bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Superhydrophobic poly(L-lactic acid) surface as potential bacterial colonization substrate
Authors: Sousa Cláudia , Rodrigues Diana , Oliveira Rosário , Song Wenlong , Mano João F , Azeredo Joana 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
Hydrophobicity is a very important surface property and there is a growing interest in the production and characterization of superhydrophobic surfaces. Accordingly, it was recently shown how to obtain a superhydrophobic surface using a simple and cost-effective method on a polymer named poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). To evaluate the ability of such material as a substrate for bacterial colonization, this work assessed the capability of different bacteria to colonize a biomimetic rough superhydrophobic (SH) PLLA surface and also a smooth hydrophobic (H) one. The interaction between these surfaces and bacteria with different morphologies and cell walls was studied using one strain of Staphylococcus aureus and one of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results showed that both bacterial strains colonized the surfaces tested, although significantly higher numbers of S. aureus cells were found on SH surfaces comparing to H ones. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy images showed an extracellular matrix produced by P. aeruginosa on SH PLLA surfaces, indicating that this bacterium is able to form a biofilm on such substratum. Bacterial removal through lotus leaf effect was also tested, being more efficient on H coupons than on SH PLLA ones. Overall, the results showed that SH PLLA surfaces can be used as a substrate for bacterial colonization and, thus, have an exceptional potential for biotechnology applications.
Cultivation-independent methods applied to the microbial prospection of oil and gas in soil from a sedimentary basin in Brazil
Authors: Miqueletto Paula B , Andreote Fernando D , Dias Armando CF , Ferreira Justo C , dos Santos Neto Eugênio V , de Oliveira Valéria M 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
The upper parts of oil field structures may leak gas which is supposed to be indirectly detected by the soil bacterial populations. Such microorganisms are capable of consuming this gas, supporting the Microbial Prospection of Oil and Gas (MPOG) methodology. The goal of the present work was to characterize microbial communities involved in short-chain alkane metabolism, namely methane, ethane and propane, in samples from a petroliferous (P) soil through clone libraries of the 16S rRNA gene of the Domains Bacteria and Archaea and the catabolic gene coding for the soluble di-iron monooxygenase (SDIMO) enzyme alpha subunit. The microbial community presented high abundance of the bacterial phylum Actinobacteria, which represented 53% of total clones, and the Crenarchaeota group I.1b from the Archaea Domain. The analysis of the catabolic genes revealed the occurrence of seven Operational Protein Families (OPF) and higher richness (Chao = 7; Ace = 7.5) and diversity (Shannon = 1.09) in P soil when compared with a non-petroliferous (Np) soil (Chao = 2; Ace = 0, Shannon = 0.44). Clones related to the ethene monooxygenase (EtnC) and methane monooxygenase (MmoX) coding genes occurred only in P soil, which also presented higher levels of methane and lower levels of ethane and propane, revealed by short-chain hydrocarbon measures. Real-time PCR results suggested that the SDIMO genes occur in very low abundance in the soil samples under study. Further investigations on SDIMOs genes in natural environments are necessary to unravel their still uncharted diversity and to provide reliable tools for the prospection of degrading populations.
Early diagnosis of candidemia in intensive care unit patients with sepsis: a prospective comparison of (1→3)-β-D-glucan assay, Candida score, and colonization index
Authors: Posteraro Brunella , De Pascale Gennaro , Tumbarello Mario , Torelli Riccardo , Pennisi Mariano Alberto , Bello Giuseppe , Maviglia Riccardo , Fadda Giovanni , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Antonelli Massimo 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
Introduction
The culture-independent serum (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BG) detection test may allow early diagnosis of invasive fungal disease, but its clinical usefulness needs to be firmly established. A prospective single-center observational study was conducted to compare the diagnostic value of BG assay, Candida score (CS), and colonization index in intensive care unit (ICU) patients at risk for Candida sepsis.

