bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Problem Stabilization
Authors: Farri O. , McNaughton D.B. , Savik Kay , Monsen K.A. 
Published: October 2011

Summary
Background: Public health nurse (PHN) home visiting programs have been widely employed to improve life course trajectories for high risk mothers. Home visiting programs are often lengthy, during which PHNs simultaneously address multiple problems using diverse interventions over several client encounters. To manage PHN caseloads it is critical to understand the trajectory of client improvement and the optimal duration or services. PHN documentation data enable intervention trajectory research for specific client problems. A new metric called problem stabilization is proposed for evaluating interim improvement during PHN home visiting. Problem stabilization is an intervention pattern for a client problem that is characterized by co-occurring actions (i.e. teaching, guidance, and counseling; treatments and procedures; case management; and/or surveillance) during a client encounter; followed by surveillance actions only for that problem during a subsequent client encounter. The purpose of the study was to investigate problem stabilization during home visiting services for high risk mothers.
Methods: A retrospective cohort was created using family home visiting intervention documentation data from a local Midwest public health agency over a six year period (2000–2005). The data set consisted of Omaha System interventions for 720 high risk mothers. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and Kaplan Meier curves.
Results: On average 30.1% of the time, client problems stabilized before discharge. Stabilization patterns differed by problem. Time to stabilization was longest for Caretaking/parenting and Ante-partum/postpartum problems, and shortest for Residence and Mental health problems.
Conclusions: Problem stabilization, a proposed intermediate outcome of PHN home visiting care, appears to be meaningful in describing client response to PHN intervention. This metric is an example of meaningful use of structured clinical electronic health record data for program evaluation and clinical decision support.
Leptospirosis in Febrile Patients: Diagnosis by Serology and Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Perwez Khalid , VB Suman , Arun Kumar Nayanatara , Asif Hussain Mohammad 
Published: October 2011

Introduction : Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease found in all tropical and temperate areas of the world . Humans contract leptospira through mucosal or percutaneous exposure to environments contaminated by the urine of chronically infected animal sources mainly rodents, dogs, pigs and cattle. Objectives:It is known that IgM ELISA is used widely to diagnose leptospirosis in acute stage of illness.Our aim is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a molecular technique like PCR in comparison to the serological test Pan Bio, IgM ELISA, and its usefulness as a diagnostic test in the diagnosis of leptospirosis. Methods: The patients included 85 males and 15 females, age 2yrs–78 yrs, (median age, 40yrs). Common presenting symptoms were Fever, myalgia, jaundice, nausea and vomiting, oliguria and acute renal failure.Blood samples were drawn during the acute phase of illness, 7.5 mean days from the onset of symptoms. All the samples were tested for IgM antibody by ELISA and for Leptospira DNA by PCR. Detection of antibody done by PanBio Leptospira IgM ELISA . Detection of DNA by PCR: Extraction of DNA: was performed using the QIAGEN mini kit. Amplification of DNA: Primers used to amplify a 631 base-pair (bp) 5'-region of 16S rDNA of pathogenic leptospira, Detection of DNA: by Agarose gel electrophoresisResults: All 100 samples were tested by both ELISA and PCR. 35 samples (35%) were positive for the presence of IgM antibodies by ELISA. PCR demonstrated DNA in 34 of the samples . A total of 28 samples were positive by both ELISA and PCR. The PCR demonstrated a sensitivity of 80 % and specificity of 90%. Conclusions: PCR is a sensitive and specific technique which can detect the presence of DNA in the very early stage of the disease, Results of PCR can give us a presumptive diagnosis of leptospirosis in early phase of illness (1-7days) compared to pan Bio IgM ELISA. Hence PCR together with IgM ELISA can be used to confirm the diagnosis, in the acute stage(1-15days) of the infection.Key words: Leptospirosis, IgM Antibody, ELISA, DNA, PCR
Disaster Medicine, Telemedicine and Integrated Vector Control: United Nation’s Space Technology Program for Disaster Management
Authors: Kale Gokul Babarao , N.B. Kutemate 
Published: October 2011

UN-SPIDER-United Nations platform for space-based information for disaster management and emergency response is a new programme established as per UN’s resolution 61/110.UN-SPIDER is being implemented as an open network of providers of space-based solutions to support disaster management activities. Besides Vienna, the programme also has an office in Bonn, Germany and Beijing, China. In recent years the program have contributed to making space technologies available for humanitarian and emergency response, UN-SPIDER is the first to focus on the need to ensure access to and use of such solutions during all phases of the disaster management cycle, including the risk reduction phase, which significantly contributed for reducing the loss of lives and property. The UN-SPIDER programme is achieving this by being a gateway to space information for disaster management support, by serving as a bridge to connect the disaster management and space communities and by being a facilitator of capacity-building and institutional strengthening, in particular for developing countries. This paper communicates about emergency, disaster medicine, telemedicine and vector-borne disease management for prevention and control of harmful health effects due to disasters and optimizing benefits to both human health and the environment.
