From service quality in organisations to self-determination at home.

BACKGROUND: In our proposed model, family members' perceptions of service quality in organisations improve communication about self-determination. In turn, family perceptions of communication openness have a positive relationship with self-determination attitudes of family members. Finally, these attitudes predict self-determination behaviours of individuals with intellectual disability, as reported by family members. METHOD: We tested this model with a sample of 625 family members (196 using 'day care services' and 429 using 'occupational services'). RESULTS: Multi-sample structural equation modelling (SEM) supported the model. Communication and attitudes fully mediated the link from service quality to self-determination behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Improving family members' perceptions of service quality and opening channels of communication between professionals and family members are useful strategies to facilitate parents' positive attitudes and increase the frequency of self-determination behaviours at home.

Browning prevention by ascorbic acid and 4-hexylresorcinol: different mechanisms of action on polyphenol oxidase in the presence and in the absence of substrates.

We have investigated the mechanism of action of 4-hexylresorcinol (4-HR) and ascorbic acid (AA) on the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyzed oxidation of phenolic substrates. Incubation of PPO with 4-HR diminishes strongly PPO activity. This effect can be erroneously interpreted, due to the high affinity of 4-HR for PPO, as irreversible inactivation of PPO. However, PPO activity can be recovered by dialysis after incubation with 4-HR. 4-hexylresorcinol is a canonical enzyme inhibitor that binds preferentially to the oxy form of PPO. It is a mixed-type inhibitor, because it influences both apparent V(max) (1.26 compared with 0.4 units in the absence and presence of 4-HR, respectively) and K(m) values (0.28 mM compared with 0.97 mM in the absence and in the presence of 4-HR, respectively) of PPO. AA can prevent browning by 2 different mechanisms: In the absence of PPO substrates it inactivates PPO irreversibly, probably through binding to its active site, preferentially in its oxy form. In the presence of PPO substrates, AA reduces PPO oxidized reaction products, which results in a lag phase when measuring PPO activity by monitoring dark product formation but not when monitoring O(2) consumption. The simultaneous use of both 4-HR and AA on PPO results in additive prevention of browning.

Effect of cyclodextrins on the solubility and antimycotic activity of sertaconazole: experimental and computational studies.

This study investigated the effects of the complexation of sertaconazole nitrate with different cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives (alpha-CD, beta-CD, gamma-CD, hydroxypropyl-beta-CD, and hydroxypropyl-gamma-CD) on the aqueous solubility and antimycotic activity of the drug. Phase solubility studies indicated that the solubility of sertaconazole in enzyme-free simulated gastric- and enzyme-free simulated enteric fluids was significantly increased in the presence of cyclodextrins. The observed order of solubility increasing effect was: gamma-CD > HPgamma-CD > HPbeta-CD > beta-CD > alpha-CD. Solid-state sertaconazole-cyclodextrin complexes were prepared by freeze drying, and characterized by X-ray powder difractometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Freeze-dried complexes showed markedly higher solubility than both physical mixtures and sertaconazole alone. The antimycotic activities of sertaconazole-cyclodextrin complexes in solution were evaluated by inhibition zone assays with Candida albicans. The activity ranking agrees with the solubility ranking observed for these complexes, with the gamma-CD-sertaconazole complex showing the strongest antimycotic activity. Finally, molecular modeling studies were carried out using the MM2 force field method, for complexes in vacuum and in water. This enable indentification of the preferred orientation of sertaconazole in the gamma-CD cavity and of the main structural features responsible for the enhancement of its solubility and antimycotic activity.

Relationships among perceived justice, customers' satisfaction, and behavioral intentions: the moderating role of gender.

This article tested the gender differences in the relationships between perceptions of justice, customers' satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. The sample consisted of 334 subjects (205 men and 129 women) surveyed in 38 hotels located in Spain. A questionnaire was used to measure distributive, procedural, and interactional justice as well as customers' responses of satisfaction and intentions. Analysis showed that the correlation between scores for distributive justice and customers' satisfaction as well as that between distributive justice and intentions were greater for men than for women. In contrast, the sex differences in the links of procedural and interactional justice to satisfaction and intentions were not significant.

