Closed-loop immiscibility in a ternary mixture of homopolymers

Light scattering and calorimetric techniques were used to investigate the isothermal phase behaviour of a ternary polymer blend consisting of three pairwise miscible homopolymers. These homopolymers, polystyrene (PS), poly(2-chlorostyrene) (P2CIS) and polycyclohexylacrylate (PCHA), are apparently the first known examples of homopolymers that form a closed loop in the ternary isothermal phase diagram. The phase diagram of the ternary blend was determined by light scattering at 433 K, where all three pairs are below their respective lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The miscible compositions exhibit a single glass transition temperature (Tg) which follow a simple volume additivity relationship. Inside the immiscible closed-loop region, single Tgs are also observed, but these are shown to be consistent with the presence of two phases. Two binary interaction parameters (for the pairs PS-P2CIS and PS-PCHA) were determined from the locations of LCSTs. The interaction parameter between P2CIS-PCHA was determined by approximating the observed closed-loop region of immiscibility by the Flory-Huggins lattice model. In analogy with systems comprised of a mixture of two polymers and a solvent, the closed-loop immiscibility gap results from an asymmetry in the interaction parameters between the three pairs (a 'Δχ' effect). The following ordering was observed: χPCHA-P2CIS < χPCHA-PS ≈ χPS-P2C1S. This trend is consistent with the curvatures of the composition-dependent glass transition Tg(φ) plots. © 1994

Understanding Factors Associated With Psychomotor Subtypes of Delirium in Older Inpatients With Dementia

Objectives: Few studies have analyzed factors associated with delirium subtypes. In this study, we investigate factors associated with subtypes of delirium only in patients with dementia to provide insights on the possible prevention and treatments. Design: This is a cross-sectional study nested in the \u201cDelirium Day\u201d study, a nationwide Italian point-prevalence study. Setting and Participants: Older patients admitted to 205 acute and 92 rehabilitation hospital wards. Measures: Delirium was evaluated with the 4-AT and the motor subtypes with the Delirium Motor Subtype Scale. Dementia was defined by the presence of a documented diagnosis in the medical records and/or prescription of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or memantine prior to admission. Results: Of the 1057 patients with dementia, 35% had delirium, with 25.6% hyperactive, 33.1% hypoactive, 34.5% mixed, and 6.7% nonmotor subtype. There were higher odds of having venous catheters in the hypoactive (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.18-2.81) and mixed type of delirium (OR 2.23, CI 1.43-3.46), whereas higher odds of urinary catheters in the hypoactive (OR 2.91, CI 1.92-4.39), hyperactive (OR 1.99, CI 1.23-3.21), and mixed types of delirium (OR 2.05, CI 1.36-3.07). We found higher odds of antipsychotics both in the hyperactive (OR 2.87, CI 1.81-4.54) and mixed subtype (OR 1.84, CI 1.24-2.75), whereas higher odds of antibiotics was present only in the mixed subtype (OR 1.91, CI 1.26-2.87). Conclusions and Implications: In patients with dementia, the mixed delirium subtype is the most prevalent followed by the hypoactive, hyperactive, and nonmotor subtype. Motor subtypes of delirium may be triggered by clinical factors, including the use of venous and urinary catheters, and the use of antipsychotics. Future studies are necessary to provide further insights on the possible pathophysiology of delirium in patients with dementia and to address the optimization of the management of potential risk factors