Metabolomics‐Lipidomics of Eicosanoids and Docosanoids Generated by Phagocytes
Authors: Yang Rong , Chiang Nan , Oh Sungwhan F. , Serhan Charles N. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractLipid mediators derived from essential fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid, play important roles in physiologic and pathophysiologic processes. Prostaglandins, thromboxane, and leukotrienes are well‐known eicosanoids that play critical roles in hemodynamics and inflammation. New families of mediators were recently uncovered that constitute a new genus stimulating resolution of acute inflammation, and are organ‐protective. These include the resolvins (E‐series and D‐series), protectins (neuroprotectin D1/protectin D1), and maresins biosynthesized from omega‐3 essential fatty acids. Phagocytes play major roles in tissue homeostasis and have a high capacity to produce these mediators, which depend on their tissue and state of activation. It is important to select appropriate methods for identifying target mediators and pathway biomarkers. In this unit, we review state‐of‐the‐art approaches to identify and profile eicosanoid and docosanoid pathways, including specialized pro‐resolving mediators resolvins, protectins, and maresins, in relation to their biosynthesis and inactivation by neutrophils and macrophages. Curr. Protoc. Immunol. 95:14.26.1‐14.26.26. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A channelopathy contributes to cerebellar dysfunction in a model of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Shields Shannon D. , Cheng Xiaoyang , Gasser Andreas , Saab Carl Y. , Tyrrell Lynda , Eastman Emmanuella M. , Iwata Masashi , Zwinger Pamela J. , Black Joel A. , Dib‐Hajj Sulayman D. , Waxman Stephen G. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractObjective:Cerebellar dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) contributes significantly to disability, is relatively refractory to symptomatic therapy, and often progresses despite treatment with disease‐modifying agents. We previously observed that sodium channel Nav1.8, whose expression is normally restricted to the peripheral nervous system, is present in cerebellar Purkinje neurons in a mouse model of MS (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis [EAE]) and in humans with MS. Here, we tested the hypothesis that upregulation of Nav1.8 in cerebellum in MS and EAE has functional consequences contributing to symptom burden.Methods:Electrophysiology and behavioral assessment were performed in a new transgenic mouse model overexpressing Nav1.8 in Purkinje neurons. We also measured EAE symptom progression in mice lacking Nav1.8 compared to wild‐type littermates. Finally, we administered the Nav1.8‐selective blocker A803467 in the context of previously established EAE to determine reversibility of MS‐like deficits.Results:We report that, in the context of an otherwise healthy nervous system, ectopic expression of Nav1.8 in Purkinje neurons alters their electrophysiological properties, and disrupts coordinated motor behaviors. Additionally, we show that Nav1.8 expression contributes to symptom development in EAE. Finally, we demonstrate that abnormal patterns of Purkinje neuron firing and MS‐like deficits in EAE can be partially reversed by pharmacotherapy using a Nav1.8‐selective blocker.Interpretation:Our results add to the evidence that a channelopathy contributes to cerebellar dysfunction in MS. Our data suggest that Nav1.8‐specific blockers, when available for humans, merit study in MS. Ann Neurol 2012;71:186–194
Syntheses of novel chitosan derivative with excellent solubility, anticoagulation, and antibacterial property by chemical modification
