Ion exchange Behavior of Polyaniline and Polyaniline/Silica Composite

This study was conducted to compare the ion exchange behaviour of polyaniline (PANI) and polyaniline/silica (PANI/silica) composite. Rice husk silica (SiRH) was obtained from the combustion of rice husk ash followed by acid digestion method using sulfuric acid. Next, pristine PANI was synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerisation method using aniline and potassium dichromate in the acidic medium. Composite of PANI/SiRH was prepared with a similar method with the addition of SiRH in the process. Characterisations were done by employing X-Ray diffractometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Polyaniline and PANI/SiRH composite were mixed with a solution containing Na+, Mg2+, and K+. The concentrations of metal ions before and after contact with PANI and PANI/SiRH were measured using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The effect of SiRH composition, contact time and pH on the ion exchange behaviour of PANI and PANI/SiRH composite was investigated. Results revealed that higher SiRH content in PANI/SiRH shows better ion-exchange properties with the optimum contact time of 30 minutes. The pH value of the metal ions decreased throughout the experiment.

Probing the strong magnetic exchange behaviour of transition metal–radical complexes: a DFT case study

Alteration of the structural parameters of metal–radical complexes may pave the way forward for fine tuning the magnetic exchange coupling value as high as >−500 cm−1 – a much sought-after parameter in the area of SMMs.

Anion Exchange Behaviour of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta and Pa as Homologues of Rf and Db in Fluoride Medium

Studies of the chemical property of transactinide elements are very difficult due to their short half-lives and extremely small production yields. However it is still possible to obtain considerable information about their chemical properties, such as the most stable oxidation states in aqueous solution, complexing ability, etc., comparing their behaviour with their lighter homologous in the periodic table. In order to obtain a better knowledge of the behavior of rutherfordium, Rf (element 104), dubnium, Db (element 105) in HF medium, the sorption properties of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta and Pa, homologues of Rf and Db, were studied in NH4F/HClO4 medium in this work. Stability constants of the fluoride complexes of these elements were experimentally obtained from Kd obtained at different F- and H+ concentrations. The anionic complexes: [Zr(Hf)F5]-, [Zr(Hf)F6]2-, [Zr(Hf)F7]3-, [Ta(Pa)F6]-, [Ta(Pa)F7]2-, [Ta(Pa)F8]3-, [NbOF4]- and [NbOF5]2- are present as predominant species in the HF range over investigation.

Development of a Theory-Based Intervention to Enhance Information Exchange during Over-The-Counter Consultations in Community Pharmacy

(1) Background: Community pharmacy personnel help mitigate risks of self-care by consumers who seek over-the-counter (OTC) medicines or treatment of symptoms and/or conditions. Exchange of information facilitates the OTC consultation, but pharmacy personnel often report difficulties in engaging consumers in a dialogue. The aim of this study was to describe the development of a behaviour change intervention to enhance information exchange between pharmacy personnel and consumers during OTC consultations in community pharmacies. (2) Methods: The Behaviour Change Wheel methodological framework was used to link factors that influence consumer engagement with information exchange during OTC consultations with intervention functions to change behaviour. Options generated were rationalized and the final intervention strategy was derived. (3) Results: Education, persuasion, environmental restructuring, and modelling were determined to be potential intervention functions. The intervention incorporated placing situational cues in the form of posters in the community pharmacy modelling information exchange behaviour, persuading through highlighting the benefits of exchanging information and educating about its importance. (4) Conclusions: A systematic, theoretically underpinned approach was applied to develop candidate interventions to promote information exchange in OTC consultations. The feasibility and efficacy of the intervention strategy has since been tested and will be reported elsewhere.

Testing differential use of payoff-biased social learning strategies in children and chimpanzees

Various non-human animal species have been shown to exhibit behavioural traditions. Importantly, this research has been guided by what we know of human culture, and the question of whether animal cultures may be homologous or analogous to our own culture. In this paper, we assess whether models of human cultural transmission are relevant to understanding biological fundamentals by investigating whether accounts of human payoff-biased social learning are relevant to chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ). We submitted 4- and 5-year-old children ( N = 90) and captive chimpanzees ( N = 69) to a token–reward exchange task. The results revealed different forms of payoff-biased learning across species and contexts. Specifically, following personal and social exposure to different tokens, children's exchange behaviour was consistent with proportional imitation, where choice is affected by both prior personally acquired and socially demonstrated token–reward information. However, when the socially derived information regarding token value was novel, children's behaviour was consistent with proportional observation; paying attention to socially derived information and ignoring their prior personal experience. By contrast, chimpanzees' token choice was governed by their own prior experience only, with no effect of social demonstration on token choice, conforming to proportional reservation. We also find evidence for individual- and group-level differences in behaviour in both species. Despite the difference in payoff strategies used, both chimpanzees and children adopted beneficial traits when available. However, the strategies of the children are expected to be the most beneficial in promoting flexible behaviour by enabling existing behaviours to be updated or replaced with new and often superior ones.