bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Axillary skin: biology and care
Authors: Evans R. L. , Marriott R. E. , Harker M. 
Published: May 2012

SynopsisIn skin care, the axilla is a biologically unique site requiring specialized attention and care. This area of skin is often subject to hair removal techniques, such as shaving and plucking. These procedures damage the skin leading to erythema and dryness in the short term, and in some cases, post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIHP) in the long term. This study will (i) briefly review the biology and unique properties of axillary skin, and (ii) describe the characteristics of the irritation and damage induced by contemporary skin care habits and resolution of these responses by the use of efficacious skin moisturizing technology. With respect to the latter, we propose that there are five groups of compounds, defined according to their mechanism of action, which are particularly relevant to the care of damaged axillary skin.
Locally released small (non‐protein) ninhydrin‐reacting molecules underlie developmental differences of cultured medullary versus spinal dorsal horn neurons
Authors: Xie Yu‐Feng , Pflueger Melissa , Feng Shuang , Lin Shuang‐Xiu , Kwan Chun L. , Galasko Gail , Sessle Barry J. , Yu Xian‐Min 
Published: May 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 605–618.AbstractNeurons located in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) play crucial roles in pain and sensorimotor functions in the orofacial region. Because of many anatomical and functional similarities with the spinal dorsal horn (SDH), Vc has been termed the medullary dorsal horn ‐ analogous to the SDH. Here, we report that when compared with embryonic SDH neurons in culture, neurons isolated from the Vc region showed significantly slower growth, lower glutamate receptor activity, and more cells undergoing cell death. SDH neuron development was inhibited in co‐cultures of SDH and Vc tissues while Vc neuron development was promoted by co‐culture with SDH tissues. Furthermore, we identified that small (non‐protein) ninhydrin‐reacting molecules purified from either embryonic or post‐natal Vc‐conditioned medium inhibited neuronal growth whereas ninhydrin‐reacting molecules from SDH‐conditioned medium promoted neuronal growth. These findings suggest the involvement of locally released factors in the region‐specific regulation of neuronal development in Vc and SDH, central nervous system regions playing critical roles in pain, and point to novel avenues for investigating central nervous system regionalization and for designing therapeutic approaches to manage neurodegenerative diseases and pain.
Healthcare personnel’s experiences of situations in municipal elderly care that generate troubled conscience
Authors: Ericson‐Lidman Eva , Norberg Astrid , Persson Birgitta , Strandberg Gunilla 
Published: May 2012

