Silver Chain Research Articles

A Stair‐Shaped Molecular Silver(0) Chain

A Stair‐Shaped Molecular Silver(0) Chain

Brief Report: Personal emergency alarms: What impact do they have on older people's lives?

Objectives: To determine if, how often and in what types of situations older people use personal alarms and to explore the impact of personal alarm technology on older people's lives. Methods: This study was retrospective and involved a mail‐out survey to 2610 users of the Silver Chain CareLink Personal Alarm Service. Results: Clients wear their alarm consistently around their home and in the garden; however, use is low in the shower/bath and in bed at night. Clients reported positive impacts in terms of: gaining faster assistance in an emergency, extending the time they are able to remain living at home, increasing their sense of security, reducing anxiety about falling and increasing confidence in performing everyday activities. Conclusions: Personal alarms have many positive impacts on the lives of older people.

The influences of particle number on hot spots in strongly coupled metal nanoparticles chain

In understanding of the hot spot phenomenon in single-molecule surface enhanced Raman scattering (SM-SERS), the electromagnetic field within the gaps of dimers (i.e., two particle systems) has attracted much interest as it provides significant field amplification over single isolated nanoparticles. In addition to the existing understanding of the dimer systems, we show in this paper that field enhancement within the gaps of a particle chain could maximize at a particle number N>2, due to the near-field coupled plasmon resonance of the chain. This particle number effect was theoretically observed for the gold (Au) nanoparticles chain but not for the silver (Ag) chain. We attribute the reason to the different behaviors of the dissipative damping of gold and silver in the visible wavelength range. The reported effect can be utilized to design effective gold substrate for SM-SERS applications.

3D Coordination Networks Based on Supramolecular Chains as Building Units: Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Two Silver(I) Pyridyldiethynides

Two silver(I) pyridyldiethynides, [Ag2(3,5-C2PyC2).4CF3CO2Ag.4H2O] ( A) and [Ag 2(3,5-C2PyC2).3AgNO3.H2O](B), were synthesized by reactions of 3,5-diethynylpyridine with silver trifluoroacetate and silver nitrate in high yield, respectively. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed that in A pyridyldiethynide groups connect Ag 11 cluster units to generate 1D supramolecular chains as bridging ligands, where each ethynide group interacts with four silver atoms. These supramolecular chains bearing pyridyl groups are linked by silver ions to form wavelike layers, which are further connected by trifluoroacetate ligands to afford a 3D coordination network. However, B exhibits a different structural feature, where two ethynide groups in one pyridyldiethynide ligand coordinate to three and four silver atoms, respectively. These silver ethynide cluster units are linked through silver-ethynide and argentophilic interactions, leading to a double silver chain by sharing silver atoms in these units. In B, the silver double chains are further connected by bridging pyridyldiethynide groups to generate 2D networks, which interact through the Ag-N coordination bonds between silver atoms and pyridyl groups in the adjacent layers to generate a 3D coordination network. In these two compounds, trifluoroacetate and nitrate groups exhibit different bonding modes, indicating that the counterion is an important factor influencing the structures of supramolecular chains and coordination networks.

A qualitative investigation of the palliative care needs of terminally ill people who live alone

This paper investigates the support needs of people living alone with a terminal illness from a client perspective. In depth, interviews were conducted with 11 clients from Silver Chain Hospice Care in Western Australia to capture their personal experiences of managing at home alone and to assess their physical, social and emotional needs. Findings provided useful insights with respect to many of the motivations, beliefs and wishes of individuals who endeavour to cope on their own with minimal assistance. The needs of these individuals are practical, emotional, physical and existential. At the heart of these concerns is a strong need to be independent and maintain a sense of dignity at end of life.

