Characterization of tight gas reservoir pore structure using USANS/SANS and gas adsorption analysis

Small-angle and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (SANS and USANS) measurements were performed on samples from the Triassic Montney tight gas reservoir in Western Canada in order to determine the applicability of these techniques for characterizing the full pore size spectrum and to gain insight into the nature of the pore structure and its control on permeability. The subject tight gas reservoir consists of a finely laminated siltstone sequence; extensive cementation and moderate clay content are the primary causes of low permeability. SANS/USANS experiments run at ambient pressure and temperature conditions on lithologically-diverse sub-samples of three core plugs demonstrated that a broad pore size distribution could be interpreted from the data. Two interpretation methods were used to evaluate total porosity, pore size distribution and surface area and the results were compared to independent estimates derived from helium porosimetry (connected porosity) and low-pressure N2 and CO2 adsorption (accessible surface area and pore size distribution). The pore structure of the three samples as interpreted from SANS/USANS is fairly uniform, with small differences in the small-pore range (<2000 Å), possibly related to differences in degree of cementation, and mineralogy, in particular clay content. Total porosity interpreted from USANS/SANS is similar to (but systematically higher than) helium porosities measured on the whole core plug. Both methods were used to estimate the percentage of open porosity expressed here as a ratio of connected porosity, as established from helium adsorption, to the total porosity, as estimated from SANS/USANS techniques. Open porosity appears to control permeability (determined using pressure and pulse-decay techniques), with the highest permeability sample also having the highest percentage of open porosity. Surface area, as calculated from low-pressure N2 and CO2 adsorption, is significantly less than surface area estimates from SANS/USANS, which is due in part to limited accessibility of the gases to all pores. The similarity between N2 and CO2-accessible surface area suggests an absence of microporosity in these samples, which is in agreement with SANS analysis. A core gamma ray profile run on the same core from which the core plug samples were taken correlates to profile permeability measurements run on the slabbed core. This correlation is related to clay content, which possibly controls the percentage of open porosity. Continued study of these effects will prove useful in log-core calibration efforts for tight gas.

The effectiveness of health education using the teach-back method on adherence and self-management in chronic disease: A systematic review protocol

Review question/objective What is the effect of using the teach-back method for health education to improve adherence to treatment regimen and self-management in chronic disease? Inclusion criteria Types of participants This review will consider all studies that include adult patients (aged 18 years and over) in any healthcare setting, either as inpatients (eg acute care, medical and surgical wards) or those who attend primary health care, family medical practice, general medical practice, clinics, outpatient departments, rehabilitation or community settings. Participants need to have been diagnosed as having one or more chronic diseases including heart failure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, arthritis, epilepsy or a mental health condition. Studies that include seriously ill patients, and/or those who have impairments in verbal communication and cognitive function will be excluded. Types of intervention This review will consider studies that investigate the use of the teach-back method alone or in combination with other supporting education, either in routine or research intervention education programs; regardless of how long the programs were and whether or not a follow-up was conducted. The intervention could be delivered by any healthcare professional. The comparator will be any health education for chronic disease that does not include the teach-back method. Types of outcomes Primary outcomes of interest are disease-specific knowledge, adherence, and self-management knowledge, behavior and skills measured using patient report, nursing observation or validated measurement scales. Secondary outcomes include knowledge retention, self-efficacy, hospital readmission, hospitalization, and quality of life, also measured using patient report, nursing observation, hospital records or validated measurement scales.

