bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Location of Propyl Gallate at Surfaces and Its Chemical Microenvironment by 1H NMR
Authors: Heins Anja , Sokolowski Tobias , Stöckmann Heiko , Schwarz Karin 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe location and the resulting chemical microenvironment of the antioxidant propyl gallate (PG) was studied in micellar solutions using the cationic emulsifier cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), the anionic emulsifier sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and the non‐ionic emulsifier Brij 58 (polyoxyethylene‐20‐cetyl ester). T1 relaxation time of the aromatic protons of PG was investigated in micellar solutions and compared with that in aqueous solution in the absence of emulsifier. The relaxation time of the PG portion that is solubilized in the micelle (T1,eff) was calculated from the partition behavior of PG in micellar solution. From the 1D‐1H spectrum, the alteration in the electron density of the aromatic protons and the alteration in the peak shape of the emulsifier headgroup and alkyl chain proton signals were indicative of the location of propyl gallate in the different micelles. Nuclear Overhauser effects (NOE) made it possible to deduce the exact location of PG by calculation of the relative NOEs. Marked differences were found for the location of PG in CTAB, SDS and Brij 58 micelles. PG was found to be located in the palisade layer of CTAB micelles, in the region of the polyoxyethylene chain of Brij micelles and in the Stern layer of SDS micelles. For careful study of the location of antioxidants and therefore to be able to characterize the chemical microenvironment of the antioxidants is crucial for understanding differences in antioxidant activities as a function of lipid surfaces. The application of spectroscopic methods may help to optimize the antioxidant activity to inhibit lipid oxidation at surfaces that are formed in a wide range of foods (emulsions), cosmetics, pharmaceuticals (emulsions and carrier systems) and of biological membranes (LDL‐particles).
Effect of formaldehyde and resveratrol on the viability of Vero, HepG2 and MCF‐7 cells
Authors: Marcsek Z.L. , Kocsis Zs. , Szende B. , Tompa A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA non‐transformed (Vero) and two tumor cell lines (HepG2 and MCF‐7) were treated with 10 nM to 100 μM formaldehyde. Lower doses (10 nM to 10 μM) enhanced the viability of the cultured cells, measured by MTT assay. Higher doses (75–100 μM) decreased viability of the cells by 50% or more. The 100 μM concentration of HCHO has been chosen for combination treatment of the three cell lines with a series of concentrations (0.2–100 μM) of resveratrol, a phytoestrogen occurring in various fruits. Resveratrol decreased the cytotoxicity of formaldehyde depending on cell line and point of time, especially in case of MCF‐7 cells at 24 and 72 h, Vero cells at 24 h and HepG2 cells at 48 h after treatment. Possible modes of interactions are discussed, considering the role of resveratrol in formaldehyde metabolism and also the estrogen receptor positivity of MCF‐7 cells.
Prenatal exposure to undernutrition and programming of responses to high-fat feeding in the rat
Authors: Erhuma Aml , Bellinger Leanne , Langley-Evans Simon C. , Bennett Andrew J. 
Published: April 2007

Fetal undernutrition programmes risk of later metabolic disorders. Postnatal factors modify the programmed phenotype. This study aimed to assess the effects of a postnatal high-fat (HF) challenge on body weight gain, adiposity and gene expression following prenatal undernutrition. Pregnant rats were fed either a control diet or a low-protein (LP) diet, targeted at days 0–7 (LPE), days 8–14 (LPM), or days 15–22 (LPL) gestation. At 12 weeks of age offspring were either fed standard laboratory chow diet (4·13 % fat), or a 39·5 % fat diet, for 10 weeks. LP exposure had no effect on weight gain or abdominal fat in males. Females exposed to LP dietin uteroexhibited a similar weight gain on HF diet as on the chow diet. Programming of fat deposition was noted in LPE females and males of the LPM and LPL groups (P = 0·019). Hypothalamic expression of galanin mRNA was similar in all groups, but expression of the galanin-2 receptor was modified by LP exposure in female offspring. Hepatic expression of sterol response element binding protein (SREBP-1c) was decreased by LP at both the mRNA (P = 0·008) and protein (P < 0·001) level. HF feeding increased expression of SREBP-1c mRNA three-fold in controls, with little response noted in the LP groups. Interactions of factors such as postnatal diet, age and sex act together with prenatal factors to determine metabolic function and responsiveness at any stage of postnatal life. This study further establishes a role for prenatal nutrition in programming the genes involved in lipid metabolism and appetite regulation.
Nutritional status and subsequent all-cause mortality in men and women aged 75 years or over living in the community
Authors: Jia Xueli , Aucott Lorna S. , McNeill Geraldine 
Published: April 2007