Silver(I)−Thiophene π Interaction in the Assembly of Coordination Networks with the Supramolecular Synthons R−C⋮C⊃Agn (R = 2- or 3-thienyl; n = 4)

Silver−thiophene π interactions in two bonding modes, namely, η2-(CC) and κ-(C,S), have been observed for the first time in crystalline silver(I) complexes (C4H3S-2)C⋮CAg·4AgCF3CO2 (1), 2[(C4H3S-2)C⋮CAg]·8AgCF3CO2·CH3CN (2), and (C4H3S-3)C⋮CAg·4AgCF3CO2 (4), bearing thiophene ligands with an ethynide substituent at the 2- or 3-position. Introduction of an additional betaine component in 3[(C4H3S-2)C⋮CAg]·8AgCF3CO2·Me3N+CH2CO2-·4.5H2O (3) and replacement of trifluoroacetate by pentafluoropropionate in (C4H3S-3)C⋮CAg·5AgC2F5CO2·4H2O (5) were found to interrupt these silver−thiophene π interactions and instead form an infinite π−π-stacked silver chain and a π−π-stacking-stabilized Ag8 aggregate, respectively. The establishment of a new kind of silver−ethynide supramolecular synthon, R−C⋮C⊃Agn (R = 2-, 3-thienyl; n = 4), highlights the potential of building metal−organic frameworks utilizing the π-coordination capacity of a heterocyclic ring.

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Luminescence of New Silver Aggregates Containing Short Ag−Ag Contacts Stabilized by Functionalized Bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) Ligands

The imidazolium salts bis(N-(pyridylmethyl)imidazoliumyl)methane hexafluorophosphate (H2L1·(PF6)2), 2,2‘-bis(N-(pyridylmethyl)imidazoliumyl)ethyl ether (H2L2·(PF6)2), 2,6-bis(N-(pyridylmethyl)imidazoliumyl)pyridine (H2L3·(PF6)2), and 3,6-bis(N-(pyridylmethyl)imidazoliumyl)pyridazine (H2L4·(PF6)2) have been prepared and characterized. They reacted with Ag2O in acetonitrile to produce the silver complexes [Ag4(L1)2(CH3CN)2](PF6)4·2CH3CN (1), [Ag4(L2)2](PF6)4·2CH3CN (2), [Ag4(L3)2](PF6)4·Et2O·CH3CN (4), and [Ag6(L4)4](PF6)6 (5), respectively. The reaction of 2 with 4 equiv of Au(Et2S)Cl afforded the dimetallic gold complex [Au2(L2)](PF6)2·2CH3CN (3). Complexes 1−4 were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, luminescence spectroscopy, elemental analyses, and X-ray crystallography. Complex 1 is a tetrasilver complex consisting of a zigzag silver chain with silver−silver separations of 2.911(1) and 3.288(1) A. Complexes 2 and 4 have orthogonal tetrasilver cores in which four silver atoms are held together by two L2 ...

Development of the interpersonal dependency scale for older adults

Objectives: This research developed a new, theory‐based measure of interpersonal dependency for use with older adults. Methods: Group discussions were facilitated with older people along with input from a group of allied health workers to assist with the initial item selection process. Then, based on Bornstein's interactive theory of dependency, 85 items were selected for distribution to two random samples of 350 people, aged 65–90 years, from two Perth organisations (the Silver Chain Nursing Association and the Positive Ageing Foundation of Australia). Results: Using item‐total correlations, the 85‐item scale was reduced to a highly reliable, short (20‐item) screening tool. Coefficient alphas ranged from 0.92–0.94. Conclusions: The new interpersonal dependency measure will assist further research in the area of older adult dependency. In addition, if used as a screening tool by home‐care agencies it has the potential to inform interventions.

Syntheses and Characterizations of Two Novel Silver Polymers from Assembly 5-Bromosalicylic Acid and 2-Aminobenzoic Acid, with High Inhibitory Activities againstJack Bean Urease