Scand J Caring Sci; 2013; 27; 215–223

Healthcare personnel’s experiences of situations in municipal elderly care that generate troubled conscience
Healthcare personnel may perceive troubled conscience when feeling inadequate and powerless. It is important to further explore healthcare personnel’s descriptions of situations in daily work, which generate troubled conscience to increase the awareness of such situations. This study aimed to describe health care personnel's experiences of situations in municipal elderly care that generate troubled conscience. In this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with Registered and Enrolled nurses and nursing assistants (n = 20) working in municipal elderly care. The interviews were tape‐recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed with content analysis. Situations that generated troubled conscience was (i) Being caught between different demands, comprising being forced to prioritize between different residents’ needs, being torn between residents’‐/relatives’‐/and co‐workers’ needs and expectations’ and between work and private life, (ii) Being torn away from residents to other ‘must do’s’, comprising stealing time from residents’ to do housekeeping chore’ and to ‘obey’ rules and recommendations, (iii) Feeling unable to relieve suffering, comprising falling short when striving to help, lacking knowledge, advice and support and time to ease residents’ suffering and finally, (iv) Being part of providing care that is or feels wrong, comprising providing poor care and/or witnessing co‐workers providing poor care, and being forced to give care that feels wrong. These findings identify important factors that generate stress of conscience (stress caused by troubled conscience), including difficulties with balancing priorities and following rules and recommendations that seem contrary to best care, and the need for interdisciplinary teamwork. Findings point to that sharing what conscience tells in the work team opens up possibilities for healthcare personnel to constructively deal with troubled conscience. Intervention studies are needed to explore whether such measures contribute to relieve the burden of troubled conscience and increase possibilities to provide high quality care.
The orphan receptor GPR3 modulates the early phases of cocaine reinforcement
Authors: Tourino Clara , Valjent Emmanuel , Ruiz‐Medina Jessica , Herve Denis , Ledent Catherine , Valverde Olga 
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The modulatory activity of the orphan receptor GPR3 in the brain has been related to the control of emotional behaviours. Limbic structures that express GPR3 have been associated with the effects of drug abuse.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The role of GPR3 in different cocaine‐elicited behaviours including locomotor activity, behavioural sensitization, conditioned place preference (CPP) and intravenous self‐administration was evaluated in Gpr3–/– mice and their Gpr3+/+ littermates. Cocaine‐induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens was also evaluated to elucidate the effect of Gpr3 deletion on extracellular levels of dopamine.KEY RESULTS Gpr3–/– mice exhibited higher rewarding responses in the CPP paradigm. Gpr3–/– mice self‐administered more cocaine, especially during the first days of training. No differences were found between genotypes regarding behavioural sensitization and the maximal effort required to obtain a cocaine infusion. Non‐contingent priming injections of cocaine before operant training eliminated enhanced cocaine self‐administration in Gpr3–/– mice. Extracellular levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens induced by cocaine did not differ between genotypes.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The increased responsiveness of Gpr3–/– mice to the acute locomotor effects of cocaine and the inconsistency to further increase this effect reflected an ‘already maximally sensitized’ basal state. Enhanced responsiveness of Gpr3–/– mice to cocaine reward and to early phases of reinforcement suggests that an initial alteration increased vulnerability to this type of drug abuse. Overall, altered signalling pathways of GPR3 could contribute to the neurobiological substrate involved in developing addiction to cocaine.
Blood transfusion practice in a rural hospital in Northern Ghana, Damongo, West Gonja District
Authors: Kubio Chrysantus , Tierney Geraldine , Quaye Theophilus , Nabilisi James Wewoli , Ziemah Callistus , Zagbeeb Sr Mary , Shaw Sandra , Murphy William G. 
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND: Blood transfusion in rural sub‐Saharan Africa presents special challenges. Transfusions are primarily given for emergencies—life‐threatening blood loss or anemia; blood is usually collected from family or replacement donors; and facilities to store an adequate reserve in a hospital bank are constrained. We report the everyday and organizational practices in a medium‐sized district hospital in Northern Ghana.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Information and data on blood transfusion practices at West Gonja Hospital, Damongo, were available from the laboratory reports, from day books and workbooks, and from direct observation in the following four areas: blood collection and blood donors; blood donation testing; blood storage and logistics; and clinical transfusion practice, adverse events, and follow‐up.RESULTS: The hospital serves a rural community of 86,000. In 2009, a total of 719 units of whole blood were collected, a rate of 8.36 units per 1000 population. All donors were family or replacement donors. Positivity rates for infectious disease markers were 7.5% (64/853) for hepatitis B surface antigen, 6.1% (50/819) for hepatitis C virus, 3.9% (33/846) for human immunodeficiency virus, and 4.7% (22/468) for syphilis. Supply of laboratory materials was sometimes problematic, especially for temperature‐critical materials. Difficulties in sample labeling, storage of blood and laboratory supplies, and disposal of waste were also incurred by operational, material, and financial constraints. Follow‐up for outcomes of transfusion is not currently feasible.CONCLUSIONS: The operational, demographic, and financial environment pertaining in a rural hospital in Northern Ghana differs substantially from that in which much of current blood transfusion practice and technology evolved. Considerable effort and innovation will be needed to address successfully the challenges posed.
Donor safety in triple plateletpheresis: results from the German and Austrian Plateletpheresis Study Group multicenter trial
Authors: Heuft Hans‐Gert , Moog Rainer , Fischer Eike G. , Zingsem Jürgen ,   German and Austrian Plateletpheresis Study Group
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND: The objective was to investigate potential risks for apheresis donors associated with a triple‐plateletpheresis (TP) program.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Eleven hemapheresis centers randomly assigned 411 repeat donors (ratio, 1:1.2) to either double plateletpheresis (DP; 185 donors) or TP (226 donors) with a platelet (PLT) target content of at least 5.0 × 1011 PLTs/DP and at least 7.5 × 1011 PLTs/TP. The primary endpoint was procedure‐related postapheresis PLT count of at least 150 × 109/L (probability, ≥98%). Secondary endpoints were apheresis characteristics and donor adverse reactions.RESULTS: In 6 of 1133 DPs (0.5%) in 4 of 185 donors (2.2%) and in 20 of 1020 TPs (2.0%) in 14 of 226 donors (6.2%), postapheresis PLT counts were below 150 × 109/L. There were marginal but significant differences in collection efficiency (DP, 69.2 ± 9.1%; TP, 70.9 ± 9.0%; p ≤ 0.0001) and collection rate (DP, 10.4 × 109 ± 2.3 × 109 PLTs/min; TP, 10.8 × 109 ± 2.3 × 109 PLTs/min; p ≤ 0.005). The PLT yields were 5.9 × 1011 ± 0.8 × 1011 PLTs for DP and 8.3 × 1011 ± 0.9 × 1011 PLT for TP (p ≤ 0.0001) at processing times of 59 ± 13 minutes (DP) versus 80 ± 16 minutes (TP; p ≤ 0.0001). Significant PLT recruitment (1.10 ± 0.14 vs. 1.20 ± 0.23; p < 0.0001) was seen for both DP and TP. DP and TP did not differ with regard to venous access problems (VAPs) without discontinuation (3.8% for both), but DP induced fewer VAPs with discontinuation (1.1% vs. 3.0%; p < 0.01). Mild citrate toxicity (1.7% vs. 3.9%; p < 0.01) and circulatory reactions (0.4% vs. 2.2%; p < 0.01) were more often noticed in TP, but caused no increase in discontinuations.CONCLUSIONS: TP results in an increase in mild donor reactions but does not significantly impair donor safety or product quality.
Economic Modeling of New Stent Platforms to Evaluate Cost Effectiveness: Analysis of the TAXUS Liberté Versus TAXUS Express Stents
Authors: TURCO MARK A. , KANSAL ANURAAG R. , STERN SEAN , AMOROSI STACEY L. , UNDERWOOD PAUL L. , LISSOVOY GREG DE , DAWKINS KEITH D. 
Published: May 2012