We prospectively investigated relationships between blood markers of Fe, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin C and vitamin D status and subsequent all-cause mortality in 208 men and 191 women aged 75 years or over living in the community in Aberdeen, Scotland. The participants had been recruited for a cross-sectional study in 1999–2000 when they completed health and lifestyle questionnaires and had blood samples taken for analysis of serum ferritin, serum vitamin B12, erythrocyte folate, plasma vitamin C and serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol. Mortality was ascertained on national databases up to December 2005, with a median time of follow up of 69·2 (range 1·0–79·9) months. Participants were divided into sex-specific quintiles of baseline levels for each nutrient, and hazard ratios were estimated with Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age and sex with the significance of linear trends in the associations assessed by logistic regression. There was no significant association between blood markers of Fe, vitamin B12 or folate status at baseline and mortality, but vitamin D status at baseline was inversely related to mortality (P for trend < 0·001). For vitamin C there was no evidence of a linear trend but participants in the lowest quintile of plasma levels had a significantly higher risk of death than those in the highest quintile. Randomized controlled trials of lifestyle changes which improve vitamin status are needed to assess whether these associations could be causal.
Evaluation of Antimicrobial Therapy Orders Circumventing an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program: Investigating the Strategy of “Stealth Dosing”
Authors: LaRosa Lori Ann , Fishman Neil O. , Lautenbach Ebbing , Koppel Ross J. , Morales Knashawn H. , Linkin Darren R. 
Published: April 2007

Objective.
Prior-approval antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) improve patient outcomes and decrease antimicrobial resistance. These benefits would be limited if physicians circumvented ASP efforts. We evaluated whether prescribers wait until after the prior-approval period to order restricted antimicrobial therapy that is in conflict with guidelines or unnecessary.

Design.
A cross-sectional study design and a retrospective cohort study design.

Setting.
A tertiary care, academic medical center with a prior-approval ASP that was active between 8 AM and 10 PM.

Methods.
We evaluated whether there was an increase in the proportion of orders for antimicrobial therapy that involve restricted (vs nonrestricted) antimicrobials during the first hour that the ASP is inactive (ie, the first hour that prior approval is not required), compared with the remainder of the day. We also evaluated whether restricted antimicrobial therapy ordered during this first hour is less likely to be continued when the ASP becomes active the next day, compared with that ordered during the preceding hour.

Results.
A greater proportion of the antimicrobial therapy orders placed between 10:00 PM and 10:59 PM were for restricted agents, compared with orders placed during other periods (57.0% vs 49.9%; P = .02). Surgical patients for whom antimicrobial therapy orders were placed between 10:00 PM and 10:59 PM were less likely to have that antimicrobial therapy continued, compared with patients whose therapy was ordered between 9:00 PM and 9:59 PM (60.0% vs 98.1%; P &lt;.001). Nonsurgical patients whose therapy orders were placed between 10:00PM and 10:59 PM were also less likely to have the ordered antimicrobial therapy continued, compared with patients whose therapy was ordered between 9:00 PM and 9:59 PM (70.8% vs 84.2%; P = .01).