Two novel two-dimensional silver(I) polymers, [Ag(5-bsa)]n (1) and [Ag(2-aba)]n (2) (5-bsaH = 5-bromosalicylic acid and 2-abaH = 2-aminobenzoic acid), have been synthesized from the reaction of Ag2O and carboxylate ligands in ammonia solution and structurally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 7.316(2), b = 8.171(2), c = 13.051(3) A, U = 777.0(3) A3, β = 95.14(3) and Z = 4. 2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna21 with a = 5.9486(8), b = 24.227(3), c = 4.9042(6) A, U = 706.8(2) A3, and Z = 4. In 1, 5-bsa serves as tridentate ligands coordinating to three Ag+ ions through its hydroxyl and bridging ligand carboxyl groups, with the Ag-Ag bonding and two carboxylate ions defined in a slight distorted plane and further extending into a two-dimension layer through the hydroxyl and the overlapping and off-set stacking interactions. In 2, adjacent Ag+ ions via Ag-Ag bonding interactions generate a one-dimension silver chain and adjacent silver chains are further linked by μ2-N, O atoms of 2-aba to result in a two-dimensional configuration, with the inter-chain hydrogen bonding interaction forming a three-dimension supramolecular structure. Both the two silver(I) complexes have strong inhibitory activities against Jack Bean urease with the IC50 values of 21.98 μM for 1 and 25.34 μM for 2, but neglectable inhibition activity on Xanthine Oxidase.

Effect of ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)- N, N, N′, N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) on the growth, stabilization and morphology of silver nanoparticles

The effect of ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)- N, N, N′, N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) in stabilizing different shapes of silver nanoparticles have been examined by electronic absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The silver nanoparticles were prepared by two methods, i.e. γ-irradiation and chemical reduction method. Two types of effects of EGTA were identified which lead to the formation of truncated triangular silver nanoplates and chain—like silver aggregates respectively. Time-dependent infrared attenuated total reflectance (ATR-FTIR) studies showed that the nature of adsorption of EGTA on the silver nanoparticle surface influences the shape of the nanoparticles. Pulse radiolysis studies showed the mechanism of formation of the initial silver nanoclusters.

Self-assembly of silver nanoparticles in a polymer solvent: formation of a nanochain through nanoscale soldering

By exploiting the orientation of the polymer methoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG), directional growth of silver particles has been obtained in the presence of ultraviolet irradiation for the first time. MPEG generates free radicals, serves as the reducing agent in presence of ultraviolet irradiation towards the silver ions, and also acts as the template for the silver particles involved in the formation of a silver chain.

Ensuring quality wound care in the community

This article describes how Silver Chain, a large community care provider in Western Australia, have recently used the Australian Wound Management Association's standards for wound management as a prompt and mechanism for reviewing the current standard of wound management across the organisation. In addition to examining current practice using a wound care audit tool based on the standards, the project included a survey of nursing staff knowledge and reviews of the wound education curriculum, training content and the policy and procedure manuals. Having identified those areas where the AWMA standards are not currently being achieved, the findings and the project recommendations will now be used by clinical service managers to modify current training, policies, procedures and work practices.

Atomic engineering of photon emission with a scanning tunneling microscope.

We present measurements of photon emission from individual several-atom silver chains on the NiAl(110) surface, excited by tunneling electrons in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The chains were assembled by manipulating single silver atoms on the NiAl(110) surface with the STM. The photon energy of this emission can be tuned by appending a single atom to the chain. These changes in photon emission result from changes in the electronic structure of the silver chain, each electronic state inside the chain being associated with a distinct channel of emission.

General Practitioner Training in Palliative Care: An Experiential Approach

With the rising incidence of cancer and with more terminally ill patients wishing to be cared for at home, it is clear that there is a growing need for general practitioners (GPs) who are skilled in providing palliative care. In an attempt to improve the palliative care knowledge and skills of GPs in Western Australia and the quality of care they provide, a 14-week training program was developed by the Silver Chain Nursing Association and the Perth South Eastern Division of General Practice. The program used experiential learning techniques, such as a clinical attachment and mentoring. Research has shown that performance-based rather than cognitive education methods have a greater impact on practice outcomes. The program was evaluated by an external body and found to have achieved its objectives. The results of the evaluation are discussed, together with their implications for postgraduate education.

Managing biohazard exposures in the community

The Silver Chain Nursing Association (SCNA) currently employs a total of 1953 staff and 900 volunteers who are involved in client/resident care over a large geographical area of Western Australia, stretching from Pannawonica in the north to Eucla in the east and as far south as Albany. The types of service provided include home help assistance, acute home care, country/remote area nursing services and palliative care. Care is also provided in three metropolitan and three country residential facilities.In October 1995, the Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet) was introduced to the SCNA which enabled the infection control clinical nurse consultant to monitor the current safety of the SCNA health care environment and plan effective interventions to reduce the number of biohazard exposures.The SCNA is the first and only community care organisation in Australia and New Zealand to adopt this surveillance system and become part of the national monitoring project established by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research. It was anticipated that participation in this project would assist with benchmarking against community organisations in the future and provide input to further improve the current system to meet the needs of SCNA.This paper will describe how an organisation as big and as geographically diverse as SCNA has reviewed and improved the prevention and management of biohazard exposures within its many different services. [AIC Aust Infect Control 2000; 5(1):11-18.]