Does role stress predict burnout over time among health care professionals?

Abstract The main objective of this study is to test the effects over time of three role stress variables (role conflict, role ambiguity and role overload) on the three burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment). Based on theoretical models on burnout and on meta-analytical research, it is hypothesized that the three role stress variables will predict changes over time in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, but not in personal accomplishment. The results obtained by means of hierarchical regression analysis partially support the hypothesis. The three role stress variables predict emotional exhaustion over time. Role conflict and role overload predict depersonalization over time. Finally, contrary to expectations, role ambiguity predicts personal accomplishment over time.

Red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) as bioindicators for persistent chlorinated chemicals in Spain.

Persistent organochlorine residues such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlorocyclodienes, and the DDT group (DDTs) were determined in fat and muscle samples of resident red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) hunted in Spain. Chlorinated contamination pattern varied largely depending on geographical distribution. Birds collected from the northern part of Spain contained greater concentrations of lindane (34.4 ng/g fat basis) than those from central or southern Spain. In contrast, red-legged partridges collected in southern locations exhibited elevated levels of p,p-DDE (62.3 ng/g fat basis) as compared with central (31.2 ng/g fat basis) and northern areas (5.6 ng/g fat basis). The only cyclodiene detected, dieldrin, showed higher amounts (3.4 ng/g fat basis) in partridges collected in central Spain. The sex differences in pollutant occurrence and concentrations were negligible. One-year-old birds accumulated greater concentrations of beta-HCH, and dieldrin than older birds. Global comparison of organochlorine concentrations indicated that northern partridges are more contaminated by compounds of industrial origin, whereas southern birds contained greater amounts of agricultural chemicals. Estimates of hazards associated with organochlorine levels in resident red-legged partridges in Spain suggested that southern birds may be at risk from exposure to DDTs, and northern birds may be affected by excessive concentrations of lindane. The use of red-legged partridge as bioindicator for OCP contamination is discussed.

Levels of selected polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in total diet samples from Aragón, Spain.

Six congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) were investigated in 281 samples of different meals of the average diet consumed in Aragon, northeast Spain. PCB residues were extracted with organic solvents according to the techniques recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Netherlands' Ministry of Welfare, Health, and Cultural Affairs; the residues were cleaned up by gel permeation chromatography. Quantitation of analytes was carried out by capillary gas-liquid chromatography using electron capture detector. The identity of the peaks was confirmed by mass spectrometry. PCB residues were found only in fish meals (50% positive samples) with a mean level of 96.3 ng/g on a lipid basis. Congeners detected in fish meals were 138, 153, and 180, with mean values of 117.0, 122.3, and 36.2 ng/g on a lipid basis, respectively.

Differentiation of Rhipicephalus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) by gas chromatography of cuticular hydrocarbons.

Gas chromatography of the cuticular hydrocarbons of 4 species of ticks belonging to the genus Rhipicephalus (R. sanguineus, R. turanicus, R. pusillus, and R. bursa) showed a unique pattern for each taxon. The hydrocarbon fractions were composed of a mixture of straight-chain, terminally methylated, and internally branched alkanes; however, only a small quantity of alkenes was detected. Freshly collected, dried, and alcohol-stored specimens of R. sanguineus were analyzed and their patterns found to be nearly identical. Collection of specimens from separate localities demonstrated a species-specific pattern for Spanish material.

Simultaneous determination of allantoin and oxypurines in biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the separation and quantification of allantoin and oxypurines in plasma and urine samples. Urine was analyzed directly and plasma after acid deproteinisation with perchloric acid. Separation and quantification of purine derivatives was achieved using two Spherisorb ODS-5 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm I.D.) connected in series together with a NH4H2PO4-NH4H2PO4-acetonitrile (80:20) gradient and monitoring the effluent at 205 nm. The average recoveries of standard compounds added to urine and plasma samples were 96 and 97%, respectively, using allopurinol as internal standard. The within-day variability was less than 7% and the day-to-day coefficient of variation less than 11% indicating a good precision of the method.