Conclusion.
Physicians avoid having to obtain prior approval for therapy involving restricted antimicrobials by waiting until restrictions are no longer active to place orders. Compared with restricted antimicrobial therapy ordered when the ASP is active, these courses of therapy are less often continued by the ASP, suggesting that they are more likely to be in conflict with guidelines or unnecessary.
Infectivity of Hepatitis C Virus in Plasma After Drying and Storing at Room Temperature
Authors: Kamili Saleem , Krawczynski Kris , McCaustland Karen , Li Xiaofang , Alter Miriam J. 
Published: April 2007

Objective.To determine effect of environmental exposure on the survival and infectivity of hepatitis C virus (HCV).Methods.Three aliquots of chimpanzee plasma containing HCV and proven infectious HCV inoculum were dried and stored at room temperature, 1 aliquot for 16 hours, 1 for 4 days, and 1 for 7 days. A chimpanzee (CH247) was sequentially inoculated intravenously with each of these experimental inocula, beginning with the material stored for 7 days. Each inoculation was separated by at least 18 weeks of follow-up to monitor for infection. The concentration of HCV RNA was measured and quasi species were sequenced for each experimental inoculum and in serum samples from CH247.Results.Evidence of HCV infection developed in CH247 only after inoculation with the material stored for 16 hours. No infection occurred after inoculation with the material stored for 7 days or 4 days. Compared with the original infectious chimpanzee plasma, the concentration of HCV RNA was 1 log lower in all 3 experimental inocula. The same predominant sequences were found in similar proportions in the original chimpanzee plasma and in the experimental inocula, as well as in serum samples from CH247.Conclusion.HCV in plasma can survive drying and environmental exposure to room temperature for at least 16 hours, which supports the results of recent epidemiologic investigations that implicated blood-contaminated inanimate surfaces, objects, and/or devices as reservoirs for patient-to-patient transmission of HCV. Healthcare professionals in all settings should review their aseptic techniques and infection control practices to ensure that they are being performed in a manner that prevents cross-contamination from such reservoirs.
Political Versus Epidemiological Correctness
Authors: Farr Barry M. 
Published: April 2007

In the March issue of the journal, the Joint SHEA and APIC Task Force indicates that the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) support the use of active detection and isolation (ADI) for controlling nosocomial infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) “in appropriate circumstances, as recommended in previously published guidelines”1(p250) (those published by SHEA and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee [HICPAC]), but that SHEA and APIC oppose the use of legislation for mandating any infection control approach, including this one as tried in 2006 in Illinois and Maryland.
Both supporters and opponents of controlling MRSA and VRE with ADI probably will agree that legislation is not the optimal way to control nosocomial infections in general, but this position statement undoubtedly will please the latter more than it does the former because the SHEA/APIC Task Force argues that ADI is not ready for routine use throughout all healthcare facilities, directly opposing the position of the original SHEA guideline. As an author of that SHEA guideline, I would like to comment. First, the new position seems politically correct (since most infection control professionals have not yet bothered using ADI to control MRSA and VRE), but many of the planks of the SHEA/APIC Task Force position statement are misleading.
Effect of a Chlorhexidine Mouthwash on the Risk of Postextraction Bacteremia
Authors: Tomás I. , Álvarez M. , Limeres J. , Tomás M. , Medina J. , Otero J. L. , Diz P. 
Published: April 2007

Objective.
To investigate the prevalence, duration, and etiology of bacteremia following dental extractions performed after a single administration of Chlorhexidine mouthwash.

Design and Setting.
A randomized, controlled trial performed in a university hospital.

Methods.
A series of 106 patients with mental and behavioral disabilities who underwent dental extractions under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to a control group or Chlorhexidine group. The exclusion criteria applied were use of antibiotics in the previous 3 months, use of oral antiseptics, any type of congenital or acquired immunodeficiency, and disease that predisposes the patient to infections or bleeding. The Chlorhexidine group had 0.2% Chlorhexidine mouthwash administered for 30 seconds before any dental manipulation. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 30 seconds, 15 minutes, and 1 hour after the dental extractions. Subculture and further identification of the isolated bacteria were performed by conventional microbiological techniques.

