Cornerstone Research

Cornerstone Research Group. Shape Memory Polymers—An Overview. Available online. URL http //www.crgrp.net/overviews/smp 1. shtml. Accessed May 28, 2009. Makers of shape memory polymers, Cornerstone Research Group explains and illustrates the concepts. 

Pharmacotherapy is the cornerstone of acute and maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. Mood-stabilizing drugs are the usual first-choice treatments and include lithium, divalproex, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine. Atypical antipsychotics other than clozapine are also approved for treatment of acute mania. Lithium, lamotrigine, olanzapine, and aripiprazole are approved for maintenance therapy. Drugs used with less research support and without Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval include topiramate and oxcarbazepine. Benzodiazepines are used adjunctively for mania. 

Mark s inclination based on his research at the Fiber Research Institute was that "colloidal" substances such as cellulose and rubber were of high molecular weight. Work began with this cornerstone concept. In the beginning research was mostly concerned with testing viscose and cellulose acetate fibers. Before long a great deal of research was conducted on materials subsequently called addition polymers. 

The synthesis of pheromones remains an important cornerstone of pheromone research and development. The initial synthesis of an insect pheromone serves not only to confirm the structural identification, but also provides authentic material for either laboratory or field bioassay. Oftentimes, larger quantities of the pheromones are desired for the development of monitoring and pest control methods. The scale up of the synthesis of complex pheromone compounds is often a major bottleneck in the practical application of pheromones. Also, the unusual structure of some pheromone compounds beckons synthetic chemists to apply new methodology in order to show off their methods. 

As is the case with any scientific development with important technological consequences, basic research plays a fundamental role whereby appropriate models are designed to explore and predict the physical and chemical behavior of a system. A confined quantum system is a clear example where theory constitutes a cornerstone for explanation and prediction of new properties of spatially limited atoms, molecules, electrons, excitons, etc. Theoretical study of possible confined structures might also suggest and stimulate further experimental investigations. In essence, the design of novel materials with exceptional properties requires proper theoretical modeling. 

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