Poly(ethylene oxide)-sodium dodecyl sulfate interactions studied using static and dynamic light scattering

Static and dynamic light scattering measurements have been made on poly(ethy1ene oxide) (PEO) in the presence of the ionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution over a range of relative concentrations. The purpose was, in part, to demonstrate the polyelectrolyte effecte which arise in PEO on formation of the charged complex between the components in solution in which small SDS micelles are incorporated into the flexible PEO coil. The influence of the ionic strength of the medium was studied. Static light scattering measurements show that the radius of gyration changes as a function of SDS concentration and the ionic strength of the medium. Diffusion coefficients from dynamic light scattering (DLS) reflect changes in the pair interaction potential as the SDS and ionic strength are altered. Laplace inversion of the DLS time correlation function gives relaxation time distributions consisting of the PEO/SDS complex as the main component and free SDS micelles as the minor component. Changes in peak areas are related to the increase in the degree of binding between SDS and PEO as the relative concentrations change and also the increase in SDS micellar size with increase in the ionic strength of the medium

Топологические пространства и их отображения

Сборник содержит результаты исследований в области функционального анализа, теории функций и топологии

Exploring Quality Challenges and the Validity of Excellence Models

\ua9 2016, \ua9 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and explore important quality-related challenges facing organizations, and investigate how current excellence models incorporate these challenges. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a Delphi study of Swedish organizations. Forty-nine challenges were generated and ranked according to importance and the ten top-ranked challenges were compared to the principles of four excellence models. Findings: The excellence models still seem to be relevant since their content matches many of the identified challenges. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Swedish Institute for Quality models were found to have the most comprehensive coverage, while the International Organization for Standardization model had limited coverage. Research limitations/implications: Three areas for further research were identified: first, how quality management (QM) can evolve in different contexts that have varying needs in terms of adaptive and explorative capabilities; second, the interfaces of QM and sustainability, and ways to understand how customers and stakeholders can be active contributors to improvements; and third, the roles of the owners and board of directors regarding QM, and how to organize and distribute responsibilities of the QM work. Practical implications: There are three important challenges that future revisions of excellence models could address: first, making QM a strategic issue for company owners; second, involving customers in the improvement activities; and third, developing processes that are robust yet still easily adaptable. Originality/value: The Delphi study identified upcoming challenges in the QM area based on input from 188 quality professionals

Exploring Modes of Innovation in Services

Abstract Manufacturing companies differentiating their offerings with new services need to combine both product and service innovation. We study how service development is influenced by (a) the choice of separation or integration of service development and (b) the modes of innovation. Our results show that service development often is more structured if services are developed separately. Furthermore, service innovations often follow a sequence of innovation modes different from those of product innovations. Since different innovation modes benefit from varying degree of structure in the development process, many companies find it hard to develop products and services within the same development project

Quality management as a means for micro-level sustainability development in organizations

Purpose. The use of quality management (QM) to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) is a topic of growing interest in academia and industry. The IAQ (International Academy for Quality) established Quality Sustainability Award in 2020, a testament to this growing interest. This study aims to investigate how QM philosophies, methodologies and tools can be used to achieve sustainable development in organizations. Design/methodology/approach. Five large manufacturing organizations – three from India and two from China – who reported their achievements about using QM in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were studied using multiple sources of data collection. A detailed within-case and cross-case analysis were conducted to unearth this linkage's practical and theoretical aspects. Findings. The study finds that QM methodologies effectively met the five organizations' UNSDGs. These organizations successfully used OPEX (Operational Excellence) methodologies such as Lean, Kaizen and Six Sigma to meet UNSDGs 7, 11, 12 and 13. Moreover, UNSG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) is the most targeted goal across the case studies. A cross-case analysis revealed that the most frequently used quality tools were Design of Experiments (DoE), Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), C&E analysis and Inferential statistics, among other essential tools. Research limitations/implications. The study's sample size was limited to large-scale manufacturing organizations in the two most populous countries in the world. This may limit the study's generalizability to other countries, continents, or micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Additionally, the study's conclusions would be strengthened if tested as hypotheses in a follow-up survey. Practical implications. This practical paper provides case studies on how to use QM to impact SDGs. It offers both descriptive and prescriptive solutions for practitioners. The study highlights the importance of using essential QM tools in a structured and systematic manner, with effective teams, to meet the SDGs of organizations. Social implications. The study shows how QM can be used to impact UNSDGs, and this is very important because the UNSDGs are a set of global objectives that aim to address a wide range of social and environmental issues. This study could motivate organizations to achieve the UNSDGs using essential QM tools and make the world a better place for the present and future generations. Originality/value. This case study is the first to investigate at a micro-level how QM can impact UNSDGs using live examples. It uses data from the IAQ to demonstrate how QM can be integrated into UNSDGs to ensure sustainable manufacturing