Results.
The prevalence of bacteremia after dental extraction in the control and Chlorhexidine groups were 96% and 79%, respectively, at 30 seconds (P = .008), 64% and 30% at 15 minutes (P &lt;.001), and 20% and 2% at 1 hour (P = .005). The most frequently identified bacteria were Streptococcus species in both the control and Chlorhexidine groups (64% and 68%, respectively), particularly viridans group streptococci.

Conclusion.
We recommend the routine use of a 0.2% Chlorhexidine mouthwash before dental extractions to reduce the risk of postextraction bacteremia.
Introduction: The Emergence Of Christian Identity
Authors: Lieu Judith 
Published: April 2007

AbstractHow can we imagine what the sense of being ‘a Christian’ might have conveyed? We only have texts to guide us. Indeed, despite low levels of literacy, early Christianity can be viewed as a textual construct as can also Judaism and other self-understandings in the Graeco-Roman world. This allows identity and its analysis, although a modern concept, to be creatively applied to the ancient world, including early Christianity. To do so will provoke new perspectives on familiar questions concerning the rise of Christianity, its relationship with Judaism within the context of the Graeco-Roman world, and whether it is possible to speak of the essence of Christianity.
Made Not Born: Conclusions
Authors: Lieu Judith 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBoth continuities and discontinuities mark the strong thrust towards the creation of identity in early Christian writings, although we may not always be able to move directly from these to actual social experience. This, and distinguishing between individuals and conceptualized systems, complicates any simple model of the origins and character of early Christianity, or of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, Jews and Christians. Yet, two themes emerge if it is possible to speak about a continuity of Christian identity: the ability to tell a story, although stories will always compete, and the creation of ‘the other’, which in the modern world may demand a respect for diversity and for their integrity.
Penicillin sensitivity among hospital nurses without a history of penicillin allergy
Authors: Cetinkaya Feyzullah , Ozturk Ali Osman , Kutluk Gunsel , Erdem Ela 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Title. Penicillin sensitivity among hospital nurses without a history of penicillin allergy Aim.  This paper reports a study to document the prevalence of penicillin sensitivity among nurses who had no previous history of sensitivity and worked in an inner city hospital in Turkey.Background.  Frequent and prolonged exposure to any drug including penicillin may increase the risk of hypersensitivity to these drugs. Local administration of drugs increases the likelihood of sensitization. Nurses are the main group of healthcare workers who prepare and administer antibiotics to patients, so they may be at highest risk for sensitization. Skin testing with major and minor determinants of penicillin has proved useful for identifying penicillin‐specific IgE antibodies in sensitized individuals.Method.  Skin prick tests were performed with benzyl penicilloyl polylysine (PPL) and a mixture of minor antigenic determinants (MDM) solution with 83 nurses who had been handling beta‐lactam antibiotics. The study was conducted in 2004.Findings.  Ten nurses (12%) had positive skin reactions to penicillin antigens. Six were sensitive to PPL (7·2%) and four were sensitive to MDM (4·8%).Conclusion.  Occult sensitization to beta‐lactam antibiotics, without symptoms, may develop in hospital nurses. It is possible that these healthcare workers might be at increased risk of hypersensitivity reactions should they be exposed to beta‐lactams, administered for therapeutic purposes. Further research is needed to explore this important issue.
Aggressive behaviour on acute psychiatric wards: prevalence, severity and management
Authors: Foster Chloe , Bowers Len , Nijman Henk 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Title. Aggressive behaviour on acute psychiatric wards: prevalence, severity and management Aim.  This paper reports a study to investigate the nature and prevalence of inpatient aggressive behaviour directed at staff and other patients and, in the case of patient self‐harm, the methods used by nursing staff to manage this.Background.  Aggressive behaviour poses a threat to the physical and psychological health of psychiatric nursing staff. The fear that results from working in a climate of potential danger can also have a damaging impact on patient care.Methods.  Nursing staff on five acute inpatient wards in one hospital in the United Kingdom collected data on aggressive incidents using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale – Revised during a 10 month period from June 2001 to April 2002.Results.  