bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of poly(lactic acid)/natural rubber nanocomposites
Authors: Bijarimi Mohd , Ahmad Sahrim , Rasid Rozaidi
Published: July 2013

This paper reports a melt blend of poly(lactic acid)/liquid natural rubber with Cloisite C30B (C30B). The mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of poly(lactic acid)/liquid natural rubber and nanocomposites were investigated. Results indicate that Young’s modulus and flexural modulus increased with the addition of C30B to the poly(lactic acid)/liquid natural rubber blend. The elongation at break of poly(lactic acid)/liquid natural rubber increased significantly as compared to nanocomposite with 1% of C30B, i.e. from 37.3% to 62.4%. Nevertheless, the elongation at break and impact strength decreased gradually when nanoclay content increased above 3%, suggesting the addition of clay changed the strain response in the blend systems. The incorporation of nanoclay in the poly(lactic acid)/liquid natural rubber blends lowered the glass transition temperature values relative to poly(lactic acid). This behavior may be associated with more free volume available in the nanocomposite blend systems compared with pure poly(lactic acid). Morphological analyses by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope revealed that different types of morphologies exist for poly(lactic acid)/liquid natural rubber and nanocomposites. This study indicates that poly(lactic acid)/liquid natural rubber-toughened nanocomposites with a higher modulus and that thermal stability could be produced.
Mechanical and tribological properties of PEEK particle-filled UHMWPE composites: The role of counterface morphology change in dry sliding wear
Authors: Liu Yemei , Sinha Sujeet K
Published: July 2013

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a commonly used engineering plastic but has poor friction and wear properties when compared to those of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), whereas UHMWPE has good tribological properties but relatively weaker mechanical strengths. An optimum combination of these two materials is expected to have both sides’ goodness without adverse effects to a certain extent. Adding an optimum amount of PEEK powder filler into UHMWPE to form composite has shown better friction, wear and compressive strength properties. The mechanism of wear resistance improvement is found largely due to counterface transfer film but less because of the filler strengthening effect. Adding PEEK could improve the compressive strength of the composite due to high hardness of PEEK particles.
Evidence of elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in commonly consumed fish from Eleyele Reservoir, Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Adeogun Aina O , Adedara Isaac A , Farombi Ebenezer O
Published: July 2013

Environmental pollution of water, which is a source of cheap and affordable protein in the form of fish on which the population depends on, is of great concern globally. The present study assesses the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners in sediments and six commonly consumed cichlid species from Eleyele Reservoir, Southwestern Nigeria. The results indicate that the concentrations of heavier PCB congeners are higher than the lighter congeners in both sediment and fish tissue. The predominant PCB congeners in the sediment samples from this site were PCBs 8, 44, 114, 101, 189, 196, 206 and 209. The concentration of PCB congeners increased with increasing molecular weight from hepta-PCB to deca-PCB in all fish species. The trend in accumulation of total PCBs in fish was as follows: Tilapia guineensis (2,531.1 ± 74.6 ng/g) > Sarotherodon galilaeus (1178.7 ± 68.5 ng/g) > Oreochromis niloticus > (891.8 ± 49.6 ng/g) > Tilapia zillii (832.8 ± 38.2 ng/g) > Hemichromis fasciatus (475.7 ± 28.5 ng/g) > Sarotherodon melanotheron (333.2 ± 26.1 ng/g). In summary, data from this study shows that the levels of PCBs in cichlid species from Eleyele Reservoir are higher than the threshold level of 0.023–0.047 ng g−1 recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency. Such elevated PCB levels present significant health implications for human consumers and a threat to the resident fish communities.
A Case Study of a Late Preterm Infant’s Transition to Full At-Breast Feedings at 4 Months of Age
Authors: Lucas Ruth , Gupton Stephanie , Holditch-Davis Diane , Brandon Debra
Published: July 2013

Breast milk intake is recommended for late preterm infants. Many mothers provide expressed breast milk during hospitalization and anticipate transitioning their late preterm infant to full feedings at-breast after discharge. However, some infants take months to transition to full feedings at-breast. This article describes the case of a mother and her 35-week infant who transitioned to full feeding at-breast at 4 months after discharge. The clinical strategies to maintain maternal milk supply, use of hospital-grade scale, and importance of professional and community lactation support are discussed.
Using mPINC Data to Measure Breastfeeding Support for Hospital Employees
Authors: Allen Jessica A. , Belay Brook , Perrine Cria G.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Employer support is important for mothers, as returning to work is a common reason for discontinuing breastfeeding. This article explores support available to breastfeeding employees of hospitals that provide maternity care.

Objectives:

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of 7 different types of worksite support and changes in these supports available to breastfeeding employees at hospitals that provide maternity care from 2007 to 2011.

Methods:

Hospital data from the 2007, 2009, and 2011 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Survey on Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) were analyzed. Survey respondents were asked if the hospital provides any of the following supports to hospital staff: (1) a designated room to express milk, (2) on-site child care, (3) an electric breast pump, (4) permission to use existing work breaks to express milk, (5) a breastfeeding support group, (6) lactation consultant/specialist available for consult, and (7) paid maternity leave other than accrued vacation or sick leave. This study was exempt from ethical approval because it was a secondary analysis of a publicly available dataset.