Background: With the changing health care environment, cost effectiveness is an important adjunct to clinical investigation when assessing new medical devices. This study presents an economic model to evaluate cost effectiveness of coronary stents.
Methods: Markov modeling was developed comparing total costs (Medicare payer perspective) between TAXUS Liberté and TAXUS Express based on 3‐year clinical outcomes from the TAXUS ATLAS Small Vessel and Long Lesion trials.
Results: The TAXUS Liberté 2.25‐mm stent provided cost savings relative to TAXUS Express from a payer perspective ($17,605 vs. $20,281), driven by reduced target vessel revascularization (0.16 events/patient vs. 0.33 events/patient). In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, TAXUS Liberté was less costly with fewer major adverse cardiac events in over 99% of parameter sets. The TAXUS Liberté Long (38 mm) stent was cost neutral relative to TAXUS Express from a payer perspective ($18,545 vs. $18,551) with fewer myocardial infarctions and cardiac deaths. Accounting for angiography‐driven revascularizations, TAXUS Liberté 2.25 mm still provided cost savings relative to TAXUS Express ($16,822 vs. $19,139), although TAXUS Liberté Long was more expensive than TAXUS Express ($17,886 vs. $17,652). From a hospital perspective, TAXUS Liberté Long provided cost savings up to a price premium of $671/stent, driven by fewer stents employed per patient.
Conclusions: This analysis confirms the utility of economic modeling in assessing new stent platforms. TAXUS Liberté 2.25 mm is economically dominant relative to TAXUS Express when treating small vessels. TAXUS Liberté Long is cost neutral to modestly more costly than TAXUS Express 2.25 mm from a payer perspective. (J Interven Cardiol 2012;25:353–363)
Medication Noncompliance and Patient Satisfaction Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: AGHABEKYAN SEDA , THOMPSON MICHAEL E. , ABRAHAMYAN LUSINE 
Published: May 2012

