bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Automated stir plate (bar) sorptive extraction coupled to high‐performance liquid chromatography for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: Yu Chunhe , Hu Bin 
Published: June 2010

AbstractAutomated methods of PDMS/β‐CD/divinylbenzene‐coated stir plate sorptive extraction (SPSE) coupled to HPLC‐fluorescence detector were reported for the first time. Three automation modes, static SPSE, circular flow SPSE and continuous flow SPSE, were evaluated and critically compared with stir bar sorptive extraction by using six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as model analytes. It was found that the operable sample volume for circular flow SPSE and continuous flow SPSE was larger than that for static SPSE. Under the same extraction conditions, continuous flow SPSE exhibited the highest extraction efficiencies in all automated modes and manual stir bar sorptive extraction for the target compounds. Compared with the manual operation (approximately 5–10 min), automated SPSE required a relatively short time (117–180 s) to finish sampling, washing and sample loading. Besides being labor‐saving and time‐saving, automated SPSE has other advantages, such as no time limit and non‐attended operation. The proposed continuous flow PDMS/β‐CD/divinylbenzene‐coated SPSE‐HPLC‐fluorescence detector was successfully applied to environmental water analysis.
Modeling the electrophoresis of oligoglycines
Authors: Allison Stuart A. , Pei Hongxia , Twahir Umar , Wu Hengfu , Cottet Herve 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThe electrophoretic mobility of low molecular mass oligoglycines is examined in this study using a “coarse‐grained” bead modeling methodology [Pei, H., Allison, S. A., J. Chromatogr. A 2009, 1216, 1908–1916]. The advantage of focusing on these peptides is that their charge state is well known [Plasson, R., Cottet, H., Anal. Chem. 2006, 78, 5394–5402] and extensive electrophoretic mobility data are also available in different buffers [Survay, M. A., Goodall, D. M., Wren, S. A. C., Rowe, R. C., J. Chromatogr. A 1996, 741, 99–113] and over a broad range of temperatures [Plasson, R., Cottet, H., Anal Chem. 2005, 77, 6047–6054]. Except for assumptions about peptide secondary structure, the B model has no adjustable parameters. It is concluded that the oligoglycines adopt a random configuration at high temperature (50°C and higher), but more compact conformations at lower temperature. It is proposed that triglycine through pentaglycine adopt compact cyclic structures at low temperature (up to about 25°C) in aqueous solution. At 25°C, buffer interactions are also examined and may or may not influence peptide conformation depending on the buffer species. In a borate buffer at high pH, the mobility data are consistent with complex formation between the oligoglycine and borate anion.
Do Holocaust survivors show increased vulnerability or resilience to post‐Holocaust cumulative adversity?
Authors: Shrira Amit , Palgi Yuval , Ben‐Ezra Menachem , Shmotkin Dov 
Published: June 2010

AbstractPrior trauma can hinder coping with additional adversity or inoculate against the effect of recurrent adversity. The present study further addressed this issue by examining whether a subsample of Holocaust survivors and comparison groups, drawn from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe, were differentially affected by post‐Holocaust cumulative adversity. Post‐Holocaust cumulative adversity had a stronger effect on the lifetime depression of Holocaust survivors than on that of comparisons. However, comparisons were more negatively affected by post‐Holocaust cumulative adversity when examining markers of physical and cognitive functioning. Our findings suggest that previous trauma can both sensitize and immunize, as Holocaust survivors show general resilience intertwined with specific vulnerability when confronted with additional cumulative adversity.
Long‐term perspectives on posttraumatic growth in disaster survivors
Authors: Holgersen Katrine Høyer , Boe Hans Jakob , Holen Are 
Published: June 2010

AbstractFindings on posttraumatic growth (PTG) and distress have not been consistent. This study examines the relationship in a very long‐term perspective. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory was completed by 46 survivors from a single disaster 27 years posttrauma. Posttraumatic stress was measured by the Impact of Event Scale (IES) immediately after the event, and after 1, 5, and 27 years. In the final follow‐up, general mental health was also assessed. Strong positive associations were found between PTG and concurrent posttraumatic stress. Although weaker associations were found for the past, concurrent problems in general mental health clearly coexisted with PTG decades after a disaster, yet mediated by IES.
Descriptions of spectra of infinite dimensional Hamiltonian operators and their applications
Authors: Huang Junjie , Alatancang  , Wu Hongyou 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThis paper deals with a class of infinite dimensional Hamiltonian operators. Explicit descriptions of their spectrum, point spectrum, residual spectrum and continuous spectrum are obtained, in terms of those of the compositions of two block operators in the Hamiltonian operators. Using these descriptions, it is shown that for two arbitrary closed sets on any given horizontal line and the imaginary axis, respectively, subject to a symmetry restriction, there is a Hamiltonian operator whose spectrum equals the union of these two sets. We also construct a family of explicit Hamiltonian operators whose residual spectrum consists of a single point, and this single point can be an arbitrary point in the complex plane other than the always impossible choices – the points on the imaginary axis (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Routes to Rubber Nanocomposites
Authors: Das Amit , Stöckelhuber Klaus Werner , Jurk Rene , Heinrich Gert 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThis paper presents recent developments in rubber nanocomposites from the laboratory of the authors. In particular, the preparation of rubber nanocomposites with improved performance from layered silicates, carbon nanotubes and in situ sol‐gel derived silica nanoparticles incorporated in different elastomers and by different methods for the development of rubber nanocomposites with improved performance is described.
Anisotropic Epoxy Networks
Authors: Leszczak Beata Mossety , Galina Henryk , Włodarska Magdalena , Szeluga Urszula , Maciejewski Hieronim 
Published: June 2010

