Ultra-high molecular weight silphenylene-siloxane polymers

Silphenylene-siloxane copolymers with molecular weights above one million were prepared using a two stage polymerization technique. The technique was successfully scaled up to produce 50 grams of this high polymer in a single run. The reactive monomer approach was also investigated using the following aminosilanes: bis(dimethylamino)dimethylsilane, N,N-bis(pyrrolidinyl)dimethylsilane and N,N-bis(gamma-butyrolactam)dimethylsilane). Thermal analyses were performed in both air and nitrogen. The experimental polymers decomposed at 540 to 562 C, as opposed to 408 to 426 C for commercial silicones. Differential scanning calorimetry showed a glass transition (Tg) at -50 to -55 C for the silphenylene-siloxane copolymer while the commercial silicones had Tg's at -96 to -112 C

Elucidating College Students’ Stressors: Photovoice as a Pedagogical Tool and Qualitative Methodology

Traditional research examining student stress relies on surveys using pre-determined categories. This study diverts from that approach by adopting a Communication in Conflict class assignment over seven classes (N = 115) using photovoice to determine if results fluctuate by using a different methodology. Additionally, we sought to understand if the sources of stress vary by gender and semester. The data revealed seven categories as the main stressors of student conflict: 1) time management, 2) mental health, 3) finding oneself, 4) future uncertainty, 5) other, 6) financial, and 7) past mistakes. Regardless of participants’ sex/gender or semester in which the data were collected, time management and mental health remained constant. Furthermore, finding oneself and future uncertainty were stressors identified more often in the fall rather than the spring semester. These results varied from traditional survey research

Designing a Collaborative Blog about Student Success

The term “web log,” or “blog,” was first coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger (Blood). Blogs have been used in education as online journals, discussion platforms, course websites, and alternatives to mainstream media publications (EDUCAUSE, 2005). Two of the more common blogging platforms, Wordpress and Blogger , are relatively simple to use, requiring no knowledge of HTML to post entries. One of the many advantages of using blogs is that they can foster interaction among peers, thereby building community (EDUCAUSE, 2005; Richardson). For further explanation of how blogs work, Common Craft has created an easy-to-follow video entitled Blogs in Plain English

Midwives' competence : is it affected by working in a rural location?

Introduction: Rising health care costs and the need to consolidate expertise in tertiary services have led to the centralisation of services. In the UK, the result has been that many rural maternity units have become midwife-led. A key consideration is that midwives have the skills to competently and confidently provide maternity services in rural areas, which may be geographically isolated and where the midwife may only see a small number of pregnant women each year. Our objective was to compare the views of midwives in rural and urban settings, regarding their competence and confidence with respect to ‘competencies’ identified as being those which all professionals should have in order to provide effective and safe care for low-risk women. Method: This was a comparative questionnaire survey involving a stratified sample of remote and rural maternity units and an ad hoc comparison group of three urban maternity units in Scotland. Questionnaires were sent to 82 midwives working in remote and rural areas and 107 midwives working in urban hospitals with midwife-led units. Results: The response rate from midwives in rural settings was considerably higher (85%) than from midwives in the urban areas (60%). Although the proportion of midwives who reported that they were competent was broadly similar in the two groups, there were some significant differences regarding specific competencies. Midwives in the rural group were more likely to report competence for breech delivery (p = 0.001), while more urban midwives reported competence in skills such as intravenous fluid replacement (p <0.001) and initial and discharge examination of the newborn (p <0.001). Both groups reported facing barriers to continuing professional development; however, more of the rural group had attended an educational event within the last month (p <0.001). Lack of time was a greater barrier for urban midwives (p = 0.02), whereas distance to training was greater for rural midwives (p = 0.009). Lack of motivation or interest was significantly higher in urban units (p = 0.006). Conclusion: It is often assumed that midwives in rural areas where there are fewer deliveries, will be less competent and confident in their practice. Our exploratory study suggests that the issue of competence is far more complex and deserves further attention.NHS Education Scotlan

Performance of a packed distillation column with induction heated packing

An experimental packed distillation column was constructed and data were taken to evaluate the effects of heating sections of the column packing during the distillation operation. The experimental column was packed with carbon Raschig rings and the heating was accomplished using an induction coil. The carbon tetrachloride and benzene system was studied. Heating the packing did not increase the separation of the components but it did allow a higher flow rate through the column before flooding conditions developed. The effect of heating relative to the efficiency of a packed column was opposite to the results obtained in an earlier investigation. Reevaluation of the earlier publication indicated that the author's conclusions were based on inappropriate vapor flow rates