Objectives:
This study evaluated the relationship between medication noncompliance and patient satisfaction in patients with drug‐eluting stent revascularization in Armenia.
Background:
Reasons for medication noncompliance are multifactorial—often related to health system, patient, condition, therapy, and socioeconomic factors.
Methods:
The analytical cross‐sectional survey used a simple random sample of patients aged 18 and over who had undergone percutaneous coronary artery intervention with drug‐eluting stent from 2006 to 2008 (n = 271) at Nork Marash Medical Center, Yerevan, Armenia. Medication noncompliance was assessed using the Morisky Adherence Scale. Patient satisfaction items were selected from the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ‐18).
Results:
Respondents’ mean age was 57.5 ± 9.8 years. Most (87.8%) were male. Nearly one‐third of patients (31.0%) were noncompliant. Most reported good health (91.9%). Respondents most often cited out‐of‐pocket costs as a reason for noncompliance (19.2%). Age, gender, health status, smoking status, and cost were associated with medication noncompliance (P < 0.05). Noncompliance was not associated with elapsed time after the intervention or satisfaction (P > 0.05). Medication noncompliance was positively related to cost (odds ratio [OR]= 2.57, 95% CI = 1.33–4.97) and inversely related to health status (OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.25–0.85) and age (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.91–0.97).
Conclusion:
Medication noncompliance is a multifactorial problem. Strategies reducing the economic burden on patients should improve compliance and, thus, treatment outcomes. These findings further efforts to benchmark performance in Armenia and other post‐Soviet countries against western standards and experiences. (J Interven Cardiol 2012;25:469–475)
Raman Spectroscopy Evaluation of Subsurface Hydrothermal Degradation of Zirconia
Authors: Wulfman Claudine , Djaker Nadia , Dupont Nathalie , Ruse Dorin , Sadoun Michaël , de la Chapelle Marc Lamy 
Published: May 2012

The aims of this study were to calibrate the collection depth for RMS and, using the calibration, to evaluate the in‐depth phase transformation induced in a dental 3Y‐TZP ceramic by hydrothermal aging, simulating LTD. Objectives 10x and 80x affording spatial resolutions of ~3 and ~1 μm, respectively, were used. Probe size was controlled by the confocal pinhole aperture. The collection depth of each probe (objective – pinhole combination) was calibrated on a wedge‐shaped pure tetragonal zirconia specimen. Pure tetragonal samples of a dental 3Y‐TZP were aged in vitro in an autoclave, in Ringer solution, at 130°C, under 0.6 MPa, for 10, 15, 20, 25, and 90 h. Two specimens were used for each time interval and two unexposed specimens served as controls. Monoclinic volume fraction (Vfm) was determined by X‐ray diffraction and by in‐depth probing with RCMS. Probes based on 10x objective penetrated up to 68 μm, whereas those based on the 80x were limited to 5 μm. Aging induced significant increase in Vfm, ranging from 30% after 10 h to 80% after 90 h. After 90 h aging, the 80% Vfm extended to at least 20 μm from the surface. A maximum Vfm was identified at 2.5 μm subsurface depth in 10, 15, and 20 h aged specimens.
Strength and Durability in Acid Media of Alkali Silicate‐Activated Metakaolin Geopolymers
Authors: Burciaga‐Díaz Oswaldo , Escalante‐García José Iván 
Published: May 2012

The Mechanical and chemical properties of inorganic polymers based on metakaolin activated by alkaline blends of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide were characterized. Twenty‐four formulations were elaborated with variable molar composition SiO2/Al2O3 (2.6–3.0), Na2O/Al2O3 (0.55–0.7), and H2O/Solids (0.53–0.57). The effect of the chemical composition on the compressive strength development was first investigated. Infrared spectroscopy showed that the condensed reaction products were formed by bonds of T–O–T (T = Si and/or Al) and water retained.Two formulations of highest strength were chosen to evaluate their chemical resistance after immersion for 10 days in 0.5 N HCl solutions at 60°C; the compressive strength and microstructural changes were characterized. Before the acid exposure the strengths reached up to ~80 MPa, and after acid attack, the loss of strength was a function of the SiO2/Al2O3 ratio. Infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy suggested that the deterioration was due to the destruction of the polymeric network with migration of Na and Al toward the solution and the incorporation of H3O+ and ingress of Cl− ions in the corroded structure; however, the chemical resistance was good considering the aggressiveness of the acid solutions.
Microstructure and Electrical Properties in Low‐ Sb2O3‐Doped Pr6O11 Ceramics
Authors: Peng Shujie , Wang Yu , Wang Haiqing , Dong Xiang , Dong Liang , Gan Yingjie 
Published: May 2012