Methods
Of 377 patients, consecutively admitted to ICU for sepsis, 95 patients having an ICU stay of more than five days were studied. Blood specimens for fungal culture and BG measurement were obtained at the onset of clinical sepsis. For CS and colonization index calculations, surveillance cultures for Candida growth, and/or clinical data were recorded.

Results
Sixteen (16.8%) patients were diagnosed with proven invasive fungal infection, 14 with candidiasis (13 candidemia and 1 mediastinitis) and 2 with pulmonary aspergillosis or fusariosis. Of 14 invasive Candida-infection patients, 13 had a serum sample positive for BG, 10 had a CS value ≥3, and 7 a colonization index ≥0.5. In the 12 candidemic patients, a positive BG result was obtained 24 to 72 hrs before a culture-documented diagnosis of invasive candidiasis. The positive and negative predictive values for the BG assay were higher than those of CS and colonization index (72.2% versus 57.1% and 27.3%; and 98.7% versus 97.2% and 91.7%, respectively).

Conclusions
A single-point BG assay based on a blood sample drawn at the sepsis onset, alone or in combination withCS, may guide the decision to start antifungal therapy early in patients at risk for Candida infection.
Leptin and the brain
Authors: Chowen Julie A. , Argente Jesús 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
Leptin, which comes from the Greek root leptos meaning thin, has been the focus of intense investigation since its discovery in 1994. This hormone belongs to the cytokine family and is produced by adipocytes and circulates in proportion to fat mass, thus serving as a satiety signal and informing central metabolic control centers as to the status of peripheral energy stores. However, it participates in numerous other functions both peripherally and centrally, as indicated by the wide distribution of its various receptor isoforms. Leptin is involved in brain development, most notably in development of hypothalamic centers that control metabolism, but also in other brain areas. It acts as a nutritional cue to indicate adequacy of energy stores for pubertal development and reproductive capacity. The effects of this hormone on behavior and cognition are less well studied, but it clearly is involved in specific aspects of these physiological phenomena. As obesity is a major health problem in many areas of the world, the search for pharmacological treatments to decrease appetite and increase energy expenditure is intense. Understanding the mechanisms of actions of all physiological effects of this hormone is of great interest in the pursuit of such treatment.
Corticosteroid receptor signalling modes and stress adaptation in the brain
Authors: Meijer Onno C. 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
Adrenal glucocorticoid hormones modulate neuronal activity to support an adaptive response to stress. They modulate brain circuitry mediating physiological responses, emotion and cognitive processing. Chronically elevated glucocorticoid exposure is however linked to the development of mental disease. Glucocorticoid effects depend on mineralo- and glucocorticoid receptors, which are powerful transcription factors, but also can act via a diversity of non-genomic mechanisms. Here, I review generic factors that determine neuronal glucocorticoid sensitivity, in relation to brain function. First, pre-receptor mechanisms determine ligand availability. Second, there may be considerable variation in the receptor splice- and translation variants. Third, other transcription factors and many transcriptional coregulators interact with steroid receptors, determining nature and magnitude of steroid responses, in part through epigenetic regulation of DNA accessibility. Which factors underlie adaptive and pathogenic effects of stress hormones is largely unknown. Genome-wide identification of the receptor-DNA interactions in specific behavioural and physiological contexts provides a way of assessing the complete genomic range of glucocorticoid modes of action. Novel ligands that induce selective activation of particular receptor signalling modes will aid our understanding of receptor signalling and may allow selective targeting of glucocorticoid effects in emotional or cognitive domains, in research and, hopefully, in clinical settings.
Shifting Legal Authority from the Ruler to the ῾Ulamā᾿: Rationalizing the Punishment for Drinking Wine During the Saljūq Period
Authors: Opwis Felicitas 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
This paper argues that the encroachment of the Saljūq political authorities onto the religious arena prompted jurists to tighten their legal arguments in order to bolster their legitimacy in determining the laws of Muslim society not established in the textual sources of the law. A key case in the ‘tug-of-war’ between the political and religious authorities over the sphere of law was the post-prophetic ruling on punishing the wine drinker. That this important ruling was established during the first caliphs provided a claim for secular authorities over jurisdiction of large areas of the law, including matters deemed of religious significance. This paper presents the different justifications given to this ruling by al-Juwaynī, al-Ghazālī, and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, showing how this post-prophetic ruling was successively incorporated into the religious law that derived its authority from being grounded in the textual sources of Islamic law. While al-Juwaynī rationalized the punishment for drinking wine with a counter-implication argument, al-Ghazālī made a first step toward deriving it in analogy (qiyās) to the authoritative texts, an intellectual move which was successfully completed by al-Rāzī. Their different rationalizations reflect the increasing use of Greek logic in legal reasoning during that time period. Furthermore, this case also mirrors the general efforts by legal theorists at that time to make Islamic law a viable alternative to secular legislation (siyāsa).
Reactive compatibilization of poly(lactic acid)/polyethylene octene copolymer blends with ethylene-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer
Authors: Pai Fang-Cheng , Chu Hou-Hsein , Lai Sun-Mou 
Published: October 2011