General Practitioners and Nurses Collaborating in General Practice

In 1998 the Fremantle Regional Division of General Practice (FRDGP), Silver Chain and the Health Department of Western Australia (HDWA) initiated an eleven-month trial which aimed to increase clinical integration by establishing professional partnerships between GPs and nurses. The project placed nurse in four general practices where they consulted with patients and undertook other activities that helped clarify nurse and GP roles within these partnerships. In addition to exploring some of the processes underlying development of partnerships, the project reported direct benefits for all stakeholders. For patients these included improved access and better quality of care. At an organisational level Silver Chain and general practices reported increased service provision and efficiency, additional promotion and marketing opportunities, improved networks with other providers, and opportunities for new business developments in service provision. From the professional practitioner perspective, doctors and nurses reported improved knowledge about the other profession and that the trial was an opportunity to explore role developments in the general practice context. Implications for expansion and development of a nursing role in general practice were discussed. The results suggest that further development of effective nurse/GP partnerships requires collaborative planning, close monitoring, and ongoing support for the processes of improved teamwork.

Client Feedback: Does it Lead to Improved Services? Part 2: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Annual Client Feedback Surveys

Having Developed a valid and reliable client feedback survey tool, described in Part 1 of this paper (MCC, 6.1), Silver Chain went on to implement an association‐wide annual survey and then to evaluate the survey's effectiveness. This paper reports on the outcome of this evaluation.

A qualitative evaluation of a bereavement service: an analysis of the experiences of consumers and providers of services in Australia.

This study, undertaken in 1994, involved the development of a qualitative framework to evaluate a bereavement service delivered by Silver Chain Hospice Care Service in Western Australia. Fifty in-depth interviews were recorded with bereaved carers, nurses, and volunteers over a five-month period, and transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed. A constant cooperative analysis of the interview data revealed eight common themes related to consistent experiences of bereaved carers, nurses, and volunteers. Themes are discussed for each group separately. The manner in which themes connected to form the interactive environment of the service is subsequently demonstrated. Service experiences, related to major themes, which were highly valued from the perspectives of the three groups of participants are identified. Experiences are then related to particular program processes and interactions consistently described by consumers and providers. Influences on, and barriers to, valued interactions occurring are discussed and elements of a valued bereavement program from the perspectives of participants in the study described. By highlighting valued elements of the service, important areas of service delivery could be identified and safeguarded in future service development.

The Consumption of Color and the Politics of White Skin in Post-Mao China

It is dusk in the Miao mountains of Guizhou, China, September 1993a quintessential site for Western ethnological and Chinese nativist imaginings alike. A wedding is under way. The couple being wed are educated local youth with good jobs-she an elementary-school teacher, he the manager of the subcontracted state dry goods outlet in the Miao market town of Xijiang. Amidst firecrackers, the guests are arriving bearing shoulder poles of gifts-pork, sticky rice, home-brewed liquor, quilts, fabric. The bride stays in the nuptial chamber while guests are received at a long table in the central room of the groom's house and are offered a simple meal and some shots of home brew. Languorously, the bride makes up her face with powder, blush, lipstick, and eyeliner, then dresses in Miao finery-a full-length pleated skirt layered with a circle of embroidered bands, a jacket laden with brocade, applique, and silver panels, chokers and chain necklaces of delicately handwrought silver. Her hair is thickened with extra strands and combed upward into a topknot dense enough to support the weighty silver ornaments that will complete the ensemble. Just then a group of city friends arrive, classmates from the days when the couple attended high school in the prefecture seat. The firecrackers they set off are so noisy as to put the local village guests to shame. Then, the piece de resistance-the gift borne on shoulder poles. It is an ostentatious yard-long framed wall hanging behind glass, a photographic decoration slated for the walls of the nuptial chamber. The picture, in a bizarre juxtaposition with the bride, even upstaging her, is of a blonde model in a hot-pink G-string bikini supine atop a snazzy racing car. Lovingly, the hanging is given front center placement among the other gifts-heaps of quilts and household goods-on display in the nuptial chamber for guests to review. Upon completion of her ethnic adornment, the bride poses with the thing. As representations of white women continue to deluge the globe, an initial task of this essay is to explore how such renderings mean within particular contemporary Chinese contexts. The account above suggests that the erotic codes through which most Westerners read the exposure of female-gendered flesh may be idiomatic. That a young woman of China's Miao minority would, in the midst of her own beautification as bride, Louisa Schein