Results:

Of the 7 worksite supports in hospitals measured, 6 increased and 1 decreased from 2007 to 2011. Across all survey years, more than 70% of hospitals provided supports for expressing breast milk, whereas less than 15% provided direct access to the breastfeeding child through on-site child care, and less than 35% offered paid maternity leave. Results differed by region and hospital size and type. In 2011, only 2% of maternity hospitals provided all 7 worksite supports; 40% provided 5 or more.

Conclusion:

The majority of maternity care hospitals (> 70%) offer breastfeeding supports that allow employees to express breast milk. Supports that provide direct access to the breastfeeding child, which would allow employees to breastfeed at the breast, and access to breastfeeding support groups are much less frequent than other supports, suggesting opportunities for improvement.
‘Promiscuous Crowd of English Smatterers’: The ‘Poor’ in the Colonial and Nationalist Discourse on Education in India, 1835–1912
Authors: Rao Parimala V.
Published: July 2013

The encounter between the pre-colonial education system in India, dominated by poor teachers and students, and the British education system, which defended and perpetuated the ‘English class system’, created a complex and problematic relationship. This article explores this problematic relationship between poverty and education in the discourse of the colonial state as well as of Indian nationalists.
Reducing Children’s Exposure to School Bus Diesel Exhaust in One School District in North Carolina
Authors: Mazer Mary E. , Jacobson Vann Julie C. , Lamanna Beth F. , Davison Jean
Published: July 2013

Children who are exposed to diesel exhaust from idling school buses are at increased risk of asthma exacerbation, decreased lung function, immunologic reactions, leukemia, and increased susceptibility to infections. Policies and initiatives that aim to protect school children from the harmful effects of exposure to diesel exhaust range from general environmental air quality standards to more specific legislation that targets diesel exhaust near school children. School nurse standards of practice specify that school nurses should attain current knowledge of environmental health concepts, implement environmental health strategies, and advocate for environmental health principles. This article provides a description of the professional responsibilities of school nurses in protecting children from harmful environmental exposures, provides an overview of legislative initiatives intended to protect school children from diesel exhaust exposure, and summarizes one school district’s effort to reduce diesel exhaust exposure among school children.
A Multimodal Examination of Sexual Interest in Children
Authors: Babchishin Kelly M. , Nunes Kevin L. , Kessous Nicolas
Published: July 2013

Research and theoretical models have consistently identified sexual interest in children as a key factor involved in child sexual offending. However, there is only moderate agreement in the diagnosis of pedophilia and different assessment methods identify different offenders as pedophiles. The current study examined the discriminative and convergent validity of three different measures of sexual interest in children. Participants included sex offenders and nonsex offenders recruited from federal prisons (i.e., offenders serving sentences of more than 2 years) in Ontario, Canada. Child molesters’ responses ( n = 35) were not significantly different from nonsex offenders ( n = 21) on an implicit measure of sexual interest in children (Sexual Attraction to Children Implicit Association Test [SAC-IAT] d = 0.44, 95% CI [−0.11, 0.99]), but differed on the self-report (Sexual Interest Profiling System; d = 0.83, 95% CI [0.27, 1.39]) and viewing time ( d = 1.15, 95% CI [0.54, 1.75]) measures. Findings did not provide clear support for the superiority of a multimodal approach, possibly due to the relatively small sample. More often than not, convergence between the three measures was observed ( n = 74). Findings from the present study are an important step toward understanding the relationship between different measures of sexual interest in children and establishing their validity.
The Influence of Community Context on How Coalitions Achieve HIV-Preventive Structural Change
Authors: Reed Sarah J. , Miller Robin Lin , Francisco Vincent T. ,   the Adolescent Medical Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions
Published: July 2013

Community coalition action theory (CCAT) depicts the processes and factors that affect coalition formation, maintenance, institutionalization, actions, and outcomes. CCAT proposes that community context affects coalitions at every phase of development and operation. We analyzed data from 12 Connect to Protect coalitions using inductive content analysis to examine how contextual factors (e.g., economics, collaboration, history, norms, and politics) enhance or impede coalitions’ success in achieving outcomes. Consistent with CCAT, context affected the objectives that coalitions developed and those they completed. Results suggest that local prevention history and political support have particular impact on coalitions’ success in creating structural changes. These data underscore the heuristic value of CCAT, yet also imply that the contextual constructs that affect outcomes are issue specific.
Comparison of a Mindful Eating Intervention to a Diabetes Self-Management Intervention Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Miller Carla K. , Kristeller Jean L. , Headings Amy , Nagaraja Haikady
Published: July 2013

