Relevance of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

This ex post facto study investigated the relationship of social support from two workplace sources, unit managers and registered nurse (RNs) coworkers, to work-related stress among staff nurses. Sample participants included 51 full-time RNs from a variety of clinical specialties in one nursing organization. The three theoretical components--affect, affirmation, and aid--were measured by the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire. The Nursing Stress Scale was used to quantify the levels of perceived work-related stress. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between affect from unit managers (r = -299; P = 0.15) and aid from coworkers (r = -.294; P = .036) on levels of perceived work-related stress. Additionally, the increased age of the subjects (r = -.342; P = .007), years of nursing experience (r = -252; P = .037), and length of employment (r = -329; P = .009) had a negative relationship with work stress. The results of this research demonstrated that two components of social support--affect (emotional support) from unit managers and aid (services, information, materials) from coworkers--were linked to lower stress scores in this sample of staff nurses.     

The influence of trigger configurations and laminate lay-up on the failure mode of composite crush cylinders

In this paper the results are presented of a test program on the energy absorption of composite cylinders loaded in compression. The influence of the laminate lay-up and of the trigger configuration were determined. Two different failure modes for the different laminates and triggers were observed: a splaying mode and a fragmentation mode. The splaying mode is more efficient in absorbing energy. The failure mode did not change during the crushing process.     

Cable insulation density profile determined from ultrasonicvelocity measurements

Density results obtained on the same cable sample with a column and from ultrasonic measurements are reported. A calibration curve relating ultrasonic velocity and cable insulation density is given for PE and crosslinked PE (XLPE) cables. The limits and advantages of deducing density profiles of cable insulation using a focused, ultrasound beam rather than the more time-consuming column measurements are discussed     

Candida fungemia in neonates treated with fluconazole: report of forty cases, including eight with meningitis

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To assess efficacy and safety of fluconazole in neonates with Candida fungemia. STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter prospective protocol of all fungemias appearing between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 1997, in four major university hospitals. RESULTS: Forty neonates, 28 of them with very low birth weight (<1500 g; 30.5 median gestation week), with documented Candida albicans fungemia were treated with intravenous fluconazole in a daily dosage of 6 mg/kg once daily for 6 to 48 days. Thirty-four received fluconazole as monotherapy and 6 received it in combination with amphotericin B. Thirty-two (80%) were cured; 4 of them relapsed despite at least 14 days of therapy, but they were ultimately cured without sequelae. Eight other neonates died, 4 because of fungal infection and 4 because of prematurity or hemorrhage or lung failure, with fungemia (20% overall and 10% attributable mortality). Two neonates had elevated liver enzymes during fluconazole therapy and 2 others had elevated serum creatinine during fluconazole monotherapy. In none of them did these abnormalities necessitate discontinuation of antifungal therapy. In 8 neonates fungal meningitis developed as a complication of fungemia. All but 3 fungemias were C. albicans; 3 were Candida parapsilosis. CONCLUSIONS: Fluconazole was safe and effective antifungal therapy even in complicated or Candida fungemia in neonates and in infants with very low birth weight.     

Exchange and oxidation of CO on O-predosed Rh---Al2O3 and Rh---CeO2 catalysts

Exchange and oxidation of C¹⁶O were investigated at 450°C on ¹⁸O-predosed Rh and Pt catalysts supported on A1₂O₃, CeO₂ and CeO₂-Al₂O₃. In all cases, a rapid exchange of C¹⁶O with the surface can be observed. CO oxidation leads to C¹⁶O₂, C¹⁶O¹⁸O and C¹⁸O₂. Significant formation of C¹⁶O₂ is due to the relatively high ¹⁶O coverage in reaction resulting from the C¹⁶O exchange and from an exchange between O surface species and ¹⁶O internal atoms. Hydrogen is also formed via a water-gas shift reaction (CO + surface OH) in higher proportion on CeO₂-containing catalysts than on A1₂O₃. Chlorine inhibits all the reactions (exchange, oxidation and WGS) and particularly the internal exchange.     

Multiterminal light-emitting logic device electricallyreprogrammable between OR and NAND functions

A monolithic multiterminal logic device that functions both optically and electrically as an ORNAND gate, is demonstrated for the first time. The device, based on the real-space transfer of hot electrons into a complementary collector layer, has been implemented in an InGaAs/InAlAs/InGaAs heterostructure grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Excellent performance is obtained at room temperature. The collector current and the optical output power both exhibit the OR and the NAND functions of any two of the three input terminals, these functions being interchangeable by the voltage on the third terminal     

Application of the integral definition of the curl operator tonumerical solutions in electromagnetics

The definition of the curl operator in terms of an integral is shown to lead to a method for numerical solutions that facilitates the use of mixtures of cells having different shapes and different dielectric properties. The derivation is followed by examples for, waveguides, mixtures of different cells, and a method for increasing the accuracy when an equation is known for the field on the outer boundary. Thus, these results suggest that the formal definition of the curl operator has more than pedagogical value. This definition is taught in an undergraduate class at Florida International University     

Enhanced electron emission from phosphorus-doped diamond-cladsilicon field emitter arrays

Undoped and phosphorus (P)-doped diamond-clad Si field emitter arrays have been successfully fabricated using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) technology. The electron emission from the blunt diamond-clad microtips are much higher than those for the pure Si tips with sharp curvature due to a lower work function. Furthermore, the characteristics of emission current against applied voltage for the P-doped diamond-clad tips show superior emission at lower field to the undoped ones. After the examination of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electrical characteristics of as-grown diamond, such a significant enhancement of the electron emission from the P-doped diamond-clad tips is attributed to a higher electron conductivity and defect densities