AbstractWe present the synthesis, characteristics and curing process of liquid crystalline epoxy monomers containing a central triaromatic mesogenic group. The epoxy monomers were cross‐linked with aromatic amines or dicarboxylic acids. In most cases, solid, thermally stable and anisotropic products were obtained. The curing reactions of the monomer were also carried out with selected fillers. The cross‐linking process of the composites was monitored by differential scanning calorimetry and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy to compare with analogous liquid crystalline systems not containing filler. Some properties of the cured resin and the composites are described and discussed.
Polymer‐Surfactant Networks Highly Responsive to Hydrocarbons
Authors: Philippova Olga E. , Molchanov Vyacheslav S. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractHydrocarbon‐sensitive hydrogels were prepared on the basis of networks, in which some subchains are composed of hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide, while others are made of long cylindrical surfactant micelles of potassium oleate. In these hydrogels, the polymer component strengthens the network, especially at elevated temperatures, whereas the surfactant component imparts a high responsiveness to the hydrocarbon medium. The rheological studies demonstrate that added hydrocarbons induce the transformation of the gel‐like system to a fluid with low viscosity. SANS data evidence that the transformation is accompanied by the breaking of the cylindrical surfactant micelles, that leads to the disruption of the whole network.
Scaling Behavior of Hyaluronic Acid in Solution with Mono‐ and Divalent Ions
Authors: Geissler E. , Hecht A.‐M. , Horkay F. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractSummry: The effect of the simultaneous presence of mono‐ and divalent cations on the thermodynamics of polyelectrolyte solutions is not fully understood. In physiological conditions, combinations of these ions affect structure formation in biopolymer systems. It is known that divalent counterions form a tight sheath around the polymer backbone, while monovalent ions are distributed in a diffuse cloud. Dynamic light scattering measurements of the collective diffusion coefficient D and the osmotic compressibility of semi‐dilute hyaluronan solutions containing different ratios of sodium and calcium ions are compared with simple polyelectrolyte models. Scaling relationships are derived in terms of polymer concentration and ionic strength J of the added salt. Differences in the effects of sodium and calcium ions are expressed only through J.
Pseudomonas aeruginosain children with cystic fibrosis diagnosed through newborn screening: Assessment of clinic exposures and microbial genotypes
Authors: Hayes Don , West Susan E. , Rock Michael J. , Li Zhanhai , Splaingard Mark L. , Farrell Philip M. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractBackgroundChronic pulmonary infection withPseudomonas aeruginosa(PA) is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). Because of the limited studies evaluating early exposure and the progression of genetic variability of PA, our goal was to assess PA in young children with CF followed in two clinic types.MethodsA total of 39 infants with CF diagnosed through newborn screening were randomly assigned to either a segregated (PA‐free) or mixed (PA‐positive) clinic at two different CF centers, one of which replaced an older, mixed clinic where nosocomial acquisition was suspected. Oropharyngeal (OP) swab cultures were examined with subsequent genotyping to characterize the strains of PA isolated.ResultsWe found that 13/21 segregated clinic patients and 14/18 mixed clinic patients showed positive PA, with median acquisition ages of 3.3 and 2.2 years, respectively (P = 0.57). The median time to PA acquisition, however, was significantly longer in the new clinic with proper hygiene precautions compared to an old site (5.0 years vs. 1.7 years,P < 0.001). The majority of subjects isolated a single genotype of PA or AP‐PCR types during the study period with eight subjects clearing the isolate after only one positive culture. The development of chronic colonization yielded the predominance of a single major genotype or AP‐PCR type.ConclusionsSegregation of infants and young children with CF in PA‐negative or PA‐positive clinics did not alter the time to first PA isolation in this randomized assessment of facilities with hygienic precautions. During the early infection period where PA is first isolated in young children with CF, patients cleared different PA strains until a predominant strain established permanent colonization. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010; 45:708–716. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beyond a code of ethics: phenomenological ethics for everyday practice
Authors: Greenfield Bruce , Jensen Gail M. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractPhysical therapy, like all health‐care professions, governs itself through a code of ethics that defines its obligations of professional behaviours. The code of ethics provides professions with a consistent and common moral language and principled guidelines for ethical actions. Yet, and as argued in this paper, professional codes of ethics have limits applied to ethical decision‐making in the presence of ethical dilemmas. Part of the limitations of the codes of ethics is that there is no particular hierarchy of principles that govern in all situations. Instead, the exigencies of clinical practice, the particularities of individual patient's illness experiences and the transformative nature of chronic illnesses and disabilities often obscure the ethical concerns and issues embedded in concrete situations. Consistent with models of expert practice, and with contemporary models of patient‐centred care, we advocate and describe in this paper a type of interpretative and narrative approach to moral practice and ethical decision‐making based on phenomenology. The tools of phenomenology that are well defined in research are applied and examined in a case that illustrates their use in uncovering the values and ethical concerns of a patient. Based on the deconstruction of this case on a phenomenologist approach, we illustrate how such approaches for ethical understanding can help assist clinicians and educators in applying principles within the context and needs of each patient. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Moral reasoning among physical therapists: results of the defining issues test
Authors: Swisher Laura Lee 
Published: June 2010