Authors: Liu Hengquan , Zhao Yuancong , Cheng Si , Huang Nan , Leng Yongxiang 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThe soluble and antibacterial chitosan derivative was prepared on the basis of the regioselective chemical modification. The N‐(2‐phthaloylation) chitosan was obtained via the reaction of chitosan with phthalic anhydride in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) at 130°C, and O‐(3,6‐hydroxyethyl) chitosan was produced using chlorohydrins as grafting agent and hydrazine hydrate as reductant. The structure of hydroxyethyl chitosan (HC) was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) respectively. The solubility, anticoagulation, and antibacterial property were assessed separately. The result shows that amine I of chitosan is replaced and the amide II disappears during chemical modification, and the functional groups of C6‐OH and ‐NH2 are also reacted. The water‐solubility of the novel chitosan derivative was enhanced relatively; it could even slightly soluble in methanol. The results of platelet adhesion and the activated partial thromboplastin times (APTTs) indicate that grafting hydroxyethyl could improve anticoagulation of chitosan. The antibacterial activity of HC against Enterococcus and E. coli had been much better owing to enhancing the degree of protonation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Some metal compounds in the phase of crosslinked ionic polymer—precursors for new sorbents and catalysts
Authors: Gutsanu Vasile , Cojocaru Ludmila , Lisa Gabriela , Volodina Galina F. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractA commercial crosslinked ionic polymer AV‐17 containing N(CH3)3Cl groups was used. The common compounds of Bi(III) and Al(III); Bi(III) and Cr(III); Bi(III) and Fe(III); Bi(III) and FeOOH and of three components—Bi(III), Fe(III), and Cr(III); Bi(III), FeOOH, and Cr(III) were obtained in the AV‐17 polymer phase and investigated using scanning electron microscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. It was shown that metal‐containing compounds were concentrated on the surface of the polymer granules. The compounds were in the crystalline (BiOCl) or amorphous (jarosites and oxihydroxides) state. The morphology and composition of the metal‐containing ultra dispersed particles were different on the surface and in the volume of the polymer granule. Most of the metal‐containing compounds were in the form of pseudo spherical particles, but compounds containing Bi(III) and FeOOH in the volume of AV‐17 granule, were in the form of clew of nanometer fibers. Thermogravimetric analysis (in an N2 atmosphere) in the range 24–1000°C of the metallic compounds containing polymer was also carried out. The metal‐containing polymer samples were stable up to 120°C. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Zirconium nano building blocks based on the 3‐butynoic acid ligand: Synthesis and thermomechanical studies of the resulting inorganic–organic hybrid material
Authors: Maggini Simona , Girardi Fabrizio , Müller Klaus , Di Maggio Rosa 
Published: October 2011

AbstractA new zirconium nano building block (ZrNBB) was prepared by the reaction of Zirconium tetrapropoxide with 3‐butynoic acid in an alkoxide/acid at a 1 : 3 or 1 : 6 molar ratio. The complex was characterized by FTIR, 1H‐NMR and 13C‐NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis, and elementary analysis. A spontaneous alkyne‐to‐allene isomerization process was observed for ZrNBB. A bulk sample was also prepared and analyzed via dynamical mechanical spectroscopy in compression mode. The zirconium complex was then embedded in a polymeric matrix by radical copolymerization with vinyl trimethoxysilane. The inorganic–organic hybrid material was chemically and thermally stable. The shear storage modulus and loss modulus were measured to determine the mechanical properties of the material. The preliminary results are presented. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Tensile modulus modeling of carbon black/polycarbonate, carbon nanotube/polycarbonate, and exfoliated graphite nanoplatelet/polycarbonate composites
Authors: Via Michael D. , King Julia A. , Keith Jason M. , Miskioglu Ibrahim , Cieslinski Mark J. , Anderson Jonathan J. , Bogucki Gregg R. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractConductive fillers are often added to thermoplastic polymers to increase the resulting composite's electrical conductivity (EC) which would enable them to be used in electrostatic dissipative and semiconductive applications. The resulting composite also exhibits increased tensile modulus. The filler aspect ratio plays an important role in modeling composite EC, and tensile modulus. It is difficult to measure the filler aspect ratio after the manufacturing process (often extrusion followed by injection molding) in the composite, especially when nanomaterials are used. The EC percolation threshold is a function of the filler aspect ratio; hence, knowledge of this percolation