Artificial grain boundary Josephson junctions : properties and applications

Engineered grain boundary Josephson junctions in YBaCuO were formed on bicrystal Y-ZrO2 substrates. Laser deposited films were patterned into micron size microbridges. The authors obsd. a pronounced correlation between superconducting transport properties of grain boundary junctions and the misorientation angle θ between the two halves of the bicrystal. The crit. Josephson current Ic decreased about four orders of magnitude as θ was increased from 0 to 45 degrees. Clear microwave and magnetic field responses were obsd. at 77 K. At this temp., crit. current times normal resistance products, IcRn, of up to 1 mV were measured for low angle grain boundaries, and Shapiro steps were obsd. up to that voltage. DC SQUIDs were fabricated, and best performance at 77 K was obtained for θ = 32° with a 4-μm strip width. To utilize the higher IcRn value of a lower θ, submicron junctions have to be developed. [on SciFinder(R)]

Differentiation state and invasiveness of human breast cancer cell lines

Eighteen breast cancer cell lines were examined for expression of markers of epithelial and fibroblastic differentiation: E-cadherin, desmoplakins, ZO- 1, vimentin, keratin and β1 and β4 integrins. The cell lines were distributed along a spectrum of differentiation from epithelial to fibroblastic phenotypes. The most well-differentiated, epithelioid cell lines contained proteins characteristic of desmosomal, adherens and tight junctions, were adherent to one another on plastic and in the basement membrane matrix Matrigel and were keratin-positive and vimentin-negative. These cell lines were all weakly invasive in an in vitro chemoinvasion assay. The most poorly-differentiated, fibroblastic cell lines were E-cadherin-, desmoplakin- and ZO-1-negative and formed branching structures in Matrigel. They were vimentin-positive, contained only low levels of keratins and were highly invasive in the in vitro chemoinvasion assay. Of all of the markers analyzed, vimentin expression correlated best with in vitro invasive ability and fibroblastic differentiation. In a cell line with unstable expression of vimentin, T47D(CO), the cells that were invasive were of the fibroblastic type. The differentiation markers described here may be useful for analysis of clinical specimens and could potentially provide a more precise measure of differentiation grade yielding more power for predicting prognosis.

Loss of epithelial markers and acquisition of vimentin expression in adriamycin- and vinblastine-resistant human breast cancer cell lines

We have previously observed that breast cancer cell lines could exhibit either epithelial or fibroblastic phenotypes as reflected by their morphologies and intermediate filament protein expression (C. L. Sommers, D. Walker-Jones, S. E. Heckford, P. Worland, E. Valverius, R. Clark, M. Stampfer, and E. P. Gelmann, Cancer Res., 49: 4258-4263, 1989). Fibroblastoid, vimentin-expressing breast cancer cell lines are more invasive in vitro and in vivo (E. W. Thompson, S. Paik, N. Brunner, C. L. Sommers, G. Zugmaier, R. Clarke, T. B. Shima, J. Torri, S. Donahue, M. E. Lippman, G. R. Martin, and R. B. Dickson, J. Cell. Physiol., 150: 534-544, 1992). We hypothesized that a breast cancer cell with an epithelial phenotype could undergo a transition to a fibroblastic phenotype, possibly resulting in more invasive capacity. We now show that two Adriamycin-resistant MCF-7 cell lines and a vinblastine-resistant ZR-75-B cell line have undergone such a transition. Adriamycin-resistant MCF-7 cells express vimentin, have diminished keratin 19 expression, have lost cell adhesion molecule uvomorulin expression, and have reduced formation of desmosomes and tight junctions as determined by reduced immunodetection of their components desmoplakins I and II and zonula occludens (ZO)-1. Other MCF-7 cell lines selected for resistance to vinblastine and to Adriamycin and verapamil did not have these characteristics, indicating that drug selection does not invariably cause these phenotypic changes. In addition, to determine if vimentin expression in MCF-7 cells alone could manifest a fibroblastic phenotype, we transfected the full-length human vimentin complementary DNA into MCF-7 cells. Although vimentin expression was achieved in MCF-7 cells, it did not affect the phenotype of the cells in terms of the distribution of keratins, desmoplakins I and II, ZO-1, or uvomorulin or in terms of in vitro invasiveness. We conclude that vimentin expression is a marker for a fibroblastic and invasive phenotype in breast cancer cells but does not by itself give rise to this phenotype.