Atonal homolog 1 Is a Tumor Suppressor Gene

Colon cancer accounts for more than 10% of all cancer deaths annually. Our genetic evidence from Drosophila and previous in vitro studies of mammalian Atonal homolog 1 (Atoh1, also called Math1 or Hath1) suggest an anti-oncogenic function for the Atonal group of proneural basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. We asked whether mouse Atoh1 and human ATOH1 act as tumor suppressor genes in vivo. Genetic knockouts in mouse and molecular analyses in the mouse and in human cancer cell lines support a tumor suppressor function for ATOH1. ATOH1 antagonizes tumor formation and growth by regulating proliferation and apoptosis, likely via activation of the Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway. Furthermore, colorectal cancer and Merkel cell carcinoma patients show genetic and epigenetic ATOH1 loss-of-function mutations. Our data indicate that ATOH1 may be an early target for oncogenic mutations in tissues where it instructs cellular differentiation

Merkel Cells as Putative Regulatory Cells in Skin Disorders: An In Vitro Study

Merkel cells (MCs) are involved in mechanoreception, but several lines of evidence suggest that they may also participate in skin disorders through the release of neuropeptides and hormones. In addition, MC hyperplasias have been reported in inflammatory skin diseases. However, neither proliferation nor reactions to the epidermal environment have been demonstrated. We established a culture model enriched in swine MCs to analyze their proliferative capability and to discover MC survival factors and modulators of MC neuroendocrine properties. In culture, MCs reacted to bFGF by extending outgrowths. Conversely, neurotrophins failed to induce cell spreading, suggesting that they do not act as a growth factor for MCs. For the first time, we provide evidence of proliferation in culture through Ki-67 immunoreactivity. We also found that MCs reacted to histamine or activation of the proton gated/osmoreceptor TRPV4 by releasing vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Since VIP is involved in many pathophysiological processes, its release suggests a putative regulatory role for MCs in skin disorders. Moreover, in contrast to mechanotransduction, neuropeptide exocytosis was Ca2+-independent, as inhibition of Ca2+ channels or culture in the absence of Ca2+ failed to decrease the amount of VIP released. We conclude that neuropeptide release and neurotransmitter exocytosis may be two distinct pathways that are differentially regulated

A role for NT-3 in the hyperinnervation of neonatally wounded skin

Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) is a target-derived neurotrophic factor that regulates sensory neuronal survival and growth. Here we report that NT-3 plays a critical permissive role in cutaneous sensory nerve sprouting that contributes to pain and sensitivity following skin wounding in young animals. Sensory terminal sprouting in neonatally wounded dermis and epidermis is accompanied by increased NT-3 transcription, NT-3 protein levels, and NT-3 protein release 3-7 days post skin injury in newborn rats and mice. Functional blockade of NT-3 activity with specific antibodies greatly reduces sensory neurite outgrowth induced by wounded skin, but not by naïve skin, in dorsal root ganglion/skin co-cultures. The requirement for NT-3 for sensory terminal sprouting in vivo is confirmed by the absence of wound-induced hyperinnervation in heterozygous transgenic mice (NT-3+/−lacZ). We conclude that upregulation of NT-3 in neonatally wounded skin is a critical factor mediating the sensory nerve sprouting that underlies hypersensitivity and pain following skin injury

Análise de dados de reclamações em empreendimentos habitacionais de interesse social: estudo no Programa de Arrendamento Residencial

O gerenciamento de reclamações é uma prática difundida em muitas emmpresas do setor de manufatura, a fim de proporcionar a melhoria da ualidade de produtos e serviços. No que tange à construção civil, bservam-se poucos estudos sobre a utilização desse tipo de gestão de empreendimentos, sendo poucas as empresas que percebem a utilidade das informações sobre reclamações. O presente trabalho apresenta uma análise de dados de reclamações de usuários de uma amostra de empreendimentos habitacionais de interesse social, com o objetivo de investigar sua utilidade para a retroalimentação do processo de desenvolvimento do produto nesse segmento. Foram analisadas 6.956 reclamações de usuários de 42 empreendimentos habitacionais de interesse social do Programa de Arrendamento Residencial, localizados no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O trabalho envolveu um tratamento inicial dos dados de reclamações para a montagem de um banco de dados, seguido da aplicação de diversos testes estatísticos. As principais contribuições estão relacionadas com a utilidade dos dados de reclamações, incluindo a geração de indicadores que podem apoiar a tomada de decisão por parte de diferentes agentes envolvidos na produção habitacional, tais como projetistas, construtoras, agentes financiadores e empresas envolvidas na gestão da operação e manutenção. Os indicadores, se bem utilizados, podem contribuir para a melhoria de produtos e serviços que compreendem os empreendimentos habitacionais, possibilitando um aumento na satisfação dos usuários finais