AbstractBackground and Purpose. Although there is extensive literature in other health care fields about the ability to make ethical judgements (moral reasoning), there is a paucity of research addressing the moral reasoning of practising physical therapists. The purposes of this research were to 1) identify the types of moral reasoning used by practising physical therapists as measured by the Defining Issues Test; 2) identify differences in moral reasoning among physical therapists based on educational background, demographic variables, clinical experience, practice setting or expertise in ethics; and 3) compare the moral reasoning of physical therapists with that of other professional groups. Methods. The Defining Issues Test of James Rest was used to evaluate moral reasoning. Five hundred thirty‐seven physical therapists responded to a mail survey sent to a random sample of 2,000 American Physical Therapy Association members. Twelve physical therapists with expertise in ethics or professionalism completed the same survey. Results. The mean postconventional score for the random sample was 41.93. This score was lower than the mean scores of physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students and dental students established in previous research. Females, ethics experts and those in academic settings had higher postconventional scores. Conclusions. Physical therapists scored lower in postconventional moral reasoning than some other professional groups with similar educational background. Factors that may inhibit or enhance the development of moral reasoning among physical therapists and possible consequences of high or low moral reasoning scores in physical therapy require further research. These findings may raise concerns about the entry‐level educational curriculum and professional development opportunities in the area of ethics and moral reasoning. Results of this research may also highlight the challenges of evaluation, scholarship and research in physical therapy ethics. Further research and theory development is needed to address the relationships between moral theory and descriptive or empirical research within physical therapy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optical super‐resolution using higher harmonics and different acquisition modes in an aperture tapping SNOM
Authors: Longo Giovanni , Girasole Marco , Pompeo Giuliano , Cricenti Antonio 
Published: June 2010

AbstractScanning near field optical microscopy (SNOM) is a well‐established technique to obtain a sub‐wavelength resolution optical characterization, together with nanometer‐scale topography images, on any kind of biological or non‐biological sample. Recently we have modified a classical SNOM unit to work in the tapping modality, ensuring stability, versatility and good optical resolution and signal to noise ratio. Exploiting the vertical tip movement, in particular, we were able to access two different optical detection modes: light modulation, which can be obtained by a mechanical chopper or by electronically switching the laser on and off; gap modulation in which the tip's vertical oscillation is used to produce, itself, a modulation of the collected light. Several biological and non‐biological samples have been investigated and the data reveal that, despite the signal collected in gap‐modulation is at least one order of magnitude smaller than in laser‐modulation, resolution, and signal‐to‐noise ratio in the gap‐modulated images is preferable. On the other hand, the higher intensity of the laser‐modulation signal allows to deconvolve the optical information at higher harmonics of the tip oscillation frequency. This is a well‐known procedure used in the apertureless‐SNOM setup to enhance the near‐field contribution of the scattered light and reduce the noise content. The interesting results obtained in this Aperture setup are described and commented.
Antiproliferative effect of resveratrol in pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Cui Jing , Sun Renhu , Yu Yangping , Gou Shanmiao , Zhao Gang , Wang Chunyou 
Published: June 2010