Adherence to physical activity and electronic media guidelines in Australian pre-school children

The aim of this study was to determine compliance with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) guideline for physical activity and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation for electronic media use among urban pre-school children in two large cities on the East Coast of Australia. Cross-sectional data were collected from 266 parents. Time spent using electronic media (watching television, DVDs or on the computer) and in physical activity were parent reported. The proportion who met each guideline was calculated. 56 per cent and 79% of children met the NASPE guideline on weekdays and weekends, respectively, while 73% and 70% met the AAP recommendation on weekdays and weekends, with no difference between boys and girls. A substantial minority do not meet physical activity and electronic media use recommendations, highlighting the need to better understand what factors contribute to physical activity and electronic media use among this group of pre-schoolers.

The association between the measurement of adherence to anti-diabetes medicine and the HbA1c

BACKGROUND: Adherence to medicines is important in subjects with diabetes, as nonadherence is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. However, it is not clear whether there is an association between adherence to medicines and glycaemic control, as not all studies have shown this. One of the reasons for this discrepancy may be that, although there is a standard measure of glycaemic control i.e. HbA1c, there is no standard measure of adherence to medicines. Adherence to medicines can be measured either qualitatively by Morisky or non-Morisky methods or quantitatively using the medicines possession ratio (MPR). AIMS OF THE REVIEW: The aims of this literature review are (1) to determine whether there is an association between adherence to anti-diabetes medicines and glycaemic control, and (2) whether any such association is dependent on how adherence is measured. Methods A literature search of Medline, CINAHL and the Internet (Google) was undertaken with search terms; 'diabetes' with 'adherence' (or compliance, concordance, persistence, continuation) with 'HbA1c' (or glycaemic control). RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included; 10 qualitative and 12 quantitative studies, and one study using both methods. For the qualitative methods measurements of adherence to anti-diabetes medicines (non-Morisky and Morisky), eight out of ten studies show an association with HbA1c. Nine of ten studies using the quantitative MPR, and two studies using MPR for insulin only, have also shown an association between adherence to anti-diabetes medicines and HbA1c. However, the one study that used both Morisky and MPR did not show an association. Three of the four studies that did not show a relationship, did not use a range of HbA1c values in their regression analysis. The other study that did not show a relationship was specifically in a low income population. CONCLUSIONS: Most studies show an association between adherence to anti-diabetes medicines and HbA1c levels, and this seems to be independent of method used to measure adherence. However, to show an association it is necessary to have a range of HbA1c values. Also, the association is not always apparent in low income populations.

Differential effects of tissue culture coating substrates on prostate cancer cell adherence, morphology and behavior

Weak cell-surface adhesion of cell lines to tissue culture surfaces is a common problem and presents technical limitations to the design of experiments. To overcome this problem, various surface coating protocols have been developed. However, a comparative and precise real-time measurement of their impact on cell behavior has not been conducted. The prostate cancer cell line LNCaP, derived from a patient lymph node metastasis, is a commonly used model system in prostate cancer research. However, the cells’ characteristically weak attachment to the surface of tissue culture vessels and cover slips has impeded their manipulation and analysis and use in high throughput screening. To improve the adherence of LNCaP cells to the culture surface, we compared different coating reagents (poly-L-lysine, poly-L-ornithine, collagen type IV, fibronectin, and laminin) and culturing conditions and analyzed their impact on cell proliferation, adhesion, morphology, mobility and gene expression using real-time technologies. The results showed that fibronectin, poly-L-lysine and poly-L-ornithine improved LNCaP cells adherence and provoked cell morphology alterations, such as increase of nuclear and cellular area. These coating reagents also induced a higher expression of F-actin and reduced cell mobility. In contrast, laminin and collagen type IV did not improve adherence but promoted cell aggregation and affected cell morphology. Cells cultured in the presence of laminin displayed higher mobility than control cells. All the coating conditions significantly affected cell viability; however, they did not affect the expression of androgen receptor-regulated genes. Our comparative findings provide important insight for the selection of the ideal coating reagent and culture conditions for the cancer cell lines with respect to their effect on proliferation rate, attachment, morphology, migration, transcriptional response and cellular cytoskeleton arrangement.