Mindful eating may be an effective intervention for increasing awareness of hunger and satiety cues, improving eating regulation and dietary patterns, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and promoting weight loss. Diabetes self-management education (DSME), which addresses knowledge, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations for improving food choices, also may be an effective intervention for diabetes self-care. Yet few studies have compared the impact of mindful eating to a DSME-based treatment approach on patient outcomes. Adults 35 to 65 years old with type 2 diabetes for ≥1 year not requiring insulin therapy were recruited from the community and randomly assigned to treatment group. The impact of a group-based 3-month mindful eating intervention (MB-EAT-D; n = 27) to a group-based 3-month DSME “Smart Choices” (SC) intervention ( n = 25) postintervention and at 3-month follow-up was evaluated. Repeated-measures ANOVA with contrast analysis compared change in outcomes across time. There was no significant difference between groups in weight change. Significant improvement in depressive symptoms, outcome expectations, nutrition and eating-related self-efficacy, and cognitive control and disinhibition of control regarding eating behaviors occurred for both groups (all p < .0125) at 3-month follow-up. The SC group had greater increase in nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy than the MB-EAT-D group (all p < .05) at 3-month follow-up. MB-EAT-D had significant increase in mindfulness, whereas the SC group had significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption at study end (all p < .0125). Both SC and MB-EAT-D were effective treatments for diabetes self-management. The availability of mindful eating and DSME-based approaches offers patients greater choices in meeting their self-care needs.
Tough Choices in Tough Times
Authors: Kalousova Lucie , Burgard Sarah A.
Published: July 2013

Debt is a ubiquitous component of households’ financial portfolios. Yet we have scant understanding of how household debt constrains spending on needed health care. Diverse types of debt have different financial properties and recent work has shown that they may have varying implications for spending on needed health care. In this article, we explore the associations between indebtedness and medication nonadherence. First, we consider overall debt levels and then we disaggregate debt into types. We use a population-based sample of 434 residents of southeast Michigan who had been prescribed medications, collected in 2009-2010, the wake of the Great Recession. We find no association between medication nonadherence and total indebtedness. However, when we assess each type of debt separately, we find that having medical or credit card debt is positively associated with medication nonadherence, even net of household income, net worth, and other characteristics. Furthermore, patients with greater amounts of medical or credit card debt are more likely to be nonadherent than those with less. Our results suggest that credit card debt and medical debt may have serious implications for the relative affordability of prescription medications. These associations have been overlooked in past research and deserve further examination.
Neddylation plays an important role in the regulation of murine and human dendritic cell function
Authors: Mathewson Nathan , Toubai Tomomi , Kapeles Steven , Sun Yaping , Oravecz-Wilson Katherine , Tamaki Hiroya , Wang Ying , Hou Guoqing , Sun Yi , Reddy Pavan
Published: July 2013

Key Points

There is a role for the posttranslational modification, neddylation, in regulation of immune responses mediated by dendritic cells. A role for neddylation in NF-κB signaling in dendritic cells was identified.
Defective tubulin organization and proplatelet formation in murine megakaryocytes lacking Rac1 and Cdc42
Authors: Pleines Irina , Dütting Sebastian , Cherpokova Deya , Eckly Anita , Meyer Imke , Morowski Martina , Krohne Georg , Schulze Harald , Gachet Christian , Debili Najet , Brakebusch Cord , Nieswandt Bernhard
Published: July 2013

Key Points

Rac1 and Cdc42 have redundant functions in platelet biogenesis. Deficiency of Rac1 and Cdc42 results in highly abnormal megakaryocyte morphology associated with severely defective tubulin organization.
Abnormal megakaryocyte development and platelet function in Nbeal2−/− mice
Authors: Kahr Walter H. A. , Lo Richard W. , Li Ling , Pluthero Fred G. , Christensen Hilary , Ni Ran , Vaezzadeh Nima , Hawkins Cynthia E. , Weyrich Andrew S. , Di Paola Jorge , Landolt-Marticorena Carolina , Gross Peter L.
Published: July 2013

Key Points

Nbeal2 −/− mice are a model of human GPS, characterized by macrothrombocytopenia and α-granule-deficient platelets. NBEAL2 is required for normal platelet function and megakaryocyte development.
Cerebrospinal-fluid cytokine and chemokine profile in patients with pneumococcal and meningococcal meningitis
Authors: Coutinho Leonam G , Grandgirard Denis , Leib Stephen L , Agnez-Lima Lucymara F
Published: July 2013

Background

Bacterial meningitis is characterized by an intense inflammatory reaction contributing to neuronal damage. The aim of this study was to obtain a comparative analysis of cytokines and chemokines in patients with pneumococcal (PM) and meningococcal meningitis (MM) considering that a clear difference between the immune response induced by these pathogens remains unclear.

Methods

The cyto/chemokines, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-1Ra, CXCL8/IL-8, CCL2/MCP-1, CLL3/MIP-1α, CCL4/MIP-1γ and G-CSF, were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with PM and MM. Additionally, a literature review about the expression of cytokines in CSF samples of patients with MB was made.

Results

Concerning cytokines levels, only IFN-γ was significantly higher in patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae compared to those with Neisseria meningitidis, regardless of the time when the lumbar puncture (LP) was made. Furthermore, when samples were compared considering the timing of the LP, higher levels of TNF-α (P <0.05) were observed in MM patients whose LP was made within 48 h from the initial symptoms of disease. We also observed that the index of release of cyto/chemokines per cell was significantly higher in PM. From the literature review, it was observed that TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 are the best studied cytokines, while reports describing the concentration of the cytokine IL-2, IL-1Ra, G-CSF and CCL4/MIP-1β in CSF samples of patients with bacterial meningitis were not found.