AbstractA melt blending process was used to prepare poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/metallocene catalyzed polyethylene octene copolymer (POE) blends in order to toughen PLA. A commercialized ethylene-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (EGMA) was applied as a compatibilizer to improve the dispersion and interaction of dispersed POE to the PLA matrix. The results showed that chemical interaction seems to be the driving force for reinforcing the compatibility between PLA and POE, and also the dispersion of POE into the PLA matrix domain. With the incorporation of 10 phr EGMA in the blends, POE was well-dispersed at a sub-micrometer scale within the PLA matrix, indicating better interfacial compatibility between PLA and POE. The impact strength test revealed that POE could significantly toughen PLA containing EGMA in the blends, up to no-break level regarding unnotched Izod impact strength at 10 phr EGMA content. With the increase of EGMA content, the blends showed lower tensile strength, but higher elongation at break due to the elastomeric characteristics of EGMA. When 10 phr of the EGMA was incorporated into the blends, its elongation at break reached 54.5%, 10.7 times that of neat PLA at 5.1%. The melt viscosity of compatibilized blends containing 10 phr EGMA increased by more than 50% in comparison with the non-compatibilized blend, which implied a good interfacial interaction between the PLA and POE interface.
Effect of Chemical Modification of Al-Si Alloys on Thermal Diffusivity and Contact Heat Transfer at the Casting–Chill Interface
Authors: Prabhu K. Narayan , Jayananda  , Hegde Sathyapal 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
The heat flow during the unidirectional downward solidification of Al-7Si and Al-12Si alloys was analyzed using thermal analysis technique and inverse modeling. Chills instrumented with thermocouples were brought into contact with a small pool of liquid metal so as to minimize the effect of convection caused by pouring and temperature gradients. Modification melt treatment resulted in an increase in the cooling rate of the solidifying casting near the casting–chill interfacial region. The corresponding interfacial heat flux transients were also found to be higher. The thermal diffusivities of alloys were measured using a laser pulse technique and were found to be higher for modified alloys. However, the increase in the heat flux transients was attributed mainly to the improvement in the casting–chill interfacial thermal contact condition brought about by the decrease in the surface tension of the liquid metal upon the addition of sodium.
Does Obesity Influence the Prognosis of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma in Patients Treated with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor–Targeted Therapy?
Authors: Steffens Sandra , Grünwald Viktor , Ringe Kristina I. , Seidel Christoph , Eggers Hendrik , Schrader Mark , Wacker Frank , Kuczyk Markus A. , Schrader Andres J. 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background.
Obesity increases the risk for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, it has only recently been identified as an independent positive prognostic factor for localized RCC.

Objective.
To determine whether obesity influences long-term prognosis in metastatic RCC patients receiving vascular endothelial growth factor–targeted therapy.