Bacterial adherence and biofilm formation on medical implants : a review

Biofilms are a complex group of microbial cells that adhere to the exopolysaccharide matrix present on the surface of medical devices. Biofilm-associated infections in the medical devices pose a serious problem to the public health and adversely affect the function of the device. Medical implants used in oral and orthopedic surgery are fabricated using alloys such as stainless steel and titanium. The biological behavior, such as osseointegration and its antibacterial activity, essentially depends on both the chemical composition and the morphology of the surface of the device. Surface treatment of medical implants by various physical and chemical techniques are attempted in order to improve their surface properties so as to facilitate bio-integration and prevent bacterial adhesion. The potential source of infection of the surrounding tissue and antimicrobial strategies are from bacteria adherent to or in a biofilm on the implant which should prevent both biofilm formation and tissue colonization. This article provides an overview of bacterial biofilm formation and methods adopted for the inhibition of bacterial adhesion on medical implants

Emotion and its regulation predicts gluten-free diet adherence in adults with coeliac disease

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the mediating and moderating relationships between emotional perceptions of coeliac disease, negative emotional states, emotion regulation, emotional eating and gluten-free diet adherence. Method Adults with coeliac disease (N = 253) were recruited from state organisations of Coeliac Australia and completed an online questionnaire measuring illness perceptions, emotion regulation strategies, negative emotional states, emotional eating and gluten-free diet adherence. Results Participants' levels of depression and anxiety, but not stress or emotional eating, were associated with gluten-free diet adherence. Emotional perception of coeliac disease was also associated with gluten-free diet adherence, and this relationship was partially mediated by depression and anxiety. Furthermore, the emotion regulation strategies of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression moderated the relationship between emotional perceptions and depression, but not emotional perceptions and anxiety. Conclusions Interventions to improve dietary adherence for adults with coeliac disease displaying depressive symptoms should aim to increase the use of cognitive reappraisal and reduce the use of expressive suppression. Future studies should also explore mechanisms that may moderate the relationship between emotional perceptions and anxiety.

A systematic review of interventions to enhance medication adherence in children and adolescents with chronic illness

Introduction Poor medication adherence is common in children and adolescents with chronic illness, but there is uncertainty about the best way to enhance medication adherence in this group. The authors conducted a systematic review of controlled trials examining interventions that aim to improve medication adherence. Method A comprehensive literature search was undertaken to locate controlled trials that described specific interventions aiming to improve adherence to long-term medication, where participants were aged 18 years and under, medication adherence was reported as an outcome measure, and which could be implemented by individual health practitioners. Studies were reviewed for quality and outcome. Results 17 studies met inclusion criteria: seven studies examined educational strategies, seven studies examined behavioural interventions and three studies examined educational intervention combined with other forms of psychological therapies. Only two of seven studies reported a clear benefit for education on medication adherence, whereas four of seven trials indicated a benefit of behavioural approaches on medication adherence. One trial reported that combining education with behavioural management may be more effective than education alone. Studies which combined education with other non-medication specific psychological interventions failed to demonstrate a beneficial effect on medication adherence. Only two studies examined adherence-promoting interventions in young people with established adherence problems. Conclusion These findings suggest that education interventions alone are insufficient to promote adherence in children and adolescents, and that incorporating a behavioural component to adherence interventions may increase potential efficacy. Future research should examine interventions in high-risk groups.

Zero-bias conductance and energy gap measurements in LaNiO3-YBa2Cu3O7-x junctions

Conductance measurements of junctions between a high- superconductor and a metallic oxide have been carried out along the a-b plane to examine the tunnel-junction spectra. For these measurements, in situ films have been grown on c-axis oriented thin films using the pulsed laser deposition technique. Two distinctive energy gaps have been observed along with conductance peaks around zero bias. The analysis of zero-bias conductance and energy gap data suggests the presence of midgap states located at the centre of a finite energy gap. The results obtained are also in accordance with the d-wave nature of high- superconductors.