AbstractTo investigate resveratrol, one of the food derived polyphenols that might be partially responsible for the beneficial effect on cancer, the in vitro antitumor activity of resveratrol against pancreatic cancer cell lines (PANC‐1, BxPC‐3 and AsPC‐1) was examined, together with the mechanisms involved. The effects of resveratrol on the growth inhibition, apoptosis and cell cycle were assayed. The activity of caspases and the expression of Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xL, XIAP and Bax protein were detected. The results showed that resveratrol inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Resveratrol inhibited the cell growth of PANC‐1, BxPC‐3 and AsPC‐1 cells with IC50 values of 78.3 ± 9.6 μmol/L, 76.1 ± 7.8 μmol/L and 123.1 ± 6.5 μmol/L at 48 h, respectively. Incubation of pancreatic cancer cells with resveratrol resulted in cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrests. Resveratrol induced activation of caspases. Simultaneously, resveratrol regulated the expression of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xL and XIAP and the proapoptotic protein Bax. PANC‐1 and BxPC‐3 cells were more chemosensitive to resveratrol than AsPC‐1 cells. In conclusion, resveratrol inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells by inducing apoptotic cell death. There was different sensitivity to resveratrol in different pancreatic cancer cell lines. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intrathecal eugenol administration alleviates neuropathic pain in male Sprague‐Dawley rats
Authors: Lionnet Ludivine , Beaudry Francis , Vachon Pascal 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThe main objective of this study was to determine the central effect of eugenol on neuropathic pain when injected intrathecally at the level of the lumbar spinal cord. In a preliminary study the penetrability of eugenol was evaluated in the CNS of rats. Blood, brain and spinal cord samples were collected at selected time points following eugenol administration and concentrations were determined by tandem liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Brain‐to‐plasma and spinal cord‐to‐plasma ratios (3.3 and 6.7, respectively) suggest that eugenol penetrates relatively well the CNS of rats, with a preferential distribution in the spinal cord. Following the induction of neuropathic pain in rats using the sciatic nerve ligation model, intrathecal injections of eugenol were done to evaluate the central effect of eugenol. Treatment with 50 μg of eugenol significantly decreased secondary mechanical allodynia after 15 min, 2 h and 4 h (p< 0.05; <0.005; <0.05, respectively) and improved thermal hyperalgesia after 2 h and 4 h (p< 0.001 andp< 0.05). The results support the hypothesis that eugenol may alleviate neuropathic pain, both allodynia and hyperalgesia, by acting centrally most probably at the level of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord where vanilloid receptors can be found. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of silymarin administration on TNF‐α serum concentration in peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: Nazemian Fatemeh , Karimi Gholamreza , Moatamedi Mahdi , Charkazi Somayeh , Shamsara Jamal , Mohammadpour Amir Hooshang 
Published: June 2010

AbstractChronic inflammation in dialysis patients increases the production of cytokines such as TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IFN‐ IFN‐γ and there is evidence of a significant mortality rate in dialysis patients due to inflammation. Overproduction of inflammatory cytokines can induce complications such as atherosclerosis, malnutrition and anaemia, which are mostly resistant to erythropoietin treatment. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in haemodialysis patients and about half of the mortality is attributable to cardiovascular disease. Silymarin modulates the immune system by inhibition of neutrophil immigration, mast cell immobilization, prostaglandin production and leukotriene synthesis. Furthermore, silymarin suppresses the induction of TNF‐α and it was hypothesized that silymarin could decrease the serum concentration of TNF‐α in peritoneal dialysis patients, and thus treat anaemia. Fifteen peritoneal dialysis patients were enrolled in this study and serum levels of soluble TNF‐α were measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) kit. Serum TNF‐α was found to be decreased in some patients and in the response group, the haemoglobin concentration after 8 weeks of silymarin administration was increased significantly (p < 0.05). Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that silymarin may be useful in the treatment of inflammation for peritoneal dialysis patients. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of Echinacea preparations in three laboratory tests of anxiety: comparison with chlordiazepoxide
Authors: Haller J. , Hohmann J. , Freund T. F. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractEchinacea preparations are traditionally used to treat upper respiratory infections and inflammations. No psychotropic effects of Echinacea have been reported so far, although some recently reported active constituents are behaviorally active. Prompted by these findings, the anxiolytic potential of five different Echinacea preparations was evaluated. Three of these decreased anxiety but two of them had a very narrow effective dose range. Only one extract decreased anxiety within a wide dose‐range (3–8 mg/kg). Anxiolytic effects were consistently seen in three different tests of anxiety, the elevated plus‐maze, social interaction and shock‐induced social avoidance tests. No locomotor suppressant effects were seen at any dose. Noteworthy, the doses that showed anxiolytic effects in the present study were much lower than those used in the laboratory models of the traditional indications. Chlordiazepoxide robustly decreased anxiety‐like behavior in all tests but suppressed locomotion at higher doses. Perceived and real risks of conventional medications increase the demand for alternative therapies, provided that these are safe and efficient. Earlier evidence shows that Echinacea preparations have an excellent safety profile, while our findings suggest for the first time that certain preparations have a considerable anxiolytic potential. Further research is required to identify factors that differentiate efficient and inefficient preparations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.