There were 254 incidents of aggression recorded. Staff were most commonly targeted and were involved in 57·1% of incidents. The most frequent provocation of the aggression was the patient being denied something such as leave from the ward (29·5% of incidents). The most frequent means used by patients was verbal aggression (60% of incidents), the most frequent outcome for the victim was feeling threatened (59% of incidents), and verbal interventions were used most frequently to manage the aggressive behaviour (43·7%). Despite many incidents involving verbal aggression in both staff‐ and patient‐targeted aggression, 35·9% of incidents involving staff and 25% of incidents involving other patients resulted in seclusion.Conclusion.  It is estimated that in a 12 month period at the hospital in this study a nurse would have a one in 10 chance per year of receiving any kind of injury as a result of patient aggression. Despite the predominance of verbal over physical aggression, the fear generated from working in such an environment and a difficulty in understanding the causes of patient aggression may motivate staff to manage aggressive incidents with physical methods such as seclusion and restraint on a frequent basis.
Influence of task properties and subjectivity on consistency of triage: a simulation study
Authors: Gerdtz M. F. , Bucknall T. K. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractTitle. Influence of task properties and subjectivity on consistency of triage: a simulation studyAim. This paper reports a study to determine nurses’ levels of agreement using a standard 5‐point triage scale and to explore the influence of task properties and subjectivity on decision‐making consistency.Background. Triage scales are used to define time‐to‐treatment in hospital emergency departments. Studies of the inter‐rater reliability of these scales using paper‐based simulation methods report varying levels of consistency. Understanding how various components of the decision task and individual perceptions of the case influence agreement is critical to the development of strategies to improve consistency of triage.Method. Simulations were constructed from naturalistic observation, cue types and frequencies were classified. Data collection was conducted in 2002, and the final response rate was 41·3%. Participants were asked to allocate an urgency code for 12 scenarios using the Australasian Triage Scale, and provide estimates of case complexity, levels of certainty and available information. Data were analysed descriptively, agreement between raters was calculated using kappa. The influence of task properties and participants’ subjective estimates of case complexity, levels of certainty and available information on agreement were explored using a general linear model.Findings. Agreement among raters varied from moderate to poor (κ = 0·18–0·64). Participants’ subjective estimates of levels of available information were found to influence consistency of triage by statistically significant amounts (F5·68; ≤0·01).Conclusions. Strategies employed to optimize consistency of triage should focus on improving the quality of the simulations that are used. In particular, attention should be paid to the development of interactive simulations that will accommodate individual differences in information‐seeking behaviour.
Effects of nursing interventions within an integrated care pathway for patients with hip fracture
Authors: Olsson Lars‐Eric , Karlsson Jón , Ekman Inger 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Title. Effects of nursing interventions within an integrated care pathway for patients with hip fracture Aim.  This paper reports a study to evaluate the contribution of nursing care within an integrated care pathway for patients with hip fracture.Background.  There is growing interest in quality assurance in health care. Integrated care pathways are a method to achieve this goal, and are a multi‐professional team approach where the requirement for nurses to work effectively within the team is important. However, the nurses’ role and contribution within the team have not been well described.Method.  A quasi‐experimental, prospective study comparing an intervention group with a comparison group was carried out. One hundred and twelve independently living patients, aged 65 years or older and admitted to a Swedish hospital with a hip fracture, were consecutively selected. Pathological fracture and severe intellectual impairment (Pfeiffer's test <3 points) served as exclusion criteria. The intervention was designed to focus on patients’ motivation and their prerequisites for rehabilitation and was based on the concept of transition. The main outcome measure was the number of patients restored to preoperative activities of daily living levels in 2003–2004.Findings.  In the intervention group 21% were restored to activities of daily living to level A (independent) at discharge, whereas only 5% in the comparison group were restored to this level. No patients in the intervention group, admitted as independent, remained at activities of daily living level F (dependent), whereas 16% remained at level F in the comparison group (P = 0·003).Conclusion.  When admitting older patients with a hip fracture, it is important to acquire good knowledge about each patient and their prerequisites and to offer them accelerated rehabilitation in accordance with their individual ability. By monitoring process indicators during the transition, serious deviations from the care plan can be avoided.