Design, Setting, and Participants.
In 116 patients with metastatic RCC who received antiangiogenic agents (sunitinib, sorafenib, axitinib, bevacizumab) in 2005–2010, we evaluated whether body mass index (BMI), a body surface area (BSA) above the European average, the visceral fat area (VFA), or s.c. fat area (SFA) were of predictive relevance.

Measurements.
BMI was categorized based on current World Health Organization definitions. BSA was stratified according to the European average for men (1.98 m2) and women (1.74 m2). VFA and SFA were dichotomized using the median of the observed distribution as the cutoff. The primary endpoints of this study were time to progression and overall survival time.

Results and Limitations.
The whole population had median progression-free and overall survival times of 8.3 months and 20.5 months, respectively. In contrast to BMI and BSA, higher than average VFA and SFA levels were significant predictors of longer progression-free and overall survival times. The major limitations of this study are its retrospective design and its heterogeneous patient population.

Conclusion.
This is the first study to identify high VFA and SFA levels as positive predictive biomarkers for patients who receive first-line antiangiogenic agents for metastatic RCC.
Public Health Research: Lost in Translation or Speaking the Wrong Language?
Authors: Kansagra Susan M. , Farley Thomas A. 
Published: October 2011

Public health leaders, like physicians, need to make decisions that impact health based on strong evidence. To generate useful evidence for public health leaders, research must focus on interventions that have potential to impact population-level health. Often policy and environmental changes are the interventions with the greatest potential impact on population health, but studying these is difficult because of limitations in the methods typically used and emphasized in health research. To create useful evidence for policy and environmental interventions, other research methods are needed, including observational studies, the use of surveillance data for evaluation, and predictive mathematical modeling. More emphasis is needed on these types of study designs by researchers, funding agencies, and scientific journals.
Perspectives on Latino Lay Health Promoter Programs: Maryland, 2009
Authors: Carter-Pokras Olivia D. , Jaschek Graciela , Martinez Iveris L. , Brown Pamela B. , Mora Sonia E. , Newton Nancy , Luciani Ileana 
Published: October 2011

Objectives. We examined common barriers and best practices in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Latino lay health promoter programs. Methods. Ten lay health promoter program coordinators serving Maryland Latinos were recruited in 2009 through snowball sampling for in-depth semistructured interviews with a bilingual and bicultural researcher. Program coordinators were asked about recruitment, selection, training, and supervision; key program elements; and evaluation. Analyses were conducted to identify common themes. Results. Respondents had worked up to 13 years in programs focused on such areas as awareness of healthy lifestyles and reducing risk of illness. Coordinators looked for Latino leaders with team-building skills and a desire to help the community. Six programs compensated promoters with stipends; 4 paid an hourly wage. Promoters were usually trained in monthly meetings that actively engaged them. Most programs conducted site visits, practice sessions, and performance evaluations. Conclusions. Our findings indicate that successful health promoter programs require needs assessments, formation of a target population advisory board, identification of appropriate promoters, and a significant amount of training. These findings can be used to guide future programs in the identification, recruitment, and training of health promoters as well as in program monitoring.
Management of Children's Psychological Problems in General Practice 1970–1971, 1990–1991 and 2008–2009
Authors: Charles Janice , Harrison Christopher M. , Britt Helena 
Published: October 2011