The microstructure and electrical properties of the Pr6O11‐based varistor ceramics composed of Pr6O11–Sb2O3 ceramics were investigated in the Sb2O3 content range 0–5.0 mol%. The samples were fabricated by conventional ceramic techniques. The results demonstrated that the addition of Sb2O3 to Pr6O11 can promote the grain growth and the densification of the Pr6O11‐based ceramics. The average grain size of Pr6O11 increased and then decreased as the Sb2O3 content increased, reaching 16.4 μm by doping with 1.0 mol%. Highly dense ceramics were obtained, and the relative density reached the maximum value of 96.8%. System densification was attributed to a mass transport mechanism, caused by the presence of Sb2O3, which could favor the oxygen vacancy apparition. Only phase corresponding to Pr6O11 in the sample was detected within the limit of detection of the XRD technique. The electric measurement indicated that the minor incorporation of Sb2O3 can improve the nonlinear electrical properties. This change was ascribed to the Schottky barriers at interface of grain boundary.
Extremely High Tunability of Low Dielectric Constant 1‐3 Type (Ba,Sr)TiO3/Resin Epoxy
Authors: Liang Ruihong , Liao Wanfang , Wu Junwei , Cao Fei , Dong Xianlin 
Published: May 2012

A 1‐3 type (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST)/resin epoxy composites were prepared by dice and fill technique. The microstructure, dielectric, and tunable properties of columnar composites were investigated. An important feature of 1‐3 type composites is that the dc field is efficiently applied to the high‐permittivity ferroelectric phase. With the increase of resin epoxy content, the tunability of the composite remains nearly unchanged while the permittivity decreases much. The coefficient of dielectric nonlinearity β increases sharply with the increase of resin epoxy volume and β increases up to 2.8 × 1012 when the resin epoxy volume is 90%. These properties make 1‐3 type composites very promising for potential tunable device applications.
A Route Forwards to Narrow the Performance Gap between PZT and Lead‐Free Piezoelectric Ceramic with Low Oxygen Partial Pressure Processed (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3
Authors: Kobayashi Keisuke , Doshida Yutaka , Mizuno Youichi , Randall Clive A. 
Published: May 2012

Reduced atmosphere firing of (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 (NKN) ceramics opens up an important opportunity for lead‐free piezoelectric materials; one of the promising applications is base metal cofired multilayer actuators. Here, we extend an investigation on the effects of reduced atmosphere firing (PO2 = 10−10 atm) on the piezoelectric properties and associated point defects in NKN–LiF ceramics. To access the domain dynamics contribution to the converse piezoelectric properties and consider point defects in the sintered ceramics, Rayleigh analysis and thermal stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) were used. The piezoelectric properties and Rayleigh analysis of NKN–LiF ceramics demonstrated that the intrinsic and extrinsic piezoelectric response is essentially independent of firing atmosphere. Furthermore, reduced fired ceramic was found to have much higher resistivity than in the air‐fired case. From the TSDC analysis, the space charge in the reduced fired ceramic was considered to be much smaller than in the air‐fired ceramic, implying that the alkali volatilization was suppressed in reduced fired NKN–LiF ceramic.
Serologic response to a 23‐valent pneumococcal vaccine administered prior to autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Hinge Maja , Ingels Helene A.S. , Slotved Hans‐Christian , Mølle Ingolf 
Published: May 2012

Patients with multiple myeloma are known to have an increased risk of infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae and vaccination is recommended. We retrospectively investigated the response of a 23‐valent polysaccharide‐based pneumococcal vaccine in 60 patients with multiple myeloma administered prior to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Specific antibody titers were measured before and after vaccination. Disease stage was evaluated and associated to the response. We found that 33% of the patients responded to the vaccine. There was a statistic significant association between response to the vaccine and disease stage (p = 0.01). We conclude that vaccination against S. pneumoniae prior to ASCT is reasonable at least in patients responding well to induction therapy, but still it is important to be aware that the response is frequently poor and the duration of it is unknown.