Sorption of platinum on immobilized microorganisms for its on-line preconcentration and chemiluminescent determination in water samples

Fungi of the type Aspergillus sp. were immobilized on a cellulosic resin and used as a biosorbent for the on-line preconcentration and separation of Pt(IV) ions prior to their chemiluminescent determination via flow injection analysis. Biosorption and elution conditions were optimized, and the results compared to biosorbents based on the use of Chlorella vulgaris algae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast in terms of preconcentration and selective retention of Pt(IV). The immobilized fungi presented here have a high potential for use in platinum biosorption. The procedure exhibits the currently lowest limit of detection (0.02 ng mL−1 of Pt) and very high selectivity. The procedure was applied to the determination of Pt(IV) in river water, road run-off, and wastewater samples

Almanya örne?inde sa?lık sisteminde palyatif bakım uygulamaları]

Although the discipline of palliative care is new, it has rapidly gained its place in other areas of medicine. The most important reason for its fast development is that the provision of the necessary care and treatment for incurable patients has acquired increasing importance today. Palliative care considers that dying is a natural process of life. The main aim of palliative care services is to support both the patients and their family during the patient's life and after their death. Support with respect to possible physical and emotional problems should also be offered. Developed countries like Germany have made important progress with regard to palliative care applications. If palliative care models implemented in such countries become known in our country, it will aid their easier integration into the health care system and also facilitate the process for health professionals. For this purpose, palliative care offered in Germany and its application into the health care system are introduced in this review. © 2012 Association of Oncology

Trust and power as determinants of tax compliance across 44 nations

The slippery slope framework of tax compliance emphasizes the importance of trust in authorities as a substantial determinant of tax compliance alongside traditional enforcement tools like audits and fines. Using data from an experimental scenario study in 44 nations from five continents (N = 14,509), we find that trust in authorities and power of authorities, as defined in the slippery slope framework, increase tax compliance intentions and mitigate intended tax evasion across societies that differ in economic, sociodemographic, political, and cultural backgrounds. We also show that trust and power foster compliance through different channels: trusted authorities (those perceived as benevolent and enhancing the common good) register the highest voluntary compliance, while powerful authorities (those perceived as effectively controlling evasion) register the highest enforced compliance. In contrast to some previous studies, the results suggest that trust and power are not fully complementary, as indicated by a negative interaction effect. Despite some between-country variations, trust and power are identified as important determinants of tax compliance across all nations. These findings have clear implications for authorities across the globe that need to choose best practices for tax collection