Conclusion

The data obtained in this study and the previously published data show a similar profile of cytokine expression during PM and MM. Nevertheless, the high levels of IFN-γ and the ability to release high levels of cytokines with a low number of cells are important factors to be considered in the pathogenesis of PM and thereby should be further investigated. Moreover, differences in the early response induced by the pathogens were observed. However, the differences observed are not sufficient to trigger changes in the current therapy of corticosteroids adopted in both the PM and MM.
Whole-exome sequencing identifies MYO15A mutations as a cause of autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss in Korean families
Authors: Woo Hae-Mi , Park Hong-Joon , Baek Jeong-In , Park Mi-Hyun , Kim Un-Kyung , Sagong Borum , Koo Soo Kyung
Published: July 2013

Background

The genetic heterogeneity of hearing loss makes genetic diagnosis expensive and time consuming using available methods. Whole-exome sequencing has recently been introduced as an alternative approach to identifying causative mutations in Mendelian disorders.

Methods

To identify the hidden mutations that cause autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL), we performed whole-exome sequencing of 13 unrelated Korean small families with ARNSHL who were negative for GJB2 or SLC26A4 mutations.

Results

We found two novel compound heterozygous mutations, IVS11 + 1 and p.R2146Q, of MYO15A in one (SR903 family) of the 13 families with ARNSHL. In addition to these causative mutations, 13 nonsynonymous variants, including variants with uncertain pathogenicity (SR285 family), were identified in the coding exons of MYO15A from Korean exomes.

Conclusion

This is the first report of MYO15A mutations in an East Asian population. We suggest that close attention should be paid to this gene when performing genetic testing of patients with hearing loss in East Asia. The present results also indicate that whole-exome sequencing is a valuable method for comprehensive medical diagnosis of a genetically heterogeneous recessive disease, especially in small-sized families.
Employing crisis postcards with case management in Kaohsiung, Taiwan: 6-month outcomes of a randomised controlled trial for suicide attempters
Authors: Chen Wei-Jen , Ho Chi-Kung , Shyu Shi-Sen , Chen Cheng-Chung , Lin Guei-Ging , Chou Li-Shiu , Fang Yun-Ju , Yeh Pin-Yang , Chung Tieh-Chi , Chou Frank Huang-Chih
Published: July 2013

Background

Suicide attempts constitute a serious clinical problem and have important implications for healthcare resources. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of case management using crisis postcards over a 6-month follow-up period.

Method

A randomised controlled trial was conducted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Prevention of further suicide attempts was compared between two groups with and without the postcard intervention. The intervention group consisted of 373 participants (139 males, 234 females; age: 39.8 ± 14.0 yrs.). The control group consisted of 388 participants (113 males, 275 females; age: 40.0 ± 16.0 yrs.). A survival analysis was used to test the effectiveness of the crisis postcard intervention for the prevention of suicide reattempts. Per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses were conducted.

Results

The intention-to-treat analysis indicated that the crisis postcard had no effect (hazard ratio = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.56 – 1.29), whereas the per-protocol analysis showed a strong benefit for the crisis postcard (hazard ratio = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.21 – 0.72).

Conclusion

Although the results of the present study indicated that the postcard intervention did not reduce subsequent suicide behaviour, our study provides an alteration to the postcard intervention. Further studies need to be conducted to clarify whether this type of intervention can reduce subsequent suicidal behaviour, with a particular focus on reducing the rate of loss to follow-up.
The impact of podoconiosis on quality of life in Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Mousley Elizabeth , Deribe Kebede , Tamiru Abreham , Davey Gail
Published: July 2013

Background

Podoconiosis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases, which untreated, causes considerable physical disability and stigma for affected individuals. Little is known about the quality of life (QoL) of patients with podoconiosis. This study aimed to assess the QoL of patients with podoconiosis in comparison with healthy controls in Ethiopia.

Methods

A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2012, among 346 clinically confirmed adult patients with podoconiosis, and 349 healthy adult neighbourhood controls in Dembecha woreda (district) in northern Ethiopia. QoL was assessed using the validated Amharic version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF) scale; in addition, mental health and stigma were assessed by the Kessler-10 scale and podoconiosis stigma scale respectively. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with QoL.

Results

Patients with podoconiosis had significantly lower mean overall QoL than the controls (52.05 versus 64.39), and this was also true in all four sub domains (physical, psychological, social and environmental). Controls were 7 times more likely to have high (above median) QoL (Odds Ratio = 6.74, 95% Confidence Interval 4.62 to 9.84) than cases. Factors associated with lower QoL were: experiencing high levels of stigma, living in an urban area, being illiterate, having additional co-morbidities, and being unmarried. Mental illness was associated with lower scores in psychological and physical domains.

