Child negative emotionality and parenting from infancy to preschool: A meta-analytic review.

This meta-analytic review (k = 62 studies; N = 7,613 mother-child dyads) shows that effect sizes for the association between child negative emotionality and parenting were generally small and were moderated by sample and measurement characteristics. The association between more child negative emotionality and less supportive parenting was relatively strong in lower socioeconomic status families, reversed in higher socioeconomic status families, and limited to studies with relatively high percentages of participants from ethnic minorities and studies using parent report to assess negative emotionality. Higher levels of child negative emotionality were associated with more restrictive control in samples with less than 75% 1st-born children, as well as in infants and preschoolers, and in studies using parent report or composite measures to assess both negative emotionality and restrictive parenting. Finally, more child negative emotionality was associated with less inductive control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gold nanoparticles induce cytotoxicity in the alveolar type-II cell lines A549 and NCIH441

Background  

During the last years engineered nanoparticles (NPs) have been extensively used in different technologies and consequently many questions have arisen about the risk and the impact on human health following exposure to nanoparticles. Nevertheless, at present knowledge about the cytotoxicity induced by NPs is still largely incomplete. In this context, we have investigated the cytotoxicity induced by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which differed in size and purification grade (presence or absence of sodium citrate residues on the particle surface) in vitro, in the human alveolar type-II (ATII)-like cell lines A549 and NCIH441.     

Skin colour assessment in safety testing of cosmetics. An overview

Synopsis
Few subjects are as problematical to dermatologists, cosmetologists and related experimenters involved in safety testing as the clinical assessment of skin colour. At the core of the problem is the word erythema, which does not communicate a sense for the nuance of red. In addition, light shades of red are not visible in dark-skinned people. Human assays aiming at evaluating the irritancy and allergic potential of cosmetics take advantage to use instrumental assessments of skin colour. However, there are pitfalls related to the complex biological aspects of the cutaneous reactivity, to the design of the in vivo assay, and to technical aspects bound to the principle of the measuring methods. Sound information can only be reached when these concerns are solved.
Résumé
Peu de sujets sont aussi problématiques pour les dermatologues, cosmétologues et autres expérimentateurs impliqués dans les tests de sûreté que l'évaluation clinique des couleurs cutanées. Au centre du problème est le mot érythème qui ne communique pas la notion des nuances de rouge. De plus, un érythème discret peut ne pas être visible chez des individus à la peau foncée. Les tests humains visant àévaluer les potentialités d'irritation et d'allergie aux cosmétiques bénéficient des évaluations instrumentales de la couleur cutanée. Cependant, il existe des pièges liés aux aspects biologiques complexes de la réactivité cutanée, au choix du test in vivo et à des aspects techniques en relation avec le principe du système de mesure. Une information adéquate ne peut être obtenue qu'après avoir résolu ces problèmes.     

Informatik im Spannungsfeld von Lean Management,Karrierewegen und Elfenbeintürmen

Eingegangen am 23.03.1995, in überarbeiteter Form am 12.07.1995     

Quellungserscheinungen an wäßrigen Gelatinegelen

The temperature and pH-dependence of the swelling of acid-processed gelatin was investigated. For stabilisation of the samples glyoxal was added as crosslinking agent. Swelling of the samples at different temperatures leads to different crosslinking densities. Degradation of network at temperatures higher than 10°C produces a time dependence of measured values. For the determination of the equilibrium swelling curve an extrapolation method was developed to eliminate the time dependence and to relate the degrees of swelling to constant crosslinking density. The slope of the equilibrium swelling curve shows deswelling of gelatin in water with increasing temperature. Using the equation between the slope of the swelling curve and the differential partial molar enthalpy of the solvent at the swelling maximum derived from the equilibrium condition for the chemical potential of the solvent an exothermic behaviour was found. pH-dependence of swelling corresponds qualitatively with Flory's theory. Hydrolysis in the alkaline region is much stronger than in the acid region. At pH = 12,8 hydrolysis increases sharply.     

Development and evaluation of a biocide release system for prolonged antifungal activity in finishing materials

This paper focuses on the use of modified nano-clay particles as a controlled release system for biocides from building materials. Different (model) biocides were incorporated in a biocide/nano-clay composite and subsequently the release of the biocides was monitored under different environmental conditions. In addition, the biocide/clay material was formulated into a model finishing material (gypsum) to evaluate the antifungal activity. Intercalation of biocides in modified nano-clays was found to significantly prolong the release of the biocide and prevent premature leaching of the biocide from the building material. Release rate of the biocide could be tuned by selection of the type of modification used for the nano-clay platelets. Even after prolonged leaching up to 45 days in artificial rain tests, gypsum samples containing biocide/clay composites did not show any fungal growth, whereas gypsum samples containing pure biocide had lost their antifungal activity after exposure to artificial rain for 7 days or more, demonstrating the potential of this technology for practical applications. The presented approach is very versatile, and may be used for a large variety of biocides and is envisioned to be applicable to different construction and finishing materials, including waterborne paints. To optimize the performance in a specific application area, the leaching or release process of the nano-clays should be known in the different application materials, and consequently requires alternative testing methods, e.g. methods which characterize the fungal growth as a function of release in more detail. Although correlation with practice requires further investigation, the presented method gives a good first indication for prolonged protection of building materials.     

A compositional modelling and analysis framework for stochastic hybrid systems

The theory of hybrid systems is well-established as a model for real-world systems consisting of continuous behaviour and discrete control. In practice, the behaviour of such systems is also subject to uncertainties, such as measurement errors, or is controlled by randomised algorithms. These aspects can be modelled and analysed using stochastic hybrid systems. In this paper, we present HModest, an extension to the Modest modelling language—which is originally designed for stochastic timed systems without complex continuous aspects—that adds differential equations and inclusions as an expressive way to describe the continuous system evolution. Modest is a high-level language inspired by classical process algebras, thus compositional modelling is an integral feature. We define the syntax and semantics of HModest and show that it is a conservative extension of Modest that retains the compositional modelling approach. To allow the analysis of HModest models, we report on the implementation of a connection to recently developed tools for the safety verification of stochastic hybrid systems, and illustrate the language and the tool support with a set of small, but instructive case studies.