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine changes over four decades in children's psychological problems managed in Australian general practice and to describe recent management of these problems. Method: Analysis of GP encounters with children, using data from the BEACH study, an on-going, cross-sectional, national survey of general practice, provides contemporary results. Comparisons with two related studies: 1970–1971 (from published reports), and 1990–1991 (secondary analysis), describe changes over time. Results: Changes over time: psychological problems accounted for 2% of all children's problems managed in 1971, 1.3% in 1990–1991 and 2.6% in 2008–2009. In 1971, non-organic enuresis accounted for 30% of children's psychological problems but only 2.7% in 2008–2009. Insomnia showed a similar pattern. Between 1990–1991 and 2008–2009, ADHD increased from 0.8% to 14.7%, and from 2000–2001 to 2008–2009, autism spectrum disorders rose from 4.9% to 11%. Current practice: most common psychological problems managed for children less than 18 years were anxiety, depression, intellectual impairment and ADHD. Among children aged 0–5 years, sleep disturbance and intellectual impairment were the main problems, for 6–11 year olds, anxiety and ADHD, and for 12–17 year olds, depression. Boys were significantly more likely to be managed for intellectual impairment, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders than were girls, who were more likely to be managed for depression. The medication rate was low at 19 per 100 psychological problems although higher for depression and ADHD. Referrals were given at a high rate. Counselling was also provided often, except in management of ADHD. Conclusions: Access to the three studies allowed consideration of trends over a forty year period, showing the development of newly defined conditions which have replaced childhood diagnoses of past decades. The results demonstrate that GP involvement in children's mental health care management has grown significantly over the past 20 years.
The Potential Impact of Smoke-Free Facilities on Smoking Cessation in People with Mental Illness
Authors: Lawrence David , Lawn Sharon , Kisely Stephen , Bates Ann , Mitrou Francis , Zubrick Stephen R. 
Published: October 2011

Objective: The aim of this paper was to estimate the degree to which smoke-free facilities may facilitate smoking cessation in smokers with mental illness by estimating the proportion of smokers with mental illness who receive inpatient treatment, their smoking rates and average durations of stay. Method: Smoking and hospitalization rates were estimated from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Information on duration of inpatient treatment was calculated from the Western Australian Mental Health Information System. Results: Of Australia's estimated 3 567 000 current adult smokers, 32.4% had a mental illness in the past 12 months, and 66.6% had a lifetime mental illness. However, only 1.4% of smokers were hospitalized for a mental health problem in the past 12 months, and 6.3% had ever been hospitalized for a mental health problem. Of those hospitalized for mental health treatment in the past 12 months, 61.2% were current smokers. In 2007 median duration of inpatient mental health admissions was 1 day, and 57% of admissions had duration of 2 days or less. Conclusions: The majority of smokers with mental illness are not treated in inpatient facilities, and where inpatient admissions occur they are generally of short duration. While smoking cessation is an important goal in treatment of smokers with mental illness, support after discharge from inpatient care is important for longer term cessation. Other strategies will be required to support smoking cessation efforts for the majority of smokers with mental illness not in contact with mental health services.
Comparative Evaluation of the Efficacy of Two Methods of Sterilization for Rotary Nickel-Titanium Files: An in vitro Study
Authors: Halebathi Ramesh Giriyappa , Dodwad Preeti Karan , Uppin Veerendra M , Gandhi Bhavana , Sarangi Priyanka , Sahni Neetika 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACT
Sterilization in endodontic practice is a must as the major motive of an endodontist is to combat endodontic diseases by eliminating the causative microorganisms. Owing to the design of the endodontic files, it is very conducive for the microorganisms and debris to be anchored onto them. So, the aim of this study was to investigate the sterilizing efficacy of two methods of sterilization using rotary nickeltitanium files: Autoclave and chemical sterilization using two solutions (Quitanet Plus and GlutraMil) and to check whether any sterilizing technique could match the standard of autoclave and which of the two chemical sterilizing agents were more efficient. The rotary endodontic files contaminated with Bacillus stearothermophilus spore suspension, were sterilized by the two methods and their efficacy was checked by immersing the contaminated files in test tubes containing thioglycollate medium. The results of the study showed that the files sterilized by autoclave were 100% sterile and those sterilized with GlutraMil showed 75% sterility with Quitanet showing only 25% sterility. So, the study concluded that autoclave could be used as a reliable method of sterilization in clinical practice but GlutraMil and Quitanet Plus cannot be relied upon completely.