Examination of Silica Sol-Gels and Aerogels Containing Silver Nanoparticles and 4-Mercaptobenzoic Acid Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Sol-gels and aero-gels containing silver nanoparticles have been investigated for use as substrates in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). 4-Mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) was chosen as the target molecule in this study, as it has been well-characterized using SERS. The orientation of the 4-MBA at different coverages in gels, and at differing concentrations of silver colloid, has not been well studied. For both base and acid-catalyzed sol-gels, xerogels, and aerogels, the concentration of 4-MBA was varied with a constant silver colloid concentration in the silica gels and the effects were measured with SERS. The effect of varying silver colloid concentration against a constant 4-MBA concentration was also investigated. The results of each process were compared

A Systems Thinking Approach to Redesigning the Patient Experience to Reduce 30 Day Hospital Readmission

INTRODUCTION The cost of medical care is spiraling out of control, and one of the many reasons is lack of preventative care, poor communication to the patient and primary caregiver(s) both in an inpatient and outpatient setting. There are potentially many reasons for this cost escalation, one of the drivers of this cost is 30 day readmission after a hospitalization and this is what was examined in this analysis. The purpose of this paper in particular is to share what has been learned using a systems thinking approach to hospital readmissions and the patient experience. It is critical to understand the problems that occurred in the past. In addition, we will explain the methodology utilized and bring awareness to the iterative process. We will also demonstrate a suggested redesigned model

A versatile characterization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamideco- N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide) hydrogels for composition, mechanical strength, and rheology

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N,N"-methylene-bisacrylamide) (P(NIPAAm-co-MBA)) hydrogels were prepared in water using redox initiator. The copolymer composition at high conversion (> 95%) was determined indirectly by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis of the leaching water and directly by solid state 13C CP MAS NMR (cross polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy of the dried gels, and was found to be close to that of the feed. The effect of cross-linker (MBA) content in the copolymer was investigated in the concentration range of 1.1–9.1 mol% (R:90–10; R = mol NIPAAm/mol MBA) on the rheological behaviour and mechanical strength of the hydrogels. Both storage and loss modulus decreased with decreasing cross-linker content as revealed by dynamic rheometry. Gels R70 and R90 with very low cross-linker content (1.2–1.5 mol% MBA) have a very loose network structure, which is significantly different from those with higher cross-linker content manifesting in higher difference in storage modulus. The temperature dependence of the damping factor served the most accurate determination of the volume phase transition temperature, which was not affected by the cross-link density in the investigated range of MBA concentration. Gel R10 with highest cross-linker content (9.1 mol% MBA) behaves anomalously due to heterogeneity and the hindered conformation of the side chains of PNIPAAm

Simple one pot preparation of chemical hydrogels from cellulose dissolved in cold LiOH/urea

In this work, non-derivatized cellulose pulp was dissolved in a cold alkali solution (LiOH/urea) and chemically cross-linked with methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) to form a robust hydrogel with superior water absorption properties. Different cellulose concentrations (i.e., 2, 3 and 4 wt%) and MBA/glucose molar ratios (i.e., 0.26, 0.53 and 1.05) were tested. The cellulose hydrogel cured at 60 °C for 30 min, with a MBA/glucose molar ratio of 1.05, exhibited the highest water swelling capacity absorbing ca. 220 g H2O/g dry hydrogel. Moreover, the data suggest that the cross-linking occurs via a basic Michael addition mechanism. This innovative procedure based on the direct dissolution of unmodified cellulose in LiOH/urea followed by MBA cross-linking provides a simple and fast approach to prepare chemically cross-linked non-derivatized high-molecular-weight cellulose hydrogels with superior water uptake capacity.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT, via the projects PTDC/AGR-TEC/4814/2014, PTDC/ASP-SIL/30619/2017 and UIDB/05183/2020, and the research grant IF/01005/2014.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Breaking the MBA delivery mould: A multi-group international MBA / practitioner virtual collaborative project

The marketing education project presented here brings together a major UK financial institution in the banking sector and a selection of its high value clients (B-to-B) via e-mail, telephone, video conferencing and other web-based technologies, with two geographically dispersed MBA classes in the UK and the US. Student groups were set up in virtual teams to target critical customer issues, analyzing gaps in the client-company interface. The two MBA courses included Customer Management & Quality Systems delivered at the University of Manchester, Manchester Business School (UK) and International Marketing, delivered at Missouri State University (US). The groups worked as a "think tank" collaborating to solve important customer service issues

Managing your executive MBA program to its maximum sales potential: an exploratory and holistic approach

The purpose of this research is to determine methods in which Business Schools can manage its Executive MBA Program in order to achieve maximum desired sales (i.e. enrollment). To determine this information, the state of the Executive MBA market was examined in detail as well as the issue of organizational inefficiency with regard to the bottom line. In addition, a sales management framework, which looks at maximizing sales from an internal holistic perspective, was subsequently introduced as to its applicability to ignite increased sales within the Executive MBA program management setting. The findings of this study indicate that institutions of higher education can potentially achieve maximum desired sales within its Executive MBA Program if a more holistic approach is taken to thwart out organizational inefficiencies. The results of this exploratory study can have significant implications on how Business Schools and entire universities are managed for future growth and development.Executive MBA Program, sales, enrollment, maximize.

Dispelling the myths of online education: learning via the information superhighway

There continues to be a perception that online education is inferior to traditional education. In the U.S. online learning is more developed than in the U.K. This paper provides insights into a U.S. provision and takes a close look at what are perceived as weaknesses of on line learning and argues that these are not necessarily inherent weaknesses of this form of educational delivery. Then, results of two major studies, undertaken in the U.S. are provided comparing the effectiveness of online education to traditional education as perceived by current MBA students and past graduates. Results of these studies suggest that students of MBA modules and MBA graduates perceive the quality and effectiveness of online education to be similar to, if not higher than, the quality and effectiveness of traditional modules and programmes