Interpreting Mozart: The Performance Practice of his Piano Pieces and Other Compositions by Eva Badura-Skoda and Paul Badura-Skoda

Willis reviews and critiques Eva and Paul Badura-Skoda\u27s 2009

N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands for Nickel Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts:Toward the Incorporation of Polar Comonomers

The development of a catalyst capable of incorporating vinyl-functionalized polar olefins (methyl acrylate, acrylonitrile) into a linear polyethylene backbone is one of the most prominent challenges in organometallic chemistry. Recent developments in group 10 catalysts (Ni and Pd) have shown promise; however, there remains no system capable of this goal. Our group has developed a series of neutral Ni complexes which are excellent catalysts for the polymerization of ethylene but are rapidly deactivated in the presence of methyl acrylate and other polar olefins. This thesis presents our studies toward the cause of catalyst deactivation by these olefins, and describes the design of novel Ni complexes based on the findings of the deactivation study. To determine the cause of deactivation by polar olefins, our neutral Ni catalysts were allowed to react with methyl acrylate (MA). Examination of the products revealed that, upon coordination of MA, the catalysts form chelated enolate complexes which are susceptible to deactivating protonolysis across Ni–C bonds. Furthermore, it was determined that MA itself is a potential source of hydrogen atoms for this cleavage, implying protolytic deactivation is unavoidable result whenever olefins capable of chelation are introduced to the catalysts. Therefore, it was decided that chelation should be made less favorable through the use of more electron-donating ligands. For this purpose, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were chosen. NHCs are stable carbenes which have found increasing use as electron-rich ligands for transition metals. In order to make viable catalysts, NHC ligands capable of chelation through a phenoxide moiety were required. An efficient synthesis of these ligands was developed, and they were successfully ligated to Pd. However, it was found that upon attempted ligation to Ni, a series of unexpected and undesired compounds were obtained, one of which is the apparent result of an unprecedented C–N cleavage of the NHC heterocycle. Unfortunately, when a targeted Ni complex was finally synthesized, it proved inactive toward ethylene polymerization. Finally, it was shown that group 4 (Ti and Zr) complexes of the novel NHC ligands are good catalysts for ethylene polymerization, as well as the copolymerization of ethylene with other olefins.</p

Patient Sociotechnical Assemblages: The Distributed Cognition of Health Information Management

Personal health records (PHR) are shifting the capabilities and responsibilities of both patients and providers. Influenced by health IT, concepts like patient-centered care, meaningful use, and patient empowerment are commonplace in the healthcare system. As the popularity of personal health records increases, medical providers, healthcare organizations, and health information system stakeholders require a thorough understanding of how patients use these patient facing information portals in conjunction with other artifacts, objects, and practices to manage and maintain their health. Exploring health information management as a distributed sociotechnical assemblage is the conceptual approach of this research. A distributed cognition perspective lends insight to drawing boundaries and establishing connections of personal health information management practices in conjunction with PHR use. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a unique setting to further understand PHR use and personal health information management practice through the observation of U.S. military veterans enrolled in the My HealtheVet PHR. This context and conceptual framework lead to the research questions for the proposed study: RQ1a: What are the personal health information management practices of veterans who use a personal health record? RQ1b: What health information management practices become distributed beyond the veteran patient? RQ2a: What health information management assemblages emerge from the distributed work of Veterans that use a personal health record? RQ2b: What are key functions of the health information management assemblages of veterans? Through the use of semi-structured in depth interviews, observations, and surveys, data were collected on 22 patients along with their primary care providers and caretakers. Results from a two cycle qualitative coding analysis and analytical cognitive mapping technique reveal bundles of practices for creating reminders, organizing information, and creating information for asking questions and working with primary care providers. Distributed practices emerged that detail the managing of medication, information that is socially distributed, and patient-provider communication through secure messaging. Three health information management assemblage components emerged from the analysis: health events and experiential information, information techniques, and technology and material practices. Each of these components is understood by the ways they become stabilized or destabilized. This research contributes to implications for the design of patient-focused personal health records and informs clinical practice of patient-centered care. The research also makes conceptual and empirical contributions to the practice of health information management and a patient-centered care model of healthcare delivery

Building group resilience: A three-day curriculum

Social change organizations are often exposed to stress and disruptive, potentially traumatic events. Despite this, few such groups invest time into actively cultivating resilience practices. Likewise, most existing resilience promotion initiatives are designed for use with individuals, not organizations, and lack the experience-based pedagogical approach necessary to interest many social change activists. This curriculum intervention provides a needed bridge between social change activism and resilience promotion theory. Designed as a three-day workshop, it can be used with entire organizations to support both self-awareness of their existing strengths and the development of new protective measures to boost collective resilience