Conclusions

Programs targeting podoconiosis interventions should include QoL as an indicator for monitoring progress. Interventions targeting improvement of QoL among patients with podoconiosis should address depression, stigma and other co-morbidities.
Frequency of nut consumption and mortality risk in the PREDIMED nutrition intervention trial
Authors: Guasch-Ferré Marta , Bulló Mònica , Martínez-González Miguel Ángel , Ros Emilio , Corella Dolores , Estruch Ramon , Fitó Montserrat , Arós Fernando , Wärnberg Julia , Fiol Miquel , Lapetra José , Vinyoles Ernest , Lamuela-Raventós Rosa Maria , Serra-Majem Lluís , Pintó Xavier , Ruiz-Gutiérrez Valentina , Basora Josep , Salas-Salvadó Jordi
Published: July 2013

Background

Prospective studies in non-Mediterranean populations have consistently related increasing nut consumption to lower coronary heart disease mortality. A small protective effect on all-cause and cancer mortality has also been suggested. To examine the association between frequency of nut consumption and mortality in individuals at high cardiovascular risk from Spain, a Mediterranean country with a relatively high average nut intake per person.

Methods

We evaluated 7,216 men and women aged 55 to 80 years randomized to 1 of 3 interventions (Mediterranean diets supplemented with nuts or olive oil and control diet) in the PREDIMED (‘PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea’) study. Nut consumption was assessed at baseline and mortality was ascertained by medical records and linkage to the National Death Index. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression and multivariable analyses with generalized estimating equation models were used to assess the association between yearly repeated measurements of nut consumption and mortality.

Results

During a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 323 total deaths, 81 cardiovascular deaths and 130 cancer deaths occurred. Nut consumption was associated with a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality (Pfor trend <0.05, all). Compared to non-consumers, subjects consuming nuts >3 servings/week (32% of the cohort) had a 39% lower mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) 0.61; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.83). A similar protective effect against cardiovascular and cancer mortality was observed. Participants allocated to the Mediterranean diet with nuts group who consumed nuts >3 servings/week at baseline had the lowest total mortality risk (HR 0.37; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.66).

Conclusions

Increased frequency of nut consumption was associated with a significantly reduced risk of mortality in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.

Please see related commentary:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/165.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN):35739639. Registration date: 5 October 2005.
Psychiatric symptoms as a clinical presentation of Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Tang Alice , O’Sullivan Anthony J , Diamond Terry , Gerard Andrew , Campbell Peter
Published: July 2013

Cushing’s syndrome can present with a spectrum of symptoms; however, it is less recognised that psychiatric symptoms can form part of the clinical presenting features. In the investigations for an organic cause for a psychiatric illness, Cushing’s syndrome needs to be considered, especially if there are other features such as hirsutism or hypertension. In this article, the two cases reported demonstrate that a prompt diagnosis is not only important for psychiatric management but also crucial for timely institution of the necessary treatment of life-threatening causes of hypercortisolaemia such as metastatic adrenal carcinoma.
Ultra-pure platelet isolation from canine whole blood
Authors: Trichler Shauna A , Bulla Sandra C , Thomason John , Lunsford Kari V , Bulla Camilo
Published: July 2013

Background

Several research applications involving platelets, such as proteomic and transcriptomic analysis, require samples with very low numbers of contaminating leukocytes, which have considerably higher RNA and protein content than platelets. We sought to develop a platelet purification protocol that would minimize contamination, involve minimal centrifugation steps, and yield highly pure platelet samples derived from low volume whole blood samples from healthy dogs.

Results

Using an optimized OptiPrep density gradient technique, platelet recovery was 51.56% with 99.99% platelet purity and leukocyte contamination of 100 leukocytes per 108 platelets, on average. Platelet samples were subjected to additional purification with CD45-labeled Dynabeads after density barrier centrifugation resulting in a 95-fold depletion of residual leukocytes. Platelets purified using these methods remained inactivated as assessed by Annexin V and P-selectin labeling with flow cytometry.

Conclusions

The use of OptiPrep density gradient is a quick method for obtaining highly purified platelet samples from low volumes of canine whole blood with minimal contamination. Additional depletion of residual leukocytes can be achieved using CD45-labeled beads. These platelet samples can then be used for many downstream applications that require ultra-pure platelet samples such as RNA and protein analysis.
Neuroregeneration and dementia: new treatment options
Authors: Mitran Smaranda Ioana , Catalin Bogdan , Sfredel Veronica , Balseanu Tudor-Adrian
Published: July 2013

In the last years, physiological aging became a general concept that includes all the changes that occur in organism with old age. It is obvious now, that in developing and developed countries, new health problems concerning older population appear. One of these major concerns is probably dementia. Sooner or later, all forms of dementia lead to learning deficit, memory loss, low attention span, impairment of speech and poor problem solving skills. Normal ageing is a physiological process that also involves a lot of neurological disorders with the same type of symptoms and effects that many researchers are trying to minimize in demented patients. In this review we try to highlight some of the newest aspects of therapeutic strategies that can improve natural neuroregeneration.
Non-conventional induction strategies for production of subunit swine erysipelas vaccine antigen in rE. coli fed-batch cultures
Authors: da Silva Adilson José , Horta Antônio Carlos Luperni , Velez Ana Maria , Iemma Mônica Rosas C , Sargo Cíntia Regina , Giordano Raquel LC , Novo Maria Teresa M , Giordano Roberto C , Zangirolami Teresa Cristina
Published: July 2013