threshold provides a means to extract the filler aspect ratio. In this study, the percolation threshold of the composite was determined from EC measurements and modeling, which in turn was used to determine the filler aspect ratio for tensile modulus modeling. Per the authors' knowledge, this approach has not been previously reported in the open literature. The fillers; carbon black (CB: 2–10 wt %), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT: 0.5–8 wt %), or exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (GNP: 2–12 wt %); were added to polycarbonate (PC) and the resulting composites were tested for EC and tensile modulus. With the filler aspect ratio determined from EC values for CNT/PC and GNP/PC composites, the three‐dimensional randomly oriented fiber Halpin‐Tsai model accurately estimates the tensile modulus for the CNT/PC composites and the Nielsen model predicts the tensile modulus well for the CB/PC and GNP/PC composites. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Fabrication of porous polylactic acid films assisted by dip‐coating and template leaching techniques
Authors: Yang Ta‐I , Su Tai‐Lun , Lin Po‐Liang , Tseng I‐Hsiang , Chang Chih‐Hung , Fang Hsu‐Wei 
Published: October 2011

AbstractA new simple method was developed to fabricate porous polylactic acid (PLA) films coated directly on substrates. The PLA films with a controllable thickness were realized using a dip‐coating technique. The pore structure of the resulting porous PLA films was tailored by utilizing phase inversion process and template leaching techniques. The experimental results show that the resulting PLA films became thicker when using the coating solution with a higher viscosity or applying a faster withdrawal speed. The porous structures (pore size and void density) of the resulting PLA films are significantly influenced by the polymer concentration, the nonsolvents, and the addition of poly(ethylene glycol) templates. The analyses of solubility parameters was utilized to explain the porous structures of the resulting PLA films in details. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Synthesis and characterization of novel poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid‐co‐2‐hydroxy ethyl actylate) hydrogels: Mathematical approach in investigation of swelling kinetics and diffusion models
Authors: Awasthi Seema , Singhal Reena 
Published: October 2011

AbstractIn this study, a series of poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid‐co‐2‐hydroxy ethyl actylate) [AM‐co‐AA‐co‐HEA] hydrogels have been synthesized by varying the acrylic acid (AA)content over eightfold in feed in the range of 33.34–93.76% by keeping other monomer constant. These hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, SEM analysis, elemental analysis, residual acrylic acid analysis, network parameters, and dynamic swelling behavior. The swelling study showed that equilibrium swelling ratio was nonlinearly increased with increasing AA content. Interestingly, the equilibrium swelling ratio decreased from 53.42 to 48.52 for 75–80% AA content hydrogel. The swelling data were found to satisfactorily fit Fick's second law, demonstrating that diffusion rate of water uptake was primarily Fickian. From model fitting, it was observed that early model was applicable for first 30% water absorption, and late model was applicable for latter 70% water absorption for increasing AA content from 33.34–90.90%. For 93.76% AA, early‐time model was extended up to first 50% of water absorption and late model was contracted for latter 50% water absorption, indicating that excessive AA content affects the applicability range of early‐time and late‐time diffusion models for water absorption. Etters model was best applicable to all type of hydrogels and followed over all swelling range. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Mesua ferrea L. seed oil based amido‐amine modified nanoclay/epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Das Gautam , Karak Niranjan 
Published: October 2011

