Fundamental considerations for future solid lubricants

Properties important to the performance of solid lubricants are discussed. Those properties include shear characteristics, coherence between particles, resistance to cold flow, adherence to the substrate, applicable chemical thermodynamics and kinetics of materials and environments, polymorphism, and rheology. The following generalizations are made: (1) chemical thermodynamics and kinetics are powerful tools for use in determining the useful environments and methods of application for solid film lubricants; (2) the primary requirement for a solid lubricant is low shear strength; (3) the rheology of solid film constituents and formulations is likely to be of vital importance to performance and life; and (4) adherence and mobility of surface films is another primary requirement for long lived solid lubricants

Quality healthcare, evidence-based medicine and translational research

Advances in medical care ensure that with the passage of time we are increasingly able to effectively tackle diverse medical problems. These advances, however, do come at a cost and the benefits derived need to be assessed on a regular basis. The ability to increase longevity and hold disease progression at bay needs to be balanced against the ensuing quality of life of the subject, the long term demands on the individual, and on the healthcare system. The financial implications for the individual and the state as well as the ultimate well being of the individual and of society need to be included in the increasingly complex equation that constitutes healthcare provision.peer-reviewe

Plasma modified foley catheters against to catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)

In this study; the foley catheters were modified by plasma polymerization technique and coated with alginate gels. This modification processes were applied to prevent bacterial adhesion onto the foley catheter surfaces. Here the most effective parameters were evaluated as the plasma polymerization system power and plasma exposure time for the effective catheter surface modification. The obtained results showed that the plasma power affected hidrophilicity of the surface and wettability of the foley catheters was increased. The plasma exposure time increased the amount of EDA deposition over the catheter surfaces and then caused more hydrophilicity for the foley catheter surfaces also. In this study, the bacterial strain of E. Coli had a hydrophobic nature and therefore the increase in hydrophilicity of the surface of foley catheters decreased the adhesion risk for the E. Coli onto the catheter surfaces. As the numerical values of the obtained data; while the amount of bacterial colony formation unit was at 108 level initially, it was decreased down to 104-103 level by changing the surface hydrophilicities as expected

Improving Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) Exam Adherence

Problem: Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MNCD) and dementia remain one of the most common debilitating problems facing the elderly. The Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) Exam is a screening questionnaire to assess for MNCD or dementia. With the utilization of the SLUMS, clinicians can detect cognitive impairment and provide early intervention resulting in improved function and delayed progression of illness. The aim of this project was to increase the rate of SLUMS completion by at least 75% at a long-term care facility in a rural Midwestern state and to assess changes in diagnoses and treatment plans resulting from use of this screening tool. Methods: A prospective record review containing quantitative, descriptive data was used for this quality improvement (QI) project evaluating rates of SLUMS completion, changes in diagnoses, and changes in treatment plans resulting from this screening. Results: Of the 75 residents eligible for SLUMS screening, 41.33% had a diagnosis of dementia or MNCD prior to implementation and 74.67% had one of these diagnoses after screening. Utilizing the SLUMS increased detection of MNCD or dementia by 33.34 %, and 34.7% of residents started on medications to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s related dementia. Discussion: The increase in SLUMS screenings helped to identify early signs of cognitive impairment and establish prompt treatment planning, including medication adjustments. This project identified a clinically significant impact by using SLUMS screening and supports the need to establish annual SLUMS screening to detect cognitive decline at all long-term care facilities in this area

Quality of Care Assessment at a Resident-based Primary Care HIV Clinic

A quality improvement study based in a primary care resident-based HIV clinic, the Kendig Clinic, was conducted within Jefferson Family Medicine Associates. The study objectives were to • Determine the percentage of the clinic patients meeting each quality measure • Compare these calculated clinic measures to known national averages • Use the data to determine areas to target for future quality improvement initiatives.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/cwicposters/1019/thumbnail.jp

EU accession : one year later

The first of May 2004 heralded a new era as ten member states joined the European Union. The conduct of affairs and business in the new member states is gradually changing amid concerns from the original fifteen member states that this will have an economic and cultural impact on the European Union.peer-reviewe

The scaling of model test results to predict intake hot gas reingestion for STOVL aircraft with augmented vectored thrust engines

The difficulties of modeling the complex recirculating flow fields produced by multiple jet STOVL aircraft close to the ground have led to extensive use of experimental model tests to predict intake Hot Gas Reingestion (HGR). Model test results reliability is dependent on a satisfactory set of scaling rules which must be validated by fully comparable full scale tests. Scaling rules devised in the U.K. in the mid 60's gave good model/full scale agreement for the BAe P1127 aircraft. Until recently no opportunity has occurred to check the applicability of the rules to the high energy exhaust of current ASTOVL aircraft projects. Such an opportunity has arisen following tests on a Tethered Harrier. Comparison of this full scale data and results from tests on a model configuration approximating to the full scale aircraft geometry has shown discrepancies between HGR levels. These discrepancies although probably due to geometry and other model/scale differences indicate some reexamination of the scaling rules is needed. Therefore the scaling rules are reviewed, further scaling studies planned are described and potential areas for further work are suggested

nanopub-java: A Java Library for Nanopublications

The concept of nanopublications was first proposed about six years ago, but it lacked openly available implementations. The library presented here is the first one that has become an official implementation of the nanopublication community. Its core features are stable, but it also contains unofficial and experimental extensions: for publishing to a decentralized server network, for defining sets of nanopublications with indexes, for informal assertions, and for digitally signing nanopublications. Most of the features of the library can also be accessed via an online validator interface.Comment: Proceedings of 5th Workshop on Linked Science 201

Faktor-faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Kepatuhan Diet pada Penderita Diabetes Melitus Tipe 2

This study aims to determine the factors that influence dietary compliance in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) as a whole using the methods used: descriptive study, qualitative study, cross-sectional survey. There were seven articles that met the inclusion criteria. The average age of the sample in the articles obtained ranged from 18 to 70 years. In conclusion, the factors found to influence diet compliance were knowledge factors about eating patterns, physical activity factors, access to information factors, social support factors, motivation and self-ability factors, perception factors, income factors, age factors, and environmental and cultural factors.   Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus, Compliance, Die