In spite of the large number of reports on fed-batch cultivation of E. coli, alternative cultivation/induction strategies remain to be more deeply exploited. Among these strategies, it could be mentioned the use of complex media with combination of different carbon sources, novel induction procedures and feed flow rate control matching the actual cell growth rate. Here, four different carbon source combinations (glucose, glycerol, glucose + glycerol and auto-induction) in batch media formulation were compared. A balanced combination of glucose and glycerol in a complex medium formulation led to: fast growth in the batch-phase; reduced plasmid instability by preventing early expression leakage; and protein volumetric productivity of 0.40 g.L-1.h-1. Alternative induction strategies were also investigated. A mixture of lactose and glycerol as supplementary medium fully induced a high biomass population, reaching a good balance between specific protein production (0.148 gprot.gDCW
-1) and volumetric productivity (0.32 g.L-1.h-1). The auto-induction protocol showed excellent results on specific protein production (0.158 gprot.gDCW
-1) in simple batch cultivations. An automated feed control based on the on-line estimated growth rate was implemented, which allowed cells to grow at higher rates than those generally used to avoid metabolic overflow, without leading to acetate accumulation. Some of the protocols described here may provide a useful alternative to standard cultivation and recombinant protein production processes, depending on the performance index that is expected to be optimized. The protocols using glycerol as carbon source and induction by lactose feeding, or glycerol plus glucose in batch medium and induction by lactose pulse led to rSpaA production in the range of 6 g.L-1, in short fed-batch processes (16 to 20 h) with low accumulation of undesired side metabolites.
Deletion of Growth Hormone Receptors in Postnatal Skeletal Muscle of Male Mice Does Not Alter Muscle Mass and Response to Pathological Injury
Authors: Vijayakumar Archana , Buffin Nicholas J. , Gallagher Emily J. , Blank Jeffrey , Wu Yingjie , Yakar Shoshana , LeRoith Derek
Published: July 2013

In this study, we investigated whether loss of GH receptor (GHR) signaling in postnatal skeletal muscle alters muscle mass and regenerative ability in adult mice and whether this was dependent on IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling. To do so, we used mouse models with skeletal muscle-specific loss of GHR signaling (mGHRKO), IGF-1R and insulin receptor signaling (MKR), or both GHR and IGF-1R/insulin receptor signaling (mGHRKO/MKR). We did not find a reduction in muscle cross-sectional area, fiber type composition, or response to pathological muscle injury in male mGHRKO and mGHRKO/MKR mice when compared with control and MKR mice, respectively. This could potentially be explained by unchanged skeletal muscle Igf-1 expression in mGHRKO and mGHRKO/MKR mice relative to control and MKR mice, respectively. Furthermore, MKR and mGHRKO/MKR mice, but not mGHRKO mice, demonstrated reduced fiber fusion after cardiotoxin injection, suggesting that IGF-1, and not GH, promotes fiber fusion in adult mice. In summary, our data suggest that GHR signaling in postnatal skeletal muscle does not play a significant role in regulating muscle mass or muscle regeneration. Additionally, in our model, muscle Igf-1 expression is not dependent on GHR signaling in postnatal skeletal muscle.
Thiol-Containing Polysilsesquioxane Liquid and Photocurable Sulfur-Containing Transparent Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Monoliths Obtained via Cosolvent-Free Hydrolytic Polycondensation
Authors: Igarashi Yuta , Kajihara Koichi , Kanamura Kiyoshi
Published: July 2013

Cosolvent-free hydrolytic polycondensation of trimethoxy(3-sulfanylpropyl)silane under acidic conditions was found to yield thiol-containing polysilsesquioxane (PSQ) liquid. The resultant PSQ liquid is stable at room temperature and serves as a precursor of sulfur-containing transparent organic–inorganic hybrid monoliths prepared via ultraviolet (UV) photoinduced thiol–ene reaction. The factors that determine the UV transparency of the hybrids were investigated. Sulfur-containing organic–inorganic hybrids showing good transparency in the UV spectral region are obtained using a vinyl compound, which is transparent around the UV absorption edge of thiol groups.
Time-Resolved Spectroscopic and Imaging Studies on Laser Ablation of Molecular Systems: From Mechanistic Study to Bio/Nano Applications
Authors: Masuhara Hiroshi
Published: July 2013