AbstractHydrophilic bentonite and organo‐montmorillonite (OMMT) have been modified by using a vegetable oil based amido‐amine compound. The modified nanoclays were characterized by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR techniques. Increase in the basal spacing after the modification was observed in both the cases. Further, Mesua ferrea L. seed oil based sulfonated epoxy resin nanocomposites have been prepared by using these modified nanoclays [3 (w/w) of clay in each case]. The XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR, and rheological studies confirmed the formation of partially exfoliated nanocomposites. The study also confirmed that hydrophilic bentonite is not suitable nanofiller for the system, though modified bentonite slightly improves the performance characteristics of the pristine polymer. Modified OMMT based nanocomposite shows significant improvement in tensile strength (∼ 1.7 times), scratch hardness (∼ 2 times), gloss (14 units), and thermal stability (18°C) compared to the pristine system. This nanocomposite also exhibit better performance than OMMT based analogous nanocomposite. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Rotation curves of luminous spiral galaxies
Authors: Yegorova I.A. , Babic A. , Salucci P. , Spekkens K. , Pizzella A. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractWe have investigated the stellar light distribution and the rotation curves of high‐luminosity spiral galaxies in the local Universe. The sample contains 30 high‐quality extended Hα and H I rotation curves. The stellar disk scale‐length of these objects was measured or taken from the literature. We find that in the outermost parts of the stellar disks of these massive objects, the rotation curves agree with the Universal Rotation Curve (Salucci et al. 2007), however a few rotation curves of the sample show a divergence (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Protein and RNA engineering to customize microbial molecular reporting
Authors: Gredell Joseph A. , Frei Christopher S. , Cirino Patrick C. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractNature takes advantage of the malleability of protein and RNA sequence and structure to employ these macromolecules as molecular reporters whose conformation and functional roles depend on the presence of a specific ligand (an “effector” molecule). By following nature's example, ligand‐responsive proteins and RNA molecules are now routinely engineered and incorporated into customized molecular reporting systems (biosensors). Microbial small‐molecule biosensors and endogenous molecular reporters based on these sensing components find a variety of applications that include high‐throughput screening of biosynthesis libraries, environmental monitoring, and novel gene regulation in synthetic biology. Here, we review recent advances in engineering small‐molecule recognition by proteins and RNA and in coupling in vivo ligand binding to reporter‐gene expression or to allosteric activation of a protein conferring a detectable phenotype. Emphasis is placed on microbial screening systems that serve as molecular reporters and facilitate engineering the ligand‐binding component to recognize new molecules.
Characterization of Organic Contaminants in New York/New Jersey Harbor Sediments Using FTIR‐ATR and Synchrotron FTIR
Authors: Song Zhiguang , Jones Keith W. , Marinkovic Nebojsa , Xiao Xian Ming , Feng Huan , Tchouparova Elli 
Published: October 2011

AbstractDredging and remediation of contaminated Harbor sediments requires characterization of organic pollutants. In this paper, we apply a combination of Fourier transform IR attenuated total reflectance (FTIR‐ATR) and synchrotron FTIR techniques to the investigation of sediments and related materials from New York/New Jersey Harbor and other locations. The FTIR techniques give information on the functional groups of the compounds found in the sediments and make possible measurements with a spatial resolution of about 0.015 mm. Comparisons of natural organic materials namely, river and groundwater humic substances, recent marine and lacustrine sediments, and ancient sedimentary kerogen show that contaminated NY/NJ Harbor sediments display a strong and distinct absorption in their IR spectra at 2850–2950 cm−1 identified as a CH stretching band, indicative of the presence of anthropogenic hydrocarbons. We suggest that the presence of this band could be used for rapid screening for the presence of contaminant organic compounds in sediments encountered in dredging operations and/or as an indicator for the efficacy of sediment decontamination technologies used for treatment of dredged material.