The Romantic Shadows of Avalon

The Romantic Shadows of Avalon Ayla Aygun (bio) In the Mists of Avalon, life seemed so romantic. Both natural beauty and magic combined to make an enchanting world not a bit like mine. The Mists of Avalon is a tale set in mythical, ancient Camelot. The author, Marion Zimmer Bradley, has told the story from the point of view of the women: Gwenhwyfar, Igraine, and Morgause, instead of the men: Lancelot, King Arthur, and Merlin. In the original story of Camelot these men were the main characters, but in the Mists of Avalon, they were supporting characters for the women. The spiritual lives of the women of Camelot were shown in contrast to the lives of the men. The men were occupied with war and obtaining power, while the women worshipped their deities, both Christian and pagan, with a devotion rarely seen in our time. Religion was truly part of their lives. Although Christianity had just been introduced, the main religion was Wicca. This is a pagan religion centered around a female deity known by many names. In this book she is referred to as Lady Ceridwen. We know her as "Mother Nature." In Camelot, the rituals took place on the equinoxes and phases of the moon. During these rituals, the worshippers paid reverence to their god and goddess and communed with them through dance and meditation. Lately there has been a renewal of interest in Wicca, Shamanism, and other pagan beliefs. Very likely the reason for this renewed interest is that we have come to understand that the earth is fragile, and holy, and therefore must be cared for. Pagan groups are once again using rituals to demonstrate reverence for the earth. To preserve the Earth, we must change our way of life and our values so that they include the needs of Nature. At that time clothing was hand-made of wool or linen, buildings were stone or wood, and herbs were gathered for healing and magic. Nature, not science, was the source of useful materials. People who knew the use of herbs were revered and considered special members of society. Herbs were gathered and prepared for healing and rituals. A tea of chamomile was used to heal upset stomachs. Today we turn to a bottle of prepared, colored syrup. Herbs were considered sacred gifts from the Goddess, and when picked, a blessing or invocation would be made. They were regarded as holy and special. In the Mists of Avalon, the women would swoop around with their richly colored cloaks, hanging gracefully to the ankle. Their cloaks were hand-dyed in colors of saffron and deep wode blue. The women hand-picked the herbs needed to dye the soft woolen fabric. These herbs gave colors that were earthy and natural, unlike the garish neon pinks and oranges in the clothing worn today. These natural colors did not intrude upon the simplicity and beauty of nature, instead they complemented nature. My own jacket is made of the man-made fabric "Thinsulate." It keeps me warm, but I do not cut a romantic figure like the ladies in their elegant cloaks. The cloaks gave them a willowy, wispy form, as they moved through the dark stone halls. The ladies in Camelot would often wear a piece of jewelry that had a personal, or magical, value. The main character of the story, Morgaine, was a priestess of Avalon. She worshipped and represented the goddess, who represented Nature. She received a honey colored amber necklace from her trainer, Viviane. She wore it every day because it reminded her of Viviane, who had trained her to be a priestess. The necklace was in the shape of a drop of water and hung on an unpolished silver chain, so that it dipped attractively at her chest. Today my favorite piece of jewelry is a ring that I picked up for twenty dollars in New York. I bought it because it was pretty. It holds no memories or unusual powers. It's just a decoration, nothing more. Even the land of Camelot had a romantic atmosphere. The landscape was hilly and gently undulating like a calm and inviting sea. In the morning a mist would...