend less time or are more uncomfortable with older patients. Both physician and male patient satisfaction remain stable with increasing patient age, despite greater disparity in patient and physician perceptions of health. Older female patients are less satisfied with physician visits than their younger counterparts, in the absence of changes in interview length or disparities between older female patients and their physicians in health perception. [source]


Achieving Goal Blood Pressure in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Conventional Versus Fixed-Dose Combination Approaches

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 3 2003
George L. Bakris MD
Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) demonstrate that only 11% of people with diabetes who are treated for high blood pressure achieve the blood pressure goal of <130/85 mm Hg recommended in the sixth report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI). The current study tests the hypothesis that initial therapy with a fixed-dose combination will achieve the recommended blood pressure goal in patients with type 2 diabetes faster than conventional monotherapy. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study had as a primary end point achievement of blood pressure <130/85 mm Hg. Participants (N=214) with hypertension and type 2 diabetes received either amlodipine/benazepril 5/10 mg (combination) or enalapril 10 mg (conventional) once daily for 4 weeks, titrated to 5/20 mg/day or 20 mg/day, respectively at this time, if target blood pressure was not achieved. Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 12.5 mg/day was added for the final 4 weeks, if target blood pressure was still not reached. Time from baseline to achieve blood pressure <130/85 mm Hg was shorter in the combination group (5.3±3.1 weeks combination vs. 6.4±3.8 weeks conventional; p=0.001). At 3 months, more participants in the combination group achieved treatment goal (63% combination vs. 37% conventional; p=0.002). Data analysis at 3 months comparing blood pressure control rates between the fixed-dose combination group (with out HCTZ) to the conventional group (receiving HCTZ) showed an even greater disparity in blood pressure goal achievement (87% combination without HCTZ vs. 37% conventional group with HCTZ; p=0.0001). We conclude that initial therapy with a fixed-dose combination may be more efficacious than conventional monotherapy approaches for achieving blood pressure goals in the diabetic patient. A fixed-dose combination approach appears as safe as the current conventional approaches. [source]