Comparative proteomics of uropathogenic Escherichia coli during growth in human urine identify UCA-like (UCL) fimbriae as an adherence factor involved in biofilm formation and binding to uroepithelial cells

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infection (UTI) in humans. For the successful colonisation of the human urinary tract, UPEC employ a diverse collection of secreted or surface-exposed virulence factors including toxins, iron acquisition systems and adhesins. In this study, a comparative proteomic approach was utilised to define the UPEC pan and core surface proteome following growth in pooled human urine. Identified proteins were investigated for subcellular origin, prevalence and homology to characterised virulence factors. Fourteen core surface proteins were identified, as well as eleven iron uptake receptor proteins and four distinct fimbrial types, including type 1, P, F1C/S and a previously uncharacterised fimbrial type, designated UCA-like (UCL) fimbriae in this study. These pathogenicity island (PAI)-associated fimbriae are related to UCA fimbriae of Proteus mirabilis, associated with UPEC and exclusively found in members of the E. coli B2 and D phylogroup. We further demonstrated that UCL fimbriae promote significant biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces and mediate specific attachment to exfoliated human uroepithelial cells. Combined, this study has defined the surface proteomic profiles and core surface proteome of UPEC during growth in human urine and identified a new type of fimbriae that may contribute to UTI.

The effectiveness of the teach-back method on adherence and self-management in health education for people with chronic disease: A systematic review

- BACKGROUND Chronic diseases are increasing worldwide and have become a significant burden to those affected by those diseases. Disease-specific education programs have demonstrated improved outcomes, although people do forget information quickly or memorize it incorrectly. The teach-back method was introduced in an attempt to reinforce education to patients. To date, the evidence regarding the effectiveness of health education employing the teach-back method in improved care has not yet been reviewed systematically. - OBJECTIVES This systematic review examined the evidence on using the teach-back method in health education programs for improving adherence and self-management of people with chronic disease. - INCLUSION CRITERIA Types of participants: Adults aged 18 years and over with one or more than one chronic disease. Types of intervention: All types of interventions which included the teach-back method in an education program for people with chronic diseases. The comparator was chronic disease education programs that did not involve the teach-back method. Types of studies: Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, before-after studies and case-control studies. Types of outcomes: The outcomes of interest were adherence, self-management, disease-specific knowledge, readmission, knowledge retention, self-efficacy and quality of life. - SEARCH STRATEGY Searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, and Google Scholar databases. Search terms were combined by AND or OR in search strings. Reference lists of included articles were also searched for further potential references. - METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY Two reviewers conducted quality appraisal of papers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument. - DATA EXTRACTION Data were extracted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument data extraction instruments. - DATA SYNTHESIS There was significant heterogeneity in selected studies, hence a meta-analysis was not possible and the results were presented in narrative form. - RESULTS Of the 21 articles retrieved in full, 12 on the use of the teach-back method met the inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis. Four studies confirmed improved disease-specific knowledge in intervention participants. One study showed a statistically significant improvement in adherence to medication and diet among type 2 diabetics patients in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Two studies found statistically significant improvements in self-efficacy (p = 0.0026 and p < 0.001) in the intervention groups. One study examined quality of life in heart failure patients but the results did not improve from the intervention (p = 0.59). Five studies found a reduction in readmission rates and hospitalization but these were not always statistically significant. Two studies showed improvement in daily weighing among heart failure participants, and in adherence to diet, exercise and foot care among those with type 2 diabetes. - CONCLUSION Overall, the teach-back method showed positive effects in a wide range of health care outcomes although these were not always statistically significant. Studies in this systematic review revealed improved outcomes in disease-specific knowledge, adherence, self-efficacy and the inhaler technique. There was a positive but inconsistent trend also seen in improved self-care and reduction of hospital readmission rates. There was limited evidence on improvement in quality of life or disease related knowledge retention.