Intentionally building relationships between participatory online groups and formal organisations for effective emergency response.

Advances in information and communication technologies enable the public to contribute to emergency response. For instance, reporting systems set up during recent disasters allowed affected people to submit testimonies about conditions on the ground. In addition, the public has analysed data and helped to mobilise and deliver relief resources.

The interplay between silk fibroin's structure and its adhesive properties.

-derived silk fibroin (SF) is a well-characterized protein employed in numerous biomedical applications. Structurally, SF consists of a heavy chain (HC) and a light chain (LC), connected via a single disulfide bond. The HC sequence is organized into 12 crystalline domains interspersed with amorphous regions that can transition between random coil/alpha helix and beta-sheet configurations, giving silk its hallmark properties.

Understanding the influence of power and empathic perspective-taking on collaborative natural resource management.

Public engagement in collaborative natural resource management necessitates shared understanding and collaboration. Empathic perspective-taking is a critical facilitator of shared understanding and positive social interactions, such as collaboration. Yet there is currently little understanding about how to reliably generate empathic perspective-taking and collaboration, particularly in situations involving the unequal distribution of environmental resources or power.

A Controlled Antibiotic Release System for the Development of Single-Application Otitis Externa Therapeutics.

Ear infections are a commonly-occurring problem that can affect people of all ages. Treatment of these pathologies usually includes the administration of topical or systemic antibiotics, depending on the location of the infection. In this context, we sought to address the feasibility of a single-application slow-releasing therapeutic formulation of an antibiotic for the treatment of otitis externa.

Nanoparticulate Poly(glucaramide)-Based Hydrogels for Controlled Release Applications.

In 2004, D-Glucaric acid (GA) was identified as one of the top value-added chemicals from renewable feedstocks. For this study, a patented synthetic method was used to obtain gel forming polymers through the polycondensation of GA and several aliphatic diamines. The first time characterization and a potential practical application of such hydrogels is reported herein.

Sol-gel synthesis and characterization of silica polyamine composites: applications to metal ion capture.

A sol-gel method has been developed for the synthesis of composite materials analogous to the previously reported and commercialized silica polyamine composite (SPC) materials made from amorphous silica. Monolithic xerogels were formed using a two-step procedure with no templating agent using acid catalyzed followed by base catalyzed hydrolysis. This reaction was followed by (1)H NMR.

The influence of collaboration on program outcomes: the Colorado Nurse-Family Partnership.

Though collaboration is often required in community initiatives, little evidence documents relationships between collaboration and program success. The authors contend that clarification of the construct collaboration is necessary for investigating its contribution to the success of community initiatives. After respecifying collaboration, they present a study of a multisite program that involved varying degrees of collaboration in the 16 communities adopting a nurse home visitation program.