Studies on laser ablation of polymer films, molecular crystals in solution, protein solution, and culture media containing living cells are summarized and considered. Dynamics and mechanism of laser ablation were systematically studied by utilizing time-resolved spectroscopy and imaging; femtosecond–nanosecond transient absorption and emission spectroscopy, nanosecond shadowgraphy, nanosecond–nanometer interferometry, femtosecond surface light scattering imaging. It was confirmed by integrating both data that primary processes of laser ablation can be well understood in the framework of Jablonski diagram. For nanosecond laser ablation of doped polymers, it was demonstrated that cyclic multiphoton absorption is an efficient photothermal conversion process leading to photothermal ablation. For femtosecond laser ablation of dye films, transient pressure mechanism was proposed indicating photomechanical ablation. As applications of laser ablation, nanoparticle preparation, protein crystallization, and manipulation of living cells are presented. Laser ablation of molecular crystals in poor solvent gives small fragments whose size are in a few tens nm. The fabricated nanocolloids are stable without adding detergents and their size was the smallest as nanoparticles produced by the top-down-method. Multiphoton laser ablation of water generates local impulsive force due to bubble formation, shockwave propagation, and local convection flow. The force triggers molecular and protein crystallization in their supersaturated solutions, whose mechanisms are described and considered. The impulsive force is also very useful for manipulating living cells and its high potential was confirmed by examining cell functions such as division, differentiation, death, and migration. Finally summary and future plan are presented.
Synthesis of Hollow Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles by Templating Micelles of Poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid-b-ethylene oxide) in Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Zhai Shuo , Yusa Shin-ichi , Nakashima Kenichi
Published: July 2013

Spherical hollow zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by templating micelles of poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PAA-b-PEO). This polymer forms a micelle with a PS core, a PAA shell, and a PEO corona in aqueous solutions. Zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) were used as precursors of ZnO. In the synthesis, the PS core acts as a template for cavities of the hollow particles, the PAA shell is beneficial for arresting zinc ions for further mineralizing, and the PEG corona stabilizes the zinc hydrogen carbonate (Zn(HCO3)2)/polymer nanocomposite to prevent secondary aggregate formation. Hollow ZnO nanoparticles were obtained after the calcination of the separated (Zn(HCO3)2)/polymer nanocomposite at 500 °C for 4 h. The hollow ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by various techniques including transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The hollow ZnO particles have a spherical shape, a narrowly distributed size of 24.7 ± 1.3 nm, and a shell thickness of 6.9 ± 0.7 nm. Compared with other methods, the present method gives hollow ZnO nanoparticles with smaller size (ca. 25 nm), narrow size distribution, controlled shape, and robust shell. This result strongly demonstrates the advantages of the present synthesis route.
Knowledge brokers, entrepreneurs and markets
Authors: Caswill Chris , Lyall Catherine
Published: July 2013

This paper expands the discussion of knowledge brokerage by connecting it to long-standing debates within the social sciences about the effective transmission of scientifically produced knowledge into the worlds of policy and practice. This longer-term perspective raises some different questions about intermediary roles which are then tested against quantitative data on the attitudes of the producers of social science knowledge and some in-depth qualitative information about the use of social science knowledge by a select number of policy actors. The paper concludes with some proposals for the reconceptualisation of knowledge brokerage as one set of contributions within a larger knowledge market.
The Effectiveness of a Phonics-Based Early Intervention for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschool Children and Its Possible Impact on Reading Skills in Elementary School: A Case Study
Authors: Wang Ye , Spychala Heather , Harris Regina S. , Oetting Tara L.
Published: July 2013

The study explored the effects of a phonics-based early intervention package on the early reading skills of three preschool students who were d/Deaf or hard of hearing who differed in regard to degree of hearing loss, use of amplification, and communication mode. The 40-week intervention (50-week in one case) was delivered through individual and group phonics-based instruction supplemented by Visual Phonics in a language-enriched preschool classroom. Standardized assessments were conducted before, during, and after the intervention. Along with some additional assessments, the same assessments were conducted in early elementary school. The results showed that all participants demonstrated at least some use of phonemic awareness and phonics skills when they were explicitly trained, and that these skills were sustained in early elementary school. Furthermore, all participants exhibited overall reading levels at or above age level when measured in early elementary school.
The Arthurian Opera by Isaac Albéniz and Francis Money-Coutts (1852–1923): Libretto Translation Theories Applied to Merlin
Authors: Zarandona Juan Miguel
Published: July 2013

Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909), a well-known composer of contemporary Spanish music, created the opera Merlin between 1898–1902. Intended to be part of a Celtic trilogy rivalling the Germanic trilogies by Richard Wagner, Albéniz was only able to finish the first part. This article studies the different Spanish translations of the original English text and the shortcomings—or improvements—that they underwent as the lyrics were being set to music.
The Devil’s in the Detail: Translating Merlin’s Father from the Merlin en Prose in Paulino Pieri’s Storia di Merlino
Authors: Campbell Laura J.
Published: July 2013

The fourteenth-century Florentine vernacular translation of Robert de Boron’s Merlin reinterprets Merlin as a political prophet commenting on recent events from Italian history. As such, the moral ambiguity surrounding the notion of Merlin’s devil father—who is deployed by Robert as an illustration of the text’s religious ideology—is questioned by the Italian translator, who reinterprets the diabolic in such a way as to reduce its power and autonomy within the narrative.
Scoring the National Hym(e)n: Sexuality, Immigration, and Identity in Najat El Hachmi's L'últim patriarca
Authors: Folkart Jessica A.
Published: July 2013

This essay examines how L'últim patriarca rewrites the story of Peninsular territory and identity, long rendered as a gendered space violated by African invaders. Drawing on Derrida's images of the hymn/ hymen as liminal sites, it explores the complexities of immigrant identity through a focus on language and the body in Amazigh and Catalan cultures in Morocco and Spain. El Hachmi's text undermines the binary structure of identity/difference in Spain/Africa, and problematizes the duality of the border itself by showing the border to multiply in many directions. The latter part of the analysis demonstrates how El Hachmi moves beyond the hymen as the fetish of cultural, gendered, and racial conquest to seek out the further taboo of the anus, the ultimate site of scoring. L'últim patriarca thus maps the back side of Spain as a way of rewriting the anthem of identity and its scoring of and on the female body.
Checkmate: The Gifting Game and Gender Performance Anxiety in Lope de Vega's La Dorotea
Authors: Barlow Jennifer E.
Published: July 2013

Lope de Vega's 1632 novel in dialogue, La Dorotea , expresses the cultural anxieties of seventeenth-century Spain, particularly with regard to the shifting value of intellectual and economic capital within a changing society. Lope's characters find themselves trapped in a perpetual game of gift exchange, one that is illuminated by the many references to the game of chess throughout the text. Dorotea, the newly powerful queen, is inevitably seduced by the opposing kings, Don Bela and Don Fernando, with their respective offerings of gold and verse. The present study therefore seeks to examine Lope's chess allusions as they relate to gender politics, seduction, and social mobility in order to offer a deeper understanding of the Baroque consciousness expressed in this work and of social crisis in early modern Spain.
Anti-Haitian Rhetoric and the Monumentalizing of Violence in Joaquín Balaguer's Guía emocional de la ciudad romántica
Authors: Serrata Médar
Published: July 2013

This essay compares four editions of the book Guía emocional de la ciudad romántica , by the Dominican author and politician Joaquín Balaguer. The book, a celebration of Santo Domingo's monumental architecture, evokes the topos of the romantic poet who strolls down the streets of an ancient city admiring the remnants of the past. A closer examination, however, reveals a text deeply invested in the monumentalizing of violence—a text that portrays the dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo as the savior of the nation. Moreover, the metaphorical stroll that the reader is invited to take reenacts the movement of history in order to justify the 1937 massacre of thousands of Haitians living in Dominican territory.
Una reflexión sobre el judaísmo desde el exilio republicano español: sobre Arte y Torá , libro inédito de Máximo Josxé Kahn
Authors: Gijón Mario Martín
Published: July 2013

For most Spanish Republican exiles, the Jewish people had been, like them, victim of fascism and religious intolerance. The solidarity that united them against a common enemy, however, didn't lead to the forging of common projects or original reflection on Judaism, absent even in a writer of Jewish origins like Max Aub. The work of the essayist and novelist Máximo José Kahn is therefore all the more exceptional. Born in Germany, he emigrated in 1921 to Spain, whose nationality he adopted, and went into exile at the fall of the Second Republic. After learning of the genocide committed against the European Jews, Kahn initiated a radical reflection on the future of Judaism, which he developed in several Argentinean publications, and especially in his unpublished book Arte y Torá, completed shortly before his death, that was considered disappeared and whose main guidelines are outlined in this article.
Pastoralism, Parricide, and the PRI: Nostalgia and Self-Awareness in Yáñez's Al filo del agua
Authors: Ochoa John
Published: July 2013

Parricide is deeply intertwined with the notion of Revolution: the parricide at the central point of Agustín Yáñez's Al filo del agua (1947) is thematically linked to killing the father in the political sense. In this article I relate the process of the son rising to challenge the father to the overthrow of the antiguo régimen , especially in their aftermath; the outcome of both types of parricide can lead to self-awareness, especially after revolution has become "institutionalized" (as in the PRI, or Partido Revolucionario Institucional). To build my argument, I offer an excursion through the literary-historical genre of pastoral nostalgia, which informs this novel, as well as a parallel to Dostoevski's "Parable of the Grand Inquisitor" from Brothers Karamazov . I conclude that this post-traumatic introspection often leads to the classic philosophical problem of Free Will—or the lack thereof.
Raiding the "Anales" of the Empire: Sarduy's Subversions of the Latin American Boom
Authors: Riobó Carlos
Published: July 2013

In his novel Maitreya , Severo Sarduy sends up Gabriel García Márquez's trope of archival origins in Cien años de soledad and, in so doing, subverts the phallogocentric discourse on which the Boom relies for legitimacy. This essay analyzes the use of anal fisting in Sarduy's work as an alternative metaphor for accessing the archive and for writing, which subverts Latin American literature's reliance on archival origins. Through an examination of theories by Derrida, Foucault, and González Echevarría, I clarify the significance of the archive and its place in Latin American literature. I also analyze Sarduy's Neobaroque sonnet, "Omítemela más, que lo omitido," to elucidate archival notions implicit in fisting. Lastly, I demonstrate that Lady Tremenda's anal baby ("hijo caudal") in Maitreya is a parody of the inbred birth of "el caudal," the pig-tailed fulfillment of Úrsula's much-feared prediction—and a symbol of archival texts and phallic writing in Cien años de soledad .